Author: Badalian Vardan

ALL WAIT FOR TURKEY

Lragir.am
04/02/10

On February 4, the head of the Armenian Central for National and
International studies Richard Kirakosyan said that the progress in
the Armenian and Turkish process is determined exceptionally by the
Turkish side, by the political will of Turkey.

Richard Kirakosyan says that Turkey waited for 6 days to find some
response to the decision of the Armenian Constitutional Court, to
find a reason not to ratify the protocols. According to him, they
will fail because of two visits of Erdogan to Washington and Moscow
in December and January. Kirakosyan says the Turkish side wanted to
get the assistance of the U.S. and Russia to link the Karabakh issue
to the Armenian and Turkish process.

According to the ACNIS head, both the U.S. and Russia gave the same
answer to Turkey saying that the Karabakh issue has been removed from
the protocols right by the Turks and it cannot be returned. As well as,
they recalled that Turkey has to ratify the protocols in reasonable
terms. In other words, Kirakosyan says the expectations of the
international society are connected with Turkey and not with Armenia.

Richard Kirakosyan says that this policy of Turkey will last up
to April 23, after, Turkey will change it. According to him, the
fact whether the protocols will live or die depends exceptionally
on the Turkish home policy. Kirakosyan notes that by now, Armenia
cannot do anything to influence the future of the protocols. Turkey
cannot change its mind, it has not decided yet to ratify or not the
protocols. Until Turkey makes its mind, no one can demand anything
from Armenia, says Kirakosyan.

TURKISH PROSECUTORS BEGIN ASSAULT ON NEW KURDISH PARTY

Asbarez
Feb 2nd, 2010

ANKARA (Hurriyet)-The chief public prosecutor’s office in Ankara
has started an investigation into the First Extraordinary General
Congress of the pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party (BDP). The BDP
was formed in early 2008, a few months after an indictment against
the now-closed Democratic Society Party was announced.

In the congress on Sunday, delegates elected Selahattin DemirtaÅ~_
as the new leader.

The investigation was launched on alleged crimes of "turning people
against the military," "contradicting the Political Parties Act" and
"praising crime and criminals," according to the Anatolia news agency.

Persecutors alleged the congress committed the crimes because the
meeting didn’t open with the singing of the Turkish national anthem.

They also point to the reading out of names of killed Kurdistan
Workers’ Party (PKK) members during the meeting as a major violation.

The prosecutor will request records of the congress from security
forces, the agency said.

But according to a daily Milliyet story on Tuesday, this request might
fizzle out. The newspaper said the police department in Ankara wanted
to record voice and visuals during the congress, but could not get
the necessary permission from the courts.

In the past, events at congresses of successive pro-Kurdish political
parties were all recorded by police forces and the tapes were handed
over to prosecutors to be used in cases opened against the parties.

Last week’s police request was turned down by the courts, but the
police department appealed, Milliyet said. The upper court upheld
the decision. Thus, police officers were not able to have records
of the congress hall, although slogans and "illegal banners" outside
the congress venue were recorded, according to the police.

ARMENIA SEES DECLINE IN COGNAC PRODUCTION

UkrAgroConsult
Wednesday, 03 February 2010

According to Armenia’s National Statistical Service, cognac production
dropped 38.4% in 2009 over 2008 making up 9,869,000 liters.

The main cause of the decline in production is the drop in demand due
to crisis. The peak of the decline in Armenian cognac production fell
on the first half of 2009. Thanks to the new year holidays by the end
of the year the sales statistics showed significant improvement. On the
whole, the Armenian cognac is sold in the CIS states, mostly Russia.

The overall volume of alcoholic beverage production grew 7.7% to
13,146,000 liters in Armenia in 2009, wine production rose 30.8%
to 4,372,100 liters, champagne production dropped 1.7% to 456,400
liters, while beer production grew 2.8% to 10,825,300 liters.

GORDON: ARMENIA, TURKEY SHOULD MOVE FORWARD IN RATIFYING PROTOCOLS

Yerkir
02.02.2010 13:02

Yerevan (Yerkir) – Turkey and Armenia need to move forward in ratifying
and implementing protocols signed last October on establishing
diplomatic relations," Philip Gordon , the U.S. Assistant Secretary
of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, has said, the World
Bulletin reported.

