Author: Andres-Papazian

WHO KNOWS HOW MUCH THEY EXTRACT
NAIRA HAYRUMYAN

15/07/2010

The mining industry is becoming the “Achilles’ heel’ of the Armenian
economy. In past years, international experts insisted that the root
of evil of the economy is in the construction, and pointed out that
in this sector the transfers are accumulated, unhealthy “center of
gravity” moved there, which attracts corruption and shadow. Now the
construction sphere is replaced by the mining industry.

The head of the World Bank Armenia office Aristomene Varudakis, who
said farewell to Armenia, also stated about the fact that serious
shadow problems are present mostly in the mining industry sphere.

Yesterday, World Bank senior economist on Southern Caucasus issues
Pedro Rodriguez arrived in Armenia. Noteworthy, he spoke with the
premier Tigran Sargsyan about nothing else but the “improvement of
the Code of Mining and issues relating to the tax regime of Mines”.

The situation in the mining industry is really covered with shadow.

Moreover, 90% of its production is for export, and the society does not
have information about the real scales of minerals, their excavation,
costs and other indicators on which to judge who gets the fabulous
benefits of the “people’s bowels”. That profits are huge is proven
also by the fact that the Zangezur cooper-molybdenum combine headed
the list of major taxpayers of Armenia for long years.

The economic crisis had a negative impact on the mining industry: in
2008 prices for ferrous metals sharply lowered. Though, as economists
affirm, these prices did not pass beyond the self-cost, but accustomed
to super-profits plants fired hundreds of people and got millions of
loans and grants.

The Armenian power allocated a state loan of 44 million to three
Armenian mining companies. Measures were allocated from the Russian
500 million loan.

Now the situation bettered. In January-April of the current year, the
scale of production grew by 28, 4 %, that is even the pre-crisis level
is surpassed. As a whole, the mining industry grew by 40%. According
to the government, a part of the loans is paid off. However, how those
making enormous profits are taxed, no one can trace. There is no law
on super-profits in Armenia either.

In 2003, the Armenian government enacted a new law about the
exploration and development of mineral deposits. It has been worked
out with the participation of specialists of the European Union.

However, apparently, this code is outdated or “gaps” have become too
large. Or maybe it was simply a redistribution of property.

From: A. Papazian

FINNISH EQUIPMENT TO BE BOUGHT TO CLEAR LAKE SEVAN

15/07/2010

The Armenian government and the Ministry of Environmental Protection
allocated 30 million dram for the acquisition of a Finnish excavator
to clear Sevan Lake submerge forest houses. During previous years,
the quality and the scale of these works was poor because trend
winning organizations did not have necessary equipments.

From: A. Papazian

NECESSARY TO TAKE NAKHIDJEVAN

15/07/2010

The guest of the commission on foreign relations of the alternative
parliament created by Sardarapat initiative is the head of Modus
Vivendi center Ara Papyan. He dwelt on important foreign issues for
Armenia and the challenges they contain. Ara Papyan concentrated on the
Nakhidjevan issue saying that if the Armenian power looks forward for
at least 25 years, it will understand what a serious issue Nakhidjevan
will become for Armenia, with which Turkey is currently implementing
serious integration steps.

Ara Papyan noted that through Nakhidjevan, Turkey could become
a military threat for Armenia in case of which Russian forces,
ensuring the security of our borders with Turkey, will not intervene
saying that it is not the Armenian and Turkish border. Ara Papyan
noted that in case Nakhidjevan is ours, the quality of the Armenian
and Iranian relations would be completely different, because there
is the railway there. For example, the current intentions to build
Armenian-Iranian railway through Zangezur, Ara Papyan thinks they are
not realistic noting that first it is not economically profitable
because it needs almost 5 billion, then it will not work from the
point of the relief since curves are not favorable for a railway. Let
them give me 5 billion and I will take Nakhidjevan, says Ara Papyan,
meaning international legal-political diplomatic ways.

Ara Papyan noted also that Armenia needs to raise the Nakhidjevan issue
in international diplomatic fields because it is an important issue
of national security. Papyan also noted that during Soviet years,
when the country was led by Andropov, there were projects connected
with Nakhidjevan. According to him, later, in 1987, when the Karabakh
movement had not started yet, leaflets in Russian in relation with
Nakhidjevan issue, which contained demands, were created in district
committees of Armenia trying to provoke a public movement and settle
the Nakhidjevan issue.

