Author: Andres-Papazian

news.az, Azerbaijan
July 16 2010

Turkey never proposed to deploy its peacekeepers in Karabakh
Fri 16 July 2010 | 12:23 GMT Text size:

Ahmed Davudoglu The Turkish FM has spoken about participation of
Turkish peacekeepers in the Karabakh conflict area.

`Turkey has never put any proposals regarding deployment of its
peacekeepers in the Karabakh conflict area’, said Turkish FM Ahmed
Davutoglu, according to Turkish Anadolu,

He said `Turkey has no such plans to send its peacekeepers to the
conflict area and information on this issue is untrue’.

He said Turkey is doing everything possible to establish peace in the region.

In this respect, he called the implementation of the Caucasus
Stability and Security Platform useful for the resolution of regional
conflicts. The foreign minister accused Yerevan of the unwillingness
to participate in this project: `Armenia has distanced from this
process causing damage only to itself’.

The minister also noted that only after the resolution of the
Karabakh conflict it will be possible to speak of the establishment of
peace in the region.

`Our aim is to establish peace and stability in the Caucasus and
Turkey is always ready to contribute to this issue’, he said.

1news.az

From: A. Papazian

news.az, Azerbaijan
July 16 2010

Azerbaijanis happier than Armenians and Georgians, Forbes
Fri 16 July 2010 | 12:33 GMT Text size:

Forbes Influential magazine Forbes has published the rating of `The
happiest countries’ prepared by Gallup World Poll.

The poll in 155 countries revealed that Scandinavian and Northern
European countries are leading in ‘happiness’ criterion.

This Denmark is leading where 82% of the respondents consider
themselves happy. It is followed by Finland (75%), Norway (69%),
Sweden (68%), Netherlands (68%), New Zealand (63%), Costa Rica (63%),
Canada, Switzerland, Israel (62% each).

Turkey and Azerbaijan are 103rd in the rating. 13% of the respondents
called themselves happy.

Meanwhile, two other South Caucasus states including Armenia (11%
happiness) and Georgia (10% happiness) took 110th and 115th positions
respectively.

21% respondents called themselves happy in Russia which helped it to
take the 73rd position sharing this position with Ukraine, South
Africa (host country in 2010 World Championship), Slovakia and
Lebanon.

African states were at the bottom of the rating where the percentage
of happiness did not exceed 5%.

In conclusion, the United States and China are 14th and 125th .
Despite their grandeur, Americans are happy only by 57%, while Chinese
who are famous for organization and loyalty to the party are only 9%
happy, according to Gallup.

1 news.az

From: A. Papazian

Aysor, Armenia
July 16 2010

Pentagon: Use of force or threat to use force is impermissible

President Serzh Sargsyan received US Deputy Assistant Secretary of
Defense Celeste Wallander today, President’s press office reported.

The President stressed that Armenia is interested in expansion of
cooperation with the U.S.. It is not only in our country’s interests
but also can have an important contribution to strengthening security
and stability in the whole region.

Speaking about Armenia’s participation in peacekeeping operations
performed by the international community the US Deputy Assistant
Secretary of Defense expressed gratitude for Armenia’s participation
in the international peacekeeping mission. It was stressed that it is
not only a great contribution to actions carried out by the
international community but also contributes to rise of Armenian armed
forces fighting efficiency.

The interlocutors also discussed regional security issues, including
current stage of the Nagorno Karabakh settlement negotiations. Mrs.
Wallander stressed that the United States expresses its stance on
impermissibility of use of force or threat of using force at all
levels, and the United States is convinced that the Nagorno Karabakh
peaceful settlement has no alternative.

The sides attached importance to further strengthening of
Armenian-American cooperation in defense and security sphere and U.S.
assistance to modernization and reforming of Armenian armed forces.

From: A. Papazian

Reuters
July 16 2010

FACTBOX-Five facts about Turkish-Armenian ties

July 16 (Reuters) – Muslim Turkey and Christian Armenia remain
bitterly divided over their troubled history and their border is
closed despite peace accords signed last year.
In a gesture to help heal wounds, Turkey will open a 10th century
Armenian church in eastern Turkey on Sept. 19 for a one-day religious
service that could become an annual event.

