Author: Kalantarian Kevo

FRENCH ENVOY DISCUSSES TIES WITH TURKEY, ARMENIA

Anadolu Agency
May 14 2012
Turkey

BURSA (AA) -The senior French diplomat in Turkey said on Monday that
everybody wanted to see a freer Turkey.

French Ambassador to Turkey Laurent Bili said that Turkey was carrying
out significant initiatives, and underlined importance of Turkey’s
constitutional efforts.

“Everybody wants to see a freer Turkey,” Bili told AA correspondent
in the northwestern province of Bursa.

Bili said that the current situation in the European Union (EU) zone
was not so bright, and the EU balances had changed a bit after recent
developments in the continent of Europe.

It was not easy to keep the EU working with 27 members, the French
ambassador said.

Bili said Turkey was a bigger country than other countries that joined
the union, and balances could change if Turkey was admitted to the EU.

The ambassador said France was experiencing a significant and
democratic process, and new developments could emerge after May 7th
presidential election.

Bili said the new French President Francois Hollande sent a message
to Turks living in France, and underlined the importance he attached
to Turkish-French relations.

Every one knew that Hollande had more positive views about Turkey’s
accession to the EU, Bili said.

Bili expressed thought that Hollande would have a more positive
perspective on Turks.

The ambassador said the French law criminalizing denial of Armenian
allegations of the incidents of 1915 was not targeting at Turks,
and President Hollande would bring up the law again but in line with
the constitution.

Bili said the law was not against Turkey, but was prepared for the
French citizens of Armenian origin.

The ambassador said French companies had confidence in Turkey’s bright
future and were eager to make more investments, which was so positive
for bilateral relations.

Bili said he was hopeful that bilateral relations would be boosted,
and members of the French business organization MEDEF would visit
Turkey in June and seek appropriate places for new investments.

Socialist candidate Francois Hollande won the second round of the
French presidential election by gaining 52 per cent of the votes. He
is expected to take over the office from Nicolas Sarkozy on May 15.

57-year-old Hollande began his political career as the adviser to
Francois Mitterrand, who served as the president of France between
1981 and 1995.

Hollande, who supported the law criminalizing denial of Armenian
allegations regarding the incidents of 1915, has given the message
that he does no more welcome Turkey’s European Union membership saying
that negotiations have prolonged for so long.

The French Constitutional Council has rejected the law criminalizing
denial of Armenian allegations.

INTL MEDIATORS URGE KARABAKH CONFLICT SIDES TO SHOW RESTRAINT

Interfax
May 14 2012
Russia

The Co-Chairs of the Organization for Security and Co-operation
in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group mediating the Karabakh conflict are
concerned by the recent incidents on the line of contact between the
Armenian and Azeri forces.

“The Co-Chairs expressed their concern over recent incidents along
the frontlines, and urged the sides to exercise restraint and refrain
from retaliation,” according to a statement posted on the OSCE website
by the OSCE MG co-chairs after their visit to Azerbaijan and Armenia.

The co-chairs welcome the sides’ reaffirmation of their “commitment
to seek a peaceful settlement.”

“The Co-Chairs continued their discussions with the sides on how to
implement the commitments made by Presidents Aliyev and Sargsian in
their January 23 joint statement in Sochi, including to ‘accelerate’
reaching an agreement on the Basic Principles as a framework for a
comprehensive peace settlement, to work on the mechanism to investigate
ceasefire violations, and to develop humanitarian contacts,” the
statement said.

“The Co-chairs also discussed with the sides the development
of confidence building measures” and the efforts “to strengthen
implementation of the 1994 ceasefire,” the document said.

The Co-Chairs also discussed the importance of protecting the common
heritage of the peoples in the region.

“The Co-Chairs plan to continue discussions with the Foreign Ministers
of the two countries in the near future,” the document said.

The OSCE MG Co-Chairs – Robert Bradtke (United States), Igor Popov
(Russia) and Jacques Faure (France) – and Personal Representative of
the OSCE Chairman-in-office Andrzej Kasprzyk visited Erevan and Baku
on May 11-14 to meet with Presidents Serzh Sargsian and Ilham Aliyev.

RUSSIA TO CARRY ON KARABAKH SETTLEMENT MEDIATION – DIPLOMAT

Interfax
May 14 2012
Russia

Russia is loyal to the peace settlement of the Karabakh conflict,
OSCE Minsk Group Russian Cochairman Igor Popov told reporters in Baku
on Monday.

