Author: Frangulian Shushan

OSCE POSITIVELY ASSESSES ARMENIA’S STEPS TOWARDS ENSURING FREEDOM OF MEDIA

Panorama.am
18/05/2010

Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Arman Kirakosyan received Tuesday
Mrs. Dunja Mijatovic, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media.

Greeting the guest, Arman Kirakosyan signified the role of the OSCE
in ensuring human rights and basic freedoms.

Touching upon the steps Armenia has taken towards ensuring freedom
of the media, the newly appointed OSCE Representative on Freedom of
the Media positively assessed the legislative reforms implemented in
our country.

According to the information department of the MFA, the interlocutors
discussed the perspectives of further cooperation between Armenia and
the OSCE, particularly the Office of the Representative on Freedom
of the Media. They highlighted the necessity of regional cooperation.

ARMENIAN PM VISITS "BIOKAT" COMPANY

ARMENPRESS
MAY 18, 2010
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, MAY 18, ARMENPRESS: Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan
visited today "Biokat" company which is producing dairy products. He
walked around the workshop, got acquainted with the working process
after which a working discussion took place.

"Biokat" company produces eight kinds of classic and diet dairy with
more than 20 trade marks.

The owner of the company Hrachik Hakobyan said that the company
applied for getting 120 million AMD loan from "Small and Medium-Sized
Investments" company. In February 2009, immediately after getting the
loan, the works launched, new workshop has been built, the laboratory
has been equipped and new devices and tools have been brought.

Currently the company has 31 employees.

H. Hakobyan said that the company is planning to expand the types
of its products. "The works on creating workshops for producing
ice-creams and yogurts have already been finished and will work from
May 25. For organizing the work of the new workshop the number of
employees has been increased by 7," the owner of the company said,
adding that this new production has not been ensured by loan means.

In response to the question of reporters Tigran Sargsyan noted that
during the consultation the idea that the dairy producers must create
specialized non-governmental organization which will take the sphere
under its control, will oversight whether the competition rules
are maintained and the quality security standards in the market are
preserved was discussed.

"It will create a unity and self-control which is much stronger than
when the state is trying to regulate the issue. We too are ready to
support such NGOs, cooperate, recognize the certificates they provide,
give them certain status which will essentially increase their role
in the process of market regulation," the prime minister said.

Referring to the small and medium-sized enterprises assistance program,
Tigran Sargsyan noted that from the very beginning it was open and
transparent and the decisions made by the operative headquarter of
the Armenian government was under the control of the public. He said
the issue of the small and medium-sized business will also be under
the limelight of the government.

Armenian Agriculture Minister Gerasim Alaverdyan, chairman of the
Union of Manufacturers and Businessmen Arsen Ghazaryan and other
officials were too among the visitors.

Prospective apple of discord?
Loud statements of the Turkish side, assuring that the `future of
Nakhichevan has always interested and will interest Turkey in the
first place’ are just a cliché.

85 years ago the Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic (NAR) was founded,
which in the foreseeable future may become another hotbed of tension
and blow up the region. Despite the seeming agreement on Nakhichevan’s
belonging to Azerbaijan, Turkey and Iran have begun to test the waters
and wage a backstage struggle for the right to dictate their will to
Baku, or rather Nakhichevan. Later, this will may grow into
conditions; everything depends on the `behavior’ of Azerbaijan, which
equally depends on Turkey and Iran. But even more she depends on
Russia, no matter how hard Baku `experts’ and `political analysts’ try
to assure their nation in the contrary.

May 14, 2010
PanARMENIAN.Net –

Most likely the loud statements of the Turkish side, assuring that the
`future of Nakhichevan has always interested and will interest Turkey
in the first place’ are just a cliché, especially since they are made
by the foreign minister of Turkey. `The treaty of Kars that ensures
the safety of Nakhichevan remains in force. It is undeniable. This
agreement is an integral part of international law. Turkey is the
guarantor of the security of Nakhichevan. It is the commitment of
Turkey under international law. Safety of Nakhichevan is our security,
her welfare is our wellfare,’ Davutoglu said, adding that Nakhichevan
and Turkey are inseparable.

