Author: Chalian Meline

NKR PARLIAMENT SPEAKER FOR NEW CONCEPTION OF KARABAKH CONFLICT’S PERCEPTION

DeFacto Agency
July 24 2008
Armenia

On of super tasks of our foreign policy is formation of a new
conception of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict’s perception, Chairman of
Nagorno-Karabakh’s National Assembly Ashot Gulian stated in the course
of measures arranged for 15th anniversary of NKR MFA’s establishment.

Karabakh Parliament Speaker mentioned the importance of activating
efforts in the sphere of propaganda and the role of the NKR’s
foreign representations in the case, Regnum reports. Ashot Gulian
underscored that a great role in the Nagorno-Karabakh’s settlement in
a peaceful way belonged to NKR MFA. "Peaceful and just settlement of
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is real if all our resources, coordinated
efforts of various parts of Armenian nation, as well as possibilities
of people’s and parliamentary diplomacy are targeted to achieve the
goal", Ashot Gulian noted.

TURKISH PRESIDENT NOT DECIDED ABOUT THE VISIT TO ARMENIA

armradio.am
24.07.2008 16:05

Turkish President Abdullah Gul declared in Kars yesterday that
he has not yet taken a decision on RA President Serzh Sargsyan’s
invitation. Gul said this in response to the question of the
correspondent of the Armenian Reporter Tatul Hakobyan, Mediamax
reported.

"First of all I thanked the Armenian President for the invitation. We
have not taken the decision yet. Our policy is distinct: we wish to
establish friendly relations and cooperation with all the countries
of the region. The existing problems must be solved and we wish to
see the region stable," Turkey’s President declared.

MORE DETAILS ON ARMENIA-TURKEY SECRET CONTACTS REVEALED

AZG Armenian Daily
23/07/2008

Armenia-Turkey

On July 18 "Hurriet" newspaper stated without any details that
Armenia-Turkey secrtet talks have started in Bern, Switrzerland. Later
the fact was confirmed.

Nevertheless is most interesting are neither the responses nor the
confirmation. The most interesting are the details of the meeting.

Some details were provided by the Turkish New York website
(turkishny.com). This is what they write, "the friendly gestures of
Serge Sarkisian encouraged Turkey, which has had unofficial contacts
with Armenia for almost 10 years. It turns out that Foreign Ministry
Councilor Rtugrul Apakan and his assistant on Caucasus and Central Asia
Unal Zevikoz had two series of meetings with the Armenian delegates
in May and July.

Although Ali Babacan confessed time to time contacts between
Armenia and Turkey, he refused to provide any details. According to
information received, Ankara is aware of Azerbaijan’s opposition in
case Armenia-Turkey contacts become public.

As far as Turkish Daily News came to know, Apakan’s and Zevikoz’s
meetings with the Armenians in Bern were successful in sense of
coming to agreement on the strategy and methods of resolving the
present problems.

It also came out that instead of discussing the establishment of one
commission, the Armenian and Turkish sides discussed the opportunity
of founding four joint commissions, one for the borders, the Genocide,
reparations and Karabakh respectively.

Previous President of Armenia Robert Kocharian denied Recep Tayyip
Erdogan’s proposal to establish a commission of Armenian and Turkish
historians to study the 1915 events. Kocharian insisted that an
intergovernmental, not scientific commission must be established. This
time, according to diplomatic sources, measures are taken to meet
the requirements of both the sides.

Most attention during Apakan’s and Zevikoz’s meetings was paid to
the question of opening the Turkish-Armenian border. It is a long
time since the EU and the USA have started persuading Ankara that
opeing the border with Armenia is the best way to weaken Armenia’s
positions on the Genocide".

In the end turkishny.com mentions Serge Sarkisian’s invitation of
Abdullah Gul to Armenia on September 6 and says about the possibility
of having the third round of talks this year before the possible
meeting in Yerevann

RA MFA DELEGATION OFF TO STEPANAKERT

armradio.am
22.07.2008 17:23

On July 22 the delegation of the Ministry of Foreign affairs of
the Republic of Armenia headed by Deputy Foreign Minister Arman
Kirakosyan left for Stepanakert to participate in the celebration
of the 15th anniversary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the
Nagorno Karabakh Republic.

MOSCOW TALKS ON NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT TO FOCUS ON TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY OF AZERBAIJAN: FOREIGN MINISTRY

Trend News Agency
July 21 2008
Azerbaijan

The upcoming Moscow talks between the Foreign Ministers of Azerbaijan
and Armenia on the resolution of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict will focus
on the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.

The meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the two countries Elmar
Mammadyarov and Edward Nalbandyan will be held on 1 August in Moscow,
Khazar Ibrahim, spokesman for the Foreign Ministry of Azerbaijan said
to media on 21 July.

The talks will be held on the basis of Madrid principles of
resolution of the conflict. In November 2007, co-chairmen of OSCE
Minsk Group presented basic principles of the peaceful resolution
of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict to the presidents of Armenia and
Azerbaijan. The co-chairmen believe that the " Madrid proposals"
are fair and balanced.

The conflict between the two countries of the South Caucasus began
in 1988 due to Armenian territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Since
1992, Armenian Armed Forces have occupied 20% of Azerbaijan including
the Nagorno-Karabakh region and its seven surrounding districts. In
1994, Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement at which
time the active hostilities ended. The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk
Group ( Russia, France, and the US) are currently holding peaceful
negotiations.

