Author: Kanayan Tamar

CANADA MARKS 20 YEARS OF RECOGNITION OF ARMENIA’S INDEPENDENCE

Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada

Government of Canada
Jan 11 2012

Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird today issued the following
statement on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of Canada’s
recognition of Armenia’s independence:

“Twenty years ago today, Canada was among the first Western nations
to recognize Armenia as an independent state and, a few days later,
to formally establish diplomatic relations. Today, we enjoy a strong
and growing partnership, notably through our ongoing cooperation in
multilateral organizations.”

“Over the years, we have forged bonds of friendship and cooperation
based on our shared commitment to promoting democratic values and
global peace and security. These links have been further strengthened
by the presence of more than 50,000 Canadians of Armenian descent
who continue to make significant contributions to Canada’s cultural,
political and economic life.”

To mark the anniversary, Minister Baird recently met with Armenian
ambassador to Canada, Armen Yeganian, and presented him with a framed
reproduction of the official declaration establishing diplomatic
relations between Canada and Armenia.

ARMENIA’S NATIONAL ARCHIVE ORGANIZES EXHIBITIONS ON 500TH ANNIVERSARY OF ARMENIAN TYPOGRAPHY

News from Armenia – NEWS.am
January 11, 2012 | 15:21

YEREVAN. – Armenia’s National Archive will organize exhibitions
dedicated to the 500th anniversary of the Armenian typography and
20th anniversary of the establishment of the Armenian Army.

Armenian Deputy PM, Minister of Territorial Administration
Armen Gevorgyan visited archive on Wednesday to get familiar with
digitalization equipment acquired last year, ministerial press service
informs Armenian News-NEWS.am.

The equipment is to accelerate the process of digitalizing the
documents.

The archive had organized over 14 thematic exhibitions dedicated to
the establishment of the 15th anniversary of local self-governmental
system. Moreover, it organized exhibition on the 20th anniversary of
Armenia’s Independence together with the Armenian Museum of History.

The archive cooperated with international organizations and concluded
contracts as well, in particular, those with Georgia’s and Finland’s
National Archives.

KAZAKHSTAN MAINTAINS UNBIASED ATTITUDE IN KARABAKH ISSUE

ARMENPRESS
JANUARY 11, 2011
YEREVAN

Kazakhstan will always maintain unbiased attitude in the Nagorno
Karabakh issue, Ambassador of that country to Armenia Ayimdos
Bozzhigitov told a news conference today, adding that this stance has
been displayed throughout the whole chairmanship of Kazakhstan in the
OSCE. “Our position in the Karabakh issue is being formed irrespective
of the circumstance that Azerbaijan is our ethnic brother country and
Armenia – our ally within the framework of CSTO,” the diplomat said.

He stressed that his country is coming forth for the peaceful
settlement of all the issues in the Caucasian region.

Touching upon general regional cooperation issues, the ambassador noted
that Kazakhstan comes forth in the favor of dialogue of civilizations.

NKR PRESIDENT MEETS DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF OF RA ARMED FORCES

armradio.am
12.01.2012 12:26

On January 12 President of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic Bako Sahakyan
met first deputy head of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the
Republic of Armenia, lieutenant-general Enrico Apryamov and deputy
head of the General Staff, major-general Stephan Galstyan.

Issues related to army building were discussed at the meeting, Central
Information Department of the Office of the NKR President reported.

EUROPEAN COURT DECLARES KARABAKH WAR-RELATED SUITS ADMISSIBLE

PanARMENIAN.Net
January 10, 2012 – 19:21 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – The Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human
Rights declared the applications of an Armenian national against
Azerbaijan and several families of ethnic Kurds against Armenia
admissible.

The 1st case concerns an Armenian refugee Minas Sargsyan’s
complaint that he was forced to flee from his home in 1992 during
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Sargsyan died in 2009 in Yerevan. His
widow and three children are pursuing the application on his behalf.

Mr Sargsyan states that he and his family, ethnic Armenians, lived
in a two-floor house with auxiliary premises in the village of
Gulistan of the Shahumyan region, NKAO. When the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict escalated into full-scale war in 1992, Gulistan was bombed
by Azerbaijani forces and the entire population of the village,
including the applicant and his family, fled, fearing for their lives.

In the 2nd case, the families of ethnic Kurds, residing in Lachin
region, state having been forced to leave their homes during Armenian
army attack.

The Court will deliver its final judgment at a later date, BBC
Russian reported.

MARKAROV: ARMENIA, RUSSIA TO EXPAND STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP IN 2012

Panorama.am
10/01/2012

The most important event in 2012 is the parliamentary election,
political scientist Alexander Markarov told a Panorama.am reporter,
making remarks on the most important events in Armenia’s internal
and foreign political life expected this year.

The expert supposes that it is hardly probable that Armenia will
record progress in the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process in 2012.

Armenia and Russia will expand their strategic partnership in 2012,
according to him.

