Author: Hambardsumian Paul

THE ARMENIAN ROCK GROUPS WILL PERFORM NEW YEAR DAY SONGS

Aysor
Dec 23 2009
Armenia

"The winter Festival – Armenia 2009" continues providing with happy
mood those who will put on warm clothes and will go out to the streets
to make the pre-holiday days more festive.

As the organizers of the festival inform to Aysor.am, today in the
park of the Beloved will take place a rock concert. On the concert
the Armenian rock-groups will present the famous and familiar New
Year day songs.

The organizers of the festival remind that the access to the concert
is free. It will launch at 17:30.

AHMET DAVUTOGLU: "THERE CANNOT BE HEALTHY NORMALIZATION BETWEEN TURKEY AND ARMENIA WITHOUT SOLUTION OF NAGORNO KARABAKH PROBLEM"

APA
Dec 23 2009
Azerbaijan

Baku – APA. "The realization of the protocols signed with Armenia is
a process and everyone should think positively about such processes.

Negative scenarios are not useful for anyone. No one is interested
in returning to the situation before the protocols", said the Turkish
Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, reacting to the Armenia’s statement
that it will reject the protocols if Ankara delays their ratification,
APA reports quoting Hurriyyet newspaper. In his opinion, positive
scenario is realization of the protocols and normalization in whole
Caucasus. "The bilateral normalization links with the improvement of
situation in the Caucasus. There is a problem standing for 17 years.

There cannot be bilateral healthy normalization without solution
of this problem. Our intention is to establish peace and stability
in whole Caucasus. Turkey-Armenia borders are closed for 20 years,
but we try again to solve this problem. If there is a good will in
another issue, it can reach certain phase in this issue too. Minsk
process reached serious progresses. We all together moved this process
to the certain phase. The talks in Athens were also positive".

Davutoglu said he was seeing Turkey-Armenia relations not from the
factor of time, but from a large horizon. "I don’t see this process
negatively. We cannot squeeze time. We shouldn’t leave the future of
our countries and peoples to the hand of lobbies".

TURKEY TO BRING UP NAGORNO-KARABAKH ISSUE AT TURKEY-EU MEETING

Today
8409.html
Dec 22 2009
Azerbaijan

Turkey-European Union Intergovernmental conference kicked off in
Brussels on dec. 21.

Three Turkish ministers – Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, State
Minister and Chief Negotiator for EU talks Egemen Bagis and Environment
and Forestry Minister Veysel Eroglu left for Brussels to attend the
conference, which is expected to open environment chapter in Turkey`s
EU accession talks.

The meeting focuses on a number of issues, including Turkey’s
obligations to the European Union and Cyprus dispute.

Also the ministers will bring up the issue related to Armenian-Turkish
relationship and Nagorno Karabakh problem, Turkish daily "Hurriyet"
says.

The EU negotiators include Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs Carl
Bildt, Chairman of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso and
other officials.

ARMENIAN FINANCE MINISTER TO PARTICIPATE IN THE FIRST SESSION OF THE EURASEC ANTI-CRISIS FUND IN MOSCOW

ARMENPRESS
DECEMBER 21, 2009
YEREVAN

Armenian Finance Minister Tigran Davtyan will participate today in
the first session of the EurAsEC Anti-Crisis Fund in Moscow. Press
service of the Finance Ministry told Armenpress that the agreement
on establishing the fund was signed June 9 in Moscow.

The charter capital of the fund will make till 10 billion USD of which
Russia’s part will be 7,5 billion USD, Kazakhstan’s 1 billion USD,
Belarus’ 10 million USD and Armenia’s 1 million USD.

During today’s session it is planned to discuss and approve a number
of documents relating to fund’s 2010 activity. Particularly it is
planned to approve the statute of the council of experts of the
anti-crisis fund, its staff, etc.

The Signal, Santa Clarita
Dec 19 2009

Armenian church opens in SCV

Church officials say they hope to team with local charities, teach
Armenian language to youth

By Tammy Marashlian
Signal Staff Writer
[email protected]
661-259-1234 x525
Posted: Dec. 18, 2009 10:19 p.m.
POSTED Dec. 19, 2009 4:55 a.m.

