Author: Andres-Papazian

ON RUSSIAN-ARMENIAN RELATIONSHIP
Gagik Ter-Harutyunyan

28.09.2010

The August visit of the RF president D.Medvedev to Yerevan, during
which a treaty on Russian military base was prolonged and got new
content (it will also provide the security of the RA), draw a wide
response in political circles. Alongside with the positive response,
negative opinions can also be found, according to which this treaty
not only contradicts to our national interests but it restricts the
sovereignty of the RA. In this regard let’s try to present some expert
considerations which will promote more complex perception of the issue.

Turkey: the issue of top priority for the national security of the RA.

The main purpose of the 102nd Russian military base dislocated in the
RA is the provision of the security of the RA in case of possible
Turkish aggression – a powerful in a military aspect state, which
possesses modern weapon and large army. The strength of land forces
only (the biggest in NATO) is about 450 thousand soldiers, not taking
into account the gendarmerie. So, one should state that the potential
of the RA Armed Forces in the foreseeable future is incomparable with
the armed forces of Turkey.

At the same time, the military issues are considered mainly in
political context and the probability of the threat by Turkish armed
forces to the security of the RA should be assessed. In this aspect,
let us consider the period which is characterized by the developments
round the NKR, without going back to the earlier historical precedents.

It is known that Turkey de-facto is a party to the conflict round the
NKR and from the very beginning and up till now it supplied Azerbaijan
with military technology and “advisers” (as well as “volunteers”
who took part in the military operations on the earlier stages). But
Turkish assistance was not restricted only to that. In spring 1992
when the situation on Karabakh front was changing not in favour of
Azerbaijani side (particularly Shushi was freed and Lachin corridor was
opened), Turkey decided to interfere directly into the unfavourable
developments and attack militarily the RA. Ankara stated that the
RA prepares aggression against Nakhichevan, meanwhile, according to
the 1921 Kars Treaty Turkey is acting as a guarantor of the security
of Nakhichevan. The units of the 3rd Field Army, a big amount of
armor and aviation were dislocated at the Armenian-Turkish boarder
(especially at the Nakichevan-RA line), and the RA Armed Forces were
in standby. The collision would have been inevitable if the Commander
in Chief of the Armed Forces of the CIS, Air Marshal Y.

Shaposhnikov did not state on May 20 in “Zvatnots” airport that “if
the third party joins it (Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict) we will be
on the threshold of the World War III”.

Armenia and Turkey were at the threshold of war in 1993 too, when
Ankara, in the hope that the domestic political crisis in Russia
(“parliamentary disturbance”) would not allow that country interfering
into the Armenian-Turkish problems, blamed the RA that there Kurdish
fighters’ bases on its territory and concentrated its troops on the
boarder. The events developed in accordance with the 1992 scenario
(by the way, those developments are comprehensively represented in the
memories of Leonidas Khrizantopulos, the then ambassador of Greece to
the RA). But Russia’s tough interference averted the war this time too.

As we can see, our security in recent times was provided by the
allied and strategic relations formed with Russia. It is also known
that political stance of today’s Turkey in regard to Armenia,
as the recent development came to prove, has not changed and it
is conditioned by the Nagorno-Karabakh and Azerbaijani factors. At
the same time, as a result of the processes going on on the global
plane, this country is less controlled by the United States than
it was before. This circumstance, as well as the development of the
militaristic-religious and nationalist ideological trends in domestic
political field, makes Turkey an aggressive and unpredictable country
which, at least in the foreseeable future, will remain a primary
threat to our national security.

It should also be taken into consideration that the observed “retreat”
of the US from the region may cause chaos in the Bigger Middle East and
Armenian-Russian strategic partnership in this context will contribute
to Armenia avoiding undesirable scenarios as far as it is possible.

The issue of sovereignty. In the discussions held the thesis that the
presence of the 102nd military base restricts sovereignty of the RA
is speculated on. In this regard let us mention that the presence of
foreign military bases in different countries, as a rule, presuppose
mutual interests. For example, today the US has 600-800 military
bases in different parts of the world (depending of the criteria of
estimation), about half of which is situated in Europe. In particular
more than 70 thousand American militaries are dislocated in Germany,
12 thousand in Great Britain and in Italy. There are also American
military bases in Belgium, Spain, Poland and other European countries.

