Author: Tashjian Arbi

TURKEY INITIATES CONSULTATIONS WITH THIRD PARTIES ON ARMENIAN COURT RULING

Tert.am
13:22 â~@¢ 03.02.10

Ankara is sending a diplomat to Switzerland to express its
concerns over the RA Constitutional Court’s ruling relating to the
Armenia-Turkey Protocols.

A Turkish Foreign Ministry advisor, Feridun Sinirlioglu, will leave for
Berne, Switzerland, tomorrow, where he will meet his Swiss counterpart,
Michael Ambule, and will present to him Ankara’s concerns over some
points in the RA Constitutional Court ruling, reports Turkish news
source Hurriyet.

Besides, the Turkish diplomat will inform the Swiss side that if
Yerevan "doesn’t fulfill its obligations as outlined in the Protocols,"
it will no longer be possible to continue the process.

According to Hurriyet, this Turkish diplomat is "one of the architects
of the secret negotiations between Ankara and Yerevan initiated in
2008," and that after Switzerland, Turkey is set to hold consultations
with US, Russia and France.

PACE CO-RAPPORTEURS TO RAISE ISSUE OF PASHINYAN’S SENTENCE IN UPCOMING YEREVAN VISIT

Tert.am
12:58 ~U 03.02.10

According to a press release issued on the official Council of Europe
website yesterday, PACE co-rapporteurs John Prescott and Georges
Colombier intend to raise a number of timely issues with the Armenian
government during their visit to Yerevan this spring.

The press release reads as follows:

"The Armenian authorities need to implement the reforms recommended
by the ad hoc Committee of the National Assembly of Armenia on the
events of 1 and 2 March 2008, without further delay," concluded the
co-rapporteurs of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe
(PACE), John Prescott (United Kingdom, SOC) and Georges Colombier
(France, EPP/CD), following an exchange of views in the PACE Monitoring
Committee last week.

"The reforms recommended by the ad hoc Committee, in combination with
those contained in the relevant PACE resolutions, if implemented in
good faith, could comprehensively address the circumstances that led
to the events of 1 and 2 March 2008," the co-rapporteurs said.

They stressed that these recommendations therefore needed to be
implemented without further delay, especially those related to the
reform of the police – including the establishment of an independent
oversight and complaints body – and the long overdue reform of the
electoral code.

The co-rapporteurs announced that they would send a letter to the
Armenian Parliament asking it to provide the Monitoring Committee,
before its meeting on March 17, 2010, in Paris, with a clear timetable
for these reforms.

"On the basis of the discussions in the Monitoring Committee, we
will then visit Yerevan this spring to discuss the establishment
of a clear roadmap for the implementation of these reforms," the
co-rapporteurs said.

In addition to the roadmap, the co-rapporteurs also intend to raise
the issue of the sentencing of Nikol Pashinyan as well as other cases
where they have sought clarification from the authorities.

"A number of issues following the events of March 1 and 2 still need
to be clarified and addressed," the co-rapporteurs said, stressing
the continuing importance and need for the monitoring of political
developments by the Assembly and other relevant bodies of the Council
of Europe.

U.S. NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE WARNS OF POSSIBLE RENEWED WAR IN KARABAKH

armradio.am
03.02.2010 17:10

Director of the U.S. National Intelligence Dennis Blair addressed
the annual meeting "Annual Threat Assessment of the US Intelligence
Community for the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence" on Feb. 2.

Blair’s report also focused on the unresolved conflicts in the Caucasus
among others.

According to the U.S. National Intelligence official Web site, in
his report Blair mentioned the unresolved Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,
noting that "Although there has been progress in the past year
towards Turkey-Armenia rapprochement, this has affected the delicate
relationship between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and increases the risk
of a renewed conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh."

ARMEN MARTIROSYAN: ARMENIAN AUTHORITIES "WOLVES IN SHEEP’S CLOTHING"

News.am
17:34 / 02/02/2010

Which can be designated as anti-state activities: murdering people
in the Yerevan center or demands for murders to be exposed? The
statement was made in Parliament by Armen Martirosyan, Board Chairman,
Heritage Party.

According to him, the current authorities have begun "teaching lessons
of tolerance" and "launched a new campaign of hysteria" against the
Heritage Party.

"Which are anti-state activities: keeping political prisoners or
struggling against this phenomenon? Election rigging or struggling
against it? Emigration of million people disappointed at the injustice
reigning in the country or struggling against this phenomenon? However
hard they try to suppress the truth, it will come out," Martirosyan
said.

