Author: Chmshkian Vicken

NALBANDIAN MEETS WITH MINSK GROUP CO-CHAIRS

Aysor
March 17 2010
Armenia

Armenia’s Foreign Minister, who was on a visit to France, met with
OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs Yury Merzlyakov of Russia, Bernard Fassier
of France, Robert Bradtke of the United States, and with Personal
Representative of the Chairman-in-Office Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk,
a spokesperson for Armenia’s Foreign Ministry said.

Parties discussed last developments in the process of settlement to
the Karabakh conflict and co-chairs’ visit to the region.

Edward Nalbandian said of lasting attempts by the Azerbaijani side to
put a crimp into the process, falsify meanings and make the process
run into difficulties. Referring to Nagorno-Karabakh as a part of
negotiations, Nalbandian said that the solution to the conflict is
impossible without Nagorno-Karabakh’s participation.

Co-Chairs said of the last meeting with Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister,
held in Paris on March 5, and talked about some regional items.

SWEDISH PARLIAMENT RECOGNIZES ARMENIA GENOCIDE AGAINST GOVERNMENT WISHES

Before It’s News
arliament_Recognizes_Armenia_Genocide_Against_Gove rnment_Wishes.html
March 17 2010

GOTHENBURG, Sweden–The Swedish Parliament has decided to acknowledge
the 1915 massacre in the Ottoman Empire as genocide, but it happened
against the wishes of both the government and the leader of the
biggest opposition party, as representatives on both sides voted
against party lines.

The issue has now grown into both a diplomatic problem between Turkey
and Sweden as well as a domestic debate about who actually controls
foreign policy in Sweden. The resolution passed by just one vote.

Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt was quick to call the decision
"deeply regrettable" on his blog. He is worried that anti-reformists
within Turkey would use this in their attempts to make normalizing
relations between Turkey and Armenia more difficult.

Turkey reacted by swiftly withdrawing their ambassador from Sweden
for consultations and Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan has canceled his
planned visit to Sweden. Sweden normally has very good relations with
Turkey, but this decision has angered both the Turkish government
and many Turks.

One of the issues that Sweden focused on during their chairmanship of
the European Union last year was the question of Turkey’s application
for membership into the union. Turkish membership is controversial,
and one of the reasons is that their human rights record is not seen
as living up to European standards. More than 20 countries have
recognized what happened in 1915 as genocide, and Turkey is under
certain pressure to deal with this aspect of its past, as a way to
demonstrate that it respects the rights of its minorities.

The massacre in 1915 was a result of Muslim Turkish rulers of the
Ottoman Empire siding with the Germans during World War I, while some
of the repressed minorities, mainly Christian, sided with Russia. An
unknown number of Armenians, Chaldeans, Greeks, Syrians, and Assyrians,
some claim as many as 1.5 million, were deported or killed as modern
Turkey rose from the ashes of the Ottoman Empire.

Turkey does not recognize the events as genocide. It claims that
some 400,000 people died, mostly in battles. It is illegal to call
the events genocide in Turkey. There is a lot of nationalist pride
in Turkey and people don’t want the birth of their nation to be
associated with genocide.

Some Swedish commentators feel that the question of whether it was
genocide or not (the term genocide and conventions regarding it
did not appear until the 1940’s) should be appraised by historians
and not politicians. Others argue that this recognition is welcome
and long overdue and that the stance of the Swedish government and
the leadership of the biggest minority party, the Social Democrats,
are shameful. The debate has become quite heated on blogs.

Meanwhile, some of the focus in Swedish media has also shifted to the
question of how Parliament came to vote against the government line,
which is very unusual in Sweden, and to question the stability of
Swedish foreign policy and who is really in charge of it.

Last week, Turkey also pulled its ambassador from the United States
after the House Foreign Affairs Committee narrowly passed a nonbinding
resolution, 23 votes to 22, naming the 1915 killings as genocide.

IRAN READY TO MEDIATE BETWEEN ARMENIA, AZERBAIJAN

News.am
March 16 2010
Armenia

Iranian Ambassador to Azerbaijan Mohammad Baqer Bahrami said Iran is
ready to act as mediator between Armenia and Azerbaijan in resolving
the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Mehr News Agency reported.

"Iran has announced its readiness to help the crisis in this region,"
the Ambassador told the Mehr News Agency.

Commenting on plans to abolish visa requirements for the citizens of
Iran and Azerbaijan, the Ambassador pointed out that Azerbaijan is
preparing the grounds for abolishing visa requirement for Iranians.

ARMENIA’S PRESIDENT TO VISIT GERMANY

Aysor
March 16 2010
Armenia

Armenia’s President Serzh Sargsyan will pay an official visit to
Germany, a spokesperson for Presidential Administration said.

The visit’s details were discussed between Armenia’s Foreign Minister,
Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel and Vice-Chancellor Guido
Westerwelle, who met Monday. Among discussed by parties items were
regional and international processes and Armenia-Germany relations.

It’s worth mentioning that Foreign Minister Nalbandian also met with
Christoph Heusgen, Chancellor’s chief foreign policy adviser.

