Author: Andres-Papazian

SERZH SARGSYAN: ‘NOW IT IS OBVIOUS AND CLEAR-CUT FOR THE WHOLE WORLD THAT WE ARE NOT HINDERING THE DEVELOPMENT OF RELATIONS INOUR REGION’

ARMENPRESS
DECEMBER 29, 2010
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 29, ARMENPRESS: ‘Now it is obvious and clear-cut
for the whole world that we are not hindering the development of
relations in our region,’ RA President Serzh Sargsyan said today at
the reception, organized by the Foreign Affairs Ministry of Armenia
on the New Year and Christmas.

As to the reference of the Armenian-Turkish relations in the statement,
the President says no any other opinion can exist.

As to the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, the President stated that during
the December summit of the OSCE in Astana it was clear for all the
parties ‘who really seeks settlement and who tends to get everything’.

President Serzh Sargsyan mentioned that he considers it a very
important point.

During the reception the President congratulated the staff of the
RA Foreign Affairs Ministry on the upcoming holidays and wished all
the success.

Serzh Sargsyan spoke on the work, implemented in the passing year
in the spheres of foreign policy, economy, etc. The President also
touched upon the 2011 projects and said efficient work is expected
for the implementation of those projects.

From: A. Papazian

ARTAK SHAKARYAN: 2011 WILL BE A PASSIVE YEAR FOR REGULATION OF ARMENIAN-TURKISH RELATIONS

ARMENPRESS
DECEMBER 29, 2010
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 29, ARMENPRESS: 2011 will be a passive year
for regulation of Armenian-Turkish relations, turkolologist Artak
Shakaryan said today at a meeting with journalists, adding that it
will mainly be conditioned by the circumstance that the year will
be pre-electoral both for Turkey and Armenia. “I think it will be
profitable for Armenia if the current authorities remain in Turkey,
as the latter are the only political force there, which is ready o
continue the protocol process,” Mr. Shakaryan said.

In regard to legal demand Mr. Shakaryan positively assessed the
actions brought against Turkey by the inheritors of the victims of the
genocide lived in the territory of Injirlik military base before the
genocide. “That we have refused the psychology of victim and perceive
ourselves as demander is already positive,” the turkologist stressed,
adding that in the legal field Turkey cannot apply to demagogy,
a thing which it often used in the political field.

Mr. Shakaryan also noted that for giving legal solutions to the
issue of the genocide we must also have corresponding specialists,
in order we do not face the problem that the issue is raised but
there is nobody to be engaged in it.

From: A. Papazian

TIGRAN SARGSYAN HANDS APARTMENT CERTIFICATES TO 43 FAMILIES OF STEPANAVAN

ARMENPRESS
DECEMBER 29, 2010
YEREVAN

43 families, which lost their apartments in the result of the
devastating earthquake of 1988, received the certificates of their new
apartments today at the Municipality of Stepanavan, Lori Marz. The
apartments are located in newly-built dwellings of the East Bank
district of the city.

An official from the information and PR department of the RA Government
told Armenpress that RA Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan said the RA
President’s pre-election program principles on the disaster zone are
being implemented successfully.

‘Despite the consequences of the global economic crisis, we continued
the apartment construction works and did our best to ensure apartments
for the inhabitants of the city in time,’ the Prime Minister said. He
added that the list of future owners of apartments is clear-cut and
that the state will solve all the issues, it was responsible to solve,
on schedule.

At the house-warming, Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan granted computers
to 2 families, and TV sets to the other 2 ones.

The next stop of the Prime Minister was Stepanavan’s N6 School after
Vahan Tekeyan. The Prime Minister got acquainted with the construction
works of the school’s new subsidiary.

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIA TAKES PART IN TRADITIONAL PRODUCTS 2010 FESTIVAL & EXHIBITION

Tert.am
29.12.10

Armenia has taken part in the Black See Economic Organization’s
Traditional Products 2010 Exhibition & Festival held in Athens,
Greece, the Armenian Foreign Ministry’s press service reported.

Armenia’s pavilion was opened upon the initiative of the Armenian
Embassy to Greece.

Re-established after several years’ interval, the Greek-Armenian
Chamber of Commerce and Industry attended the event for the first time,
displaying different products, including brandy, wines, watches etc.

In collaboration with the Armenian Agency for Development, the
organizers also displayed and distributed information leaflets and
advetising materials.

From: A. Papazian

THERE IS ALTERNATIVE OPTION TO START NORMALIZATION OF ARMENIAN-TURKISH RELATIONS: EXPERT

/ARKA/
December 29, 2010
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, December 29, /ARKA/. An Armenian expert in Turkic issues
said today some U.S.-based think-tanks are considering an alternative
option to press for normalization of Armenia-Turkish relationships.

Speaking at a news conference Artak Shakarian said the alternative
option calls for reopening of Armenia-Turkey railroad instead of
opening the border.

In his words, this is a question that does not require much adjustment,
except for an accord between foreign ministers of both countries and
ratification of two protocols which were signed in 2009 October in
Zurich by Armenia and Turkey to normalize their relations and open
the border.

According to him, in return Turkey would demand that Armenia lift the
blockade of Azerbaijani autonomous region of Nakhichevan, which he
described as a Turkish province due to strong Turkish presence there.

Shakarian said the railway communication may run from Turkish Kars to
Nakhichevan and from there to Armenian Masis. He said the resumption
of railroad communication depends largely on Turkish prime minister
Recep Erdogan.

Turkey and Armenia have had no diplomatic ties since Armenia became
independent from the Soviet Union in 1991. Turkey closed its border
with Armenia in 1993 in a show of support for its ally, Azerbaijan,
which had a dispute with Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh, the ethnic
Armenian enclave of Azerbaijan.

