Author: Vardapetian Ophelia

PRESIDENT SARGSYAN RECEIVED THE TRUSTEE OF THE LONDON OFFICE OF THE CALOUSTE GULBENKIAN CHARITABLE FOUNDATION

armradio.am
14.10.2009 10:59

The President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan received today the Trustee of
the London office of the Calouste Gulbenkian charitable Foundation,
the Head of the Foundation’s branch in the Great Britain and Northern
Ireland, a great grandson of the great benefactor CalousteGulbenkian,
Martin Essayan and the Head of the Armenian Office of the Foundation,
Zaven Ekavian, President’s Press Office reported.

Cordially welcoming Mr. Essayan’s visit to Armenia, President
Serzh Sargsyan expressed gratitude for the years-long commitment
and dedicated work. "We highly appreciate the activities of the
Gulbenkian Foundation, which I undoubtedly know very well. We
appreciate activities of the Foundation not only within Armenia,
but also championing of our interests worldwide, and activities
aimed at the preservation of the Armenian identity," the President
of Armenia stressed and added, "We attached greatest importance to
the educational program of the Foundation, which concurs with our
vision for Armenia’s development. Recently, we have established Luys
Foundation in Armenia, which provides scholarships to the Armenian
students who got admitted to the top ten Universities of the world,
and I believe on that issue we have a large area for cooperation."

By the September 17 decree of the President of Armenia, on the
occasion of the 18th anniversary of Armenia’s independence, for
extensive pro-Armenian activities, as well as for the significant
contribution in the cultural area, the Head of the Armenian Office
of Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation Zaven Ekavian was awarded with the
Saint Mesrop Mashtots medal.

Today, the President of Armenia handed the award to the
recipient. Zaven Ekavian accepted it with gratitude and expressed
confidence that efficient cooperation would continue. He also hailed
the creation of the Ministry for Diaspora Affairs. Serzh Sargsyan
noted among the priority tasks of the Ministry the preservation of
the Armenian identity, repatriation of Armenians, and efficient and
purposeful utilization of the Armenian potential.

The parties discussed issues pertinent to the preservation of the
Armenian identity, deepening of Armenia-Spyurk relations, and the
Armenian-Turkish dialogue.

Martin Essayan and Zaven Ekavian expressed their support for the
President’s efforts aimed at the normalization of the Armenian-Turkish
relations.

NATO READY TO CONSIDER ISSUE OF ARMENIA’S MEMBERSHIP IN ALLIANCE AFTER ENTRY OF SIGNAL FROM YEREVAN

ArmInfo
2009-10-13 12:50:00

ArmInfo. NATO is ready to consider the issue of Armenia’s membership
in the Alliance after entry of a corresponding signal from Yerevan,
NATO/PFP Liaison Officer in the South Caucasus Zbigniew Rybacki told
journalists today.

‘We understand that the issue of joining NATO is not included in the
agenda of Armenia’s foreign policy, so, closer integration of NATO
with Armenia will become possible only after the republic changes
its stance’, he said.

At the same time, Rybacki said that Armenia has to carry out
reformation of the institutional system more thoroughly, as NATO’s
decision on inclusion of one or another state in its structure depends
just on this factor.

Armenia-NATO cooperation is built in accordance with the Individual
Partnership Actions Plan (IPAP) signed in December 2005. Armenia’s
participation in IPAP supposes holding of periodical consultations
with NATO on regional security, development of this security strategy
and Armenia’s military doctrine.

TURKEY, SYRIA READY TO LOOK UP AT SAME SKY

Hurriyet Daily News
Tuesday, October 13, 2009

ALEPPO, GAZIANTEP – Hurriyet Daily News Ministers from Turkey and Syria
meet in Aleppo and then cross the border together into Gaziantep in
a symbolic move to express the direction of relations between the
two countries. ‘This partnership sets a standard and brings with
it a message to the region. We hope this understanding will spread
throughout the region,’ says Davutoglu AA photo

AA photo

>>From the brink of war 10 years ago, Turkey and Syria are now
sailing toward a strategic partnership. Ministers from both sides
met in Aleppo and then traveled visa-free to Gaziantep on Tuesday
and made an open invitation expressing that the partnership is not
an alliance against others countries and is open to all.