"We believe this is an opportunity to overcome really historic
differences between the two countries in a way that would benefit
both," Gordon said. "To establish normalized relations between the two
countries and open the border would contribute to peace and stability
in the region, and we think that is true regardless of other issues –
that it needs to move forward independently of other issues, simply
because it is in the interest of the two countries."

Gordon also noted that U.S. Government was in touch with Yerevan
and Ankara and that the Obama administration encouraged them to
move forward.

TURKEY SHOULDN’T NEGLECT AZERBAIJAN’S INTERESTS, US DIPLOMAT SAYS

PanARMENIAN.Net
01.02.2010 11:48 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State, Chairman of
American Turkish Council’s (ATC) Board of Directors, Richard Armitage
stated that Turkey should not neglect Azerbaijani interests in the
process of normalization of relations with Armenia.

Commenting on the ongoing Turkey-Armenia dialogue to VOA News,
Armitage said that the U.S. administration supports this initiative.

"I am not sure whether Turkish Parliament will ratify Zurich protocols
or not, but the initiative towards normalization of relations with
Armenia cannot be underestimated. On the other hand, Turkey should not
damage Azerbaijan’s interests. I know that our Azerbaijani friends
get surprised at the speed of the process. Besides, they are not
being well informed on this issue. The ties with Azerbaijan should
be repaired," he said.

As to adoption of the Armenian Genocide resolution in the
U.S. Congress, Armitage said, "Yes, I am concerned about that a
bit. The Armenian Diaspora is strong, especially in California. This
is a political reality in United States. I have worries about the
probability of revival of the genocide resolution. But I hope the
Armenian Diaspora will be farsighted and will show an appropriate
attitude, realizing how difficult the mission of Turkish government
is."

The Armenian Genocide (1915-23) was the deliberate and systematic
destruction of the Armenian population of the Ottoman Empire during
and just after World War I. It was characterized by massacres, and
deportations involving forced marches under conditions designed to
lead to the death of the deportees, with the total number of deaths
reaching 1.5 million.

The date of the onset of the genocide is conventionally held to be
April 24, 1915, the day that Ottoman authorities arrested some 250
Armenian intellectuals and community leaders in Constantinople.

Thereafter, the Ottoman military uprooted Armenians from their homes
and forced them to march for hundreds of miles, depriving them of
food and water, to the desert of what is now Syria.

To date, twenty countries and 44 U.S. states have officially recognized
the events of the period as genocide, and most genocide scholars
and historians accept this view. The Armenian Genocide has been also
recognized by influential media including The New York Times, BBC,
The Washington Post and The Associated Press.

The majority of Armenian Diaspora communities were formed by the
Genocide survivors.

The Armenian Genocide resolution (H.Res. 106) was submitted to the
House of Representatives by Representative Adam Schiff (D-CA), on
January 30, 2007, during the 110th United States Congress. It was
a non-binding resolution calling upon the US President to ensure
that the foreign policy of the United States reflects appropriate
understanding and sensitivity concerning issues related to human
rights, ethnic cleansing, and genocide documented in the United States
record relating to the Armenian Genocide, and for other purposes. Upon
its introduction it was referred to United States House Committee
on Foreign Affairs where it passed a 27-21 vote and was sent back
for a full house vote. On October 26, 2007, in a letter addressed
to the House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, four key sponsors of the bill,
requested a debate on the bill in full House to be postponed.

In 2009, another congressional resolution affirming the U.S. record
on the Armenian Genocide (H.Res.252) was been formally introduced
in the U.S. House of Representatives by Reps. Adam Schiff (D.-CA),
George Radanovich (R.-CA), Frank Pallone, Jr. (D.-NJ), and Mark Kirk
(R.-Ill). It currently has 134 co-sponsors.

TURKISH AUTHORITIES STRIVE TO LEAD ARMENIAN-TURKISH PROCESS TO DEADLOCK

ArmInfo
2010-01-29 15:16:00

ArmInfo. Turkish authorities strive to lead Armenian-Turkish process to
deadlock, specifically, the process of ratification of the Protocols by
the Turkish Parliament, Ruben Menkonyan, local turcologist, told media.

"Turkish elite is currently taking measures in this area. At the
same time Turkey tries to complete this process." For instance, he
mentioned the meeting of Armenian and Turkish Foreign Ministers,
Edward Nalbandian and Ahmet Davutoglu in London. The turcologist
said that initiating "soccer diplomacy" Armenia has not achieved any
tangible breakthroughs in the process with Turkey. The process is
just imitation of certain actions in the spirit of Turkish policy.