Under the Treaty of Amity between the Armenian SSR, Azerbaijani SSR
and Georgian SSR, on the one hand, and Turkey on the other, signed
with participation of the RSFSR in Kars on October 13, 1921, the
Region of Nakhichevan constitutes an autonomous territory under the
aegis of Azerbaijan, without the right to be passed to a third
country. By a third country was and is implied Armenia. However, it is
worth mentioning that Iran too has got an eye on this region. In 2005,
Presidents of Iran and Azerbaijan, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Ilham
Aliyev, officially opened a gas pipeline stretching from Iran to the
Autonomous Republic of Azerbaijan. The first deliveries were initiated
on November 1, 2005. According to the agreement designed for 25 years,
Iran supplies to the Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic 85% of the gas
coming into this country from Azerbaijan. The remaining 15% is the
payment of Baku for Tehran’s services. No solid cash payments are
provided for in the contract.

Thus, everyone sells what they have: Turkey sells a guarantee of
security, Iran sells gas. Azerbaijan has so far taken advantage of
both, but how long will this continue? It is natural that Turkey, in
this case, has more chances than Iran; she is closer to the political
elite of Baku, who do not favour the ayatollah regime. However, it is
with Nakhichevan that the struggle for regional supremacy between the
two countries will start. And the one that will be able to eat up
Azerbaijan first, can say that the first step is taken. However, this
does not mean that the opposite side will quickly surrender. Regional
processes are gaining momentum and no little role in them is played by
Armenia, or rather, by the Karabakh conflict. If Baku should ever
start a war, neither Turkey nor Iran will come to the rescue for
different reasons: Turkey would not support an aggressor, while Iran
simply would not interfere. The truth is that in case Aliyev starts a
war, he can stand no longer than a month. But the problem of
Nakhichevan can be solved within that month, as the Treaty of Kars
defines Turkey as security guarantor of the area. Be that as it may,
in the next few years we will witness great changes in the region.
It’s not for nothing that the subject of Nakhichevan has activated in
the Turkish media especially now.

Karine Ter-Sahakyan / PanARMENIAN News

The Moscow Times , Russia
May 16 2010

Ankara, Baku to Sign Nabucco Deal

16 May 2010
Reuters

BAKU, Azerbaijan ‘ A long-awaited Nabucco gas deal between Turkey and
Azerbaijan, expected to be signed Monday, could unlock Azeri gas
reserves for the West and eventually trim Europe’s energy dependence
on Russia.

Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan is to travel to Azerbaijan on
Monday to sign the EU-backed deal, which has been two years in the
making and at times hostage to diplomatic relations in the volatile
South Caucasus region.

Tensions between the traditionally close Muslim allies had unnerved
planners seeking fuel for the 7.9 billion euro ($10 billion) project,
a key rival to Russian pipelines.

Azerbaijan had been angered by Turkey seeking to normalize ties with
Armenia, Azerbaijan’s foe in a conflict over the breakaway
Nagorno-Karabakh region.

To Azerbaijan’s relief, the Turkish-Armenian rapprochement collapsed
last month, a result of Turkey pressing Armenia to make some gesture
to defuse tensions in Nagorno-Karabakh.

The earlier chill in relations had led to pricing disagreements over
Azeri gas currently supplied to Turkey.

More important for Europe, it had undermined negotiations that would
form the basis for the export of Azeri gas through Turkey to countries
like Austria.

Precise details of Monday’s expected deal are unknown, but it should
at least resolve pricing differences over 6 billion cubic meters of
gas Azerbaijan currently sells to Turkey.

"The package agreement with Turkey will provide the necessary ¦
conditions to start commercial talks with potential European buyers,"
said Ana Jelenkovic of Eurasia Group.

