Author: Boshkezenian Garik

NEW UN CHAIR CALLS GEORGIA AGGRESSOR

Kommersant
Sept 17 2008
Russia

Georgia committed an act of aggression and violated the UN Charter when
it invaded South Ossetia, Miguel d’Escoto Brockmann stated on September
16 at his first press conference as chairman of the UN General
Assembly, reports Inner City Press. The 63rd General Assembly of the
United Nations began today at it New York headquarters. Brockmann spoke
about the need to reform the UN Security Council at a closed session,
saying that some of the members of the Security Council are a threat
to world peace because of their inability to overcome their passion
for war.

Brockmann criticized the United States in a conversation with
a representative of another permanent member of the Security
Council. He said the veto in the council had "gone to the head"
of the U.S. and given it the idea that it can do anything it wants
without consequences. There are ten regularly changing members of the
council and five permanent members with vetoes. The permanent members
are China, the U.S., Great Britain, France and Russia. The structure
of the council has not changed since 1945. At a closed session of
the 62nd General Assembly, it was decided to begin negotiations on
expanding the Security Council no later than in February 2008.

Brockmann is a former foreign minister of Nicaragua, a Catholic priest
and a winner of the Lenin Prize. He was elected chairman of the General
Assembly for one year as a representative of Latin America and the
Caribbean Basin, whose turn it is to chair this assembly. Nicaragua
is the only country besides Russia to recognize the independence of
South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Other countries, such as Armenia, Belarus
and Venezuela, have expressed support for Russia’s recognition of
the republics, but not recognized them themselves.

GRAND SLAM INTERNATIONAL CHESS SUPERTOURNAMENT ENDS IN SPAIN

Noyan Tapan

Se p 16, 2008

BILBAO, SEPTEMBER 16, NOYAN TAPAN. The Grand Slam international chess
supertournament ended on September 13 in the city of Bilbao, Spain. In
the last, 10th round Levon Aronian was defeated, gained 13 points and
shared the 2-3rd places with Magnus Carlsen (Norway). Veselin Topalov
(Bulgaria) became the winner of the tournament with 17 points.

TURKEY WARMS TO ARMENIA

Canberra Times
September 15, 2008 Monday
Australia

The pace of the thaw taking place between Turkey and Armenia is nothing
short of breathtaking. Much attention has been focused on Turkish
President Abdullah Gul having attended a football match in Armenia’s
capital, Yerevan, at the invitation of his Armenian counterpart,
Serzh Sarkisian, but the two sides are moving beyond symbolism.

A deal has been struck under which Armenian power stations will supply
electricity to Turkey, and state-run Turkish Radio Television has
signed a cooperation pact with Armenia 1 TV.

Gul has even professed full confidence that the issue which caused
Turkey to close its border with Armenia in 1993, the latter’s war on
Azerbaijan over the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave, can be resolved with
relative ease.

It is depressing to compare all this with the lethargy that typifies
intra-Arab cooperation. Arab governments are incapable of joint
action. They talk about unity, but they connive against one another
with neither mercy nor shame and regard one another’s citizens as
hostile aliens.If successful, Turkey’s charm offensive will show how
soft power can undo the complications wrought by the harder variety.

"THE MINSK GROUP IS A SUITABLE FORMAT FOR KARABAKH CONFLICT"

AZG Armenian Daily
16/09/2008

Karabakh conflict

Similar opinion expressed US Permanent Representative to NATO
Kurt Volker while speaking of NATO’s possible participation in the
settlement of the "frozen" conflict.

The diplomat at the same time announced that the improving relations
between Armenia and Turkey will have a positive influence on Karabakh
conflict and the whole region as well.

"Establishment of diplomatic relations between Armenia and Turkey and
open borders will have a positive influence on the whole region. The
solution of the available issues will contribute to the development
of regional cooperation and integration of the region into the world
economy", he said.

U.S. USES ISRAEL TO ATTACK IRAN

PanARMENIAN.Net
12.09.2008 15:09 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert summoned Defense
Minister Ehud Barak and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni for an urgent
consultation on Iran Wed. Sept. 10, as the USS Theodore Roosevelt
aircraft carrier headed out to the Mediterranean for missions "in
support of maritime security."