The term "soccer diplomacy" originated after Turkish president A. Gul
visited Yerevan at the invitation of Armenian president Serzh Sargsyan
to watch Armenia vs. Turkey match on Sept 6 2008. For his part the
Armenian President accepted the proposal of his Turkish counterpart
to watch a return match on October 14 2009. The two countries lack
diplomatic relations and their border has been blocked since 1993.

"WHAT WAS NOT DEFINED IN SOCHI, WAS DEFIMNED IN STEPANAKERT"

Azat Artsakh Newspaper NKR
January 29, 2010

On Monday in Sochi by mediation of the Russian president Dmitry
Medvedev the first negotiations in the new year between the presidents
of Armenia and Azerbaijan Serzh Sargsyan and Ilham Aliev have passed.

Predictably, a break in the course of the Karabakh settlement has
not occurred. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov named the
main sum of negotiations the consent of the parties, drawing up
in written form their formulations of disputable principles of the
conflict settlement. He has noted that the parties "find the general
understanding of a preamble of the document" in which principles
of the solution of a problem contain, but in conformity with it he
has refused to open document details, as it remains a subject of
negotiations. General, diplomatically veiled, deprived of a reality
formulations of the minister testify, perhaps, that for today the
mutually acceptable decision of the conflict is not present. As
consequence, there is no also a progress in the problem solution.

About futility of the Sochi summit shows also the fact that its
participants have not acted with the joint statement in which the
certain principles defining prospects of development of negotiating
process would be declared. Though it is necessary to confess,
that similar declarations through Azerbaijan’s fault are also not
of enough importance. So, on November 2008 following the results
of the meeting in Moscow the presidents Medvedev, Sargsyan and
Aliev have signed the general, so-called Meindorf Declaration,
which analysts named it breaking document. That, however, has not
prevented the Azerbaijan leader a month later to refuse from it,
again having started talking about the possible power solution of the
conflict and having confirmed its reputation as unreliable partner in
negotiations. Meanwhile indistinct comments on Sochi’s summit have been
diluted by an information being striking by claim of concreteness. In
press a message has filtered in which with the reference on "the
high-ranking source close to negotiating process", was marked that in
a preamble mentioned by Lavrov, priority of the rights of the nations
to self-determination is fixed, as well as necessity of participation
of the NKR at the next stage of negotiations. Let’s notice, that
information leaks in diplomacy practice- not a new thing, and they
pursue the definite purposes connected with beforehand touching upon
of public opinion on this or that pressing question. For whom it was
necessary to throw the above-mentioned message into information field,
it’s difficult say, as it’s difficult to confirm its reliability.

However, here the following circumstance attracts attention – service
of the given material as the certain intriguing sensation shrouded in
mystery of confidentiality. But essentially there is nothing new and
especially sensational in the given message – an ordinary open secret.

And that is why. The matter is that both these positions – priority
of the rights of the nations to self-determination and necessity of
participation of the NKR in negotiations, already for a long time
are basic components of the position of the Karabakh party.

And Nagorno-Karabakh never did secret of this. As well as from that,
that it will not deviate from its elected way and will achieve
the international legal recognition of the DE FACTO independence –
irrespective of that it participates in negotiating process or not.

Yes, the NKR insisted and continues to insist on obligatory returning
for a negotiating table, as it sees illogicalness and even absurdity
in that without its direct participation the question of its future
is discussed. But it demands returning in process not to discuss own
political status, especially within Azerbaijan, which Baku achieves.

Independence of the NKR – not a subject of negotiations, and especially
– the auctions, but here Karabakh does not refuse from discussion of
other questions, concerning relations with Azerbaijan.

Now neither intermediaries, nor Armenia and Azerbaijan have sounded
the results of the Sochi’s negotiations. The meeting of the three
presidents only has once again confirmed presence of serious
disagreements in positions of negotiating parties which will not
be resolved soon yet. Apparently, in Sochi it was not possible to
define a vector of development of process of settlement. But that
was not possible in Sochi, was already possible in Stepanakert. As
settlement process can be any, but only not contradicting interests of
Nagorno-Karabakh. This thesis was sounded time and again by official
Stepanakert which position, unlike other countries, completely
coincides with people’s will in the given question. Stepanakert
does not want and will not wait for definition of the destiny by the
third party no matter where – in Moscow, Paris or Sochi. Stepanakert
has already defined for a long time priorities and prospects of
own political development. And it adheres to them. Irrespective of
negotiating processes.

