Author: Kanayan Tamar

ARMENIAN PREMIER RECEIVES BAVARIAN DELEGATION

Tert.am
03.04.12

Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan received on Tuesday with Dr.
Helmut Palder, Deputy Minister of Justice of Armenia, and Christopher
Strotz, Munich Chief Prosecutor.

They arrived in Armenia at the invitation of Armenian Prosecutor
General Aghvan Hovsepyan.

The sides discussed prospects of bilateral cooperation, particularly
retraining of judges and public prosecutors.

Dr. Helmut Palder stressed the importance of high-level education
and personnel management.

The Armenian premier stressed the need for studying German experience.

Bavaria’s high-ranking judicial officials stressed their willingness
to share their experience with Armenia.

The German delegation is to leave Armenia on Apr. 5.

TURKEY’S MEDIATION ROLE ON KARABAKH ABSURDITY – ARMENIAN FM

news.am
April 03, 2012 | 21:02

YEREVAN. – It is just an absurdity to consider Turkey as a mediator
on Nagorno-Karabakh peace process, Armenian FM Edward Nalbandian
said on Tuesday during the joint press conference with his Cypriot
counterpart Erato Kozaku-Markulis in Yerevan.

In response to the possible meeting between the Armenian and
Azerbaijani Presidents Sargsyan and Aliyev mediated by the U.S. and
Turkey, Nalbandian said that the U.S. as a Minsk Group mediator state
puts constructive efforts, while possible Turkish mediation is just
an absurdity.

TWO REGIONAL GOVERNORS WITHDRAW FROM ARMENIAN RULING COALITION PARTNER’S ELECTION LIST – NEWSPAPER

news.am
April 03, 2012 | 09:56

YEREVAN. – “The governors of Vayots Dzor and Gegharkunik Regions
yesterday [Monday] withdrew from the proportional [election] list
of the [ruling coalition’s Prosperous Armenia Party] PAP [for the
forthcoming parliamentary elections]. And to learn the reason, we asked
PAP Chairman’s press officer Khachik Galstyan,” Iravunk daily writes.

‘”They withdrew because they are carrying out their executive powers,
and in that sense [their] participation in the pre-election campaign
with the corresponding electoral system would have impeded.’

To our question, ‘wasn’t it clear until then that those combined
activities could have interfered with one another?’, Galstyan
responded: ‘You can call them right now and ascertain their personal
view; and they will carry out solely executive powers,'” Iravunk
writes.

ARMENIAN PARLIAMENTARIAN ASKS AZERBAIJANI MINISTER EDUCATION A QUESTION

APA
April 2 2012
Azerbaijan

Baku. Parvin Abbasov – APA. Armenian parliamentarian Aram Safaryan
asked Minister of Education of Azerbaijan Misir Mardanov a question
at the meeting of the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly Committee on
Economic Integration, Legal Approximation and Convergence with EU
Policies: “Is it true that hostility and hatred against Armenians
are being promoted in your schools and textbooks. If there are such
issues we must settle them separately also together and in a different
format. We must settle it so that the future generations are mutually
respectable and tolerant. I consider that it will be a significant step
for the settlement of the conflict between our nations and states.”

Mardanov said that it is impossible to settle these issues in such
events or in a short time: “The experts must investigate and settle
this issue. I can’t say and it will not be true that we have friendly
relation to Armenia and Armenians. Just imagine, one family was
completely killed as a result of Karabakh conflict and only one member
is alive. How can this person be friendly with regard to Armenia and
Armenians? There is a great gap between our societies and this event
is the step for removal of this gap. I don’t know what is written in
your books and you do not know what is written in our books. That’s
why it is impossible to find an answer to this issue within a day or
single event. These issues demand very serious investigations between
the experts.”

MINISTER: “THE CURRENT “STATUS-QUO” IN NAGORNO KARABAKH ISSUE IS NOT ONLY INADMISSIBLE, BUT ALSO DANGEROUS FOR AZERBAIJAN”

APA
April 2 2012
Azerbaijan

Baku. Victoria Dementieva – APA. “The current “status-quo” in Nagorno
Karabakh issue is not only inadmissible, but also dangerous for
Azerbaijan”, said Azerbaijani FM Elmar Mammadyarov in a joint press
conference with Finnish FM Erkki Tuomioja, APA reports.

Minister said that the elections in Armenia and some co-chairing
countries delay the negotiations process: “But it doesn’t mean that
the process will stop completely”.

Mammadyarov reminded that the last statement of foreign ministers
of the co-chairing countries called the sides to demonstrate the
political will: “There is necessary legal base for the settlement
of the conflict and this base is enough strong. The conflict must
be settled on the basis of international legal norms. The conflict’s
settlement is a long process. But I am sure that we can achieve it”.

Commenting on the issue on replacement of France with European Union
in OSCE Minsk Group, Mammadyarov said that there was no such mechanism
and added that he couldn’t answer instead of EU and France.

In his turn, Erkki Tuomioja noted that Finland supported the efforts
of the Minsk Group and rapid settlement of the conflict on the basis
of international legal norms.

RUSSIAN FM WARNS AGAINST STRIKE ON IRAN

Military.com

April 2 2012

YEREVAN, Armenia – Russia’s foreign minister has strongly warned
against a military attack on Iran, saying that a pre-emptive strike
would violate international law.

