Author: Zakarian Garnik

UNLIKE BAKU, OFFICIAL YEREVAN PREFERS DEEDS TO WORDS

PanARMENIAN.Net
22.01.2010 14:50 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Azerbaijan’s propaganda "attacks" mount hysteria and
xenophobia, creating obstacles in the negotiation process, Armenian
Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian said.

"It’s not true that Armenia doesn’t react to Baku’s statements. As a
matter of fact, Azerbaijan often seeks ways to respond to us. However,
it’s important to distinguish propaganda, anti-propaganda and a
country’s official stand," Minister Nalbandian said when answering
a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter’s question during a news conference in
Yerevan on Friday.

"Unlike Baku, official Yerevan prefers deeds to words," he emphasized.

ARMENIAN-TURKISH FOOTBALL DIPLOMACY LIKE A STREET MATCH

PanARMENIAN.Net
22.01.2010 18:39 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The football diplomacy between Turkey and Armenia
is comparable to a street match, according to ARFD parliamentarian
Artsvik Minasyan.

"Armenia was in a disadvantageous position from the outset, and we
are now seeking some remedy," he told Friday a joint news conference
with Republican parliamentary group member Gagik Melkikyan.

Disagreeing with his colleague, RPA representative said that Armenia’s
rating has increased on international level.

The Protocols aimed at normalization of bilateral ties and opening of
the border between Armenia and Turkey were signed in Zurich by Armenian
Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian and his Turkish counterpart Ahmet
Davutoglu on October 10, 2009, after a series of diplomatic talks
held through Swiss mediation.

On January 12, 2010, the Constitutional Court of the Republic of
Armenia found the protocols conformable to the country’s Organic Law.

The Armenian Revolutionary Federation Dashnaktsutyun is an Armenian
political party founded in Tiflis (Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia)
in 1890 by Christapor Mikaelian, Stepan Zorian, and Simon Zavarian
The ARF has the largest number of members from the political parties
present in the Armenian Diaspora, having established affiliates in
more than 200 countries.

The ARF Dashnaktsutyun led the effort toward the establishment of
the first Armenian Republic in 1918 and was the party in power for
the duration of its existence. Following the Sovietization of Armenia
in 1920, the ARF-Dashnaktsutyun was banned by the Communists and its
leadership exiled.

In the Diaspora, the ARF Dashnaktsutyun fought Soviet rule over
Armenia and championed the cause of Armenian rights and independence;
it played a leading role in organizing a social and cultural framework
aimed at preserving the Armenian identity.

The ARF Dashnaktsutyun officially re-emerged in Armenia during the
dissolution of the USSR, in 1990.

On December 28, 1994, the activities of the ARF-Dashnaktsutyun were
"temporarily suspended" by the Armenian authorities. In view of
the political nature of the anti-ARF interdictions by the Armenian
authorities, the ARF continued to operate in Armenia. On February 9,
1998, less than a week after the resignation of the then president
Ter-Petrossian, the Justice Ministry lifted the ban on the ARF
Dashnaktsutyun.

The Republican Party of Armenia is a national conservative political
party in Armenia. It was the first political party in independent
Armenia to be founded (2 April 1990) and registered (14 May 1991). It
is the largest party of the centre-right in Armenia, and claims to have
140,000 members. The party controls most government bodies in Armenia.

At the 2003 parliamentary elections on May 25, the party received
23.5% of the popular vote, winning 31 out of 131 seats. At the last
parliamentary elections on May 12, 2007, the party received 33.91%
of the popular vote, winning 64 out of 131 seats. The former prime
minister, Andranik Markaryan, was the leader of the party. Current
President of Armenia, Serzh Sargsyan, is the chairman of RPA board.

TURKEY’S PM STATEMENTS ABSURD, FORMER FM SAYS

Panorama.am
17:59 21/01/2010

Turkish authorities and particularly Turkey’s PM Erdogan is making
absurd statements, Armenian former FM Alexander Arzumanyan told a press
conference today commenting on Erdogan’s statement as if Armenian CC
decision includes "approaches hidden between words, sentences" and
"Yerevan should make changes."

