Author: Hambardsumian Paul

AHMADINEJAD INVITES RA PRESIDENT TO IRAN

PanARMENIAN.Net
17.09.2008 14:18 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Currently in Tehran, Armenian Foreign Minister Edward
Nalbandian met Tuesday with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to
discuss the recent regional developments.

Minister Nalbandian thanked President Ahmadinejad for assistance in
transportation of Armenian cargo through Iran during the Georgian
crisis.

Expressing satisfaction with the effective economic ties and
implementation of joint programs, the sides agreed to encourage
close cooperation.

The Iranian President said he will be glad to welcome Armenian leader
Serzh Sargsyan in Tehran.

NATO IN SKULL-CAPS
by Ivan Gordeyev

WPS Agency
What the Papers Say Weekly Review (Russia)
September 15, 2008 Monday
Russia

RUSSIA IS OUT TO STRENGTHEN ITS MILITARY PRESENCE IN CENTRAL ASIA;
Reanimating the idea of an international army group in Central Asia,
Russia is out to strengthen military presence in the region.

The war in the Caucasus seems to have reanimated the idea of an
international army group in the Central Asian region. "We will
form an army group comprising units of five regular armies as an
instrument of political deterrent," CIS Collective Security Treaty
Organization Secretary General Nikolai Bordyuzha said in Moscow. "The
matter concerns four Central Asian countries (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,
Tajikistan, Uzbekistan) and Russia."

Fast response collective forces will become an element of the future
army group. According to Bordyuzha, armies of the CIS Collective
Security Treaty Organization require a political decision of their
national leaders to start discussing composition of the future group.

The CIS Collective Security Treaty Organization comprises
Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and
Uzbekistan. Belarus and Armenia are unlikely to want involvement in
Central Asia. First, it will be expensive. Second, neither has any
particular interests in this region.

As for Kyrgyzstan, it has Russian and US military bases on its
territory nowadays. Its own regular army meanwhile is in a sorry
state, that it Kyrgyzstan is unlikely to be of any help to the
future international army group. From the military standpoint, that
is. Uzbekistan had an US AF base on its territory too (in Khabanad,
not far from the border with Afghanistan) but this cooperation ended
after May 2005 when all of the West including the United States was
horrified at how brutally the Uzbek regime had crushed protests in
Andijan. In any event, Islam Karimov is unlikely to advance military
cooperation with Russia beyond the degree that leaves his own hands
pretty much untied in Uzbekistan. In Tajikistan, the Russian 201st
Motorized Infantry Division is a guarantor of relative stability. It
was this division that helped the locals to put an end to the civil
war in the 1990s. As for the Tajik state itself, its own military
resources are practically non-existent.

The situation with Kazakhstan is the least understandable. The best
advanced in all of Central Asia, this country does not have a border
with Afghanistan. Unlike Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan,
it has never has any problems with domestic Islamic extremism. Also
importantly, Kazakhstan is the least economically dependant of all
Central Asian on Russia. (On the other hand, population of its northern
regions is predominantly Russian.) All of that leads to the conclusion
that President Nursultan Nazarbayev is not going to be exactly happy
with an international army group on the territory of his country.

In a word, reanimation of the idea of the international army group
of the CIS Collective Security Treaty Organization in Central Asia
exposes Moscow’s eagerness to increase its military presence in the
countries of the region. Minus Turkmenistan, a country that remains
neutral and refuses to join all and any international structures.

SERZH SARGSYAN: A PEOPLE’S ASPIRATION FOR SELF-DETERMINATION SHOULD NOT
BECOME CAUSE OF ETHNIC CLEANSING

06

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 13, NOYAN TAPAN. Receiving on September 12 the
delegation headed by the President of the Czech Senate Premysl Sobotka,
Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan stressed the importance of developing
the relations in both bilateral and multilateral formats and of
cooperating in international structures. He expressed confidence that
the visit of the high-ranking Czech official will become a significant
step for establishment of closer relations between the two countries.

Pointing out the high level of Armenian-Czech political realtions, the
sides at the same time noted that economic links do not yet correspond
to the existing potential, even though the commodity turnover is
growing year by year. In this connection they attached importance to
promotion of business links.

Discussing the recent developments in the region, the Armenian
president and the president of the Czech Senate were unanimous in the
opinion that all disputable issues should be solved through peaceful
political negotiations and military solutions should be ruled out. In
the words of S. Sargsyan, all the fundamental principles of
international law should be equally respected and a people’s aspiration
for self-determination should not become a cause of ethnic cleansing.

According to the RA presidential press service, the sides expressed a
hope that the bilateral relations will develop successfully also within
the framework of the European Union, taking into account the fact that
in January 2008 the Czech Republic assumes the presidency of the EU.

WPS Agency, Russia
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
September 12, 2008 Friday

ISHKHAN MATEVOSYAN WAS APPOINTED AS DIRECTOR OF THE COMBAT READINESS
DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMED FORCES OF ARMENIA;

President of Armenia, Serzh Sargsyan, signed a decree on the
appointment of Colonel Ishkhan Matevosyan as director of the combat
readiness department of the armed forces of Armenia. The press service
of the President of Armenia reported that the contract was signed for
five years.

