Month: November 2009

THANK YOU, JAPAN, FOR ECONOMIC ASSISTANCE TO ARMENIA: NALBANDIAN

Tert
Nov 2 2009
Armenia

On November 2, Armenia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Edward Nalbandian
welcomed newly appointed Ambassador of Japan to Armenia (the seat
is in Moscow) Masaharu Kohno on the occasion of submitting copies of
his credentials.

Minister Nalbandian said that Armenia places importance to the
development of comprehensive relations with Japan expressing hope
that the new ambassador will make a significant contribution to
the strengthening of the relations between the two countries and to
promoting bilateral cooperation in various sectors.

Ambssador Kohno thanked Nalbandian for the well wishes and said he
will do his best for the further development of bilateral relations.

During the meeting, the parties referred to moving the political
dialogue forward, promoting trade-economic and cultural cooperation,
and the possibilities of implementing joint investment programs.

Minister Nalbandian thanked Ambassador Kohno for the assistance Japan
provided toward Armenia’s economic development since independence.

The parties also exchanged thoughts on Armenian-Turkish relations,
informs Armenia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

ARMENIAN MP KNOWS HOW TO INCREASE ARMY BY REDUCING MANDATORY MILITARY SERVICE PERIOD

Tert
Nov 2 2009
Armenia

Armenia’s foreign country representations were assigned to meet with
male Armenian citizens living abroad who didn’t serve in the army and
explain to them that they can safely return to Armenia and, meeting
the requirements of law, become full citizens of their country,
Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun, or ARF-D) MP
and Chair of Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defense, National
Security and Internal Affairs Hrair Karapetyan stated while speaking
with journalists today.

Today’s press conference was devoted to the draft laws on military
service and military measures presented at the National Assembly.

Stating that male citizens under 27 are liable for mandatory military
service, Karapetyan said that the law provides the opportunity to
individuals in that age group who have incurable illnesses not to
serve in the army.

The MP also stated that people under 45 may also serve in the army on
a contractual basis. He thinks that in order to increase the number
of contract employees, their parliamentary committee, as well as the
defense ministry, must carry out explanatory work.

By this, Karapetyan believes, Armenia goes down the path of shaping a
professional army. "The professional army [that is, contract employees]
can be comprised of more than 50% of the total. In this case, period
of military service will be reduced, and the unemployment issue will
also be solved."

TBILISI: ARMENIA AND GEORGIA NEGOTIATE OVER UPPER LARS CHECKPOINT

Tert
Nov 2 2009
Armenia

Tbilisi accuses Moscow for circulating disinformation on opening
Upper Lars checkpoint between Georgia and Russia, reports Georgian
news agency GHN.

"Russia circulated information that allegedly Georgia and Russia are
negotiating over the Lars checkpoint. That is disinformation. No
negotiations are being held with Russia," Deputy Georgian Foreign
Minister Nino Kalandadze told journalists today.

According to Kalandadze, "the Georgian side may make concessions,"
but only after Russia meets the terms which Tbilisi sets to Moscow
concerning the checkpoint.

At the same time, Kalandadze stated that at the present moment
negotiations over the issue are held not with Russia but with Armenia.

"We made arrangements with Armenia that we would begin technical
negotiations on Lars, and we have begun, though Russia is creating
certain problems," Kalandadze stated.

Communication through Upper Lars had come to a halt in the summer of
2006. At that time, Moscow had officially explained closing of the
checkpoint by the fact that it didn’t correspond to international
requirements and needed reconstruction.

SOCIAL DEMOCRAT HUNCHAKIAN PARTY BOARD CONFIRMS VARDAN KHACHATRYAN NO LONGER PARTY MEMBER

Tert
Nov 2 2009
Armenia

Social Democrat Hunchakian Party (SDHP) members issued a statement,
with which, perhaps, they respond to various news circulated recently
on Vardan Khachatryan’s SDHP membership.

