Author: Kanayan Tamar

WAR IS ALWAYS POSSIBLE IF THERE IS LARGE-SCALE CRISIS IN REGION, RUSSIAN POLITICAL SCIENTIST CLAIMS

NOYAN TAPAN

Ju ne 11, 2008

YEREVAN, JUNE 11, NOYAN TAPAN. "Progress cannot be meant in
the regulation of the Nagorno Karabakh issue." This opinion was
expressed by political scientist Sergey Markedonov during the June
11 Yerevan-Baku-Moscow TV bridge in the "Novosti" international press
center. According to him, the fact that Armenian-Azeri border incidents
have increased recently speaks about that.

Asim Moladze, an MP of the Milli Majlis, the Chairman of the Democratic
Reforms Party of Azerbaijan and another participant of the TV bridge
dedicated to the results of the meeting held in Petersburg between
Serge Sargsian, the President of Armenia, and Ilham Aliev, the
President of Azerbaijan, characterized that meeting to be of cognitive
nature and the negotiation an imitation. However, according to him,
any bad peace is better than war and not the creation of a new state
but the possibility of self-government should be meant.

Opposing the claim of Shavarsh Kocharian, the Chairman of the National
Democratic Party, according to which it is impossible to expect
anything with regard to this issue as far as Karabakh is not a party
of the negotiations, historian Eldar Ismaylov mentioned that there is
no need to include Karabakh as a party in the process as political
figures of Karabakh origin from Armenia take part, in particular,
RA President Serge Sargsian is meant.

In response to the question of an Azeri journalist of why Karabakh is
not for the highest level of self-government like that of Tatarstan
making part of Russia, Russian political scientist Markedonov mentioned
that it is a quite different format: there was no three-year war
between Tatarstan and Russia like between Karabakh and Azerbaijan,
Tatarstan has not declared about coming out of Russia’s structure, to
name but a few. In response to the question of an Armenian journalist
of how likely is the restart of military actions, the political
scientist said that war is always possible if there is a large-scale
crisis in the region. In response to the question of whether the
Madrid principles of the Karabakh regulation can serve as basis for
regulation, S. Markedonov mentioned that "there are many raw places"
in the suggestions, the demand of societies for making copromises
should serve as basis for regulation.

The viewpoints of Armenian and Russian experts often brought forth
revolts of Azeri side. Political scientist Alexander Iskandarian
mentioned that the fact that even experts speak to each other with
cudgels speaks about the current state of the regulation process,
whereas it is necessary that there should be a struggle of viewpoints
and not a struggle according to national belonging.

ARMENIAN CONVERSEBANK HOLDS DRAWING AMONG ITS DEPOSITORS

ARKA
June 10, 2008

YEREVAN, June 10. /ARKA/. Armenian Conversebank has held a drawing
among the holders of the "Zartonk" fixed-term deposit accounts. The
first prize in the drawing held June 6-7 was a tour to Prague for
two people, in addition to forty pieces of consumer electronics as
secondary prizes.

The campaign on "Zartonk" fixed-term deposits was held from March 24
to May 31, 2008. Deposits were made both in Armenian drams and in US
dollars. The minimum size of the deposited sum was 150,000 drams or
500 US dollars, the deposit term ranging from six to 12 months. The
campaign attracted 2bln drams from 600 depositors with 42.6% of them
described by the bank as first-time customers.

The Conversebank closed joint-stock company was registered on December
20, 1993. Armenian-Argentinean businessman Eduardo Eurnekyan acquired
ownership of the bank in February 2007.

According to the data of March 31, 2008, the bank’s assets totalled
56.2bln drams, with the total capital estimated at 11.6bln drams,
net profit in the first quarter 2008 at 682.4mln drams and for the
year of 2007 at 1.4bln drams. The balance sheet profit on the bank’s
account was 7.8bln drams, as the March 31 data suggest. ($1 -306.94
drams).

CANADIAN HISTORIAN REFUTED AZERBAIJAN’S ACCUSATIONS AGAINST ARMENIAN PARTY

DeFacto Agency
June 10 2008
Armenia

YEREVAN, 10.06.08. DE FACTO. "There is no evidence that the Armenians
of Nagorno-Karabagh committed "genocide against Meskhetian Turks
of Khojaly," said Canadian military historian Patrick Wilson Gore,
during the launch of his latest book "Tis Some Poor Fellow’s Skull –
Post-Soviet Warfare in the Southern Caucasus" at the embassy of the
Republic of Armenia in Ottawa, an independent French journalist Jean
Eckian told DE FACTO.

The Canadian expert stated that for 70 years Armenians of
Nagorno-Karabagh had been treated as second-class citizens under
Azeri rule. The treatment of Armenians by Azeris was a classic case of
ethnic cleansing. After the Soumgait and Baku massacres of Armenians
in the early 1990s, the Armenians were forced to fight to defend
their families and their lives.

