Author: Yeghisabet Arthur

‘I HAVE TO DISAPPOINT ADVOCATES OF DOUBLE STANDARDS’: NALBANDIAN AT UN

Tert.am
29.09.09

Foreign Affairs Minister of the Republic of Armenia Edward Nalbandian
was in attendance at the 64th session of the UN General Assembly,
held in New York this week.

In his speech, Nalbandian referred to the settlement of the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, by stating that we must work toward
eliminating not only nuclear weapons, but also "militaristic
aspirations of some states." Armenia’s Foreign Minister took
the opportunity to criticize Azerbaijan, referring particularly
to Azerbaijan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Elmar Maharram oglu
Mammadyarov speech at the Assembly last week.

"The NK peace process, which is mediated by the Co-Chairs of the OSCE
Minsk Group, is moving forward. The Presidents and the Ministers of
Foreign Affairs of Armenia and Azerbaijan meet regularly to discuss
the principles of a comprehensive resolution of the conflict. Armenia
is convinced that in order to create an opportunity for progress in
the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabagh conflict, the parties
should commit to refrain from steps that could hamper dialogue and
the peace process.

"On the international arena, Azerbaijan consistently misrepresents
the essence of the Nagorno Karabagh problem, like two days ago in this
forum, trying to smother ethnic cleansings and its policy of violence
against the people of Nagorno-Karabagh. The international community
recalls the Azerbaijani open aggression, large-scale hostilities
and war against Nagorno-Karabagh, also with the help of mercenaries,
closely linked to terrorist organizations. These ultimately claimed
lives of tens of thousand of civilians," said Nalbandian.

Continuing, the Foreign Affairs Minister of Armenia said that he
believes there is a foundation for resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict, assuming that the Declaration signed by Armenia, Azerbaijan,
and Russia’s presidents, as well as a host of other individuals,
are implemented.

"We believe that ther tlement of the Nagorno Karabagh problem, if the
provisions contained in the Declaration signed by the Presidents of
the Republic of Armenia, the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Russian
Federation on 2 November 2008, in Moscow, and also in the Declaration
of the Foreign Ministers of the Co-Chair countries of the OSCE Minsk
Group issued in Helsinki on 4 December 2008, and in the Declaration
adopted by the Foreign Ministers of all 56 OSCE member states on 5
December 2008, are implemented," said Nalbandian.

"According to these documents, the parties must commit themselves to
the peaceful settlement of the problem through negotiations, based
on Madrid Principles of the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group."

Nalbandian concluded this segment of his speech by boldly defending
self-determination of peoples, saying that "self-determination is an
unconditional clause of international law":

"The Basic Principles, around which negotiations are held currently,
are anchored on the benchmark codes of the international law as
incorporated in the Charter of this Organization, the Helsinki Final
Act and other relevant international documents. The international
principles of Non-Use or Threat of Use of Force, the Self-Determination
of Peoples and Territorial Integrity are equally viable. Some
have long attempted to downplay the importance of the notion of
self-determination of peoples as a second-rate principle in the
system of international law, and inferior to that of ‘territorial
integrity.’ I have to disappoint the advocates of double standards:
self-determination is an unconditional clause of the international
law; it is about liberty, freedom of any people to choose its future
and fate, and to defend its collective rights whenever those rights
and that future are jeopardized. If self-determination was inferior
to territorial integrity there would have been only 52 member states
in the UN, instead of 192 present."

ARMENIAN EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS IN IT CAN SERVE EXAMPLES FOR MANY COUNTRIES

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
28.09.2009 18:11 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Educational programs in the sphere of Information
Technology, developed in Armenia can serve as examples for many
countries, Chi-Foon Chan, president and chief operating officer of
Synopsys told students of Armenian universities at the graduation
ceremony of the Synopsys training courses.

The most inspiring is that educational programs developed in Armenia
are taught in hundreds of universities around the world.

"The programs were translated into several languages, including
English, Russian, Chinese, and now they are translated into Arabic,
because Synopsys projects to carry out educational programs in Saudi
Arabia," the head of the company concluded.

ARMENIAN-RUSSIAN INTERGOVERNMENTAL COMMISSION DISCUSSES ECONOMIC COOPERATION

/ARKA/
September 28, 2009
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, September 26. /ARKA/. Armenian-Russian intergovernmental
commission has discussed economic cooperation at its 11th session in
Yaroslavl, Russia, Armenian governmental press office reports.