Leonid Martirosyan

IN OPINION OF RUBEN MELKONIAN, ARMENIA-TURKEY NORMALIZATION PROCESS REACHES DEADLOCK BY EFFORTS OF TURKEY

Noyan Tapan
Jan 29, 2010

YEREVAN, JANUARY 29, NOYAN TAPAN. The Armenia-Turkey normalization
process has reached a deadlock by efforts of Turkey, and this could be
foreseen as the Turkish policy is based on preconditions. Expressing
this opinion at the January 29 press conference, Ruben Melkonian,
a Turkologist, said that if it continues the same way, the situation
will not change.

In his words, in addition to remaining faithful to the national
and state interests, the RA Constitutional Court’s decision on the
Armenia-Turkey protocols contained a legal answer. In this connection
the Turkologist pointed out a circumstance which has not produced
much response in political circles and the press. According to him,
after the protocol signing, the Turkish side also took a legal step:
the government of Turkey sent a bill, which was annexed to the
protocols and contained the preconditions of the protocols, to the
Great National Assembly. By this bill, in particular the circumstance
of the Kars Treaty coming into force is re-recognized, the sides agree
to discuss various historic problems, "to bring reality to light",
and so on. According to R. Melkonian, thus by the bill, the concealed
preconditions get legal force.

ALIYEV: NABUCCO HAS BECOME "TOO POLITICIZED"

PanARMENIAN.Net
29.01.2010 11:26 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Nabucco lacks a clear leader able to attract the
necessary financing or conduct talks with suppliers and transit
countries, Azerbaijani President said.

"The participation by some in a rival Gazprom project creates a kind
of ambiguity," Ilham Aliyev said in an interview with Bloomberg.

"So far we do not know who is that leader who will move this process
forward," Aliyev said. "Who will engage itself in negotiations with
gas producers, transiters? Who will do the marketing for this gas?

What will be the pricing? So a lot of questions that are not answered
for quite a lot of time," Aliyev said.

Nabucco, backed by the European Union as a way to tap Caspian gas and
diversify supplies away from Russia, has become "too politicized,"
according to him.

"Azerbaijan must know is it all serious about Nabucco," Aliyev said.

"About $20 billion of investment is needed to expand its biggest gas
field, Shah Deniz, to help fill Nabucco."

He also complained about a two-year pricing dispute with Turkey. "The
issues of transit are unresolved. The price for our gas from Turkey is
unsatisfactory so we cannot move forward under these circumstances,"
Aliyev said, Hurriyet Daily News reported.

AMERIABANK’S ASSETS DOUBLE IN 2009, REACHING 103.5 BILLION DRAMS (REVISED VERSION)

Noyan Tapan
Jan 27, 2010

YEREVAN, JANUARY 27, NOYAN TAPAN. In 2009 Ameriabank’s assets doubled,
reaching 103.5 billion drams (about 5 million), with the bank ranking
first in the Armenian banking system by the index of asset growth.

Director General of Ameriabank Artak Hanesian announced this on
January 26, when summarizing the bank’s activities in 2009.

He said that last year credit investments grew by 73% to 54 billion
68 million drams. Liabilities to customers tripled, reaching 69.1
billion drams, while overall liabilities amounted to 81.8 billion
drams. In 2009, the bank’s capital increased by 7% to 1 billion 517
million drams. Last year Ameriabank opened 3 branches in Yerevan,
Nagorno Karabakh and Kajaran. In 2010 it plans to open another 3
branches: in Dilijan, Vanadzor or Gyumri, and in downtown Yerevan.

According to A. Hanesian, in 2009 the bank signed a 30 million dollar
agreement with two financial organizations – FMO and DEG, with million
to be allocated for small and medium business crediting and million
to be given as loans for construction of small hydropower plants.

Besides, a 15 million dollar credit agreement was signed with IFC
for crediting the renewable energy sector, and for trade financing
( million). Loans of IFC and DEG will be attracted this year. A.

Hanesian said that negotiations are being conducted for signing a new
15 million dollar agreement: work is underway to specify the terms
of the agreement. It was mentioned that the name of the international
organization will be announced after signing the agreement.