According to Ara Papyan, this was done by the Andropov wing of the
Soviet Power, when his influence on the Soviet power increased.

According to Ara Papyan, there are two opinions within the
Russian power now too- the economic wing thinks the interest is in
Turkish-Azerbaijani direction, the force wing thinks the security
interest is the Armenian direction.

Ara Papyan noted that for example Levon Ter-Petrosyan says that during
Karabakh war the Armenian armed forces did not enter into Nakhidjevan
because they were afraid that Russian would not support the operation,
while the Defense Minister of Russia of that period Grachlov said
they allowed the Armenian power to enter Nakhidjevan. Which version
is true will never be known, says Ara Papyan.

From: A. Papazian

ONCE IN ALMATY
HAYK ARAMYAN

15/07/2010

On July 17, in Almaty, the non-official gathering of OSCE Foreign
Ministers will take place. A meeting between the Armenian, Turkish
and Azerbaijani foreign ministers is also expected. Before, the
Turkish-Azerbaijani press started their regular attack: various
officials dwell on the surrender of various areas, peacekeeping
forces deployment etc. The Armenian party considers their statements
as attempts to present their wishes for reality and underline that
first the NKR status is to be discussed.

All this looks like the film “12 Chairs”. Turkish and Azeri officials
recall Father Fyodor, who everywhere was persecuting the owner of
those chairs, begging and demanding to sell them to him. What happened
in the end is known to everyone. In the end, he did not find what he
was looking for inside the chairs and went crazy.

Returning to ours: the power, the political forces, except Heritage.

Ours, sorry for the comparison, but remind the carrier of the theatre,
who used to demand first the money then the chairs. First the status,
then the territories.

Looking at the long diplomatic process of the settlement, many
understood what is happening in reality. The point is not about the
Armenians and Azeris, because their participation is almost symbolic,
since they are considered conflicting parties. The point is about
geopolitical major processes, the logic of which differs from the
“aspirations” of the conflicting sides. Hence, both the issues on the
status and the territories are to be viewed in that logic. While that
logic is almost inaccessible for the “conflicting sides”.

Returning to “our small” problems. Whom do the territories “hinder”?

Naturally, Azerbaijan and its elder brother Turkey, which is obliged to
assume that hard burden. In the latest period, it started hindering
Russia too, which tries not to lose its influence in Caucasus
establishing large-scale relations with Turkey. These territories
“hinder” also the political class of Armenia in the conscience of
which “mutual concession” is rooted up as a reflex and an expression
of cleverness, flexibility, good will, tolerance and other high ideas.

No one else in the world is interested in whom those territories
belong to. The point is not about public statements but the reality.

In the end, both the Armenian and Azeri people will face the fact like
Bender and Father Fyodor. But if the Azeri people are already facing
the fact, the Armenians have a chance to correct the situation. It
is only necessary not to dwell on concessions and not to commerce the
status, then the rest issues. It is necessary to leave the negotiations
and promote NKR as a negotiating party, which is the real conflicting
side. Both the status and the territories belong to it.

Let Turkey and Azerbaijan negotiate with whomever they want, if they
refuse negotiating with NKR. Armenia can participate in the process
just the way Turkey is doing, creating balance.

Perhaps there will be opinions that this is impossible. But there is
nothing impossible in the world, and if something seems impossible,
the reason is solely the powerlessness.

From: A. Papazian

DILIJAN “MOUNTAIN FLOWER”
HAKOB BADALYAN

15/07/2010

DILIJAN International School Project initiators addressed a letter to
the Public Council in which they raised the issue on the introduction
of amendments to the “Language Law” and public education, on which
the future of the school depends. The initiators of the school, in
their letter, tried to explain in details the reasons of the creation
of the school, to present its importance both for the development of
Armenia and for the Armenians from Diaspora remain “Armenians”. The
initiators of DILIJAN School ask several questions.

“Does the nation want to thrive and develop, or simply to survive?

Does Armenia want to actively engage global processes, or to remain as
an isolated state with its own laws and rules pertaining exclusively
to Armenia and paying no attention to events happening beyond its
boundaries?”

It would be very difficult and even absurd to give a negative answer
to these questions and say that the Armenian nation does not want
all this, does not want to develop and prosper either to be a part
of the rest of the world. We can be sure the Public Council too will
answer in this way. In general, it is not important what the Public
Council will answer because it has in common with the society just
as much as the government has. As for the connection of the power
with the society, it has been so much “revealed” during these years,
that it is useless to dwell on it or better to say on the lack of it.