After five years of planning and patience, the Santa Clarita Valley’s
growing Armenian population has a church of its own.

"It’s really important for us to bring the 600 or so families together
so they can have a social network," said Will Simonian, parish council
chairman.

The new space in Newhall is a way to reach out.

"We are trying to close the gap and become part of the community now
that we have our own church," Simonian said.

St. Sarkis Armenian Apostolic Church will host a special service and
ceremony at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday.

The church will be led by Father Nerses Hayrapetyan, who called the
new church "a blessing for the community."

Efforts for a church began in 2004 when a group of about five local
residents took the initiative to establish a church.

"We felt that the Armenian community should have more of a presence in
the Santa Clarita Valley," said Harry Soghomonian, parish council
treasurer.

The first services were held at Valencia High School five years ago.

After finding temporary locations throughout the Santa Clarita Valley,
St. Sarkis Armenian Apostolic Church has found a permanent home in a
5,000-square-foot space on Kansas Street.

The church counts about 70 people as members so far, Soghomonian said.

As the church becomes more established, Simonian hopes to be able to
team up with local leaders to provide charity services for the Santa
Clarita Valley.

"We can be a positive strength and contribution to the community," he said.

At the same time, Simonian wants the church to be a place where
children can learn the Armenian culture and language since the Santa
Clarita Valley does not have an Armenian school.

The church has already established a weekend school, a youth
organization and a club for married couples to mingle, he said.

More than 30 kids have taken the Saturday classes, Soghomonian said.

"We’re just trying to do a lot of activities," he said. "It’s not just
a church where people come for service."

As the church grows, leaders hope to host a large celebration in the new year.

"This is something very symbolic and very small just to open the
doors," Soghomonian said.

5/

Interfax, Russia
Dec 15 2009

Armenia completes preliminary probe into spy case

YEREVAN Dec 15

The investigations department of the Armenian National Security
Service has completed a preliminary investigation under a criminal
case dealing with high treason through spying and illegal arms
storage.

A former employee of the Armenian Defense Ministry named Airapetian
was recruited by Azeri special services in April 2009, the Armenian
Prosecutor General’s Office told Interfax on Tuesday.

"Airapetian passed secret reports on the Armenian military forces and
material for anti-Armenian campaign to Azeri special services. He
received the last instruction from Azeri special services on September
1, 2009 through B. Bageri, an Iranian citizen of Azeri descent, who
arrived in Armenia, stayed at Airapetian’s home, handed over another
instruction to him and was given materials for an anti-Armenian
campaign. These materials were later discovered in a cache in Bageri’s
bag while he was undergoing a security check at the Karcevan
checkpoint in the city," it said.

Weapons and ammunition were found at Airapetian’s home later.

Based on this evidence, Airapetian was indicted for high treason
through spying and illegal acquisition and storage of weapons. The
Iranian citizen has also been accused of spying.

Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan to set up common economic space by 2012

19.12.2009, 17.00

AK BULAK HOTEL, near Almaty (Itar-Tass) – Presidents of Dmitry
Medvedev of Russia, Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus and Nursultan
Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan have agreed to set up a common economic space
by January 1, 2012.

This is said in a statement the three heads of state issued at the end
of Saturday’s informal summit.

`We’re committed to a further deepening of integration processes in
the space of the Eurasian Economic Community and as the next
objective, we confirm our willingness to setting up a common economic
space to embrace the Republic of Belarus, the Republic of Kazakhstan
and the Russian Federation by January 1, 2012,’ the statement.

GlobalPost
December 7, 2009 Monday 11:13 AM EST

Erdogan and Obama: much to discuss

BYLINE: Nichole Sobecki

Dec. 7, 2009 (GlobalPost delivered by Newstex) —

ISTANBUL, Turkey ‘ Whether it’s a topic of discussion or not, Iran
will likely be the 300-pound gorilla in the room when Turkish Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan meets with U.S. President Barack Obama
at the White House on Monday.