Sergey Lavrov said Monday on a visit to Armenia that an attack on
Iran would destabilize the region.

Israel and the U.S. have warned that all options remain open, including
military action, to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.

Iran insists its uranium enrichment program is aimed at civilian power
generation and research, but Israel and Western nations believe it
is a cover for a nuclear weapons bid.

Russia, which built Iran’s first nuclear power plant, backed some of
the previous U.N. sanctions against Tehran, but in recent months has
firmly rejected imposing new sanctions and called for dialogue.

ARMENIAN FARMERS TO GROW OVER 200,000 TONS OF FRUITS, VEGETABLES

Vestnik Kavkaza
April 2 2012
Russia

Armenian processing plants want purchased about 205,500 tons of fruits
and vegetables in 2012, Deputy Minister for Agriculture Robert Makaryan
said, ARKA reports.

The demand for vegetables and fruits at processing factories has
increased by over 21,500 tons, compared with 194,000 tons in 2011.

Individuals are expected to purchase 61,000 tons of vegetables,
including 50,000 of tomatoes, in 2012.

The demand for fruits at the market is about 25,500 tons, 10,000
of which are apricots, 3,500 tons of peaches and about 4,300 tons
are apples.

Exporting companies want to purchase 30,700 tons of vegetables and
fruits, 16,000 tons of which are apricots, 11,500 tons of grape,
1,500 tons of peaches and 4,400tons of vegetables.

SWISS DROP PROBE INTO TURKISH MINISTER GENOCIDE COMMENTS.

EuroNews

April 2 2012

ZURICH (Reuters) – Swiss prosecutors will drop a criminal probe
against Turkey’s EU affairs minister, instigated after he denied
Ottoman Turks committed genocide against Armenians nearly 100 years
ago, because he is protected by diplomatic immunity.

Zurich prosecutors began investigating minister Egemen Bagis after
comments he made at the World Economic Forum in Davos in January,
and also at a concert in Zurich. Swiss anti-racism legislation outlaws
genocide denial.

Turkey summoned the Swiss ambassador in Ankara to complain after the
investigation was launched.

“After consulting with the Swiss foreign ministry, the prosecutor
has concluded that criminal charges against Egemen Bagis cannot be
pursued because, as a Turkish EU minister, he enjoyed immunity during
his entire stay in Switzerland,” the prosecutor said in a statement
on Monday.

Backed by many historians and foreign parliaments, Armenia says about
1.5 million Christian Armenians were killed in what is now eastern
Turkey during World War One in a deliberate policy of genocide ordered
by the Ottoman government.

The Ottoman empire was dissolved at the end of the war, but successive
Turkish governments and the vast majority of Turks believe the charge
of genocide is an insult to their nation. Ankara argues there was
heavy loss of life on both sides during fighting in the region.

Swiss authorities have taken legal action against several people who
have denied the Armenian genocide. The most prominent case is the
conviction of Turkish politician Dogu Perincek, who was fined 3,000
Swiss francs in 2007.

In January, the French Senate approved similar legislation, prompting
an angry response from Turkey. Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan
termed the legislation “discriminatory and racist”.

(Reporting By Katharina Bart)

ARMENIAN BILL SUBMITTED TO CONGRESS CANNOT ENDANGER TURKISH-AMERICAN COMMERCIAL RELATIONS

ARMENPRESS
APRIL 2, 2012
WASHINGTON

WASHINGTON, APRIL 2, ARMENPRESS: Chairman of Turkish-American Business
Association (TABA/AmCham) Ugur Terzioglu stated that no issue can arise
in commercial relations between Turkey and USA because of the bill
submitted to the US Congress for recognition of the Armenian Genocide.

Ugur Terzioglu said the Armenian Bill cannot endanger the cooperation
implemented in 2012 in numerous spheres of Turkey-USA commercial
relations, Armenpress reports citing “Anatolu” news agency.

“The Turkish Parliament finds the Armenian Bill is not connected with
foreign policy and national security, it can only threaten commercial
profits. The Parliament considers the positive developments established
in international trade with USA in 2009 must be balanced for the
running and coming years as well,” he said.

Ugur Terzioglu noted the USA is “irreplaceable commercial and social
partner” for Turkey, and the one among the 6 countries of Europe
preferable for investments.

DELEGATION LED BY PRIME MINISTER OF BULGARIA BOYKO BORISOV ARRIVES IN YEREVAN

ARMENPRESS
APRIL 2, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, APRIL 2, ARMENPRESS: On 2 April a delegation led by Prime
Minister of Bulgaria Boyko Borisov arrived in Yerevan on an official
visit. Prime Minister of Armenia Tigran Sargsyan welcomed Mr. Borisov
at Zvartnots International Airport, Armenpress reports.

Boyko Borisov was accompanied by Transport Minister of Bulgaria Ivaylo
Moskovski, Minister of Labor and Social Policy Totyu Mladenov and
Deputy Foreign Minister Ivan Naydenov.

The meetings of Prime Minister of Bulgaria with Armenian President
Serzh Sargsyan, Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan, National Assembly
Speaker Samvel Nikoyan and Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II
are intended.

Diplomatic relations have been established between Armenia and
Bulgaria June 18, 1992. There are more than 40 agreements in the
judicial-contractual basis of the cooperation between the two
countries.

The delegation headed by Borisov has arrived in Armenia from Tbilisi.