Author: Chakrian Hovsep

SAFAR ABIYEV REFRAINED FROM THREATS WHEN TALKING TO ROBERT BRADTKE

ArmInfo
2009-10-07 12:31:00

ArmInfo. Azerbaijan’s Defense Minister, Colonel-General Safar Abiyev
received American co-chair of OSCE Minsk Group Robert Bradtke. As the
Ministry’s press service told APA, S. Abiyev noted the importance of
the immediate solution to the conflict and said no variant of solution
was possible beyond the restoration of Azerbaijan’s territorial
integrity and withdrawal of the occupants from our territories. He
also said as if a number of international documents also cover
it. ‘Otherwise, undesired events may happen in the region’, Abiyev
said without going into details on the nature of these undesired
processes. Apparently, under such a delicate formulation, Abiyev
means the importance of fulfillment of the militarist statements by
his country’s authorities and the threats to Armenia.

U.S. HOPES FOR PROGRESS IN CHISINAU

armradio.am
07.10.2009 14:20

"Washington hopes for tangible results at the upcoming meeting between
the presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia to be held in Chisinau on
October 8," U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Europe and Eurasia
Phillip Gordon said.

"We hope that the recent progress made in talks between Presidents
Aliyev and Sargsyan will lead to tangible results when they meet in
Moldova," he said.

The next meeting between the Azerbaijani and Armenian Presidents Ilham
Aliyev and Serzh Sargsyan will take place in Chisinau on Oct. 8 as
part of the meeting of the heads of the CIS member states.

Gordon said the U.S. administration is committed to doing everything
possible to support that goal.

"The United States continues strong support for the Nagorno-Karabakh
peace process. We are interested in the security in the region
including solution to Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. I believe there is
opportunity for it and the U.S. is ready to give support," Gordon
added, Today.az. reports.

ESTABLISHMENT OF DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS WITH TURKEY TO CREATE FAVORABLE ATMOSPHERE FOR TALKS

PanARMENIAN.Net
07.10.2009 12:34 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The delegation led by Armenian President Serzh
Sargsyan visited Beirut in the framework of Diaspora tour.

In a meeting with representatives of the Armenian communities in
Middle East, President Sargsyan dwelled on concerns over the process
of normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations.

Describing the meetings he held during the tour as useful, President
Sargsyan said, "The current situation is not beneficial both for
Armenia and Turkey. Establishment of diplomatic relations will create
a favorable atmosphere for talks."

"Diaspora’s concerns are objective but they should not be an obstacle
for establishment of relations. Similar concerns aroused when Armenia
proclaimed independence or during liberation war in Artsakh. But
belief in our strengths produced the desirable result," he said.

The President also met with Catholicos of Cilicia, His Holiness Aram
I to discuss the Armenian-Turkish reconciliation and the initialed
protocols.

TELENOR AND ALFA AGREE TO MERGE VIMPELCOM AND KYIVSTAR

TeleGeography
Monday, 5 October 2009

Norwegian telecoms group Telenor has announced that it has reached
an agreement with Russia’s Alfa Group to combine common assets to
create a new US-listed mobile operator, potentially ending years of
legal disputes. The agreement will see Russia’s second largest cellco
by subscribers, OJSC Vimpelcom, merge with Ukraine’s leading mobile
operator Kyivstar to create Vimpelcom Ltd. The united company will
provide integrated mobile services to consumers in Russia, Ukraine
and other CIS countries, as well as Georgia, Vietnam, Cambodia and
Laos. Vimpelcom Ltd will seek to expand its operations in other
developing markets in Europe, Asia and Africa, aiming to become one
of the leading players in the industry.

In April 2008 Farimex, a minority shareholder in Vimpelcom, initiated
a lawsuit against Telenor accusing the company of having caused losses
to Vimpelcom shareholders by delaying its entry into Ukraine’s mobile
market, and on 20 February 2009 a court in Omsk held Telenor liable
for USD1.7 billion, which the Norwegian group refused to pay, leading
to the seizure of its stake in the Russian cellco. Subsequent appeals
by Telenor had been adjourned until March 2010 while Telenor pursued
a case against Farimex, alleging that the British Virgin Island-based
firm was acting on behalf of Alfa Group. Under the new agreement,
both parties have agreed to suspend all ongoing legal proceedings
and will take action to withdraw or settle lawsuits prior to the
transaction being completed. The governance structure agreed for
Vimpelcom Ltd is reportedly designed to significantly reduce the
potential for new disputes between the shareholders.

