Author: Kanayan Tamar

PANIC IN ARMENIAN RULING CIRCLES – AZERBAIJANI MP

news.az
Feb 9 2010
Azerbaijan

Aydin Mirzazade The Armenian president and defence minister are
visiting Europe to show Russia their displeasure at its latest moves
on the Karabakh conflict.

This is what MP Aydin Mirzazade, a member of the board of the ruling
New Azerbaijan Party, said in an interview yesterday with 1news.az.

"Of course, there’s a reason why Sargsyan flew to Great Britain and
Ohanyan to France on the same day. I think the Armenian leadership
wants to show Russia that it is offended, since Russia is taking a
more realistic position on the Karabakh conflict and processes in
the South Caucasus," the MP said.

"It is clear that neither Britain nor France would be able to provide
substantial support to the Armenian regime. The fact that Sargsyan
and Ohanyan are going to Europe is not only a show for Russia’s
benefit, but is designed for the domestic Armenian audience to show
that Armenia has an alternative to Russia’s support. One can sense
a degree of panic in the ruling circles of Armenia that the time has
come to return the occupied lands of Azerbaijan," Mirzazade said.

"Yerevan has realized that none of the world’s leading powers will
sacrifice their national interests for the sake of tiny Armenia. It
is time for real politics, in which the interests of major powers
are a long way from the nationalistic plans of Armenia – an isolated
country which has no economic attraction or prospects," the MP said.

President Serzh Sargsyan makes it clear that Defence Minister Seyran
Ohanyan is the second person in the ruling hierarchy, according
to Mirzazade.

"This fact shows that history is repeating itself and the chain [former
President] Kocharyan-Sargsyan-Ohanyan has been formed. They are all
complicit in the genocide in the Azerbaijani village of Khojaly. The
ruling elite of Armenia is associated with the blood of the innocent
civilians of Khojaly," Mirzazade said.

YEREVAN, BAKU EXPECTED TO SUBMIT PROPOSALS TO OSCE MG CO-CHAIRS

news.am
Feb 8 2010
Armenia

Armenia and Azerbaijan have not yet submitted to the mediators their
proposals concerning the points of the Madrid document they have not
yet reached an agreement on, Yuri Merzlyakov, Russian Co-Chairman of
the OSCE Minsk Group, told the APA News Agency.

As regards the regional visit the mediators spoke of at the
Armenian-Azerbaijani-Russian presidential meeting in Sochi, Merzlyakov
pointed out that the Co-Chairmen will think of visiting the region
after they have received the conflicting parties’ proposals.

NEWS.am reminds readers that at the Sochi meeting on January 25
Merzlyakov stated that the sides are supposed to submit to the
mediators their proposals concerning the points of the Madrid document
they have not yet reached an agreement on within two weeks.

news.az, Azerbaijan
Feb 6 2010

Turkish-Armenian relations had significance for USA
Sat 06 February 2010 | 05:48 GMT Text size:

USA had more interests with Turkey in the fields of foreign affairs,
security and commerce, compared to its interests with Armenia.

The president of a leading Turkish-US business association said on
Friday that Turkey would be the party to be blamed by USA if the
process initiated after the signing of protocols between Turkey and
Armenia failed.

Speaking to AA, retired ambassador James Holmes, President & CEO of
American-Turkish Council (ATC), said that USA had more interests with
Turkey in the fields of foreign affairs, security and commerce,
compared to its interests with Armenia.

Commenting on the recent Turkish-Armenian protocols, Holmes said he
was "hopeful, but also concerned" about the process that started after
the signing of the protocols.

He said concerns would be over once the protocols were ratified by the
parliaments of both countries.

ATC head also said he knew about the US capital’s historical working
method on such issue, and claimed that USA would most probably blame
Turkey if the process between the two countries failed.

Noting that Turkey could not separate the Upper Karabakh issue from
its relations with Armenia and risk its strategic interests with
Azerbaijan, Holmes said new steps were needed in these two issues,
rather than expecting Turkey to assess them separately.