“We expect Russian mediating efforts to continue within the OSCE
Minsk Group,” he replied to an Interfax question.

Russia and other OSCE Minsk Group cochairmen will continue to assist
the peace process with due account of the summit accords of 2009-2011,
Popov said.

He commented on the Monday meeting of the cochairmen with Azeri
President Ilham Aliyev and Foreign Minister Elmar Mamedyarov held to
discuss topical aspects of the settlement process.

“We discussed the fulfillment of the agreements reached in Sochi
this January, including the work on the settlement document. We also
discussed ways of public contacts, including youth communication. We
touched upon incidents along the Armenian-Azeri contact line in late
April. Finally, we discussed a statement of the cochairmen,” he said.

MINSK GROUP TO CONTINUE KARABAKH SETTLEMENT EFFORTS – CO-CHAIR

ITAR-TASS
May 14, 2012 Monday 05:19 PM GMT+4
Russia

Russia together with other countries co-chairing the OSCE Minsk
Group will continue efforts towards the settlement of the conflict in
mostly Armenian populated Azerbaijani enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh,
the Russian co-chairman, Igor Popov, said on Monday. “Russia has
always consistently advocated a peaceful settlement of the” conflict,
he stressed in Baku.

“One of the first decrees adopted by the new president of Russia
was the decree concerning foreign policy issues,” he said. “It said
that together with other co-chairs of the Minsk Group, Moscow will
continue active work aimed at helping the sides in the settlement of
the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict with taking into account the agreements
reached at a summit level in 2009-2011. I think that this clearly
specifies Russia’s position,” Popov noted.

Speaking about meetings in Baku with President Ilham Aliyev and
Foreign Minister Elmar Mamedyarov, the Russian diplomat said they
had discussed “topical issues of the settlement”. “We considered the
course of implementation of those agreements that had been reached
during the Sochi meeting (of the presidents of Russia, Azerbaijan
and Armenia),” he said.

“In particular, we focused on work on the document on the settlement
and the establishment of contacts with representatives of the public
and the youth,” he added. He said they had also discussed incidents
on the disengagement line at the end of April.

Popov stressed that the co-chairs hope to continue contacts with
the sides shortly as well as expect to meet with intelligentsia of
Azerbaijan and Armenia.

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT TO ATTEND CSTO SESSION, CIS INFORMAL MEETING

ITAR-TASS
May 14, 2012 Monday 09:02 PM GMT+4
Russia

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan will go to Russia on a working
visit on Tuesday, May 15.

Sargsyan will attend a jubilee session of the Collective Security
Treaty Organisation (CSTO) marking the 20th anniversary of the signing
of the Collective Security Treaty and the 10th anniversary of the CSTO,
and an informal summit of the Commonwealth of Independent States.

Armenia plans to increase the role of the Collective Security Treaty
Organisation (CSTO) as a key element of its national defence, Security
Council Secretary Artur Bagdasaryan said earlier.

“We plan to increase the role of the CSTO as one of the key elements
of Armenia’s security. The CSTO is evolving, and Armenia, as one of
the most active members of the organisation, is actively involved in
this process,” he said.

According to Bagdasaryan, “a new strategy and a new CSTO planning
concept are being drafted, which makes it possible to increase the
role, weight and importance of this international organisation for
ensuring the security of its member states.”

These documents will be submitted to the organisation’s Collective
Security Council shortly.

Armenia will host a large-scale CSTO rapid reaction force exercise this
year to show the capability of the Armed Forces, secret services,
emergencies ministries, and police, and the high level of their
interoperability among the 7 CSTO member states,” Bagdasaryan said.

According to Collective Security Treaty Organisation Secretary-General
Nikolai Bordyuzha, the “security of the CSTO member states, including
Armenia’s, is several times higher than a couple of years ago”.

“A new CSTO strategy reflecting the current geopolitical situation is
very important and will provide the basis for our further activities,”
he said.

Armenia is the first country to discuss a new strategy and a new
planning concept of the organisation. These documents will also
be considered by the CSTO Committee of National Security Council
Secretaries, Council of Defence Ministers and Council of Foreign
Ministers, and then submitted to the Collective Security Council.

The CSTO is a military-political alliance of seven countries: Armenia,
Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.

It was created on the basis of the Collective Security Treaty of the
May 15, 1992, which was turned into an international organisation on
May 14, 2002. The CSTO received the status of observer at the U.N.

General Assembly on December 2, 2004.

