Author: Badalian Vardan

AZERBAIJANI FOREIGN MINISTRY: DEPLOYMENT OF PEACEKEEPERS NOT STANDS ON AGENDA NOW

Today.Az
055.html
Aug 27 2009
Azerbaijan

"Today Armenia and Azerbaijan discuss general principles for a
settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,"
Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry spokesperson Elkhan Polukhov said
commenting on media reports about possible deployment of peacekeepers
in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan which will provide security
for returnee population in the Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding
occupied areas in case of agreement between the sides.

"Issue of peacekeepers’ deployment is not on the agenda at the
moment. Today the parties are discussing the general principles for
a settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,"
he said.

‘The issue of deployment of peacekeepers in the conflict zone is
one of the items within the overall process of implementation of the
agreements reached. Deployment of peacekeepers is a multi-component
question which may consist of many different parts," Polukhov said.

"This issue includes participating countries who will send their
representatives, types of forces to be deployed, their armament,
mandate and location. That is, this is whole complex of issues that may
be subject to regular discussions between the parties, but only after
a general agreement to resolve the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict," Polukhov said.

MINSK TO ASSUME CSTO CHAIRMANSHIP AND SIGN CRRF AGREEMENT

PanARMENIAN.Net
28.08.2009 10:53 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Belarus will assume CSTO chairmanship and sign
agreement on Collective Rapid Reaction Forces (CRRF), Belarusian
President Alexander Lukashenko told journalist Thursday, after
finishing negotiations with his Russian colleague Dmitry Medvedev.

Having invested much effort in studying CRRF issues, Belarus cannot
but accept the document. "We invested much both in the contents and
essence of the agreement," Belarusian President said, stressing the
importance of legally formalizing his country’s chairmanship.

"We haven’t been a chairing country for six months, therefore
we decided to undertake chairmanship for the next term as well,"
Lukashenko said, noting that "it will be probably achieved through
a statement by Belarusian side."

As reported by Russian President’s press service, Presidents Medvedev
and Lukashenko discussed schedule for upcoming meetings, particularly,
they agreed to take part in West-2009 military drills due in Belarus
on September 29, 2009. Russian President reiterated his willingness
to take part in EurAsEC interstate council’s session scheduled in
Minsk on November 27, BELTA news agency reports.

Russia has temporarily undertaken organization’s chairmanship. "CSTO
member states agreed to hand over temporary chairmanship to Russia,
a country which is going to convene a relevant summit," President
Medvedev said in a CSTO summit in Moscow.

Decision to create collective rapid reaction forces (CRRF) was adopted
by state leaders on February 4, 2009. Rapid reaction forces will be
used for repulsing military aggression, undertaking special operations
in fight against international terrorism and extremism, transnational
organized crime and drug trafficking, as well as eliminating the
impact of emergency situations.

CSTO is a military political union consisting of seven states –
Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and
Uzbekistan. The organization came into existence based on Agreement
on Collective Security, dated May 15, 1992.

ARMENIAN GOVERNMENT EXTENDED TERMS OF CREDIT PROVISION TO AGARAK COPPER MOLYBDENUM INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX

ArmInfo
2009-08-27 19:58:00

ArmInfo. At Thursday session, the government of Armenia extended
the terms of credit provision to Agarak Cooper Molybdenum Industrial
Complex.

Finance Minister of Armenia Tigran Davtyan, who introduced the
decision, said a decision was made at the visiting session to Syunik
region to grant credit to ACMIC to the sum of $14 million for 4 years
at a half-year rate Libor + 8 from the date of the credit repayment
beginning December 15, 2009.

(Ed. The funds have been granted within the frames of the Russian
stabilization credit of $500 million received by Armenia). The loan
was provided to acquire equipment and upgrade the complex. Moreover,
by the government’s decision, the credit can be also used to solve the
transport problems and replenish the floating capital. The minister
said this will allow ACMIC to implement its investment programme,
fulfill the assumed liabilities and fully restart the complex. In
its turn, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources of Armenia Armen
Movsisyan said the complex carries out all the agreements with the
country’s government on both the workplaces and investments. According
to the prime minister, the government responds to the plant
management’s request and allows to replenish the floating capital.

However, the company undertakes to sign a contract of pledge with
the government on the acquired equipment, during 4 months, he
said. GeoProMining Group of companies acquired the shares of Agarak
Copper Molybdenum Industrial Complex in December 2007.

OPENED A MUSEUM TO GAREGIN NJDEH

Aysor, Armenia
Aug 26 2009

"The aim of Compatriot Unions is to come back to their cradle and to
bring it back. The aim of our Compatriot Union is to unite the people
on a common idea", – said the president of "Nakhijevan" Compatriot
Union Mels Lazarian in the press conference.

For gathering the world spread Armenians on one idea, the "Nakhijevan"
Compatriot Union recurrently holds activities on preserving the
Armenian national traditions: pilgrimages to the tombs of Garegin
Njdeh and Paruyr Sevak, the realization of Armenian rituals.

M. Lazarian among the activities mentioned the works held on
the opening of the museum to Garegin Njdeh. He informed that the
government provided place for the museum, a part of the school #161,
where the hall was repaired and furnished, but the registration of
samples was still in progress.

