Month: September 2008

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT, TURKISH PRESIDENTIAL ENVOY DISCUSS TURKISH LEADER’S VISIT

ARKA
Sep 3, 2008

YEREVAN, September 3. /ARKA/. RA President Serge Sargsyan and Special
Envoy of the Turkish President Unal Cevikez discussed issues of
Turkish President Abdullah Gul’s upcoming visit to Armenia.

The RA President officially invited his Turkish counterpart to a
football match between the two national teams, which is to be held
in Yerevan on September 6.

The Armenian President welcomed the Turkish Presidential Envoy
in Armenia.

He stated that his visit is an opportunity for the sides to discuss
the settlement of bilateral problems, exchange views on regional
problems and developments.

Sargsyan said that the latest developments in the Caucasus, which
have aroused international concern, "require great responsibility
and set serious tasks".

The sides also discussed Turkey’s initiative to form a stability and
security platform in the Caucasus.

President Sargsyan pointed out that Turkish Premier Recep Tayyip
Erdogan proposed a most complicated, but significant task. The RA
President pronounced for discussing any problems.

"Armenia has always welcomed any effort to consolidate confidence,
stability, security and cooperation in the region," Sargsyan said,
expressing his view of the proposed platform.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIA TO ENHANCE CSTO’S EFFICIENCY

ARKA
Sep 3, 2008

YEREVAN, September 3. /ARKA/. As a country to chair the Collective
Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) Armenia will lay emphasis on
enhancing the CSTO’s efficiency, RA President Serge Sargsyan stated
at his meeting with the Secretaries of the CSTO Security Councils,
who are in Armenia to take part in a meeting of the CSTO Security
Councils’ Committee.

The RA presidential press service reports that President Sargsyan
expressed his satisfaction over the level of cooperation within the
CSTO. He stressed the obvious importance of cooperation in dealing
with such security problems as possible aggression, illegal migration,
corruption control, which, according to him, deny any formal approach.

Speaking of the recent events in South Ossetia, President Sargsyan
said that the events proved the danger of coercive methods of solving
interethnic conflicts in the South Caucasus. The RA President expressed
the confidence that any attempts to settle conflicts by force are
doomed to failure, and "the events in South Ossetia will have a
sobering effect on those having such illusions, consolidating their
military and making militaristic statements." "In the South Caucasus
any attempts to force solutions on nations are pregnant with serious
military and geopolitical consequences," President Sargsyan said.

The participants in the meeting pointed out its effectiveness as they
discuss ed the trends in the CSTO zone and neighboring regions, threats
to collective security and the current situation in the Caucasus. On
September 5, Armenia is to take over the CSTO chairmanship. P.T. -0–

CAUCASUS ALLIANCE TO FURTHER OPENING OF ARMENIA’S BORDERS WITH NEIGHBORS

ARKA
Sep 3, 2008

YEREVAN, September 3. /ARKA/. Turkey’s initiative to establish
an alliance in the Caucasus can help open Armenia’s borders with
neighbors, said Hayk Demoyan, director of the Armenian Genocide
Museum-Institute.

Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Ergogan proposed on August 11
establishing the so-called Stability and Cooperation Platform, which
would comprise Turkey, Russia, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan and the
United States.

"The Caucasus alliance will guarantee open borders and free trade
turnover," Demoyan told Novosti-Armenia.

He stressed the vital importance of the issue for Armenia’s future,
taking into account the recent conflict in the region. Demoyan said
he recalled vividly Turkish ex-President Suleiman Demirel’s attempt
to establish a similar alliance in the region some eight years ago.

Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan will meet with his Russian
counterpart Sergey Lavrov to discuss the initiative.