"Our slogan is about a common destiny, common history and common
future. And we’ll build the future together," Foreign Minister Ahmet
Davutoglu told a joint press conference with his Syrian counterpart,
Walid al-Muallem. He repeated the message in Arabic, which was
applauded by the Syrians in the room.

"Today is bayram for the peoples of Turkey and Syria. We are
celebrating a third bayram, which is the removal of visa procedures,
in addition to Ramadan and the Feast of Sacrifice," he said.

Turkey and Syria announced plans to establish a high-level strategic
cooperation council to deepen their relations in every field from
security to energy. Davutoglu and al-Muallem co-chaired the first
foreign ministerial meeting of the council to be followed at the
prime ministerial level in early December when Turkey’s Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdogan visits Damascus.

"This partnership sets a standard and brings with it a message to the
region. We hope this understanding will spread throughout the region,"
said Davutoglu.

For his part, al-Muallem said nothing should be sought behind his
country’s partnership with Turkey. "Our call to friendly countries
is open," he said.

Turkey m with Iraq under the government’s policy of zero problems and
maximum cooperation with neighbors, but Ankara’s steps elevated fears
among NATO members that EU aspirant Turkey was drifting farther from
European values.

"Turkey’s relations with Syria are complementary to its foreign
policy. If we join the EU, Syria will be a neighbor to the EU, and
if the EU lets Turkey in, its doors will open up to the Middle East,"
said Davutoglu.

Later in the day, Davutoglu and al-Muallem signed an agreement to
exempt mutual visas and the two ministers crossed the border in a
symbolic move to remove the barrier at the Oncupınar Border Gate,
a narrow gate and an area surrounded by minefields.

Delay of military exercise with Israel

Syria welcomed the Turkish decision to delay the international part
of a military exercise including Israel.

Turkey recently canceled a joint military exercise on its territory
with Israel, the United States and Italy. Many people consider the
decision a continuation of Turkey’s reaction to Israel’s Gaza war
last year.

"We are pleased with Turkey’s decision, reminiscent of Turkey’s
approach to the Israeli-led attacks in Gaza," said al-Muallem, adding
that Israel has continued its offensive policies and rejected Turkey’s
peace efforts and initiatives.

Davutoglu reminded the press that the exercise was a national drill
open to international participants. "Everyone should act with common
sense and in a way that does not harm peace and stability," Davutoglu
said, without naming Israel. He said the human tragedy unfolding in
Gaza should come to an end and Islamic holy places in East Jerusalem
including al-Aqsa Mosque should be respected.

"If Turkey’s sensitivities are taken into consideration an atmosphere
of peace will emerge. We are ready to do our best for peace," said
Davutoglu.

Turkey sponsored five rounds of indirect negotiations between Israel
and Syria but the talks were suspended over Israeli war in Gaza early
this year. Davutoglu said the Israeli to peace in the Middle East.

"We are always ready [to mediate peace talks] but there is need
for strong political will that must be demonstrated by the parties
concerned," he said.

Al-Muallem said, "We trust the role played by Turkey as a mediator
for peace in the region."

De-mining the common border

Clearing landmines from the Turkish-Syrian border is controversial. The
Turkish Parliament passed a controversial law last May about de-mining,
but appealed to opposition at the country’s top Constitutional Court.

Davutoglu said once the ongoing technical work is over, the fields
will open to agriculture after the mines are cleared away.

"That is important in economic terms, but it also has a symbolic
meaning. From now on, we want neither mines, walls, wires, nor border
gates. We want complete integration," he said.

