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TER-PETROSIAN COALITION OFFER HAS ULTERIOR MOTIVES, SAYS HOVANNESIAN

-petrosian-coalition-offer-has-ulterior-motives-sa ys-hovannesian/
Sep 22, 2009

YEREVAN (RFE/RL)-A leader of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation on
Tuesday rejected fresh calls from former President Levon Ter-Petrosian
to form an opposition coalition behind his Armenian National Congress,
pointing to ulterior motives behind the opposition leader’s proposal.

Addressing thousands of supporters in Yerevan on Friday, Ter-Petrosian
said that his Armenian National Congress cannot topple President Serzh
Sarkisian without the support of other major political groups. In
a bid to win them over, he said he is ready not to contest a fresh
presidential election that would be called in the event of Sarkisian’s
resignation.

Vahan Hovannesian, the leader of ARF’s faction in parliament, shrugged
off the offer as a political move with ulterior motives. "It’s very
nice to say something which you know won’t happen," he said. "After
saying that you look noble."

Hovannesian brushed aside Ter-Petrosian’s criticism of Sarkisian and
his overtures to Ankara, saying that in reality the opposition leader
has very similar views on Turkish-Armenian relations.

"People [in power] are doing something which he wouldn’t mind doing,
and they will fail in that endeavor," the ARF leader told a news
conference. "He probably thinks that [in that case] he will take over
power and say, ‘Well, guys, they’ve already messed up everything and
there is nothing I can do, so let’s move on.’ But I think that’s also
a wrong calculation."

The ARF already rejected cooperation offers made by Ter-Petrosian
following the Congress’s worse-than-expected showing in the May 31
municipal elections in Yerevan.

The ARF opposed Ter-Petrosian in the early 1990s, when his
administration sought to enact conciliatory policies on Turkey
and Karabakh similar to those being pursued by the Sarkisian
administration. The party was controversially banned during
Ter-Petrosian’s 1991-1998 presidency.

The ARF is currently not seeking Sarkisian’s resignation but has
condemned his failing policy on Turkey.

Hovannesian did not exclude that the party, which quit Sarkisian’s
governing coalition in April, will campaign for regime change
if Armenia’s ongoing rapprochement with Turkey continues "in an
irreversible way."

THE RA PRIME MINISTER RECEIVED THE BENEFACTORS

Aysor
Sept 22 2009
Armenia

The Prime Minister of Armenian Republic Tigran Sargsyan has received
the famous benefactors Haig Didizyan and Mari Elza Aziryan.

Greeting the guests the head of the AR Government attached importance
to the beneficial mission to the nation and mentioned that Armenia
appreciates its devoted sons and their gratifying activities.

Tigran Sargsyan awarded Haig Didizyan with the medal of the PM. The
latter has passed Haig Didizyan and Mari Elza Aziryan passports of
RA citizens’, reports the press and public relations department of
RA Government.

IT DIDN’T RAIN ON THEIR PARADE: ARMENIAN NATIONAL CONGRESS CELEBRATES INDEPENDENCE DAY

Tert
Sept 22 2009
Armenia

Armenian National Congress (HAK) had decided to celebrate Independence
Day by Sarayan’s monument. At 6 pm yesterday, Pan-Armenian National
Movement participants and HAK representatives began to gather
there, and though there was heavy rain, those gathered were in no
rush to leave. Also present was Armenia’s first president, Levon
Ter-Petrossian, who was welcomed by applause.

Since the rain was getting heavier, all those present were invited
to HAK’s head office, after which the crowd moved to Koryun Str.

At the office, the leader congratulated all those present and stated,
"I think everything was more natural and pleasant than expected. I
congratulate all of you, and as Nikol used to say, there are no
doubters here."

Further in his talk with journalists, Levon Zurabian stated why the
tradition was broken and why, on September 21, there were no receptions
in any halls.

"Under pressure from the governing authorities, no hotel or business
centre agreed to provide a hall [for us]. Moreover, even if they
agreed, they said it’s not possible to have more than 150 people. But
this number is too small for us… Our movement is a large-scale
movement: we can only hold such a reception where thousands of
people will come. Since that’s not possible, we decided to gather
at Saryan’s monument, but, later, when it began to rain, we made a
prompt decision to come here. I think, the important thing is not
where we celebrate this day, but the spirit which unites all of us,"
HAK coordinator stated.

Levon Zurabyan also added that yesterday’s rain symbolized the
situation which is created today for our independence.

"An independence, whose essence today’s governing authorities try to
deprive us of. I think the idea of independence will be understood to
the fullest extent by people only if legitimate governing authority
and Constitutional order are reinstated in Armenia. Therefore, I wish
you all an independence crowned with legitimate governing authority,"
Levon Zurabyan stated.

SERGE SARGSYAN MUST SEE
Hakob Badalyan

0.html
11:55:31 – 23/09/2009

Those who doubt that the Armenian government will sign the
Armenian-Turkish protocols and the Armenian parliament will ratify them
are few. Serge Sargsyan says openly that he realizes the difficulties
of this path but he is completely decisive in passing it up to the
end. There are two circumstances because of which he will refrain
from signing: first, if the public has clear opinion and expresses
it. And second if some powerful player in the international society
does not let him sign.

There is no "hope" in connection with the international public. In
other words, no one seems to want to keep Serge Sargsyan’s hand for
him not to sign the protocols against the Armenian interests. Each
of the "representatives" of the international public tries to serve
this reality for their own interest.

As the process of 6-week home political discussions shows, there is
still no hope that the Armenian public will forbid Serge Sargsyan
to sign them either. At least, the past two-three weeks did not
pre-determine at all any possibility of public repression. If clearer,
Serge Sargsyan does not see the consequence he can feel after signing
the Armenian and Turkish protocols in this form.