Buyers will be looking for volumes from the second phase production at
Azerbaijan’s Shah Deniz deposit in the Caspian Sea, operated by BP and
Statoil and due to come online between 2014 and 2017.

Azeri Energy Minister Natik Aliyev said the two sides had also agreed
in principle on volumes Turkey would receive from Shah Deniz II, which
will produce an additional 16 billion cubic meters per year on top of
the current 9 bcm to 10 bcm from Shah Deniz I.

Turkey has requested 6 bcm to 7 bcm of gas from the second phase, and
Azerbaijan will look to accelerate the start of production to 2014, he
said.

That would free up volumes of gas to flow to Nabucco, albeit at a
fraction of Russian current gas exports of 150 bcm. The Nabucco
project would, nevertheless, mark an important step toward cutting
dependence on Moscow, which supplies a quarter of the EU’s gas
imports.

Nabucco aims to transport up to 31 bcm of gas annually from the
Caspian region to an Austrian hub via Bulgaria, Romania, Turkey and
Hungary.

But it faces competition from Russia’s South Stream project, which is
due to start construction in 2012. Nabucco has been hit by delays and
problems in pinning down supplies.

Ilham Shaban of the Independent Center for Oil Research in Baku said
Turkey had secured 5 bcm to 6 bcm annually from Shah Deniz II, but the
price was not decided.

"It’s not reflected in the documents that are expected to be signed
now since Shah Deniz II has not been officially sanctioned," he said.

"But after Erdogan’s visit, SOCAR will start active commercial
negotiations with all potential buyers of gas from Shah Deniz II," he
said. SOCAR is the Azeri state energy company.

Jelenkovic said there were indications that under the agreement,
Azerbaijan ‘ not Turkey ‘ would control the sale of transit gas from
Turkey’s border with Europe.

As Azeri relations with the West deteriorated over its backing for the
Armenian-Turkish thaw, Azerbaijan struck deals to sell small amounts
of gas to Russia and Iran, tapping supplies courted by Nabucco.

The gas deal with Turkey, Jelenkovic said, "reaffirms overall what
Azerbaijan’s energy strategy and what their goal is ‘ to remain a
largely pro-Western energy supplier, but with a priority on
controlling their gas supplies to Europe."

YEREVAN HOSTS THE SITTING OF THE HAYASTAN FUND BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Hasmik Dilanyan

"Radiolur"
14.05.2010 13:57

The Board of Trustees of the Hayastan All Armenian Fund convened a
sitting today chaired by President Serzh Sargsyan. The sitting featured
Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan, members of government,
President of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic.

In 2009 the Fund launched activity in different directions –
healthcare, school-building, as well as reconstruction of a number
of water supply systems in Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh. Investors
increase year by year, Executive Director of the Hayastan Fund Ara
Vardanyan said.

Ara Vardanyan said to be satisfied with the results of 2009. "In
total about $16 mln was raised during the Telethon. About $10.5 mln
was allocated to the program of Shioushi revival, another $2 mln was
spent on implementation of other programs in Karabakh. The rest was
spent in Armenia.

"The activity of the Fund is of utmost importance for strengthening
and flourishing of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic, improving living
conditions and raising lining standards of our people," NKR President
Bako Sahakyan said at the sitting.

Noting that a number of projects have been implemented in Artsakh
with the support of the Hayastan Fund, NKR President said "there are
still numerous tasks to be fulfilled."

"Two hundred villages out of 323 existing in Artsakh face sharp
shortage of drinking water and need urgent solutions. Serious problems
exist in Stepanakert and in the regional centers where more than half
of the republic’s population lives. This program is quite expensive.

Only in the capital the construction of new water supply objects and
restoration of the operating ones require 6.5 billion dram. It is
obvious that the problem of water supply in Artsakh can be solved
exclusively by means of our joint efforts."

