Author: Chakrian Hovsep

ARMENIAN SIDE ASSESSES RESULTS OF ZURICH MEETING AS CONSTRUCTIVE AND POSITIVE

Noyan Tapan

Jan 29, 2009

YEREVAN, JANUARY 29, NOYAN TAPAN. A meeting of the Armenian President
Serzh Sargsyan and the Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev took place
at the Radisson Hotel in Zurich on January 28.

The Zurich meeting of the negotiation process on the Nagorno
Karabakh conflict settlement was the third one between S. Sargsyan
and I. Aliyev. It started with the participation of the Foreign
Ministers of the two countries Edward Nalandian and Elmar Mamedyarov,
the Co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group Yuri Merzlyakov, Bernard
Fassier and Matthew Bryza, and the Personal Representative of the
OSCE Chairman-in-Office Andrzej Kasprzyk.

Then the two presidents continued negotiations in the tete-a-tete
format.

After a one-hour tete-a-tete talk, the negotiations continued in an
enlarged format.

The Armenian side assessed the results of the Zurich meeting as
constructive and positive. During the meeting the sides presented
their opinions on the current stage of the negotiation process. As a
result of the negotiations, the Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents
instructed the foreign ministers to continue the negotiation process in
cooperation with the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group. The presidents
expressed a desire that the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group will
proceed with work on coordination of the approaches of the sides. An
agreement on the forthcoming regional visit of the co-chairs of the
OSCE Minsk Group was reached.

According to the RA presidential press service, after the negotiations
Serzh Sargsyan left for Davos to attend the opening ceremony of the
World Economic Forum.

BABACAN AND NALBANTYAN MEET IN DAVOS

Sabah
Jan 29 2009
Turkey

During the summit in Davos, Babacan met with the Armenian Foreign
Affairs Minister Nalbantyan, and stated; "We will make an announcement
when there is something concrete."

The Davos summit is playing host to Turkish-Armenian
expansion. Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Babacan met with Armenia’s
Foreign Affairs Edvard Nalbantyan yesterday. In an announcement made
following the meeting, Babacan stated; "We have had ongoing meetings
ever since our National team’s played against each other. As soon as
we have something concrete to release, we will make an announcement."

INCIDENT ON NAGORNO-KARABAKH AND AZERBAIJANI ARMED FORCES CONTACT LINE

ArmInfo
2009-01-27 20:34:00

ArmInfo. An incident has taken place on the Nagorno-Karabakh and
Azerbaijani armed forces contact line.

Press-secretary of the Karabakh Defense Minister, Lieutenant Colonel
Senor Hasratyan reported that according to preliminary data, on
January 26 around 5:30 pm, Bad Tadevosyan, 1983, an inebriated
civilian, who was suffering from a mental disease, made his way to
the Azeri position. Nagorno-Karabakh soldiers tried to stop him but
failed. As a result, the enemy opened fire on the Nagorno-Karabakh
positions. Tadevosyan and soldier Arkadiy Hakopyan, 25, were
killed. According to the preliminary information, the enemy has
also sustained casualties. The body of Tadevosyan is in the Azeri
territory. Investigation is underway.

MEETING BETWEEN ARMENIAN AND TURKISH FOREIGN MINISTERS EXPECTED IN DAVOS

Noyan Tapan

Jan 27, 2009

ANKARA, JANUARY 27, NOYAN TAPAN. Turkish Foreign Minister Ali
Babacan does not exclude a possibility of meeting with his Armenian
counterpart Edward Nalbandian within the framework of Davos World
Economic Forum. According to the Ankara agency, the Turkish Foreign
Minister personally stated it at the airport, before leaving for Davos.

Ali Babacan also said that no meeting between RA President Serzh
Sargsyan and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is planned
in Davos.

It should be mentioned that RA Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian left
for Zurich on January 26. He will meet with Azeri Foreign Minister
Elmar Mammadiarov and OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs on January 27. And
RA President Serzh Sargsyan will leave for Switzerland on a working
visit on January 28 to take part in Davos World Economic Forum. A
meeting between Armenian and Azeri Presidents is planned the same day.