PKK problem

The PKK problem was once a point of contention that brought the
two neighbors to the edge of a war in 1999. However, in the new
term Damascus extended support to Turkey’s fight against the PKK,
with Syrian President Bashar Assad saying before a visit to Istanbul
last month that his country was ready to welcome the return of Syrian
members of the PKK.

"Syria considers the PKK a terrorist organization," said
al-Muallem. "Turkey’s security is part of Syria’s security."

Armenia protocols

The Syrian minister welcomed the protocols signed between
Turkey and Armenia on Saturday to normalize their troubled
relations. Turkish-Armenian ties closely concern Damascus due to its
Armenian population.

"I have spoken with the Armenian citizens living in Syria and saw that
they are also happy. Turkish-Armenian relations are in the interest
of Syria," said al-Muallem.

Snapshots from Aleppo-Gaziantep

â~@¢ Ten Turkish ministers attended the strategic council
meeting. Diplomats said the meetings took place not in the format of
the two separate Cabinets’ convention but under one umbrella.

â~@¢ Turkish ministers accompanied members of the press, as well as
opposition de

â~@¢ In Aleppo, ministers from both sides made a joint meeting
described as "energetic and efficient beginning" by the diplomats
and in Gaziantep concrete projects were discussed.

â~@¢ The Turkish delegation was welcomed at the border by Turkish
citizens living in Syria waving flags.

â~@¢ The government aimed to transform economic cooperation with Syria
into economic integration. The objective is to attain $5 billion in
mutual trade volume, which was $1.8 billion in 2008.

â~@¢ Cyprus was among the issues on the agenda. Diplomats said Turkey’s
proposal to Syria to let northern Cyprus open an office in Damascus
was welcomed by the Syrian officials.

â~@¢ Higher Education Board, or YOK, head Ziya Ozcan suggested
joint high education license programs between Turkish and Syrian
universities.

â~@¢ Turkey offered to build a dam in Syria and name it the
"Friendship Dam."

HEADS OF ARMENIAN AND GEORGIAN RAILWAYS EXPRESS READINESS TO MOVE COOPERATION TO NEW LEVEL

ArmInfo
2009-10-12 11:17:00

ArmInfo. A group of specialists of Georgian Railway LTD, headed by
Director General Irakli Ezugbaia, paid a working visit to SCR CJSC
on October 9-10, SCR press service says.

Within the frames of the meeting, the heads of companies discussed
the issues of improving the transport services quality based on the
common technologies and cooperation. The parties paid special attention
to the efficiency of work of the rolling stock, coordination of the
tariff policy, etc.

Representatives of the two railways summed up the results of passenger
transportation, in particular, of Yerevan-Batumi-Yerevan direction, and
highly appreciated the work of both the Armenian and Georgian party. In
view of this, the prospects of applying Express automatic control
system were discussed. The system will allow to implement the system
of reservations through internet by the beginning of summer passenger
transportation 2010 and, thus, improve the passenger service level.

Irakli Ezugbaia also visited the locomotive frontier changing point
Ayrum, which has been recently upgraded and working on the basis
of new information technologies. I. Ezugbaia also met CSR CJSC
Director General Shevket Shaydullin. They emphasized the importance
of experience exchange for further deepening of cooperation.

The Independent

Robert Fisk: Obama, man of peace? No, just a Nobel prize of a mistake

The US president received an award in the faint hope that he will
succeed in the future. That’s how desperate the Middle East situation
has become

Sunday, 11 October 2009

ators/fisk/robert-fisk-obama-man-of-peace-no-just- a-nobel-prize-of-a-mistake-1800928.html

His Middle East policy is collapsing. The Israelis have taunted him by
ignoring his demand for an end to settlement-building and by
continuing to build their colonies on Arab land. His special envoy is
bluntly told by the Israelis that an Arab-Israel peace will take "many
years". Now he wants the Palestinians to talk peace to Israel without
conditions. He put pressure on the Palestinian leader to throw away
the opportunity of international scrutiny of UN Judge Goldstone’s
damning indictment of Israeli war crimes in Gaza while his Assistant
Secretary of State said that the Goldstone report was "seriously
flawed". After breaking his pre-election promise to call the 1915
Armenian massacres by Ottoman Turkey a genocide, he has urged the
Armenians to sign a treaty with Turkey, again "without pre-conditions".
His army is still facing an insurgency in Iraq. He cannot decide how
to win "his" war in Afghanistan. I shall not mention Iran.