Taking into consideration the significance of this strategic program,
the President proposed to discuss inclusion of water supply issue that
has vital importance for Artsakh into the framework of "Telethon-2010."

BELGIAN ENTREPRENEURS TO VISIT ARMENIA IN SEPTEMBER

PanARMENIAN.Net
May 14, 2010 – 13:54 AMT 08:54 GMT

Armenian Deputy Economy Minister Ara Petrosyan met with Belgian
Ambassador to RA Stephane De Loecker to discuss development of trade
and economic relations, the Ministry’s press office reported.

Ambassador De Loecker informed that a delegation of Belgian
entrepreneurs will arrive in Armenia in September in the framework
of a program implemented by Walloon Export Agency (AWEX).

Executive director of the National Competitiveness Foundation of
Armenia Bekor Papazyan, who was also attending the meeting, said that
Armenia is interested in development of relations with Belgium.

In completion of the meeting, Deputy Minister Petrosyan briefed on
the economic situation in the republic and the government’s measures
taken to improve business environment.

A. SHAKARYAN SAYS NO MATTER HOW MUCH THE ECONOMIC RELATIONS BETWEEN TURKEY AND RUSSIA COME CLOSER THEY WILL NOT HAVE A NEGATIVE EFFECT ON ARMENIA

ARMENPRESS
MAY 12, 2010
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, MAY 12, ARMENPRESS: No matter how much the economic relations
between Turkey and Russia come closer they will not have a negative
effect on Armenia, political analyst Artak Shakaryan said today at
a meeting with journalists. According to him, the relations between
Russia and Turkey can be only on economic level. "All of us understand
that Russia and Turkey are competitors in geological-political
respect. No matter how much their relations get warm on economic
level Russia understands that the only trustworthy partner in the
South Caucasus is Armenia," A. Shakaryan said.

According to the Turkish analyst, Turkey had to change its foreign
policy from 2002; it goes not only to Europe, but to Russia and Near
East as well. Hence, one of the primary principles for Turkey is to
make the policy multi-vector. "Turkey undertakes steps directed toward
development of the regional policy trying to be more active in the
Balkans and in the South Caucasus. Turkey does its best to be involved
in regulation process of the Artsakh conflict," A. Shakaryan said.

He stressed that up to now Turkey has not managed that, as it is not a
co-chairing country of the OSCE Minsk Group. Armenia is unequivocally
against the direct involvement of Turkey in the regulation process
of the Karabakh conflict, Russia has stated about that too. The
political analyst said he is of the opinion that Turkey will continue
to undertake steps for being involved in that process.

In response to the question whether Armenia will have to go to
concessions as a consequence of establishment of closer relations
between Russia and Turkey, A. Shakaryan considered it impossible.

Referring to the progress of the regulation process of Armenia-Turkish
relations, A. Shakaryan noted that activation will be noticed in 2014,
when the elections in Armenia and Turkey are finished. Before that,
according to him, certain steps are possible to be made by the two
countries, but concrete changes will not be registered till 2014.

EDWARD NALBANDIAN: AZERBAIJAN CONTINUES DISTORTING THE ESSENCE OF THE TALKS

armradio.am
12.05.2010 11:36

The Foreign Minister of Armenia, Edward Nalbandian, participated in the
120th session of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe in
Strasbourg. Delegations from the 47 Council of Europe member states,
five observer countries and international organizations participated
in the sitting.

The issues on agenda included the reforms in the Council of Europe,
the cooperation between the Council of Europe and the European Union,
raising of the efficiency of the activity of the European Court of
Human Rights, etc.

In his speech Minister Nalbandian expressed Armenia’s support for the
reforms under way in the Council of Europe, noting that "Armenia will
continue to actively participate in the organization’s activity." The
Minister informed about the preparation of the forum on democratic
future to be held in Armenia in October under the patronage of the
Council of Europe.