So let us dwell on the letter by the initiators of DILIJAN School as
if it is not directed to the Public Council allied with the power but
to the public. By the way, the initiators of the school had better
having addressed an open letter to the society rather than to the
imitation cell called Public Council.

And the citizens would have surely answered that the Armenian nation
has to develop, prosper and become a civilized part of the world,
integrate into development processes. But the citizens are also
possible to ask questions to the initiators of the school too, such as
“we have sung all the songs, and only the one on the “mountain flower”
is left” or in this case “Dilijan flower”. Initiators of the school
say they are a group of Armenian businessmen worried with the future
of Armenia and fulfill Armenia 2020 project, prepare development
scenarios and set up a National Competitiveness Fund of Armenia (NCFA).

“Many participants in the Armenia 2020 project used its results to
begin realization of private initiatives of different kinds and sizes
on Armenian soil as well as abroad.

Here are just a few of them:

~U Tatev Revival Project with participation by the government, church
and private capital. The project includes restoration of the monastery
and reinstating monastic life, rebuilding the hotel complex to attract
tourists, as well as building an aerial cableway. The opening of the
aerial cableway will take place in October 2010. The project should
be fully completed by 2016.

~U “Yerevan” magazine began publication in Russian and English in 2005.

An Armenian and French language version of the magazine is planned
for 2011.

~U Help was rendered in creating a religious-cultural-educational
Armenian center in Moscow. Completion is targeted for 2011.

~U Support was lent to “Perspectives XXI – Music International
Festival” for the performers’ organization in Armenia of classical
music stars Valery Gergiev, Yuri Bashmet, Krzysztof Penderecki and
other world-famous performers and conductors.

~U Since 2007, each year 10-12 young artists from Armenia receive
grants and financial support for their concert tours.

~U Initiation of the DILIJAN International School”, is said in
the letter.

After having read all this, it is impossible not to be admired but
the Armenians citizens, who have faced many difficulties in their
lives will resist to the temptation of admiring and will ask, “And
what about rigged election, human rights violations, oligarchs and
oligopolies that interfere into the capillaries of the economy and
want to own even the sunflower seed business forbidding people to
be engaged in small and midsize businesses. What about the human
rights, friends and relatives of the power who are above any law,
corruption and abuse of power, power-business links, and the
millionaire officials”. Does all this not fit into the idea of a
competitive nation and country? Will the world assess as in accord
with our values or with the ropeways we lay? Can a nation, a country
and a state be considered competitive in the world if people inside
it are persecuted by the power, if a country, having Constitution
and law is governed by a criminal-oligarchic perceptional system?

Isn’t it true that until such a system is not changed, anything
is taken up within it will only promote its long life, and will
willy-nilly be an imitation? Perhaps, the group of businessmen, who are
making proposals to the society, are worthy thinking about all this.

From: A. Papazian

TER-PETROSYAN – SIKORSKI MEETING

15/07/2010

On July 14, a meeting between the Armenian first president Levon
Ter-Petrosyan and the Foreign Minister of Poland Radoslaw Sikorski
currently in Armenia on a working visit took place.

The interlocutors discussed political issues of the region,
relationship between Armenia and Turkey, the Karabakh conflict
negotiation process, as well as the current stage and the prospects
for Armenia-European Union cooperation.

Special attention was paid to the Armenian home issues as well as
the political prisoners, current level of democracy and reasons of
deepening corruption in Armenia, role of the European Union and other
European structures in the development of Armenia.

Coordinator of the Armenian National Congress central office Levon
Zurabyan, Polish ambassador to Armenia Zdislaw Rachinski and deputy
director of Polish MFA Eastern department Michael Labenda also
participated in the meeting. The ANC office reports.

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIANS ARE PROUD, GENTLE, INTELLIGENT, BUT WILL HAVE TO LEAVE BELGIUM

Tert.am
15.07.10

With recently-adopted decision the Belgian government will undertak
relevant measures to curb the huge inflow of Armenian migrants to
that country, while the Armenians illegally living in Belgium will be
deported, Catti Verzelen, an employee from the migration service at
the Belgium Interior Ministry told a press conference today in Yerevan.

Verzelen has come to Armenia with the objective to inform Armenians
about that decision.

First he presented that tough approach of the government and then
assured the audience that it was not accounted for the global
financial crisis.