Holmes said Turkish-Armenian relations had significance for USA,
Russia, France and Azerbaijan as well.

Turk Net

US AMBASSADOR TO TURKEY: ARMENIAN COURT RULING POSTIVE STEP IN RATIFICATION PROCESS

armradio.am
05.02.2010 13:58

US Ambassador to Turkey James Jeffrey reconfirmed Washington’s position
on the Armenian Constitutional Court ruling on the Armenia-Turkey
Protocols. In an interview with Sabah, the American diplomat spoke
about the process of normalizing Armenia-Turkey relations, the Armenian
court’s decision, issues relating to the recently banned Kurdistan
Workers’ Party (PKK), and the matter of Cyprus.

Asked whether the Protocols "are dead," Jeffrey said, "No. Nothing’s
dead. With its decision, the Armenian Constitutional Court gave a
green light to ratifying the Protocols."

"We are working with Turkey every day. We are attempting to make
progress in the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. In truth,
those are two separate processes. However, Turkey doesn’t see it that
way. There are a number of conflicts that must be resolved in the
Caucasus. They can move forward in different speeds, but they’re all
important. They are parallel processes…" said the ambassador, adding
that there are no restrictive clauses in the Armenian court’s ruling.

"Certain statements in the Constitutional Court’s ruling have made
Turkey uncomfortable; however, we consider that decision to be positive
and see no restrictive clauses in that. We believe that both parties
approach their obligations assumed under the Protocols seriously,"
said Jeffrey.

U.S. WILL BE DISAPPOINTED IF ARMENIAN-TURKISH PROTOCOLS RATIFICATION FAILS

PanARMENIAN.Net
05.02.2010 13:14 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ If Ankara does not step towards ratification
of Armenian-Turkish Protocols by late March, the process will
gradually become more complicated, David Phillips, chairman of the
Turkish-Armenian Reconciliation Commission (TARC) in 2001-2004 said in
Yerevan, when commenting on the possibility of ratifying the Protocols
by April 24 (the Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day).

As the expert noted, although no terms were set for ratification
of the protocols, there is actually a deadline, after which the
goodwill disappears. "Everybody understands that the current process of
Armenian-Turkish reconciliation and the ratification of the Protocols
can not last forever," he said.

According to Mr. Phillips, no linkage should be seen between
ratification of the Armenian-Turkish Protocols and recognition of
the Armenian Genocide.

"I think the United States will be disappointed if ratification fails.

The U.S. had a key role in this dialogue and the Obama administration
will urge Ankara to ratify the Protocols. Although Turks like saying
that they never do anything under pressure, but based on my experience
with the Turks, I can state the opposite," he said.

David L. Phillips was the Chairman of TARC in 2001-2004. The commission
failed over Turkey’s refusal to recognize the Armenian Genocide and
avoid meddling with the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement process.

The Protocols aimed at normalization of bilateral ties and opening of
the border between Armenia and Turkey were signed in Zurich by Armenian
Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian and his Turkish counterpart Ahmet
Davutoglu on October 10, 2009, after a series of diplomatic talks
held through Swiss mediation.

On January 12, 2010, the Constitutional Court of the Republic of
Armenia found the protocols conformable to the country’s Organic Law.

TURKEY: ARMENIAN NUCLEAR POWER STATION THREAT TO TURKEY AND AZERBAIJAN

TendersInfo
January 30, 2010 Saturday

Currently there are certain speculations in the eastern and south
eastern regions of Turkey that the proposed Armenian nuclear power
station is a threat to these regions. Turkish Professor Taifun Kindap
suggests that if there is some technical mishap more than a million
people could suffer, so Turkey should seek to close down the Armenian
nuclear power station.

PACE member from Azerbaijan Rafael Huseinov has the same opinion and
wants this issue put on the agenda of its next session. However it
is significant that while criticising Armenian nuclear plans both
Azerbaijan and Turkey are considering constructing such stations on
their territories and want Russia to participate in these projects.