Touching upon the settlement of the Karabakh issue, Edward Nalbandian
said: "The statement on Nagorno Karabakh adopted by the OSCE Foreign
Ministers in Athens emphasizes the non-use of force or the threat of
force, the right of peoples to self-determination and territorial
integration as basic principles of conflict settlement. The same
principles lie in the basis of the Madrid Principles proposed by
the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs in 2007. For over a year Azerbaijan
was rejecting the existence of that document, until they announced
recently that they accept the proposals with certain reservations. If
we try to clarify what Azerbaijan agrees to and what it rejects,
we’ll see that there are a lot of exceptions. Azerbaijan not only
continues distorting the reasons, consequences and the essence of
the conflict, but also uses every opportunity to come forth with a
threat of force on all levels.

Proceeding from the experience of the past years, it becomes obvious
that all Azerbaijani efforts to transfer the issue to other structures
and thus affect the negotiations under way within the framework of
the OSCE Minsk Group are unconstructive. Despite all the obstacles
Azerbaijan creates on the way of resolution of the conflict, Armenia
is resolute to uphold the efforts towards settlement of the conflict
through negotiations."

Turning to the Armenian-Turkish relations, Edward Nalbandian said:
"It was the initiative of the Armenian President to normalize
relations with Turkey. Notwithstanding the difficulties, we started
the process with the mediation of Switzerland, we held talks and
signed the protocols with a mutual understanding that there could be
no preconditions in the process. This position is shared by mediating
and supporting states and the international community, as a whole.

After the protocols were signed, Turkey returned to the language of
preconditions, it had been using before the start of the process and
actually stopped the process of ratification of the protocols in the
Turkish Parliament. That is why the Armenian President decided to
suspend the ratification process in Armenia until Ankara is again
ready to continue the process without preconditions. This decision
was welcomed by the international community," Minister Nalbandian
concluded.

MEDVEDEV’S VISIT TO TURKEY AND THE KARABAKH ISSUE

Hurriyet
May 9 2010
Turkey

If in the 1990s someone was to suggest that Turkish-Russian relations
could one day reach a level of strategic partnership it would have
likely induced uproarious laughter to listeners. Psychological
constraints revolving around misperceptions were a kind of Sword
of Damocles in bilateral relations while the persistent lack of
understanding, prevalent among the ruling elite on both sides, was
the main source of mutual mistrust.

This problem was more acute among the Russian decision makers. In
the post-Soviet period, the anti-Turkey lobby in Russia consisted
mainly of security elites and, to a lesser extent, communist and
ultra-nationalist deputies of the Duma who considered Turkey a proxy
of Russia’s arch-military adversaries, namely the U.S. and NATO. Due to
ambitions they advanced with regard to the Russian sphere of influence,
or the so-called "near abroad," their perception of Turkey appeared
to have been that of a rival and traditional enemy.

As an expert on ex-Soviet geography, however, I always believed that,
in time, the unique geopolitics of both countries, having left profound
marks on their historical progress and bilateral relations alike,
would inevitably force them to adopt a more constructive attitude. I
was certain that they would eventually realize their interests overlap
rather than clash. Time has proven me right.

The primary drive behind this astonishing process has come from
Russia itself. The current Russian Prime Minister, Vladimir Putin,
since coming to power in 2000, has prioritized economic interests in
his foreign policy conduct while geopolitical ambitions have been
replaced by geo-economical aspirations. Trying to make the most of
Russia’s few assets, Putin has increasingly relied on the export of
energy resources. Under his leadership, the creation of an energy
dependence on Russia among its neighbors in particular has become
Moscow’s primary foreign policy goal. The reason Turkey has been
elevated to the top of Russia’s foreign policy agenda is closely
related to Putin’s strategic expectations in that regard.