There are several sensitive issues complicating the establishment of
normal relations between the two countries, particularly, Ankara’s
blatant support of Azerbaijan in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
resolution process and Turkey’s refusal to acknowledge the mass
killings of Armenians in the last years of the Ottoman Empire as
a genocide.

Long strained relations between Armenia and Turkey took a major
step forward on October 10, 2009, when Armenian foreign minister
Eduard Nalbandian and Turkish foreign minister Ahmet Devutoglu signed
protocols on establishing diplomatic relations and developing bilateral
relations. But on April 23 this year Armenian president Serzh Sargsyan
signed a decree putting a hold on ratification of Armenian-Turkish
protocols, blaming Turkey fro delaying the protocols’ ratification
by its parliament.

From: A. Papazian

MINISTER: SCR PERFORMED ALL OBLIGATIONS REGARDING INVESTMENTS AND CONCESSION AGREEMENT IN 2010

/ARKA/
December 29, 2010
YEREVAN

“South-Caucasian Railways” cjsc (SCR) could manage to perform all the
obligations, including concession obligations and implement investment
program, said Armenian Minister of Transport and Communications
Manuk Vardanyan.

“After the transfer of the railway under the concession in 2008 we can
say that the year 2010 was critical. We can see significant changes
in the regulation of railway communication and security of rails from
the point of view of passenger and cargo transportation”, he said.

Requirements to the railway are very high and certain dissatisfaction
occurred in passenger transportation. The company quickly reacted to
the problems trying to regulate all the issues.

“I appreciate the approach of our concessionaire which is trying to pay
serious attention to the regulation of social issues”, said Vardanyan.

The company paid concession fee to the government in the amount of
250 million drams.

In the frames of SCR event, the minister and General Director of
the company Shevket Shaydullin awarded honored titles, certificates,
bonuses and presents to the best employees.

Concession management of “Armenian railway” is implemented by CJSC
“South Caucasian Railway” which is 100% affiliate of Open JSC “Russian
Railway”. SCR accepted the railway stock of CJSC “Armenian railway”
on its balance from June 1, 2008 according to Concession Agreement
signed on February 13, 2008. The terms of concession management is for
30 years with the right of prolongation for another 10 years. ($1 –
361.05 drams).

From: A. Papazian

BAKO SAHAKYAN ATTENDS DEFENSE ARMY MILITARY COUNCIL MEETING

Aysor.am
Wednesday,December 29

President of the Artsakh Republic Bako Sahakyan on December 29 attended
the meeting of the Defense Army’s Military Council convoked to sum
up the activities of the army in 2010.

In his speech Bako Sahakyan touched upon the process of army building,
the achievements and problems in the armed forces and gave concrete
instructions to the Defense Minister and Supreme Command Staff of
the army, Artsakh President’s press office reports.

From: A. Papazian

INCIDENT ON CONTACT LINE KILLS ONE AZERBAIJANI SOLDIER

Aysor.am
Wednesday,December 29

An incident occurred on the line of contact of Karabakh-Azerbaijan
armed forces. One Azerbaijani soldier was killed, another one was
injured in the incident, APA news agency reports.

According to the source, Azerbaijani army serviceman Amid Seyfullayev
died on the spot and Sakhail Yunosov was rushed to the hospital after
mine blast.

The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry does not report any details on
the incident.

From: A. Papazian

THE US USES THE ARMENIAN CASE AS A LEVER AGAINST TURKEY

Aysor.am
Wednesday,December 29

White House is disappointed in the uncontrollablity of Erdogan’s
government, therefore, not having so many leverage for pressing Turkey,
it tries to create one more trump card for using it against the Turks,
Turkologist Artak Shakaryan said commenting on the Los Angeles court
case opened against the two Turkish banks by the heirs of the victims
of the Armenian Genocide.

“The United States is trying to increase the pressure leverage over
Turkey by using the Armenian Genocide issue and the Armenian the
Armenian case,” the speaker said.

However, according to Artak Shakaryan, the Armenian side should not
get “too much excited” about this process.

“The United States can create this trump card, for sacrificing it
later, ” Artak Shakaryan mentioned adding that the United States
can step back on the last second to get bigger political dividends
from Turkey.

It should be noticed that three heirs of the victims of Armenian
Genocide have presented a legal action to Los Angeles court against
the Turkish Central Bank and the “Ziraat Bankasi” bank. As the “The
Washington Post” periodic reports, the heirs demand 63 million U.S.

dollars for the lands of their ancestors occupied by Turks lands,
as well as for the territory of the Injirlik strategic base.

The suit is also interesting for the fact that the Turkish side has
given the territory to the U.S. for rent and receives a huge profit
of it.

According to a number of experts the suit’s appearance is directly
linked to the decision accepted by the Californian Court of Cassation
on December 11, which says that the heirs of the victims of the
Armenian Genocide have a right to demand compensation from the U.S.
insurance companies.

From: A. Papazian

TURKISH AMBASSADOR TO US TWEETS ABOUT GENOCIDE

Tert.am
29.12.10

Turkish Ambassador to US Namik Tan has put a Twitter status, stating
three things he would like to happen in the coming year, Turkish
daily Hurriyet reported.

One of Tan’s wishes is related to the Armenian Genocide.

“May more efforts and vigor be spent on significant and constructive
themes next year instead of historically sensitive issues,” he wrote.

But Turkish diplomat’s number one wish is related to the confirmation
of Frank Ricciardone as US Ambassador to Turkey, which was not approved
by the Congress this year.

The next wish Namik Tan expressed in this Twitter status is related to
the US-Turkey economic relations. Tan particularly mentioned that he
would like to see an increased turnover between US and Turkey in 2011.

From: A. Papazian