Author: Kanayan Tamar

TOURISM DEVELOPMENT IN ARMENIA TO FLUSH POPULATION INCOME

PanArmenian, Armenia
April 16 2009

World economic crisis has affected tourism development in Armenia,
said Mekhak Apresyan, Head of Tourism and Regional Development Division
at Ministry of Economy. According to international statistical data,
recession in 2009 will be 0%-1%. "Tourism development in Armenia will
flush population income, create new job opportunities and contribute
to economy in general," Apresyan said adding that 60-70 thousand
out of 580 thousand visitors in 2008 were not ethnic Armenians. The
Armenian government approved an AMD200 million tourism development
program for 2009. 510 thousand tourists visited Armenia in 2007,
558.4 thousand in 2008. "Thanks to the current program, the figure
is expected to reach 650 thousand," Apresyan said.

SARKISIAN HOPES FOR OPENING OF BORDER WITH TURKEY BY OCT.

AzerNews Weekly
April 15 2009
Azerbaijan

Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian has expressed hope that the
Turkey-Armenia border would be re-opened by the time a soccer match
is played between the two countries` national teams, scheduled for
October 7.

He was replying to a question of the Russian RTR TV channel`s Vesti
(News) program concerning the possibility that the border would
be re-opened.

Sarkisian recalled that he had invited Turkish President Abdullah
Gul to Yerevan last year and that Ankara had accepted the invitation.

"We have covered a challenging but, I think, useful path of
negotiations and we are already drawing to their conclusion. And I hope
that when I go to watch the return match of the Turkish and Armenian
teams, the border might be already open. That, if I am not mistaken,
will happen on October 7."

Turkey closed its border with Armenia in 1993 due to its occupation of
Azerbaijani territories and its claims regarding the alleged World
War I-era genocide. Yerevan has also leveled territorial claims
against Turkey. However, there have been signs of normalization
in Ankara-Yerevan ties in recent years. The two countries` leaders
attended a 2010 World Cup qualifying soccer match together in Yerevan
in September 2008 when Abdullah Gul became the first Turkish president
to visit Armenia. At that time Gul invited his Armenian counterpart
to Istanbul for a return game.

Sarkisian also delved into history in his interview, claiming that
Armenians and Turks share a common historical past. He also went on
to assert the claims concerning the alleged genocide in the Ottoman
Empire.

"There is not a single Armenian in the world who would question the
fact of genocide," Sarkisian maintained. "Everyone is convinced of
that. But the Turks and the Turkish state deny this. But despite this,
we have offered the Turks to establish diplomatic ties without any
preconditions, open up the roads and then set up an inter-governmental
commission that would be able to discuss various issues."

Yerevan has remained cold to Ankara`s repeated proposals to establish
a joint commission of historians to study the events of 1915.

Meanwhile, Baku commented on the possible opening of the
Turkish-Armenian border. Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign Minister Araz
Azimov said the measure would, in fact, harm the process of settling
the Armenia-Azerbaijan Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh conflict.

"We believe that since Turkey shut the border with Armenia due to the
occupation of Azerbaijani territories [by Armenian armed forces], this
factor should play a key role in the opening of the border, i.e. the
border could open up only after the previously-made conditions are
met," Azimov told journalists.

The media has maintained that the Turkish-Armenian border would be
re-opened soon. The news has sparked an outcry in Azerbaijan, which
has endured the occupation by Armenia.

The deputy minister noted that the border opening issue could be
considered only in the context of reaching a permanent solution to
the Garabagh conflict.

"We would be ready to discuss this issue at a certain stage of
negotiations. But discussing the border opening out of context
contradicts Azerbaijan`s interests," Azimov said.

He emphasized that even if the Turkish-Armenian border opens,
Azerbaijan would not turn into an isolated country in the
region. "Azerbaijan can never become an abandoned state, as all
projects in the region stem from Azerbaijan."

Azimov said the process of resolving the Garabagh problem would be
carried out in stages. The country`s ultimate goal is to fully ensure
its territorial integrity.

"Azerbaijanis and Armenians in Upper Garabagh should live as good
neighbors. This aim cannot be reached overnight, therefore, we have
to move forward step by step to accomplish that."

Azerbaijan and Armenia fought a lengthy war that ended with the signing
of a cease-fire in 1994, but Armenia continues to occupy Upper Garabagh
and seven other Azerbaijani districts in defiance of international
law. Peace talks have not yet resulted in resolving the conflict.

Azimov said the liberation of the occupied districts is to be carried
out stage by stage as well, given that this is an extremely complicated
process both from the technical and military standpoints.

The deputy minister said peace talks are currently underway as part
of separate meetings in Azerbaijan and Armenia being held with the
mediation of the Russian, US and French co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk
Group.

