Month: November 2009

AZERBAIJANI FM MEETS EU SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE FOR S. CAUCASUS

Tehran Times
Nov 18 2009

Azerbaijan Minister of Foreign Affairs Elmar Mammadyarov met with
visiting EU Special Representative, for the South Caucasus, Peter
Semneby on Nov. 16.

They exchanged views on the current situation of and prospects for
Azerbaijan-EU relations.

Semneby stressed the European Union is keen on closer relations with
Azerbaijan and soonest establishment of peace in the region.

Mammadyarov, in his turn, underlined Azerbaijan’s interest in expansion
of cooperation with the EU.

On the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh, the Minister
described the status quo emerged in the wake of Armenia’s occupying
Azerbaijani territories as an unacceptable situation, said "the
dispute can be settled only on the basis Azerbaijan’s territorial
integrity and international legal norms".

The meeting also discussed issues of mutual interest.

THE KARDASHIAN SISTERS TURN JEWELRY DESIGNERS!

People Magazine
Nov 17 2009

Not only will the Kardashian sisters’ clothing line for Bebe hit
stores this spring, but Kim, Kourtney and Khloe will also be launching
a jewelry collection for hip L.A. brand Virgin Saints and Angels. "The
collection embraces our unique style…. Romantic, edgy, and classic
vintage… of at least we hope so . Our Armenian culture is very
important to us and we tried to incorporate that in the jewelry also,"
Kim writes on her official website. The Kardashians’ collection will
hit stores like Santa Barbara’s Blue Bee, Sparkle Fred Segal and
Nordstrom on April 15, 2010.

GERMAN INDIE ROCK AND ARMENIA’S BAMBIR ON SAME STAGE

Tert
Nov 17 2009
Armenia

Rock music, in both German and Armenian, will be heard on November
19 at the Tumanyan Puppet Theatre in Yerevan as Armenia celebrates
"German Weeks in Armenia 2009." FOTOS rock group will be presented
by the German Embassy in Armenia at the program’s closing, which will
also have as its special guest local Armenian rock group Bambir.

The German indie rock band members came together in 2005, work in
Hamburg, and have released two albums to date. FOTOS is comprised of
4 band members who have toured Germany, China, and Central Asia. FOTOS
can be characterized as British-inspired indie rock with German lyrics.

LEVON TER-PETROSSIAN IS NOT COLLABORATING WITH SERZH SARGSYAN: ANC

Tert
Nov 17 2009
Armenia

First president of the Republic of Armenia, Levon Ter-Petrossian,
is not cooperating with RA President Serzh Sargsyan in the process
of establishing Armenia-Turkey relations, said Armenian National
Congress coordinator Levon Zurabyan at today’s press conference,
referring to recent news which declared that the former and current
presidents were co-collaborators in this process.

"Serzh Sargsyan is collaborating with Dashnaktsutyun [the Armenian
Revolutionary Federation]," said Zurabyan instead. As for those
appraisals that Levon Ter-Petrossian’s last speech was "a swan song"
(that is, his final song), Zurabyan echoed, in Russian, that it hasn’t
yet come to that.

Commenting on the recent news that Prime Minister Tigran Sarsyan
has now become a member of the Republican Party of Armenia , the
ANC coordinator said that "that is a stage that one must pass in the
mafioso oligarchic clan, and we can congratulate the prime minister
on the occasion of his being accepted into the mafia."

ZURABYAN DOESN’T UNDERSTAND KOCHARIAN, BECAUSE HE HASN’T BEEN TO A SAFARI

Tert
Nov 17 2009
Armenia

Armenian National Congress coordinator Levon Zurabyan, with
journalists’ permission at today’s press conference, referred to
Armenia’s second president Robert Kocharian’s statements yesterday,
which were directed at first president Levon Ter-Petrossian.

"It would be my pleasure to comment on the political statement.

Unfortunately, the statement in question is a hunter’s statement, a
hunter’s lexicon, which we don’t understand [here] in politics, since
we haven’t participated in safaris. What can I say, it’s unfortunate,
but that man has not risen above such low standards," said Zurabyan.

Continuing, the ANC coordinator noted that during Levon
Ter-Petrossian’s last speech, specific accusations were made, specific
facts were registered, and one must refer to those directly, if there
was anything to be said.

Kocharian had stated that the accusations against him which Levon
Ter-Petrossian made in his last speech were absurd and in order to
illustrate his point, he had recounted an experience he had in Africa,
sitting around a bonfire with local hunters.

EXPERTS NAME REASONS FOR CORRUPTION IN ARMENIA

Tert
Nov 17 2009
Armenia

Out of 180 countries in the world, Armenia shares the 120-125th
place this year with five other countries (meaning, six countries
received the same rating), compared to last year’s 109-114th place,
in the perception of prevalence of corruption. This information
was presented by Transparency International Anti-Corruption Center
Executive Director Varuzhan Hoktanyan and Chair Amalia Kostanyan.