As to M. Lazarian, the issue of Nakhijevan is one of the topics in the
Compatriot Union agenda. He mentioned that they refer to the problem
of destroying the memorials. On this occasion the union has gathered
specialists to provoke accusation against Azerbaijan on destroying
the memorials.

TURKISH AMBASSADOR GOES BEYOND THE DIPLOMATIC ETHICS

Information-Analytic Agency NEWS.am, Armenia
Aug 26 2009

15:13 / 08/26/2009MP Eduard Sharmazanov, Spokesman of the Armenian
Republican Party (ARP) headed by Serzh Sargsyan, suggested Turkish
Ambassador to Azerbaijan to offer advice to leadership of his own
country rather than those of the neighboring one.

"If H.E. Ambassador thinks deeper and more impartially, moreover,
perform his direct duties, he would realize it is better to counsel his
own superiors, say on necessity to adhere to the agreements reached,"
Sharmazanov declared.

Meanwhile, he mentioned that Turkish Ambassador to Baku is a specific
diplomatic officer, that is conditioned by the current situation. Thus,
his statements periodically go beyond the bounds of diplomatic
ethics, not always and not really reflecting the official position
of his country. Instead the pursued aim is to win the sympathy of
the fellow-country [Azerbaijan] leadership.

Turkish Ambassador to Azerbaijan Hulusi Kilic suggested Armenian
President to arrive in Turkey by air for the football match, as
"Armenia-Turkey border gate opening is connected with the Karabakh
issue settlement."

NKR CITIZENS HAVE YET TO PETITION CONSTITUTIONAL CHAMBER
Anahit Danielyan

Nagorno Karabakh court
2009/08/26 | 17:54

According to Ararat Danielyan, President of the NKR Supreme Court,
no cases have been brought to the Constitutional Chamber by Karabakh
citizens since they were allowed to do so as of July 1, 2009.

With the passage of the NKR Constitution, the Supreme Court was granted
the right to have cassation and constitutional chambers. Mr. Danielyan
told "Hetq" that the most likely reason that citizens have not yet
taken advantage of the constitutional body is that it is just two
months old and that most residents still do not know of its existence.

In many appeals, regarding violations of the law or constitutional
amendments, and he expressed amazement that citizens haven’t yet
petitioned the Constitutional Chamber.

He went on to say that citizens had the right to petition the chamber
when all other court processes had been exhausted and when a citizen
isn’t arguing the decision of a lower court but the constitutionality
of the laws on which the decision was based.

EXPERT SAYS PRESIDENT’S STATEMENT PRESSED UPON TURKEY

Panorama.am
16:41 24/08/2009

"President Serzh Sargsyan’s statement has been a pressure on Turkish
side, addressed to Turkey making them to do the next step," political
expert Alexander Iskandaryan, the director of Caucasus Institute told
at news conference.

It’s worth reminding that on 28 July President Serzh Sargsyan said:
"I will only accept the invitation only if the agreements are observed
and visible steps are taken, i.e. I will go to Turkey if the border
is open or if we are on the threshold of Armenia’s deblockading."

According to the expert the president’s step has been a diplomatic
trick. Sometimes Turkey also makes such statements pressing on Armenia,
but the expert says he is sure that if the process is stopped by
any state then it will have negative influence on that state by the
international society.

A. Iskandaryan says it is much possible President Serzh Sargsyan will
travel to Turkey in October.

Diyarbakır holds service for Tigran in absentia

Thursday, August 13, 2009
DÄ°YARBAKIR ` DoÄ?an News Agency

Dİyarbakır Mayor Baydemir lays carnations during the
service in absentia for singer Aram Tigran, who died on Aug. 8.

A service in absentia was held at the Diyarbakır Armenian
Cemetery late Wednesday for singer-songwriter Aram Tigran, whose
burial in Turkey faced a bureaucratic halt.

Tigran, a Greek citizen of Armenian origin, was famous for his songs
in Kurdish and was seen as one of the key figures in Kurdish music. He
died last Saturday in Athens from a brain hemorrhage.

The singer was born in 1934 in the village of Bianda, in the
southeastern province of Batman, before his family moved to the Syrian
town of Qaliseli. He started playing the oud, a stringed instrument,
at the age of 9. Over his lifetime, he wrote more than 100 songs in
Kurdish and Armenian and had a repertoire of 435 songs in various
regional languages.

His last wish was to be buried in Diyarbakır, but a foreign
national’s burial in Turkey necessitates approval from the Foreign
Affairs, Interior Affairs and Culture ministries.

In the absence of a body, Diyarbakır Metropolitan Municipality,
which is governed by the pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party, or DTP,
held a service at the Armenian cemetery.

DTP Diyarbakır deputy Aysel TuÄ?luk said she still
believed Tigran would be buried in Diyarbakır as he wished. `I
am sure those who prevented Tigran’s body from coming here will
eventually realize their mistake,’ she said.

DTP Diyarbakır branch chief Fırat Anlı said the
ceremony was an acknowledgement of loss. `We have no doubt that Tigran
will eventually be buried here,’ he said.