"So to speak, a visit diplomacy is being pursued by the co-chairs. The
mediators are currently trying to foster agreement regarding basic
principles of the conflict resolution. After this agreement is
reached, the process of drafting a more comprehensive peace accord
will be started."

Further, Azimov said an agreement on holding the next meeting of the
Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents in May has not yet been reached,
adding that these meetings are being arranged at the urging of the
two presidents.

The diplomat stressed that the principles on stationing peacekeepers
in the Azerbaijani territories to be freed from Armenian occupation
had been agreed upon beforehand. Additionally, the countries agreed
that the armed forces of the Minsk Group co-chairing countries would
not be involved in peacekeeping operations.

Azimov said that immediately enforcing all of Azerbaijan`s rights in
the territories to be liberated would not be possible. The conflict
zone will have to undergo certain demilitarization. After Armenian
troops withdraw from the area, only forces in charge of ensuring
security will be stationed there, as it will be necessary to provide
for the safety of those Azerbaijanis displaced during the war in the
early 1990s and now returning to their homes.

WHAT DO EUROPEANS THINK?

A1+
07:40 pm | April 14, 2009

Politics

Turkey and Armenia should seize their best opportunity yet to normalise
relations, work on a new approach to shared history and open a European
border that for nearly a century has been hostage to conflict.

Turkey and Armenia: Opening Minds, Opening Borders,* the latest
report from the International Crisis Group, examines how a decade
of academic and civil society outreach laid the foundations for what
is now intense official engagement between the governments. The two
sides are now close to agreement on a package deal that will establish
diplomatic relations, open the border and set up bilateral commissions
to address a range of issues.

These commissions will include one on joint historical dimension
of the Armenian-Turkish relationship, which will work to broaden
understanding of the Ottoman-era forced relocations and massacres of
Armenians, widely recognised as the Armenian genocide. Turkey contests
the term genocide, disputing its legal applicability and pointing to
mitigating circumstances as the Ottoman Empire fought on three fronts
in the First World War. But many Turks, including officials, now
publicly express regret over the tragic and high loss of Armenian life.

" Turks’ and Armenians’ once uncompromising views of history are
significantly converging, showing that the deep traumas can be
healed", says Hugh Pope, director of Crisis Group’s Turkey/Cyprus
Project. "At this sensitive time, third parties should avoid statements
or resolutions in the politicised debate over genocide recognition
or denial that could inflame opinion on either side".

A separate but related issue, the stalemated Armenia-Azerbaijan
conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh, still risks undermining final agreement
on the Turkey and Armenia normalisation package. Azerbaijan opposes any
border opening until Armenia withdraws from its occupied territory. But
Turkey should not sacrifice this chance to move forward, and should
persuade its ally that detente which makes Armenia feel secure will
do more for a settlement than continuing a fifteen-year impasse. For
long-term normalisation with Turkey to be sustainable, Armenia,
together with Azerbaijan, should ultimately adopt the Organisation for
Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group basic principles
for settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict of the OSCE, and
Armenia should withdraw from Azerbaijani territories that it occupies.

"Turkey and Armenia should finalise their agreement and thus create
new momentum for peace and cooperation in the South Caucasus", says
Sabine Freizer, Crisis Group’s Europe Program Director. "They should
not wait until the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is settled. But outside
powers such as the U.S., EU, Russia and others should build on their
rare common interest to move both Turkish-Armenian normalisation and
the Nagorno-Karabakh process forward".

TURKEY ATTEMPTED TO STIFLE GENOCIDE RECOGNITION BY SOUTH AUSTRALIA

41414_4/13/2009_1
Monday, April 13, 2009

ADELAIDE, Australia–Turkey’s Ambassador to Australia has attempted
to prevent Australian lawmakers from recognizing as genocide the
organized annihilation of 1.5 million Armenians and 350,000 Greeks
during World War I, the Weekend Australian revealed on Saturday.

The newspaper on Saturday reported of the attempts made by the Turkish
Ambassador, Murat Ersavci, to block the government of South Australia
from passing a motion recognizing the Armenian, Assyrian and Greek
Genocides.

The measure also acknowledged the role of the Armenian Relief Fund
of Australia, which provided immediate humanitarian relief to the
victims and survivors of the genocide.

On March 25th, South Australia became the second Australian state
(after New South Wales in 1997) to recognize the Armenian Genocide
when its Parliament’s Legislative Council passed a motion recognizing
the Armenian Genocide as "one of the greatest crimes against humanity".

The report revealed that upon Ersavci’s request, the Australian
Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Stephen Smith, "had written to
South Australian Premier Mike Rann outlining the federal Government’s
position ‘on these historical events’ in Turkey at the time the
remnants of the once mighty Ottoman Empire gave way to the new
republic".

