Month: November 2009

VIVACELL-MTS GENERAL MANAGER RALPH YIRIKIAN SHARES EXPERIENCE

Aysor
Nov 25 2009
Armenia

Students of the Yerevan State Economic University Gyumri branch have
got acquainted to the experience of Armenia’s leading mobile operator.

VivaCell-MTS General Manager Ralph Yirikian has had a meeting with
Armenian students and lectured on company’s management system.

"Whatever comes with experience is a true achievement in widening
the knowledge. It allows getting the most while saving time through
direct contacts. VivaCell-MTS’s readiness to share experience with
the young people stems from this understanding," stated VivaCell-MTS
General Manager.

During the one-hour long lecture, the listeners got themselves
familiarized with the business approaches based on the notion of
corporate responsibility adopted by Armenia’s leading mobile operator,
its perspective strategies, and reinvented the Company’s secrets of
market success.

"We look forward, and in the horizons we see a well developed Armenia,
based on a well cultivated generation. Innovation is the key to growth,
organizations can not survive if deprived from it, it is the air we
breathe. We bring to you today the fruition of years of experience
and increasing curve of knowledge for you to learn and benefit,"
added Mr. Yirikian.

After lecture, Ralph Yirikian answered students’ questions.

POLISH DEFENSE MINISTER TO VISIT ARMENIA

Aysor
Nov 25 2009
Armenia

Minister of National Defense of Poland, Bogdan Klich, will pay visits
to Armenia, Georgia, and Azerbaijan to hold meeting on items of safety.

Minister said he will meet with "Azerbaijan’s Defense Minister as well
as with Defense Minister of Georgia which is more west-oriented, and
with Defense Minister of Armenia, which is focused more on cooperation
with Russia."

"My first visit will have objectives of safety as the South Caucasus
is a key region not only for Eastern Europe, but for Central Europe
as well. The South Caucasus may bring conflicts and may be a region
of stability," he told journalists.

RUSSIAN LEADER WELCOMES PROGESS IN KARABAKH TALKS

news.az
Nov 25 2009
Azerbaijan

Ilham Aliyev and Dmitry Medvedev Russian President Dmitry Medvedev
has welcomed progress in the negotiations on Nagorno-Karabakh and
said that Moscow will continue work to resolve the conflict.

Medvedev and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev discussed the
negotiating process on the Karabakh conflict settlement during their
meeting in Ulyanovsk on Tuesday, Russian presidential spokeswoman
Natalya Timakova said.

"Ilham Aliyev briefed Dmitry Medvedev on the results of the latest
round of talks with Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan involving the
Minsk Group representatives," she said.

"The Russian president welcomed the positive progress in the
negotiating process and gave assurances that Moscow will continue
working to resolve the Karabakh conflict," Timakova said.

She said the presidents had also discussed bilateral cooperation,
including on the economy, and the schedule of further high level
contacts.

AZERBAIJAN HOLDS TWICE AS MANY MANOEUVRES AS ARMENIA – MILITARY EXPERT

news.az
Nov 25 2009
Azerbaijan

Uzeyir Jafarov Azerbaijani military expert Uzeyir Jafarov does not
expect a resumption of hostilities between Armenia and Azerbaijan,
although he believes that the Azerbaijani army is stronger.

Jafarov commented to 1news.az on remarks in Yerevan by Nikolai
Bordyuzha, secretary-general of the Collective Security Treaty
Organization. Bordyuzha hoped that talk of a possible resumption of
hostilities by Azerbaijan was no more than an attempt to encourage
agreement with Armenia on Karabakh.

Uzeyir Jafarov said that everyone realizes that Armenia is protracting
the liberation of Azerbaijani lands and Baku cannot wait for Yerevan
to make up its mind. Armenia understands that sooner or later they
will have to quit the occupied Azerbaijani land and are trying to
bargain with this, Jafarov said.

"I think there will not be a war but after the Munich meeting
Azerbaijan is toughening its position, an important component of which
is the military and political factor. I am surprised when I read in
the Armenian, and especially in our, press that ‘the Armenian army is
holding exercises on the front line’. This is ridiculous, especially
for those who know what ‘military exercises’ held by the Armenians
mean. The end of the year is approaching and the Armenian side must
report to their masters about the arms and equipment supplied, so
they hold so-called ‘exercises’ in order to write off the military
equipment and ammunition that have been stolen and sold," Jafarov said.

The Azerbaijani army holds twice as many exercises on a much larger
scale than the Armenians, who drive a couple of rusty tanks and petrol
tankers along the front line, he concluded.

MEDVEDEV WELCOMED BREAKTHROUGH IN NKR ISSUE

news.am
Nov 25 2009
Armenia

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and his Azerbaijani counterpart
Ilham Aliyev had canvassed the NKR conflict resolution process. Aliyev
informed Medvedev of the regular round results with RA Serzh Sargsyan
with the participation of OSCE MG Co-Chairs, RF President’s Press
Secretary Natalya Timakova stated.