“Simply, the number of Armenians in Belgium is very big. The Armenians
are currently in the top five among nations seeking shelter [from
Belgium]. In 2009 the Armenians were leading the top five,” said he,
adding that they continue seeking shelter today as well.

Saying that Armenians are proud, gentle and intelligent, Verzelen
mentioned that the Belgian government has decided to quickly examine
all the applications filed by Armenians and then they will be issued
a decree to leave the country.

Verzelen also mentioned that currently there are 1600 such apllications
filed by Armenian nationals.

From: A. Papazian

OPEN LETTER TO THE PUBLIC COUNCIL

15/07/2010

from DILIJAN International School Project initiators

Dear members of the Public Council,

In light of the public debate surrounding the introduction of
amendments to the “Language Law” and educational system, we – the
initiators of the DILIJAN International School project, as well
as the members of the Board of Trustees, have heard from community
representatives with words of both support and rebuke regarding the
project to create the DILIJAN International School. We place a high
value on civil society, and respect its opinion, so we write to you
as to the voice of public opinion.

The issue pertaining to changing the “Language Law” is very important
and affects the interests of all the republic’s citizens, although,
in our opinion, discussing this law can provide an impetus to a deeper
discussion about Armenia’s future and its place in the world. Armenia
and the Armenian nation in general have several questions to answer
in order to determine the model of its future development. Does the
nation want to thrive and develop, or simply to survive? Does Armenia
want to actively engage global processes, or to remain as an isolated
state with its own laws and rules pertaining exclusively to Armenia
and paying no attention to events happening beyond its boundaries?

Both models of the country’s development have the right to exist.

However, the selection between these models must be made deliberately.

It is also necessary to understand that the choice made by the nation
entails certain consequences, both positive and negative.

Understanding the importance of this topic, back in 2000 a group of
businessmen of Armenian origin, residing and working in Armenia as
well as in other countries, initiated the project “Armenia 2020,”
attracting for its realization both world-caliber consultants
and prominent independent experts from different countries. Their
efforts yielded in 2005 several draft scenarios of Armenia’s possible
development for the coming twenty years, an expert report on the
country’s social-economic condition, and a description of the most
promising sectors of its economy requiring modernization or creation.

These materials were made available to the general public.

In 2007 the National Competitiveness Fund of Armenia (NCFA)
was created by the Government of Armenia to oversee far-reaching
state-private partnership projects, its members including Armenian
government officials, businessmen from the Armenian Diaspora, and
representatives of international financial institutes. In addition,
many participants in the Armenia 2020 project used its results to
begin realization of private initiatives of different kinds and sizes
on Armenian soil as well as abroad.

Here are just a few of them:

~U Tatev Revival Project with participation by the government, church
and private capital. The project includes restoration of the monastery
and reinstating monastic life, rebuilding the hotel complex to attract
tourists, as well as building an aerial cableway. The opening of the
aerial cableway will take place in October 2010. The project should
be fully completed by 2016.

~U “Yerevan” magazine began publication in Russian and English in 2005.

An Armenian and French language version of the magazine is planned
for 2011.

~U Help was rendered in creating a religious-cultural-educational
Armenian center in Moscow. Completion is targeted for 2011.

~U Support was lent to “Perspectives XXI – Music International
Festival” for the performers’ organization in Armenia of classical
music stars Valery Gergiev, Yuri Bashmet, Krzysztof Penderecki and
other world-famous performers and conductors.

~U Since 2007, each year 10-12 young artists from Armenia receive
grants and financial support for their concert tours.

~U Initiation of the DILIJAN International School.

Since the last project has elicited the greatest amount of questions
and commentaries, we will speak about it in greater detail.

DILIJAN International School is a private philanthropic project
involving no state funding. Planned investments in the project exceed
$60 million, which does not include money from the fund to support
talented children from impoverished families. The term “philanthropic”
means the investors will not earn any profit, nor do they intend to
return the money they have invested in the project. We succeeded in
assembling an authoritative Board of Trustees consisting of famous and
respected people who are ready to assist in implementing the project.

DILIJAN International School is an international-caliber boarding
school for children from different countries. By 2020, plans call for
total enrollment of 600 children aged 13 to 18, about 200 of whom will
be citizens of Armenia. It should be noted that approximately 80% of
the students from Armenia will study for free under scholarships from
charity organizations or individuals. As for the school in general,
during the first year of operations we aim for scholarships to comprise
60% of enrollment – gifted children from across the world.