PRESIDENT’S PAN ARMENIAN TOUR UNDER WAY IN LOS ANGELES

11:36 05/10/2009
Panorama.am

Armenia’s President Serzh Sargsyan’s pan-Armenian tour is currently
under way. President traveled to Los Angeles.

Earlier on 3 October, President had a meeting with the Armenian
organizations and institutions in `Palace Hotel’ New York.

It is reported that Armenians of Diaspora in France, New York and Los
Angeles have raised actions of protest against the ongoing
developments of Armenian-Turkish negotiations. No details of New York
actions are reported. According to `ArmeniaNow’ which refers to Los
Angeles Police Department some 3,000 protesters gathered at Beverly
Hills Hilton hotel to meet Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan upon his
arrival.

It’s worth reminding that President Serzh Sargsyan started
pan-Armenian tour to Armenian communities. The mission of the meetings
is to discuss ongoing processes over the Armenian-Turkish
ties. President is going to travel to Beirut, and Doni Rostov also.

Armenian National Committee of America
1711 N Street, NW
Washington, DC 20036
Tel. (202) 775-1918
Fax. (202) 775-5648
Email. [email protected]
Internet

PRESS RELEASE

October 2, 2009
Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
Tel: (202) 775-1918

ARMENIAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE OF AMERICA PROTESTS PROTOCOL PRESSURE
ON ARMENIA

"There can, as a matter of both basic morality and political
reality, be no enduring relationship between Armenia and Turkey
that is not built upon the foundation of Turkey’s acceptance of a
true and just resolution of the Armenian Genocide."
— ANCA Chairman Ken Hachikian

WASHINGTON, DC – The Armenian National Committee of America today
issued the following statement on the Turkey-Armenia Protocols.

"The ANCA stands with the Armenian American community in working to
stop the intense pressure by Turkey and its allies to force Armenia
into accepting a flawed and dangerous set of Protocols that
threaten the security of Armenia, surrender the rights of the
Armenian nation, and insult the dignity of the Armenian people."

"Among the ANCA’s primary concerns, in keeping with the basic
American principles of fairness and the enduring values of the
Armenian nation, is that Armenia, blockaded by Turkey and under
intense economic and diplomatic pressure, is being forced into
accepting terms that threaten her interests, rights, safety, and
future – very notably in the form of a proposed "historical
commission." This provision, a tactic long pursued by Ankara to
cast doubt on the historical record of the Armenian Genocide, is
intended to serve Turkey’s drive to roll back the growing tide of
international recognition of this crime against humanity. There
can, as a matter of basic morality and political reality, be no
enduring relationship between Armenia and Turkey that is not built
upon the foundation of Turkey’s acceptance of a true and just
resolution of the Armenian Genocide."

"These protocols also undermine the right to freedom and self-
determination of the Nagorno Karabagh Republic, surrender the
historical rights of the Armenian nation to a just resolution of
the Armenian Genocide. For these, and other reasons noted in the
ANCA’s point-by-point analysis (see link below) of the Protocols,
the ANCA opposes the pressure that his being applied upon Armenia
to accept this set of reckless and destructive concessions."

"ANCA Chairman Ken Hachikian expressed the Armenian American
community’s outrage at the ill-advised and morally unacceptable
U.S. pressure on the Armenian government to accept the flawed
Protocols, citing recent reports in the New York Times and
elsewhere regarding Secretary Clinton’s personal ‘prodding’ and
‘pushing’ of the Armenian government to accept the Protocols in the
face of broad-based opposition both in Armenia and the Armenian
Diaspora. " (See link below to Hachikian’s letter to Secretary
Clinton).

"A recent on-line poll found over 90% of Armenian Americans are
opposed the adoption of the Turkey-Armenia Protocols (see link
below to survey results). The scope and depth of the overwhelming
opposition to these agreements has been reflected in grassroots
demonstrations in Los Angeles, New York, and in other cities across
the United States and around the world, which are set to continue
during Armenian President Serge Sargsian’s visit to the United
States on October 3rd and 4th."

#####

Relevant Links:

The ANCA’s point by point analysis of the Turkey-Armenia Protocols:
tocols_explained.pdf

ANCA Chairman Ken Hachikian’s Letter to Secretary of State Clinton:
9_clintonletter.pdf

Asbarez / Armenian Weekly Survey on the Turkey-Armenia Protocols:
over-90-of-armenian-americans-oppose-protocols/

T o learn more about the Turkey-Armenia Protocols, visit:

http://ww w.justicenotprocols.com

ARS opposes Armenian-Turkish protocols

Yerkir
30.09.2009 15:43
Yerevan

Yerevan (Yerkir) – Armenian Relief Society Central Executive Board
issued on September 25 a statement denouncing the Armenian-Turkish
protocols pre-signed on August 31.