SUPER-ACTIVENESS AND DANGERS IN THE KARABAKH PROCESS
Anna Nazaryan

"Radiolur"
16.03.2010 18:43

Super-activeness is observed in the settlement of the Karabakh issue,
which speaks of certain possible developments, Head of Analytical
Centre on Globalization and Regional Cooperation Stepan Grigoryan
told a press conference today.

The political scientist is concerned about the fact that the updated
Madrid document ignores the issue of holding a referendum and
prioritizes the issues of the interim status of Nagorno Karabakh and
deployment of peacekeepers.

In the Madrid Principles the main emphasis was placed on the
referendum, and this satisfied Armenia, while the updated principles
are acceptable to Azerbaijan, that’s why official Baku declares those
are good.

In the current situation the political scientists suggests toughening
the position and demanding to sign a framework agreement where the
Madrid principles will be included.

Ex-Foreign Minister of Nagorno Karabakh Arman Melikyan suggests
recognizing the independence of Nagorno Karabakh on its current
territory including Sahumyan, Getashen and Martakert. He says it’s
necessary to change the stance on the Karabakh issue. Otherwise,
"the Armenian authorities will have no option other than surrendering
the territories."

As regards the Armenian-Turkish relations, Stepan Grigoryan and Arman
Melikyan do not rule out that US President Barack Obama may use the
word ‘genocide,’ but this will not improve Armenia’s situation.

Turkey will ally with Russia, and their alliance is dangerous to our
country. In this case the Karabakh issue will be solved within hours
not to the advantage of Armenia, the political scientists say.

MINISTER NALBANDIAN VISITS BERLIN AND PARIS

armradio.am
15.03.2010 13:09

The Foreign Minister of Armenia, Edward Nalbandian, has left for
Berlin for a one-day official visit, Press and Information Department
of the ministry of Foreign Affairs reported.

On March 16 Edward Nalbandian will leave Berlin for Paris, where he
is scheduled to meet the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs.

SILVA HAROUTOUNIAN EST LIBRE
par Jean Eckian

armenews
Nouvelles d’Armenie Magazine
mardi16 mars 2010
Iran

Silva Haroutounian, employee d’une ONG americaine, en mission en Iran,
et qui avait ete emprisonnee plus de 20 mois, a ete liberee.

Dans une declaration du 10 Mars, son employeur, l’US – International
Research and Exchange Board (IREX)-1-, a remercie " le gouvernement
de l’Armenie pour son engagement dans l’obtention de la liberation
de Silva. Les details n’ont pas ete rendus publics.

Fin 2007, elle avait demenage d’Iran en Armenie afin d’occuper un
poste administratif au bureau d’Erevan de l’International Research &
Exchanges Board (IREX).IREX pilote des programmes d’echanges entre
professionnels depuis plus de 40 ans dans plus de 50 pays.

Silva etait engagee comme employee administrative sur un programme
d’echange Iran/Etats-Unis pour des professionnels de la sante, dont
la vocation est d’ameliorer l’education a la sante maternelle et
infantile dans les deux pays.

Le 26 juin 2008, lors d’un deplacement professionnel en Iran, les
autorites iraniennes ont brusquement arrete Silva et l’ont incarcere
a la prison d’Evin, reputee pour son quartier reserve aux prisonniers
politiques.

Le 1er Juin 2009, IREX a appele les autorites iraniennes a liberer leur
employee d’origine armenienne emprisonnee en Iran depuis près d’un an,
comme elles l’avaient fait au mois de Mai 2009 pour la journaliste
americano-iranienne Roxana Saberi.

L’arrestation n’est devenue publique qu’en Fevrier 2009, lorsque Silva
Haroutounian a ete condamnee a trois ans de prison sur accusations
d’activites dirigees contre le gouvernement iranien. C’est sous la
contrainte qu’on l’aurait force a s’impliquer.

Sans aucun engagement politique, Silva a pourtant ete accusee
d’encourager une " revolution douce " ou de " velours " contre la
Republique Islamique d’Iran, et a ete reconnue coupable et condamnee en
janvier 2009 a trois ans de prison. Elle avait ete deboutee en appel.

Un an plus tard, l’Agence de relations publiques Edelman avait
organise une conference de presse le 24 juin 2009 au Centre d’Affaires
Paris-Trocadero, avec le soutien de Reporters Sans Frontières.

De nombreux correspondants de presse etrangers etaient presents pour
ecouter l’ex prisonnière des mollahs, la journaliste irano-americaine
Roxana Saberi, venue soutenir Silva Haroutounian et exiger sa
liberation.

Meme si Silva Haroutounian n’a pas la citoyennete americaine, ses
proches aux Etats-Unis comme l’ONG americaine qui l’employait ont
presse le Departement d’Etat a prendre publiquement position pour sa
liberation, comme il l’avait fait pour la journaliste irano-americaine
Roxana Saberi. Après la liberation de cette dernière, le Departement
d’Etat americain a appele les autorites iraniennes a liberer Silva
Haroutounian.

