Author: Taslakhchian Andranik

SERZH SARGSYAN RECEIVES EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF CHINESE HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES CO. LTD

ARMENPRESS
MAY 3, 2010
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, MAY 3, ARMENPRESS: Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan
received May 2 in his residence in China executive director of
Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd Lin Rui Chi. On the second half of the
day the Armenian delegation headed by the president visited Zhong
Xing Telecommunication Equipment Company Limited headquarter office
and met with its president Liron Shi.

Presidential press office told Armenpress that these two companies
majoring in a number of telecommunication branches – production
of equipment, electronic management, telecommunication systems,
etc. are planning to participate in the ambitious programs which will
be carried out in Armenia’s telecommunication sphere.

President Sargsyan and head of the ZTE company discussed opportunities
of cooperation. Speaking positively about the interest of the Chinese
company to start activity in Armenia, Serzh Sargsyan at the same time
noted that the Armenian side is ready to assist the Chinese companies
and wants to take part in the production process.

Together with the head of the "Huawei" company Serzh Sargsyan discussed
prospects of cooperation. "Huawei" company is a dynamically developing
company and is interested in starting activity in Armenia.

As a result of discussions the Armenian side signed memorandum with
the company.

LEVON SHIRINYAN: AZERBAIJAN INCAPABLE TO RESOLVE KARABAKH CONFLICT

PanARMENIAN.Net
May 3, 2010 – 17:08 AMT 12:08 GMT

Azerbaijan is incapable to resolve Karabakh conflict, an Armenian
expert said.

"Instead of parrying Azerbaijan’s bellicose statements, Armenia should
threaten itself," Levon Shirinyan said during a joint news conference
with Turkologist Artak Shakaryan on May 3.

"Return of any liberated region would be equal to treason," he said.

Meanwhile, Artak Shakaryan didn’t support the suggestion to issue
threats. "Armenia has an image of a country standing for peaceful
resolution of conflicts. This distinguishes it from Turkey and
Azerbaijan. Militant statements can damage our strategic plans,"
he said.

MEETING WITH THE FINNISH AMBASSADOR AT NA

ARMENPRESS
APRIL 30, 2010
YEREVAN

RA National Assembly Vice-Speaker Arevik Petrosyan received today
the Ambassador of Finland to Armenia Petri Salo. An official from
NA Public Relations and Media Department told Armenpress that RA
Ambassador to Finland Ara Aivazyan and Gagik Minasyan, chairman of
the NA’s finance-crediting and budget affairs standing committee,
were present at the meeting as well. Arevik Petrosyan welcomed the
guest and informed that RA parliamentary delegation had returned from
Finland with deep impressions.

During the May 1-5 visit, issues on the policy of gender equality,
improvement of women’s role in public and political life, as well as
the development of inter-parliamentary and inter-state relations were
discussed. The Ambassador Petri Salo expressed gratitude for the warm
reception and expressed hope that Finland-Armenia inter-parliamentary
friendship group will formed again at the Finnish Parliament.

The Ambassador also expressed hope that the steps, directed to
strengthening the inter-parliamentary cooperation, will be more
active. Gagik Minasyan, chairman of the NA’s finance-crediting and
budget affairs standing committee and chairman of RA NA delegation
to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation
(PABSEC), provided some information at the request of the Ambassador
about the works currently being implemented at PABSEC.

Issues on the development of trade-economic relations between the
two states, overcoming the global financial-economic crisis, the
cooperation of Armenia and Finland in international organizations,
as well as the Armenian Genocide recognition were discussed at the
meeting.

POPOV DWELT ON THE AIRPORT

Lragir.am
29/04/10

According to Radio Liberty, the OSCE Minsk group Russian co-chair
Igor Popov, after his meeting with the president of Karabakh Bako
Sahakyan, stated that socio-economic projects have been discussed,
including the issue of reconstructing the Karabakh airport.

Recall the only airport in Karabakh stopped working in 1992. After
this, Karabakh’s communication with the world ended. After the
ceasefire, no guarantees for flights were given from Azerbaijan. 2
years ago, the construction began which is near to the completion. It
is interesting whether currently Azerbaijan guarantees the security
of flights and what the Russian role is in it.

CHEAP TICKETS ARE NOT SO MUCH A MARKETING MOVE AS A SOCIAL TASK

Arminfo
2010-04-29 18:42:00

ArmInfo. The passenger traffic inside Armenia is oriented not so much
towards economy rather than social security, Director General of South
Caucasus Railway Shevket Shaydullin said during a press-conference
today.