Its arrival will bring the number of US aircraft carriers in the
Mediterranean, Persian Gulf and Arabian Sea to four, compared with
two Russian warships. Most of the Russian fleet in the region is
concentrated in the Black Sea whence it has easy and rapid access to
Middle East waters.

The Roosevelt will be followed by its strike force, which includes
the guided missile cruiser Monterey, the guided missile destroyers
Mason and Nitze, with 7,300 sailors and marines aboard, and the attack
submarine Springfield.

Sources report that the USS Ronald Reagan carrier and its strike group
began engaging in assault and support missions for US and NATO forces
in Afghanistan on Aug. 28.

The Iwo Jima carrier group, whose decks carry 6,000 sailors, air
crews and marines, supports the US Sixth Fleet in the Mediterranean
and Fifth Fleet in the Gulf with a massive amphibious capability.

The USS San Antonio amphibious transport dock ship is the first vessel
of its class to be deployed in the region as a platform for supporting
Marine movements and operations ashore.

The USS Peleliu carrier patrols the Red Sea and Indian Ocean. It is
escorted by vessels carrying a large Marine contingent.

Monday, Iran launched a three-day naval-air-missile exercise to
practice defense tactics for its nuclear sites, DEBKAfile reports.

Meanwhile, Alaska Governor and Republican vice presidential nominee
Sarah Palin told ABC News that nuclear weapons under the control of
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad would be "extremely dangerous to everyone
on this globe." She called for a hands-off approach to Israel if it
decided to strike Iranian nuclear facilities.

"We cannot second-guess the steps that Israel has to take to defend
itself," she said.

BOX: DARCHINYAN LANDS BIG TITLE UNIFICATION BOUT
by Adrian Warren

AAP Newsfeed
September 10, 2008 Wednesday 1:37 PM AEST

Australia’s Vic Darchinyan has landed the biggest bout of his boxing
career – a super flyweight unification match against Mexican maestro
Cristian Mijares in Las Vegas.

Darchinyan’s manager Elias Nassar said he clinched the deal for the
November 1 bout early today.

IBF champion Darchinyan will attempt to win the WBA and WBC titles
currently held by the 26-year-old Mexican southpaw.

Mijares has a record of 36-3-2 with 15KOs and is unbeaten in his last
26 contests stretching back six years.

The Mexican is acknowledged by the prestigious Ring Magazine as the
leading super flyweight in the world.

Darchinyan, 32, who has a record of 30-1-1 (24KOs) has also held the
IBF and IBO flyweight titles and the IBO super flyweight championship.

The Armenian-born Darchinyan will be fulfilling one of his major aims
as he has frequently sought a prestigious unification bout.

He is currently in Armenia but, according to Nassar, resumed training
a week and a half ago.

Darchinyan, who is also a southpaw, suffered his only professional
loss last year to Nonito Donaire of the Philippines.

TURKEY WANTS TO FREEZE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE ISSUE

PanARMENIAN.Net
12.09.2008 13:58 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Federation of Assyrian Organizations of Armenia
welcomes the visit of Turkish President Abdullah Gul.

"However, we think that Armenia should not yield its positions,"
Irina Gasparyan, the Federation President, told a news conference in
Yerevan today.

Head of World Yezidi National Union, Aziz Tamoyan doesn’t bind hopes
with Gul’s visit to Armenia. "Coming to Yerevan, Turkish President
should understand the consequences of this event. He should seek for
ways establish dialog with Armenia and accept that Yezids, Assyrians
and Greeks were also subjected to Genocide in the Ottoman Empire,"
he said.

Arkady Khitarov, head of the Greek Union of Armenia, commented,
"We should always remind Turkey about its past but simultaneously
establish civilized relations with this country."

Asked by a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter to comment on Turkish President’s
intention to mediate tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan, Irina
Gasparyan said she doesn’t believe in such mediation, taking into
account friendly Turkey-Azerbaijan relations.