Thus, compared to last year, the perception in Armenia of the
prevalence of corruption has increased. Tert.am asked the centre’s
directors whether the reasons for corruption in Armenia, or the
sectors in which it’s prevalent, are known.

According to Amalia Kostanyan, the reasons for corruption and bribery
in the economy are connected with oligarch’s economy, conflict
of interests, and combined political and economic circumstances,
while the reasons for deepening corruption and bribery in politics
are connected with human rights that have been trampled upon, false
elections, social issues and a not-independent judicial system.

UNLIKE ARMENIA’S PARLIAMENT, TURKEY KNOWS WHAT TO DO, SAYS ALAVERDYAN

Tert
Nov 17 2009
Armenia

Turkey’s parliament is much more enterprising and it already has
sufficient planned documents that outline when and what to do than our
parliament, which considers the waiting period as the most gainful,
said Heritage Party MP Larisa Alaverdyan during a press conference
today.

"The announcement that we will wait, once implemented, and we will
definitely do that, [basically] says who is in charge of that ill-fated
ball?" In the MP’s words, Armenia’s such position is very advantageous
for Turkey’s parliament.

"What Turkey’s parliament will do doesn’t interest me; what pains me
is why Armenia can’t have its own approach, but rather wait for what
the other player will do," concluded Alaverdyan.

‘TURKEY WANTS TO JOIN EU AS SOON AS POSSIBLE,’ SAYS DAVUTOGLU

Tert
Nov 17 2009
Armenia

Turkey’s Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said Turkey wanted to join
the EU as soon as possible, reports Turkish news agency Anadolu Ajansi.

"Spain waited for seven years to join the EU. I do not want to
talk about any definite date but we want to join the EU as soon as
possible," Davutoglu said in exclusive interviews with Spanish papers
El Pais, El Mundo and La Vanguardia.

"This should not be perceived as if we would wait for seven years. We
have already been waiting for half a century," he also said.

Davutoglu said that France and Germany had concerns about Turkey.

Noting that France had concerns to prevent Spain’s EU membership,
Davutoglu said Madrid-Paris relations were better today than in
the past.

"We have a wide vision, and Ankara-Paris relations will be better
when Turkey becomes an EU member," he said.

‘TURKEY IS PART OF EUROPE,’ SAYS TURKEY’S FOREIGN MINISTER DAVUTOGLU

Tert
Nov 17 2009
Armenia

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on Monday lambasted remarks
of European Parliament President Jerzy Buzek, who said Turkey’s
cultural heritage is putting the country’s EU process in a difficult
position, in an interview published in Spanish newspaper El Pais,
reports Turkish news source Today’s Zaman.

Buzek was quoted as saying that Turkey needs decades to complete the
membership process, noting that the country has a different place in
the enlargement plans of the EU.

Davutoglu expressed his displeasure at the remarks. "It is not
the correct approach," Davutoglu said, adding there are hundreds
of reasons why Turkey is part of European culture. "If the Ottoman
[Empire] archive was not opened, European history could not have been
written. Turkey is a part of Europe, whether you like it or not. Let’s
say Turkey withdrew its candidacy for EU membership, will the EU’s
problems then come to an end? We are not in the 19th century."

Pointing out that European intellectuals should be thinking more in
global terms, he added, "Otherwise, European culture will stay in a
defensive position against globalization."

He also said he would like to see a Europe facing challenges with
no barriers or borders; Davuoglu also rejected a Euro-centric and
defensive bloc. Davutoglu also hypothetically argued that even if
Turkey gives up on EU membership, that won’t solve the cultural
problems Europe is facing.

"There are millions of Turks already living in EU countries,"
he emphasized.

KOCHARIAN RESPONDS TO TER-PETROSSIAN’S SPEECH BY RECOUNTING INCIDENT IN AFRICA

Tert
Nov 17 2009
Armenia

The second president of the Republic of Armenia, Robert Kocharian,
has responded to first RA president Levon Ter-Petrossian’s statements,
reports Armenian news agency Mediamax.

"Ter-Petrossian’s arrogance and conceit leave a bad impression. I
assume that those present exerted much effort trying not to fall
asleep during his address.

"The accusations made against me are so absurd that it doesn’t make
sense to take a stand against them, because of the latter’s absence.

Stupidity is only worthy of contempt. Though in all of Ter-Petrossian’s
speeches, his constant mentioning me reminds me of a situation in
Africa a few months ago in which I was an eye-witness.

"Sitting around a bonfire, hunters were sharing various hunting stories
about Africa’s large animals. They were speaking about the strength,
deftness, and danger of lions, panthers, buffalo, and elephants. One
of those present, a European, after each story, sighed and said that
the most dangerous and strongest animal is the bear.

"When he repeated that for the third time, I became interested and
asked why bears have left such a big impression on him. It turns out
that 5 years ago, a bear had attacked him while he was hunting. Most
probabaly I, in some way, inspire Ter-Petrossian, and it is for that
reason that he remembers me so frequently," noted Kocharian.