Author: Hakobian Adrine

ARMENIA’S IMPORT SECTOR SHOWS LOW COMPETITION LEVEL, IMF REP SAYS

mation-Analytic Agency NEWS.am
Sept 9 2009
Armenia

15:18 / 09/09/2009At NEWS.am reporter’s request, IMF Resident
Representative in Armenia Nienke Oomes explained why the Global
Competitiveness Report 2009-2010 recently published by the Global
Economic Forum ranks Armenia 97th. Armenia is still a transitional
economy, which, however, has numerous market factors and mechanisms,
Oomes said. Nevertheless, she agrees that Armenia’s competitiveness is
not at a satisfactory level. Since Armenia is a very narrow market,
with borders closed, the import sector shows a very low competition
level. The IMF believes that the reopening of borders will enhance
Armenia’s competitiveness. Armenia’s relations with Turkey will give
an impetus to competition, Oomes said.

It is noteworthy that Azerbaijan has the highest score from among the
CIS member-countries – it ranks 51st against 69th last year. All the
other CIS member-countries registered regress: Russia ranks 63rd (51st
last year); Kazakhstan 67th (66th last year); Georgia 90th (90th last
year); Ukraine 82nd (72nd last year); Armenia 97th (97th last year).

Switzerland ranks 1st in the Global Competitiveness Report 2009-2010,
followed by the United States, Singapore and Sweden, with Denmark
being in the top five.

GOOD INTENTIONS LEAD TO THE HELL: KARABAKH HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDER

ArmInfo
2009-09-08 18:22:00

ArmInfo. "Good intentions lead to the hell. Such problems must not
be discussed without the Karabakh people, otherwise "Peace Road"
may turn into "War Road," says Albert Voskanyan, Director of the
Center of Civil Initiatives human rights organization in Karabakh,
when commenting of the recently emerging projects regarding Lachin
corridor, in particular, "Peace Road" implying linking of Azerbaijan
and Armenia to Europe via the given corridor.

"Karabakh people have broken the years-long blockade by Azerbaijan
and established communication with the world. Now the fate of the
whole people has become a subject for speculations. The Karabakh
people perceive such "peacemaking" quite painfully. Such crucial
issues must not be discussed without participation of Karabakh,
otherwise it will yield a reverse effect," he said.

APPOINTMENT OF NEW OSCE MG U.S. CO-CHAIR IS NOT A BIG EVENT: POLITICAL EXPERT

Today.Az
Sept 8 2009
Azerbaijan

"Nomination of OSCE Minks Group co-chair is not decisive," Azerbaijani
political expert Vafa Guluzade said commenting on Robert Bradtdke’s
appointment as U.S. co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group.

"Of course, it is good that professional and career diplomat has
been appointed co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group so that he will not
make unfounded statements as did some of the previous co-chairs,"
Guluzade said.

"No ambassador makes policy, the policy is made by the country. It
all depends on what policies the U.S. is going to pursue in the South
Caucasus," he added.

"Appointment of a new co-chair of OSCE Minsk Group from the United
States is not a big event. This may mean something if the United
States clearly defines its position according to the principles of
the United Nations and under international law," Guluzade said.

Guluzade said it is still unclear what the United State needs. "If
Americans urgently needed peace and a just solution to the conflict
in the region, they would have already achieved this. They would have
long condemned Armenia’s aggression against Azerbaijan."

"Today, Azerbaijan has become a reliable partner of the United
States. All American oil companies are represented in Azerbaijan. But
in the key respect – the Karabakh issue, we do not have support
from the United States. Of course, appointment of new high-skilled
official is very good, but it will not by itself do anything until
the U.S. does not clearly define its position," he said.

ALEXANDER SOTNICHENKO: TURKEY INTERESTED IN KARABAKH CONFLICT RESOLUTION

PanARMENIAN.Net
07.09.2009 16:28 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Turkey is willing to strengthen positions in the
Caucasus, a Russian expert said.

"Russia and Turkey are regional leaders. So long as Moscow is
not active. Turkey wants to seize every opportunity to gain more
power. Under the circumstances, normalization of relations with
Armenia will be Turkey’s global victory," Alexander Sotnichenko,
a senior fellow at Saint Petersburg center of oriental studies,
told PanARMENIAN.Net.

At that he noted that Turkey is highly interested in resolution of the
Nagorno Karabakh conflict but will hardly make a decision conflicting
with Azerbaijan’s interests.