But the public in those countries does not consider that the presence
of those bases restricts their sovereignty to some extent.

Let us also mention that the level of sovereignty of Armenia, which
is now a subject to discuss, due to its multi-vector foreign policy,
is rather high. In particular, the dependence of the RA on the
“interference of other countries” and “external factors”, according
to the rating data published in 2009 by the authoritative “Foreign
Policy Magazine” and “The Fund for Peace”, is much lower than the one
of our regional neigbours1. The index of the RA, calculated by the
aforementioned criteria, is 5.9, meanwhile, the index of Turkey is
6.3, and Azerbaijan (where, by the way, the Russian military base
– Gabalin’s Radar System – is still working) – 7.0. The highest
index has Georgia – 9.5: this country can be reckoned among the
“failed” countries which are “managed from abroad”. Let us mention
for comparison, that the corresponding index of Germany (where about
70 thousand American soldiers are dislocated) is 2.4.

Thus, the issues of military base deployment and the level of
sovereignty of the RA, as well as of other countries, are not
interrelated.

Azerbaijani factor. While discussing Armenian-Russian relations one
can often hear the idea that the presence of Russian military base
does not provide security of the NKR in case of probable war with
Azerbaijan. Undoubtedly, from the legal point of view the NKR is not
a subject of Armenian-Russian relations and the 102nd military base
has no authority to interfere in the conflict between the NKR and
Azerbaijan. But in this case the following circumstances should be
taken into consideration:

in contrast to Turkey, military possibilities of Azerbaijan and RA-NKR
are comparable, i.e. Armenian side may, at least, respond adequately to
the encroachments of Azerbaijan; in case of possible military collision
between the NKR and Azerbaijan the guarantees of the security of the
RA by the Russian Federation will mostly contribute to concentrating
all the powers of the RA to the protection of security of the NKR
(the guarantor of which de-facto it is), because it will notably rid
itself from the duty of protecting the borders between the RA and
Turkey and the RA and Azerbaijan.

The treaty between the RA and RF is of political importance and the
availability of such a treaty reduces the probability of war against
the NKR. In Baku they are well aware of this circumstance and they
state on the official level that the treaty signed by the president
of country, which is Minsk group member, advantages Armenia too much
and such a step proves the partial stance of Russia.

It is also remarkable that the treaty on military base was signed only
in two months after Sargsyan-Aliyev meeting which took place in June
2010 through intermediary of D. Medvedev. As it is known Aliyev left
Saint-Petersburg demonstratively which allowed experts to suppose
that at the meeting the president of the RF offered Azerbaijani
party new and not very advantageous approaches (some called it the
“Petersburg principles”). In this context one should not exclude
that the conclusion of Yerevan treaty was a kind of response to the
president of Azerbaijan in order to make him more tolerant.

It is not a mere chance that on the eve of the RF president’s visit
to Yerevan Turkish president Abdulla Gul arrived to Baku and signed
a treaty “On Strategic Partnership and Mutual Assistance”2. It is
characteristic that on those days the reports about the deployment
of the Turkish bases in Nakhichevan in the information field became
more frequent.

Comparing Armenian-Russian and Turkish-Azerbaijani treaties one may
come to a conclusion that, according to traditional geopolitics (it is
suffice to remember that since the 18th century Russia has conducted
wars against Turkey for 12 times), in our region distinct tendencies on
singling out two political poles – the RF-RA and Turkey-Azerbaijan –
can be observed. This is an important circumstance in the aspect of
further developments and, perhaps, it substantiates the analytical
forecasts, according to which the processes of “division” and
“splitting”, which are characteristic for the stage of transition
from uni-polar world to multi-polar one, will be substituted by the
integration processes based on civilizational characteristics. In this
context the deepening of Turkey-Iran and Israel-US contradictions are
observed in the Middle East. Let us mention that the new political
logic formed within the region should soften the diametrical positions
of Russia, US and EU in regard to the formerly existing problems (such
tendencies can already be observed) and this regards to the NKR too.

