Author: Dabaghian Diana

MISSING AZERBAIJANI LIKELY CAPTURED BY ARMENIAN SIDE: COMMISSION

Trend News Agency
Dec 29 2009
Azerbaijan

A resident of Azerbaijan’s Tovuz region who went missing on the
Armenian-Azerbaijani contact line has likely been captured by the
Armenian side, State Committee for POW, Missing People and Hostage
Affairs Secretary Shahin Sayilov told Trend News.

"According to unofficial information, Tagiyev Eldar Heydar, a
resident of the Alibayli village in the Tovuz region, was captured,"
Sayilov said.

He said the commission expects Armenia to confirm the information.

A military source told Trend News that Alibayli residents appealed
to a military unit in the region, saying Tagiyev went missing Monday
night. Claims were also made that an Azerbaijani citizen was shot by
Armenian military that evening. The incident is under investigation.

The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry has not confirmed the information.

ARMENIAN-TURKISH PROTOCOLS RATIFICATION IN COMA

PanARMENIAN.Net
28.12.2009 20:57 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian-Turkish protocols ratification process is
in a coma and the fact that Armenia is preparing to recognize them
invalid may strike a final blow to the process of normalization of
relations between the two countries, Turkish analyst Omer TaÅ~_pınar
said. According to him, Ankara may use it as a convenient excuse
to persuade the world community that the Armenian side wrecked
the process. However, it is not realistic, since the problem has a
"Washington-front" as well.

"If Serzh Sargsyan withdraws a signature, then in Washington all
charges will be brought against the Turkish side. U.S. will conclude
that the Turkish authorities have linked the Armenian-Turkish protocols
with the Karabakh settlement. In this regard asesments of Washington
and Yerevan are identical: opening of the Armenian-Turkish border and
establishment of diplomatic relations are in no way connected with
the Karabakh settlement. Meanwhile, Ankara use the issue of Karabakh
as a precondition for political purposes," TaÅ~_pınar wrote.

"In order to avoid establishing any connection between Karabakh
settlement and the Armenian-Turkish processes, Yerevan even more will
stay on his ground. In the U.S. Congress the process of recognition
of the Armenian Genocide will develop at a greater force, and Obama,
in turn, will be in a quandary," the Turkish expert wrote.

"Let Yerevan and Ankara present for ratification to their parliaments
only one of the protocols, " Omer TaÅ~_pınar concluded, the newspaper
Sabah wrote.

ARMENIA’S HAPPY PRESIDENT ON TOP OF MOST ABSURD EVENTS IN 2009

news.az
Dec 28 2009
Azerbaijan

The Chorrod inknishkhanutun newspaper has made a New Year rating of
the most absurd events of the year.

The first place was taken by happy Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan
in the nomination "The most absurb joy". Sargsyan wins thanks to a
football match in Bursa between the youth teams of Armenia and Turkey.

He was applauding at the goal scored to Armenia. None of the political
figures, journalists or psychologists could further explain this event.

WAM – Emirates News Agency , UAE
Dec 27 2009

UAE, Armenian political committee hold meetings

2009-12-27 18:31:46

WAM Yerevan, Dec. 27, 2009 (WAM) — The joint UAE-Armenia political
committee has held here a meeting on December 24 and 25, during which
the committee discussed bilateral relations between the two countries
and ways to boost them in all areas.

H.E Dr. Tariq Al-Heidan, Assistant Foreign Minister for Political
Affairs, headed the UAE side, while H.E. Arman Kerason, Armenia’s
Deputy Foreign Minister, also headed his side during the two rounds of
talks.

The committee expressed satisfaction on the progress in bilateral ties
between the two countries and discussed during the second round of
talks a number of issues, including the situation in the Middle East,
the Arabian Gulf and the Caucasia regions.

The committee underscored the significance of the visits to Armenia by
H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, Foreign Minister, H.E. Dr.
Anwar Mohammed Gargash, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and H.E.
Sheikha Lubna bint Khalid Al-Qasimi, Foreign Trade Minister.

The UAE delegation to the meeting has also met with Armenian Deputy
Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, Economy Minister and Foreign
Minister, to whom the UAE delegation conveyed message from the UAE
foreign minister.

amLocEnews&cid=1261832659965&pagename=WAM% 2FWAM_E_Layout&parent=Query&parentid=11350 99399852

worldbulletin.net, Turkey
Dec 26 2009

Turkey repeats to support Azerbaijani-Armenian solution

Turkish FM Davutoglu said that they considered Caucasus would reach
peace soon, and everyone should fulfill his/her task not to miss the
opportunity.

Saturday, 26 December 2009 11:26

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said on Friday that they
considered Caucasus would reach peace soon, and everyone should
fulfill his/her task not to miss the opportunity.

Davutoglu and his Azeri counterpart Elmar Mammadyarov held a joint
press conference in Ankara.

Davutoglu said Turkish State Minister Zafer Caglayan would pay a
formal visit to Azerbaijan soon with a crowded delegation.