Before opening the session the commission co-chairs – Armenian Prime
Minister Tigran Sargsyan and Russian Transport Minister Igor Levitin
had a closed-door talk.

Opening the session, Levitin said that an international forum focused
on the global crisis was held in Yaroslavl recently.

The minister said that global economic stability is going through
trial now.

The Armenian premier thanked Russia for cordial reception and
invitation for celebration of the city’s 1000th anniversary.

Speaking about bilateral economic cooperation, Sargsyan said that
economic developments in Armenia are similar to those in Russia,
because "our economic systems are interdependent and integrated".

"Armenia has over 1,000 companies with Russian capital. Energy systems
and transportation links are connected with Russian economy", the
premier said.

He said that the crisis has stricken hard at Armenian economy in the
first half of this year, but now it can be placed on record with
cautious optimism that some signs of economic growth are already
visible.

It means the government’s bailout steps have produced results.

Sargsyan expressed gratitude to h is Russian counterpart Vladimir
Putin for supporting Armenian government’s bailout measures.

The session participants outlined cooperation prospects and discussed
issues related to the Armenian enterprises handed over to Russia
for debt.

They also discussed further cooperation in energy, culture, transport
and education areas.

APA

Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke for a length of time about Palestinian
issue, but didn’t touch upon occupation of Azerbaijani lands
[ 25 Sep 2009 12:11 ]

Baku ` APA. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan addressed the
UN General Assembly’s 64th session.

He spoke for a length of time about the Palestinian issue, but didn’t
touch upon the occupation of Azerbaijani lands and was satisfied only
couple of common sentences about Nagorno Karabakh conflict, APA
reports quoting CNN Turk. He said Turkey deeply concerned over the
Palestinian conflict and said resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian
conflict based on two states existing in peace and security was
indispensable to both regional and global peace. He said Turkey always
supported Palestinian people and would continue its support further.
The Prime Minister reminded about the Israeli military operation in
2008. `The three-week Israeli military offensive at the start of the
year, which Israel said was to end rocket attacks by militants
operating in Gaza, quickly turned into a human tragedy. The conflict
resulted in the death of some 1,400 Palestinians, mostly women and
children, and more than 5,000 injuries. Many buildings in Gaza were
turned to rubble, and even UN sites came under attack. Mr. Pan Ki-Moon
saw those sites and expressed his protests. It has been eight months
since the declaration of the ceasefire that ended the hostilities in
Gaza and months had also passed since an international conference in
Egypt pledged billions of dollars for the reconstruction of the
area. However, I regret that the human tragedy in Gaza still goes
on. Turkey has on every possible occasion stressed that it is not
possible to turn a blind eye to the appalling conditions in Gaza. It
is our common
humanitarian and moral responsibility to ensure that the tragedy
unfolding in Gaza is brought to an end, and an atmosphere of lasting
peace is created in the region. We demand that these obstacles are
immediately lifted and normalcy restored to Gaza for the sake of peace
and security of both Israel and the Palestinians’, said Erdogan.
The Prime Minister also touched upon actions taken toward
normalization of relations with Armenia. `Our efforts toward
normalization of relation with our neighbor Armenia bring its
results. It is time to solve conflicts in the Caucasus, particularly
the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict within the territorial integrity of
the countries’, said Erdogan.
In his statements made in Turkey, Erdgoan always said that the borders
with Armenia would be never opened before ending of occupation of
Azerbaijani lands, but in his speeches in the United States he didn’t
mention this issue because there is no such condition in the protocols
initialed between Turkey and Armenia. Erdogan and his team aim to
avoid the pressure of the Turkish community and to calm the people
with those statements.
The Islamists (or forces using Islam for their political goals) in
Turkey pay great attention to the Palestinian problem, but remain
indifferent to the issues related to Azerbaijan and Turkic world.

President Sargsyan, His Holiness Garegin II discuss Armenia-Turkey
relations

armradio.am
25.09.2009 10:45

President Serzh Sargsyan had a meeting with the Catholicos of All
Armenians, His Holiness Garegin II.

The President of Armenia and Garegin II discussed issues pertinent to
state-church relations as well as the current development in the
Armenia-Turkey normalization process.