Such a situation attaches a special value to the balanced relations
which are developed in the RF-US-NATO-EU plane as well.

Some conclusions. It is known that the advantageous treaties and strong
foreign military bases can only increase the level of the security
of the state but the main guaranty of the national security still
remains the necessary and suffice amount of military and political,
intellectual and spiritual and social-economic resources of your
own. In this aspect today a special importance is attached to the
intellectual resources, because in the future the outcome of the
conflicts will be conditioned first of all by quantity and quality of
such resources. The index of such resources is the capability of the
society to make forecasts on tactical and strategic prospects. This is
especially important on current transitional stage when geopolitical
shifts and abrupt changes of the notions and perceptions which seemed
to be invariable are taking place. Just due to the expected changes
today the number of the forecasting and scenario elaborations in the
leading countries has increased. It would also be useful to mention
that among one of the reasons of the collapse of the USSR the experts
call the lack of the leadership of the power to pay attention to the
sphere of forecast researches and that is why it was not ready to
respond adequately in new situations.

1

2

From: A. Papazian

WASHINGTON SCHEMES HAVE OIL PIPELINES, NOT PEOPLE IN KARABAKH, MAXIM SHEVCHENKO

News.am
September 28, 2010 | 22:34

“The people that are sitting in Washington or Brussels do not care
about life, death and blood of either Armenians or Azerbaijanis. I
still think that to resolve the issue of Nagorno-Karabakh one must
not only consider the global players in the world, for which the
region and the peoples inhabiting the region, are no more than pawns
on a chessboard. Believe me, the people sitting in Washington or
Brussels do not care about life, death and blood of both Armenians
and Azerbaijanis. I saw these schemes, which they draw. They just
have oil and gas pipelines in these schemes. They do not have those
soldiers who will die, their wives, mothers, sisters, who later would
shed tears if, God forbid something happens”, said Maxim Shevchenko.

From: A. Papazian

ANC OF NJ MEETS WITH CONGRESSMEN LANCE, FRELINGHUYSEN, AND ANDREWS

Tue, Sep 28 2010

With the August Congressional recess at its end, the Armenian National
Committee of New Jersey (ANC of N.J.) concluded their congressional
outreach for the summer by meeting with Congressmen Leonard Lance (7th
District), Rodney Frelinghuysen (11th District) and Robert Andrews
(1st District). ANC of N.J. co-chairman, James Sahagian was joined by
ANC activists and constituents. They discussed priority ANCA issues
including U.S. recognition of the Armenian Genocide, foreign aid and
trade with Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh, and Azerbaijan’s aggression
towards Karabakh.

L-R: James Sahagian, Lena Arslanian, Rep. Andrews, Jen Arslanian,
and Tiffany Arslanian.

“The Armenian community in N.J. is fortunate to have leaders in
Congress like Congressmen Andrews, Lance and Frelinghuysen who have
stood with us and the Republic of Armenia in promoting peace, justice
and development through the years. We look forward to working even
more closely with them, and the other members of the NJ delegation
towards ensuring a brighter future for the people of Armenia and
Nagorno Karabagh,” said Sahagian

The ANC of N.J. met with Congressman Robert Andrews at his regional
office in Haddon Heights, and was joined by constituents Lena Arslanian
and her two daughters Tiffany and Jen. Congressman Andrews shared his
hope that Armenia will develop both economically and democratically,
and that he would continue to support stronger ties between the
United States and Armenia. He expressed his belief that Armenia’s
greatest natural resource is its’ people, and as such, he believes
that it can become a regional technology hub and have a promising
future. Responding to a request by the ANCA to encourage a Trade and
Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) between the US and Armenia,
Andrews promised to write a letter to US Trade Representative Ron
Kirk requesting such an agreement to be implemented between the
two countries.