"We, SDHP members, Albert Gabrielyan (SDHP member since 1991),
Alexander Alekyan (SDHP member since 1993) and Edik Petrosyan (SDHP
member since 2001) state that on November 2, 2009, SDHP’s press
spokesperson Narek Galstyan circulated disinformation on the web in
violation of SDHP’s statues. He stated that Vardan Khachatryan, who
left Heritage Party, is still a member of SDHP. The SDHP board will
refer to Galstyan’s statement at the board meeting. As for Khachatyan,
we, as SDHP board members, state that he is no longer a SDHP member
since October 31, 2009, and acccording to the Republic of Armenia Law
on RA Parties (passed on July 3, 2002) and program-regulation of SDHP,
no one is entitled to void the party board’s decision.

SDHP will return to Khachatryan’s application one year later," the
release circulated by SDHP board members states.

WHAT DOES ARMENIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY DO, WHEN TURKEY IS COMPARED WITH FASCIST GERMANY?

Tert
Nov 2 2009
Armenia

Armenian Foreign Ministry doesn’t act according to the existing
situation, constantly thinking that both Turkish official statements
made from UN platforms and Deputy Turkish Foreign Minister’s
participation in the OSCE Minsk Group’s activities are addressed
to their own public, said Armenian Revolutionary Federation
(Dashnaktsutyun, or ARF-D) MP Hrair Karapetyan today.

The member of parliament thinks that the Foreign Ministry instead of
neutralizing the statements made by Turkey’s leadership, opposes
their party’s position. He quoted a section from the National
Security Strategy on the blockade on Armenia by Turkey and accused
the foreign minister, because the latter "takes advantage of that and
doesn’t state that it is inadmissible in international practice that
relations between two countries are connected with relations with a
third country."

"The present phase showed that Turkey is setting a precondition to
Armenia," Karapetyan stated. He emphasized that so far there hasn’t
been such a situation when Turkey was showing unprecedented activeness
in the Nagorno-Karabakh process. This, according to the ARF-D MP,
directly results from signing of the Protocols.

Criticizing actions of the Armenian leadership Karapetyan recalled
that recently the president of Cyprus stated that Turkey’s present
attitude is like that of Fascist Germany, when people made concessions
to Hitler so that he wouldn’t become more aggressive. According to
Karapetyan, many condemn Turkey, but Armenia doesn’t.

"The statements of all Turkish political officials, their recent
hints that Turkey must become a member of the OSCE Minsk Group, prove
that signing of the Protocols by Armenia as they are presently was
not justified."

HERITAGE PARTY HOPEFUL THIS TIME KARABAKH RECOGNITION WILL MAKE IT ON PARLIAMENT’S AGENDA

Tert
Nov 2 2009
Armenia

Last week Heritage Party once again submitted a draft law on
recognizing Nagorno-Karabakh’s independence to Armenia’s National
Assembly. The draft law was submitted to the National Assembly in 2008
as well, but it wasn’t even included in the parliamentary agenda at
the time.

At today’s press conference, Tert.am asked Heritage Party member
Anahit Bakhshyan what possibility her party sees in their draft law
being discussed in parliament this time.

In response, Bakhshayn stated that the possibility is greater now than
it was in the previous year, because, according to the party member,
there are more political forces today that with their words show
that perhaps the best solution in resolving the current entanglement
in the Karabakh conflict is the recognition of the Republic of
Nagorno-Karabakh’s independence by Armenia.

It is well-known that the coalition Republican Party of Armenia and
Prosperous Armenia Party have already come out against the draft law.

Bakhshyan noted, however, that "it’s okay, at least let it be on the
agenda, [let it] be discussed."

ARMENIAN, TURKISH, AZERBAIJANI YOUTH MEET IN KARS

Tert
Nov 2 2009
Armenia

Turkish organization Kuzey Doga Dernegi (Northern Nature Association)
has organized a meeting of Armenian, Turkish, Azerbaijani and Georgian
students in Kars.

