Author: Varosian Antranik

IRAN HOPES RUSSIA TO FULFILL TERMS OF S-300 SALE CONTRACT

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
12.11.2009 18:57 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Russia must meet conditions of the contract over
the sale of defensive anti-aircraft missile systems to Iran, without
succumbing to pressure from outside, Iranian Defense Minister Ahmad
Vahidi said.

The Iranian minister said that Tehran has a contract with Russia
over supply of missile systems. "In respect to the purchase of S-300,
we have a contract with Russia, and I think that Russia will not be
comfortable if be treated as an unreliable partner," Wahid said on
Thursday. Antiaircraft missile systems S-300PMU1, known in the West
as SA-20 systems, can be used to destroy air targets such as cruise
missiles and aircrafts, Reuters reports.

UKRAINIAN JOURNALISTS ANNOUNCED KOCHARI AS AZERI DANCE

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
13.11.2009 11:01 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Ignorance of some Ukrainian TV journalists is just
striking, Analitika.at.ua information center says.

Reportages about Turkey to the accompaniment of Armenian duduk
became a habit. However, ignorant journalists decided to expand the
geography of Armenian culture. ICTV Channel gifted famous Kochari
Armenian dance to Azerbaijanis. On November 12, ICTV reportage about
the Azeri students of a military school in Kharkov was accompanied
by the melody of Kochari.

The center members call on their counterparts to be more careful and
not to ascribe Armenian cultural heritage to other nations.

BALAKIAN TO SPEAK ON LEMKIN AND ARMENIAN GENOCIDE AT CJH CONFERENCE

Noyan Tapan
Nov 11, 2009

NEW YORK, NOVEMBER 11, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Peter Balakian,
an Armenian American Professor and author of numerous books, will be
part of a day-long symposium on the life and work of Raphael Lemkin,
sponsored by the Center for Jewish History and American Jewish
Historical Society and held at the Center for Jewish History on
Nov. 15.

Hayrenik weekly reports that the conference will present scholars
examining the legacy of Raphael Lemkin as a lawyer, scholar, teacher,
linguist, writer, and tireless advocate of international efforts to
prevent genocide. An exhibition of selections of Lemkin’s papers and
accompanying materials from the collections of the American Jewish
Historical Society will accompany the conference. Scholars from
around the world and across the United States will participate in the
conference. They include Peter Balakian, Colgate University; Vartan
Gregorian, Carnegie Corporation; Steven Leonard Jacobs, University of
Alabama; William A. Schabas, National University of Ireland, Galway,
and others.

Balakian will discuss the impact of the Armenian Genocide on
Lemkin’s thought, and then explore how Lemkin’s fuller understanding
of cultural annihilation can be understood by examining the range
of the Turkish government’s eradication of Armenian intellectuals,
cultural institutions, and artistic heritage.

LUKASHENKO ON KARABAKH ISSUE

news.am
Nov 11 2009
Armenia

Belarus had neither turned to Nagorno-Karabakh issue in its politics
nor kept company with someone against another, Alexander Lukashenko
told in the interview with Trend News Agency.

"In various areas we cannot stand aside in Transdniestrian, Crimean,
and Karabakhi issues. I have often discussed this issue with former
and incumbent Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan," said Lukashenko
pointing out he has never interfered into "numerous problems" and
nuances that this issue comprises.

Lukashenko states that he realizes how critical the issue for Armenian
and Azerbaijani people is, meanwhile expressing confidence that the two
presidents will resolve the conflict. This Gordian knot should be cut,
there is no need to confide in any mediators. Although there is a Minsk
Group, and if Minsk as a centre of its creation can assist somehow, we
will gladly do so," Belarus President declared adding that mediators’
involvement "might be a good idea, but it incites liabilities,
mandatory consideration of the third, firth and fifth parts."

Lukashenko reckons that every mediation side will try to implement a
policy based on its own interests. As for Karabakh issue settlement,
he considers that it should be reached only reckoning with NKR people
interests, "people cannot live in those conditions and situation and
resolution ways will be found by smart people anyhow, they have to."

NEWS.am recalls, that President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev leaves
for Minsk Nov. 12.

EDWARD NALBANDIAN: SWITZERLAND ACCOMPLISHED ITS MISSION WITH CREDIT

news.am
Nov 11 2009
Armenia

RA Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian and Head of the Swiss Federal
Department of Foreign Affairs Micheline Anne-Marie Calmy-Rey discussed
Armenian-Swiss cooperation.

The press service of the RA Foreign Office told NEWS.am that the
sides stressed the recently registered unprecedented progress
in Armenian-Swiss relations, and mutual visits of two countries’
representatives, as well as the Swiss mediation in the Armenia-Turkey
normalization process, being evidence thereof. The development of
bilateral relations was marked by the appointment of Charles Aznavour
as Armenian Ambassador to Switzerland, as well as by the opening of
a Swiss legation in Armenia.

Minister Nalbandian thanked his Swiss counterpart for Switzerland’s
mediation in the Armenia-Turkey normalization process. According to
him, the mission required restraint and exactingness, patience and
caution, and Switzerland accomplished its mission with credit. The
sides also discussed the processes in the South Caucasus.

The minister signed an agreement regulating air communication between
Armenia and Switzerland, and an agreement abolishing visa requirements
for holders of diplomatic passports. Following the signing ceremony
the Ministers held a news conference.