In Morristown, the ANC of N.J. met with Congressman Rodney
Frelinghuysen. Participating in the meeting were constituents Raffi
Jamgochian and Levon Ariyan, Sahagian, and ANCA Eastern Region Director
Garo Manjikian. Jamgochian and Ariyan thanked the Congressman for his
continued support on Armenian Genocide Recognition and shared personal
stories of how, through them and others in the community, the history
is connected to the district. Congressman Frelinghuysen shared his
reasons for supporting Armenian-American issues and described his
rare trip to Nagorno-Karabakh.

Sahagian and Manjikian had their first ANC of N.J. district meeting
with Congressman Leonard Lance in Westfield. Congressman Lance is
serving his first term in Congress. Sahagian and Manjikian gave an
overview of the ANCA , discussed core ANCA issues including the most
recent development, and expressed enthusiasm for building upon the
new relationship with the Congressman.

All three Congressmen are cosponsor of the Armenian Genocide
Resolution, H.Res.252 which awaits passage on the full House floor.

The ANC of New Jersey will continue to foster awareness in support
of Armenian issues, work with elected officials of New Jersey, and
represent the Armenian-American constituency on matters of public
policy. To get involved with the ANC of New Jersey please contact
Co-Chairs, James Sahagian and Kim Arzoumanian at [email protected].

From: A. Papazian

RUSSIAN BANK DELAYS FUNDING FOR TEGHUT FOREST MINING PROJECT

Asbarez
Tuesday, September 28th, 2010
YEREVAN

In an apparent response to continuing protests from Armenian
environmentalists, a major Russian commercial bank put on hold its
plans to finance a controversial mining project in northern Armenia.

The country’s leading environmental protection groups and other
non-governmental organizations have for years been campaigning against
plans by the Armenian Copper Program (ACP) mining company to develop a
massive copper and molybdenum deposit in the Lori region. The Teghut
deposit is estimated to contain 1.6 million tons of copper and about
100,000 tons of molybdenum.

The project, if implemented, will lead to the destruction of 357
hectares of rich forest, including 128,000 trees. Critics say that
would wreak further havoc on Armenia’s green areas that have already
shrunk dramatically since the 1990s.

ACP has pledged to offset the heavy environmental cost of the project
with 1,400 new jobs to be created in the unemployment-stricken area.

The company has also promised to build new schools and make other
investments in the local infrastructure.

One of Russia’s largest banks, VTB agreed in principle to finance
the project’s implementation shortly after it was cleared by the
Armenian government in 2007. However, the subsequent global recession
forced VTB to delay the release of a $280 million loan to ACP. The
Liechtenstein-registered company hopes to receive it this year.

According to ACP’s chief executive, Gagik Arzumanian, the Russian
bank has made the loan’s disbursement conditional on an independent
study of the environmental impact of the Teghut forest’s destruction.

“One of the main conditions that have been strictly set by the bank
is that we must prove the environmental viability of the project,”
he told RFE/RL’s Armenian service. “International experts are now
conducting a study.”

Arzumanian did not specify the experts’ affiliation and who selected
them, saying only that they will unveil their findings in two months’
time. He was confident that they will give the green light to VTB.

The project assessment revealed by Arzumanian followed an angry
demonstration staged by Armenian environmental activists outside the
head office of VTB’s Armenian subsidiary. About two dozen of them
clashed with police after blocking the entrance to the building in
central Yerevan in late July.

The environmentalists also picketed the Yerevan office of the European
Bank for Reconstruction and Development in protest against its plans
to lend $10 million to the VTB-Armenia bank.

From: A. Papazian

SENATE DEMOCRATS SHOULD DITCH THEIR LEADER
By Jurek Martin

FT
September 28 2010 19:44

Harry Reid should lose his job. By that, I do not mean as the
US senator from Nevada, because his defeat by Sharron Angle, the
Republican Tea Party darling, in November would be an insult to the
intelligence of all with half a brain. But his time as the Democratic
leader in the “world’s greatest deliberative (but dysfunctional)
body” needs to come to an end.

Consider what has been happening on his watch in the last week alone.

