Author: Hovhannisian John

OSCE MG FORMAT CHANGE UNACCEPTABLE FOR ARMENIA: RA NA SPEAKER

news.am
April 26 2010
Armenia

Armenia seeks to normalize relations with Turkey like before, but
time proves Ankara to be an unreliable partner, RA National Assembly
Speaker Hovik Abrahamyan stated at the meeting with schoolchildren
within the framework of National Assembly-launched "Open Door" program.

According to him, Armenia wishes to establish diplomatic relations
with Turkey and open the border, as there are no implacable enemies,
but the international recognition of Armenian Genocide is a priority
to Armenia. "Genocide recognition by Turkey first is very crucial
for us," Abrahamyan said.

Referring to Karabakh peace process, he stressed that a change in
OSCE Minsk Group format is unacceptable for Armenian side.

Agence France Presse
April 22, 2010 Thursday 11:56 AM GMT

Armenia recovers from recession: PM

YEREVAN, April 22 2010

Armenia’s economy returned to positive growth in the first quarter of
2010 after a severe blow caused by the global economic downturn, the
country’s prime minister said on Thursday.

"With 5.5-percent growth in the first three months of this year, our
economy entered the stage of recovery," Prime Minister Tigran
Sarkisian said at a cabinet meeting.

He said industrial output and the electric energy production sector
had both grown by 10 percent in the January-March period, while
agricultural production had grown by 3.2 percent.

Isolated Armenia has been among the countries hardest hit by the
global economic downturn, with its economy contracting by 14.4 percent
in 2009, according to the state statistics committee.

The government and the International Monetary Fund have forecast a
modest return to growth this year, with GDP expected to expand by 1.8
percent.

Fuelled by booming construction, especially in the capital Yerevan,
and foreign trade, Armenia’s economy grew by an average of around 13
percent between 2004 and 2007.

Today, Azerbaijan
April 25 2010

Should the matter of Turkey’s presentation in MG OSCE be positively
appreciated?

25 April 2010 [11:03] – Today.Az

Along with three co-chairs of the Minsk Group, there are other
countries that have opportunities to contribute to the resolution of
the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Azerbaijani parliament Vice Speaker
said.

"The appearance of the issue on Turkey’s representation in the Minsk
Group on the agenda should be positively appreciated. Turkey is the
country, which can contribute to the resolution of the
Nagorno-Karabakh problem," – Azerbaijani Parliamentary Deputy Speaker
Bahar Muradova.

According to Mammadova, Azerbaijan is interested in Turkey’s
participation in the regional processes. "Being a co-chair, Turkey can
create a balance both in the region and in co-chairmanship in the
Minsk Group. If the co-chair countries don’t treat it jealously,
Turkey can contribute to the process being a co-chair", – Muradova
said.

/Trend/
URL:

Les Echos, France
Vendredi 23 Avril 2010

L’accord turco-arménien menacé de rester lettre morte

par JESSICA BERTHEREAU

L’Arménie a gelé hier la ratification d’accords historiques avec la
Turquie, accusée de vouloir imposer des conditions préalables à leur
réconciliation après un siècle d’hostilité, tandis qu’Ankara a réagi
en campant sur ses positions. Cette décision réduit à néant le mince
espoir qu’il restait de voir avancer rapidement le rapprochement
arméno-turc après des mois de blocage, selon des analystes. La
réconciliation, encouragée par Washington et l’Union européenne,
favoriserait le développement économique de l’Arménie et serait un
atout diplomatique pour la candidature d’Ankara à l’UE.

TURKEY AND ARMENIA

Arab News
46571.ece
April 23 2010
Saudi Arabia

The breakdown in the normalization of relations between Turkey and
Armenia is not simply, as some Armenians are claiming, because of
Turkish unwillingness to accept the extent of the 1915 killings of
Armenian Turks or recognize them as genocide.