Diyarbakır Mayor Osman Baydemir, also speaking at the ceremony,
said, `The failure to bring Tigran’s body to Diyarbakır showed
the fact that nothing is changing.’

Baydemir said Tigran would be buried in Brussels, but a DTP delegation
would go there and sprinkle some of Diyarbakır’s earth on his
grave.

Trend, Azerbaijan
Aug 10 2009

Russian-Turkish proximity to contribute in solution of
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict: Turkish FM

The Russian-Turkish proximity will contribute in solution of the
[Armenian-Azerbaijani] Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Turkish Foreign
Minister Ahmet Davudoglu told Turkish TV channel KANAL7, Anadolu news
agency said.

The Russian-Turkish proximity will undoubtedly contribute in the
solution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict without any doubt, Davudoglu
said.

During his visit to Turkey Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin
stated the serious and active work for the resolution of the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Turkish news agencyANADOLUreported.

"Serious work is being done to settle the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
and there is serious progress in this direction. Moscow is eager to
see rapid resolution of the conflict," Putin added.

The prime minister said that Russia’s position on the solution of the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict remained unchanged. "We cannot do the job of
conflict sides, but only assist in the solution to the dispute," he
added.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan
lost all of Nagorno-Karabakh except for Shusha and Khojali in December
1991. In 1992-93, Armenian armed forces occupied Shusha, Khojali and 7
districts surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh. Azerbaijan and Armenia signed
a ceasefire in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group – Russia,
France, and the U.S. – are currently holding the peace negotiations.

Recently Russia has taken positive steps for the solution of the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Davudoglu added.

AZERI COMMUNITY LEADER IN UAE MISREPRESENTS FACTS RELATED TO THE ARMENIANS

Panorama.am
17:24 19/08/2009

In a rather strange interview with Day.AZ Azeri information website,
Mr. Samir Iman, the head of the Azerbaijani community in the United
Arab Emirates, dedicated more than half of his time to talk about
the Armenian community (instead of talking about his own community),
providing details about the number of Armenians in the country,
where they meet and what they do, where they originally come from
and at what level is their knowledge of Arabic language, etc.

Following this introduction Mr. Iman expressed his view that "despite
the relatively large number of Armenians, they cannot do anything
openly or stage any propaganda … we can say that the Armenian
diaspora in the UAE is dead and is hardly felt here".

He claimed that the Armenians "took advantage" of Turkish President
Abdullah Gul’s visit to Yerevan last year and published an article in
a well known daily in Dubai (Gulf News), in which they said Azerbaijan
"imposed a blockade on Karabakh and wanted to occupy it". Following
his intensive efforts the same newspaper, he claimed, published a
new article in which the Azeri positions were emphasized.

Mr. Iman concluded his interview stating that he has been busy during
the last two years distributing in the UAE and in other Gulf countries
an anti-Armenian book and another book glorifying Azeri ex-leader
Hayder Aliev.

Azad-Hye Middle East Armenian Website has tried to locate the above
two articles in the newspaper’s online archives, but was not able to
find anything of the kind.

First of all the Armenian presence in the UAE goes back to the fifties
of the last century. Six of the ten big companies in the early years
in Abu Dhabi (in the 1960s) were managed by Armenians. The first
licences in the industrial area in the Emirate of Sharjah were issued
to Armenian-owned companies. This is aside from numerous Armenians
who served as managers of trading companies, banks, chief engineers,
chief accountants, financial advisors as well as in other economic
disciplines throughout the Emirates.

The status of the Armenians in the UAE has improved even more
during the last decades. There is a permanent Armenian Church with
community center in Sharjah and another one to be built in Abu
Dhabi soon. Hundreds of Armenian children continue to attend weekly
lessons in Armenian language and civilization. Many organizations
function. According to Azad-Hye the total number of Armenian events
during 2008 was about 92, excluding the regular church ceremonies. The
Armenian annual ball is one of the most known social events in Dubai.

In 2008, on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of organized community
life, the Council of the Armenian Community in the Northern Emirates
(Dubai, Sharjah, etc) has published a well documented book, in which
details were given about the presence of the Armenians in the country
and the progress of the community until recent times.

For over twenty years the Abu Dhabi Cultural Association has
been arranging different mega cultural activities at least twice
a year. These include famous Armenian orchestras from Armenia,
quartets and small musical groups from Armenia, Europe and several
Arab countries where Armenians live, as well as exhibitions of works
of Armenian painters and sculptors.

Since 2000 the Armenian Embassy in Abu Dhabi has been arranging yearly
Armenian cultural weeks with the participation of specially invited
individuals and groups from Armenia.

Azad-Hye website has covered thousands of topics since its
establishment in 2003, with more than 60 thousand monthly visitors. It
has contributors in several countries and an online Armenian radio
station.

It is obvious that Mr. Iman wants to please his single-sided readers
and score well with his government, but his attempts and analytical
exercises are so naive that at a certain point they can embarrass or,
to be more precise, mislead the Azeris. A quick reading of the above
basic facts reveals how shallow the pool of information Mr. Iman
commands.