Russia Maintains Gas Supply Security in Armenia

YEREVAN, September 13. /ARKA/. ArmRosGasProm, subsidiary of Russia’s
gas giant Gazprom, says Russia ensures natural gas supply security in
Armenia.

The Georgian-South Ossetian conflict has not hindered gas supplies to
Armenia, the company’s press service reports.

Local mass media spread information about possible problems with gas
supply after ArmRosGasProm had issued instructions on the necessity of
saving up alternative energy sources.

The company denied rumours about existing problems in the gas supply
system, saying it issues instructions every year before the winter
season. Russia annually exports about 2bln cubic meters of gas to
Armenia through Georgia.

ArmRosGasProm holds monopoly in Armenia’s gas supply market. The
company’s shareholders are the Gasprom OJCS (72.16%), the RA Ministry
of Energy (22.16%) and the Itera Oil and Gas Company (5.06%). `0–

CZECH BUSINESSMEN SHOW INTEREST IN ARMENIAN MARKET AND INTEND TO MAKE INVESTMENTS IN ARMENIA

Noyan Tapan

Se p 12, 2008

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 12, NOYAN TAPAN. The second Armenian-Czech
business forum opened in Yerevan on September 12. It is being held
on the initiative of the Armenian Development Agency (ADA) with
the participation of the speaker of the RA National Assembly Tigran
Torosian and the chairman of the Czech Senate Prsemil Sobodka.

T. Torosian pointed out the importance of further developing the
cooperation between the two countries. In his opinion, although
Armenian-Czech interparliamentary relations have become more active
in the past two years, they should also be strengthened by practical
steps.

The director general of the ADA Robert Harutyunian stated that
the first forum held in Armenia in July has formed the basis for
Armenian-Czech business initiatives. According to him, 17 Czech
companies operated in Armenia as of January 1, 2008. He expressed
confidence that thier number will grow after this forum.

R. Harutyunian said that in the past 5 years, the trade turnover
between Armenia and the Czech Republic has considerably increased,
making 37 million dollars. "The relations between two countries are
developing steadily both in the economic and political spheres. The
Armenian government attaches great importance to operation of Czech
companies in Armenia and is ready to support each initiative," he
underlined. The director of ADA said that Czech businessmen take
interest in the Armenian market and intend to make investments in
Armenia, in particular, in energy, tourism, machine-building and
banking sectors.

SCARS ON BROADWAY: OSLO SHOW CANCELLED

BLABBERMOUTH.NET
Sep. 9, 2008

SCARS ON BROADWAY — the new band led by SYSTEM OF A DOWN guitarist
Daron Malakian and drummer John Dolmayan — was forced to cancel its
performance at the Rockefeller Music Hall in Oslo, Norway earlier
tonight (Tuesday, September 9) after Malakian came down with a
throat infection. Dolmayan apologized to the Norwegian fans during an
interview with the radio show "Pyro" (web site) and explained that
"Daron’s voice is almost completely gone." He added, "We hade the
choice to cancel the show tonight rather than face the possibility
of having to cancel the rest of the tour. I promise all of you we
will do everything we can to come back as soon as possible, and we
will definitely be back for the festival season next summer."

ANC SACRAMENTO ACTIVISTS AND CONGRESSMAN LUNGREN DISCUSS ARMENIAN AMERICAN ISSUES

armradio.am
11.09.2008 11:11

The Armenian National Committee of America – Western Region (ANCA-WR)
and the Sacramento ANC Chapter recently met with Congressman Dan
Lungren (R-CA) at his office in Gold River, CA. ANCA-WR Board Member
Hovannes Boghossian and ANC of Sacramento activist Gagam Adamian
thanked the Congressman for his support of the Armenian American
Community, particularly his efforts regarding House Resolution 106
(the Armenian Genocide Resolution).

"It is always a pleasure to meet with Congressman Lungren to discuss
issues that are important to the Armenian American community," stated
ANC-WR Board Member Hovannes Boghossian. "The Congressman has been a
long time friend and supporter of our community and we look forward
to his support when a new Genocide Resolution is introduced," he added.

Boghossian and Adamian spoke at length with the Congressman regarding
H. Res. 106 and the Turkish government’s continuous denial of
the Armenian Genocide. The adoption of the resolution by the House
Foreign Affairs Committee on October 10, 2007 sparked a firestorm of
media coverage over the Turkish government’s threats to retaliate
against America if the measure were approved by the full House
of Representatives. Turkey has poured millions of foreign dollars
into the U.S. political system, paying former Members of Congress to
make its case and p ublic relations firms to spin the media coverage
against this human rights legislation.

During the meeting, Boghossian and Adamian informed the Congressman
regarding the recent controversy at the Institute of Turkish Studies
(ITS).

