Erdogan To Meet Armenian Community Leaders On Friday

ERDOGAN TO MEET ARMENIAN COMMUNITY LEADERS ON FRIDAY

Armradio.am
24.03.2010 11:02

Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is to meet with Armenian
community leaders living in Turkey on Friday, Today’s Zaman reports.

Erdogan’s decision came amid growing criticism in Turkey over his
latest remarks on the possibility of deporting illegal Armenian workers
in the country if necessary. Erdogan said while on a visit to the UK
on March 16 that Turkey could send 100,000 Armenian workers who are
working in the country without the required permission back to Armenia.

"Look, there are 170,000 Armenians in my country — 70,000 of them are
my citizens, but we are [tolerating] 100,000 of them [illegally] in
our country. So, what will we do tomorrow? If it is necessary, I will
tell them, ‘Come on, back to your country.’ I will do it. Why? They
are not my citizens. I am not obliged to keep them in my country. I
mean these are [defenders of the Armenian claims of genocide]. Their
attitude is negatively affecting our sincere attitude, and they are
not aware of it," Erdogan said in an interview with the BBC last week.

Following his remarks in the UK, intellectuals harshly criticized
Erdogan for having deviated from his government’s general approach
to ethnic and religious communities in Turkey.

"We have never had any problems with our Armenian citizens," Erdogan
later said. He complained that he was misquoted in the media, which
he said misrepresented his remarks to mean that they were targeting
Turkey’s Armenian community.
From: Baghdasarian

Armenia-Turkey Policy Discussions To Be Held In Yerevan

ARMENIA-TURKEY POLICY DISCUSSIONS TO BE HELD IN YEREVAN

PanARMENIAN.Net
24.03.2010 13:30 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Eurasia Partnership Foundation (EPF) together with
Istanbul-based Global Political Trends Center (GPoT) and with funding
from USAID will hold Armenia-Turkey policy discussions on March 25-26,
2010, EPF Communications Office reported.

The meeting will bring together a number of distinguished opinion
makers and media professionals from Turkey and Armenia. The list of
participants will include retired Armenian and Turkish diplomats and
high-level government officials; as well as renowned Armenian and
Turkish media professionals.

The meeting is part of the USAID-funded "Days Two and Three in
Armenia-Turkey Rapprochement" project, which seeks to build ties and
to develop mutual understanding among Armenian and Turkish peer groups
in the non-government, media and business sectors. The discussions
will not focus on Armenian-Turkish protocols but rather elaborate on
the entire range of recent Armenian-Turkish developments. A special
emphasis will be made on what should be done within the Track Two
Diplomacy efforts regarding the current diplomatic impasse in the
Armenia-Turkey relations.

Eurasia Partnership Foundation has been implementing Armenia-Turkey
initiatives since 2005 to promote cross-border partnerships between
Armenian and Turkish peer groups, helping them to contribute
strategically to state efforts to build relations between the two
countries.
From: Baghdasarian

Trainer Of Arthur Abraham Sees No Reason To Let Fight Head To Judges

TRAINER OF ARTHUR ABRAHAM SEES NO REASON TO LET FIGHT HEAD TO JUDGES IN DIRRELL’S HOMETOWN

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
23.03.2010 19:16 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The trainer of Arthur Abraham, Ulli Wegner, has
urged his fighter to get the knockout when he takes on Andre Dirrell
on Saturday night at the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Michigan.

Dirrell-Abraham is the first fight in the second stage of the Super
Six super middleweight tournament. Abraham is the tournament leader
in points after scoring the only knockout of the tournament last year
against Jermain Taylor. Dirrell lost a close points decision to WBC
champion Carl Froch.

Wegner sees no reason to let the fight head to the judges in Dirrell’s
hometown.

"Arthur must get the knockout. There is not point in allowing it to
go to the judges who can see things differently," boxingscene.com
cited Wegner as saying.
From: Baghdasarian

Public Accord

PUBLIC ACCORD

os17260.html
14:27:55 – 23/03/2010

Avetik Mejlumyan: social worker, candidate of philosophical science

What would you say about the current historical period?