According to Turkish paper Star Gazete, the young peoples’ joint events
lasted a week. The program’s aim was to send "a message of peace to
the world." Armenian student Ljuba Balayan, speaking to Star Gazete,
said that the program was quite effective, and in the process, she
gained friends from Azerbaijan.

The youth representing countries of the South Caucasus region worked
on environmental programs and projects.

NAGORNO-KARABAKH’S STATUS-QUO CANNOT BE PERPETUAL: SEMNEBY

Tert
Nov 2 2009
Armenia

Armenian-Turkish relations and the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict are two
separate issues, said EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus
Peter Semneby in his interview with Russian paper Vremya Novostey.

"These are two different conflicts and they don’t need to be linked
with one other. Otherwise the doors opened for normalization of
relations can be closed again," he added.

Besides, the diplomat said it is evident, however, that "any
development in one of these issues affects the entire atmosphere. It
is necessary to do so that these two issues have only positive impact
on each other."

Stating that the conflict with Armenia in many aspects limited Turkey’s
opportunities in the South Caucasus, Semneby expressed confidence
that establishment of relations between Armenia and Turkey will create
new opportunities for the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

"In a sitution where the Armenian leadership encounters several
problems at the same time, establishment of relations with Turkey
gives them the opportunty to fix their attention on the next,
more complicated, issues. I am sure that the Armenian leadership
realizes that the present status-quo of Nagorno-Karabakh cannot be
perpetual and it is necessary to create correct conditions so that
the leadership can also deal with Nagorno-Karabakh issues," the EU
special representative stated.

Touching upon concessions by both sides, Semneby said they are clearly
described in the Madrid Principles. "Naturally, the most complicated
problems are in the details, but in general, the Madrid document
describes resolutions, according to which concessions are going to
be made by both sides. The most complicated issues which refer to
Nagorno-Karabakh’s status are postponed for an indefinite time-period."

"Both sides have made quite a progress in discussing decision-making
mechanisms. However, numerous issues still remain unresolved, which,
I am sure will be possible to resolve if favourable conditions are
created," the European diplomat concluded.

RUSSIAN INVESTMENTS JUSTIFIED ONLY IF ARMENIAN-TURKISH BORDER OPENS, SAYS SEMNEBY

Tert
Nov 2 2009
Armenia

Russian began taking steps a long time ago that show it expects changes
in the situation in the Caucasus, EU Special Representative for the
South Caucasus Peter Semneby stated in his interview to Russian daily
Vremya Novostey.

In Semneby’s words, Russian investments in Armenia, such as railway
construction, will be justified for Russia only if the Armenian-Turkish
border opens.

"Russia has big interests in Armenia, including enormous economic
interests. If Russia invested funds in Armenia, has bought the energy
infrastructure and so on, then it takes an interest in the development
of Armenia’s economy. As for steady development, it is necessary to
create indispensable conditions, for which the most imporant factor
is opening the border with Turkey. The diversification of Armenia’s
economy and giving it room to develop is also in Russia’s interests,"
explained the EU Special Representative.

JAVAKHQ MAY BENEFIT FROM ARMENIA-TURKEY RAPPROCHEMENT: EU SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE

Tert
Nov 2 2009
Armenia

It is necessary to pay more attention to issues related to minorities
in Georgia, EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus Peter
Semneby stated in his interview to Russian daily Vremya Novostey.

"That is a complicated issue. Since those are regions during the
Soviet period and until recently [where people] lived their lives…

they had poor communication with Tbilisi. The situation is already
changing," Semneby said.

According to the EU Special Representative, the Georgian city of
Javakhq (which has a large ethnic Armenian population) may derive
benefit from trade currents in various directions: between Turkey
and Georgia on one hand, and from Armenia through Georgia and the
coastal Georgian city of Batumi on the other. "Problems there are
mainly social; they are issues of economic development," said Semneby.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress