Author: Badalian Vardan

ARSHALUYS HAKOBYAN’S TRIAL POSTPONED AGAIN

Tert.am
12:33 ~U 26.01.10

Arshaluys Hakobyan’s trial continued in Yerevan’s Court of First
Instance of Center and Nork-Marash Communities yesterday; however,
the court session was very short and the trial was postponed till
February 5.

Speaking with Tert.am, Hakobyan, who is a member of the Helsinki
Association, said the trial was postponed because the prosecutor
had just received the ruling of the Special Investigation Service
(SIS) and didn’t have enough time to make his conclusion and bring
the accusation to the court.

"They had sent the case to SIS and filed a case against the police
officers who assaulted me. But now the case has been suppressed:
apparently, I have beaten myself with my own hands, I have made the
scratch on my back, I have bitten the police officers’ thumbs and I
don’t know what else," said Hakobyan.

In 2009, Arshaluys Hakobyan had noticed an election fraud while
overseeing municipal elections in Yerevan and had been obliged to come
to the court as a witness. But the two police officers, while handing
him the court summons, had verbally and physically assaulted Hakobyan,
brought him to Kentron (Central) Police Station and then arrested him.

Upon the prosecutor’s petition in October, the court had changed
detention as a precautionary measure for Hakobyan. It has already been
three months that his trial has begun and continues to be postponed.

Demirjian to Conduct Mozart Opera
By Armenian Weekly Staff
January 22, 2010

On Sat., Jan. 30, the New England Concert Opera Players, under the
direction of Aram Demirjian, will perform a concert version of
Mozart’s masterpiece `The Marriage of Figaro.’ The performance will
begin at 7:30 p.m. at Boston University’s Marsh Chapel, on 735
Commonwealth Ave. in Boston. Admission is $5 at the door, with
students admitted at no charge.

The opera will feature among the most talented young singers and
instrumentalists in the Greater Boston area, including current and
former students from Boston University’s Opera Institute, New England
Conservatory, and Harvard University, as well as other local
professional and student musicians. Leading roles include Sonja
Tengblad (soprano) as Susanna, Kara Harris (mezzo-soprano) as Countess
Rosina Almaviva, Joshua Taylor (baritone) as Count Almaviva, and
Graham Wright (bass) as Figaro. The production, abridged for concert
purposes, will include original narration by Harvard graduate in
English and music, Catherine Powell.

Aram Demirjian is currently pursuing his master’s degree in orchestral
conducting with Hugh Wolff at the New England Conservatory. Prior to
his graduate studies, Demirjian attended Harvard University where he
served for two years as music director of the Harvard Bach Society
Orchestra. He was one of only two students with such a distinction in
the history of the prestigious orchestra. He has also studied at the
Pierre Monteux School for Conductors, and this upcoming summer, he
will attend the American Academy of Conducting at Aspen, studying
under David Zimman. Demirjian was selected last year to conduct
internationally famed cellist YoYo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble. Last
summer, he assumed the role of musical director of the Long Island
Youth Symphony Orchestra and toured with them on the eastern coast of
the U.S. and Canada, in Eastern Europe and Iceland.

AzerNews Weekly, Azerbaijan
Jan 22 2010

Erdogan warns Armenia against prerequisites

22-01-2010 06:05:26

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan complained Wednesday that
a ruling by a Armenia’s Constitutional Court could derail efforts to
ratify agreements committing the two countries to normalizing
relations pending in the parliaments of both countries, Hurriyet
reported.
Erdogan made his remarks while on an official trip to Saudi Arabia. He
said the court’s reference both to the `killing of Armenians’ and to
the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Upper (Nagorno)
Garabagh is problematic. `This will challenge the process unless the
mistake is corrected. It’s definitely unacceptable to Turkey,’ Erdogan
told a news conference.
On January 12, Armenia’s Constitutional Court upheld the
constitutionality of the protocols, which had been submitted to it by
President Serzh Sarkisian. The court found, however, that the
documents cannot have any connection with the ongoing Garabagh
conflict resolution process or impede Armenia of its pursuit of
international recognition of the alleged genocide of Armenians. To
reinforce the latter point, the Court referenced Article 11 of
Armenia’s Declaration of Independence, which states: `The Republic of
Armenia stands in support of the task of achieving international
recognition of the 1915 Genocide in Ottoman Turkey and Western
Armenia.’
`We have never taken the protocol to our Constitutional Court. We took
it directly to our Parliament, without making changes. We didn’t
employ a mediator on the text. We didn’t carry out any
read-between-the-lines operations. This is a proof of our sincerity.
Armenia has tried to change the text,’ he said.
The accord, signed by the foreign ministers of Turkey and Armenia in
October 2009, need parliamentary approval in both countries for
ratification. Erdogan’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP),
which controls parliament, has stonewalled the agreements, refusing to
vote on them until Armenia agrees to settle the Garabagh conflict on
Azerbaijan’s terms. *

TURKISH PARLIAMENTARIAN: IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO REOPEN TURKEY-ARMENIA BORDER UNTIL ARMENIA ENDS KARABAKH’S OCCUPATION

Today
Jan 22 2010
Azerbaijan

Day.Az interview with member of Turkey’s Grand National Assembly
(parliament) and Deputy Chairman of Nationalist Movement Party (MHP)
Ismet Buyukataman.