In regard to the Khojaly incident, Gore said "Azeri troops ran
faster than the Meskhetian Turk civilians they had been using as
human shields". Upon their retreat to Agdam, civilians of Khojaly
were fired upon by the Azeri OMON garrison of Agdam, mistaking them
for Armenian forces. He said that a day before the start of Khojaly
battle, the Azeri forces had executed 32 Armenian prisoners of war.

Regarding the ongoing Azeri government threats of resumption of war
to take Nagorno-Karabagh, Gore said that "peace is for the benefit
of both sides". It is true that the Azeri government is getting
emboldened with its new-found oil wealth, but the Aliyev government
has to "consider that their oil and gas pipelines run 30 km north
of Nagorno-Karabagh, and Azeris have invested heavily in their Baku
facilities." Gore questioned whether Azeris wanted to jeopardize
their vital pipelines and "risk their money sources."

To note, the author of the 139-page book is a Canadian specialist in
military history and theory. He studied at Oxford, and subsequently
graduated from the National Defense College at Kingston, one of NATO’s
senior command colleges. Much of his career has focused on strategic
intelligence. This is his eleventh book. He used to be paratrooper
and marine commando.

The gathering was co-sponsored by the Armenian Embassy and the Armenian
National Committee of Canada (ANCC).

INTERNATIONAL SEMINAR ON MARKETING AND POSTAL COMMUNICATION LAUNCHED TUESDAY IN YEREVAN

ARKA
June 10, 2008

YEREVAN, June 10. /ARKA/. The international seminar focused on
development of marketing and postal communication was launched on
Tuesday in Yerevan.

Armenian Deputy Transport and Communication Minister Vruyr Arakelyan
told journalists that A regular meeting of representatives of CIS
countries’ postal authorities will be held. The meeting will last
until June 12.

Regional Commonwealth in the Field of Communication convenes its 27th
session and the postal operators of the Commonwealth will gather as
well for their 16 session.

Arakelyan said that participants of the conference will discuss postal
sector’s achievements and consider ways of developing marketing as
instrument for developing postal business.

They will also discuss the issues related to preparation for 24th
Congress of Universal Postal Union, which will be held in Geneva from
July 23 to August 12.

Hay Post (Armenian Post) Director General Hans Boon said that such
seminars and joint sessions help postal companies in their efforts
to modernize services.

He views them as a good chance to establish cooperation and know the
experience of overseas partners.

The seminar has been organized by Regional Commonwealth in the Field
of Communication and HayPost, Armenian postal operator.

Postal operators from Armenia, Georgia, Russia, Belarus, Ukraine,
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia as well as Great Britain, Finland and
France are taking part in the seminar.

HULIQ (press release), NC
June 6 2008

All Banks of Armenia in CIS Top 1000 List

All of the banks from Armenia are included in the list of top 1000
CIS banks, according to the volume of assets: a successful step by
Armenia that aims to make the country top financial center in the near
future bridging between Middle Eastern and European financial centers.

Following the results of 2007, all Armenian banks were included in the
list of 1000 CIS banks, according to the volume of assets.

Mediamax reports that the list of 1000 banks of CIS as to the volume
of assets is composed by the `Interfax-CEA’ Agency.

`HSBC Bank Armenia’ occupied the 272nd place in the list, assets –
$343mln.

Then come:

`Ardshininvestbank’ occupied the 294th place, assets – $308,1mln;
`ACBA-Credit Agricole Bank’ – 330th place, assets – $263,7mln;
`VTB-Armenia Bank’ – 364th place, assets – $230,1mln;
`Converse Bank’ – 408th place, assets – $192,9mln;
`Armeconombank’ – 458th place, assets – $165,6mln;
`Unibank’ – 488th place, assets – $149,7mln;
`Inecobank’ – 564th place, assets – $117,5mln;
`Armbusinessbank’ – 585th place, assets – $108,9mln;
`Anelik Bank’ – 601st place, assets – $105,5mln;
`ARARATBANK’ – 648th place, assets -$91,1mln;
`Artsakhbank’ – 734th place, assets – $73,3mln;
`Armswissbank’ – 743rd place, assets – $71,1mln;
`Areximbank’ – 757th place, assets – $ 68,4mln;
`BTA-Invest Bank’ – 813th place, assets – $58,7mln;
`Armenian Development Bank’ – 903rd place, assets – $45,9mln;
`Prometey Bank’ – 908th place, assets – $44,0mln;
`Mellat Bank’ – 923rd place, assets – $37,1mln;
`Cascade Bank’ – 926th place, assets – $36,0mln;
`Armimpexbank’ – 935th place, assets – $33,2mln;
`ProCredit Bank’ – 960th place, assets – $21,9mln;
`Byblos Bank Armenia’ – 965th place, assets – $19,3mln.