YERKIR UNION CALLS ON INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO ADDRESS PROBLEMS OF GEORGIAN ARMENIANS

PanARMENIAN.Net
26.01.2009 14:34 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Yerkir, the Union of Public Organizations, eyes the
arrests of Grigor Minasyan and Sargis Hakobjanian as a provocation
aimed to destabilize Samtskhe Javakheti and split the Armenian-Georgian
relations.

Grigor Minasyan and Sargis Hakobjanyan are accused of formation of
illegal armed unit and espionage.

A criminal case in compliance with articles 18.1, 223.1 and 314 of
the Georgian Penal Code was initiated. The investigation is led by
intelligence agency of the Interior Ministry.

"Official Tbilisi tries to avoid fulfillment of international
obligations on protection of ethnic minorities’ rights. Yerkir
Union calls on the international community to address problems of
Georgian Armenians," Yerkir program director Robert Tatoyan told a
news conference in Yerevan today.

For his part, Yerkir President Sevak Arstruni said that fear drives
Armenians out of Javakheti.

"We understand that the Armenian authorities can’t take drastic
measures. That is why we call on the Diaspora to join efforts to
protect Armenians of Georgia," he said.

At that, he warned that Azerbaijan is circulating rumors that Armenians
of Javakheti "want to declare independence."

PRESIDENT OF ARMENIA TO LEAVE FOR SWITZERLAND TO PARTICIPATE IN DAVOS WORLD ECONOMIC SUMMIT

ARMENPRESS
Jan 26, 2009

YEREVAN, JANUARY 26, ARMENPRESS: President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan
is leaving January 28 for Switzerland on a working visit to participate
in the Davos World Economic Summit.

Presidential press service told Armenpress that within the frameworks
of the visit on the same day in Zurich negotiations between Armenian
and Azerbaijani presidents over Nagorno Karabakh conflict are expected
to take place. This will be the third meeting between Serzh Sargsyan
and Ilham Aliyev after the Armenian president assumed his office.

Within the frameworks of the Davos Summit a number of bilateral
meetings with the heads of other states and representatives of
international companies are expected to take place.

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan will also meet with representatives
of Swiss-Armenian community.

GLADYS BEREJIKLIAN TARGETS PREMIER POST IN STATE OF NEW SOUTH WALES, AUSTRALIA

PanARMENIAN.Net
21.01.2009 17:59 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ If the Australian Liberal Party wins the next
elections in the State of New South Wales, Gladys Berejiklian stands
poised to get the nod for a coveted cabinet post, the first Armenian
ever to come within touch of the circle of power in this country’s
most populous state, the Ragmamoul reports.

She has already carved out an Australian first with her appointment
as Shadow (opposition) Transport Minister.

The prospective portfolio in a Liberal State government would be
of a "toxic nature," as one columnist here observed, but that’s
still at least two years away. In the meantime, she will have to
content herself her current role, one she plays to a standing ovation
among her constituents: scarcely a week passes by that she does not
feature in some local publication or other, as she takes the cudgels
to the ruling Labor party and castigates it for its shortcomings,
and promises a better deal from her Party.

"I don’t deny that it will be extremely challenging, but I’m also
chafing at the bit to make things better for people," Berejiklian said.

Gladys Berejiklian was born and raised in Sydney, where her parents
had immigrated to in 1960. She attended local schools and studied
the Armenian language at Saturday School held in the Willoughby
Primary School.

RUSSIA’S MTS PLANS TO LAUNCH 3G NETWORK IN ARMENIA

Prime-Tass English-language Business Newswire
January 19, 2009 Monday 1:37 PM EET

Russia’s largest mobile operator MTS plans to launch a third generation
(3G) network in Armenia, Chinese telecommunications equipment maker
Huawei, which will supply equipment for the project, said in a
statement obtained by Prime-Tass Monday.