Here are some facts about Turkish-Armenian history and ties:

* The Church of the Holy Cross was built between 915 and 921 A.D.,
during the reign of Gagik I of the Armenian kingdom of Vaspurakan; it
is regarded as one of the finest architectural examples of the once
thriving Armenian civilisation in Turkey; there were some 2,000
Armenian Christian churches in Turkey, but only 45 are left standing
today following the turmoil that accompanied the final days of the
Ottoman Empire.

* Armenia, backed by many historians, says some 1.5 million Armenians
were killed during World War I in what amounted to genocide at the
hands of Ottoman Turks; Ankara rejects the genocide label and says
large numbers of both Armenians and Turks died; some 70,000 or so
Armenian Christians live in Turkey, mostly in Istanbul; in the late
19th century, the Ottoman Empire’s Armenian minority numbered some 2
million.

* Brokered by the United States, Russia and the European Union, Turkey
and Armenia signed accords in 2009 to establish diplomatic ties and
open one of Europe’s last closed borders; Ankara and Yerevan have
accused each other of trying to re-write the texts; in April Yerevan
froze ratification of the accord after months of deadlock from both
sides.

* The conflict of Nagorno-Karabakh between Azerbaijan and Armenia has
loomed over attempts to end the hostility; Turkey demands that ethnic
Armenian forces pull back from the frontlines of Nagorno-Karabakh as a
condition for ratifying the deal; Ankara’s condition is aimed at
placating Muslim ally Azerbaijan, an oil and gas exporter which lost
control over Nagorno-Karabakh as the Soviet Union collapsed.

* The rift between Turkey and Armenia has poisoned ties between Ankara
and its close ally the United States; Turkey briefly withdrew its
ambassador to Washington in protest earlier this year after a U.S.
House committee approved a non-binding resolution labelling the 1915
events as genocide; in a visit to both countries earlier this month,
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said it was a U.S. priority to
help Armenia and Azerbaijan settle the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict to
bring stability to the Caucasus.

From: A. Papazian

Trend, Azerbaijan
July 16 2010

Deputy Minister: Nagorno-Karabakh settlement is one of directions of
EU-Azerbaijan association agreement
16.07.2010 16:55
Azerbaijan, Baku, July 16 / Trend I. Khalilova /

Resolving of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict will be discussed with the
EU in future within the political dialogue. It is one of the areas of
the discussed association agreement, Deputy Foreign Minister Mahmud
Mammadguliyev told media at a press conference.

We would like the EU position on this issue to be more active, deputy
minister said.

“In May the European Parliament adopted a development strategy for the
South Caucasus. The need for the withdrawal of Armenian forces from
occupied Azerbaijani territories is clearly indicated there. This
encourages us to respect the EU’s position to resolve the conflict,”
Mammadguliyev said.

“The EU is not involved in this matter. It supports the OSCE Minsk
Group’s activity. It unequivocally supports the peaceful settlement of
the problem,” the EU representative John Caher told media.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian
armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan since 1992,
including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and 7 surrounding districts.
Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994.

The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group – Russia, France, and the U.S. –
are currently holding the peace negotiations.

Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council’s
resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh region and the
occupied territories.

From: A. Papazian

Journal of Turkish Weekly
July 16 2010

Foreign Minister Davutoglu on Relations with Armenia

Friday, 16 July 2010

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said on Friday that Turkey
took significant steps in elimination of problems with its neighbors
however Armenia remained as a missing part of that picture.

“It is obvious that refusal of the friendly hand offered by Turkey
will give the most damage to Armenia itself,” Davutoglu told a written
statement as response to a parliamentary question submitted by
opposition Nationalist Movement Party (MHP).

“The protocols signed with Armenia formed the initial steps of the
normalization which Turkey considers as a long-term process.
Definitely, continuation of this process will depend on Armenia’s will
to solve problems,” he said.

Davutoglu said Turkey was endeavoring to boost its relations with all
its neighbors on the basis of mutual respect and good neighborly
relations.
Turkish foreign minister said solution of current political conflicts
in the Southern Caucasus was the main condition of ensuring a
sustainable security and peace.