Source: By Mediamax

Final Results of Armenian-Azerbaijani Presidential Meeting Important
for Armenia

YEREVAN, June 6. /ARKA/. The final results of the Armenian-Azerbaijani
presidential meetings are more important for Armenia that the meetings
themselves, Armen Ashotyan, Board member, Republican Party of Armenia
(RPA), stated at the Novosti international press center.

`This is the first meting of the Presidents, and I hope that it will at
least be partly positive. However, it is the final result, not the fact
of the meeting, that is more important for us,’ Ashotyan said.

The Armenian and Azerbaijani Presidents, Serge Sargsyan and Ilkham
Aliyev, held a meeting in Saint Petersburg, Russia, on Friday. The
sides pointed out that the meeting was a constructive one.

Since 1992, negotiations for the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict have been conducted within the OSCE Minsk Group co-chaired by
the USA, Russia and France.-0-

Interfax News Agency, Russia
June 5 2008

Karabakh problem must be peacefully resolved at OSCE Minsk Group – EU

YEREVAN June 5

Any violation of the ceasefire on the Armenian-Azerbaijani line of
contact is unacceptable, Deputy Director General of the European
Commission Directorate General for External Relations Hugues
Mingarelli said in Yerevan on Thursday.

Such violations disturbed the peace in border zones and thwarted
earlier accords, he said.

The Karabakh conflict must be resolved peacefully at negotiations
within the OSCE (Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe)

Minsk Group, Mingarelli said. The European Union insists on that
settlement format, as a EU member country is part of the Minsk Group,
he said.

The Group includes Russia, the United States and France. According to
the Armenian and Azeri defense ministries, violations of the ceasefire
announced in 1994 have grown more frequent recently.

MUBARIZ AHMEDOGHLU: "ARMENIA IS RUSSIA’S BREAK LEVER IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF AZERBAIJAN AND GEORGIA"

Today.Az
olitics/45476.html
June 5 2008
Azerbaijan

Russia controls the South Caucasus region by means of Armenia, said
chief of the center for political innovations and technologies Mubariz
Ahmedoghlu at a press conference today.

He noted that such comments are made by heads of leading mass medias
of Russia and there can be nothing more humiliating for any state,
in this case for Armenia.

"It means that Armenia is a break lever for Russia in the development
of the South Caucasus region-Azerbaijan and Georgia. If Russia’s
relations with Georgia are worsening, the relations between Armenia
and Georgia are becoming tense as well", said Ahmedoghlu.

According to the political scientist, Azerbaijan should be more
attentive about the events, ongoing between Georgia and Russia as
the latter has already initiated execution of plans of annexation of
Georgian territories-Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

"Russia does not intend to recognize independence of separatist
republics Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Official Moscow has already
started implementation of a plan for annexation of these lands to
Russia. How else can we explain the deployment of Russia railway
troops in Abkhazia.

This is made in the framework of the preparations for Olympic games in
Sochi, Russia will hold. In other words, Russia perceives Abkhazia as
its territory and uses these territory as it wills", said Ahmedoghlu.

SERGEY MARKEDONOV: "WE WILL NOT MAKE IT UP WITH ARMENIANS FOR YOU"

Today.Az
ics/45460.html
June 5 2008
Azerbaijan

Day.Az interview with Sergey Markedonov, famous Russian political
scientist, chief of department for international relations of the
Institute for Political and Military Analysis.

– What do you think about the meeting of Presidents of Armenia and
Azerbaijan to be held in Saint-Petersburg?

– The forthcoming meeting of the two president will be of psychological
nature. Serzh Sarkissyan has just won the presidential elections. The
meeting was also prepared by newly appointed Foreign Minister Edward
Nalbandyan. It should be taken into account that the meeting of the
two Presidents will be held on the background of the recent undesired
events, evidencing, sharp worsening of bilateral relations between
Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Here, we can recall the large armed clash of March 5 of 2008 on the
contact front line, fixed since the moment of ceasefire agreement
signing, discussion of the Karabakh problem in the UN General
Assembly, declaration of the Armenian parliament about the need for
closer cooperation between Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh, which means
a period of tough counteraction between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

– What is expected from the meeting of the presidents?

– Perhaps, there are expectations that "a new leader may turn
out to be more compliant"? Each new leader also wants to attain a
breakthrough. This can also be applied to Dmitri Medvedev in Russia
and Serzh Sarkissyan in Armenia. At the same time, both Medvedev and
Sarkissyan are only formal newcomers. Armenian President has serious
political experience. He has been the defense Minister and the Prime
Minister. Sarkissyan is biographically connected with Nagorno Karabakh,
where he started his career.

As for the Russian President, he is a member of Vladimir Putin’s team,
who has not left the politics and continues to influence the Kremlin’s
external policy.