It makes no sense for the US not to have an ambassador in Azerbaijan,
a sensitive corner of the world, especially when there is a highly
qualified professional diplomat, not some used car dealer fat cat,
named for the job. But a senator up for re-election from the state
where expatriate Armenians, who do not like Azeris, most congregate
has put the nomination on hold.

But his nomination also stands in limbo because another senator,
who does not have to run again until 2014, will not allow it to be
considered until the government drops its temporary ban on off-shore
oil drilling.

Both these senators are Democrats – Barbara Boxer of California
and Mary Landrieu of Louisiana – and both ignore Senator Reid with
impunity. It is also suspected that Ms Boxer prevailed on him not to
bring up for a vote, before the midterm elections, the contentious
measures that would extend the Bush tax cuts for the middle class
though not for the richest Americans.

Even those with half a brain could be excused for thinking this was
a no-brainer as an election issue for the Democrats, one that could
rally the discontented faithful and put Republicans in the awkward
position of filibustering a proposal that would benefit the many at
the expense of the few.

The House of Representatives stands ready to pass such a bill;
President Barack Obama wants it enacted. But the Senate is the black
hole into which even good ideas disappear without trace or, if they
finally do emerge, like healthcare reform and financial deregulation,
do so in highly compromised form. And Mr Reid has consigned the tax
bill to a lame-duck session after the elections, when he is likely
to have fewer votes than he does now. I cannot figure this out.

The dysfunction of the Senate reflects many factors, all explored in a
searing article in The New Yorker this summer by George Packer. They
include outright Republican obstructionism, which, enabled by
obscure Senate rules and procedures such as filibusters and “holds” on
nominations, translates into the tyranny of the minority. The demise of
moderate Republicans willing to cross the aisle has not helped either.

But the Democrats in the chamber have just as much to answer for,
too many of them in hock to their own special interests and too many
seeming to think they should be president, on the Obama principle.

Certainly, too few identify with the man in the White House, especially
if, as this year, he cannot guarantee their re-election.

It should be soup and nuts for a strong majority leader to navigate
such choppy waters. But Mr Reid forever thinks small, delegating where
he should direct, deferential to a fault to party colleagues like Max
Baucus on healthcare and Chris Dodd on financial deregulation, whose
own leadership has been found sorely wanting in their supposed areas
of expertise. Whatever else may be said of her, much of it unkind,
Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House of Representatives, at least knows
how to crack whips.

Last week, Mr Reid could not even get the defence spending bill
passed, not because of opposition to funding the military but because
he insisted on attaching to the bill two hot button issues – to end
discrimination against gays serving in uniform and, in the “Dream
Act”, to give the children of illegal immigrants access to education
and a path to citizenship through military service.

Both are worthy causes but the Christmas tree method he employed almost
guaranteed uniform Republican opposition, exemplified by John McCain
in his grumpy old man mode, and Democratic defections. Indeed, given
the burgeoning Hispanic population in Nevada, you could be excused
for thinking he had his own re-election mostly in mind.

The quality of the Senate, in both parties, has rarely been lower,
but the Democrats, whether in majority or minority, can do better. A
personal shortlist to succeed Mr Reid would include Dick Durbin
of Illinois, Carl Levin of Michigan and the two Rhode Islanders,
Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse, serious men all – but not, under
any circumstances, Charles Schumer of New York, though he doubtless
covets it.

If there is no shake-up at the top, then talent lower down the Senate
Democratic ranks, like the Udall cousins from New Mexico and Colorado
and Al Franken from Minnesota, will walk away from national politics,
disillusioned by the experience. You could hardly blame them.

From: A. Papazian

AZERBAIJANI COMMUNITY IN US SENDS LETTERS TO SENATORS OPPOSING MATTHEW BRYZA’S CANDIDACY

Today.Az

28 September 2010 [12:45]

The Azerbaijani Diaspora members in US sent a letter to Senator
Barbara Boxer who opposes Matthew Bryza’s candidacy as an Ambassador
to Azerbaijan.