Who will say him anything inside the country if he sign the
protocols. Of course, there will be criticizers but no one is able
to worry the Armenian government through criticisms. Moreover, this
criticism is even in favor of the Armenian government because this way
the value of what they did enhances among the international public. The
main worry of the Armenian government is to sell the signature as
expensive as possible to the international society. So, the criticism
heard until today contributes to increase of the price of singing.

Those political forces which are honestly against the content of the
Armenian and Turkish protocols, if they want to prevent their singing
or their further ratification by the NA, have to find a way to show
Serge Sargsyan in practice the possible consequence of this step. He
knows clearly what his own interests in signing he also knows that
he will not have a concrete problem inside the country. Until the
forces criticizing him have not cleared up to him, the problems he
will have with the public in case of signing the protocols, all the
criticism will be willy-nilly expedient for Serge Sargsyan.

‘ARMAVIA’ TO DIRECT 20 – 25 PILOTS FOR TRAINING TO CONDUCT NEW AIRPLANES

ArmInfo
2009-09-22 11:46:00

ArmInfo. air company will direct 20 – 25 pilots for training to
conduct new airplanes, Director General of Armavia Norayr Belluyan
told Arminfo correspondent.

‘We shall direct pilots for training to conduct CRJ-200, as well as
pilots of A-320, which will be trained to conduct Cy-100 Superjet’,
– he said and added that at present young pilots are in Portugal to
be trained for Airbus conducting.

As for the staff policy of the company in general, he said that
despite the crisis the company is not going to axe the staff, though
some workers are axed since their work is not satisfactory. On the
other hand the company needs new qualified employees. At present 460
workers are employed at Armavia.

GALUST SAHAKYAN: "WE GAINED INDEPENDENCE WITH GREAT LOSSES"

Information-Analytic Agency NEWS.am
Sept 21 2009
Armenia

The greatest achievement of Armenia in recent 18 years is the
independence, Galust Sahakyan, Republican Party of Armenia (RPA)
faction leader told NEWS.am on September 21, 2009.

He underlined that within these 18 years we lost many outstanding
sons of Armenia.

On September 21, 2009 Armenia celebrates the 18th anniversary of its
independence. Eighteen years ago 99% of RA citizens voted for the
country’s independence.

RA MFA: TURKISH MASS MEDIA DO NOT DESERVE CREDIT

Information-Analytic Agency NEWS.am
Sept 21 2009
Armenia

This once again proves that Turkish mass media do not deserve credit,"
Tigran Balayan, Press Secretary of the RA Foreign Ministry commented
on today’s publication of Turkish Hurriyet daily, NEWS.am informs.

The article mainly says, that Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan and Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu will speak on four
basic points of Armenia-Turkey normalization process, particularly on
Karabakh issue, signing of Armenia-Turkey Protocols, Serzh Sargsyan’s
visit to Turkey and joint sub-commission of historians in the course
of the UN General Assembly Session in New York, Hurriyet daily reported
on September 21, 2009.

PRESIDENT OF ARMENIA: NORMALIZATION OF ARMENIAN-TURKISH RELATIONS IS USEFUL NOT ONLY FOR ARMENIA AND TURKEY BUT FOR AZERBAIJAN AS WELL IN FUTURE

ArmInfo
2009-09-21 14:03:00

Arminfo. Turks and Azerbaijanis often like to repeat that they are
one and the same nation but live in different countries. I don’t
object, but I think that normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations
is useful not only for Armenia and Turkey but for Azerbaijan as well
in future, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan said in an interview
with TV programme.

Armenian president said.

Edward Nalbandian: Karabakh should not be tied to Armenia-Turkey
relations

armradio.am
19.09.2009 12:00

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has declared that the
Armenian-Turkish border will not open until the Karabakh conflict is
resolved. Asked to comment on the statement, the Foreign Minister of
Armenia, Edward Nalbandian said:

`The Turkish side has been informed and we are certain that they know
that we are against steps for the resolution of the Karabakh conflict
to be addressed within the framework of normalization of
Turkish-Armenian relations,’ said Nalbandian.

According to the Foreign Minister, efforts to tie the two together can
hinder both processes. `Many countries have the same position, among
them the Minsk Groups co-chair countries, who have announced on several
occasions that normalization of relations between Armenia and Turkey
must take place without precondition,’ Nalbandian announced.

`With this understanding we have started the talks and have arrived at
the agreements reflected in the pre-signed protocols. If the Turkish
leadership has problems with signing the protocols, then it must not
attempt to address those concerns by going against the goals, the
letter and spirit of the documents,’ Nalbandian added.

`The signing and implementation of the agreed upon protocols is a
process fraught with complications. However, Armenia is ready to
respect the agreements, in order to move forward,’ explained Nalbandian.

`If the current Turkish authorities are unable to recognize the fact of
the Genocide during the Ottoman Empire, then the least they can do is
to show respect toward the survivors of the Genocide and their
children,’ Nalbandian concluded.

Aysor, Armenia
Sept 19 2009

Professor Sir Ara Darzi to be awarded Foreign Member of ANA

Professor Sir Ara Darzi, a world-known oncologist, will be awarded
Medal and Diploma of Foreign Member of Armenia’s National Academy.

Professor Sir Ara Darzi holds the Paul Hamlyn Chair of Surgery at
Imperial College London where he is head of the Division of Surgery,
Oncology, Reproductive Biology and Anaesthetics. He is an Honorary
Consultant Surgeon at St Mary’s Hospital NHS Trust and The Royal
Marsden NHS Foundation Trust. He holds an honorary chair at The
Institute of Cancer Research.

He is well-known in Armenia of his charity work in medicine. Professor
Sir Ara Darzi has actively engaged in Armenia’s health care
modernization system and modern technologies introduction.