According to Aziz Tamoyan, putting forth the Caucasus Stability
and Cooperation initiative, Turkey tries to freeze the Armenian
Genocide issue

ARMENIA TO SELL ELECTRICITY TO TURKEY STARTING FROM 2009

Noyan Tapan

Se p 11, 2008

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 11, NOYAN TAPAN. Starting from 2009, Armenia will
sell electricity to Turkey. According to Azg daily, the Armenian
minister of energy and natural resources Armen Movsisian announced
this during a briefing with reporters. He said that discussions
on this issue were held during the visit of the Turkish president
to Armenia at the invitation of the Armenian president. During the
meetings, an agreement was also signed between the ministry and Unit
company (Turkey) which is engaged in the import and distribution
of electricity in Turkey. Besides, an agreement was signed between
High-Voltage Electric Networks of Armenia and Unit on the direct
export of electricity from Armenia through Kars. The date of starting
the electricity export depends on the Turkish side. The price of
electricity to be exported will be calculated by a special formula
based on the price of gas. In the words of A. Movsisian, this price
will be economically efficient and well-founded: by rough estimates,
1 kw will cost 5.7 cents. It was mentioned that Armenia last supplied
electricity to Turkey in the Soviet time.

ABDULLAH GUL: "ARMENIANS ARE INCLINED TO LEAVE THE OCCUPIED AZERBAIJANI TERRITORIES"

Azeri Press Agency
Sept 11 2008
Azerbaijan

Ankara – APA. Turkish President Abdullah Gul, who had ended his
short-term visit to Azerbaijan and returned to Ankara, briefed a
group of media representatives on board the plane.

APA reports quoting Turkish media that Abdullah Gul said Turkey’s
policy concerning Nagorno Karabakh had not changed.

"Azeris should not worry. Turkey has always supported Azerbaijan’s
struggle at the sacrifice of its interests. We are parts of Turkish
nation," he said.

Abdullah Gul said he respected the strictures voiced in Turkey and
Azerbaijan over his visit to Armenia.

"Isn’t this visit important if we achieve solution to the problem
and Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity is restored? We discussed with
Sarkisian the situation in the Caucasus, problems between Azerbaijan
and Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh conflict," he said.

Turkish President said Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian wanted the
problems with Azerbaijan to be solved.

"Armenians are inclined to leave the occupied Azerbaijani
territories. I felt this at the meeting with Sarkisian. Of course,
the refugees will return and occupation will end," he said.

Abdullah Gul also underlined that he was satisfied with his Azerbaijani
counterpart Ilham Aliyev’s position.

ARMENIA CAN HELP TURKEY BECOME EUROPEAN COUNTRY, OSCE PA

ARKA
Sep 8, 2008

YEREVAN, September 8. /ARKA/. Armenia has a historic chance to help
Turkey become a modern European country, Goran Lenmarker, Special
Representative of the Chairman of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly
for Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Special Reporter on the situation in
Georgia and South Ossetia, stated at his meeting with Speaker of the
RA Parliament Tigran Torosyan.

He expressed his appreciation of Armenia’s policy in the region,
pointing out that he expects progress in Armenian-Turkish relations
after Turkish President Abdullah Gul’s visit to Armenia.

He stated that powerful forces in Turkey want to make it a modern
European country but encounter difficulties.

Lenmarker said that Turkey is a Muslim country, where the state is
not often separated from religion, and the incumbent Government,
with religious Government members, wants it, which, in turn, is of
importance for being closer to European policy.

Turkey must find strength to accept its past by admitting the Armenian
Genocide, and become a EU member, after the country meets all the
standards set for EU member-states – the protection of human rights,
democracy and incorrupt society, Lenmarker said.

In this context he pointed out the importance of the establishment of
Armenian-Turkish relations, with the first step to be the reopening
of border between the two countries.

Lenmarker stressed that th e improvement of bilateral relations may
have a psychological effect on Turkey, which will prevent nationalist
forces from dominating the situation and allow Turkey to become a
truly European country.

Speaker Torosyan pointed out that Armenia has always been ready to
establish relations without any preconditions. However, it is Turkey
that sets preconditions.

"Nonetheless, we should look ahead with hope. The different states’
interests clash in the region, but it is the countries of the
region that must primarily be concerned over peace and security in
the region".

Armenia and Turkey have no diplomatic relations, and the
Armenian-Turkish border was closed in 1993 on Turkey’s initiative.

Turkey sets a number of preconditions for bilateral relations,
namely, Armenia’s abandoning the policy of international recognition
of the Armenian Genocide and recognizing Turkey’s present-day
borders. Besides, Turkey holds an overt pro-Azerbaijani position in
the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process.