In the meantime, Turkey was also undergoing a change in its foreign
policy understanding, the main motto of which was "A Turkish world
from the Adriatic to China." Having first been uttered in a speech
made by Henry Kissinger in a session of the World Economic Forum held
in Istanbul in 1992, this idea dominated the Turkish understanding
of the nation’s foreign policy drive toward ex-Soviet geography in
the post-communist period. However, it was the late Ä°smail Cem, the
Turkish foreign minister between 1997 and 2002, who realized that it
was this understanding which was raising Russian hackles. According to
Cem, Turkey’s foreign policy could be best described as being bereft of
a historical dimension. He argued it lacked depth with respect to time
and breadth with respect to space. At this time, Turkey needed to set
a new policy course that acknowledged the role of Russia as pivotal.

The Action Plan on Cooperation with Eurasia, signed in 2001, became
the eventual manifestation of the political rapprochement between
the two countries. As someone who contributed academically to it, I
very clearly recall that Cem, first and foremost, wanted both sides
to speak openly, no matter whether they agreed or disagreed. Thus,
the calls for consultation, as well as confidence-building measures,
which are envisaged in the agreement, have undeniably led to talks
of a strategic partnership today.

The Justice and Development Party government, under the theoretical
guidance of Ahmet Davutoglu, has taken one step further. There is
no doubt that at present, Ankara is paying special attention to the
Russia factor in its foreign policy conduct. There are, nevertheless,
expectations. With the earlier mentioned agreement, both capitals
finally acknowledged bilateral cooperation in the vast Eurasian area
as a basic prerequisite for regional stability. This is particularly
valid for the Caucasus, where the main problem is the resolution of
the Karabakh knot. It is in this regard that Moscow should approach
Prime Minister Recep T. Erdogan’s persistent calls for a regional
Caucasian stability pact in a more concrete manner.

One of the basic issues to be discussed during Russian President Dmitry
Medvedev’s official visit to Turkey will therefore be the Karabakh
problem. Circles close to Erdogan say that the prime minister, during
his last visits to Russia, frankly highlighted Turkey’s expectations
of the Russian government and there have been promising signs that
these calls have not gone unheard. During my visit to Baku last
February, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mamedyarov, for instance,
described Russia’s stance as having become "more constructive than
ever." Apparently it was the Sochi meeting held between Medvedev,
Azerbaijani President Ä°lham Aliyev and Armenian President Serzh
Sargsyan that had increased his optimism.

In any strategic partnership, a common strategic vision is an
essential prerequisite. What matters is whether respective parties
are seeing the world, as well as the problems before them, through
the same lenses. For the Turkish-Russian partnership the acid test
will ultimately be the Karabakh issue.

EVENTS FOR THE GREEK – PONTIC GENOCIDE IN NEW YORK AND IN CANADA.
Apostolos Papapostolou

Greek Reporter
vents-for-the-greek-pontic-genocide-in-new-york-an d-in-canada/
May 10 2010

The international remembrance day of the Greek-Pontic genocide will be
honored in New York with public events and the hoisting of the Greek
Pontic flag and the Greek flag at the Bowling Green Park in Manhattan
(on the corner of State Street and Broadway). The remembrance social
event is being organized by the American – Canadian all-Pontic
Federation and by the Federation of Hellenic Societies of Greater
New York

During the event Greek and Greek – American officials and leaders will
deliver speeches. Also speaking will be American officials, authors,
intellectuals, activists against genocides and representatives of
the American Armenian and Assyrian communities.

This year, during the remembrance of the Greek Pontic Genocide social
event the Swedish Ambassador will also be honored for the recent
acknowledgement of the Armenian, the Assyrian and the Greek Pontic
genocide by the Swedish Parliament.

Ms Fanoula Argirou, a Greek-Cyprian researcher, journalist and author
who will be arriving from London, will also give a speech on Wednesday,
May the 19th, at 7.30 at the Stathakion Centre 22-51 Street, Astoria,
NY 11105.

The title of the speech is "From the Greek Pontic genocide to the
Turkish invasion in Cyprus."

In Canada the American and Canadian all-Pontic Federation is staging
a series of events in collaboration with organizations during the
month of May.