Author: Frangulian Shushan

Today, Azerbaijan
March 13 2010

Azerbaijani MP: Azerbaijan’s increasing military capabilities is
matter of serious concern for Armenia

13 March 2010 [14:00] – Today.Az

Day.Az interview with member of the Azerbaijani Milli Majlis
(Parliament) Aydin Mirzazade.

In his interview with French newspaper Le Figaro, Armenian President
Serzh Sargsyan said that ostensibly Armenian side does not fear
resumption of war with Azerbaijan. In your opinion, why did the
Armenian President raise this question again?

The Armenian officials have often touched upon the issue of renewed
hostilities lately. They call Azerbaijan not to build up its military
power, give advice on use of the military budget or say that not
quantitative but qualitative indicator of the combat capability of the
Armenian army is important.

All this shows that increase in Azerbaijan’s military capabilities is
indeed a matter of serious concern for Armenia. It is concerned with
Azerbaijan’s determination to settle the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict by
any means, including military. It is also concerned with the combat
readiness of the Azerbaijani army. Sargsyan’s statements testify to
this.

Sargsyan’s statement indicates that the Armenian side has nothing to
lose. In extreme case, it will lose the Azerbaijani territory it has
seized. The fact that lately the Armenian authorities have often
touched upon this issue shows they realize that it is time to return
occupied lands. But nanationalist sentiments and claims to neighboring
states prevent them to do this.

In his interview Sargsyan reiterated that Armenia may withdraw its
signature from the Ankara-Yerevan accords. May Armenia really take
such a step? Can we say that the process of Armenia-Turkey
normalization has reached a complete impasse?

Possible, Sargsyan thinks that such statements will scare Turkey and
the world. Who will lose in case these protocols will no longer exist
and the issue of opening the borders will be closed for a long time?

Today, Turkey does not need to open borders with unpromising and poor
country like Armenia. Armenia does need opening of the borders. It
needs to use Turkey’s economic opportunities. It needs Turkish
investment, communication and involvement of the Turkish capital. But
Turkey is not in a hurry to do that (open borders) until Armenia
withdraws from the occupied Azerbaijani territories.

I think the point is that the Armenian leadership does not really care
about opening of the borders. Only simple population of Armenia, who
is unable to find work and a piece of bread at leaving the country in
search of income, suffers from this. But former field commanders in
Karabakh dressed in ties and epaulettes are political figures today.

Recently, the Committee on Foreign Relations of the U.S. House of
Representatives voted for the resolution on "Armenian Genocide". This
week the Swedish Parliament also approved a similar bill. In your
opinion, what is the reason for increased efforts to recognize the
"Armenian genocide" in the world?

During both votes, the bills were approved by majority of only one
vote. I think that both decisions were politically motivated.
Unfortunately, there are people both in the U.S. Congress and in the
Swedish Parliament who do not respect interests of their state. They
have become captives of the Armenian diaspora and Armenian
organizations. There is only one goal – to put pressure on Turkey to
deprive it of freedom of action to impose an option unacceptable for
the country. But, as it is evident from Turkey’s reaction, these
people will unlikely will be able to achieve their goal. Turkey will
continue to pursue its independent policy and defend its national
interests.

Forces who started by this dirty game will be losers in this game. The
Armenian diaspora in this matter has nothing to lose, but Sweden, as a
nation, will lose much in the political, economic, military and
cultural cooperation with Turkey after this ecision.

N. Abdullayeva

URL:

AZERBAIJANI FM: UPDATED VERSION OF MADRID PRINCIPLES GIVES OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS LARGE AGREEMENT

Today
/63828.html
March 12 2010
Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov has said an updated
version of the Madrid principles makes it possible to discuss a
large agreement.

"For me personally, Armenia should accept the updated version of
the Madrid principles as well. But they say they cannot as there are
some options they do not agree with. Now negotiations are underway
on these options."

Mammadyarov said several international organizations and countries
emphasized that it was high time that the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute
was solved.

