ARMENIAN PRESIDENT MIGHT MEET TURKISH PM IN NEW YORK
Tert.am
Sept 14 2009
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan leaves for New York on
September 21. As Turkish newspaper Sabah reports, quite possibly
President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan will meet Erdogan in the US.
According to Sabah, Foreign Minister of the Republic of Armenia
Edward Nalbandian and Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu will
also take part in the meeting.
This is a multi-part message in MIME format.
Eurasia Daily Monitor
September 11, 2009-Volume 6, Issue 166
U.N. GENERAL ASSEMBLY ADOPTS GEORGIAN RESOLUTION ON REFUGEES’
RETURN
by Vladimir Socor
On September 9 the United Nations General Assembly condemned the
"forced displacement" of the population from Georgia’s Abkhazia and
South Ossetia territories, strongly upheld the displaced populations’
right to return there, and defined these territories as parts of
Georgia.
Georgia had initiated the General Assembly’s resolution in the
framework of debate on "Protracted conflicts in the GUAM area and their
influence on international peace, security and development," an agenda
item that Azerbaijan and Georgia have actively promoted at the U.N. in
the last three years. The September 9 resolution is the first to address
this issue since Russia’s August 2008 invasion, which resulted in
another round of forced displacement, after that triggered by Russia’s
1993 military intervention in Georgia.
The resolution’s phrases "Abkhazia, Georgia and South Ossetia,
Georgia," "Georgia including Abkhazia and South Ossetia," and
"throughout Georgia," repeatedly underscore the international
recognition of Georgia’s territorial integrity as legally continuous
(notwithstanding its unilateral de-recognition by Russia since 2008).
The resolution registers "concern [over] forced demographic
changes resulting from the conflicts in Georgia," as well as the
"further forced displacement of civilians" in August 2008. It
"recognizes the right of return of all internally displaced persons and
refugees and their descendants, regardless of ethnicity, to their homes
throughout Georgia, including in Abkhazia and South Ossetia." It
"stresses the need to respect the property rights of all internally
displaced persons and refugees" and to "refrain from obtaining property
in violation of those rights" (this is an ongoing concern in Abkhazia in
particular, whereas Georgian villages in South Ossetia have in many
cases been simply destroyed). It "reaffirms the unacceptability of
forced demographic changes." And it "underlines the urgent need for
unimpeded access for humanitarian activities…in all conflict-affected
areas throughout Georgia."
On a practical level the resolution "underlines the need for the
development of a timetable to ensure a voluntary, safe, dignified and
unhindered return of all internally displaced persons and refugees
affected by the conflicts in Georgia to their homes;" and requests the
U.N. Secretary-General to submit to the General Assembly’s next session
a comprehensive report on this resolution’s implementation (Text in UNGA
document A/63/L.79).
The Assembly adopted this resolution by a recorded vote of
48–mostly Western countries–in favor, 19 against, and 78 abstentions.
Presenting the case for approval, Georgia’s Ambassador Alexander Lomaia
underscored how little progress had been made in helping Georgia’s
displaced persons return to their homes over the past 15 years.
Moreover, he noted, last year’s armed conflict and the new wave of
displacement gave ample cause for the General Assembly to take a
principled stand on this international legal and humanitarian issue.
The voting breakdown reflects some stable and some shifting
international alignments. The United States, all European Union
countries but one, all NATO countries but one, and all GUAM countries
but one, voted in favor. The exceptions are NATO member Turkey, E.U.
member Cyprus, and GUAM member Moldova, all of which abstained. Turkey’s
AKP government apparently bowed to its current "strategic partnership"
with Russia, in preference to Turkey’s traditional strategic partnership
with Georgia. The caretaker Moldovan government toed outgoing President
Vladimir Voronin’s rapprochement with Moscow. And Cyprus–itself
interested in upholding the principles of territorial integrity and
reversal of ethnic cleansing–may have allowed its own non-transparent
financial ties with Moscow to influence its foreign policy. For their
part, the U.S.-protected governments of Afghanistan and of Iraq ducked
the vote by registering as absent (UNGA, 63rd session, Status of
Internally Displaced Persons resolution, plenary meeting 104, record of
debate September 9).