President Sargsyan said that the process has entered a very important
stage of public and political discussions. He also said that the
unfolding discussions were very important since regardless of whether
the protocols would be signed or not, ratified or not, they were an
opportune occasion to speak about our relations and problems. `They
certainly contain some emotional aspects and elements but it couldn’t
have been any other way since a huge segment of our nation are the
people who are the descendants of those who had perished in the
Genocide. Besides, on the other side of the border there are places
which are sacred for us ` our churches, our capital city, and for many
even the remnants of ancestral homes. I understand that completely
because on many instances I wrestle inwardly my own dreams. However, I
am confident, that these discussions are essential,’ the President of
Armenia said.

Serzh Sargsyan informed the Catholicos that on October 1 he would be
leaving on a weeklong trip to visit the Armenian co
mmunities in Paris,
New York, Los Angeles, Beirut and Rostov on Don to listen to the views
and comments of these and nearby Armenian communities on the process of
normalization of the Armenian-Turkish relations.

Garegin II hailed President’s initiative to conduct a pan-Armenian
trip. `Spuyrk is an indivisible and significant part of our nation and
it is only right that our brothers and sisters, who are conducting
today heated discussions regarding the pre-signed Armenian-Turkish
documents, provided with an opportunity to hear from you personally all
the answers to their questions. In turn, you will learn about their
thoughts, viewpoints, and concerns,’ Garegin II said.

The Catholicos of All Armenian informed that at its forthcoming sitting
the Spiritual Council would discuss the process of the Armenian-Turkish
normalization, the pre-signed documents and would make a relevant
statement.

`Mr. President, I wish you success. God’s help and blessings in you
important mission,’ the Catholicos of All Armenian said.

COURT HEARING OF STATE POLICE FIELD SERVICE POLICEMEN CASE POSTPONED

NOYAN TAPAN
SEPTEMBER 23, 2009
YEREVAN

At the September 22 court sitting Gegham Harutyunian – one of the two
policemen accused of committing violence against citizens during the
March 1-2 events in Yerevan last year – requested to be given time
for inviting a lawyer. The next sitting of the general jurisdiction
court of Yerevan’s Kentron and Nork-Marash communities is scheduled
for October 8.

To recap, Gegham Harutyunian and Hovhannes Ghukasian, policemen of the
regiment of Yerevan’s State Police Field Service, have been charged
under the RA Criminal Code Article 309, Part 2 (exceeding official
authority) for committing violence against citizens and hitting them
with rubber batons in Republic Square of Yerevan on the morning of
1 March 2008.

ANC PREDICTS SERIOUS DEVELOPMENTS
Karen Ghazaryan

"Radiolur"
23.09.2009 17:39

Spokesman of the Armenian National Congress Arman Musinyan is confident
that serious developments are expected in Armenia connected with both
the Armenian-Turkish relations and the Karabakh conflict settlement.

According to him, the Congress is going to play an important role
in these developments. Musinyan, however, refrained from mentioning
concrete terms.

"These are developments, which have a great potential, but are very
hard to predict," he said.

Is the Armenian National Congress going to participate in
the forthcoming parliamentary hearings on the Armenian-Turkish
relations? Arman Musinyan said they are not going to partake, since
they are confident that the provisions of the protocols will not be
changed as a result of those discussions.

TIGRAN SARGSYAN STATES ABOUT THE LAUNCH OF REFORMS IN PENSION SPHERE

ARMENPRESS
SEPTEMBER 23, 2009
YEREVAN

Armenian government approved at its today’s session "Coverage of
Pension Reforms, Public Awareness and Civil Society’s Participation
in the Process program and timetable of events" which was presented by
Armenian Labor and Social Affairs Minister Gevorg Petrosyan. Referring
to this decision Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan noted that
all the members of the government must seriously pay attention to
this question. "Today we state about the launch of pension reforms,"
the head of the executive power stated.

According to him, the bills have many times been discussed in the
session of ministerial committees with a special task group a separate
bill has been worked out which has been sent to NA and President’s
Office.

Today the timetable of the events will be put for public discussions,
be discussed with non-governmental organizations and target groups. The
prime minister said at the next session of the government a number
of bills connected with this reform will be approved and presented
to the legislative body.

NY HOSTS MEETING BETWEEN ERDOGAN, US-JEWISH GROUPS AFTER DAVOS SPAT

Today’s Zaman
Sept 22 2009
Turkey

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s first meeting upon his arrival
in New York on Monday was with representatives of leading US-Jewish
groups, the first time he had held such meetings since an incident
dubbed "the Davos spat."