DAVUTOGLU, MAMMADYAROV DISCUSS TURKISH-ARMENIAN TIES

AssA-Irada
September 3, 2009 Thursday
Azerbaijan

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has informed Azerbaijani
counterpart Elmar Mammadyarov during a phone conversation about
this weeks agreement his country reached with Armenia to start
consultations on ways of normalizing relations, reports say. Turkeys
Haber 7 TV channel reported that Davutoglu, who was on a visit to
Egypt, had taken a break in his meetings to call Mammadyarov. Ankara
and Yerevan on Monday agreed to start consultations on forging
diplomatic ties and developing bilateral relations, announcing a
six-week timeframe for finalizing two protocols, which ultimately
envision opening the Turkish-Armenian border that remains shut
over historic differences. According to Turkish foreign ministry
officials, the Azerbaijani minister neither opposed efforts by Turkey
and Armenia to forge diplomatic ties nor stated Bakus disagreement
in this regard. Turkeys influential Hurriyet newspaper reported that
Davutoglu had reiterated Ankaras assurances during the discussions,
saying we will not take any steps hurting Azerbaijan. Turkey closed
its border with Armenia in 1993 due to Armenian occupation of the
territories of Azerbaijan, Turkeys ally, and Yerevans claims on
the alleged World War I-era genocide. The governments of Turkey and
Armenia agreed a roadmap in April but Monday’s verbal agreements are
considered the first real move toward reaching that goal.

ANKARA AND YEREVAN TO ESTABLISH DIPLOMATIC TIES

Europolitics (daily in English)
September 2, 2009 Wednesday

Armenia and Turkey announced, on 31 August, that they had concluded
an agreement, brokered by Switzerland, to establish bilateral
ties and to open their borders – a major gesture aimed at building
reconciliation between the two neighbours. In a joint statement, the
foreign ministers of the two nations said that Armenia and Turkey had
agreed to launch "internal political consultations" on two protocols,
one on establishing diplomatic relations and the other on developing
bilateral ties. The political consultations "will be completed in six
weeks, after which the two protocols will be signed and submitted to
the respective parliaments for ratification".

The border between the two countries would be opened "within two
months" following the entry into force of the protocols, the Armenian
minister told the French press agency AFP. The protocols also provide
for the creation of a joint commission in charge of reviewing the
"historic dimension" of the enmity between Armenia and Turkey, he
said. Ankara has not maintained diplomatic relations with Yerevan since
Armenia’s independence in 1991 due to differences over the question
of the massacre of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire between 1915 and
1917. Turkey also sealed its border with Armenia in 1993 out of support
for Azerbaijan: Baku was at loggerheads with Yerevan over control of
the Nagorno-Karabakh region, an enclave of Armenians in Azerbaijan.

The European Commission welcomed the agreement and urged the parties
to seek "rapid implementation of the protocols," adding that this
"should contribute to peace and stability in the South Caucus".

WHY STUDY GENOCIDE? HERE’S WHY
Susan Smylie and Laura McCarthy

San Antonio Express
32.html
Sept 3 2009

The Texas Holocaust and Genocide Commission came into effect this week,
thanks to action taken by the Legislature last spring. Texans should
be proud our state is taking a leadership role in this area.

The commission will provide advice and assistance to educators from
primary schools through universities regarding implementation of
Holocaust and genocide courses of study and awareness programs.

The commission also will identify resources educators may use and
will help connect people with great knowledge or experiences of
genocide with those who wish to learn more. Its scope goes beyond
public schools and will be a resource to all educators.

Why study genocide? Some say it "just happens." While the planning
that went into the Holocaust is obvious, other such mass murders are
often viewed as cultural problems among people who "have always been
fighting each other."

Our study shows genocide is carefully planned by perpetrators who
are fueled by a desire for power. Thus, it is preventable. Every 20th
century genocide has had warnings that were ignored.

Believing humans really will carry out such horrors on other humans
is hard to grasp, but we have seen it happen — in Armenia, Germany,
Cambodia, Rwanda and now, in the first genocide of the 21st century,
Darfur, Sudan.

Understanding that genocide is preventable can empower us to take
action.

Local retired teacher Kathy Kardon and teachers at Bush Middle
School set a great example of how genocide education can be used to
tie past atrocities to current action. They used the NEISD Holocaust
curriculum to start a discussion about genocide that led to students
raising some $6,000 for Darfur refugee relief.

At its outset, the commission should survey how much genocide education
is happening in Texas and develop relationships with inspired educators
in the process. That will enable the commission to make recommendations
and provide resources to all Texas educators. With tools and resources,
communities across Texas will be better prepared to learn about
genocide, and empowered to use that knowledge to take action.

The commission is crucial to teaching children that no one is a lesser
person, and to reawakening in adults lessons of the past and how they
connect to the future. It isn’t enough to say that something bad
happened to a group of people in the past. By being aware of early
warning signs, we can avert future tragedies.

We hope you who are reading this will join us in supporting the Texas
Holocaust and Genocide Commission’s work.