"Both heads of the OSCE Minsk Group`s co-chairing countries, Kazakhstan
which chairs the OSCE as well as Spain which heads the European Union
have declared the year 2010 will be crucial from the point of view
of finding a solution to the conflict. Similar statements were made
by President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Joao Soares and the
assembly`s special representative on the dispute Goran Lennmarker. And
it means the whole international community awaits progress in the
problem, and hopes the occupied lands will be liberated and refugees
will return to their homelands," said the Azeri FM.

ARMENIA READY TO IMPLEMENT ENERGY PROJECTS WITH TURKEY

news.am
March 12 2010
Armenia

Armenia is ready to participate in pipeline construction projects,
said RA Deputy Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Areg Galstyan
at the 73rd NATO PA Rose-Roth seminar in Yerevan.

According to him, if the mains will go through Armenia, tax payers of
EU states will save several hundred million dollars. "Armenian side
has repeatedly stated this during the energy projects implementation
back in 1990s, but no positive response followed, as the decision
was made by politicians, who displayed no economic reasonableness,"
Deputy minister declared.

He outlined that Armenia implements joint energy projects with Iran
and intends to deepen that cooperation. Some projects are carried
out also with Georgia, and joint one is scheduled to launch shortly
with Iran and Georgia. In particular, for energy supply to Georgia a
power line of 400kWt and 2 hydropower plants with Iran on Arax river
will be built.

Armenia is ready to implement similar projects with Turkey, Galstyan
said adding that functioning in soviet times power supply line of
220 kilowatt in Turkey is already restored.

TURKISH PRESIDENT CRITICIZED SWEDISH PARLIAMENT’S DECISION

armradio.am
12.03.2010 11:40

Turkish President Abdullah Gul said on Thursday that the resolution
on the Armenian Genocide approved by Swedish Parliament did not have
any credibility.

"We know how this decision was made. It is ineffective from the point
of our view", said Turkish President Abdullah Gul.

Those who made this decision and who voted in favor of the resolution
were not historians, Gul said.

SHEIKH-UL-ISLAM: I WISH GAREGIN CAME TO BAKU AND SAW AZERBAIJAN’S TRUTHS WITH HIS OWN EYES

APA
March 11 2010
Azerbaijan

Baku. Elbrus Seyfullayev – APA. The date of the summit of the world
religious leaders in Baku has been fixed, APA reports.

Chairman of Caucasian Muslims Office, sheikh-ul-islam Haji Allahshukur
Pashazadeh said Baku summit will be held on April 27-29. He said
holding such an event in Baku is of great importance.

"About 150 religious leaders will attend the event. Each of them
brings together millions of people in a state. 11 patriarchs from
the Catholic Church will attend the summit. The representatives of
the traditional religions will attend the summit," he said.

Allahshukur Pashazadeh did not exclude that Armenian Catholicos
Garegin II will be invited to the summit.

"CIS Interreligious Council includes the religious leaders of all
countries. I am the co-chair of the council. As far as I know,
Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill will visit Armenia soon.

During the visit he will probably invite Garegin to the Baku summit. I
do not see anything unusual in this invitation. I wish Garegin came to
Baku and saw Azerbaijan’s truths with his own eyes. But I do not think
Garegin will attend the summit in Baku even if he is invited. Maybe
events on the so-called Armenian genocide will be held in Armenia
simultaneously with the summit in Baku," he said.

VARTAN OSKANIAN: THE DIPLOMATIC PROTOCOLS AWAITING RATIFICATION BY THE TWO COUNTRIES’ PARLIAMENTS HAVE FALLEN VICTIM TO MISCALCULATIONS ON BOTH SIDES

ArmInfo
2010-03-10 12:19:00

ArmInfo. The diplomatic protocols awaiting ratification by the two
countries’ parliaments have fallen victim to miscalculations on both
sides, ex-Foreign Minister of Armenia, Chairman of the Civilitas
Foundation Vartan Oskanian said in his article published at the site
Project Syndicate.