And now President Barack Obama has just won the Nobel Peace
Prize. After only eight months in office. Not bad. No wonder he said
he was "humbled" when told the news. He should have felt humiliated.
But perhaps weakness becomes a Nobel Peace Prize winner. Shimon Peres
won it, too, and he never won an Israeli election. Yasser Arafat won
it. And look what happened to him. For the first time in history, the
Norwegian Nobel committee awarded its peace prize to a man who has
achieved nothing – in the faint hope that he will do something good in
the future. That’s how bad things are. That’s how explosive the Middle
East has become.

Isn’t there anyone in the White House to remind Mr Obama that the
Israel ged a US president who asked for an end to the building of
colonies for Jews ` and Jews only ` on Arab land? Bill Clinton
demanded this ` it was written into the Oslo accords ` and the
Israelis ignored him. George W Bush demanded an end to the fighting in
Jenin nine years ago. The Israelis ignored him. Mr Obama demands a
total end to all settlement construction. "They just don’t get it, do
they?" an Israeli minister ` apparently Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu ` was reported to have said when the US Secretary of State,
Hillary Clinton, reiterated her president’s words. That’s what Avigdor
Lieberman, Israel’s crackpot foreign minister ` he’s not as much a
crackpot as Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, but he’s getting close ` said again
on Thursday. "Whoever says it’s possible to reach in the coming years
a comprehensive agreement," he announced before meeting Mr Obama’s
benighted and elderly envoy George Mitchell, "… simply doesn’t
understand the reality."

Related articles

Obama vows to end military gay policy

Across Arabia, needless to say, the Arab potentates continue to shake
with fear in their golden minarets. That great Lebanese journalist
Samir Kassir ` murdered in 2005, quite possibly by Mr Obama’s
new-found Syrian chums ` put it well in one of his last essays.
"Undeterred by Egypt since Sadat’s peace," he wrote, "convinced of
America’s unfailing support, guaranteed moral impunity by Europe’s bad
conscience, and backed by a nuclear arsenal that was acquired with the
help of Western powers, and that keeps growing without exciting any
comment from the international community, Israel can literally do
anything it wants, or is prompted to do by its leaders’ fantasies of
domination."

So Israel is getting away with it as usual, abusing the distinguished
(and Jewish) head of the UN inquiry into Gaza war crimes ` which also
blamed Hamas ` while joining the Americans in further disgracing the
craven Palestinian Authority "President" Mahmoud Abbas, who is more
interested in maintaining his relations with Washington than with his
own Palestinian people. He’s even gone back on his word to refuse
peace talks until Israel’s colonial expansion comes to an end. In a
single devastating sentence, that usually mild Jordanian commentator
Rami Khouri noted last week that Mr Abbas is "a tragic shell of a man,
hollow, politically impotent, backed and respected by nobody". I put
"President" Abbas into quotation marks since he now has Mr
Ahmadinejad’s status in the eyes of his people. Hamas is
delighted. Thanks to President Obama.

Oddly, Mr Obama is also humiliating the Armenian president, Serg
Sarkisian, by insisting that he talks to his Turkish adversaries
without conditions. In the West Bank, you have to forget the Jewish
colonies. In Armenia, you have to forget the Turkish murder of one and
a half million Armenians in 1915. Mr Obama refused to honour his
pre-election p se to recognise the 20th century’s first holocaust as a
genocide. But if he can’t handle the First World War, how can he
handle World War Three?