Erdogan, who arrived in New York to attend the UN General Assembly
and then a G20 summit in Pittsburgh, Pa., gathered with around 50
representatives of New York and Washington-based US-Jewish groups among
whom Abraham H. Foxman, national director of the Anti-Defamation League
(ADL), was also present.

The meeting took place at the Plaza Hotel, where Erdogan and his
accompanying delegation have been staying. Relations between Turkey and
Israel, regional allies who cooperate particularly in the military and
defense arena, were strained after the Israeli army launched a deadly
offensive in Gaza last December, leaving more than 1,300 people dead.

Erdogan walked out of a World Economic Forum session in Davos,
Switzerland, in late January after an angry exchange with Israeli
President Shimon Peres over the Gaza operation. But tension later
subsided and dialogue between the two countries has been restored. In
June, then-Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Ambassador Ertugrul Apakan,
who is now Turkey’s permanent representative to the UN, visited
Israel. Apakan then had talks on political and economic cooperation
with Yossi Gal, director general of Israel’s Foreign Ministry. The
senior officials agreed that relations between the two countries
should continue to improve.

Foxman, speaking with ANKA news agency after the meeting, called the
Davos spat "history," while the Anatolia news agency cited anonymous
sources as saying that the meeting’s environment was positive. "Neither
Erdogan nor us opened up this issue [Davos] during the meeting. It
was a very positive meeting. Indeed, we have buried the Davos incident
in history," Foxman, meanwhile, was quoted as saying by ANKA.

‘Davos part of history now’

"For us, what matters is the fact that Prime Minister Erdogan received
us first as soon as he came to New York. This is an important point
for us because Prime Minister Erdogan has shown the importance he
attached to us as well as to relations between Turkey and Israel,"
Foxman also said.

Turkey maintains good relations with Arab nations as well as with
Israel. In recent years, it has sought to play a more active role in
the Middle East. It mediated several rounds of indirect peace talks
between Syria and Israel. Yet, earlier this month, a senior Israeli
government official said Israel, under right-wing Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu, would not resume Turkish-mediated peace talks
with Syria, insisting that any new negotiations be direct.

Within days of the Davos incident, Foxman had welcomed Erdogan’s
remarks in which he made clear that his reaction in Davos did not
target Israeli or Jewish people at all. "We welcome Prime Minister
Erdogan’s comment upon returning to Ä°stanbul that his criticism was
not directed toward the Israeli people or Jews. We believe that a
more moderate tone in the prime minister’s criticism of Israel would
help to tamp down the recent outpouring of anti-Semitism in Turkey,"
Foxman had said then.

After pressure from Armenian groups and some members of the ADL, Foxman
reversed in 2007 the organization’s long-held policy and decided to
call the killings of Anatolian Armenians during the World War I era
genocide. But Foxman insists that two resolutions pending in the US
Congress endorsing the genocide claims would not help resolve the
dispute between Turks and Armenians.

During the meeting at the Plaza Hotel, Erdogan told the group that
the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), whose
Minsk Group has been working for a decade and a half to mediate the
Nagorno-Karabakh dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan, has been
making a significant contribution to ongoing efforts for normalization
of ties between Armenia and Turkey, Anatolia reported. He added
that the Minsk Group, one of the three co-chairs of which is the
United States along with France and Russia, should intensify its
efforts for making more contributions to the normalization process,
the agency said.

While the US-Jewish representatives expressed concern over the spread
of weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) in the Middle East as well as
over Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s repeated denial of the
Holocaust, Erdogan voiced Turkey’s objection to all kinds of WMDs and
nuclear weapons both in its region and in the entire world, Anatolia
said, citing the same anonymous sources.

The US-Jewish representatives, meanwhile, conveyed the pleasure
of the Jewish community in Turkey over the fact that the issue
of discrimination was the first lesson for the 2009-2010 year at
elementary and high schools throughout Turkey which started earlier
this month.

ARMENIAN PEACEKEEPERS DRILLED BY NATO STANDARDS

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
22.09.2009 11:47 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian peacekeepers, who participated in staff
course initiated by U.S. armed forces instructors, received awards
in Yerevan on Tuesday.

The ceremony was attended by first deputy to RA general staff
chief Enriko Apriamov and U.S. military attache in Armenia, colonel
lieutenant Robert Webster.

The course aimed to drill Armenian military in compliance with NATO
standards.