The two leaders ‘ each renowned for his particular brand of straight
talk ‘ are seeking strengthened ties at a time when both have weighty
domestic and foreign agendas: for Erdogan, diplomatic engagement with
Armenia and Iraq and Kurdish rights; and for Obama, deepening U.S.
involvement in Afghanistan and ongoing concerns over Iran’s nuclear
program.

But the tenor of the meeting ‘ the first one-on-one between the two
leaders since Obamas historic visit to Turkey this past April ‘ is
expected to reflect growing unease among U.S. officials with Turkeys
recent foreign diplomacy shifts, according to foreign policy analysts.
For his part, Erdogan intends to tout his government’s foreign policy
activism and will be giving a series of speeches to Washington’s
foreign policy community.

Å`Im a bit afraid that Erdogan is going to go into this meeting
blindly, his shopping list of favors in hand, completely ignorant of
the impression ‘ right or wrong ‘ that his recent actions have been
giving many in the U.S., said Gareth Jenkins, a journalist, author and
analyst based in Turkey.

Erdogan’s coziness with Iran and Sudan, coupled with his harsh
criticism of Israel, are feeding claims that Turkey is neglecting its
tight U.S. alliance and abandoning the West in favor of a neo-Ottoman
dominion (NYSE :D) in the East. Erdogan may be in Washington this
week, but a month ago he was standing next to his Å`good friend Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad in Tehran and defending Iran’s nuclear program.

Erdogan will undoubtedly have a hard time explaining to Obama his
reluctance to back new sanctions against Iran. Claims of brotherhood
aside, Erdogan and Ahmadinejad are united in much more concrete terms
by the great energy game. Turkey is set to invest $3.5 billion in
Irans South Pars gas field, intended to ensure that Iran, as Turkeys
second biggest gas provider next to Russia, will have the ready supply
to meet Turkeys growing demand.

Å`The current government has a much more comfortable relationship with
all of its Middle Eastern allies; they are as comfortable meeting in
Tehran and Damascus as they are in Brussels and Washington, said Ian
Lesser, a Senior Transatlantic Fellow at the Washington-based German
Marshall Fund. Å`Iran, ultimately, will be the litmus test for
Turkish-US ties.

The Turks say they’re seeking to become what Turkish Foreign Minister
Ahmet Davutoglu calls a Å`partner to solve the region’s problems. But
other actions, such as Erdogans support of Sudan’s president, Omar
al-Bashir, claiming he couldn’t possibly be guilty of genocide in
Darfur because he’s a Å`good Muslim, have isolated many in Washington.
Right now there are Å`more points of disagreement than of agreement
between Washington and Ankara, said Philip Gordon, Obama’s point man
on Turkey at the State Department.

Among the biggest worries has been the souring of ties with Israel,
once Turkey’s close ally, over the military offensive in Gaza earlier
this year. Erdogans decision to bar Israel at the last minute from
taking part in NATO military exercises in Turkey this October has only
further disillusioned many Israelis over the future of this strategic
partnership.

But experts say that despite differences, Turkey remains an invaluable
U.S. ally as Washington confronts challenges in Afghanistan, Pakistan,
Iran and the Middle East.

"The American side does not seem to have the intention of rocking the
boat in relations with Turkey because Turkey is too important," said
Semih Idiz, a columnist for Milliyet newspaper.

The Incirlik airbase in southern Turkey is a supply hub for American
troops and equipment in Iraq and Afghanistan, and Turkey will likely
be a key transit route as U.S. forces are drawn down.

Eyes have also fallen on Turkey, which is NATO’s only Muslim member,
since Obama announced on Tuesday he was sending 30,000 more U.S.
soldiers to Afghanistan. Turkey currently has 1,750 soldiers on Afghan
soil, although their mandate is limited to strictly noncombat duties.
The Islamist-inspired Justice and Development Party dislikes being
asked to fight fellow Muslims and, while suggestions have been made
that Turkey will increase its troop presence, it will likely be only
for training and civilian-development duties.