Mr Obama advertised the Afghanistan conflict as the war America had to
fight ` not that anarchic land of Mesopotamia which Mr Bush rashly
invaded. He’d forgotten that Afghanistan was another Bush war; and he
even announced that Pakistan was now America’s war, too. The White
House produced its "Afpak" soundbite. And the drones came in droves
over the old Durand Line, to kill the Taliban and a host of innocent
civilians. Should Mr Obama concentrate on al-Qa’ida? Or yield to
General Stanley McChrystal’s Vietnam-style demand for 40,000 more
troops? The White House shows the two of them sitting opposite each
other, Mr Obama in the smoothie suite, McChrystal in his
battledress. The rabbit and the hare.

No way are they going to win. The neocons say that "the graveyard of
empire" is a cliché. It is. But it’s also true. The Afghan
government is totally corrupted; its paid warlords ` paid by Karzai
and the Americans ` ramp up the drugs trade and the fear of Afghan
civilians. But it’s much bigger than this.

The Indian embassy was bombed again last week. Has Mr Obama any idea
why? Does he realise that Washington’s decision to support India
against Pakistan over Kashmir ` symbolised by his appointment of
Richard Holbrooke as envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan but with no
remit to discuss divided Kashmir ` enraged Pakistan. He may want India
to balance the power of China (some hope!) but Pakistan’s military
intelligence realises that the only way of persuading Mr Obama to act
fairly over Kashmir ` recognising Pakistan’s claims as well as India’s
` is to increase their support for the Taliban. No justice in Kashmir,
no security for US troops ` or the Indian embassy ` in Afghanistan.

Then, after stroking the Iranian pussycat at the Geneva nuclear talks,
the US president discovered that the feline was showing its claws
again at the end of last week. A Revolutionary
nei, warned that Iran would "blow up the heart" of Israel if Israel or
the US attacked the Islamic Republic. I doubt it. Blow up Israel and
you blow up "Palestine". Iranians ` who understand the West much
better than we understand them ` have another policy in the case of
the apocalypse. If the Israelis attack, they may leave Israel
alone. They have a plan, I’m told, to target instead only US troops in
Iraq and Afghanistan, and their bases in the Gulf and their warships
cruising through Hormuz. They would leave Israel alone. Americans
would then learn the price of kneeling before their Israeli masters.

For the Iranians know that the US has no stomach for a third war in
the Middle East. Which is why Mr Obama has been sending his generals
thick and fast to the defence ministry in Tel Aviv to tell the
Israelis not to strike at Iran. And why Israel’s leaders ` including
Mr Netanyahu ` were blowing the peace pipe all week about the need for
international negotiations with Iran. But it raises an interesting
question. Is Mr Obama more frightened of Iran’s retaliation? Or of its
nuclear capabilities? Or more terrified of Israel’s possible
aggression against Iran?

But, please, no attacks on 10 December. That’s when Barack Obama turns
up in Oslo to pocket his peace prize – for achievements he has not yet
achieved and for dreams that will turn into nightmares.

PARTICIPANTS OF OCTOBER 9 MARCH IN YEREVAN CALL ON ARMENIAN PRESIDENT NOT TO SIGN ARMENIA-TURKEY PROTOCOLS

Noyan Tapan
Oct 9, 2009

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 9, NOYAN TAPAN. A march against the pre-signed
Armenia-Turkey protocols was organized in Yerevan on October 9 on
the initiative of the ARF Supreme Body and with the participation
a number of other political organizations and NGOs. The marchers
adopted an application-demand to the Armenian president.

It reads:

"Mister President.

We, the participants of the October 9 protest march of many thousands,
believe that the foreign policy of the Republic of Armenia has deviated
from the course of normalizing Armenian-Turkish relations without any
preconditions. The pre-signed protocols contain provisions, which
are highly dangerous for our state and people and pose a threat to
our national and state interests and our unity.