Russia tried hard to resist the resolution’s adoption, but only
managed to delay it by several weeks. In a last-ditch attempt Russia
raised a procedural issue in proposing that the General Assembly’s
debate be discontinued and no vote be taken. This no-action motion lost
when sixty-four countries voted against it — a setback of unusual
proportions for Russia in this forum. Moscow then brought up 17
amendments to the draft resolution, but did not manage to affect its
content. Russia’s permanent representative to the U.N., Vitaly Churkin,
and the ministry of foreign affairs in Moscow took the position that the
resolution was "politicized." This is Moscow’s standard rejection
formula when legal issues inconvenient to itself are actually involved.
The Russian side also warned that the resolution’s adoption would
jeopardize the ongoing Geneva talks on stability and security and
undermine "confidence-building" — an implausible warning since the
talks and "confidence" measures are deadlocked in any case by Russia
itself (Interfax, RIA Novosti, September 10).
Moscow will undoubtedly continue stalling for as long as it can
the return of the internally displaced persons and refugees it has
itself created through its 1993 and 2008 military operations. The
September 9 resolution, inevitably, stops short of naming Russia as the
responsible party and also refrains from using the term ethnic
cleansing. Nevertheless, this resolution marks at least a conceptual
breakthrough toward acknowledging the legal grounds for rectifying this
situation.
The document defeats Moscow’s political and legal goal to have the
"new realities" — occupation/annexation and ethnic cleansing of
Abkhazia and South Ossetia –acknowledged even de facto at an
international level. On the contrary, the resolution upholds Georgia’s
legal title to its territorial integrity as well as the right of
refugees to return home and their right to their property there. The
resolution lays the basis for a legal and political commitment to these
principles and it introduces a reporting mechanism that can lead to
practical actions to that effect.
–Vladimir Socor
AZERBAIJANI DISCOVER HISTORICAL TRUTH AND GET IN PANIC
Panorama.am
18:00 11/09/2009
Azerbaijani has made an interesting discovery which could bring
serious consequences. Today Azeri mass media spread news reporting
that `the walls of Pompeii near Coliseum, Rome, cover a map where
Azerbaijani territories are presented as Armenian lands.’
Azerbaijani have found out that the poster is pasted since 2006 and
called on `the correspondent forces of Azerbaijan to take serious
measures on this respect.’
But the representatives of the nation not found in the historical maps
of ancient world have not taken the initiative to recover the
`historical injustice’.
It’s fact that the history of ancient times is not covered by the
poster. The map of Roman Empire is painted on the walls of Coliseum
also and yet in the first century it has been recorded on the walls
that the neighbor of Rome is Armenia. This is the historic truth which
makes the Azerbaijani feel nervous and `take correspondent steps’.
In this case the only way is to reconstruct Coliseum. But this is not
a solution either. `Until Coliseum stands, Rome stands, if Coliseum
ruins Rome will ruin and the world also,’ 8th century note on the
walls of Coliseum say. Let’s hope that Azerbaijani will not ruin the
world to falsify their falsehood history.
Frontier reopening is mutually beneficial
1/arsen-ghazaryan
03:17 pm | September 11, 2009 | Politics
Arsen Ghazarian, President of the Union of Industrialists and
Entrepreneurs, welcomes the recent Protocols between Armenia and
Turkey and sees no precondition in the long-disputed documents.
"For the first time in their history Armenia and Turkey have signed a
document in which Turkey views Armenia as its partner and agrees to
the provisions of the Protocols without prerequisites," Arsen
Ghazarian said to A1+.
He is convinced that the reopening of the Armenian-Turkish frontier
will be advantageous to the whole region and Armenia will regain its
good reputation of a commercial crossroad.