He said that each day the company loses 1.7bln AMD on passenger
operations and recoups only 30% of its passenger traffic costs. "But
this does not discourage us as we are a socially oriented company. For
example, the Gyumri-Ayrum train carries just an average of 30 people
a day but we are not going to close this route," Shaydullin said.

In the summer there will be a train travelling from Yerevan to Shorzha
(Lake Sevan).

South Caucasus Railway is 100% subsidiary of Russian Railways. Feb
13 2008 it was granted a 30-year concession over Armenian Railways.

TURKISH FOREIGN MINISTRY’S SPOKESMAN: "IT IS VERY STRANGE LOGIC TO EXPECT US TO PUT ASIDE KARABAKH ISSUE FOR PROTOCOL WITH ARMENIA"

APA
April 29 2010
Azerbaijan

Baku – APA. "Armenian newspapers think that Turkey shouldn’t
take interest in Karabakh issue any more because it chose way of
normalization of relations with Armenia and signed protocols.

It is impossible to understand this logic because it is very strange
to expect us not to pay attention to the region except normalization
of relations with Armenia because we signed the protocols", said
Spokesman for the Turkish Foreign Ministry Burak Ozugergin in a press
conference in Ankara on April 29, APA reports quoting the Turkish news
agencies. He said this issue was not a zero-sum game that if Turkey
won relations with Armenia it should lose in Karabakh or on contrary.

"Twice two is four in mathematics, but it can be 5 or 6 in the
international relations. Peace process in the Caucasus is also so. If
relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia are normalized, we will
normalize our relations with Armenia and synergy it creates will be
greater. We intend to achieve it".

Ozugergin added that no meetings or negotiations were scheduled with
Armenian in near future. The diplomat didn’t answer the question about
the appointment of former OSCE Minsk Group co-chair Matthew Bryza as
US ambassador to Azerbaijan.

AZERBAIJANI ARMED FORCES FIRED IN THE DIRECTION OF KOTI VILLAGE

ARMENPRESS
APRIL 27, 2010
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, APRIL 27, ARMENPRESS: The Azerbaijani armed forces fired
April 26 in the direction of the Armenian Koti village, Tavush
province. Felix Melikyan, head of Koti’s community, informed
Armenpress that submachine guns of various dimensions fired the
village, especially in the direction of people gathered in the remote
areas. The fire started at approximately 2 p.m. and lasted several
minutes. Fortunately, there are no any injured people.

ARMENIANS IN INDIA COMMEMORATED THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE ON APRIL 24

NOYAN TAPAN
APRIL 26, 2010
KOLKATA

KOLKATA, APRIL 26, NOYAN TAPAN-ARMENIANS TODAY. On 24th April,
2010 Armenians in India commemorated the 95th anniversary of the
Armenian Genocide.

Since 10:30 o’clock in the morning gathered at the Armenian Genocide
memorial in the premises of the Armenian Holy Church of Nazareth,
Kolkata to commemorate the 95th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide
with a special Requiem service. During the commemoration very Rev. Fr.

Khoren Hovhannisyan, Pastor of Armenians in India, His Excellency
Ara Hakobyan, Ambassador of the Republic of Armenians to India, the
Armenian community of India and students of the Armenian College and
Philanthropic Academy put wreath at the Armenian Genocide.

Later in the evening, with the performance of the students of the
Armenian College and Philanthropic Academy, a cultural programme in
the memory of the Armenian Genocide victims started with "Ave Maria"
by an Armenian renowned singer in India, Shayne Hyrapiet.

As it’s reported by the Armenian College and Philanthropic Academy,
Very Rev. Fr. Khoren Hovhannisyan, Pastor of Armenians in India and
His Excellency Ara Hakobyan, Ambassador of the Republic of Armenians
to India addressed the gathered. "The whole nation was nailed on
the cross only because they were Armenians: the wound left behind
from the Armenian Genocide is not recovering, it is still bleeding
because of Turkish denial. Dear friends, young and old, specially
the students of the Armenian College let us make a promise now to
our 1.5 million victims that we will do our utmost to bring justice
for them. Let us make a promise that we will never forget the first
Genocide of the 20th century and will fight to crush Turkish denial
in every possible way", concluded Fr. Khoren.

During the commemoration, Most Rev. Lucas Sirkar, the Catholic
Archbishop of Kolkata concluded the evening with his words of comfort.

"No one can delete the Armenian Genocide from history as long as
there is even a single person living on earth."

