Author: Chmshkian Vicken

ISRAEL: MILITARY ACTIONS AGAINST IRAN STILL POSSIBLE

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
28.07.2009 12:59 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ At his visit to Israel, US Defense Secretary
Robert Gates urged Iran to reply Washington’s diplomatic offers
by September. Upon completion of negotiations with Gates, Israeli
Defense Minister Ehud Barak noted that military actions against Iran
are still possible.

After Israel, Gates will visit Jordan for talks with King Abdullah and
his defense chief that will focus on coordinating efforts to leave
a stable Iraq after U.S. forces complete their scheduled pullout,
BBC Russian reported.

Vision of the Islamic Republic of Iran West Azarbayjan Provincial TV,
Orumiyeh, Iran
July 24 2009

Armenian, Iranian provincial officials discuss cooperation

Ashot Ghahramanyan, the governor of Armenia’s Armavir Region, visited
Iran’s West Azarbayjan Province on 23 July to discuss enhancing
bilateral economic, commercial and agricultural cooperation,
provincial TV reported on 24 July.

Ghahramanyan was invited by the governor-general of West Azarbayjan
Province, Qorbani, to discuss ways of promoting the exchange of
technical knowledge on agricultural issues, provincial TV said.

During the visit, Ghahramanyan familiarized himself with agricultural
facilities in West Azarbayjan’s Khoy township, provincial TV said.

COURT ASKS POLICE, GENDARMERIE IF DINK MURDER SUSPECT WAS INVESTIGATED

Today’s Zaman
July 25 2009
Turkey

The Trabzon 2nd Peace Court continued hearing evidence in the Dink
murder trial yesterday and decided that a letter should be written
to Trabzon Gendarmerie Command to ask whether or not there was an
investigation into Yasin Hayal, the prime suspect in the assassination,
prior to the Jan. 19, 2007 murder.

A witness who testified on July 6 at the Istanbul 14th Higher Criminal
Court in the murder trial of Hrant Dink, a Turkish-Armenian journalist
assassinated by an ultra-nationalist teenager, stated that he saw one
of the prime suspects in the case at the Trabzon Gendarmerie Command
before the murder.

Dink family lawyer Hakan Bakırcıoglu pointed out that the police
should investigate very carefully how the assassination plan was
devised, how Dink was targeted and how the murder was carried out. He
also said Ä°stanbul and Trabzon police department officials with
suspected links to the murder should be called to account.

An investigation following the Dink assassination revealed that a group
of ultranationalists was behind the murder. Strong evidence suggested
that some members of the group had ties with the police department in
Trabzon, the hometown of the plotters. Some gendarmes later confirmed
that they had been tipped off about the plot to kill Dink before the
murder was committed. Dink family lawyers have frequently alleged
that police have attempted to obscure evidence.

The Trabzon court also decided that the results of any investigation
carried out into Hayal, who might have incited the murder, should be
sent to the court. In addition, the court decided that the gendarmerie
should also inform the court if any relevant investigations had been
carried out prior to the murder. Bakırcıoglu also asked the court
that testimony given by Å~^ahin, in court as part of an investigation
into a clandestine organization, should be presented to them since
he is also a suspect in the Dink case.

YURI MERZLYAKOV: "TWO CO-CHAIRS OF OSCE MINSK GROUP WILL BE CHANGED"

APA
July 22 2009
Azerbaijan

Baku – APA. Two co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group will be changed
by the end of the year, said OSCE Minsk Group’s Russian Co-Chair
Yuri Merzlyakov.

APA reports quoting Armenian Public Radio. According to him,
Russian and American co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group will likely
be changed. Merzlyakov noted that Matthew Bryza would have his last
visit to the region as the American Co-Chair.

AZERBAIJANI COMMUNITY OF NAGORNO-KARABAKH READY TO MEET WITH ARMENIAN COMMUNITY

Today.Az
ics/54035.html
July 22 2009
Azerbaijan

The Azerbaijani community of Nagorno-Karabakh is ready to meet with
the region’s Armenian community.

"All wars end up with a peace agreement. If we want to resolve the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in a peaceful way, we should make use of
all our opportunities," the Head of the Azerbaijani Community of
Nagorno-Karabakh Bayram Safarov said.

Safarov said that if the Azerbaijani President agrees, the Azerbaijani
community will be ready to meet with the Armenian community of
Nagorno-Karabakh.