Armenian Constitutional Court has announced the Armenia-Turkey
protocols consistent with country’s laws with preconditions which
has caused Turkey’s discontent. In your opinion, will the protocols
be ratified finally?

Turkey’s PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan has stated that it is impossible to
normalize relations between Turkey and Armenia until Azerbaijan’s seven
Armenia-occupied lands are liberated. The Prime Minister recalled the
UN resolutions on Nagorno-Karabakh asking the rhetorical question,
"who now must make the first move?". He replied to this question
himself: "Armenia should take the first step. Azerbaijan’s seven
regions should be liberated. Without solving this problem, Turkey
will do nothing to normalize relations with Armenia."

We want to believe in Turkish Prime Minister’s promise. Armenia
should resolve its problems with Azerbaijan and, first and foremost,
the Karabakh issue.

Armenians usually step up "genocide" propaganda before April 24. This
year ratification of the protocols by Turkey will also be highlighted.

Can Turkey reopen its border with Armenia as a result of outside
pressure before April 24?

It is impossible to reopen borders with Armenia until Armenia
rescind its decision on invalidity of the Kars Treaty of 1921 and
Gumri Treaty of 1920, which defines the border between Turkey and
Armenia, abolishes the item declaring Anatolia "Western Armenia" in
the Act of Independence, removes Mount Agrı from its coat of arms and
changes the related article in its Constitution, renounces its false
"Armenian genocide" claims, stops smear campaign against Turkey and
Turkish people in the international arena, eliminates causes that
led to the closure of borders between the two countries in 1993 and
takes steps to return nearly one million Azerbaijani refugees to
their homes and puts an end to Karabakh’s occupation.

Pressure from Armenians and international community can not change
this reality.

May Erdogan’s recent Russia trip change anything in terms of resolving
the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict?

In May 2009, Turkish PM Erdogan called on to take active steps to
settle the Karabakh conflict. At that time Russia announced that "the
problem should be resolved by the sides to the conflict." During a
recent visit to Moscow, Erdogan again raised the issue, and Russian
officials said they were ready to do utmost in this regard, but
believe that the Armenian-Azerbaijani and Armenian-Turkish problems
should be resolved in a package version.

This means that Russia takes the issue from a political standpoint,
and it has no initiatives in this respect. So, it is wrong to expect
something from Russia and hope that it will contribute to solving the
problem. Russia has shown its attitude to this issue many times over
the past 20 years.

Will the MHP change position on protection of Azerbaijan’s interests
in settlement of the Karabakh conflict and Armenian-Turkish relations?

Late national leader Heydar Aliyev once said "We are two states, but
one nation." Our Nationalist Movement Party has always approached
such issues from this point of view, and we will continue to treat
them the same way. Azerbaijan is our brotherly country. There can
be no other opinion. Your pain is our pain, and the MHP will always
protect Azerbaijan’s interest and will do everything possible to
address the problems of the fraternal country.

Day.Az

URL:

FIRST ARAB UNIVERSITY TO BE ESTABLISHED IN ARMENIA

PanARMENIAN.Net
19.01.2010 18:45 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Possibilities of cooperation in education and
science were discussed during the meeting of RA Deputy Prime Minister,
Minister of Territorial Administration Armen Gevorgyan with the
Vice-Chancellor of Higher College of Technology of Abu Dhabi Taid
Kamali during the visit of the Armenian deputy prime minister in the
United Arab Emirates, press office of the Ministry of Territorial
Administration reported.

Tayid Kamali will visit Armenia in February 2010. Armen Gevorgyan
expressed the readiness of the Armenian side to establish the Arab
university in Armenia, which will be the first in the region.

At the invitation of the Minister of Education and Scientific Research
of United Arab Emirates Sheikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyani RA
Minister of Territorial Administration, met with members of "Young
Leaders" organization. Armenia has also been invited to become a
member of this organization, and this issue will be discussed during
the visit Tayid Kamali in Yerevan.

NATIONAL PRESS CLUB EXPRESSES INDIGNATION OVER SENTENCING NIKOL PASHINIAN TO IMPRISONMENT

Noyan Tapan
Jan 20, 2010

YEREVAN, JANUARY 20, NOYAN TAPAN. The National Press Club on January
20 made a statement expressing deep indignation over the judgement
sentencing editor-in-chief of the Haykakan Zhamanak daily Nikol
Pashinian to imprisonment.

