Author: Kanayan Tamar

REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA PRIME MINISTER TIGRAN SARGSYAN RECEIVED A DELEGATION LED BY REPUBLIC OF POLAND NATIONAL DEFENSE MINISTER BOGDAN KLICH

gov.am
Nov 30 2009
Armenia

Greeting the delegation, the Prime Minister said to be hopeful that
"the visit will help strengthen bilateral relations, especially in the
strategic field of military cooperation." Tigran Sargsyan expressed
his appreciation of the Polish Seim’s passing a resolution on Armenian
Genocide recognition.

Bogdan Klich conveyed warm greetings on behalf of Polish Prime Minister
Donald Tusc who is scheduled to visit Armenia shortly.

Getting down regional problems, the head of the Armenian government
outlined the Karabakh peace process and the latest developments in
Armenia-Turkey relationship. The Polish Defense Minister said his
country is a partisan of peaceful settlement of disputes in South
Caucasus: "We highly value the process of signing the protocols."

The parties also spoke about the Partnership for Peace program
as implemented in NATO frameworks. The Republic of Poland was
said assuming EU chairmanship next year and concerned with the
implementation of the Poland-Sweden-initiated Eastern Partnership
Program.

Summing up the meeting, Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan extended warm
greetings to his Polish counterpart and expressed hope that Mr. Tusc’s
upcoming visit will give a boost to economic ties: "Poland may well
be represented on a higher level in our region, and we are interested
in it."

ZURAB NOGHAIDELI: THE REGIONAL SECURITY ARCHITECTURE SHOULD BE REESTABLISHED IN THE SOUTH CAUCASUS – EXCLUSIVE

APA
Nov 26 2009
Azerbaijan

Moscow. Roman Agayev – APA. APA’s exclusive interview with former
Prime Minister of Georgia, leader of opposition party, "Movement for
Fair Georgia" Zurab Noghaideli

-Traditionally, there has been friendship, peaceful neighborhood
between Azerbaijan and Georgia, and these relations are continuing.

How do you assess the present state of the relations between the
two countries?

-No doubt, Azerbaijan-Georgia relations will improve and strengthen.

Unfortunately, there are a number of problems in these relations,
though at first sight they seem to be positive. Tomorrow there will
be real strategic relations between our countries. Speaking of the
problems in Azerbaijan-Georgia relations, I mean Mikhail Saakashvili
led Georgia to war and destroyed the regional security architecture.

This architecture should be reestablished.

-Do the problems in the relations between the two countries also
include the problems of the Azerbaijanis living in Georgia?

-Like other nations, the Azerbaijanis living in Georgia also share out
problems and achievements. Speaking about the problems I mean that
the August happenings destroyed the regional security, it should be
reestablished. Georgia-Azerbaijan relations should always be on good
level. These relations will be on high level when we come to power.

-The regional security architecture was destroyed not only by last
year’s war, but much earlier – it was destroyed as a result of
Armenia’s aggression against Azerbaijan that is still going on…

– Certainly. I agree with you. Speaking of the security architecture
of the Caucasus I did not mean that at present it is ideal. Of course,
security architecture was destroyed because of a number of reasons,
including Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict. There are a number of unsolved
problems in the South Caucasus. I think we should strengthen our
efforts to solve these problems. It is impossible to establish
transparent, stable security architecture in the Caucasus unless
these problems are solved fully. I am glad that Armenia and Azerbaijan
continue negotiations on the settlement of Nagorno Karabakh conflict.

Unfortunately, the process of settlement is going slowly, but it
should be noted that there are promising signs in this process.

RA NA PRESIDENT HOVIK ABRAHAMYAN RECEIVES THE AMBASSADOR OF KOREA

National Assembly of RA
Nov 26 2009
Armenia

On November 26, President of the National Assembly Mr. Hovik Abrahamyan
received Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the Republic
of Korea to Armenia Mr. Le Kyu-Hyung (residence in Moscow).