Arsen Ghazarian doesn’t share the belief that after the frontier
reopening Turkish goods will fill Armenian markets and take hold of
our economic levers. "I think that things will go the other way:
Armenian products will flow to Turkey and we shall import raw
materials from Turkey. We shall have an opportunity to make
investments in our historical homeland. I am confident that tourist
centers around Lake Vana are not well developed and Armenian
businesspeople will boost tourism around the lake in a short time. We
shall drive to the centers in 2-3 hours to put a candle in Akhtamar
Island and swim in Holy Vana Lake."
To A1+’s question whether he sees any menace to Armenia after the
frontier reopening, Mr. Ghazarian said: "I see no menace as the
Protocols set no conditions. Only our National Security Services,
frontier troops and Customs House will have to keep an eye on Turkey’s
eastern parts to prevent trafficking and flow of armaments. Both
Armenia and Turkey will have to regulate these issues in the near
future."
Ararat Ensemble to celebrate Armenian Independence Day with concerts
in Dnepropetrovsk and Nikopol
KIEV, SEPTEMBER 12, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The Ararat Armenian
folk dance ensemble of Ukraine will perform concerts in the
Dnepropetrovsk region on September 26-27.
According to the Analitika.at.ua electronic newspaper, the Ararat
Ensemble will perform a concert in Nikopol on September 26, and in
Dnepropetrovsk on September 27.
By a tradition, the Ararat Ensemble celebrates the Armenian
Independence Day with tours in the cities of Ukraine. Last year those
cities were Kiev and Obukhov. This year the preference has been given
to the Dnepropetrovsk region.
Plea for help
02:2 2 pm | September 11, 2009 | society
Yerevan citizen Gagik Babayan, 13, needs a major operation. He needs a liver transplant but the family cannot afford the costly operation at present.
Gagik lives with his mother Valya Babayan.
Gagik receives dialysis in the Arabkir Medical Centre three times a week. The course lasts three hours.
The operation costs 2.5 million dollars. Another $ 3000 is needed for Ms. Valya to undergo an examination and make sure that her liver is fit for the operation.
A year ago A1+ wrote about Gagik’s condition. In Ms. Babayan’s words, the collected money was spent on medicine, food and transport.
Gagik doesn’t go to school. He spends his days at home before a TV set.
"I am ashamed of going to school in this condition. My peers don’t understand me and laugh at me all the time," says Gagik.
You can hold a hand to Gagik by transferring money to the following address:
Account: 160441025964
$-16044102596401
EVR-160442225969
Mia snikian Branch, VTB Bank,
Koryun Street, Yerevan
Tel: 093 945241
010 541036
DEFENSE MINISTRY’S REAR SERVICE HAD NO RELATIONSHIP TO MARCH DEVELOPMENTS
/PanARMENIAN.Net/
10.09.2009 16:11 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ On September 9, NA interim committee investigating
the causes of March 1-2, 2008 incidents convened an extraordinary
session. Committee Head Samvel Nikoyan informed participants that
a working group headed by Gurgen Arsenyan was engaged in checking
the reliability of information submitted by Andranik Kocharyan and
Seda Safaryan.
Gurgen Arsenyan gave detailed description of of investigative group’s
results. He told committee members that before the visit of relevant
military unit, Andranik Kocharyan and Seda Safaryan were offered to
join the group but they refused to, motivating such decision by the
fact that they could offer their professional assistance if necessary.
Arsenyan also informed participants that the working group had met
with RA Defense Ministry’s rear service (Head: T. Gasparyan). In
response to group members’ question, speaker said that fact-finding
group members had been denied entrance to warehouse since they didn’t
have a superior body’s permission. Regarding officers’ presence,
Arsenyan accounted for it by check-ups in 8 subdivisions.
Then working group visited RA Defense Ministry’s warehouse to meet with
the person in charge – lieutenant colonel Tonoyan. Group members were
informed that supplies moved from there were registered in electronic
databases and a registration book. Familiarizing themselves with
relevant records, the group found out that no supplies were moved
from the warehouse those days and allegations on military unit’s
receiving uniform were unfounded. On Februay 24 the unit received
towels, and on March 4, it was supplied with beds.