The purpose of the CSTO is to guarantee the national security of each
of its members and to ensure their territorial integrity. In case
of a menace, looming over any member-country, all the other CSTO
participants will be duty-bound to give it all the necessary aid,
including military assistance.

PRESIDENT SERZH SARGSYAN MEETS WITH HEAD OF RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT DMITRY MEDVEDEV

ARMENPRESS
15 May, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, MAY 15, ARMENPRESS: President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan,
who is in Moscow on a working visit, met today with head of the
Russian government Dmitry Medvedev, Armenpress reports citing the
president’s press service.

President Serzh Sargsyan once again congratulated the newly appointed
head of the Russian government on assuming of the office, wished
successes and expressed confidence that Dmitry Medvedev will promote
strengthening of the friendship between Armenia and Russia in that
post as well.

The Russian PM assured that their cooperation will continue and the
friendly ties will be maintained, especially that there are special
allied relations between Armenia and Russia.

Dmitry Medvedev congratulated Serzh Sargsyan on convincing victory
of the Republican Party of Armenia he leads at parliamentary elections.

PM wished it to be a prerequisite for ensuring progress in Armenia,
productive development and solution to social-economic issues. The
head of the Russian government stressed that Russia will surely support
all those processes. Armenia and Russia remain good friends and allies.

President Serzh Sargsyan also participated in the non-official summit
of heads of CIS states held in Moscow.

ASTRONOMICAL BOOKS REVIEW BY ARMENIAN ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY

news.am
May 15, 2012 | 16:24

YEREVAN. – On the occasion of the 500th anniversary of the Armenian
printing and the proclamation of Yerevan as 2012 World Book Capital
City, astronomers also established a base for astronomical books
and booklets available for public. The Armenian Astronomical Society
opened a new page in its website on astronomical books.

In addition, astronomical books expo will be organized in the Byurakan
Observatory this year. Additional information will be available later.

HAYK DEMOYAN: TURKEY CONTINUES TO PERSECUTE THOSE WHO SPEAK ABOUT THE HISTORIC JUSTICE

armradio.am
15.05.2012 17:28

The commission on organization of the events dedicated to the 100th
anniversary of the Armenian Genocide took place at the Armenian Union
of Bucharest. Director of the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute,
Secretary of the state commission Hayk Demoyan discussed a number
of organizational issues with Armenian Ambassador to Romania Hamlet
Gasparyan, Primate of the Romanian Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic
Church Bishop Tatev Hakobyan, President of the Armenian Union of
Romania, Senator Varuzhan Voskanyan and a number of Romanian Armenian
intellectuals. Agreements were reached on organization of joint events
during the coming three years.

The same day AGMI Director Hayk Demoyan delivered a speech at the
Bucharest University. Dr. Demoyan noted in his speech that the
Armenian Genocide is not a historic past. “It is more than present,
since the Turkish authorities continue exerting political, economic and
diplomatic pressure on Armenia. They terrorize and persecute those,
who speak about the historic justice, pursue a denialist policy on
the international level, offend and slander the descendants of the
Armenian Genocide survivors,” he said. The lecture was followed by
a Q&A session.

ST. NSHAN NOT CONSIDERED HISTORICAL MONUMENT IN GEORGIA – EXPERT

tert.am

15.05.12

The Georgian authorities fail to treat Tbilisi’s St Nshan church as
a historical monument, an Armenian expert has complained.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Samvel Karapetyan, the director of
the NGO called Research on Armenian Architecture, stressed the need
of renovating the construction that has been left unattended to date.

“Before its collapse, St. Nshan came under fire twice – in 2001 and
2012. Constructions built of brick need sand or foam to extinguish
fires whenever they occur. But both fires were put out by water,
which led to a collapse,” he noted.

Asked whether the renovation of the church is possible, the expert
said he has positive hopes, adding though that he does not much
believe in such plan.

“I am hopeful to see at least Nshan restored, but I do not believe
in that yet because the Georgian authorities have given promises many
times, without doing anything,” he said.

The dome of the church collapsed following the recent flooding in
Tbilisi, which damaged several buildings.

ARCHBISHOP ZAKARIAN CONGRATULATED HOLLANDE
Jean Eckian

Story from Lragir.am News:

Published: 16:48:04 – 15/05/2012

Many guests attended the inauguration ceremony of the new president
of the French Republic, Francois Hollande held this morning at the
Elysee Palace. Among them were the highest-ranking representatives
of the French administration and religious authorities, including
Archbishop Norvan Zakarian, Primate of the Armenian Apostolic Church,
who also congratulated the new French President.