During the meeting the sides discussed in detail the issues connected
with the upcoming official visit to the Republic of Korea of the
RA NA President from December 2 to December 6 of this year. Taking
into account the circumstance that it will be the visit of the first
Armenian high-ranking official to the Republic of Korea during the
recent period, the interlocutors expressed confidence that it will
promote the development of the bilateral cooperation. In that context
they especially highlighted the expansion of the trade-economic
cooperation, for which they considered necessary the encouragement
of the contacts between the businessmen of the two countries.

Mr. Abrahamyan noted that despite the distance dividing Armenia and
Korea, the visit gives opportunity to more strengthen the relations
between the two peoples resembling each other with their history and
spiritual image. The Head of the Armenian Parliament also highlighted
the implementation of the programmes of the exchange of experience
with the Parliament of the Republic of Korea.

HAYASTAN ALL-ARMENIAN FUND’S TELETHON IN LOS ANGELES RAISES $16 MILLION

ARKA
Nov 27, 2009

YEREVAN, November 27. /ARKA/. About $16 million were donated and
pledged in the course of the telethon Hayastan All-Armenian Fund held
Thursday in Los Angeles, the press office of the fund reports.

The raised money will be spent for recovering social and economic
infrastructures, such as water pipelines, schools and roads, in
Shushi, Karabakh.

Along with that, rural communities in Armenia and Karabakh will
be developed.

According to the press release, 5,290,000 U.S. dollars of the mentioned
amount have been pledged at the benevolent supper held in Moscow
ahead of the telethon.

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan and Russian entrepreneurs of Armenian
descent were present there.

Another $1.8 million of the total amount has been raised during
European phonethon.

Hayastan All-Armenian Fund was established in 1992.

The fund implements national projects and develop Armenia and Nagorno
Karabakh’s infrastructures.

The president-headed council of the fund’s trustees is made up of
prominent representatives of Armenian communities worldwide.

AZERBAIJAN FM: ARMENIAN’S FUNDRAISING ACTIONS SHOW THEIR OCCUPATION POLICY OVER AGAIN

APA
Nov 27 2009
Azerbaijan

Baku. Lachin Sultanova – APA. "It is not the first time that
Armenians do this. Such step taken by Armenians expose their policy
of occupation," Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry’s spokesman Elkhan
Polukhov told APA, commenting on Armenian’s telethon in the United
States to raise funds for the alleged restoration of Shusha, the
illegally occupied land of Azerbaijan.

According to him, after all the lands occupied by Armenia are
liberated, and Azeri and Armenian communities return to the homeland to
live in peace, the Government of Azerbaijan will carry out restoration
and rebuilding activities there and raise the standard of living in
Nagorno Karabakh to the level of living in Azerbaijan.

"With such actions, Armenians will not be able to really improve the
living conditions of the Armenian community there," he added.

Shusha is a town in Nagorno Karabakh, an internationally recognized
territory of Azerbaijan, illegally occupied by Armenians amid the
chaos after the fall of the Soviet Union.

IRAN TESTS NEW MISSILE

PanARMENIAN.Net
27.11.2009 20:47 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Iranian Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi announced the
country had successfully tested its Shaheen medium-range ballistic
missile as well as TOR-M1 air defense missile systems, MIGnews.com
reported.

MONTE MELKONYAN COULD HAVE BECOME 52 YESTERDAY

PanARMENIAN.Net
26.11.2009 19:00 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Hero of Karabakh war Monte Melkonyan (Avo) could have
celebrated his 52nd birthday on November 25. On that occasion, Martuni
regional center hosted events attended by NKR President Bako Sahakyan,
as well as commander’s companions-in-arms and inhabitants of Martuni.

Monte Melkonyan was born on November 25, 1957 in Varselia (a town
not far from Frezno), California. In 1969, his family moved to Spain.

After leaving school, Monte left for Turkey to see his ancestors’
lands. Later he moved to Lebanon. Upon his return to United States,
Monte entered Berkley Universit, to specialize in archaeology and
Asian history. After internship in Japan he worked as a teacher in the
Armenian schools of Iran and Lebanon (beginning 1957). Monte Melkonyan
knew 7 languages, and had the degree of Associate Professor of History.