“Your placing of a hold – twice — on the President Obama’s nominee for
the position of the US Ambassador to Azerbaijan, Mr. Matthew Bryza,
has greatly surprised and disappointed the Azerbaijani-American
community, who are active members of the US Azeris Network (USAN),
the largest Azerbaijani-American grassroots advocacy organization,
and on whose behalf we are writing to you to express our sentiment
as a community”, – the authors said.

The letter expresses Azeri Diaspora great disturbance by senator’s
recent statements in the Senate about the Armenia-occupied
Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan.

“These statements are not only insulting to the Azerbaijani-American
community, but also happen to violate the official position of the
U.S. government, go against facts on the ground. We hope that you are
not kowtowing to the Armenian special interest groups such as ANCA,
with its leadership such as its former chairman Mourad Topalian
convicted of terrorism charges, in light of the election year”.

The authors remind that Bryza, an experienced and professional diplomat
nominated by President Obama to be the next Ambassador to Azerbaijan,
has been taking heat from both Azerbaijani and Armenian sides for
many years. Neither side considers him to be in their favor, everyone
knows he is a fair candidacy.

The Diaspora is also concerned about Boxer’s misleading allegation in
the Senate about “increasing Azerbaijani aggression against Nagorno
Karabakh”. Azerbaijanis remind to the Senator, that “Nagorno-Karabakh”
is not an independent state, but an integral region within Azerbaijan,
and that region along with several others have been illegally occupied
by Armenia’s military for some two decades.

“We value your serving of your constituents and appreciate your
responses to the Azerbaijani-American community, however, we would
like you to closely examine your statements in the future and do a
more thorough research on Azerbaijan and the U.S.-Azerbaijan allied
relations” – urged the American Azerbaijanis community.

The Azerbaijani Diaspora also sent a similar letter to the Senator
of the Colorado state Michael Bennett.

From: A. Papazian

RUSSIAN POLITICAL SCIENTIST DOUBTS NEXT OSCE SUMMIT ON NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT WILL BE EFFICIENT

Today.Az

28 September 2010 [16:25]

The effectiveness of an OSCE summit to be held in Kazakhstan in
December to address the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is doubtful, Alexei
Vlasov, Director-General of the Information and Analytical Center for
Study of the Social and Political Processes in Post-Soviet Space at
the M. V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, said.

“Kazakhstan unsuccessfully tried to formulate a roadmap for both
sides in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,” Vlasov said at a meeting
with journalists in Moscow. “However, most likely, intermediaries at
the summit in Kazakhstan will not achieve any significant results.”

A recent visit to the South Caucasus region by Russian President
Dmitry Medvedev showed that Russia wants to simultaneously rely on
Baku and Yerevan, Vlasov said.

Vlasov said that in the near future one can expect Baku and Yerevan
to sign a document on non-use of force in resolution of the frozen
dispute. However, the expert doubts that Azerbaijan will agree to
that under current conditions.

According to Vlasov, there is currently a pause in the negotiations
and no real resolution of the conflict is in sight.

“Moscow maneuvers in the South Caucasus between Armenia and Azerbaijan
and, ideally, both countries could become Russia’s points of support
in the region,” Vlasov said.

Moscow needs to show that the process goes on, and furthermore, that
it is the chief moderator, so the Kremlin will continue to initiate
meetings of the parties, he believes.

From: A. Papazian

BOOK ABOUT LEADER OF TURKISH REPUBLIC OF NORTHERN CYPRUS RAUF DENKTASH PRESENTED IN BAKU

Today.Az

28 September 2010 [18:37]

Azerbaijani MP Ganira Pashayeva has written a book about the leader
of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Rauf Denktash.

The book titled “Rauf Denktash: life, struggle, dreams, hope …. ”
was presented on in Baku today.

The book tells about childhood and youth of one of the great
public-political leaders of the Turkic world, the leader of the Turks
of Northern Cyprus, the first President of the Turkish Republic of
Northern Cyprus (TRNC), Rauf Denktash, his fight in the mid-twentieth
century for the rights of Turks living in island, and his political
and diplomatic activities. The book contains thoughts on the motion
of reconciliation, memories, thoughts on the past of TRNC, its present
day and future, as well as interesting information about the assessment
of the Turkic world.

