Author: Torgomian Varazdat

NUMBER OF CRIMES COMMITTED BY FOREIGNERS INCREASED IN ARMENIA

PanARMENIAN.Net
10.02.2010 18:33 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The number of crimes committed by foreigners has
increased in Armenia, according to RA Police chief.

"The crimes are mostly committed by Romanian and Iranian citizens,"
Major General Alik Sargsyan told reporters on Wednesday.

"There was an attempt to smuggle 4 kg of opium and 6 kg 700 grams
of heroin in Armenia recently," he said. "I met with the Iranian
Ambassador to Armenia last week and do not rule out a meeting with
Iranian counterpart to discuss the issue."

TURKISH FM COMMENTS ON ARMENIAN LEADER’S MESSAGE

news.am
Feb 9 2010
Armenia

Following the Turkey-Serbia-Bosnia meeting, Turkish Foreign Minister
Ahmet Davutoglu answered journalists’ questions concerning RA
President Serzh Sargsyan’s latest message to his Turkish counterpart
Abdullah Gul.

Haberturk quotes the Turkish FM as saying: "It is a custom to send
messages like that while flying over other states. The leaders of
all states do so. Mr. Sargsyan expressed his positive attitude,"
Davutoglu said.

On February 9, the Armenian President addressed an open message
to his Turkish counterpart. He pointed out that the Armenia-Turkey
reconciliation is the focus of international attention. "This is a
really historic moment. And not only we, but also the while world
are aware of it. The political powers present in the region have made
invaluable contribution to the improvement of bilateral relations. I am
sure that we would be difficult for us to move forward without their
mediation. On the other hand, I think that however much the friendly
states are interested in the positive results, they cannot do what
our two nations can," the Armenian leader stated in his message.

CE INFUSED INTO ARMENIA-TURKEY RECONCILIATION: JAGLAND

news.am
Feb 9 2010
Armenia

"Council of Europe is infused into Armenia-Turkey reconciliation,"
CE Secretary General Thorbjorn Jagland said in the interview with
CNNturk TV.

Jagland emphasized that has high expectations of Turkey, particularly
in terms of country’s regional role and Armenia-Turkey normalization
process.

He also attached significance to serious steps taken towards
Armenia-Turkey reconciliation. "I have no idea which effects the
process will bring about shortly, as there are political obstacles to
it. However, first moves were made and I am confident they are not
the last. The process might take 5-20 years, however, the fact that
Armenia and Turkey are neighboring states, should be considered,"
Jagland noted.

AZERBAIJAN PROTESTS AT MISINFORMATION ON US WEBSITE

news.az
Feb 9 2010
Azerbaijan

Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry A US telephony company has promised
to correct an error on its website, showing the territory of
Nagorno-Karabakh as Armenian rather than Azerbaijani.

Richard Minervino, CEO of Prescient Worldwide, wrote to the Azerbaijani
embassy in Washington to say that the mistake would not be repeated.

The embassy had written a letter of protest to Minervino, on the
instructions of Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov.

Vahram Atanesyan: Azerbaijani communities in Europe made Euronews
broadcast one-sided reportage
06.02.2010 13:04 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ `Forgotten Victims of a Frozen Conflict’ Euronews
reportage dated February 1, 2010, goes contrary to journalist ethics,
said the chairman of the NKR committee on external relations.

`A media like Euronews should offer the opinion of both sides in the
conflict. Meanwhile, the Azerbaijani communities in Europe made
Euronews broadcast a one-sided reportage,’ Vahram Atanesyan told
PanARMENIAN.Net.

`There are refugees from Baku and Sumgait in Karabakh and I regret
that their voice was not heard in Europe. The Armenian side should
undertake adequate propagandistic measures to inform the international
community about Armenian refugees,’ he said.

The conflict between Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan broke out in
1988 as result of the ethnic cleansing the latter launched in the
final years of the Soviet Union. The Karabakh War was fought from 1991
to 1994. Since the ceasefire in 1994, sealed by Armenia, NKR and
Azerbaijan, most of Nagorno Karabakh and several regions of Azerbaijan
around it (the security zone) remain under the control of NKR defense
army. Armenia and Azerbaijan are holding peace talks mediated by the
OSCE Minsk Group up till now.

Aysor, Armenia
Feb 6 2010

`The birds in my yard’

The `Hakobyan nature protection center’ of the American University of
Armenia is holding an annual contest called `The birds in our yard’
which is aimed at observing the winter birds. As Gayane Achemyan the
contest coordinator told to Aysor.am schoolchildren can participate in
this contest.

`The contest is aimed at sowing care and involving the children into
the everyday life of the nature’, – G. Achemyan mentioned.
The contest has several nominations: the best portrait, the best
picture and the best observation. The first precondition of
participating in the contest is preparing a feeding plate for the
birds. Then till the 15th of March they should send photos of the
birds taken in fornt of the feeding plates prepared by them.

`In the observation it is possible to describe the feeding plate, the
place where it is placed, the time limits of the observations, the
spices of the birds observed, the number of the visits of the birds
etc.’

Each of the participants can participate for all the 3 nominations.
The best observations, photos and the pictures will be placed on
`Hakobyan Nature Protection Center’ site.

AZERBAIJANI CEC: "ELECTION" IN NAGORNO-KARABAKH CAN NOT BE LEGITIMATE

Trend
Feb 5 2010
Azerbaijan

The Azerbaijani Central Election Commission stated that the "election",
which the separatist regime of the Nagorno-Karabakh plans to hold in
the Azerbaijani occupied territories, can not be legitimate.