"RF President welcomed the positive breakthrough in the negotiation
process and assured his colleagues that Moscow will step up all
necessary efforts in Nagorno-Karabakh conflict resolution,", she said.

According to Timakova, the Presidents also discussed issues on
bilateral cooperation, including economy and schedule of further
contacts at top level.

FOREIGN MINISTER NALBANDYAN TO VISIT JAPAN

Aysor
Nov 25 2009
Armenia

Armenia’s Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandyan will pay a visit to
Japan on November 25-27 at the invitation of Japanese government,
foreign Ministry’s spokesman said.

Edward Nalbandyan will meet with Narohito, the Crown Prince of Japan,
and with Japanese Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada. Mr. Nalbandyan
will also have some meetings at Japanese Parliament, and the Japanese
Organization for Foreign Trade, and will speak to Japan Institute of
International relations.

MEDVEDEV, ALIEV DISCUSS KARABAKH CONFLICT

Aysor
Nov 25 2009
Armenia

Russian and Azerbaijani Presidents had a detailed discussion on
negotiations for settlement of Karabakh conflict, Kremlin’s spokeswoman
Natalia Timakova said.

"Ilham Aliev has told President Medvedev a detailed resume of last
round of negotiations between Azerbaijani leader and Armenia’s
President Serge Sargsyan with participation of Minsk Group co-chairs."

She said Russia’s President Dmitry Medvedev "has welcomed positive
move of negotiation process and assumed Moscow will continue contribute
to settling of Karabakh conflict."

Meanwhile, Russian experts and analysts try to predict Dmitry
Medvedev’s position at meeting with Azerbaijani counterpart.

"Aliev’s threats gave mediators a fright," said expert at the
International Relations and World economy Institute of Russian Academy
of Science, Alexander Krylov.

"I guess Medvedev tried to calm Aliev down and bring round the futility
of acting by force," he said pointing that it is not in Russia’s
interest if the region goes in war as in this case in acceptance
with the Madrid principles foreign peacekeepers would be deployed
including those from NATO states.

ARMENIA HAS LONG AGREED TO RELEASE SEVEN OCCUPIED DISTRICTS OF AZERBAIJAN: POLITICAL ANALYST

Today
7748.html
Nov 25 2009
Azerbaijan

Day.Az interview with Azerbaijani political analyst Rasim Agayev.

– How do you assess the statements OSCE Minsk Group on the basis of
the Munich meeting of the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan?

– Such statements must be treated with an extra dose of skepticism,
because the main part of the talks between Presidents is strictly a
one-on-one type talk, and co-chairs of the Minsk Group are satisfied
with only that information which they passed on the results of this
meeting. Fassier and other co-chairmen of OSCE Minsk Group, have been
doing this kind of optimistic statements before.

The fact that the presidents have been negotiating for four hours,
says that the heads of state were able to share enough information
and had raised a lot of questions. At the same time, we can assume
that the subject of the conversation were the 7 occupied regions
around the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh.

But the fact that the matter was referred to the foreign ministers
of Azerbaijan and Armenia, suggests that the degree of preparedness
on this issue is not high. Both ministers will have a lot of work,
so the presidents can have some new "food" for negotiations. Thus,
I think that Azerbaijan and Armenia are in the beginning, perhaps of
the final stage of negotiations.

– How do you comment on the panic publications of the Armenian press,
where they claim that the return of the 7 occupied areas is the
subject of negotiations?

– This question is quite real and decisive. On the table are 4
UN Security Council resolutions, in which you want to liberate the
occupied districts of Azerbaijan. In addition, all world powers support
the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, which primarily involves the
liberation of the occupied territories of Azerbaijan by Armenia. In
addition, there is international practice, which dictates the Armenian
withdrawal from occupied territories. If Armenia is to delay this
step, it will face with indignation of the world community and even
the part that is sympathetic. This will cost a lot for Armenia.

Armenia has long agreed to release seven occupied districts of
Azerbaijan. Another thing is that it wants to present it not as an
obligatory step, but as a compromise in exchange for recognition
of the independence of the separatist Nagorno-Karabakh, to which
Azerbaijan will never agree.

– Do you think that Azerbaijan should become the initiator of the
reform of OSCE Minsk Group?

– It had to be done 3-5 years ago. Now, the situation is completely
different, and I think that changes in the composition of the OSCE
Minsk are not in the interests of Azerbaijan.

At this point in the region, new trends, which reject territorial
seizures. On the other hand, the Armenian-Turkish rapprochement will
inevitably affect relations between South Caucasian states. Also –
Armenian-Azerbaijani talks on the Karabakh issue are going in the
right direction for Baku. All this makes a change in the composition
of the OSCE Minsk at this time inappropriate.

– What, in your opinion, will be whether Armenia ratify the
Armenian-Turkish minutes before Turkey?

– I consider this kind of thing happening is quite possible.