During her professional journalistic activities, Pashayeva has
many times visited the island of Cyprus. Through these trips, she
has met with Rauf Denktash several times, interviewed him, preparing
programs and telecasts about him. The texts of interviews and telecasts
(including the still undisclosed part of the interview), as well as
books presented by Denktash to Pashayeva have been used in preparation
of this book.

The chief advisor of the book is the head of the TRNC representation
in Baku Zaki Gazioglu and editor is head of the World Union of Young
Turk Writers Akbar Goshaly.

Addressing the event, Pashayeva said that the thoughts of Heydar
Aliyev and Mustafa Kemal Ataturk on the unity of the Turkic world
always live in our hearts.

“Our National Leader Heydar Aliyev has always worked to develop
ties between the Turkic countries, provide mutual support, mutual
knowledge and well-coordinated work of the Turkic states within the
organizations. Continuing this policy, President Ilham Aliyev also
pays special attention to these issues,” she added.

According to Pashayeva, Azerbaijan’s policy is aimed at an greater
convergence of Azerbaijan and Turkey, a greater understanding of
each other.

“In all possible ways, we should support this. To be closer, we should
know well each other. I considered it my duty to write a book about
the great personality of the Turkic world Rauf Denktash,” she added.

In his turn, Zaki Gazioglu said that this book is an important step
towards further rapprochement between “our nations.”

According to the Turkish ambassador to Azerbaijan Hulusi Kilic,
in today’s world, double standards are applied both with regards to
both Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the Cyprus issue.

“Some Western countries, who constantly speak about the human rights,
quietly turn a blind eye on human rights violations in Cyprus and
Karabakh issue. Turkey will always support the Turkish Republic of
Northern Cyprus and Azerbaijan,” said the ambassador.

In his speech, Rauf Denktash’s son Serdar Denktash thanked Pashayeva
for her initiative.

“This book tells the Azerbaijani readers about fair fight of the
Turks of Cyprus. This book assumes great importance from the point
of view of familiarizing the Azerbaijani readers with our history,”
said Serdar Denktash.

Then, the event participants told about the importance of this book.

According to them, such projects should be approved in terms of
strengthening the Azerbaijani-Turkish brotherhood.

The book titled “Rauf Denktash: life, struggle, dreams, hope …. ”
was prepared under Ganira Pashayeva’s project “Get familiarized with
the Turkic world”. The aim of this project is to help familiarize
the Azerbaijani youth with different regions, history and today,
the leaders of the Turkic world. At the same time, the goal is to
familiarize Turkic and whole world with the great personalities
of Azerbaijan and their activities. Within the project, articles
about Mustafa Kemal Ataturk and Heydar Aliyev, Azerbaijan’s world
known figures Nasreddin Tusi, Shahryar, Lotfi Zadeh, Tahir Salahov
and as the First Lady of Azerbaijan, President of the Heydar Aliyev
Foundation, Goodwill Ambassador of UNESCO and ISESCO, MP Mehriban
Aliyeva, have been published in English in Azerbaijani, Turkish,
Russian and English in Azerbaijani and foreign media.

From: A. Papazian

HATIS YEREVAN 59:69 CHEVAKATA VOLOGDA AT INTERNATIONAL BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT IN KURSK

PanARMENIAN.Net
September 28, 2010 – 13:21 AMT 08:21 GMT

On September 27Hatis Yerevan was defeated by Chevakata Vologda 59:69
at the 9th international basketball tournament in Kursk.

Hatis will rival Tim-Skuf Kyiv on September 28, kurskcity.ru reported.

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIAN MEN’S TEAM LOSES TO AZERBAIJAN AT KHANTY-MANSIYSK WORLD CHESS OLYMPIAD

PanARMENIAN.Net
September 28, 2010 – 19:37 AMT 14:37 GMT

Armenian rivaled Azerbaijan in 7th tour of Khanty-Mansiysk World
Chess Olympiad.

Armenia lost 1,5:2,5 to Azerbaijan, the game resulting in 3 ties and
one loss of the Armenian team.

From: A. Papazian