>From the legal point of view the CC decision comprises one single
sentence: "Protocols on establishing relations between Armenia and
Turkey are constitutional."

Arzumanyan said he is not concerned as to what statements Turkey will
make. "It’s not my business as to what statements Turkey will make.

It’s Turkish people who are to judge the motivated and non-motivated
statements their authorities make. I mean, Turkey’s authorities
never miss an excuse to suspend the ratification of the protocols,"
he highlighted.

2009 MARKED BY INITIATION OF LARGE-SCALE PROGRAMS BY RA MINISTRY OF ECONOMY

Noyan Tapan
Jan 21, 2010

YEREVAN, JANUARY 21, NOYAN TAPAN. For the RA Ministry of Economy, 2009
was marked by the development of priority policies, the initiation
of large-scale programs and the start of processes aimed at capacity
development. Minister of Economy Nerses Yeritsian stated this during
the presentation of the 2009 report to the Armenian prime minister
on January 20.

In his words, with the aim of mitigating the impact of the global
crisis on Armenia and preventing the possible social tension, complex
measures were taken for efficient use of resources, and resources
of donor organizations were mobilized. The minister underlined that
loans of 0 million were attracted under programs on cooperation with
the World Bank in order to help the priority branches of the economy
withstand the crisis and to create prerequisites for long-term
development. A package of million credit resources to assist the
development policy was formed as part of the partnership policy, and
the package was of importance in terms of fulfillment of state social
obligations. Cooperation with the IMF allowed to inject 0 million
into the economy, preventing fiscal and monetary shocks in the country.

Foundations for large-scale cooperation with the Asian Development Bank
(ADB) were laid. Under the assistance program aimed at overcoming the
crisis, budget support of million was provided for rehabilitation
of the earthquake zone and implementation of the budget-financed
social projects. Besides, an agreement on 0 million budget support
was reached through continued negotiations with the EU.

N. Yeritsian said that an unprecedented infrastructure-related program
began in Armenia. ADB assumed an obligation to provide concession
loans of million for the first stage of the North-South Road Corridor
Investment Program.

Assistance was provided to real sector within the framework of
anti-crisis policy, in particular an amendment was made to the law
on VAT, by which VAT payments are deferred for 3 years for import of
goods over 300 million drams considered as investment, as well as for
import of goods under investment programs approved by the government.

An operative staff was established to discuss business plans submitted
by private businessmen and to determine the form of assistance
to them. The staff examined about 300 business plans, of which 24
projects of the total cost of 14.1 billion drams were approved.

According to N. Yeritsian, the ministry also carried out consistent
work on capacity building and governance improvement necessary for
current reforms.

N. Yeritsian said the ministry took serious steps on the implementation
of the strategy of industrial policy, the creation of infrastructure
necessary for forming an information society in Armenia, and ensuring
access to instruments of the European Neighborhood Policy. Special
attention was paid to the creation of an assessment system in line
with international standards, the formation and strengthening of
Armenia’s image as a tourism country, and to the introduction of a
system for the Sustainable Development Program’s implementation.

RUSSIAN POLITICAL SCIENTIST: MOSCOW BOOKSTORES ARE FILLED WITH AZERI BOOKS OF ANTI-ARMENIAN CONTENT

Noyan Tapan
Jan 20, 2010

YEREVAN, JANUARY 20, NOYAN TAPAN. Moscow bookstores are filled with
Azeri books about "aggressions of Armenians" and an attempt is made to
prove that allegedly Armenians appeared in the region only in the 19th
century. Russian political scientist Vladimir Zakharov reported this
at a January 20 press conference. In his words, many specialists are
ready to write books based on real facts by presenting the historic
truth but they have no sponsors. "In my opinion, there should be
state policy in the issue of spreading materials on the massacres of
Armenians organized by the Azeris," V. Zakharov said and added that
the RA President should personally attend to that issue.

