Author: Hovhannisian John

BRYZA DID NOT SAY KARABAKH "WILL BE RETURNED TO AZERBAIJAN"

PanARMENIAN.Net
12.05.2009 12:30 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ OSCE Minsk Group Co-chair Matthew Bryza never said
that "Karabakh will be returned to Azerbaijan."

"I said that according to Minsk Group’s proposals the territories
bordering on Karabakh will be step by step returned to Azerbaijan and
refugees will come back as well. The future of Karabakh is the subject
of talks. It will probably be a new political structure," Bryza stated.

STATEMENT OF SHANT HARUTUNYAN’S RELATIVES
Ruzanna Badalyan

18:35:01 – 08/05/2009
LRAGIR.AM

According to the decision of the `Nubarashen’ psychiatric hospital, on
April 9 Shant Harutunyan had to be transferred to jail. Shant
Harutunyan has been in the `Vardashen’ penitentiary institution since
April 14 and it is already a month the conclusion of the
medical-forensic examination lacks. Shant Harutunyan’s relatives state
that they are never aware of decisions regarding Shant. They learn
everything from press.

They state that such an attitude towards them proves what Shant
Harutunyan stated while being in the psychiatric hospital, who said
that the judge Mnatsakan Martirosyan issued his verdict without any
examination of the case.

Shant’s relatives call on those people who have always supported Shant
to help them to know Shant Harutunyan’s sentence or at least the
terms. Suzan Harutunyan

ARMENIAN ECONOMY MINISTRY TO ORGANIZE A FAMILIARIZING VISIT FOR THE FOREIGN JOURNALISTS

ARMENPRESS
May 8, 2009

YEREVAN, MAY 8, ARMENPRESS: The Armenian Economy Ministry will May
27-June 2 organize a familiarizing visit to Armenia for the foreign
journalists. Head of the tourism department of the Ministry Mekhak
Apresian told Armenpress that at present negotiations are held with
the UN "World Tourism Organization" to conduct the visit of nearly
ten journalists from different countries of the world to Armenia.

"Such visits are important; it is another good opportunity to present
Armenia to the foreigners. Such a project has also been implemented
last year; journalists from Italy visited Armenia", – M. Apresian said.

According to him, this is an occasion to present the foreign
journalists what kind of accommodations are created in Armenia for the
tourists and what projects are being implemented for the development
of the sphere. The foreign journalists will visit historical-cultural
places and museums.

The Economy Ministry also intends to organize visits of the foreign
tour-operators to Armenia.

TURKISH PRESIDENT APPRECIATES MEETING BETWEEN PRESIDENTS OF AZERBAIJAN AND ARMENIA

Trend
May 8 2009
Azerbaijan

Turkey appreciates the meeting between the presidents of Azerbaijan
and Armenia in Prague on May 7, the CNN Turk quoted Turkish President
Abdullah Gul as saying.

"The Nagorno-Karabakh problem cannot be resolved through one
meeting. However, there is a progress at the negotiations [Armenia
and Azerbaijan]," said Gul.

Gul said that each side should take every effort to resolve Karabakh
conflict, as the problems in the Caucasus, the conflict between
Azerbaijan and Armenia, problems between Turkey and Armenia re
interconnected.

The negotiations between Ankara and Yerevan to improve the relations
are underway, he said.

During the EU summit Eastern Partnership in Prague, Presidents of
Azerbaijan and Armenia held meetings in the U.S. Embassy and discussed
the issue on resolution of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Yesterday’s meeting on the highest level was the 4th meeting between
Presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia Ilham Aliyev and Serzh Sargsyan
on resolution to Karabakh conflict. The previous meeting was held in
Zurich on Jan. 28, 2009. The first meeting was held in St.Petersburg
in June and second in Moscow in November 2008.

TURKEY SEEKS FOUR-WAY SUMMIT ON KARABAKH CONFLICT

Asbarez
ey-seeks-four-way-summit-on-karabakh-conflict/
May 8th, 2009

ANKARA (Today’s Zaman)-Turkey is seeking a summit of Turkish, Russian,
Azerbaijani and Armenian leaders to discuss endeavors for a resolution
to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan,
sources quoting President Abdullah Gul as saying Friday.

Since negotiations to normalize relations between Armenia and Turkey
began last September, Ankara’s has sought to align its conflict
with Armenia with the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, paving the way for
its inclusion into the Karabakh peace process. This is seen by many
commentators and analysts close to the issue as a way to make the
merger of the two separate processes seem like a practical option
for an international community desperately seeking a quick solution
to both issues.