Below is the text of the statement.

Since August 31, 2009, the Armenian people have been focused on the
mutually agreed protocols for the establishment and development of
relations between Turkey and Armenia.

We realize that Armenians and Turks are bound to live as neighbors,
but we also believe that peaceful coexistence between the peoples of
any neighboring countries should be based on the premises of justice
and mutual respect for each other’s rights in an atmosphere of trust
and sincerity.

Based on this belief, we conclude that the Armenia-Turkey protocols,
drafted with mediation by Switzerland, to be a document that, once
again, tramples upon the dignity and rights of the Armenian people,
and instead of establishing peace between the peoples of Armenia and
Turkey, they pave the way for renewed tensions and crises.

We were expecting that during this period of public discussion
announced by the President of Armenia, it would be possible to amend
and improve this document with the input of Armenians from Armenia
and the Diaspora, basing it on principles of justice and human
rights. These principles envision Turkey to assume responsibility
for the Genocide and agree to repa rations. However, to our great
disappointment, we learned that the protocols cannot be amended and
are to be accepted, or rejected, as they stand.

Under these circumstances, the Armenian Relief Society finds the
protocols, which clearly counter the national interests of the Armenian
people and pose a threat to the national security of Armenia, totally
unacceptable. We reject the protocols in the name of chapters and
members of the organization, which is active in 26 countries around
the world. This organization, whose scattered presence around the
globe is the direct result of the Genocide itself and for decades
since 1915, has been gathering the orphaned and widowed survivors
of the Genocide under its humanitarian umbrella, and has spared no
effort to keep the torch of Armenian cause alive in the hearts of
generations of Armenians.

In the name of all Armenian women widowed by the Turkish scythe and
their orphaned children, we ask the Armenian Government to take a
step back from the edge of the precipice, and to realize the grave
consequences, and to join the protest raised globally against these
dubious protocols, and to reinstate the unity of the people and
the state.

SERZH SARGSYAN SAYS NOBODY MADE HIM INVITE GUL TO ARMENIA

Panorama.am
16:10 30/09/2009

Nobody forced Armenia to normalize ties with Turkey, Armenian President
Serzh Sargsyan declared today at meeting with the members of Public
Council.

During the discussion with the members of Public Council, President
answered to the observations that Armenia resumed negotiations with
Turkey under international pressure:

"Nobody made us to resume negotiations to normalize ties with Turkey,
Nobody pressed on us. Nobody made me to invite Turkey’s President
to Armenia."

It’s worth reminding that extended format meeting of Public Council
chaired by President Serzh Sargsyan took place in Sport&Concert
Complex after Karen Demirchyan. The issues related to the processes
round Armenian-Turkish ties have been the highlights of the meeting.

THE MINISTRY OF DIASPORA IS ONE-YEAR-OLD
Sona Hakobyan

"Radiolur"
30.09.2009 14:50

The Ministry of Diaspora celebrates the first birthday
anniversary. Today Minister Hranush Hakobyan summed up the work dune by
the agency over the past year. The activity of the Ministry has been
primarily targeted at the revival of the Diaspora in the spiritual,
cultural and educations spheres.

The Minister laid a special emphasis on issues of maintenance of the
Armenian national identity and repatriation. Thus, presenting the work
done in different directions, Hranush Hakobyan confessed that there
had been a number of difficulties resulting from lack of experience.

"This first year was like a preparation for our employees. The main
difficulty is connected with the fact that the Diaspora is not a
single body. The Diaspora is far from us, and there are a lot of
Armenians, not included in any organization. The more we get involved
in Armenians structures and organizations, the easier the work of
the Diaspora Ministry," Mrs. Hakobyan stated.

ARMENIA FM MEETS UN SECRETARY GENERAL

armradio.am
30.09.2009 17:48

The Foreign Minister of Armenia, Edward Nalbandian, had a meeting
with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.

During the meeting reference was made to the issues on UN agenda,
the reformation of the organization, the process of implementation
of the millennium challenge goals, the organization of the summit
of UN member states in 2010, as well as the cooperation between the
Armenian Government and the UN Office in Yerevan.

Minister Nalbandian presented the process of normalization of the
Armenian-Turkish relations. The UN Secretary General expressed his
support for Armenia’s steps targeted at the normalization of relations
with Turkey. The interlocutors dwelt on the Karabakh settlement.