3 CANDIDATES NOMINATED FOR SEPTEMBER 28 ELECTION OF YEREVAN’S NOR NORK COMMUNITY

Noyan Tapan

Se p 3, 2008

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 3, NOYAN TAPAN. By the envisaged deadline –
September 3rd, 6 pm, three candidates have been nominated to run
in the September 28 election of the head of Yerevan’s Nor Nork
community. These candidates are the current head of the district,
member of the Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) Davit Petrosian, an
unemployed person, RPA member Melik Gasparian and an unemployed person,
non-party man Karen Grigorian. 35 candidates have been nominated for
15 seats of the council of aldermen, NT correspondent was informed
by Gurgen Khachatrian, chairman of district electoral commission No
2. The deadline for candidate registration is September 8th, 6 pm.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

RPA AND ANM NOMINATE TWO CANDIDATES EACH FOR SEPTEMBER 28 ELECTION OF YEREVAN’S KENTRON COMMUNITY HEAD

Noyan Tapan

Se p 3, 2008

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 3, NOYAN TAPAN. 4 candidates: the current head of
Yerevan’s Kentron district, member of the Republican Party of Armenia
(RPA) Gagik Beglarian and his deputy, RPA member Gagik Gyanjumian,
as well as former mayor of Yerevan, chairman of the board of the
Armenian National Movement party (ANM) Ararat Zurabian and ANM
member Davit Arakelian have been nominated to run in the September
28 election of the head of Kentron community. The deadline for
candidate nomination was September 3rd, 6 pm. 40 candidates have
been nominated for 15 seats of the council of aldermen in Kentron
community. 11 candidates have been nominated for 11-seat council of
aldermen in Nork-Marash community, NT correspondent was informed by
Silva Markosian, chairwoman of district electoral commission No 10
responsible for organization of elections to local self-government
bodies in the two indicated communities. The deadlibe for candidate
registration is September 8th, 6 pm.

To recap, A. Zurabian is an accused person in the criminal case opened
in connection with the March 1-2 events in Yerevan. Recently his
precautionary measure – arrest was replaced by a written undertaking
not to leave Armenia due to A. Zurabian’s poor health. Under the same
criminal case, D. Arakelian was given 18 month suspended sentence
for committing violence (not dangerous to life) against policemen.

TURKISH PRESIDENT IN ARMENIA TRIP

BBC NEWS
urope/7596768.stm
2008/09/03 17:58:27 GMT

The Turkish President, Abdullah Gul, is to attend a football match
in Armenia, his office says, signalling an apparent thaw in relations.

The Turkish and Armenian teams will face each other for the first
time in a World Cup qualifier on Saturday.

The two countries have no official ties and their shared border
remains closed.

Turkey has rejected Armenia’s campaign for the killings of some
1.5m of its citizens, by Ottoman Turks between 1915 and 1917, to be
classified as genocide.

More than a dozen countries, various international bodies and many
Western historians have recognised the killings as genocide.

Turkey admits that many Armenians were killed but it denies any
genocide, saying the deaths were a part of World War I.

Climate of friendship

Mr Gul will become the first Turkish head of state to visit the
Armenian capital, Yerevan, when he attends the match with his
counterpart, Serge Sarkisian.

This visit is likely to be highly controversial in Turkey, says the
BBC’s Pam O’Toole.

The Armenian invitation has already sparked a major debate, with some
nationalists regarding the fact that the president was even considering
taking it up as a betrayal of the country’s national interests.

Some columnists have questioned why Mr Gul should visit a country
they refer to as Turkey’s enemy.

The main opposition party has said such a trip would be a major
deviation from state policy, while others see it as a valuable chance
to break the logjam in relations, our correspondent says.

A statement on President Gul’s website expressed hope that the trip
would provide an opportunity for the two countries to understand each
other better and create a new climate of friendship in the region.

Turkey and Armenia have had no diplomatic ties since Armenia became
independent from the Soviet Union in 1991.

Their common border has been closed since the war between Armenia and
Turkey’s ally, Azerbaijan, in the 1990s over the disputed territory
of Nagorno-Karabakh.