"All countries recognize the territorial integrity of
Azerbaijan. Nagorno-Karabakh is our native land. We must use each
chance to return to our native home. We should take the necessary
measures to solve the conflict," the head of the community said.

The regular reciprocal visits of leaders and the awaited meeting of
the communities can only have a positive impact on the negotiation
process to settle the conflict by a peaceful process, which is being
carried out by the presidents, he said.

NALBANDIAN’S COMMENTS RAISE MORE QUESTIONS THAN ANSWERS
Ara Khachatourian

asbarez
Jul 21st, 2009

In his haste to respond to detractors, Armenia’s Foreign Minister,
Eduard Nalbandian, Monday, speaking for the first time since the
two-day Moscow presidential meetings, attempted to clarify Armenia’s
position on matters of urgent importance. However, his statements
raised more questions than provided answers.

One of the points Nalbandian attempted to clarify was refuting
statements by his Azeri counterpart regarding the existence of a
timetable for the withdrawal from the liberated territories surrounding
the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. "I can tell you that this issue has
not been discussed at the Moscow meeting," insisted Nalbandian.

What the foreign minister did not clarify is whether Armenia is
engaged in any discussion related to withdrawal from any territory
surrounding Karabakh. Last week when Nalbandian was in Stepanakert for
talks with Karabakh leaders, he told a press conference that Armenia
has always insisted on ensuring there is land corridor connecting
Armenia and Karabakh.

Furthermore, the foreign minister added that without the consent of the
people and leadership of Karabakh no agreement will be signed. Will
the leadership and people Karabakh ever consent to conceding any
territory that was liberated during the war?

Then there is the other elephant in the room: the so-called "roadm ap"
agreement announced on April 22.

Nalbandian on Monday said that Armenia has not agreed to the formation
of a historical commission to study the Genocide, but almost in the
same breath detailed the formation of an inter-governmental commission,
whose sub-commissions will be tasked to "deal with various issues,
including the issue of the restoration of mutual trust between the
two peoples."

"The restoration of mutual trust" is a loaded statement given that
even in this climate of détente official Ankara continues to place
preconditions. As recently as Monday, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet
Davutoglu said that Turkey-Armenia borders will not open until the
resolution of the Karabakh conflict.

Furthermore, in pursuing this agenda, official Yerevan has shown its
willingness to compromise on critical principles. First, there was
the complete disregard for the fact that Turkey closed its border
and blockaded Armenia [the word blockade seems to have disappeared
from Armenia’s vernacular], so President Serzh Sarkisian’s initial
gesture for rapprochement was ill-conceived; second was the "roadmap"
announcement, which came two days before April 24; and, third is
the nebulous posturing of the Armenian authorities regarding the
historical commission.

Evidently, putting those who dare to disagree with Yerevan’s policies
in their place is more of a priority to Nalbandian than providin g
an honest and comprehensive assessment of realities that will impact
all Armenians.

EDWARD NALBANDIAN: THE RECENT NOISE ABOUT NAGORNO KARABAKH GROUNDLESS

AZG DAILY
21-07-2009

"The recent noise around the Karabakh issue is groundless. On one hand
it can be explained by naivety, on the other hand it’s an attempt to
fish in troubled waters," Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian
said at a press conference with his Swedish counterpart Carl Bildt.

The EU Troika Delegation headed by the Foreign Minister of the
Kingdom of Sweden, Carl Bildt, is in Armenia within the framework of
a regional visit.

Minister Nalbandian said that during the meeting with Carl Bildt he
had informed his Swedish counterpart about the process of settlement of
the Karabakh issue, the results of the talks between the Presidents of
Armenia and Azerbaijan in Moscow. "We confirmed our common approach
that the issue should be solved exceptionally in a peaceful way,"
Edward Nalbandian said.

The Armenian Foreign Minister reminded that Armenian had not given
its consent to the Madrid Principles. "The principles provide a basis
for negotiations," he said.

As for the statement that the parries discussed the time frame for
the return of territories during the Moscow talks, the Minister said
the issue had not been touched upon in Moscow.

Turning to Armenia-EU relations, the Foreign Minister of Sweden said:
"We are ready to help and support Armenia on the way of implementation
of reforms. We will continue what we have started," Carel Bildt stated.

