Author: Karakhanian Suren

News.am

Armenia to have opportunity in choosing new strategy: Expert
17:25 / 10/10/2009

The normalization of Armenia-Turkey relations will positively affect
the situation in the region, Georgian Foundation for Strategic and
International Studies (GFSIS) expert and politician Archil Gegeshidze
stated in the interview with NEWS.am.

The expert supposes that in case of Armenia-Turkey full reconciliation
and border opening the volume of investments will grow, turnover will
increase and economic upturn will be registered in the
region. Meantime, Gegeshidze stated that the West’s empowerment on
Armenia is inevitable: `Russia is obviously concerned over the
situation and taking into account that factor it may cause some
tension.’

As to weakening of Georgia’s influence on Armenia (it is the single
transit country for Armenia) Gegeshidze underlined that Georgia does
not lose this much of the border opening: `Russian gas will be
supplied to Armenia through Georgia. It can lead to unloading of
Georgian ports, but the country will not lose much as a result,’ he
said, adding he does not consider Armenia-Turkey reconciliation is
enough for Karabakh conflict settlement.

According to him, unlike in the past Armenia will heave a choice of
strategic directions. They can decide that western direction and
western democracy model can bring to well-being and stability,
Gegeshidze stated.

The expert considers that western model of democracy does not mean
alienation from Russia. It arouses Russia’s concern, as Russians
interpret it as military-strategic confrontation, the expert
concluded.

ARMENIA NOT TO WEAKEN ITS STANCE ON INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION OF GENOCIDE

PanARMENIAN.Net
09.10.2009 18:37 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ There’s a wrong opinion that countries which have
recognized or are preparing to recognize Armenian Genocide link the
issue to Armenian-Turkish relations, Deputy FM Shavarsh Kocharyan
told journalists. "Armenia will not weaken its stance on international
recognition of Armenian Genocide. Diaspora and lobbyist organizations
should not weaken their efforts either," Kocharyan said.

Deputy Minister also stressed that Armenian-Turkish intergovernmental
commission should study archive materials and conduct discussions
with the involvement of international experts. "Commission’s agenda
will be set by both parties. If it were going to focus on issues
containing elements which question the fact of Armenian Genocide,
we’d never agreed and accepted such proposal. Turkey is not ready
to acknowledge that 1915 acts constituted Genocide. On the other
hand, Ankara cannot but admit the existence of Armenian Diaspora and
Armenian cultural-historical heritage. Preservation of that heritage
and compensation to Genocide victims’ descendants are issues that
must be discussed," Shavarsh Kocharyan said, adding that Armenia
holds firm stance.

FACT FINDING GROUP FROM THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION PAID A VISIT TO ARMENIA

ARMENPRESS
Oct 7, 2009

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 7, ARMENPRESS: In the scope of the EU-Armenia
Justice, Freedom and Security Subcommittee, a fact finding group
from the European Commission paid a visit to Armenia on October
6-7, 2009. The Justice, Legal and Security fact finding mission
held different meetings with Armenian officials of the Ministries
of Foreign Affairs, Justice, Territorial Administration, as well
as Police, Migration Agency, National Security Service, General
Prosecutor’s Office, Central Bank. The Delegation was also received
by the Secretary of the National Security Council, Arthur Baghdasaryan.

An official from the Armenian office of the European Commission told
Armenpress that during the meetings the parties discussed issues
related to border management, migration (including visa facilitation
regime), fight against organized crime, fight against terrorism, law
enforcement and judicial cooperation, rule of law and strengthening
of judiciary, as well as protection of personal data.

AZERBAIJANI, RUSSIAN AND ARMENIAN PRESIDENTS TO HOLD TRILATERAL MEETING IN MOLDOVA

Trend News Agency
07.10.2009 14:44

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev will hold trilateral meeting with
Azerbaijani and Armenian Presidents during the visit to Moldova,
press-secretary of the Russian President Natalya Timakova told media.

No break is expected to take place at this meeting. It is the next
action to solve Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, a source in the presidential
administration told RIA Novosti.

The next meeting of Azerbaijani and Armenian Presidents Ilham Aliyev
and Serzh Sarkisian will be held in Kishinev on October 8 within the
summit of CIS countries’ heads.