OPPOSITION LEADER DEFENDS PRESIDENT

news.am
Nov 11 2009
Armenia

Addressing his party mates, the leader of the Armenian Opposition,
Chairman of the Armenian National Congress (ANC) Levon Ter-Petrosyan
harshly criticized the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF)
and the ex-foreign minister Vartan Oskanian for being "insincere"
in protesting against the Armenian-Turkish protocols.

"I cannot understand how the ARF can protest against the modern-day
Armenian-Turkish border of it is they that signed the Alexandropol
Treaty thereby drawing the borders. How can they demand that Turkey
respect Armenians’ historical rights if they renounced them by
repudiating the Treaty of Sèvres? This all applies to Vartan Oskanian.

Why has he, all of a sudden, recalled his historical homeland,
Western Armenia, Marash, whereas, when Armenian Foreign Minister, he
never responded to Robert Kocharyan;s statement that Armenia had no
territorial claims to Turkey. Why did not he say that was betrayal,
violation of the Armenian people’s right?" Ter-Petrosyan asked with
indignation.

Strangely enough, the Opposition leader tried to defend RA President
Serzh Sargsyan from the ARF’s attacks. "Besides the previously
committed sins, it is unfair to accuse Serzh Sargsyan of sins he
has not committed. He was not the first to recognize the modern-day
Armenian-Turkish border – Dashnaks and Bolsheviks did it by means
of the treaties of Alexandropol and Kars. He was not the first
to renounce territorial claims to Turkey – Robert Kocharyan did it
before. He is not the one who, in response to the demand to admit the
Armenian Genocide, received Turkey’s proposal for forming a scientific
committee – Robert Kocharyan and Vartan Oskanian are the persons. He
is not the one who ousted Nagorno-Karabakh from the negotiations
– Robert Kocharyan, Vartan Oskanian and Arkady Ghukasyan are the
persons. Finally, he was not the one who got the Madrid principles
submitted to the sides – he inherited them from Robert Kocharyan and
Vartan Oskanian," Ter-Petrosyan said. He pointed out Serzh Sargsyan’s
responsibility as a key figure of the Robert Kocharyan regime.

According to Ter-Petrosyan, the political forces that were in power
under Robert Kocharyan, but "have turned into Opposition now," are
responsible as well.

TWO MORE SUSPECTED CASES OF SWINE FLU REPORTED IN YEREVAN

PanARMENIAN.Net
11.11.2009 20:58 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Two more suspected cases of A1/H1N1 infection, or
"swine flu" reported today in Yerevan . As the press service of the
RA Ministry of Health reports, one of the virus carriers came from St.

Petersburg and was isolated right at the Zvartnots airport and taken
to the "Nork" hospital.

The second carrier is a citizen of Iran. He went to the hospital and
is currently undergoing treatment for A1/H1N1. 5 suspected cases of
virus A1/H1N1 infection have been reported in Armenia. One patient
has recovered and been discharged from hospital.

IRAN AND TURKEY HAVE THE SAME INTERESTS IN THE REGION

AZG DAILY
10-11-2009

International

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan met with Iran’s President
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad at the Ceylan Intercontinental Hotel in Istanbul
late Sunday under the scope of the Economic and Commercial Cooperation,
or COMCEC, meeting of the Organization of the Islamic Conference,
or OIC.

The meeting lasted about an hour and according to Erdogan, the two
had discussd COMCEC and regional issues, Iran – Turkey relations and
Iran’s nuclear program, reported Dogan News Agency

"Nothing can hinder Iran-Turkey relations’ further development. Iran
and Turkey have the same interests in the region", Ahmadinejad
underlined, according to Press TV.

EU EASTERN PARTNERSHIP SHOULD NOT BE USED FOR DISCUSSION OF CONFLICTS

Noyan Tapan
Nov 10, 2009

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 10, NOYAN TAPAN. RA Deputy Foreign Minister
Karine Ghazinian receiving Secretary General of European Movement
International Diogo Pinto on November 10, appreciated structure’s
contribution to spreading European values and creation of a united
Europe. D. Pinto, in his turn, attached importance to Armenia’s
consistency in the process of integration to European structures
emphasizing the role of the European Movement of Armenia in spreading
European affairs and values.

According to the RA Foreign Ministry Press and Information Department,
the interlocutors exchanged thoughts over the EU Eastern Partnership
program mentioning that it has much potential for development of
cooperation between the countries involved in the program and EU,
as well as many-sided regional cooperation.

According to K. Ghazinian, this program gives Armenia a possibility to
become closer to the European family. Meanwhile she emphasized that
this new plane of cooperation should not be used for discussion of
conflicts but should be a firm basis for expansion and strengthening
of further cooperation.

The interlocutors also touched upon the normalization process of
Armenian-Turkish relations, as well as exchanged thoughts over a
number of regional and international issues.

HEAD OF ANALITIKA.AT.UA MARAT AKOPIAN AWARDED DIPLOMA OF RA DIASPORA MINISTRY

PanARMENIAN.Net
10.11.2009 19:38 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Today in Kiev, in the Armenian Embassy in Ukraine
Chief of Information and Analytical Center Analitika.at.ua Marat
Akopian was officially awarded honorary diplomas of Armenia’s ministry
of Diaspora . The Ambassador of Armenia to Ukraine Armen Khachatryan
handed the Diploma, IAC Analitika.at.ua informed a PanARMENIAN.Net
reporter.