"We are ready to provide assistance to Armenia on issues of regional
security and support the activity of the OSCE Minsk Group. As for
the Armenian-Turkish relation, we consider that the opening of the
border will benefit Armenia," The Swedish Foreign Minister stated.

During the meeting the Foreign Ministers of the two countries dwelt
upon Aremnian-Swedish relations, discussed the cooperation in the
economic sphere. "All of us face economic difficulties. Therefore,
we should encourage free trade. We have to consider different ways
of simplifying the visa regime," Carl Bildt said.

Armenian-Azeri high-level negotiations over Nagorno Karabakh peaceful
settlement held on July 17

MOSCOW, JULY 17, NOYAN TAPAN. Armenian-Azeri high-level negotiations
over Nagorno Karabakh peaceful settlement were held on July 17 at the
President hotel, Moscow.

The meeting of RA President Serzh Sargsyan and Azeri President Ilham
Aliyev started with the participation of the two countries’ Foreign
Ministers Edward Nalbandian and Elmar Mammadiarov, OSCE Minsk Group
Co-chairs Yuri Merzliakov, Bernard Fassier, Matthew Bryza, and Personal
Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Andrzej Kasprzyk. Then
the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan continued the negotiations in
the tete-a-tete format, after which the Co-chairs and Foreign Ministers
again joined the negotiations.

The sides showed a constructive disposition to continue the
negotiations over conflict’s peaceful settlement.

According to the report of the RA President’s Press Office, S. Sargsyan
and I. Aliyev charged the Foreign Ministers together with OSCE Minsk
Group Co-chairs to do preparatory work in the direction of organization
of Presidents’ possible meeting that may take place in autumn.

Topeka Capital Journal
July 18 2009

Gen. Bunting to travel to Armenia

Delegation to consult with Armenians
By The Capital-Journal
July 18, 2009 – 9:55am

Maj. Gen. Tod Bunting, the Adjutant General of Kansas, will travel in
the Republic of Armenia the week of July 20 as part of the Kansas
National Guard’s partnership with the country.

Bunting will meet with American embassy staff and Armenian government
officials to discuss how the Kansas National Guard can continue to
build on its six-year partnership. "Kansas has some of the nation’s
best medical, agricultural, bio-security and educational
professionals," said Bunting. "We stand ready to support the embassy
and explore additional opportunities to assist Armenia."

Bunting’s visit will focus on fostering growth in biosecurity,
agriculture development, education and law enforcement.

Accompanying Bunting are:

¢Dr. Martha Vanier, associate director of the National Agriculture
Biosecurity Center, and retired Lt. Col. Craig Beardsley, who will
work with Armenian agencies to discuss a Biosecurity Threat Reduction
Plan.

¢Dr. Fred Cholick, dean of the College of Agriculture and director
of the Kansas State University Research and Extension, who has
identified key opportunities for Kansas State-Armenia engagements
focusing on agricultural development.

¢Dr. Blake Flanders, director of workforce training and education
services of the Kansas Board of Regents, who will advise Armenian
officials on education strategies.

¢Maj. James Brown, operations officer for the Kansas City, Kan.,
Police Department, who will discuss strategies on issues of
international narcotics and law enforcement affairs with Armenian
police officials.

In 2003, Kansas and the Republic of Armenia were linked under the
National Guard Bureau’s State Partnership Program. The Kansas National
Guard works closely with the Armenian Ministry of Defense, Ministry of
Health, Rescue Service and other governmental offices and agencies.

Armenia, formerly part of the Soviet Union, is an independent nation
bordering Turkey, Azerbaijan and Georgia, with a land mass slightly
smaller than Maryland.

Interfax, Russia
July 17 2009

Aliyev travels to Moscow for next round of Karabakh talks with Sargsyan

BAKU July 17

Azeri President Ilham Aliyev left for Moscow on Friday to join his
Armenian counterpart Serzh Sargsyan for the next round of negotiations
on ways to resolve the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh.

On Saturday, the Azeri leader is expected to take part in a trilateral
meeting, which will also involve Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.

It will be the sixth round of direct talks between Aliyev and
Sargsyan, and the third round attended by the Russian president.

The three presidents’ first such meeting in Russia’s Barvikha on
November 2, 2008 produced a joint document known as the Moscow
Declaration. The three leaders then met on the sidelines of the St.

Petersburg Economic Forum on June 4, 2009.