"The Nagorno-Karabakh is Azerbaijan’s territory and the Azerbaijani
government did not order to hold the parliamentary elections. Thus,
this "election" will not be recognized as legitimate," CEC
International Relations Department Head Rovzat Gasimov told Trend News.

Feb.5, Head of the so-called "Nagorno-Karabakh Republic" (NKR) Bako
Saakyan signed a decree to appoint the next elections to the National
Assembly of NKR May 23, 2010, Novosti Armenia reported.

He said, holding of any election in the Nagorno-Karabakh without the
Azerbaijani government’s order is illegal.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian
armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan since 1992,
including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and 7 surrounding districts.

Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The
co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group – Russia, France, and the U.S. –
are currently holding the peace negotiations.

Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council’s four
resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh region and the
occupied territories.

U.S. CONCERNED OVER NEW WAR PROSPECTS IN CAUCASUS: GIRAGOSIAN

news.am
Jan 4 2010
Armenia

"U.S. is concerned over the possibility of a new war in Caucasus,"
Director of the Armenian Center for National and International Studies
Richard Giragosian stated commenting on the statement by U.S. National
Intelligence Director Dennis Blair that "fighting could flare between
Armenia and Azerbaijan over the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh."

According to the expert, Blair’s report indicates Caucasus as a hot
spot where the war is possible. "There is a new and major threat of
war in Caucasus over Nagorno-Karabakh conflict," Giragosian noted.

He also emphasized that Turkey’s role for the U.S. has diminished,
as the U.S. official did not mention Turkey in his report, "whereas
Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh are in the limelight".

ARMENIA OPENS HONORARY CONSULATE IN SYRIA

PanARMENIAN.Net
03.02.2010 18:30 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia will open an
honorary consulate in Deir ez Zor, Syria Thursday, February 11.

During his visit, Deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia Arman Kirakosyan
will meet with Syrian officials, RA Foreign Ministry spokesman Tigran
Balayan told PanARMENIAN.Net reporter.

Leon Zeki, prominent Armenian businessman and member of the Aleppo
Chamber of Commerce, in turn, emphasized the importance of consulate
in strengthening collaboration with Deir ez Zor community.

A Syrian of Armenian decent Surin Varkanian was appointed as Armenia’s
Consul to Deir ez Zor, his native city.

Deir ez Zor is a city in north-eastern Syria on the Euphrates River
and capital of the Deir ez-Zor Governorate, 450 km from the capital,
Damascus. It has a population of 230,000 (2002 estimate).

The city and its rural surrounding is a fertile and prosperous
farming area, with livestock-breeding, cereals and cotton crops. Many
agribusiness institutions work there as well.

Since the discovery of light crude petroleum in the Syrian desert it
has become a centre for the country’s petroleum extraction industry.

It is also a minor centre for tourism with many tourist facilities
such as traditional French-style riverbank restaurants, up to 5-star
hotels, a hub for trans-desert travel and an airport in Al-Jafra
suburb. There are salt mines nearby.

Deir ez-Zor is situated 85 km to the northwest of the archaeological
remains of Dura-Europos and 120 km northwest of the remains of the
ancient city of Mari. During Roman times it was an important trading
post between the Roman Empire and India. Conquered by Zenobia, it
became part of the kingdom of Palmyra. After a successive wave of
conquests, it was finally destroyed by the Mongols as they swept
across the Middle East.

The modern town was built by the Ottoman Empire in 1867. In 1915,
the city became a major destination point in the Armenian Genocide;
a memorial commemorating this tragedy is located in the city. France
occupied Deir ez-Zor in 1921 and made it the seat of a large garrison.

Meanwhile, the region was locally ruled by Haj-Fadel Abboud, a member
of an aristocratic family. In 1941 British-led forces defeated the
Vichy French during the Syria-Lebanon campaign, which included a
battle over Deir, and they handed administration of the region to
the Free French. In 1946 it became part of independent Syria.

Deir ez-Zor is also famous for its suspension bridge that spans the
Euphrates and was built by the French in 1930.

It has a regional-level museum and a big Cultural Center. The
newly established Al-Furat University has its center in Deir ez
Zor. Of this University, faculties of Agriculture, Science, Arts and
Humanities, Education, Law, Petrochemical Engineering and Medicine
are located in the city, while other faculties spread in neighbouring
districts. Many other vocational schools and professional institutes
also provide post-secondary education. The local daily newspaper
Al Furat is published there. The city hosts the governorate’s only
two universities; a public one established in 2006, Al-Furat, and a
private one established in 2007, Al-Jazeera.

EXPERT SAYS TURKEY HAS LESS STRATEGIC SIGNIFICANCE FOR THE USA

Panorama.am
16:07 04/02/2010

Two issues are particularly signified in the reports released to US
National Investigation Congress by the director of Armenian Center for
National and International Studies Richard Giragossia. The section
on the regional issues war and conflicts are especially alarmed,
and regarding the Armenian-Turkish ties "advancement" is emphasized.

Giragossian says words and definitions are deeply selected in such
reports and are verified for about 50 times. The expert studied the
report carefully and came to a conclusion which he shared at a news
conference with the reporters that if regional war starts Azerbaijan
will start it. Expert says the report is a serious one. The only two
states that the report doesn’t cover are Turkey and Antarctica. It’s a
very important signal sent to Baku. "It’s the first time such important
report doesn’t include Turkey," expert said. He thinks the US had a
special mission to demonstrate that Turkey has less strategic meaning
for the USA. "The Republic of Armenia and Karabakh were positively
covered in the report," he said.