Davutoglu said another important condition for establishment of a
comprehensive peace in Southern Caucasus was solution of Upper
Karabakh problem.

He said Turkish government was of the opinion that normalization
process between Turkey and Armenia would have an affirmative impact on
efforts for a solution.

“We saw that negotiations carried out between the presidents of
Armenia and Azerbaijan gained momentum after normalization process,
and the two presidents had 9 talks,” he said.

Friday, 16 July 2010

A.A

From: A. Papazian

news.az, Azerbaijan
July 16 2010

Armenians sell cognac with fictitious map of `Artsakh’ in Yerevan
Fri 16 July 2010 | 13:35 GMT Text size:

The sale of Armenian cognac has been organized in a number of trade
centers near Stuttgart.

The matter is that the bottles of this cognac produced by MAP Company
from Armenia and distributed by means of ANILAND GmbH in a number of
European countries feature the fictitious map of the South Caucasus in
which Nagorno Karabakh is indicated as `Artsakh’ within Armenia.

The sale of this Armenian cognac in Stuttgart is conducted in places
where Russian and Soviet emigrants live.

1news.az

From: A. Papazian

FootyLatest.com
July 16 2010

Liverpool face trip to Armenia or Macedonia in Europa League

Twelve months ago, Roy Hodgson and his Fulham team started their
highly successful European campaign which would take them all the way
to the final ` can the same manager guide Liverpool to the business
end of the competition?

While in previous seasons, the Reds have been playing in the Champions
League from September onwards, this time it’s all about Europe’s
secondary competition when several football players are still putting
their feet up ahead of a domestic campaign.

The draw has pitted Liverpool against either Macedonian side
Rabotnicki or Armenian outfit Mika and it’s little wonder that Javier
Mascherano, Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres are looking at the
possibility of leaving when they have to endure these sort of trips.

Liverpool are one of the favourites to win the Europa League, although
Roy Hodgson will surely be more focused on ensuring that his new team
challenge for a top four place in the Premier League after finishing
behind Aston Villa, Manchester City and Tottenham last term.

From: A. Papazian

Panorama, Armenia
July 16 2010

Aleksander Bozhko dismissed as Ukraine’sn Ambassador to Armenia

Upon the order of July 16 of Ukraine’s President Viktor Yanukovich,
Aleksander Bozhko has been dismissed as Ukrainian Ambassador to
Armenia, Ukraine’s Embassy in Armenia told Panorama.am.

According to the first spokesman of the embassy, Denis Artemov, the
order of President Yanukovich doesn’t say whether Bozhko will continue
his mission in another country. The name of the new Ukrainian
Ambassador to Armenia has not been reported yet.

Bozhko was twice appointed as the Ukrainian Ambassador to Armenia,
first in 1996, then in 2005.

From: A. Papazian

Aysor, Armenia
July 16 2010

Iranian directors seek to make universal films

`A beautiful snowy day’ is the first film made by renowned
Iranian-Armenian actress Mahaya Petrosian. The film takes part in the
Armenian Panorama National Competition at the 7th Golden Apricot
International Film Festival.

Mrs. Petrosian at a meeting with reporters refuted the common opinion
that creating is difficult for women in Iran.

`Though the number of women is not large, the number of women creating
in the cinematography sphere has grown over the past years,’ Mrs.
Petrosian said adding that women in Iran also work in other spheres of
culture and science, and attention to cinematography has also risen:
60 percent people applying for studies in this sphere are women.

In response to correspondents’ question about banned things in cinema
the actress said that the bans come from religion, and directors and
actors know them.

‘Directors avoid vulgarism, cruel scenes, pornography,’ the actress
noted adding: `Iranian cinema is famous worldwide for being humane and
poetic, and Iranian directors seek to make universal films.’

According to her, Iranian cinema has a unique nature and place in
world cinematography.

In return, `A beautiful snowy day’ film co-director Amir Toude Roosta
said that they worked at the film for a year, and had difficulties
because of weather and because of the child acting in the film since
it was difficult to persuade him to do something.

From: A. Papazian