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT EXPRESSES SATISFACTION WITH LEVEL OF COOPERATION WITHIN FRAMEWORK OF CSTO

Noyan Tapan

Se p 3, 2008

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 3, NOYAN TAPAN. During the period of its
chairmanship of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO),
Armenia will lay the main stress on increasing the efficiency
of the CSTO’s activities and will make every effort in this
direction. Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan stated this when receiving
on September 3 the secretaries of the Security Council of CSTO Member
States who had arrived in Armenia with the aim of partpicipating in
a meeting of the Committee of Secretaries of the CSTO Security Council.

According to a press release of the RA presidential press service, S.

Sargsyan expressed satisfaction with the level of cooperation within
the framework of CSTO. In his words, the importance of cooperation in
such key problems of national security as the fight against external
aggression, drug trafficking, illegal migration and terrorism is
beyond any doubt and does not permit a formal approach.

Speaking about the recent developments in South Ossetia, the Armenian
president said that these events showed the danger of attempts to
solve ethnic conflicts by force in the South Caucasus. In his opinion,
the military way of problem solution is lacking in prospects, and
the events in South Ossetia will have a sobering effect on those who
still have such illusions, increasing their military potential and
making bellicose statements. "Any attempts to impose solutions with
the use of force against a nation’s will are fraught with serious
military and geopolitical consequnces," S. Sargsyan pointed out.

AZERI POLITICIAN ACCUSES RUSSIAN SPECIAL FORCES OF THE EXPLOSION IN ABU BEKIR MOSQUE

PanARMENIAN.Net
03.09.2008 16:41 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Leader of Humanist Party of Azerbaijan Oqtay Atakhan
accused Russian special forces of the explosion in Abu Bekir mosque.

"When interviewed immediately after the explosion, I said that it
is likely to be prepared by Russian special forces. And today when
the official bodies of the country put the responsibility on "Forest
Brothers", I got added evidence that I was right," he said.

This terrorist act has nothing to do with religion, according to him.

"It is now possible to state that terror acts were committed by Russian
special services to further encourage separatist movements inside
the country, but this time under the flag of Islam, destabilize the
country on the threshold of the presidential election, again remind
of the fundamentalist Iran and initiate attack by the United States,"
he said, Day.az reports.

The August 17 explosion in Abu Bekir mosque killed 2 and injured 11.
From: Baghdasarian

CSTO SECURITY COUNCILS SECRETARIES MEET IN YEREVAN

PanARMENIAN.Net
03.09.2008 16:55 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ 13 documents have been signed upon results of
today’s meeting of Secretaries of the CSTO Security Councils.

"The most important of them referred to training of personnel and
financing of CSTO programs for 2008-2012," RA SC Secretary Artur
Baghdassaryan told a news conference today. "The role of CSTO should
be strengthened, particularly in connection with the Georgian-Ossetian
conflict."

He also reminded that Armenia will assume CSTO presidency during the
meeting of CSTO leaders in Moscow on Sept. 5.

Secretaries of the CSTO Security Councils discussed the political
situation in the CSTO area and possibilities to resist challenges. An
agreement on creation of information security system and project of
Collective Action Plan for realization of UN global counter-terror
strategy was also signed.

Secretary of the Russian Security Council Nikolay Patrushev presented
a report on causes of the South Ossetian tragedy.

ARMENIA WILLING TO DISCUSS TURKEY’S CAUCASUS STABILITY AND COOPERATION PACT

PanARMENIAN.Net
03.09.2008 17:34 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan met today with
Turkish President’s envoy Unal Cevikoz to discuss the forthcoming
visit of Abdullah Gul to Armenia and some regional processes, the RA
leader’s press office told PanARMENIAN.Net.

"Serious problems emerged after the recent developments in
Caucasus. Armenia welcomes all initiatives meant for strengthening
of trust, stability and security throughout the region. Although,
the Caucasus Stability and Cooperation can hardly be implemented,
we are ready to discuss it and any other proposal of the kind,"
the Armenian President said.