The six weeks envisaged for internal political discussions have
proved that the prevailing part of our people both in Armenia and
the Diaspora are against signing the protocols in this text.

In one place alone – Republic Square, more than 50 thousand citizens
of the Republic of Armenia have joined the signature collection. 12
parties have issued a joint statement. Over 60 NGOs have expressed
a negative opinion about these documents.

And all this happens in the case when Armenia-based television
companies, with rare exception, have actually deprived the opponents
of the protocols of an opportunity to provide any information and
explanation to people.

While not being against the policy of opening the border and
establishing diplomatic relations without preconditions, we say a
resolute "No" to these protocols, which infringe on the right of
generations and threaten the security and dignity of our state and
people, and we demand that you not sign the protocols.

Otherwise you will be responsible for the unpredictable consequences
of this process".

ARMENIA’S PREMIER CALLED ON MINISTERS TO PARTICIPATE IN "EREBUNI-YEREVAN" FESTIVAL

PanARMENIAN.Net
08.10.2009 18:54 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ RA Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan following the
invitation of the Yerevan Mayor called on members of the government
to take part in the forthcoming celebrations of Erebuni-Yerevan on
October 11, dedicated to 2791 anniversary of Yerevan.

Yerevan was establishment in 782 BC, when the ancient city of Erebuni
was founded in Urartu by the king Argishti. Ruins of Erebuni are
located at the Arin-Berd hill on the outskirts of Yerevan.

NEW OPPOSITION MOVEMENT TO BE FORMED IN ARMENIA

PanARMENIAN.Net
08.10.2009 12:38 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian political field is under control of third
forces which should be pushed away, according to Miatsum initiative
leader Zhirayr Sefilyan.

"A new opposition movement will be formed in Armenia soon. It will
unite the Armenian people and lead the national movement. Although it
will be a non-partisan movement, representative of different parties
can join it," Sefilyan told a news conference on Thursday.

As to cooperation with the Armenian National Congress, he said Miatsum
is an independent structure. "We just fought on the same part of the
battlefield," he said.

Sefilyan said that 15 years of collaboration with the other parties
produced no result, since "no party can gain power under the current
totalitarian regime."

"The goal of the movement will not be frustration of Armenian-Turkish
reconciliation but formation of a regime of high moral standards,"
he concluded.

ARFD RESOLUTE AGAINST RA-TURKISH PROTOCOLS CONCLUSION

PanARMENIAN.Net
08.10.2009 13:40 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ ARF Dashnaktsutyun is resolute against conclusion
of RA-Turkish rapprochement Protocols, ARF Dashnaktsutyun bureau
representative Hrant Margaryan stated during discussions on
"Initialed Protocols and RA-Turkey relations: National and state
interests and challenges". "There’s time till protocols’ conclusion
and ratification. We’re ready to assist RA Government in finding a way
out of this situation, but if we don’t manage, we’ll still stick to
our position," Hrant Margasyan said, adding that ARFD is not playing
a double game.

THE ARMENIAN AND AZERBAIJANI PRESIDENTS TO MEET IN CHISINAU

Aysor.am
Thursday, October 08

In the frameworks of the summit of the CIS member states, which will
launch today in Chisinau, the capital city of Moldova, the Presidents
of Armenia and Azerbaijan Serzh Sargsyan and Ilham Aliyev will meet.

Besides that the trilateral meeting Sargsyan – Aliyev – Medvedev will
be held, during which will be discussed the present situation of the
regulation of the Karabakh issue.

The Armenian side does not expect any turning step from this
meeting. In Paris RA President Serzh Sargsyan during his meeting with
the representatives of the Armenian colonies and organizations of
Europe mentioned that "The process of the regulation of the Artsakh
issue need a lot of work yet, of which we can suppose that in the
near future the signing of the regulation agreement is not real."

The last meeting of the Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents was in
Moscow on July 17 in 2009. On this meeting were present also the
foreign ministers of the two countries and the OSCE Minsk group
co-chairs.