I have the feeling that we are living a period of uncertainty. Two
years ago, the situation was much clearer and people either agreed or
disagreed with it. Different people give various interpretations of
the situation, even if all of them are right, they do not describe
the situation wholly, so I think it is uncertainty. Possibilities
and their implementation also contain uncertainty.

Are models of state building not right?

They are right but the direction of the thought is wrong. Everyone
stresses the need to find something new, new ideas but they are
not going to change fundamentally the situation. In other words,
I have the impression that just the variety increases. Ideas about
approaches are better to be found.

What kind of mechanism do you propose?

The main responsibility for proposing such a mechanism should be
allocated to the political opposition. Often you can hear opinions that
the approaches of the Armenian National Congress are not different from
the approaches of the power. But I think that is not the case. Congress
also went down the wrong path, offering "100 economic steps"; the
problem is not the aim but again the mechanisms.

Congress should propose a plan for limiting its own power in the
future. This could be the best guarantee, and people would begin to
join, there would appear a new movement. For example, if there is a
monopoly, it means that there are systemic problems. I, as a carrier
of oppositional ideas, would like to receive assurances that the
opposition, when coming to power, intends to make steps to limit its
own power. The same goes for the judiciary, in dealing with the media.

Does opposition have to give guarantees to win next elections?

I think it can bring more changes than the debate about ideas. Now
I’m important to know which models will be applied. It even does not
matter whether it is a socialist or capitalist model. Broad public
masses can be consolidated only if there are guarantees and confidence
in the new force.

Before the election, Ter-Petrosyan said he was coming for three years.

Ter-Petrosyan defined a clear time but he did not define the actions he
intended fulfilling. The lack of confidence and attention of the public
is determined by the lack of guarantees. The possibility for changes
will increase if a force shows guarantees for further limitation of
its power.

Here is an example: in a society there is a category that is
involved in electoral processes, but its opinion is clearly not
evident, although the fraud carried out by their hands. That is the
falsification of elections became some kind of culture. This category
will offer its services to all, and one of the guarantees could be
the promise not to involve in the election the groups which already
participated. Instead, they may be involved non-party youths enjoying
the authority of the people in society.

Is change of power possible?

I see such a possibility because there is a big field of
possibilities. The more the uncertainty is, the bigger the possibility
for a change of power is. I think "100 steps" was proposed as a
compromise. What are the guarantees of the opposition that coming to
power it will fulfill that program?
From: Baghdasarian

http://www.lragir.am/engsrc/interview-lrah

DAMASCUSL Syrian – Armenian Relations Bolstered

SYRIAN – ARMENIAN RELATIONS BOLSTERED

SANA- Syrian Arab News Agency
.htm
March 22 2010

President Bashar al-Assad and the visiting Armenian President Serzh
Sargsyan held here Monday a session of talks on bilateral relations
as well as on the latest regional and international developments.

In a joint press conference following the talks, President al-Assad
described the visit of President Sargsyan as a ‘ further pillar
following my visit to Yerevan", in bolstering of the Syrian-Armenian
relations, pushing them forward.

President al-Assad asserted that the given conditions and developments,
witnessed by the world in general, and the Middle east in particular,
require the " more of cooperation, and consultations in every field,
especially in the political and economic ones".

President al-Assad outlined that his talks with President Sargsyan
dealt with the standing bilateral relations and prospects of their
development,’ given the strong bonds binding both friendly people’,
importance of reactivating the Syrian-Armenian Joint Committee,
as well as the conditions in the Middle East and Caucasus.

"The conditions in the Middle East and Caucasus Regions were at
the center of out talks; especially the conditions in the occupied
Palestinian territories, and the halted Mideast Peace Process and
what we hear every day of Israeli declarations threatening with war,
rather than working for peace. Israel meets peace calls with the more
of siege, killing and settlements construction; which could portend
dire consequences," said President al-Assad.