PACE President makes official visit to Armenia

2008-07-19 14:05:00

ArmInfo. Lluis Maria de Puig, President of the Parliamentary Assembly
of the Council of Europe (PACE), is to make an official visit to
Armenia from 22 to 25 July to deepen co-operation between Armenia and
the Assembly and to promote implementation of the Assembly’s
Resolutions 1609 and 1620.

The press service of the Council of Europe reports that following on
from the recent visit of the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human
Rights, Mr de Puig intends to assess, in particular, the credibility of
the enquiry into the events on 1-2 March, and will urgently raise the
issue of people detained in connection with these events. Following his
recent visit to Azerbaijan, he will also discuss the latest political
developments concerning the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Meetings are foreseen with the President of the Republic, the Speaker
of the National Assembly, the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister,
among others, as well as Armenia’s Human Rights Defender and the
members of the ad hoc committee looking into the causes of the events
in March. Mr de Puig will also meet representatives of parties in the
parliament, including the Heritage faction, and former President
Levon Ter-Petrossian.

MINISTER NALBANDIAN DISCONTENT WITH AZERBAIJANI STATEMENTS

A1+
17 July, 2008

RA Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian, who is presently on official
duty in Washington, met U.S. Deputy Secretary of State on the European
and Eurasian affairs Mr. Daniel Frid.

The two parties discussed the agendum of Armenian-American cooperation
and referred to the problems of security and stability in the region.

Minister Nalbandian and the Deputy Secretary of State exchanged ideas
on the possible causes and consequences of post-election developments
in Armenia and discussed Armenia’s steps towards their settlement. The
interlocutors also conversed over the perspectives of regulation of
Armeinan-Turkish relations.

On July 16 Edward Nalbandian had another meeting with US Co-chair
of the OSCE Minsk Group Methew Bryza. The parties discussed the
process of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict regulation, the results of
the co-chairs’ latest visit to the region, as well as the possibility
of a new meeting between the foreign ministers of both countries.

At the meeting Minister Nalbandian expressed his dissatisfaction
about the reaction of international public to the Azerbaijani warlike
statements, directed to Armenia.

The second half of the day RA Foreign Minister spent meeting
representatives of Armenian organizations in the U.S.A. – Armenian
National Committee of America, Armenian Assembly of America and
U.S.-Armenian Public Affairs Committee – presenting them the
cooperation project with the Armenian Diaspora.

IS LAKE BLUFF RESIDENCE A HOME OR A CHURCH?

Chicago Tribune
July 17 2008
IL

LAKE BLUFF, Ill. – A battle is brewing in the North Shore suburb
of Lake Bluff over a Chicago banker and real estate firm owner’s
contention that his $3 million home is a church.

When George Michael converted his residence into the Armenian Church
of Lake Bluff, it qualified him for a nearly $80,000 break on his
annual property tax bill.

Village officials wonder how they will make up the lost revenue.

Michael told state officials last month that he began his congregation
more than a year ago after he got a pastor’s degree from an online
religious site.

While only a handful of close friends and family attend the church,
his attorney said Michael made the move to spare his disabled wife
the hardship of having to travel to practice her religion.

RA FOREIGN MINISTER HOPES FOR SOONEST ARRIVAL OF U.S. AMBASSADOR IN ARMENIA

PanARMENIAN.Net
15.07.2008 14:19 GMT+04:00

Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian and U.S. Secretary of
State Condoleezza Rice discussed appointment of new U.S. Ambassador
to Armenia.

"I hope for soonest arrival of the new Ambassador, what will encourage
development of the Armenian-U.S. relations," Minister Nalbandian said,
the RA MFA press office said.

On March 28, 2008, Pres. Bush nominated Marie L. Yovanovitch to serve
as America’s next Ambassador to Armenia.

U.S. Senate confirmation hearings for the new ambassador-elect
were postponed because the State Department has delayed responding
to Senators’ questions about her position on Armenian Genocide
recognition.

"We remain troubled by Ambassador Yovanovitch’s evasive answers,
her outright non-responses, and her refusal, in her replies to
Senator Obama and other Senators, to offer anything approaching
a reasonable or factually supportable explanation of the reasons
behind Administration’s misguided policy on the Armenian Genocide,"
said Aram Hamparian, Executive Director of the ANCA.

Bush’s previous nominee as U.S. Ambassador to Armenia, Richard
Hoagland, was subject to two legislative holds by Sen. Bob Menendez
(D-NJ) and was ultimately withdrawn by the Administration, following
the nominee’s statements denying the Armenian Genocide.

The position of Ambassador to Armenia has been unfilled since
Ambassador John Evans was recalled two years ago by the Bush
Administration for recognizing the Armenian Genocide.

PRESIDENT SERZH SARGSYAN VISITS FRENCH EMBASSY ON THE OCCASION OF FRANCE’S NATIONAL HOLIDAY

ARMENPRESS
JULY 14

The presidential press service told Armenpress that President Serzh
Sargsyan paid a visit today to the French Embassy in Armenia on the
occasion of France’s National Holiday.

It said the president congratulated the embassy staff. Noting with
pleasure the high-level French Armenian relations he expressed hope
that they will continue to successfully develop.