The charge of "instigating mass disorders," according to NPC, indeed
is nothing else than exercising the right of having convictions,
staying loyal to them, receiving and spreading ideas reserved by the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights, "for which Nikol Pashinian
will pay by 7 years’ imprisonment," NPC’s statement read.

According to NPC, such a judgement of the court has a goal of
sowing fear of professional activity among journalists and deepening
self-censorship.

ARMENIAN MINISTER OF FINANCE TO PARTICIPATE IN SECOND EURASEC COUNCIL CONFERENCE

PanARMENIAN.Net
20.01.2010 15:45 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian Minister of Finance Tigran Davtyan left
for Moscow to participate in second conference of Eurasian Economic
Community Anti Crisis Council, ministerial press service reported.

Financial credits’ provision order will be confirmed at the conference,
investment programs’ funding as well as other current issues discussed.

The Eurasian Economic Community (EAEC or EurAsEC) originated
from the Commonwealth of Independent States customs union between
Belarus, Russia and Kazakhstan on 29 March 1996. The Treaty on the
establishment of the Eurasian Economic Community was signed on 10
October 2000, c_Community
– cite_note-1 in Kazakhstan’s capital Astana by Presidents Alexander
Lukashenko of Belarus, Nursultan Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan, Askar
Akayev of Kyrgyzstan, Vladimir Putin of Russia, and Emomali Rakhmonov
of Tajikistan. On 7 October 2005 it was decided between the member
states that Uzbekistan would join. Freedom of movement is implemented
among the members (no visa requirements).

ASSYRIAN MEMORIAL ISSUE REFERRED TO STATE OMBUDSMAN IN AUSTRALIA

Today’s Zaman
Jan 19 2010
Turkey

A decision by a council in western Sydney to approve a monument
commemorating an alleged Assyrian genocide despite opposition from
the Turkish community and Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith
has been referred to the state of New South Wales’ ombudsman, news
reports said.

The erection of the monument, proposed by the Assyrian Universal
Alliance to commemorate the alleged Assyrian genocide, was approved by
the Fairfield Council in Sydney’s western suburbs in December. Denying
the Assyrians’ genocide claims, Turkey’s ambassador to Australia,
Oguz Ozge, called the council’s decision "very offensive," noting
that the Turkish government was considering legal action against the
council decision.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry had already condemned the council’s
decision while reiterating Ankara’s stance on controversial disputes
about history, saying the issue should only be discussed by historians
through objective analysis.

The Sydney Morning Herald reported on Monday that a complaint was
sent to the ombudsman last week alleging that conflicts of interest
should have prevented at least two councilors from voting.

Adem Cetinay, who is of Turkish origin and who organized a petition
opposing the monument, wrote a 14-page complaint highlighting links
between Assyrian community groups and several councilors who voted
for the monument.

The monument will commemorate the Assyrian victims of an alleged
genocide that supposedly took place between 1915 and 1918. According
to the allegations, approximately 750,000 Assyrians, or approximately
75 percent of the Assyrian population in the former Ottoman Empire,
were killed.

ARMENIA PARTICIPATES FOR THIRD TIME IN INTERNATIONAL GREEN WEEK FAIR

Noyan Tapan
Jan 18, 2010

BERLIN, JANUARY 18, NOYAN TAPAN. With the assistance of the Germany’s
Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, Armenia
is participating for the third time in the 75th International Green
Week fair for food, agriculture and horticulture. Ararat brandy,
wine and vodka plant (Yerevan), Yerevan Champagne and Wine Plant,
the Yerevan Brandy Company, Sis, MAP, Multi Agro, and Tamar Tatik
enterprises are presenting their products at the fair which opened
in Berlin on January 15.

The RA MFA Press and Information Department reported that enterprises
producing agricultural food, particularly foodstuffs and beverages,
from more than 70 countries, are taking part in this annual
exhibition. In addition to displaying their products and art of
cookery, they will also discuss the prospects of cooperation and
establish practical links with each other.

AZERBAIJAN’S MPS PROTEST US CONGRESS DECISION TO FINANCE NAGORNO-KARABAKH

Tert.am
17:29 ~U 18.01.10

Azerbaijani MPs will visit the U.S to protests the U.S Congress’s
decision to send financial aid to the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh.

"During our U.S visit, which begins January 21, we intend to conduct
serious discussions over the U.S Congress’s decision to finance
Nagorno-Karabakh separatists," Parliamentary Security and Defense
Committee member Zahid Oruj told Azerbaijani news agency Trend
News today.

According to him, meetings will be held in Washington and Colorado.

"During the visit, the Azerbaijani delegation composing will meet
with senators and discuss US-Azerbaijani relations and the situation
in South Caucasus," he added.

He said meetings with representatives of Azerbaijani and Turkish
Diaspora organizations in the United States were not ruled out.

"The U.S. is one of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs. During the
meetings, we will stress the need to increase U.S. efforts in the
process of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement under the framework
of Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity," he said.