In his opinion, the Armenians came to believe that Turkey would find
a way to reconcile Azerbaijan’s interests with the Turkish opening to
Armenia, and would open the border with Armenia regardless of progress
on resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh issue. "The problem is that Turkey
initially closed the border precisely because of Nagorno- Karabakh,
rather than any bilateral issue. Turkey believed that by signing
protocols with Armenia and clearly indicating its readiness to open
the border, the Armenians could somehow be cajoled or pressured
into resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh problem more quickly or cede
territories surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh. But this has always been
unlikely in the absence of a comprehensive settlement that addresses
Armenians’ greatest fear – security – and fulfils their basic political
requirement, namely a definition of Nagorno-Karabakh’s status",
V. Oskanian said.

Both sides seem to be somewhat surprised by the other’s expectations.

Indeed, there is a growing fear that a settlement of the
Nagorno-Karabakh dispute is more distant now, because Turkey’s public
backing has raised Azerbaijan’s expectations, while some Armenians fear
collusion between neighbors out to railroad them into an unsustainable
agreement.

V. Oskanian thinks that this is Turkey’s moment of truth. "The
Armenia-Turkey diplomatic process has stalled, and the Turkish
government’s effort at reconciliation with the country’s large
Kurdish minority has soured. Just as a loss of confidence among
Kurds and Turks in eastern Turkey will rock the shaky stability that
they have recently enjoyed, a loss of hope for a settlement of the
Nagorno-Karabakh dispute may end the tentative military calm between
Armenians and Azerbaijanis. But the situation is not irretrievable.

Endless public sparring between Turkish and Armenian officials
through the media is not helping. It is time for both countries’
leaders to speak privately and directly with each other, with an
understanding of the instability that could result from any failure
to complete the diplomatic opening that the two sides initiated",
ex-foreign minister emphasized.

"So, even as Turkey tries to deal with the consequences of its history
at home, and redefine the army’s role in society, it must reset its
tortured relationship with Armenia. The recent resolution passed by
the Foreign Relations Committee of the US Congress, which called
upon President Obama to ensure that US foreign policy reflects an
"appropriate understanding and sensitivity" concerning the Armenian
Genocide, should serve as a wake-up call to both Turkish and Armenian
governments that Armenians are not about to question the historical
veracity of the genocide. After all, if France and Germany can face
their tortured history, Turkey should be able to do so as well. The
two sides must step back, look at the situation dispassionately,
acknowledge the deficiencies in the protocols, address the other side’s
minimum requirements, and bear in mind that a single document will not
heal all wounds or wipe out all fears. The international community
must support this effort. The problem should not be dismissed as
a mere settling of old scores. What is at stake is the future of a
region critical to Eurasia’s peace, Oskanian resumed.

DELEGATION LED BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE OSCE PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY JOAO SOARES TO ARRIVE IN ARMENIA

parliament.am
March 10 2010
Armenia

On the evening of March 10 the delegation led by the President of
the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Joao Soares will arrive in Armenia.

Meetings with RA President Serzh Sargsyan, RA NA Speaker Hovik
Abrahamyan, NKR NA Speaker Ashot Ghulyan, Foreign Minister Edward
Nalbandian are scheduled. The Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of
All Armenians Garegin II will also receive the delegation.

The delegation will lay a wreath at the monument of 1915 Armenian
Genocide victims.

On March 11 the delegation led by the President of the OSCE
Parliamentary Assembly Joao Soares will take part in the NATO Rose
Roth seminar.

ANCA CRITICIZES OBAMA FOR HIS UNDERMINING EFFORTS

news.am
March 9 2010
Armenia

After Genocide Resolution was approved by the U.S. House Committee on
Foreign Affairs, Ken Hachikian — the Chairman of Armenian National
Committee of America (ANCA) sent a letter to U.S. President Barack
Obama.