In the 1970s, Monte Melkonyan took part in Lebanese Civil war. In
spring 1980, he joined ASALA. Monte planned and organized the seizure
of Turkish Embassy in France (known as Van operation) and several
other operations against Turkish representative offices in European
states. While ASALA member, he took part in the assassinations of
several Turkish diplomats in Europe during the early to mid-1980s
and was later arrested and sent to prison in France. In 1989, he
was released and in the following year, acquired a visa to travel
to Armenia.

Throughout his tenure, Melkonian carried several different aliases
including "Abu Sindi", "Saro", "Timothy Sean McCormack" and "Commander
Avo"; the last of which was the name addressed by troops under his
command in Nagorno-Karabakh.

One of the outstanding, talented and experienced commanders, Monte
Melkonyan died in strange circumstances on June 12 1993 in Marzilu
village. He is revered by Armenians as a national hero.

YOUTH HOLDS RALLY AGAINST GEORGIAN ACTIONS

Aysor
Nov 24 2009
Armenia

Members of Ararat Youth Union of Armenian Apostolic Church and dozens
of other students gathered today in front of Georgian Embassy in
Armenian capital city to hold rally against anti-Armenian policy.

In particular, the demonstrates claim for legal status for Armenian
Church in Georgia, return Armenian Churches, save and hold in respect
Armenian cultural heritage. The protesters carry posters reading
‘Javakhk is my homeland’, ‘Say no to indifference’, ‘Return our
churches’, ‘Georgians, you are Christian’, Aysor’s correspondent
reported.

These actions and protests rise from last developing in Georgia when
Armenian St. Gevorg Church of the 13th century, as people called it
‘Mugnetsots’, ruined on November 19. All requests and claims voiced
before by Armenian Catholicosat in address to Georgian government
and Georgian Patriarchy, remained unanswered.

Youth delegation headed by Father Hakob Khachatryan stepped into
Georgian Embassy, Aysor’s correspondent reports.

ARMENIA-TURKEY PROTOCOLS DISCUSSED IN RA CC

news.am
Nov 24 2009
Armenia

RA President Serzh Sargsyan introduced Armenia-Turkey Protocols
signed October 10 in Zurich on establishment of bilateral relations
with Turkey to RA Constitutional Court.

The Protocols were submitted on November 19, Constitutional Court
press secretary Hovhannes Papikyan informed NEWS.am. Presently,
they are being studied by CC Judge Vladimir Hovhannisyan, who will
introduce the Protocols and his conclusions to CC President Gagik
Harutyunyan within 15 days. "The latter will call a session to set
a date of Constitutional Court sitting, the Protocols discussion
procedure and the respondent," said Papikyan.

SERZH SARGSYAN SHOULDN’T HAVE PARTICIPATED IN MUNICH NEGOTIATIONS: VAHAN HOVHANNISYAN

Tert
Nov 24 2009
Armenia

The statement made by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev before
Sunday’s meeting in Munich was not from a series of simple statements,
it was a threat in the manner of an ultimatum, after which Armenian
President Serzh Sargsyan should have made the only correct step; that
is, not to have gone and participated in the negotiations in Munich.

This opinion was expressed by Armenian Revolutionary Federation
(Dashnaktsutyun, or ARF-D) bureau member, ARF-D parliamentary faction
leader Vahan Hovhannisyan during a press conference today. He is
sure that everything is done today for Armenia to make concessions
on Nagorno-Karabakh so that Turkey’s parliament ratifies the
Armenia-Turkey Protocols.

After Aliyev’s bellicose statements, Hovhannisyan thinks, the
clauses which are advantageous for the Armenian side in the
Meindorf Declaration are devalued. According to the declaration,
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict should be settled without war. Moreover,
the ARF-D MP also considered dangerous Meindorf Declaration "author"
Russia’s role in the processes of Armenia-Turkey reconciliation and
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement.

As an aside, Hovhannisyan noted that in his opinion, passing the
Armenian Genocide resolution in the US Congress will have a very
positive influence on the Armenian-Turkish process, but whether it
will be passed or not the ARF-D member can’t predict.