The availability of scholarships allows us to accept talented children
regardless of their parents’ wealth and position in society. This
is principally important for us, as our school isn’t elitist in the
customary sense of the word, but in the distorted one. The elitism
of our students is determined by their intellectual abilities but
not their parents’ prosperity.

Upon completion of the school, its students will be issued an
International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma. As of today, this is likely
the most methodologically advanced and well known international program
recognized by the majority of world universities. In other words,
the IB diploma opens the doors to the best higher learning institutes
in different countries. Education at the DILIJAN School will take
place in English, as this is one of the three working languages with
Spanish and French in which all the academic literature under the IB
system is written, and there is a wide base of teachers possessing
the corresponding skills and experience. It is also planned that the
school’s students, regardless of their ethnic origin and country
of citizenship, will study several foreign languages, including
Armenian. We view it as one of our primary goals to have Armenian
included in the list of IB languages at all language levels (from
native speaker to beginner level), opening the possibility to teach
it at any levels at any of the world’s 3000 IB schools.

Popularizing the teaching of Armenian to Armenians and foreigners
alike is a very serious task, requiring considerable intellectual
and financial investments. Among the teachers we envision foreign and
local instructors, who will undergo recruitment and special training,
and an internship in foreign schools.

During the summer it is planned to organize a camp on the school
grounds for children wishing to visit their historic country of origin,
study Armenian and make new friends while participating in sport and
experiencing Armenian culture.

The question facing the majority of the school’s potential students
isn’t the loss of Armenian language, but acquiring it, since today
these children go to study in Russia, England, Switzerland and
America. We would like for our children, people of Armenian origin,
to have the opportunity to receive an outstanding education precisely
in Armenia, to study its culture and history and learn the language of
their ancestors. The school’s students from the Republic of Armenia
will study native language and native literature under a program
confirmed by the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Armenia
for the country’s general education schools, which will allow them
to successfully enroll in Armenian universities. We also plan to
enroll students of a non-Armenian ethnic origin, who will not only
have the opportunity to receive an education that will help them
realize their potential, but to gain familiarity with an ancient
culture and language. This is an extremely ambitious task to which
we are firmly committed.

We are deeply concerned about the question of how the young generation
of the six million Diaspora – our children born outside of and having
never lived in Armenia – will consider themselves. Our children
are assimilating, and we can’t help but be alarmed by this. It is
the school’s mission to create strong, long-term ties based on the
principles of inter-ethnic tolerance with an Armenian coloring and
receiving an education of the highest academic caliber. We wonder
how to motivate our children to study Armenian language, which as of
today is neither the language they use to communicate with family,
nor at school, nor with friends. For this reason, we are investing in
a program for studying Armenian under the IB system. It is also the
reason why we plan to teach Armenian history, its literature and arts,
and we also want to train our students in ancient Armenian crafts.

Our goal is that the words ‘Armenia’ and ‘Armenian’ will not only be
associated with people perishing during the Genocide and earthquakes,
conjuring not pity and sympathy, but a feeling of pride for victories,
achievements and the successes of our graduates in the fields of
science, culture and art. We want to attract people of non-Armenian
origin, who are free to choose any location on the planet, to study,
live, work and raise their children. We are spending our time,
resources, talents and money so that Armenia becomes an appealing
and comfortable place for our children, a place where Armenians
and non-Armenians will come to and live, feeling at home in our
hospitable country. Precisely for this reason, we are investing in
the creation of infrastructure and conditions in which teachers from
different countries can live comfortably, as well as for raising the
qualifications of teachers from Armenia.

Unfortunately, we have to admit that because of an unfavorable
combination of circumstances, our project has met with a negative
reaction among the progressive and outspoken members of Armenian
society. The wave of indignation caused by the Republic of Armenia
Government’s suggested amendments to the law “On language” has
provoked a negative attitude toward schools that teach in foreign
languages. This has gradually led to the point that the DILIJAN
school project, which received numerous positive reviews after
the official ceremony where the Armenian President planted the
symbolic “tree of knowledge,” is cast over by unfavorable public
opinion. Over a relatively brief period, before it even started and
became established, the project acquired an opposition. We should
mention that the legislative amendments which were the reason for the
negative context surrounding the DILIJAN project are not a necessary
precondition to its successful realization, however in its current
reading the law makes it difficult for the children of Armenia to
obtain IB diplomas at our school in case they desire to continue
their education at the universities in Republic of Armenia.