Gul planned to step up efforts for the four-way summit after he met
with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian President Serzh
Sarkisian in Prague on Thursday.

His meetings came two weeks after Ankara and Yerevan announced that
they had "identified a roadmap" for establishing diplomatic relations
and reopening the Turkish-Armenian border.The roadmap, kept largely
secret from the public, is reported to include a series of conditions
Armenia must meet before diplomatic relations are established between
the two countries. Those requirements call for the establishment of a
joint commission of historians, the recognition of Turkey’s territorial
borders, and the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Gul revealed his plans to Devlet Bahceli, the leader of the Nationalist
Movement Party (MHP), during a meeting on Wednesday, sources at the
MHP told Today’s Zaman.

According to Zaman, Gul told Bahceli that Aliyev is constantly kept
informed about the talks with Armenia and reminded the nationalist
leader that Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan plans to visit Baku
next week for talks with Azerbaijani leaders.

Gul also said that Russia also plays a key role in the region and that
it cannot be excluded from efforts to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict. Russia, which has been unusually silent on the issue,
is one of the three co-chairing countries of the OSCE Minsk Group
mediating the conflict.

Erdogan is scheduled to visit Russia for talks with his Russian
counterpart, Vladimir Putin, on May 16. Before the prime ministerial
talks, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu is expected to meet with his
Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, in Washington on the sidelines of a
ministerial meeting of UN Security Council member countries. Erdogan’s
visit to Russia is expected to be a main issue on the agenda of
the talks.

Gul said the venue and date of the proposed four-way summit
will become clear after the talks Gul and Erdogan will have with
Azerbaijani, Armenian and Russian leaders. If realized, the summit is
also likely to tackle Russian-Georgian ties. The tension between the
two countries, which fought a brief war over the breakaway region of
South Ossetia last summer, has recently escalated again due to NATO
military exercises in Georgia that kicked off this week. Armenia,
which was slated to participate, pulled out of those exercises days
before they kicked off.

Erdogan, meanwhile, is expected to meet with political leaders and
representatives of opposition parties during his visit to Baku. He has
also told Aliyev that he wants to address the Azerbaijani parliament
and give the lawmakers first-hand information about the normalization
process with Armenia.

TIGRAN SARGSYAN DISMISSES KARLEN GEVORGYAN FROM DEPUTY URBAN MINISTER OFFICE

ARMENPRESS
May 7, 2009

YEREVAN, MAY 7, ARMENPRESS: Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan
dismissed Karlen Gevorgyan from the office of the deputy urban minister
of Armenian, governmental press service reported.

ARMENIAN GOVERNMENT MAKES DECISION TO SELL THE STATE SHARE IN AMERIABANK’S CAPITAL

ArmInfo
2009-05-07 14:05:00

ArmInfo. The government of Armenia has made a decision on privatization
of the state share in the capital of Ameriabank (former Armimpexbank)
at a price of 52 mln drams ($140,000). The draft decision was
introduced in the government on Thursday by Finance Minister of
Armenia Tigran Davtyan.

He said the shares cost should be transferred to the state budget
during 7 banking days and added that 1175 ordinary shares at par value
of 40,000 drams each will undergo privatization. (As of January 1,
2009, the bank’s authorized capital has been divided into 455,000
ordinary registered shares at par value of 40,000 drams each – ed.).

As Ameriabank told ArmInfo, TDA Holdings Limited Company, affiliated
with the Russian Investment Company "Troika Dialogue" became holder
of 96,15% of the bank’s block of stock in September, 2007. In June,
2008, Armimpexbank was renamed to Ameriabank, moreover, the new
concept of the bank’s activity with focus on the investment banking
lied at the root of this brand. During 2008, the bank carried out
three emissions of shares: in February – to 4.4 bln drams, in August
– by 10.6 bln drams, in October – by 1.2 bln drams), as a result
of which the authorized capital grew from 2 bln drams to 18.2 bln
drams (the first position in the banking system), and the share of
majority stockholder grew to 99,7%. As of January 1, 2009, the bank’s
shareholders totaled 7, in particular, 3 legal persons (with 99,93%
total share) and 4 individuals (with 0,07% total equity interest).