"I have been briefed by President Sargsyan on the latest developments
related to the conditions in Caucasus," added President al-Assad,
reiterating necessity of work as to overcome all differences between
Armenia and Turkey, resorting to dialogue as to continue the process
of confidence building, ‘ hence both of them have the good intentions
to this effect", hailing President Sargsyan’s decision as go forward
towards relations with Turkey as ‘ courageous’ ‘ based on a far-sighted
vision’. President al-Assad renewed Syria’s willingness to play a
role in the finding of a ‘ common grounds’ as to construct normal
Armenian-Turkish relations, in the interest of the region security
and stability.
From: Baghdasarian

http://www.sana.sy/eng/21/2010/03/22/279310

EDB To Establish Branch In Yerevan

EDB TO ESTABLISH BRANCH IN YEREVAN

PanARMENIAN.Net
23.03.2010 10:12 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) will establish
a branch in Yerevan in the near future in compliance with the decision
taken by the RA government on March 11, 2010.

"Presently, a relevant agreement is under discussion," deputy chairman
of the EDB board of directors Gennady Zhuzhlev told a PanARMENIAN.Net
reporter.

The EDB was founded on January 12, 2006 in Astana, Kazakhstan following
the signing of the Agreement on Establishment of the Bank, which
was then ratified by the Republic of Kazakhstan on April 12, 2006
and by the Russian Federation on June 3, 2006. The Bank officially
commenced operations on June 16, 2006. The Bank enjoys the status
of an international organization and is subject to international
law. The Bank was established with a charter capital of US$1.5
billion, of which US$1 billion is contributed by Russia and US$500
million by Kazakhstan. According to the founding documents, any
country or international organization can apply to become a member
of the EDB. The Bank’s mission is to facilitate the development of
market economies, economic growth and the expansion of trade and
other economic ties in its member states by carrying out investment
activities. The Bank strives to become a consolidating element within
the financial infrastructure and a catalyst for the expansion of
integration processes in the territory of its member states.
From: Baghdasarian

Azerbaijan signing truce with NKR actually recognizes NK Independenc

RA MFA: Azerbaijan, signing truce with NKR, actually recognizes
Nagorno Karabakh’s independence

21.03.2010 15:51 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Statements by the President of Azerbaijan Ilham
Aliyev are direct evidence that Baku is not ready to a constructive
dialogue over the Karabakh conflict resolution, Shavarsh Kocharyan ,
Armenian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs said, commenting on the
recent statement by the President of Azerbaijan on the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement.

"Azerbaijan continues to inflate a bubble of illusions, sitting on the
oil needle, this is a "bubble" of continuous distortion of the essence
of the conflict, its causes and the negotiation process. The flow of
militaristic rhetoric has not been stopped so far. Azerbaijan has the
opportunity to withdraw its troops from the occupied territories of
Nagorno Karabakh and begin negotiations with the Republic of Artsakh,
before this bubble bursts, " Deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia said.

According to Shavarsh Kocharyan, President Aliyev voiced a regular
monologue, Azerbaijan completed negotiations with itself and the
outcomes of those negotiations are broadly in line with Azerbaijani
interests, with some exceptions – apparently they cannot even agree
with themselves.

"President Aliyev, after inheriting the power, imagined, that he can
speak on behalf of the time, international law, the mediators, the
people of Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh. Baku pretends it does not
understand there is no alternative to the Nagorno Karabakh’s
independence either now or in a hundred years, or ever. Nagorno
Karabakh Republic is a state established in full accordance with
international law, the state, which managed to resist the policy of
ethnic cleansing and aggression of Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan, signing a
truce with the NKR, actually recognized the independence of Nagorno
Karabakh in 1994, " Deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia said.
From: Baghdasarian

Transactions with ARCA cards by VTB Bank Armenia grew by 82,2%

Transactions with ARCA cards in processing system of VTB Bank Armenia
in March grew by 82,2%

20.03.2010

ArmInfo. Total volume of transactions with local ARCA cards in the
processing system of VTB Bank (Armenia) grew by 82,2% in March, 2010
as compared to February, and their number grew by 38,1%.