"It is completely undemocratic that the ambassador of a foreign nation
forces our Foreign Affairs Minister to lobby the Premier of South
Australia," commented Armenian National Committee of Australia (ANC
Australia) President, Varant Meguerditchian. "Mr. Ersavci’s actions
are a direct attempt to gag our politicians from speaking truthfully
about our proud history."

ANC Australia has called upon the Australian Government to review
its official position, in light of eyewitness testimony from ANZAC
soldiers held captive in Turkey during WWI, and the overwhelming body
of evidence which demonstrates Australia’s involvement in providing
aid to the orphaned survivors of the Armenian Genocide,

"Australia can no longer avoid or stay silent on this issue when
it is so closely intertwined with Australia’s proud history,"
Meguerditchian said.

"We call on the Federal Government of Australia to remain resilient
in the face of foreign pressure and independently acknowledge the
common history of the Armenian and Australian nations," he said.

During the last days of the Ottoman Empire, the Government implemented
a policy of Genocide upon its Christian Armenian population. As a
result, up to 1.5million Armenian men, women and children lost their
lives between 1915 and 1922.

Adding weight to the importance of recognizing the Armenian Genocide is
the research conducted by the Australian Institute for Holocaust and
Genocide Studies that discovered records of Australia’s humanitarian
assistance to Armenians following the genocide and testimonies by
ANZAC soldiers to atrocities against the Armenians as they occurred.

INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION OF GENOCIDES AS A MEANS OF PREVENTION

armradio.am
14.04.2009 17:22

"Areg" Scientific-Cultural Youth Association with the support of
the UN Department of Public Information organized a round-table
discussion entitled "The International Recognition of Genocides as
a Means of Prevention".

The massacre of Armenians carried out by the Ottoman Turks became
a signal for the international community to prevent people from
such crimes; the term "genocide" was coined and circulated within
historical, political and legal framework, while on 9 December,
1948 the United Nations Organization adopted the "Convention on the
Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide" being convinced
that international cooperation for liberating humanity from that
terrible tragedy is an utmost necessity.

A little after the 60th anniversary of the Convention, throwing a
glance on the series of genocides we get persuaded that unpunished
crimes have the habit of being repeated. Thus, the Armenian Genocide
became a precedent for the Jewish Holocaust, the Rwanda Genocide and
other similar crimes, while its international recognition would have
probably put an end to this hideous crime against humanity.

The round-table speakers were the Head of the International
Organizations Department of MFA, Dziunik Aghajanyan, the Deputy
Director of the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute Suren Manukyan,
and the Officer-in-Charge of UN Department of Public Information
Armine Halajyan. They referred to the efforts of the Republic of
Armenia to get international recognition of the Armenian Genocide,
touched upon the struggle against denial, and the role of the UN in
preventing genocide.

During the discussion that followed the participants – representatives
of NGOs, mass media and students among them, expressed their
righteous resentment towards crimes against humanity and expressed
their solidarity with the victims of genocide. Indifference and
unwillingness to prevent give way to new crimes culminating in
genocides. Events should be named accordingly and the perpetrators
should be punished. The participants also mentioned that to accomplish
the above-mentioned cooperation of all nations is required. That is
the means to get away with genocide.

In these days the 15th Anniversary of Genocide in Rwanda is being
commemorated all around the world. On this occasion the UN Secretary
General said in his message: "… The United Nations continues
its vital work to avert future tragedies. We have intensified
our focus on conflict prevention, and built up our mediation
capacity. … Preventing genocide is a collective responsibility. Only
by meeting this challenge can we match the resolve of the survivors
and truly honour the memory of those who died in Rwanda 15 years ago."

Having in mind the above mentioned, and on the thresh old of the
upcoming Armenian Genocide anniversary it is quite appropriate to once
again bring the attention of the international community and especially
of youth on the inhuman phenomenon of genocide to UNDERSTAND, RECOGNIZE
and PREVENT it.

TRANSFERS FROM RUSSIA TO ARMENIA COMPRISED $ 919 MILLION IN 2008

PanARMENIAN.Net
13.04.2009 16:39 GMT+04:00

Volume of transfers from Russia via payment systems comprised $13, 7
billion in 2008, major part of which was transferred by gastarbeiters
from CIS countries. Recently demand for their services has been
decreasing, along with their profits and transfer volumes. Still
payment systems providers promise not to raise transfer tariffs.

Work migrants provide a major part of money traffic from Russia to CIS
countries. "From the beginning of 2000 the market of money transfers
was developing at high rates, showing annual increase of 25-30 35%. The
dynamics was explained by increasing difference in life standards and
economic growth between different CIS countries, forming 80% demand
in transfer segment. Main generators of work migrants outflow were
Moldova, Ukraine, Kirgizstan, Tajikistan, Armenia and Uzbekistan,"
UNIStream director Suren Hayiryan stated.