CALLING ON ARMENIAN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS
LALAI MANJIKIAN

Gibrahayer

For the past 14 years, the Hamazkayin Student Cultural Forum has
been bringing young Armenian university students from all over the
world together to discover and share their Armenian heritage directly
from the source. Students from North and South America, Australia,
Europe, Armenia, and Artsakh (Karabakh) converge in Yerevan for an
intense two-week journey through the immensely rich cultural landscape
of Armenia.

This summer program, specifically tailored for university students
of Armenian descent, entails complete cultural immersion and exposes
the participants to the creme de la creme of Armenian art and culture,
both classic and contemporary. Guided visits include trips to various
Armenian monasteries dating from medieval times, museums such as
the National Gallery of Armenia, National History Museum, Genocide
Museum, Aram Khachaturian Museum, Parajanov Museum, and Martiros
Saryan House-Museum. The Hamazkayin Forum even offers special access
to performances by the National Opera or by such ensembles as the
Sayat Nova folkloric music ensemble. Such unique events are followed
with a question and discussion period, allowing participants to more
closely learn about traditional Armenian culture.

Official visits to both the American University of Armenia and
Yerevan State University are also included in the program, allowing
the students to discover the college scene in the homeland. Daily
lectures by prominent Armenian scholars from the diaspora and Armenia
create opportunities to analyse and engage with questions such as
Armenian identity, language, religion, and history.

A visit to Armenia’s army battalions grants participants a rare glimpse
into the country’s military. Other excursions include the Tsakhkadzor
Summer Camp for children and the Armenian village of Aramous, where
Hamazkayin actively participates in the development of the village
and its school. After catching a play or concert, the participants
are bound to have a good time at one of Yerevan’s many restaurants,
where live Armenian music and dancing make the night complete.

Forum participants from various parts of the diaspora, as well as
from Armenia and Artsakh, bring their individual perspectives and
backgrounds to various issues, while new friendships and bonds are
created–all in an unforgettable and dynamic social atmosphere. The
sheer amount of local cultural and artistic talent found in Armenia is
at once mind-boggling as it is inspiring. And the Hamazkayin Forum
succeeds in exposing these treasures to the Armenian youth, who
undoubtedly leave with a renewed sense of their cultural identity,
ready to broaden their own interest and commitment towards Armenian
culture throughout the world.

This summer, come join the Hamazkayin family, along with fellow
Armenian university students from all over the Armenian Diaspora,
in Yerevan from July 13 to 16.

Students from Cyprus have been participating in the Forum since
1995. If you would like to participate in the Hamazkayin Forum, please
contact the committee of The Hamazkayin "Oshagan" Cyprus Chapter.

NKR DELIGATION VISITED SHIRAKI PROVINCE

NKR Government Information and
Public Relations Department
May 06, 2009

On May 5, by the invitation of the RA Government the NKR delegation
headed by the Prime Minister Ara Haroutyunyan were on a two days visit
to Shiraki province within the framework of cooperation between the
administrative regions of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic and provinces
of Armenia.

It is expected that the NKR Prime Minister will pay tribute to the
victims of the Earthquake, meet with students of Gyumri, be present
at the joint concert of ensembles of culture of Artsakh and Shirak,
which will take place in the dramatic theatre after Vardan Adjemyan.

On May 6, the RA Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan will join the
delegation of Artsakh. A conference with participation of heads of
the RA provinces will be conducted; possibilities and spheres of
cooperation with the NKR regions will be discussed.

In the context of the Disaster Area house-building programme, the
delegation of Artsakh with the Prime Minister at the head will visit
one of residential areas being under construction by the Glendale
Hilzee organization and will get familiarized with construction
process, as well as will visit the 10 th century construction,
Marmashen ecclesiastical complex.

ARMENIA HAD REASONS TO REFUSE FROM PARTICIPATION IN NATO-LED EXERCISES
Marianna Gyurjyan

"Radiolur"
06.05.2009 18:42

Armenia does not participate in the NATO-led "Cooperative
Longbow/Lancer military exercises in Georgia because of certain
circumstances, the Defense Minister of Armenia, Seyran Ohanyan,
told reporters today.

"One of the circumstances is that speaking about the settlement of
the Karabakh issue during a meeting with the President of Azerbaijan,
the Secretary General of NATO noted that it has to be solved on
the basis of the principle of territorial integrity. However, the
OSCE Minsk Group and other international organizations engaged in
the resolution of the Karabakh conflict state that the issue should
be solved on the basis of territorial integrity and the right for
self-determination of peoples,: Seyran Ohanyan said.