As shown by investigation results, RA Defense Ministry’s rear service
had no relationship with March development, Gurgen Arsenyan said,
adding that working group possessed copies of registration books and
discussion minutes that could be disclosed to committee members and
media representatives.
LEADER OF NEW TIMES BELIEVES THAT ARMENIA MUST IMPOSE PRECONDITIONS, NOT TURKEY
/PanARMENIAN.Net/
10.09.2009 19:01 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ "Along with the normalization of Armenian-Turkish
relations, the Armenian authorities to bring the country to a very
complicated and hard phase of the political realities," Aram Karapetyan
, the leader of the New Times political party told a press conference
today in Yerevan.
According to Mr. Karapetyan, in this process Turkey and Azerbaijan
are playing a joint game, and ultimately, the opening of the
Armenian-Turkish border will be conditioned by the settlement of the
Nagorno-Karabakh problem. "Although the Armenian leadership assure that
the protocol has nothing about Nagorno Karabakh, but that precondition
is imposed, as evidenced by numerous statements of senior Turkish
officials," he said.
Mr. Karapetyan also stressed that in the process of normalizing
relations between Armenia and Turkey, Armenia must impose
preconditions, not Turkey. "It is surprising that Armenia is not
putting the precondition to recognize the Armenian Genocide by
the Turkish side before holding talks over the opening of borders,
since one and half million Armenians were annihilated by Turkey,"
Aram Karapetyan said.
Aram Karapetyan believes that before Armenia and Turkey normalize
relations, Armenia should put two preconditions against the Turkish
side: to recognize the Armenian Genocide and do not condition opening
of borders by the Nagorno Karabakh problem.
ARMENIAN FINANCE MINISTER SAYS NEXT YEAR’S BUDGET TO BE MODEST, STRAINED AND STABILIZING
ARKA
September 10, 2009
YEREVAN
YEREVAN, September 10, /ARKA/. Finance Minister Tigran Davtian said
today next year’s budget will be modest, strained and stabilizing.
He was speaking at a recurrent government session that has approved
of a preliminary version of the textual part of a bill on 2010 State
Budget of Armenia and a timetable of budget discussions with prime
minister.
Tigran Davtian told Cabinet members that the ministry has completed
the greater part of the work for drawing up the budget that has not
yet numbers and major indices. He added that discussions with the
prime minister on next year’s budget will start from September 14.
"All ministries and government agencies are offered to submit their
proposals and suggestions that along with the draft budget will be
sent to the National Assembly’s approval,’ he said.
Tigran Davtian stressed that the next year’s budget will be modest and
built on a 1.3% GDP growth projection and a 2% deflator. He said it
is expected that 5.5% of next year’s budget deficit will be covered
by funds from internal and external sources.
"We shall be trying to gradually reduce the budget deficit and bring
it down to the previous years’ level. The 2010 budget will be modest
and strained and I would like to ask my colleagues to treat it with
understanding because we shall continue to work in the thrifty manner
in a bid to stabilize our economy. Therefore, the 2010 budget will
be stabilizing that, unfortunately, means cutting of some spending,’
he said.
TURKEY WITNESSES THE WORST FLOODING IN 80 YEARS
/PanARMENIAN.Net/
10.09.2009 11:12 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ At least 23 people have been killed and a number
of others are missing after flash floods in north-west Turkey.
The flooding struck districts in and around Turkey’s largest city of
Istanbul, swamping houses and roads.
The flooding was caused by torrential rainfall- the worst in 80 years-
that has been lashing the area since Monday. It has been reported in
Turkey that one area received 24cm of rain in just two hours.
Istanbul’s Deputy Governor Hikmet Cakmak described the scene in the
Ikitelli district as a "disaster", Turkish media report.
Roads, homes and farming land were submerged in nearby towns and at
least two bridges collapsed.
The worst flooding was in low-lying areas in the western (European)
part of the city straddling the Bosphorus Strait, which divides Europe
from Asia. The centre of Istanbul has not really been affected by
flooding, BBC reported.
According to Turkish media, at least 30 fell victims to the
disaster. As PanARMENIAN.Net was reported, no Armenian Diaspora
representatives were found among victims.