At present, we are regrettably seriously considering the suspension
of work on the project, as it is our belief that even without these
additional obstacles to the successful realization of such a complex
initiative, and even provided the full support of government and
society, it will require an incredible amount of effort to convince
parents to send their children to a country about which they know
very little and which they do not conceive of as a place to live and
receive an education. In the current situation we do not view it as
feasible to develop the project, as it is fundamentally incorrect to
create a school in an atmosphere that rejects it.

We are deeply convinced that the role of education will increase
in the XXI century, which is why we consider the creation of this
kind of school a vitally important task. True, it’s possible that
today’s Armenia does not require the kind of school outlined in the
concept approved by the school’s Board of Trustees. For this reason,
at the next Board session in October, we will raise the question of
realizing this project not on the Armenian territory. However, we do
believe that Armenia will grow and prosper, and no matter what, we
intend to facilitate this process by implementing projects in Armenia.

As the body that has the duty of announcing public opinion, the
consolidated view of the Public Council will help us to make a
reasonable decision regarding the future of the project.

Best regards, Project Initiators DILIJAN International School Project

From: A. Papazian

FM SIKORSKI IN ARMENIA

The News

July 14 2010
Poland

Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski is on an official visit to Armenia
to discuss the country’s ties with the European Union.

The meeting comes ahead of Yerevan’s association agreement talks with
Brussels. The Polish head of diplomacy’s agenda includes meetings
with his counterpart, Edward Nalbandian, Armenian President Serzh
Sargsyan and Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan.

Sikorski’s visit is part of the officials’ tour to Armenia, Georgia
and Kazakhstan.

The visit coincides with the Armenian-Polish business forum in
Yerevan, launched as part of the first sitting of the Armenian-Polish
intergovernmental commission. (aba/mmj)

From: A. Papazian

POLAND’S FM MEETS OPPOSITE NUMBER IN YEREVAN

The News

July 14 2010
Poland

Poland’s Foreign Minister met with Armenia’s head of diplomacy,
Edward Nalbandian in Yerevan to discuss bilateral relations between
the two countries, as well as Armenia’s progress in the EU-led
Eastern Partnership.

At the meeting, Radoslaw Sikorski spoke of the need to boost
economic ties between Poland and Armenia, as well as facilitating
visa procedures for Armenian citizens wishing to travel to Poland
and the European Union.

Both foreign ministers left the meeting pleased, underlining the
good relations between the two countries, citing examples of budding
cooperation between Warsaw and Yerevan: a new Polish-Armenian economic
committee, and the introduction of scheduled flights from between
the two capitals.

Sikorski stated during the meeting that Poland will try to make it
easier for Armenian citizens to apply for visas to the country as
well as to the EU under the Schengen Agreement on boarderless travel
within the European Union.

“Armenia is ready to lift visa restrictions for Poland and other
countries of the European Union,” Nalbandian said in response to
the move.

Positive role of Eastern Partnership

One of the main points of Radoslaw Sikorski’s meeting with Edward
Nalbandian was the relations between the EU and Armenia, including
the Caucasian country’s participation in the Eastern Partnership.

“The more countries participate in the Eastern Partnership the better,”
Radoslaw Sikorski is quoted as saying by an Armenian news agency.

The Eastern Partnership, a joint Polish-Swedish initiative is to better
relations between the 27-nation bloc and its eastern neighbours, all
of which are ex-Soviet satellite states, such as Armenia, Azerbaijan,
Georgia, Moldova, the Ukraine and Belarus.

Nagorno-Karabakh still a hinderance

Minister Sikorski underlined the need to resolve issues surrounding
Nagorno-Karabakh, a break-away state mainly populated by Armenians
in the territory of Azerbaijan, and furthermore not recognised
internationally.

“As an OSCE member, Poland will do all in its power for peaceful
resolution of Nagorno Karabakh conflict,” Sikorski said after the
bilateral talks.

Poland’s foreign minister also called for a resolution with Turkey,
which closed its border with Armenia in 1993 after the escalation of
the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Radoslaw Sikorski is also to meet, Wednesday, with Armenian President
Serzh Sargsyan and Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan.

During his tour, Sikorski also visited the Armenian Genocide Memorial
and planted a tree in the Memory Alley there.

In 2005, Poland’s lower parliamentary house, the Sejm, passed a bill
recognising the Armenian Genocide, when thousands of Armenians were
killed by Ottoman Turks after World War I. (jb)

From: A. Papazian