The administration of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan appears to
have underestimated the wider effects of a wider rapprochement with
the Armenians. The Azeri government, which is in dispute with Armenia
over the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave, was incensed at the protocols
to build links between Ankara and Yerevan. As a result Erdogan flew
to Baku to assure the Azeris that the deal with the Armenians would
not be put forward for ratification by the Turkish Parliament, until
some progress was being made on the resolution of the issue of the
enclave, currently occupied by Armenian forces. Erdogan’s statement
in turn angered the Armenians, who pointed out that in the protocols
they inked with the Turks, there was no reference whatsoever to
Nagorno-Karabakh. Aware that the deal was turning sour, in advance
of the appearance of both countries at US President Barack Obama’s
recent Nuclear Security Summit, Erdogan sent his foreign minister to
Yerevan to see if he could fix up a meeting in the US with Armenian
President Serge Sarkisian. That meeting did not happen. Instead,
Yerevan Friday stopped the ratification process blaming Turkey’s
"inconsistent and evasive position and policy of preconditions". The
Armenians also opened a new front in their drive to have the Turks
accept their contention that the 1915 massacres in eastern Turkey
saw 1.5 million perish and amounted to genocide. They have invited
Turkish historians to visit their national archive containing some
7,000 documents relating to these events.

Although the 1915 slayings still loom large in the minds of Armenians,
they are past business. Nagorno-Karabakh is present business. It seems
extraordinary that Erdogan could have made the mistake of not alluding
to the Azeris’ concerns during original talks with the Armenians. Then
he compounded the error by assuring the Azeris that the protocols
would not be ratified before progress was made over Nagorno-Karabakh.

The Turkish diplomatic service remains one of the country’s most
efficient elites and would surely have warned Erdogan on both courses
of action.

Nationalists in both countries will be pleased that the reconciliation
process has been stymied, for the moment at least. Yet both Erdogan
and Sarkisian must surely realize the drivers which caused them each
to sign the protocols in Zurich in 2009 have not changed. For both
countries, the economic and strategic benefits of friendly relations
are considerable. For Ankara they represent the foundation on which
can be built wider connections with the rest of the Caucasus.

Azerbaijan could also benefit from good ties between Turkey and
Armenia, because Turkey could offer its good offices to help find
a settlement on the enclave. As things now stand again, no one is
the winner — everyone, including the Azeris is losing out. The ball
seems to be in Erdogan’s court. Maybe sending Turkish historians to
examine the Armenian 1915 archive might be a good return shot.

"REQUIEM" TO PAY TRIBUTE TO GENOCIDE VICTIMS

Panorama.am
24/04/2010

Armenian state philharmonic orchestra, Chamber and "Hover" chamber
music bands performed Mozart’s "Requiem" yesterday paying tribute to
the victims of Armenian Genocide.

The concert was attended by National Assembly Chairman Hovik
Abrahamyan, First Lady Rita Sargsyan, Minister of Culture Hasmik
Poghosyan, political and social activists, clergymen.

The concert was organized by Armenian Ministry of Culture, Armenian
Democratic Liberal Party (Ramgavar Azatakan) and Teqeyan culture union.

TURKEY’S OSCE MINSK GROUP MEMBERSHIP IMPROBABLE, EXPERT SAYS

Panorama.am
23/04/2010

Turkey’s OSCE Minsk Group membership is improbable, political expert
Alexander Iskandaryan told reporters commenting on Russian Foreign
Ministry Spoksman Andrey Nesterenko’s statement over Baku offer on
Turkey’s Minsk Group membership.

"Armenia will not agree with the format," Iskandaryan said. Minsk
Group doesn’t assume a decision not based on mutual consent, he said.

"I think, this shouldn’t be dealt as a real political perspective,"
the expert said.

Andrey Nesterenko told a briefing Thursday that Russian diplomats are
observing Baku offer over Turkey’s MG membership, as well as Iran’s
offer over becoming a mediator in Nagorno-Karabakh settlement process.