Money outflow from Russia contributed to many CIS countries
economy. According to WB data, migrants’ transfers comprise 45%
of Tajikistan GDP and 38% of Moldavia GDP.

According to WB data, Russia is ranked 5th in the list of leading
countries from where money transfers are effected, preceded by US,
Saudi Arabia, Switzerland and Germany. In migrant inflow ranking
Russia yields to USA only.

According to Bank of Russia, transfers from Russia to Armenia
comprised $ 919 million in 2008. "2008 was a record-breaking year
for transfers from Russia to Eastern Europe and CIS," Western Union
Regional Vice-President for Eastern Europe and CIS countries Jonathan
Knaus stated.

Over 90 % of total sums were transferred from CIS countries: Uzbekistan
– $2,9 billion, Tajikistan – $2,5 billion, Ukraine – $1,6 billion,
Azerbaijan – $825 million, Georgia – $804 million, Turkmenia –
$40 million

Foreign countries transfers from Russia comprised: China – $400
million, Turkey – 80 million.

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT IN IRAN

AZG DAILY
14-04-2009
Armenia – Iran

Armenian President Serzh Sargsian left for Iran yesterday evening. The
Armenian President is paying an official visit to Iran.

The discussions will embrace Armenian-Iranian bilateral programs and
regional issues.

PRESIDENT OF ARMENIA LEAVING FOR IRAN

armradio.am
13.04.2009 11:51

President Serzh Sargsyanis leaving for the Islamic Republic of Iran
today for a two-day official visit.

The delegation headed by the President of Armenia comprises the
Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Energy and Natural Resources, Transport
and Communications Diaspora Affairs, members of the National Assembly,
the Chairman of the Central Bank, and other officials, President’s
Press Office reported.

The President of Armenia will hold a private meeting with his
counterpart, the President of Iran Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The
negotiations will be also conducted in the extended format and a
number of documents will be signed.

In Tehran the President of Armenia will lay a wreath at the tomb
of the founder and leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran Ayatollah
Khomeini. He will also have a meeting with the Spiritual Leader of
Iran, Sayyed Ali Khamenei.

During his two-day visit to Iran the President of Armenia will meet
with Iran’s Majlis Speaker Ali Larijani and the Secretary of the
Iranian Supreme National Security Council, Saeed Jalily.

At the "Ararat" sport and cultural center President Serzh Sargsyan
will meet with representatives of the Iranian-Armenian community.

BARACK OBAMA MADE TELEPHONE CALL TO PRESIDENT ILHAM ALIYEV

RIA Oreanda
April 8 2009
Russia

Baku. OREANDA-NEWS . April 8, 2009. The two presidents had a frank
conversation during which they expressed satisfaction at the successful
development of the Azerbaijan-USA relations in various fields.

The two leaders also discussed settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan
conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh, power industry cooperation and
regional security.

Barack Obama informed the Azerbaijani leader about steps taken by
the United States concerning the Turkey-Armenia relations.

President Ilham Aliyev brought the Azerbaijani state s position on
the issue to the US President s attention.

During the phone talk the two presidents also had an exchange of
views on a range of other issues of mutual interest.

Allahshukur Pashazadeh addresses the head of Turkey’s office of
religious affairs

09 Apr 2009 17:50

Baku. Kamala Guliyeva-APA. Chairman of Caucasian Muslims Office
Sheikh-al-Islam Allahshukur Pashazadeh addressed the head of Turkey’s
Office of Religious Affairs Ali Bardakoglu, APA reports. `Recent
reports on the opening of Turkey-Armenia borders and restoration of
diplomatic relations between the two countries deeply concern the
Azerbaijani Muslims. The question is about the issue, which could have
decisive impact on the solution to Karabakh conflict, the vitally
important issue for every Azerbaijani Muslim. We have to express our
resolute and univocal position. Azerbaijan was proud of Turkey’s
actions 16 years ago to close borders with Armenia in a protest
against false `genocide’ claims and occupation of Karabakh by Armenia,
but now probability of the opening of borders makes Azerbaijan
regretful and aggrieved’.

Azerbaijan-Turkey friendship based not only on the diplomatic
relations, but on the unity of historic roots, religions, languages,
said Pashazadeh. The Azerbaijani People calls on Turkey, the leading
country of the Islamic world, historic defender of the Islamic values,
not to make such action and to continue its mission to be pride of
Turkic-Islamic world. `Our holy religion suggest to punish oppressor
and to struggle until the victory of justice. The Azerbaijani Muslims
believe that Azerbaijan and Turkey will defeat the oppression and
injustice together, to force the enemy to leave its accursed claims
and to end the occupation. Otherwise assisting the oppressors to avoid
the punishment will lead them to other crimes’.