U.S. ambassador to Turkey James Jeffrey said Obama and Erdogan would
discuss the issue, adding: "We’re expecting flexibility on the
definition of the mission Turkish troops will undertake. Every soldier
in Afghanistan is a combat force."

In the 40 days since Obama and Erdogan were first set to meet ‘ the
initial date of Oct. 29 was moved out of respect for Turkish Republic
Day ‘ the climate has changed from a time of waiting to a time for
action. From Obamas announcement of Americas new strategy in
Afghanistan to increasing pressure to apply sanctions on Iran, real
decisions are being made with global implications.

For the two leaders, this may mean that their meeting has become
significantly more difficult as they seek support from the other on
positions that they have spent 40 days moving farther apart.

HAMAYAK HOVHANNISYAN: AUTHORITIES NOMINATED "A MERE NOTHING" FOR PARLIAMENT

news.am
Dec 18 2009
Armenia

The parliamentary elections in Election District #10 will be of crucial
importance for the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process and Armenia-Turkey
reconciliation. These are the first elections of republican scale,
and the international community is looking forward to them exert
pressure on Armenia in case of any violations, Hamayak Hovhannisyan,
the Head of the Armenian Association of Political Scientists and
parliamentary candidate, told NEWS.am.

According to him, it is for the first time that in Election District
#10, the central election district of Yerevan with most of the
Armenian intellectuals residing there, "a mere political nobody"
and "blockhead" Ara Simonyan, who is relative of Yerevan Mayor
Gagik Beglaryan, is being pushed forward to Parliament. "Remember
the persons elected to Parliament from this election district – only
intellectuals. Now, however, black forces are trying to disgrace the
district by having their candidate elected to Parliament. Yerevan
Mayor Gagik Beglaryan has mobilized all the drug addicts and idlers to
fight against the candidate from the intelligentsia, Editor-in-Chief
of the Haykakan Zhamanak newspaper Nikol Pashinyan, who is a political
prisoner," Hovhannisyan said. He stated his intention to withdraw his
candidacy in Pashinyan’s favor and conduct monitoring on the election
day. Hovhannisyan also intends to take part in the Opposition’s rally
on January 8.

According to him, Pashinyan stands a high chance of winning the
elections. However, Hovhannisyan does rule out the possibility of
a clash with the "black forces." "If the Armenian authorities are
doing their best to have this political nobody elected, nothing
can be ruled out. We have two options: either Pashinyan wins the
elections or the authorities rig the elections and have their
candidate elected. In the second case a clash is inevitable until
the next parliamentary elections in 2012," he said. Obstacles are
being put to the opposition candidates, Hovhannisyan said. "I can say
that none of the TV companies, except for ALM, agrees to provide paid
airtime to opposition candidates," Hovhannisyan said.

The parliamentary elections in Election Districts are scheduled for
January 10.

ARMENIAN-TURKISH PROCESS NOT A TANGO FOR THE TWO

ArmInfo.
2009-12-17 14:40:00

ArmInfo. The Armenian-Turkish process is not a tango for the two. It is
a dance for the five that involves also the USA and Russia (Azerbaijan
maybe the fifth country – ed.). CNN Turk Editor in Chief Ferhat Boratav
made such comparison in a press conference in Yerevan on Thursday.

As regards the harsh response by Azerbaijan to the Armenian-Turkish
rapprochement, he said that Turkey was surprised at that. He is sure
that both Turkey and Armenia have been involved into a game named East-
West transport corridor and agreements between these two countries are
part of that game. No one could suppose that Azerbaijan might announce
its withdrawal from the game. Both Turkey and the USA want Azerbaijan
to stay in the game, the journalists said. He urged everyone not to
perceive this as naughtiness by Turkey and Azerbaijan.

For his part, Kadri Gursel, Milliyet, said that the Armenian-Turkish
process has faced a deadlock because of Azerbaijani factor.

Nevertheless, if Turkey’s interests are infringed, it may change its
stance, he said.