According to Director of the Museum-Institute of Armenian Genocide
Hayk Demoyan, formerly Azeris printed books of anti-Armenian content
in Azerbaijan and they had a low quality while now such books are
printed in Moscow and at the highest level. He said that no one is
able to remove from sale those books of not only anti-Armenian but
sometimes of anti-Russian content as according to laws of business
those engaged in printing are interested in selling their products.

H. Demoyan said that a memorial complex of "Azeri genocide" is planned
to be built in Azerbaijan in the place where indeed 200 Armenian
wealthy people and members of their families killed by Azeris are
buried. To disprove that absurd Armenia is ready to financially take
part in the holding of the DNA analysis of the bodies.

ERGENEKON ST. IN ISTANBUL RENAMED HRANT DINK ST.

Armenian Weekly
January 20, 2010

ISTANBUL, Turkey (A.W.)-On Jan. 19, which marks the third anniversary
of the assassination of Turkish Armenian journalist Hrant Dink,
Ergenekon Street in Istanbul was renamed "Hrant Dink Caddesi" (Hrant
Dink street).

The changing of the signs The street, near the editorial offices
of Agos, the newspaper edited by Dink, was full of hundreds who had
gathered under the rain to witness the name change.

In Turkish mythology, Ergenekon is a mythical place in the Altay
Mountains, where the ancestors of Turks are all killed. Only one child
survives and is brought up by a wolf and his descendents inhabit the
valley until their numbers increase and they need to find a way out.

They manage to drill a hole in the mountain and, again, a wolf leads
them out of the valley.

Ergenekon is a much-cherished legend by Turkish extremists, and a
Kemalist ultra-nationalist group in Turkey has assumed that name. The
group, with strong ties in the military and bureaucracy is currently
under investigation in Turkey for numerous crimes, including the
assassination of Hrant Dink.

Protesters holding a sign that says, "Clean up the feces of your
vigilantes," in reference to the ultra-nationalists for whom Ergenekon
and the wolf are important symbols.

According to reports, a group called Art for Peace organized the
changing of the street signs. The group requested a meeting with Sisli
Mayor Mustafa Sarigul to officially change the name of the street,
but it was not possible to hold the meeting before Jan. 19, the group
said in a leaflet it distributed to the crowd in Sisli. Members of
the group changed the name of the street themselves without waiting
for the meeting.

HAYK DEMOYAN: TURKEY WON’T BE GIVEN THIRD CHANCE

PanARMENIAN.Net
20.01.2010 20:18 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ It was clear that after Protocols’ signing in Zurich
a pause should have occurred. This could also be characterized as
the end of so-called football diplomacy, Armenian Genocide Museum
director Hayk Demoyan said. According to him, after RA Constitutional
Court’s resolution was passed, Turkey attempted to turn the situation
to its own advantage to insure itself against possible pressure
of superpowers.

"Turkey’s discontent over the resolution is Ankara’s second attempt to
set preconditions after Protocols’ signing," he told a news conference
in Yerevan. He also added that this attempt will weaken the first
precondition, stipulating for parallel processes of Karabakh conflict
settlement and Armenia-Turkey rapprochement.

At the same time, he did not preclude the possibility of Turkey’s
trying to set the third precondition, related to the resolution of
RA Constitutional Court and Armenian constitution on international
recognition and condemnation of Armenian Genocide in Ottoman Empire.

According to Demoyan, international community might not quite
understand reasons for such actions and preconditions.

According to him, after the resignation of the first Armenian President
Levon Ter-Petrosyan in 1998, Turkey lost a chance at resolving its
issues with Armenia. "Failure to normalize ties will put Turkey back
where it started," Armenian Genocide Museum director said.

THOUSANDS REMEMBER HRANT DINK

Gulf Times
e.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=338028&version=1&amp ;template_id=39&parent_id=21
Jan 19 2010
UAE

Thousands gathered yesterday at the site in Istanbul where Armenian
journalist Hrant Dink was killed three years ago, a slaying that
caused a national outcry.