Jean Eckian + photos

(1) IREX : organisation non gouvernementale americaine qui offre des
programmes dans l’amelioration qualitative de l’education, favorise
le developpement de la societe civile et aide a renforcer la presse
independante. Elle n’a jamais ete impliquee ou accusee de man~uvres
politiques.

EXPERT: ARMENIA SHOULD CHART NEW COURSE

ARKA
MArch 15, 2010

YEREVAN, March 15. /ARKA/. Armenia is in need of a new economic policy,
Vazgen Safaryan, the chairman of Association of Domestic Manufacturers
and the head of Public Council’s financial, economic and budget
commission, said Monday in Novosti International Press Center.

"U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt adopted a new policy in 1933, after
the crisis, and time has come to us to chart a new course," he said.

Safaryan thinks that export area needs substantial reformation.

He thinks Armenian government pays insufficient attention to domestic
products, since after declaring its independence the country started
heading the road of free market economy, which is based on ten
recommendations of. Washington Consensus

One of these recommendations warns against spurring and regulating
industry.

"None of our prime ministers succeeding each other has made any
correction to industrial policy," Safaryan said.

Washington Consensus is a kind of the microeconomic policy recommended
by some economists to those countries facing financial and economic
crises.

Safaryan also said that things have already started changing.

He pointed out that Armenian government approved an industry recovery
concept in January.

"This gives us ground for hope that progress is possible in this area."

In its concept, the government singled out creation of favorable
environment as one of its top-priority objectives.

This environment will enable Armenia to develop into industry-oriented
country. Under the concept, the country will increasingly be building
up the share of industry in its GDP from year to year.

The government also put special emphasis on development of
export-oriented industry. Speaking about the new economic policy,
the expert said that it should be focused on industry.

He added that the government should also include tax administration
improvement, shady dealing reduction and the problem of foreign debt
ratio to GDP to its industry policy strategy "to transform Armenia
from a soviet-era consumer country into a manufacturer country".

BAKU SPELLS OUT KARABAKH RESOLUTION PRINCIPLES

news.az
March 15 2010
Azerbaijan

Elmar Mammadyarov Azerbaijan’s foreign minister, Elmar Mammadyarov,
has outlined the updated Madrid principles for a settlement to the
Karabakh conflict.

The principles say that during the first stage Armenia must
withdraw its troops from five of the seven occupied districts around
Nagorno-Karabakh, plus 13 villages in the sixth district – Lachin,
Elmar Mammadyarov told a joint news conference in Baku on Monday,
following talks with his Slovak counterpart Miroslav Lajcak.

‘Then all the borders and communications are opened, a donor conference
is held, land and communications are rehabilitated, programmes begin
and the question of international observers is resolved, which is
very important from the point of view of the security of the forced
migrants who return there, then troops are withdrawn from Lachin and
Kalbajar and all roads are opened. After the Azerbaijani community has
returned to Karabakh the final stage will be possible – the process
to determine the status of Karabakh can begin.’

‘Karabakh is Azerbaijani land,’ Mammadyarov said. ‘It’s not right for
any territory to be beyond its administrative control. Of course,
we say that all issues must be resolved within the framework of
Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity. As for self-determination, this
issue is also part of international law. But this does not mean that
territorial integrity can be violated. We have said many times that
there are various forms of autonomous status worldwide. For example,
the Tatars and Bashkirs have self-determination but within the
Russian Federation.’

Asked about the possibility of a military solution to the conflict,
Mammadyarov said that the Azerbaijani side had chosen the path of
a peaceful settlement, but at the same time ‘it is analysing all
possible scenarios of the negotiation process’.

‘Azerbaijan’s position is fair and we accept the Madrid principles. We
believe that any conflict should be settled peacefully and there are
opportunities for this,’ he said.

The minister noted that the leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia had met
several times in recent years, which had resulted in the submission
of the updated version of the Madrid principles to the parties in
November last year.

‘We believe that this document creates opportunities for the
preparation of a major agreement. This means that we have chosen and
are following the diplomatic path,’ the minister said.

‘If the Armenian side withdraws from the land, it will open up great
opportunities for regional development both in economic terms, and in
terms of improving people’s living conditions. As foreign minister,
I believe that this is the best way to solve the conflict, because
in this case there will be no war rhetoric,’ he said.

Referring to recent statements by the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairman
from France, Bernard Fassier, Mammadyarov said he would meet the French
diplomat separately during the co-chairs’ next visit to Azerbaijan.

Armenian news agencies reported Fassier as telling a NATO seminar in
Yerevan on Friday that, ‘Azerbaijan’s victory in the event of renewed
war is impossible, because I know about the bravery of Armenian and
Karabakh warriors.’

Number of tourists visiting Armenia increased by 3%

13.03.2010 13:51 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The number of tourists, who entered Armenia in 2009
totaled 575 300, thus increasing by 3% against the 2008 index (558 400
tourists).

According to the RA National Statistical Service, 526 200 people went
abroad as tourists.