KARABAKH TENSION ESCALATES WITH YEREVAN THREAT OF RECOGNITION

Today’s Zaman
Nov 25 2009
Turkey

Armenia has said it could recognize the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh
region as an independent state if Azerbaijan carries out its threat of
military action to take back the mountain territory, raising tensions
in the long-drawn-out conflict following the latest round of talks
between leaders of the two countries.

"It should be noted that Armenia so far has not recognized the
independence of Nagorno-Karabakh for one reason — so that it would
not become an obstacle to peaceful negotiations," Armenian President
Serzh Sarksyan’s spokesman Samvel Farmanyan said in a statement on
Monday. "If peaceful negotiations break down and military action
begins, then nothing stands in the way of Armenia recognizing the
independence of Nagorno-Karabakh."

Sarksyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev had talks on Sunday in
Munich on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, followed by statements from
mediators that the two leaders achieved progress. "Some important
progress has been reached," French mediator Bernard Fassier told
reporters after the talks. "At the same time we have identified some
difficulties."

There was speculation in the Turkish media that there was a
breakthrough during Sunday’s talks, with Armenia agreeing to withdraw
from regions adjacent to Nagorno-Karabakh. But Farmanyan dismissed the
reports on Monday, saying, "Such a question is not being discussed."

Fassier said he and his co-mediators from the United States and Russia
would start preparing the next meeting without specifying when it
might take place. "We hope for additional progress in the following
weeks and beginning of next year."

Tensions over the Armenian-populated region, which broke away from
Azerbaijan with Armenian backing in the early 1990s, are rising as
Armenia pursues a historic thaw with Azerbaijan’s ally Turkey to the
anger of oil-producing Azerbaijan. In comments broadcast on Saturday,
Aliyev warned that Azeri patience was running thin and that without a
breakthrough soon, Azeri troops were ready to take back the territory
by force.

Fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh erupted as the Soviet Union headed
towards its 1991collapse. Some 30,000 people died and more than 1
million were displaced before a ceasefire in 1994. Ethnic Armenian
forces took control of the territory of 100,000 people and seven
surrounding Azeri districts, including a land corridor to Armenia.

With no peace deal, soldiers on the frontline continue to be picked
off by landmines and snipers. No state has recognized Nagorno-Karabakh
as independent.

Turkey signed two protocols in October to normalize its ties with
Armenia, severed in 1993 due to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, but
wants progress in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict before taking any
further steps to restore relations with Armenia.

In Russia, President Dmitry Medvedev was expected on Tuesday to urge
Aliyev for a peaceful resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute.

Aliyev was in Ulyanovsk, Russia, on Tuesday to attend a ceremony
for naming the city square after former Azerbaijani President Haydar
Aliyev and meet Medvedev for talks on energy cooperation and regional
issues. Russia backs the Nagorno-Karabakh solution efforts and the
Turkish-Armenian rapprochement.

‘REPUBLIC ON ITS WAY TO BECOMING REAL REPUBLIC NOW’

Today’s Zaman
Nov 25 2009
Turkey

German Green Party co-chair Cem Ozdemir has stated that the Turkish
Republic has always exploited the state’s laic structure to stall
democratization, adding that the republic is now becoming a real
republic thanks to recent reforms.

Speaking to Today’s Zaman about a recent plot devised by some military
officers called the Cage Action Plan that aimed to assassinate minority
leaders, Ozdemir said it was impossible for a country that eliminates
its religious minorities to be laic. "If Turkey today was a country
which still had its [non-Muslim] minorities, maybe its membership in
the EU would have gone smoothly."

Criticizing the application of the principle of laicism in Turkey,
Ozdemir said that the republic has always abused this principle.

Noting that the Cage plan was despicable, he added that there still
remained many questions to be answered such as whether those who have
been spreading a fear of religious fundamentalism until now have used
laicism to intervene in politics.

He also shared his opinion on the murder of his close friend Turkish
Armenian journalist Hrant Dink, who was killed on Jan. 19, 2007 in
broad daylight by an ultra-nationalist teenager. Saying that he has
been following the murder trial closely, Ozdemir stated that there
was a deeper structure behind the murder.

He said Turkey has lost a lot of its values due to atrocities such
as the killing of Hrant Dink, the killing of an Italian Priest in
2006, the incidents of Sept. 6-7 [1955], the exodus of the Greeks
and the assets tax [imposed on non-Muslims in the early republican
era]. "What kind of laicité is this? How can a Turkey purged from
its non-Muslims possibly be laic?" he said.

He said Turkey was just beginning to emerge from the legacy of the
Sept. 12 [1980] coup d’état. "Turkey has always been ruled with fear.

There have always been fear mongers speaking of traitors, external
enemies and other forces trying to destroy Turkey. From now on, the
republic is on its way to becoming a real republic. They tried to
hold the republic together with fear. But a country cannot stand on
its feet with fear, but with a Constitution, rule of law and justice."