OSKANIAN ‘ASTONISHED’ BY SARKISIAN’S STATEMENT ON TURKEY ARMENIA — FORMER FOREIGN MINISTER VARTAN OSKANIAN SPEAKS AT AN EVENT ORGANIZED BY HIS CIVILTAS FOUNDATION, UNDATED.
Ruzanna Stepanian

/2025071.html
26.04.2010

Former Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian slammed on Monday the official
freezing of Armenian parliamentary ratification of the fence-mending
agreements with Turkey, saying that President Serzh Sarkisian has
opted for the worst possible response to the Turkish delay tactic.

Oskanian said the effective collapse of the normalization process has
vindicated Armenian critics of Sarkisian’s Western-backed policy of
rapprochement with Turkey. He also insisted that the Nagorno-Karabakh
negotiating process has taken on a dangerous turn for the Armenian
side.

"I am astonished by two things," Oskanian said in a written statement,
commenting on Sarkisian’s April 22 announcement. "First, the government
is openly acknowledging that for one whole year they watched as Turkey
placed preconditions before them, Turkey exploited the process for
its own benefit, and they not only tolerated this, but continuously
insisted that this is not happening and that this whole process is
a big success and an unprecedented diplomatic victory."

"Second, if there were half a dozen possible exit strategies from
this situation – from doing nothing to revoking Armenia’s signature –
the government has chosen the option least beneficial to us," he said.

"Turkey no longer has an obligation to open the border before the
Karabakh conflict is resolved, which is what Turkey had wanted all
along. The Armenian side did that which is most desirable for Turkey:
neither ratified the protocols, nor revoked them, thus giving Turkey
the opportunity to continue to remain actively engaged in the Karabakh
process."

Oskanian, who served as foreign minister in the administration of
former President Robert Kocharian from 1998-2008, has been a vocal
critic of the Turkish-Armenian protocols signed last October. He
has repeatedly said that Ankara has no intention to unconditionally
normalize ties with Yerevan and will exploit the protocols to halt
broader international recognition of the Armenian genocide and try
to clinch more Armenian concessions to Azerbaijan.

In his April 22 televised address to the nation, Sarkisian accused
the Turks of having done "everything to protract time and fail the
process." But he said he has decided not to walk away from the deal for
now "out of respect" for the United States and other foreign powers.

"It was clear from the beginning that a prolonged presentation of the
desirable as real is not sustainable, and that the government would
have to finally acknowledge reality," said Oskanian.

The former minister, who currently heads a Yerevan-based
think-tank, the Civilitas Foundation, also stood by his claims that
Armenian-Azerbaijani peace talks mediated by the U.S, Russia and France
are "proceeding unfavorably" for the Armenian side. "The situation
must be corrected, even if that requires making clear policy changes,"
he said without elaborating.

Oskanian earlier expressed concern about the still undisclosed
changes which the mediating powers made late last year in their "basic
principles" of a Karabakh settlement originally put forward in 2007.

The Azerbaijani leaders have welcomed those changes, saying that they
made the proposed settlement largely acceptable to Baku. Yerevan’s
public reaction to the modified peace plan has been more ambiguous.

RELIGIOUS LEADERS OF RUSSIA, AZERBAIJAN AND ARMENIA SIGN A DECLARATION IN BAKU

ARMENPRESS
APRIL 26, 2010
BAKU

BAKU, APRIL 26, ARMENPRESS: The religious leaders of Russia,
Azerbaijan and Armenia have signed a declaration as a result of a
trilateral meeting held today in Baku. The document underscores that
the participants of the meeting look upon it as "development of the
peacemaking dialogue initiated between the Armenian Apostolic Church
and Caucasus Muslims Department by the mediation of the Russian
Orthodox Church".

"Remaining faithful to the spirit of the previous statements, we
hope to display further support to the progress of the principle
of our nations on peaceful coexistence and on working out mutually
comprehendible decisions by means of negotiations," the document runs.

The participants of the trilateral meeting find that for reaching
peace and friendly relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, the
contacts should be expanded for purpose of strengthening the trust.

"The way of reaching peace and reconcilement is not easy, it requires
many efforts and a strong will, but we have great hopes of reaching
a success," it is noted in the the statement.

Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill I stated at the trilateral
meeting of the religious leaders that there is a progress in Nagorno
Karabakh conflict regulation. "I think that Nagorno Karabakh conflict
regulation has registered a notable progress, and Azerbaijani and
Armenian Presidents Ilham Aliyev and Serzh Sargsyan, as well as the
religious leaders of the two countries have greatly contributed to
that," the patriarch said. According to him, "the religious leaders
are not political figures, but they can contribute to consolidation
of peace with their prayers and calls."