In conclusion he called the Armenian authorities "their service staff,"
Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF), "wolves in sheep’s clothing."

OPENING OF ARMENIAN-TURKISH BORDER WON’T AFFECT DEMAND FOR DOMESTIC PRODUCTS

ARKA
Feb 2, 2010

YEREVAN, February 2. /ARKA/. The opening of Armenian-Turkish border
won’t affect demand for domestic products, Araik Vardanyan, executive
director of Trade Chamber of Armenia, said on Wednesday.

He finds concern over possible dominance of Turkish goods on domestic
market to the detriment of Armenian manufacturers groundless.

On the contrary, this will drive prices for some goods down.

Vardanyan said those goods feared to flood Armenian market after the
opening of Armenian-Turkish border are being sold here throughout 10
or 15 years.

Armenian-Turkish border was closed in 1993 on Ankara’s initiative.

Turkey has set a number of pre-conditions for improving bilateral
relations.

Ankara demanded Armenia to stop seeking worldwide recognition of
Armenian genocide fact.

On October 10, Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers – Edward
Nalbandyan and Ahmet Davutoglu – signed the protocols on establishment
of diplomatic ties and development of bilateral relations.

The protocols will be sent to the two countries’ parliaments for
ratification. After ratification the countries will be able to open
their border.

According to National Statistical Service of Armenia, the country’s
trade turnover with Turkey shrank 36.9% in Jan-Nov 2009 to $159
million.

Exports from Armenia to Turkey totaled $1.1 million (0.2% of Armenia’s
export) after shrinking 37.9% over the period between January and
November 2009, compared with the same period a year earlier.

Turkey-made imports in Armenia totaled $157.9 million in Jan-Nov 2009
(36.9% year-on-year reduction).

Imports from Turkey’s territory amounted to $141.4 million (30.8%
decline) or 4.8% of Armenia’s total import.

Hakob Ghazanchyan’s `I’m a seagull’ performance to be staged in Moscow
30.01.2010 11:39 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Hakob Ghazanchyan’s `I’m a seagull’ performance will
be staged in Moscow on January 30, with the assistance of CIS
Humanitarian Cooperation Foundation.

`This performance is a peculiar continuation of Chekhov’s well-known
play,’ Ghazanchyan said.

"ARMROSGASPROM" DOES NOT SEEK SUPERPROFIT FROM GAS TARIFF INCREASE

ARKA
Jan 28, 2010

YEREVAN, January 28. /ARKA/. Armenia’s national gas operator
ArmRosGasprom has submitted an application to Armenian Public Services
Regulatory Commission (RSRC) asking it to revise upwards the current
natural gas prices as a follow up to Russian Gazprom’s decision to
raise the price of 1000 cubic meters of gas from current $154 to $180
from April, 2010.

Under the appropriate agreement, the price of gas will rise gradually
in accordance with international prices. Unlike other countries where
fuel prices rise abruptly, provision of smooth increase of prices for
imported gas allows Armenia to have guarantees from price changes s
and maintain a relatively stable situation in economy.

In accordance with an import agreement, Armenia was to pay $200 for
1000 cubic meter instead of current $154 from April 1, 2010 to March
31, 2011 inclusive. Due to the efforts of the President of Armenia
the mentioned price was reduced to $180. In 2010 the average purchase
price of natural gas will be $170 for 1000 cubic meter whereas in
Belarus today it is $186-190.

At present 600,000 families are subscribers of "ArmRosgasprom". Due
to financial-economic crisis the company registered a 20% reduction
of gas consumption losing as a result a significant part of planned
income and closed the year with losses.

"Currently average price is 246.9 US dollars in dram equivalent and
the proposed tariff is – 293.5 US dollars in dram equivalent. It
means a 19% increase given that the purchase price is to grow by
17%. A 2% difference is not a "superprofit". It is for compensation
of necessary expenses.

The difference in prices for households and large consumers is
conditioned by operational and service expenses of subscribers and the
volume of sold gas. "Particularly, 65% of total maintenance and other
cost is spent on households who consume only 36% of total gas volume.

This gas tariff exists in many countries of the world. Having large
tax-payers and investment portfolio in Armenia, "ArmRosgasprom" has
always been interested in socio-economic development of the country,
particularly in energy sector and change of tariffs was not the goal
of company.