I do not think that a breakthrough will be attained during the
meeting in Saint Petersburg. The meeting is more likely to be
accompanied by information war, high expectations and similarly high
disappoinment. The circle of positions will be repeated.

– Why?

– Because the positions of the parties are mutually exclusive. For
Azerbaijan this is primarily Armenia’s aggression and for Armenia is
the fight of Nagorno Karabakh people for self-determination. These
factors do not give hope for any serious breakthrough in the
negotiation process.

Anyway, a meeting of the presidents is better than hostilities. But
one should not expect a breathrough during the meeting.

– Doesn’t the newly elected president of Russia, who undertook to
arrange the meeting of the two Presidents of the conflicting countries,
attempt to demonstrate Moscow’s role to settle frozen conflicts on
the post-Soviet area.

– Kremlin’s role in the Caucasus region has not been defined by the
election of Dmitri Medvedev as president. Russia’s role in this region
started to grow under Yeltsin. Ceasefire in Nagorno Karabakh conflict
was attained owing to the Russian diplomacy.

Vladimir Putin has also been active in this direction. Former Defense
Minister Sergey Ivanov, being in Baku twice, spoke of deployment
of Russian peacekeeping forces in the conflict area. Last year the
meeting of Presidents Ilham Aliyev and Robert Kocharyan was held in
Saint Petersbug on the same day during the informal summit of the CIS.

As is seen, Moscow’s active participation in the settlement of
Nagorno Karabakh conflict started long before Medvedev was elected a
Presidemt. Russia is also partially a Caucasus state. Most processes,
related to Nagorno Karabakh, may affect the security of Moscow
itself. Both Armenians and Azerbaijanis are among top ten large ethnic
communities of Russia. Therefore, Moscow’s interest is understandable.

The Kremlin, as a USSR successor, also bears responsibility for
political security on the post-Soviet area. I do not think that this
is exclusively Dmitri Medvedev’s PR campaign.

Russian can not limit its activity by the OSCE Minsk Group
framework. Moscow tries to take the peacekeeping position.

– Do you agree that the key to the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement
is in the Kremlin?

– No, I do not. The key to it is in Washington, Brussels, the United
Nations and in Nagorno Karabakh, like in Transdniestria, Abkhazia
and South Ossetia. Until the sides are ready for minimal compromise,
external attempts will not be successful. External attempts could be
more active and effective.

Anyway, everything depends on the sides. We will not make it up with
Armenians for you.

GEORGES DER PARTHOGH PASSED AWAY

AZG Armenian Daily
04/06/2008

Georges Karnig der Parthogh (1923 – 2008)

Georges der Parthogh, veteran journalist, international news
photographer and a leading member of the Armenian community, died in
Nicosia on Monday.

He was 84.

Born in Harar, Ethiopia on December 18, 1923, Georges came to Cyprus
with his family in 1935. He attended the English School in Nicosia
after which he served with the Air Ministry. He later joined the
Times of Cyprus where he worked from 1955 to 1959 and where he met
Lana Matoff, whom he married in 1960.

Georges’ career as an international correspondent saw him working
for Reuters (1959-1963) and United Press International (1963-1979)
covering wars and civil commotion in Cyprus, Malta, Middle East,
Iran and East Africa.

In 1979 he co-founded The Cyprus Weekly with fellow journalists
Andreas Hadjipapas and Alex Efthyvoulou.

Also, since 1989 he was a special correspondent for Azg newspaper in
Yerevan and the Armenian Mirror-Spectator in Boston.

During the catastrophic earthquake in Armenia and the war of liberation
of Nagorno Karabakh, Georges led several humanitarian aid delegations,
for which he was awarded the Nagorno Karabakh Gold Medal. He was
granted an honorary citizenship of the Republic of Armenia and
received the Golden Pen Award of the Union of Armenian Journalists
for his 50-year career as a journalist, as well as the Intercollege
Media Institute Award as a prominent journalist and photoreporter. He
actively supported photography at home and abroad, encouraged young
photographers and received several awards as a member of the Cyprus
Photographic Society and continued judging competitions until recently.

He served his community as spokesman to two Armenian Representatives,
a member of the Board of Governors of the Melkonian Educational
Institute and as Past President of the Lions Club Nicosia Cosmopolitan.

He had two sons and two granddaughters.

FUNERAL

Georges Karnig der Parthogh

Born 18 December 1923 in Harar, Ethiopia

Died 2 June 2008 in Nicosia

The funeral will take place at the Sourp Asdvadzadzin Armenian Church,
Armenia Str., Nicosia on Friday, June 6, 2008 at 4pm.

Lana der Parthogh

Yervant der Parthogh

Masis and Louise der Parthogh

Tatiana and Natalia der Parthogh

Noubar John and Gwynneth der Parthog