The last meeting of Azerbaijani and Armenian Presidents Ilham Aliyev
and Serzh Sarkisian was the sixth one for the last year. It was held
in Moscow on July 17-18.

The previous talks between the Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and
the Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan, took place in St. Petersburg
on June 4.

This top-level meeting became the fifth one on conflict resolution
between the two leaders. The previous meeting was held in Prague on
May 7. The first meeting was held in St. Petersburg in June 2008,
the second meeting in Moscow in late November 2008 and the third was
held in Zurich on Jan. 28, 2009.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan
lost all of Nagorno-Karabakh except for Shusha and Khojali in December
1991. In 1992-93, Armenian armed forces occupied Shusha, Khojali and 7
districts surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh. Azerbaijan and Armenia signed
a ceasefire in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group – Russia,
France, and the U.S. – are currently holding the peace negotiations.

ICG: NAGORNO-KARABAKH: GETTING TO A BREAKTHROUGH

armradio.am
07.10.2009 18:20

Armenia and Azerbaijan should endorse a document on basic principles
to end stalemate on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict by the end of the
year, or they will face an eventual return to full-scale hostilities.

"Nagorno-Karabakh: Getting to a Breakthrough"- the International Crisis
Group’s latest policy briefing, examines the two-decades-old conflict
and concludes there is reason for optimism that the political stalemate
can be broken in today’s more supportive regional environment.

However, it also warns that both governments and the international
community must step up their efforts, as the status quo is increasingly
untenable.

"Although a deliberate military offensive from either side is unlikely
in the near future, the ceasefire that ended active hostilities
fifteen years ago is increasingly fragile", says Lawrence Sheets,
Crisis Group’s Caucasus Project Director. "There has been a steady
increase in the frequency and intensity of armed skirmishes that
could unintentionally spark a wider conflict".

The International Crisis Group considers that as a first step to
conflict resolution, Presidents Sarkisian of Armenia and Aliyev of
Azerbaijan must prepare their publics for a possible peace deal. At
present, there is a danger of a backlash, especially among Armenians,
that could derail any basic principles agreeme nt. After this
agreement is signed, Nagorno-Karabakh’s de facto authorities and the
Nagorno-Karabakh Azeri representatives should be part of subsequent
peace talks. Crisis Group recommends the use of a multi-layered format,
including direct contacts between Azerbaijan and Karabakh Armenians
to help promote dialogue.

The international community, in particular the U.S., France and
Russia as co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, should intensify efforts
to encourage Armenia and Azerbaijan to formally endorse the basic
principles document and then open negotiations on a conclusive peace
accord. The co-chairs should take advantage not only of their own
productive collaboration, but also of current positive movement
towards Armenia-Turkey rapprochement.

"There are encouraging signs the sides are inching towards agreement",
explains Sabine Freizer, Europe Program Director. "But differences
still remain between Armenia and Azerbaijan on the specifics of a final
deal, most seriously over Nagorno-Karabakh’s final status, and there is
mutual distrust between the societies. Though a definitive settlement
may still be years away, this window of opportunity to make genuine
progress and support sustainable regional peace must not be missed".

EBRD TO LEND $20 MILLION TO ARMENIA FOR ENERGY-SAVING PROGRAMS

ARKA
Oct 6, 2009

YEREVAN, October 6. /ARKA/. European Bank for Reconstruction and
Development intends to open credit lines this year for energy-saving
programs, Valeriu Razlog, the head of the EBRD Yerevan office, said
Tuesday in an interview with ARKA News Agency.

He said the EBRD would lend $20 million for this purpose and another
$5 million for renewable energy projects.

The projects also imply installation of new conditioners as well as
heating and isolating systems.

The first stage targets industrial companies, not individuals.

Razlog said technical assistance would be provided to local banks to
prepare them for gauging importance of these projects.

Consultants will work with banks to assist them in estimating projects
and monitoring implementation.

Sizes of credits, interest rates and terms will depend on the
implementation of the project and will be set along with local banks
at market interest rates.

Terms can reach five or even more years. In his interview with ARKA
News Agency, the head of the EBRD Yerevan office also said that the
next year the bank would consider room for extending similar credits
to individuals.

He said if the first stage is successful, the EBRD will provide extra
financing for individuals for saving energy.

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development has enlarged
investments intended for 43 programs in Armenia more than four t imes
for last four years to â~B¬125 million.