The commercial launch of the 3G network is scheduled for sometime in
March-May, Huawei said.

Agence France Presse — English
January 15, 2009 Thursday 2:45 PM GMT

Azerbaijan slams Russia over alleged Armenia arms supplies

BAKU, Jan 15 2009

Ex-Soviet Azerbaijan on Thursday made a "strong protest" to Russia
over weapons transfers it said Moscow had made to Armenia in violation
of United Nations resolutions.

"The Azerbaijani foreign ministry voices strong protest in connection
with the transfer of arms to Armenia and calls on Russia to take all
necessary steps to avert the consequences," the ministry said in a
statement.

On Wednesday Russia’s defence ministry denied Azerbaijani media
reports that Moscow had supplied Yerevan with 800 million dollars (610
million euros)-worth of tanks, armoured personnel carriers, rockets,
grenade launchers and ammunition via a Russian army base in Armenia,
Interfax news agency reported.

"There have been no supplies of Russian weapons to Armenia. The
reports alleging this are untrue," Russian defense ministry spokesman
Alexander Drobyshevsky said.

Azerbaijan said the alleged weapons transfers violated UN resolutions
aimed at preventing a renewal of the conflict over Nagorny Karabakh,
where Armenia-backed separatists wrested control from Azerbaijan’s
authorities in a war after the 1991 Soviet collapse.

"The transfer of weapons serves to strengthen the military potential
of Armenia, which has occupied a part of Azerbaijani territory," the
Azerbaijani ministry said.

Azerbaijan and Armenia still periodically exchange fire around Nagorny
Karabakh causing casualties on both sides.

Russia is a close ally of Armenia’s and its military base in Armenia
represents a significant outpost in the volatile South Caucasus, while
Azerbaijan has ties to the United States and has supported its
operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.

2ND EDITION OF HRANT DINK JOURNALISTIC AWARD FOR FREEDOM OF INFORMATION DUE IN ROME

PanARMENIAN.Net
15.01.2009 18:10 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ On January 23, 2009, the prestigious Ceremony Hall
of the Armenian Papal College of Rome, will host the second edition
of Hrant Dink Journalistic Award for the Freedom of Information
instituted by the Council for the Armenian Community of Rome in
honor of the Armenian-Turkish journalist, Agos bilingual newspaper
editor who was savagely assassinated in Turkey on January 19, 2007,
the Armenian community of Rome told PanARMENIAN.Net.

This award is aimed at showing the value of the work of all the
journalists who do not wave over talking about "thorny" issues as the
Armenian genocide. Therefore, this is a prize both to information
freedom and, at the same time, to courage and honesty, the courage
that led some valiant men, as Hrant Dink, (but also as the Nobel Prize
winner Pamuk and as many other writers, journalists and academics)
not to be silent.

During the first awarding ceremony, held on January19, 2008, on the
occasion of the first anniversary of Dink’s murder, in collaboration
with the association "Reporter Without Borders", journalists Roberto
Olla of the TG1 (TV news), Flavia Amabile and Marco Tosatti of La
Stampa newspaper were given prizes.

The award of the second edition will be given to the journalists
Patrizia Alberici of Radio RAI (public Italian Radio Television)
and to Caterina Maniaci of Libero (Newspaper).

On the same occasion, the volume titled "The blood of the lambs –
reportage among the Christians persecuted in Middle East", published
by Guerini, will be also introduced in the presence of the author
Rodolfo Casadei.

Casadei is a special correspondent of the Tempi weekly magazine. He
personally went to see and listen to the Christians who are in trouble
and are subjected to any form of oppression in Turkey, Jordan, Syria,
Lebanon and, most of all, in Iraq…. He gives a journalistically
unexceptionable documentation to us. He was one of the last western
reporters to interview Hrant Dink before his vile murder. The first
chapter of the book just witnesses this encounter.

The encounter is sponsored by the Armenian Embassy in Italy and by
the Armenian Papal College, in collaboration with Guerini Publisher.