"We need to get in contact with all those involved in the negotiation
process, and assess their attitude on these issues to make the
appropriate assessments. Later, after making contacts with our
colleagues, we will be able to give detailed explanations," Nesterenko
said, according to the Russian MFA.

AZERBAIJAN WANTS TO SEE TURKEY IN OSCE MINSK GROUP

Trend
APril 21 2010
Azerbaijan

" Turkey’s joining the OSCE Minsk Group, mediating in resolving of
the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, is on the agenda,
the Azerbaijani Presidential Administration department head said.

"Turkey’s joining the OSCE Minsk Group is on the agenda. But only
the OSCE can evaluate the proposals ", the Azerbaijani Presidential
Administration socio-political department head Ali Hasanov told media.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian
armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan since 1992,
including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and 7 surrounding districts.

Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994.

The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group – Russia, France, and the U.S. –
are currently holding the peace negotiations.

Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council’s resolutions
on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh region and the occupied
territories.

Hasanov said that Azerbaijan is not authorized to review activity or
determine the composition of the Minsk Group.

"This is the OSCE institution. The organization itself determines the
number of states in its structure. If there is any dissatisfaction on
this issue at the OSCE next summit, Azerbaijan, of course, can voice
its opinion. There is increasing concern over the lack of significant
results of the Institute of co-chairmen [the OSCE Minsk Group] in
recent years not only in Europe but all over the world," Hasanov said.

Hasanov expressed his attitude to Armenia’s protest against Turkey’s
joining the OSCE Minsk Group. "The Armenian Foreign Ministry does
not understand itself what it is doing. Neither the president nor
Foreign Minister of this country act on their own," he said.

ECUMENICAL PRAYER TO BE SAID AT ST. GREGORY THE ILLUMINATOR CATHEDRAL

news.am
April 22 2010
Armenia

On April 23, at 2:00 p.m., students will say ecumenical prayer at
Saint Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral in Yerevan, dedicated to the
95th commemoration of Armenian Genocide.

The ceremony is held on the initiative of Youth center of Mother
See of Holy Etchmiadzin together with the student councils of 20
universities of Yerevan, Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin press service
informed NEWS.am.

Students will utter Nerses Shorhali’s prayer, Holy Bible fragments
will be read and Armenian Church psalms-sung.

ARMEN MARTIROSYAN: ARMENIAN PRESIDENT SHOULD WITHDRAW THE PROTOCOLS FROM PARLIAMENT
Armen Martirosyan

ArmInfo
2010-04-21 15:38:00

Interview of Armen Martirosyan, Chairman of the opposition Heritage
Party Board, in an interview with ArmInfo news agency

Mr. Martirosyan, before leaving for Washington Armenian President
Serzh Sargsyan said that Armenia has its own variant of normalization
of the Armenian-Turkish relations. Which variant is admitted by the
current political expediency?

Actually, the anti-state and anti-national Armenian-Turkish Protocols
were doomed to failure from the very beginning. They must become
history once and forever and the president must withdraw them from
parliament. In addition, political expediency currently indicates the
necessity to find domestic political solutions to Armenia’s problems,
since foreign policy always reflects the domestic one. Everyone is
aware of the domestic political situation in Armenia, which is a
chain of processes shattering Armenia as a state. In this context, we
consider implementation of domestic reforms in Armenia as a priority.

Otherwise, if nothing changes, new extra election will be held with
all the concurrent processes. I even do not rule out the display of
civil disobedience.

Is the Armenian president trying to improve the domestic situation
via conducting a successful foreign policy?