Professor Donald Quataert, director of ITS, was forced to resign
after changing his long held position of denial by acknowledging
the historical veracity of the Armenian Genocide in a recent book
review. The ANC representatives also discussed the Southern Poverty
Law Center’s recent investigative feature on the Turkish government’s
denial campaign in American academia.

Congressman Lungren reiterated his support for the Armenian American
community and reassured that he will once again support the Armenian
Genocide Resolution when it is introduced in Congress.

TURKS SEEK 2ND WIN IN AS MANY QUALIFIERS

Today’s Zaman
o?load=detay&link=152649&bolum=127
Sept 10 2008
Turkey

Turkey coach Fatih Terim has set clear targets for his team in their
2010 World Cup Group 5 qualifiers: 12 maximum points from the first
four games.

The Turks have their first maximum points in the bag after shutting
out Armenia 2-0 in Yerevan on Saturday, with second-half goals by
strikers Tuncay Å~^anlı and Semih Å~^enturk. Now Terim’s men will
be aiming for their second maximum points when they host Belgium in
Ä°stanbul this evening.

The no-nonsense Terim is someone who backs up words with action and so
his players have been practicing nonstop in order to make their coach’s
"12 maximum-point" prophecy come true. But injuries are once again
a headache for Terim: Attacking midfielder Gökdeniz Karadeniz has
been dropped from the squad, while doctors are exerting all efforts
to make striker Mevlut Erdinc, workhorse Mehmet Aurelio and defender
Hakan Kadir Balta fit before match time.

As a matter of fact, top "goal-misser" Mevlut, who squandered several
incredible chances in front of the goal against Armenia on Saturday,
will not be missed at all if he is not fielded. Mevlut should
rightfully take his place on the bench and remain there as long as
it takes until he realizes that the paramount duty of a striker is
to score goals, not to miss them.

Master tactician Terim is also a coach who does his team selection
depending on the strength of the opponent, and it is no wonder he led
Turkey to the semifinals of Euro 2008 in June. Tuncay and Semih, the
two scorers in Yerevan on Saturday, are very likely to play side by
side upfront. Kazım and Arda Turan, as usual, will be taking care
of the flanks and also lending support to the attacking force and
midfield whenever necessary.

Undergrad Servet Cetin, who enrolled in a four-year physical education
program at Ä°stanbul University on Monday, should really be in high
spirits as he masterminds the defense this evening.

Bragging Belgian coach

The Belgians also got off to a winning start in Group 5 on Saturday,
though they were pushed to the limit by tiny Estonia before battling
to a hard-fought 3-2 victory at the Maurice Dufrasne Stadium in
Liege. The team and officials arrived in Ä°stanbul on Monday and
the players went straight into a training session at the Fenerbahce
Dereagzı Facilities.

On Tuesday the players trained at the Fenerbahce Saracoglu Stadium,
where this evening’s match will take place. And Belgium coach Rene
Vandereycken was already gloating as if edging out European minnow
Estonia on home turf is anything to brag about: "We came to Ä°stanbul
in an optimistic mood," he said. "We have three points in our pockets
and are looking for three more today. If we can keep up the pressure
and momentum we can beat even Spain, let alone Turkey," he added.

What Vandereycken does not understand is that Belgian soccer has been
in something of a steady decline over the years, and this is a problem
that cannot be corrected overnight. Gone are the days when players
like Luc Nilis, Emile Mpenza, Marc Wilmots and Bart Goor used to be
household names in Europe.

Turkey, the 2002 World Cup and Euro 2008 semifinalist and currently
ranked 10th by FIFA, has enough ammo to take any bull by the horns,
including Belgium. And Terim summed it all up over the weekend when
he said, "We have gained plenty of experience and we aim to become
world champions."

Elsewhere in Group 5 today, patience and intelligence are the
watchwords for Spain coach Vicente del Bosque ahead of their second
2010 World Cup qualifier against Armenia in Albacete today.

The European champions got off to a winning start on Del Bosque’s
competitive debut at the helm with a 1-0 victory over Bosnia in Group
Five on Saturday. But the Bosnians made it hard for the Spaniards,
crowding the midfield and defending in numbers, until striker David
Villa broke the deadlock in the 57th minute. More of the same can be
expected from Armenia today.

–Boundary_(ID_y2CzR/L/P9hfJSNyfMCrbw)–

TURKISH PRESIDENT TO GO TO AZERBAIJAN NEXT WEEK

International Herald Tribune
Sept 8 2008
France

ANKARA, Turkey: Turkish President Abdullah Gul’s office says he
will visit Azerbaijan this week, days after his breakthrough trip
to Armenia.

Gul’s spokesman says the president will travel to Baku on Wednesday
to discuss his weekend talks with the Armenian head of state.

Armenia supports Armenian separatists in the region of
Nagorno-Karabakh, which fought a secessionist war against Azerbaijan
in 1993.

Turkey backs Turkish-speaking Azerbaijan in its bid to regain control
of Nagorno-Karabakh.

The spokesman says Gul will return to Turkey on Wednesday evening.