Azerbaijan realises that its reserves of oil and gas are limited and
they will be exhausted by 2020-25. So as President of the Azerbaijan
National Academy Mahmud Kerimov states there is no alternative to
constructing a nuclear power station in Azerbaijan. If this idea is
pursued Azerbaijan will have its own nuclear power station by 2025.

ARMENIAN AND JEWISH COMMUNITIES URGE OBAMA TO RECOGNIZE RESOLUTION ON ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

Panorama.am
13:20 04/02/2010

Armenian and Jewish community leaders launched an online petition
urging people to sign a letter to President Obama and the Congress
that calls for the immediate passage of H. Res. 252, the Armenian
Genocide Resolution pending in Congress, announced the Armenian
National Committee of Massachusetts. "This initiative is important
because it demonstrates how on a grassroots level, in both the
Jewish and Armenian communities, there is a demand for justice for
the Armenian Genocide. It is vital that the powerful in Washington,
whether they are in the State Department or in lobbying organizations,
realize that they will be called to task when they sacrifice principle
and historical truth for political expediency," said Laura Boghosian,
ANC of Massachusetts member and co-chair of the petition drive. Sign
the petition:

HERITAGE PARTY’S ACTIVITIES SHOULD INTEREST NATIONAL SECURITY SERVICES: BABUKHANYAN

Tert.am
11:37 ~U 03.02.10

Heritage Party conducts anti-state activities and national security
bodies should be interested in them, Constitutional Rights Union
(CRU) party leader, Hayk Babukhanyan, told Tert.am, pointing to his
statement about Heritage released a few days ago.

"We made a political statement, and national security bodies should
be interested in why Heritage’s delegates have a strange conduct in
the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe especially at
a time when it is set to discuss major issues relating to Armenia’s
foreign policy," said Babukhanyan.

The CRU leader also said it was necessary to make amendments in the
"Law about Political Parties." According to Babukhanyan, amendments
should be made in the section of the law which relates to the financing
of parties, in particular.

"If the party is financed from abroad, it means that they [the party
members] are carrying out orders [acting in the interest of others].

In this case, such a change in the law becomes a priority," he said.

"We do hope that corresponding bodies will respond to our political
statement," Babukhanyan concluded.

SEYRAN OHANYAN LEAVING FOR TURKEY

Aysor.am
Wednesday, February 03

The RA Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan will leave for Turkey. In Turkey
the Minister will take part in the sitting of NATO and Euro-Atlantic
Disaster Response Coordination Centre (EADRCC).

This information was confirmed by Seyran Shahsuvaryan, the Press
Secretary of the Minister, in the interview with the Aysor.am reporter;
he also informed that the information about the Minister’s visit will
be issued on these days.

ALL SPITE EACH OTHER

Lragir.am
3/02/10

The Secretary of Heritage faction Stepan Safaryan said that back in
January of last year the leadership of the Parliament received an
order from the presidential administration to exclude "Heritage"
of the Armenian delegation to the parliamentary assemblies of
international structures. He believes that this is happening in the
context of threats to Serge Sargsyan and the membership of the Prime
Minister Tigran Sargsyan to the Republican Party. Not accidently,
all this is happening through the parliament which was expressed in
the summing interview of the Speaker of the parliament who stated
that he will do everything for Serge Sargsyan to be re-elected, said
Stepan Safaryan. He believes that the speaker of parliament was given
a task to cause problems, as happened in the case of the ‘Heritage’.

Stepan Safaryan said Hovik Abrahamyan was not very attracted by the
prospect of the being accused in the case of deprivation of Heritage’s
membership in the PACE delegation, and he tried to blame Mr.

Harutyunyan. As a result, a Council of heads of delegations in the
international structures was formed which was supposed to determine
the composition of delegations. David Harutyunyan did not like this
either, as a result Hovik Abrahamyan was again monitored. In general,
all to spite each other, said Stepan Safaryan.

It is noteworthy that David Harutyunyan also refuses to acknowledge
that is related to the deprivation of Zaruhi Postanjyan’s membership
in the PACE delegation. And now it is unclear who made the decision.