The crowd – numbering around 2,000 to 3,000 according to police –
braved snowfall to gather outside the offices of the Agos newspaper
where Dink was editor-in-chief, chanting "The murderer state has to
account for this!", "We know the murderers, we want justice!".

"As long as light is not shed on this murder, we will be here, we
will not give up," said one of the many people who addressed the
crowd from the window of the Agos office from which hung a picture
of the slain journalist.

Several people left carnations and candles at the place where then
52-year-old Dink was killed on January 19, 2007.

The gunman, an unemployed nationalist who was 17 at the time, was
captured shortly after the killing. He went on trial along with 19
suspected accomplices in 2007.

THE ARMENIAN – BULGARIAN CULTURAL AND SCIENTIFIC SPHERE DEVELOPS

Aysor
Jan 19 2010
Armenia

Yesterday between the Armenian and Bulgarian Foreign Ministries in
Sofia consultations were held headed by Karine Ghazinyan and the
deputy of the Bulgarian Foreign Minister Marin Raykov.

As the press and information department informs the two have discussed
international and regional developments and issues concerning the
realization of the European Neighborhood policy action plan and
development of bilateral and multilateral cooperation.

It was also mentioned that the participation of Armenia in the EU
Neighborhood policy program will give an opportunity to establish
a firmer cooperation with the EU and to integrate into the European
inner market.

Referring to the political, commercial, scientific and cultural
partnership of Armenian and Belgium the two mentioned that there have
been noticed progress especially in the scientific and cultural sphere,
and on June the festival "Year of Armenian cultural" will be launched.

The parties exchanged views on the reforms implemented in the two
countries, their relations with their neighbor countries, Artsakh
(NKR) negotiation process, as well as the settlement of the Armenian –
Turkish relations.

On the same day Ms Ghazinyan read a lecture in the institute of the
Foreign Ministry of Bulgaria on "Foreign policy of Armenia and the
regional cooperation".

AZERBAIJANI DETECTOR DOES NOT WANT TO LIVE IN DYNASTY REGIME IN AZERBAIJAN

ArmInfo
2010-01-19 14:57:00

ArmInfo. Azerbaijani detector Eldar Heydar ogli Tagiyev, who crossed
the border to Armenia from the village of Alibeyli, Tavuz region,
Azerbaijan, said in an interview with the Armenian Public Television
on Monday that he has no intention to return to his motherland. "I
asked for this meeting with Armenian journalists since I wanted to
tell about the reasons that made me detect from Azerbaijan. I could
no longer bear the living conditions in Azerbaijan. There is no
job in Azerbaijan. And the government renders no assistance to the
people. I want to tell my family that I will not return not to die
of hunger," said the 43-year-old Tagiev detained on December 28 2009
when attempting to cross the border in the Tavush region of Armenia.

Tagiev said he is ready to stay in Armenia since he knows Armenia well
and asked at least for leaving for a third country if the Armenian
party refuses to give shelter to him. Afterwards, he complained
for unbearable living conditions of villagers in the "powerful and
developing Azerbaijan." "We lived friendly before, whereas now we
have no job and had scandals every day for that reason, because
of our poor life and because we had nothing to eat. Almost 80% of
our villagers live as poor as we. We have land but have no water to
irrigate it and the government does not do anything to help us. We
received water from Armenia before the war," the detector said.

Heydar ogli Tagiyev did not forget to mention also the Aliyevs. He
said: "We lived good under Haydar Aliyev, but now when Ilham is in
power, we live very bad: We receive just promises that our salary and
pensions will be doubled, but we receive no support," he said. It is
noteworthy that over the last years the Azerbaijani authorities have
been spending hundreds of millions of dollars on the pro-Azerbaijani
agitation worldwide to achieve "fair" settlement of the Karabakh
conflict and to persuade the world community that Azerbaijan, which
had unleashed war against the peaceful population in Karabakh, is
right. In the meanwhile, detection and emigration of the Azerbaijani
population having no minimum of subsistence are scaling up.