This is impossible as there is other explanation of such an
"initiative policy". Lacking internal legitimacy, the president
and his entourage have tried to fill this gap by obtaining external
legitimacy, in prejudice of the state interests of Armenia. In fact,
we have found ourselves on the verge of losing our Diaspora. Armenians
abroad are still deeply insulted by the signing of the Protocols
despite the "unity" of Armenia and Diaspora demonstrated by the
government-controlled mass media. This factor is enough for saying that
the Armenian-Turkish relations "progress" in prejudice of Armenia’s
national interests. Needless to say about the Armenian authorities’
intention to discuss the fact of the Armenian Genocide in a joint
commission with Turks, to recognize the borders of modern Turkey,
as well as the Armenian president’s careless statement addressed to
Abdullah Gul, in which he offered Turkey to mediate in the Karabakh
settlement. Later Sargsyan gave up this idea, having realized
his mistake. So, Armenia has gained nothing essential from the
Armenian-Turkish process so far. On the contrary, the process of
recognition of the Armenian Genocide was suspended in some countries
just because of their authorities’ reluctance to "interfere with the
process between Armenia and Turkey". This process in favor of Turkey
started even on 23 April 2009, when to the prejudice of the Armenian
Genocide recognition process, Armenia established a "Roadmap" with
Turkey, which caused tender emotions in our country. Only a year
has passed, and the situation has radically changed, but the same
authorities, who stated a year ago that the border would be opened
any day now and the Turks are not "those" Turks, currently speak
of their slyness and craftiness, and Armenia’s reluctance to ratify
the Protocols with Turkey’s preconditions. This is not my opinion –
this is the reality.

You have pointed out the incompliance of the Protocols with Armenia’s
state interests. Don’t we need an open border with Turkey?

Certainly, we do. We have repeatedly said that it was not Armenia that
blocked the border, whereas the Protocols provide for "mutual opening
of the borders". Lifting the blockade of Armenia by Turkey is possible
without preconditions and via exchange of notes by the diplomatic
missions of the two countries. Armenia must make no concessions in
this issue. Turkey is interested in existence of the process and not
in reopening of the border, whereas Armenia does not need the process.

All the issues could be discussed with Turkey after it deblockades
Armenia.

Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan declared in Washington that the domestic
political situation in Turkey hampers ratification of the Protocols
with Armenia in the near future. Wouldn’t it be reasonable for Armenia
to freeze the process and wait for changes in the domestic political
situation in Turkey after the parliamentary election in 2011?

Election will be held not only in Turkey. The next election in Armenia
are scheduled for 2012 though there are all the political and social
prerequisites for extraordinary election in the country. I believe that
normalization of relations with Turkey is possible only if the Armenian
authorities refuse concessions to Ankara and Turkey lifts the blockade
of Armenia without preconditions. I think Erdogan had an opportunity
to settle the problem of the Armenian-Turkish relations last year,
but failed to, for it was not within the interests of Turkey. Moreover,
the Turkish government is experiencing serious domestic problems being
at the crossroad of Ataturk’s anti-democratic course and the Islamic
Neo-Ottomanism. In addition, Turkey has also other problems to solve,
specifically, the Kurdish and the Cyprian problems, establishment
of Turkey as a regional super power, and other ambitions. Therefore,
I do not think that change of the political course will allow Turkey
to make any tangible progress in the relations with Armenia.

Has the Armenian-Turkish process directly affected the Karabakh
peace process?

The Armenian-Turkish process has directly affected the Karabakh
peace process. It is no mere chance that Turkish politicians stated
their refusal to open the borders with Armenia without progress in
the Karabakh process in their understanding. The active attempts of
Turkey to mediate in the Karabakh settlement, the OSCE Minsk Group’s
unprecedented activity, as well as last year’s statements by the
presidents of Russia, the United States and France in L’Aquila prove
that the Karabakh process has passed the stage of activation.

Azerbaijan has apparently agreed to the updated principles, unlike
Armenia, which constantly refers to the previous version of the Madrid
principles. In any case, the Armenian party strives to make a step
back in Karabakh settlement and freeze the process. Time will show
how much possible it will be and whether the Armenian authorities
will have enough levers for that.