As Armenian Card CJSC told ArmInfo, in the total volume of
transactions, the volume of cash transactions with local ArCa cards in
the processing system of VTB Bank (Armenia) grew by 83% in March. The
volume of cashless transactions with these cards over the reporting
month grew by 57,7% to 3.893 thsd drams, and the number grew by 38,1%
to 101 transactions.

To note, VTB Bank OJSC is a sole owner of VTB Bank (Armenia) CJSC.
From: Baghdasarian

World Bank Supports Armenia in Public Sector Performance Improvement

RIA OREANDA, Russia
March 18 2010

World Bank Supports Armenia in Public Sector Performance Improvement

Washington. OREANDA-NEWS . March 18, 2010. The World Banks Board of
Executive Directors today approved a USD9 million credit for the
Second Public Sector Modernization Project (PSMP II) for Armenia. The
project will assist the Government of Armenia in its efforts to
improve the quality of public services by introducing a
performance-based pay system and a code of conduct for civil servants,
and by enhancing public access to all available government
information, reported the press-centre of World Bank. Strengthening
governance through improved public service delivery is among the
priorities for Bank support, saidAsad Alam, World Bank Regional
Director for the South Caucasus. While some improvements have been
made in the area of governance and anti-corruption, important
challenges remain, including in the enforcement of conflict of
interest legislation pertaining to public officials. In the new
economic reality brought about by the global economic crisis, public
administration reform has grown even more important, as getting better
value from public expenditures and improving public services have
become a necessity. Ensuring that public service provisions do not
suffer at a time of tighter fiscal constraints requires focused
efforts to strengthen performance management. To improve public
service delivery, enhancing technology is not enough by itself. The
most crucial and difficult part is changing behavior and
organizational culture, added Kathy Lalazarian, head of the World Bank
team designing the project. Its important to have efficient public
services throughout the recovery because more than ever families are
counting on the services the government provides.

This demanding agenda will be tackled by the PSMP II, as despite
progress in civil service reform under the ongoing PSMP I, policy
formulation and implementation functions need additional
strengthening. The Project will also help build capacity for
performance management, and will support the Governments efforts to
bolster the rules regulating conflict of interest in public service
and improve enforcement. PSMP II has three main components. It
supports: (i) the design of organizational structures in pilot
institutions and improvement of the management of business processes
by streamlining and coordinating functions; (ii) making human resource
management more effective, and enhancing public service ethics and
staff performance systems; and (iii) complementing and enhancing the
electronic governance and automation systems to make them accessible
to the general public, aiming for better service delivery, and more
transparency and efficiency. The IBRD Flexible loan has a maturity of
25 years and a grace period of 10 years included. Since joining the
World Bank in 1992 and IDA in 1993, the commitments to Armenia total
approximately USD 1, 318, 7 million.
From: Baghdasarian

ISTANBUL: US official: No deal to block `genocide’ vote in House

Today’s Zaman, Turkey
March 20 2010

US official: No deal to block `genocide’ vote in House

A senior US State Department official on Thursday said he was unaware
of any deal that would keep the Armenian `genocide’ resolution from
being brought to the full House floor for a vote.

During a daily press briefing, US State Department Acting Deputy
Spokesman Gordon Duguid commented on remarks made by Assistant
Secretary of State Philip Gordon about a speculated-upon deal in
Congress over the Armenian `genocide’ resolution, which was passed in
the US House Foreign Affairs Committee on March 4.

Duguid said he was not aware of any deal on the resolution. `That is
something that Congress will decide,’ Duguid noted. `I am unaware of
any deal.’

20 March 2010, Saturday
TODAY’S ZAMAN İSTANBUL
From: Baghdasarian