Susan Smylie of San Antonio and Laura McCarthy of Dallas are 2009
Genocide Intervention Network Carl Wilkens Fellows.

ARMENIA ATTACHES GREAT IMPORTANCE TO CSTO FORCE, PROMOTES TIES

Interfax
Sept 1 2009
Russia

The establishment of the Collective Operational Reaction Force (CORF)
of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) is crucial to
Armenia’s security, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan said.

"We regard the creation [of the CORF] as an important component of
efforts aimed at enhancing Armenia’s security," Sargsyan said at an
annual meeting with Foreign Ministry officials and heads of Armenia’s
diplomatic missions abroad.

"Serious progress was made during Armenia’s chairmanship of the
CSTO. Key solutions intended to improve the organization’s efficiency
were formulated and adopted. I am primarily speaking about the
establishment of the CORF. Its first exercises will begin soon. To
be more precise, the first stage has already started," the Armenian
president said.

Yerevan has also been developing relations with NATO, Sargsyan said.

"The results of our Individual Partnership Action Plan are
satisfactory. We are also satisfied with the level and results of
Armenia’s involvement in international peacekeeping operations,"
he added.

ARMENIAN, GEORGIAN & AZERBAIJANI OFFICIALS IN TBILISI

Information-Analytic Agency NEWS.am
Sept 2 2009
Armenia

On September 8-9, 2009 Armenian, Azerbaijani and Georgian officials
will meet at Caucasus Environmental Infrastructure & Green Energy
Investment & Finance Summit 2009 in Tbilisi to discuss ecological
aspects of South Caucasian energy policy, Euroconvention Conferences
summit statement reads.

The Armenian delegation will comprise high-ranking officials. Speeches
of Azerbaijani Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources Huseyn
Bagirov, Georgian Minister of Energy Aleksandre Khetaguri and Georgian
Minister of Environment Protection and Natural Resources Georgiy
Khachidze are planned.

Renewable energy sources, the development of the regional energy
policy and environmental infrastructure issues will be discussed at
the summit.

THE WHOLE TRUTH IS TOLD TO A JACKASS ONLY
HAKOB BADALYAN

mments&pid=15044
12:01:38 – 02/09/2009

The governmental heralds who participate in debates and discussions on
the Armenian-Turkish issue who usually are not governmental political
figures but so-called independent political scientists, listening to
whom one understands that they do not want to explain the phenomenon
but only say "good, good, very good", have adopted a very interesting
attitude. The peculiarity of this attitude is that these people try
to present the issue from the angle that whoever speaks against the
strategy the government is against the opening of the Armenian and
Turkish border. This is typical of the Armenian governmental and
pro-governmental thinking to change notions, diviate from the topic
and turn the debate into trivial arguments.

Meanwhile everyone understands that the axis of the criticism of
the process of the Armenian and Turkish relations is not the demand
not to open the border. The main topic of the criticism is at what
price, at whose expense it will be done, what Armenia has to give in
return for opening the border, and whether this price is equal to the
result expected from opening the border. Or whether the Turks are not
using the issue of the border to manipulate the Armenians during the
negotiations. This is the problem and not the open or closed border
as the governmental heralds are trying represent, saying that the
process is important. But do they explain how Armenia benefits from
this process and what it loses? Do they say what form the process has
to have? Or maybe they do not care about the form, the important is
to have it, even if Armenia appears as an "outsider" in this process.

It does not seem hard to understand that the discussion must be on
this issue rather than the fact that an open border is better than a
closed one, or it is better to negotiate than not to negotiate. Of
course, an open border is better than a closed one and negotiation
is better than its absence. But the best solution is to think before
negotiations whether they cannot be used as a trap against you. The
problem of the governmental heralds should be to explain to the
society that there is no trap. Let the heralds explain that the setup
of the sub-commission will not deal with the genocide issue, but they
will study only historical documents and facts not relating to the
genocide. Let the government heralds clarify this issue and not say
that the word genocide lacks in the protocols so everything is good.

Let them explain to the public the reason why Armenia and Turkey
draft a protocol to establish relations and include in it the
provision of recognition of state borders of the two countries as
well as a provision on "respect of inviolability of the borders
of other countries". What do the Armenian and Turkish relations
have in common with other countries? Does this provision imply
Azerbaijan? Let the governmental heralds explain this and not the
fact that Artsakh is not mentioned in the protocol. Finally, let
the governmental heralds know the famous saying "the whole truth is
told to a jacjass only’. Moreover, in diplomacy the whole truth is
never said, especially in such delicate questions as the Armenian
and Turkish relations. Consequently, a politician has to be able to
read between the lines because an ordinary citizen may read the lines
without the help of any politician. They should not take the citizens
for uneducated people or idiots. A political scientist should read
between the lines.