"ArmRosgasprom" suggests that the price for consumers that use up
10,000 cubic meter of gas monthly, starting from 96 thousand drams for
each 1 thousand cubic meter up to 136 thousand drams (including VAT).

The price for services of gas supply operator will increase from
current 15.58 drams for transportation of each thousand cubic meter
of natural gas up to 47 drams. Tariff for distribution of natural gas
will increase from about 9.9 thousand drams for each thousand cubic
meter of natural gas up to more than 15.6 thousand drams. Tariff for
transportation of each thousand cubic meter of natural gas from the
current 5.3 thousand drams will increase up to 6.5 thousand drams.

CJSC "ArmRosgasprom" is a monopolist in the internal market of
Armenia. Gas enters Armenia by transit through Georgia. The company
was established in 1997. The share of Open JSC "Gasprom" is 80% in
the charter capital of the company, the share of the Government of
Armenia is 20%.

DAVUTOGLU ONCE AGAIN REFERS TO ARMENIAN COURT RULING AND PROTOCOLS

Tert.am
12:48 ~U 27.01.10

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu once again turned his
attention to the Armenian-Turkish Protocols yesterday. As reported
by Turkish news agency Anadolu Ajansi, Davutoglu again emphasized
that several issues in Armenian Constitutional Court’s decision were
against the basic philosophy of the rapprochement process.

As previously reported, Anakara’s opinion on the court ruling is that
it contained preconditions and restrictive provisions which contradict
the letter and spirit of the Protocols.

Speaking to private TV station NTV, Davutoglu said that the Protocols
aimed to contribute to the settlement of long-term peace between the
two countries, eliminate prejudices between their respective peoples,
and initiate permanent stability in the region, reports World Bulletin.

The Turkish foreign minister expressed his hope that the Armenian
government will implement the Armenian-Turkish Protocols.

IRANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER WELCOMES ARMENIAN-TURKISH NORMALIZATION PROCESS

ArmInfo
2010-01-27 11:02:00

ArmInfo. Armenian and Iranian Foreign Ministers, Edward Nalbandian
and Manouchehr Mottaki met in Yerevan on Tuesday. The Iranian
minister arrived in Armenia to participate in the 9th meeting of the
Armenian-Iranian Intergovernmental Commission.

The Armenian Foreign Ministry reported that Edward Nalbandian
welcomed the guest and took a positive view of the Armenian-Iranian
good-neighbored and mutually advantageous relations. The two ministers
welcomed the regular contacts at the top level and exchange of visits
aimed to bolster relations and cooperation. The sides dwelled upon
the bilateral, regional and international issues. As regards the
trade and economic relations of Armenia and Iran, the two minister
expressed confidence that the 9th meeting of the Armenian-Iranian
Intergovernmental Commission will be effective. E. Nalbandian and M.

Mottaki discussed regional security and stability related issues as
well as the current stage of the Karabakh peace process. The minister
also discussed normalization of the Armenian-Turkish relations. For
his part, the Iranian minister welcomed the efforts aimed to establish
relations between Armenia and Turkey.

M. Mottaki informed E. Nalbandian of the situation with the Iranian
nuclear program.

ARMENIA PREPARING FOR GRECO-ROMAN WRESTLING WORLD CUP

PanARMENIAN.Net
27.01.2010 18:21 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Greco-Roman Wrestling World Cup will be held from
February 11 to 14 at the Sports and Concert Complex after Karen
Demirchyan in Yerevan. 8 teams will participate in the draw from
Armenia, Russia, Cuba, Georgia, Iran, Hungary, Turkey and Azerbaijan.

If the national team of Azerbaijan will refuse form participation,
it will be substituted by a national team of Denmark, Sweden or
Uzbekistan.

On January 27 vice-president of the National Olympic Committee
of Armenia Razmik Stepanyan and vice-president of the Wrestling
Federation of Armenia Hrant Yenokyan met with journalists. According
Razmik Stepanyan, until January 30 National Federations must submit
final applications. "All teams, except Azerbaijani, have confirmed
their participation,’ Stepanyan said.

World Cup’s budget is USD 600 thousand. According to Vice-President
of Olympic Committee, this amount also covers the purchase of sports
equipment: "There is prize money and winners will receive cash awards".

Vice President, Wrestling Federation of Armenia Grant Yenokian
presented, how will organize technical issues. "Feb. 11 will draw,
teams will be seeded into two groups. The fighting will commence on
13 February and the final meeting held on February 14"- said Yenokian.