NEWS.am posts the excerpts:

"I am writing, on behalf of Armenian American voters, friends of the
Armenian American community, and genocide-prevention advocates from
across our nation, to share our profound disappointment over your
recently launched campaign to block Congressional recognition of the
Armenian Genocide.

Your Administration’s efforts to undermine the adoption of the
Armenian Genocide Resolution, coming, as they do, in the wake of
both your broken pledge to recognize the Armenian Genocide and your
abandoned promise to &’strongly support’ the Armenian Genocide
Resolution, represent a stark departure from the commitments you
made to the American people during your campaign for office. Rather
than honoring your words, you are, today, using the full force of
your Administration to attempt to block Members of Congress from
doing exactly that which you yourself promised, namely properly
commemorating this crime against humanity.

As you recall, as a U.S. Senator, you sharply criticized President
Bush’s policy of non-recognition and opposition to Congressional
commemoration as &’inexcusable.’

Mr. President, in attempting to enforce Ankara’s gag rule on U.S.

recognition of the Armenian Genocide — both within your Administration
and now in Congress — you have, very sadly, signaled to all the world
that our silence on genocide can be bought in exchange for perceived
geopolitical advantage or compromised under threat from a foreign
power. Your policy is now fully complicit in Turkey’s campaign of
Genocide denial.

I would like to take this opportunity, once again, to encourage you
to honor your as-yet unfulfilled pledge to remain actively engaged
with Armenian American leaders."

KARABAKH MEDIATORS, AZERBAIJANI MINISTER HOLD TALKS

news.az
March 9 2010
Azerbaijan

OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs The OSCE mediators have discussed the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar
Mammadyarov in Paris.

Following their talks on 6 March, the mediators issued a brief
statement.

‘The OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs (Ambassador Yury Merzlyakov, the
Russian Federation; Ambassador Bernard Fassier, France; Ambassador
Robert Bradtke, United States) met with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister
Elmar Mammadyarov in Paris, where they held a working session.

‘They assessed the current stage of the negotiations and considered
comments of both the Armenian and Azerbaijani sides on the updated
Madrid Principles, which were presented to them by the co-chairs in
December 2009 and January 2010. The co-chairs plan to meet Armenian
Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian in Paris later this month for a
similar discussion, prior to going to the region.’

The Azerbaijani foreign minister reiterated Azerbaijan’s position that
‘the updated principles are accepted in general, but there are elements
that do not suit us’, according to state-run news agency AzerTAj.

The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict was also the dominant theme of the
Azerbaijani foreign minister’s talks with Jean-David Levitte,
diplomatic advisor to the French president.

APA, Azerbaijan
March 5 2010

Novruz Mammadov: `Iran is one of the countries assisting Armenia to
live in these crisis years’

[ 05 Mar 2010 20:00 ]

Baku. Lachin sultanova – APA. `It’s impossible for Iran to assist the
solution to Nagorno Karabakh conflict within the framework of OSCE
Minsk Group. It has no legal basis’, Chief of the International
Relations Department of the Presidential Administration Novruz
Mammadov told APA.

`Islamic Republic of Iran is one of the countries assisting Armenia to
live in these crisis years. Armenia receives main resources from Iran.
Iran has a lot of means and it can help the solution to the conflict
whenever it wants. Iran recognizes the territorial integrity of
Azerbaijan. If Iran changes attitude towards Armenia, then it may help
us. But I don’t see such a thing now’, he said.

`It is interesting that after the frame agreement offered in Madrid,
Azerbaijani side hasn’t accepted it during half year. But then
Azerbaijan agreed with the proposals demonstrating its
constructiveness in the solution to the conflict. After all these,
Armenia changed its positions during Sochi meeting. Unfortunately,
some circles support Armenia and try for the welfare of Armenia’

Mammadov touched upon the meeting between Azerbaijani Foreign Minister
Elmar Mammadyarov and Co-chairs in Paris: `If there is a new idea,
opinion after this meeting, we will be informed’