Markarov stressed the importance of expanding cooperation within the
framework of CIS free trade zone agreement signed last year.

447 BIRTHS RECORDED IN YEREVAN ON JANUARY 1-9

Panorama.am
10/01/2012

447 births have been recorded in Yerevan on January 1-9, 2012, Head
of the Ministry of Health Administration Suren Krmoyan told reporters
in Yerevan, adding that the Ministry has not received data on births
from the regions yet.

The Armenian regions only provide monthly birth data, Mother and
Child Health Department of the Armenian Ministry of Health told a
Panorama.am reporter.

LE SENAT CONFIRME L’EXAMEN LE 23 JANVIER DU TEXTE SUR LE GENOCIDE ARMENIEN
Stephane

armenews.com
mercredi 11 janvier 2012

PARIS, 10 jan 2012 (AFP) – Le Senat a confirme mardi l’inscription a
son ordre du jour du 23 janvier de la proposition de loi sanctionnant
la negation de tous les genocides, dont celui des Armeniens de 1915,
deja votee par les deputes en decembre.

L’examen du texte a l’origine d’une crise diplomatique majeure entre
Ankara et Paris debutera ce jour-la a 15h00. Le Senat precise que
c’est le ministre des Relations avec le Parlement, Patrick Ollier,
qui a demande par une lettre datee du 9 janvier cette inscription a
l’ordre du jour de la Haute Assemblee.

L’Assemblee nationale a adopte, le 22 decembre, cette proposition
de loi de la deputee UMP Valerie Boyer, qui prevoit de punir d’un an
de prison et 45.000 euros d’amende la negation d’un genocide reconnu
par la loi francaise. Ce vote a entraîne le gel par la Turquie de sa
cooperation politique et militaire avec la France.

Le chef de file des senateurs socialistes, Francois Rebsamen, avait
demande dès le 23 decembre l’inscription du texte “dans les plus
brefs delais”.

Une proposition de loi PS penalisant la contestation du genocide
armenien avait ete votee le 12 octobre 2006 par l’Assemblee nationale,
mais avait ete rejetee le 4 mai 2011 par le Senat, alors a majorite
de droite. Cette fois-ci, l’adoption du texte par le Senat semble
plus certaine car, meme si des divisons existent au sein des groupes,
il y a “un consensus” selon M. Ollier.

AZERBAIJANI AND ARMENIAN PRESIDENTS TO MEET ON JANUARY 23 IN SOCHI

APA
Jan 10 2012
Azerbaijan

Baki – APA. Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents are expected to
meet on January 23-24, 2012 on the initiative of Russian President
Dmitry Medvedev.

The meeting will take place in Sochi, Russia, APA reports quoting
Reqnum. The settlement of Nagorno Karabakh conflict will be discussed
in the trilateral meeting.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said that Nagorno Karabakh conflict
was the only conflict in the post-Soviet area that can be settled
peacefully.

THE WASHINGTON TIMES: “IRAN HAS STAUNCHLY SUPPORTED ARMENIA’S CONQUEST OF UNDISPUTED AZERBAIJANI TERRITORY”

APA
Jan 9 2012
Azerbaijan

“Tehran fears that Azerbaijan may seek to exploit the ethnic grievances
of Iranian Azerbaijanis in northwestern Iran and detach the area
from Iran”

Baku. Habil Suleymanzadeh – APA. “Iran has staunchly supported
Armenia’s conquest of undisputed Azerbaijani territory in the
Nagorno-Karabakh crisis to the point that Armenia regularly votes
against sanctions on Iran in the United Nations”, said The Washington
Times in an article by Stephen Blank. “In 2001, Iran shot up an
Azerbaijani oil-exploration platform in the Caspian Sea. Apart from
blocking the legal resolution of that sea’s status, Iran regularly
threatens Azerbaijan with invasion and other unspecified military
action if it supports a U.S. base in its country and because of its
close ties with Israel”.

“More recently, Iranian incitement is clearly behind the
anti-government campaign by religiously inclined Shiites, who are
protesting the government’s “anti-religious” policies”, said Stephen
Blank. “In fact, Iran has been threatening Azerbaijan for more than
a decade”, he added.

“But the most overt displays of Iranian power and threats have been
employed against neighboring Azerbaijan, not least because Tehran
suspects Baku of being pro-American and pro-Israeli, but also because
it fears that Azerbaijan may seek to exploit the ethnic grievances
of Iranian Azerbaijanis in northwestern Iran and detach the area from
Iran with great power support. This is not a groundless fear, as the
Soviet Union sought to do so in 1920-21 and 1945-46. Nevertheless,
this fear of the Azerbaijani minority is more a pretext for Iran’s
current threats against Azerbaijan than a rational basis for Iranian
policy. Iran’s real fear is Azerbaijan’s support for the United
States and Israel and its apprehension that Azerbaijan might become
a platform for a U.S. operation against it”, said Blank.