The portfolio planned for 2009 and 2010 for Armenian programs will
exceed 30 programs worth â~B¬180 million.

In 2009, the EBRD planned to lend â~B¬80 million against 63 million
a year earlier.

ALIYEV AGREES TO MEET SARGSYAN OCTOBER 8 IN MOLDOVA

2009/10/0 6 | 17:02

Region

After the Minsk Group Co-chairs meet with Azerbaijani officials in
Baku today, Yuri Marzlyakov stated that, President Aliyev consented to
meet with his Armenian counterpart on October 8 in Chisinau, Moldova.

The meeting will take place prior to the summit of the Commonwealth
of Independent States.

According to the briefing of the co-chairs, the Chisinau meeting will
be the continuation of talks in Moscow on July 18. Yuri Merzlyakov said
President Ilham Aliyev regarded the outcomes of the Moscow meeting as
positive. "President said Chisinau meeting will continue the positive
dynamics of the Moscow talks," he said.

French co-chair Bernard Fassier expressed his satisfaction with the
meeting with Azerbaijani community of Nagorno Karabakh.

"All the members of the community told us that they are ready to live
together with Armenians in Nagorno Karabakh again," he said.

U.S. co-chair Robert Bradtke said it was his first visit to Azerbaijan
in the capacity of co-chair and noted that the U.S. government was
ready to continue the mediation in the peaceful settlement of the
Nagorno Karabakh conflict.

CONGRESS OF CANADIAN ARMENIANS SUPPORTS RA PRESIDENT’S INITIATIVE

PanARMENIAN.Net
06.10.2009 14:10 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ On October 3, 2009, President Serzh Sargsyan of the
Republic of Armenia met in New York City with invited representatives
of Armenian communities from across Canada and the United States.

During the meeting with Diaspora representatives, President made it
clear that recently signed Protocols can be no preconditions for either
Armenian Genocide recognition and the right of the people of Nagorno
Karabakh to live freely. During a 5-hour discussion, participants
made proposals and expressed views on Protocols. President Sargsyan
was most attentive, and presented well-articulated explanations to
all questions. To skeptics, Serzh Sargsyan explained in detail the
significance of contentious parts of the agreement and asked critics
"not to look for hair in an egg where there is none".

"I am impressed with the fortitude and candor of the President",
said Congress of Canadian Armenians representative Pierre Akkelian.

The Congress of Canadian Armenians supports President Sargsyan and
his government in these efforts, press service reports.

THE FINGERS THEATRE PRESENTED "ZIGMUND FOLIE" IN ARMENIA

Aysor.am
Tuesday, October 06

"Only in case if the person can laugh at himself and at his mistakes
can better understand his own personality, and in that case only we
can say that the performance succeeded", – told the actor of Philippe
Genty theatre Erik de Sarian to the journalists.

Yesterday in the framework of the "Hay Fest" seventh international
festival the French theatre of things, fingers and puppets after
Philippe Genty presented to the Armenian audience the performance
called "Zigmund Folie".

The performance is telling about the author who with a sudden fear
wakes up and notices that his left hand for a long time already is
picking his pockets, his wallet, opens his letters and the wardrobes.

"We always should tend to join the contradictions of our inner
personalities, as well as we have to control the contradictions which
we have got with other people", – mentioned De Saria speaking about
the idea of the performance.

The actor also informed that though he had difficulty to see the
audience from the stage but has felt that the hall was full and the
participation of the audience is active. He hoped that the audience
has comprehended the performance.

The theatric partnership of the prominent Philippe Genty has been
established in 1967 in Paris. The theatre has had performances in many
stages of the world. The performance "Zigmund Folie" has received
the highest appraisal of the professional theatrical workers on the
Edinburgh festival.

ROCK MUSIC TO CELEBRATE EREBUNI-YEREVAN’S 718TH BIRTHDAY

Tert.am
05.10.09

On October 11, on the anniversary of the founding of the Armenian
capital Erebuni-Yerevan, rock will be once again be performed in the
open air in Yerevan. On Erebuni-Yerevan’s birthday, a rock concert
will take place among a number of events. The rock concert is planned
to take place at Charles Aznavour Square near Moscow Cinema.

The Armenian rock groups taking part in the concert are Dirty Diamond &
Friends (opening act), Road Movie, Dorians, Dogma and Bambir.