"We fully support the steps which have been taken for a solution to
Azerbaijani-Armenian conflict," he said.

"We think that normalization of Azerbaijani-Armenian relations as well
as Turkish-Armenian relations will constitute an important ground for
regional prosperity and stability," Davutoglu said.

In regard to Caucasus, Davutoglu said, "we think that peace will be
secured in Caucasus soon. Everyone should do what is required for
solution of problems." There is a full cooperation between Turkey and
Azerbaijan regarding the matter, he said.

Davutoglu said Mammadyarov and he discussed regional matters,
developments in Afghanistan and energy projects in their meeting, and
the two parties confirmed once again that Turkey and Azerbaijan would
work together in energy projects in Eurasia.

AA

HRD: THE MEMBERS OF THE PARLIAMENT "PROVOKED"

Aysor
Dec 25 2009
Armenia

"There are institutions for amnesty, I don’t think it’s correct to
undertake such a step. Let them show us how the president will grant
an amnesty without breaching the law", – the RA Human Rights Defender
Armen Harutyunyan said today.

Some RA NA Members of Parliament have applied to President Serzh
Sargsyan, "regardless the reasons of Mikayelyan’s arrest to grant
an amnesty to Sasun Miqayelyan according to the 55th article of the
RA Constitution."

The RA HRD called that step a provocation "There are some steps that
serve a PR for you, but in reality it makes no good."

A. Harytyunyan touched also upon the statements of the representatives
of the PACE Monitoring Committee George Kolumbie and John Preskot
concerning the March 1 events and said that he doesn’t understand
why they make all this noise.

"Actually we too have spoken about the positive and the negative
of that issue. There is mentioned that the stress is mainly on the
opposition, we have spoken about it too, there is no question that
is positive, we have spoken about it already, and about the negative
we have kept silence. It corresponds to our opinions with 90%", –
Harutyunyan added.

YSU MAY BECOME A RESEARCH UNIVERSITY BY 2030

Aysor
Dec 25 2009
Armenia

The Yerevan State University maps out to become a Research University,
according to Rector Aram Simonian.

"We are focusing on planting the YSU as a Research University in
20 years. So, to reach this objective we need to turn results of
our research works into product and present on coincident markets,"
said Aram Simonian at today’s annual YSU Academic Council session. He
added, there is a need for improving the laboratory equipment.

Today, the YSU held its annual Academic Council session with
participation of its chair Armenia’s President Serge Sargsyan, Minister
of Education and Science Armen Ashotyan, Minister of Diaspora Hranush
Hakobyan, and other officials.

TURKEY, SYRIA ISSUE JOINT DECLARATION

PanARMENIAN.Net
24.12.2009 15:58 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The declaration said the two countries underlined
during the meeting the importance of peace, security, stability
and prosperity for both Turkey and Syria as well as peoples of the
region."Turkey and Syria agree to clear the region from nuclear
weapons and calls on for a diplomatic solution of the problem over
Iran’s nuclear program," the declaration said.

The declaration included Syria’s reaffirmation of Turkey’s sincere
and central role it plays to secure a fair and a lasting settlement in
the Middle East, as Syria also welcomed Turkey’s efforts for indirect
talks between Syria and Israel.

PRESIDENT OF ARMENIA PAYS WORKING VISIT TO LORI REGION

ArmInfo
2009-12-23 16:20:00

ArmInfo. President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan paid a working visit to
Lori region on Wednesday.

The president visited the new quarter in the town of Spitak where
Glendale Hills CJSC is building housing for the people left homeless
by the earthquake of 1988. Vahe Almoyan, Director General of Glendale
Hills, told media that construction of the new town quarter was
launched on October 15 2009.

A total of 354 houses will be built in the new quarter, including
220 will be put into service in April 2010.

For his part, Spitak Mayor Gagik Sahakyan said the residents waited
for construction of the new quarter in the town of Spitak for already
21 years. "We did not even hope that this project will be realized,
but the president kept his promise," the mayor said.

TURKEY TRYING TO SPREAD ITS INFLUENCE NOT ONLY IN SOUTH CAUCASUS

PanARMENIAN.Net
23.12.2009 17:43 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ We have repeatedly said that the process of
normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations can strengthen the
influence of Turkey in the South Caucasus, which could adversely affect
both Armenia and the process of the Karabakh conflict settlement,
Eduard Abrahamyan , expert at the Mitq analytical center told a press
conference in Yerevan.

According to him, open Armenian-Turkish border will have its positive
aspects, but the negative effects will prevail. Mr. Abrahamyan
mentioned, that Turkey always tries to influence the internal political
situation in neighboring countries, to change public opinion. According
to him, Ankara maintains such a policy in regard to Bulgaria, where
e a number of Turkish NGOs operate, and in Georgia.

"Today, Turkey is trying to spread its influence not only in the South
Caucasus, but the Middle East and the Balkans", Mr. Abrahamyan said.