Author: Karakhanian Suren

ASSOCIATION OF AZERBAIJAN DOCTORS APPEALS TO OSCE MG CO-CHAIRS

Azeri Press Agency
Sept 10 2008
Azerbaijan

Baku. Laura Jabrayilli-APA. "People died as a result of regular
violation of cease-fire. Every moment people feel threat of war. We
appeal to you understanding our professional and citizenship duty and
feeling threat of frozen war for present and future generations",
said in statement of the Association of Azerbaijan Doctors to OSCE
MG co-chairs.

The appeal asks to support the initiative on establishment of movement
of doctors for peace and welfare in the Caucasus put forward by the
association in 1994.

"Military-political situation, hesitations of Armenian counterparts
and lack of financial assistance impeded realization of the
initiative. There are not real obstacles on realization of the mission,
but the conflicts increased in the Caucasus. We hope for your support
and assistance", the statement reads.

RUSSIAN CO-CHAIR OF OSCE MINSK GROUP PUBLICIZES DATE OF AZERBAIJANI AND ARMENIAN FOREIGN MINISTERS’ NEXT MEETING

Azeri Press Agency
Sept 10 2008
Azerbaijan

Baku. Tamara Grigoryeva – APA. Azerbaijani and Armenian Foreign
Ministers are expected to meet in New York within the framework of
the 63rd session of UN General Assembly, Russia co-chair of OSCE
Minsk Group Yuri Merzlyakov told APA.

He said that the possibility of holding the meeting was discussed
during the meeting of Elmar Mammadyarov and Edward Nalbandian in Moscow
on August 1. Yuri Merzlyakov said the date of the meeting planned to
take place in New York had not been fixed yet. He also noted that the
co-chairs were expected to visit the region. Russia co-chair also took
a stance on Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan’s recent proposal.

"I understood that Foreign Ministers of Turkey and Armenia are expected
to meet in New York. But if the question is trilateral meeting of
Babacan, Nalbandian and Mammadyarov, this is a very good case, we
would only be glad," he said.

The co-chair said it was not right to speak about changing the format
of the negotiations under the present circumstances.

DASHNAKS URGE TURKEY TO CHANGE "ARMENIA POLICY"

ArmInfo News Agency (in Russian)
Sept 10 2008
Armenia

Yerevan, 10 September: The board of the Armenian Revolutionary
Federation – Dashnaktsutyun [ARFD] held an emergency plenary session
today. The ARFD has made a statement on the results of the session.

According to the ARFD statement received by Arminfo, the situation
in the South Caucasus region and Armenian-Turkish relations were
discussed at the session. The statement notes that Armenia and Turkey,
which are neighbours, should make efforts to normalize bilateral
relations. "However, we are sure that relations can be established
only after the recognition of the Armenian genocide by Turkey and
the restoration of the Armenian people’s right," the statement says.

The statement also notes that the ARFD considers that the development
of relations with Turkey is absolutely unacceptable at the expense of
violations of the Armenian statehood and the national-state rights
of a generation. Turkey can count on the participation in regional
initiatives, if it changes its "Armenia policy". Turkey should not
act as a side to the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict or set conditions
to Armenia but should give up its policy of separating lines in the
South Caucasus region.

Armenia has been pursuing a foreign policy based on national-state
values since 1998 and one of its strategic directions is to universally
recognize the Armenian genocide. Armenia views this issue not only as
the restoration of the historical truth, but also in the context of
establishing an atmosphere of confidence in the region and preventing
similar crimes in the future, the statement says.

PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V.Rev.Fr.Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: [email protected]
Web:

PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon

Armenian version: nian.htm

HIS HOLINESS ARAM I MEETS WITH SYRIAN PRESIDENT BASHAR ASSAD

His Holiness Aram I held a meeting with the President of Syria, Bashar
Al-Assad, in the Presidential Palace in Damascus on Tuesday.

The Pontiff and the President met for over an hour discussing issues related
to the Armenian community of Syria, the bilateral relations between Syria
and Lebanon, the Middle East peace process and interfaith dialogue.

His Holiness and President Assad expressed their viewpoints on these issues
advocating friendly relations and warm cooperation between nations based on
the principles of mutual respect and trust as well as recognition of each
other’s rights. The Syrian President praised the role of the Pontiff in the
ecumenical and interfaith spheres, encouraging more input from him in
bringing forth a mutual understanding between religions. The president
promised to visit the St. Karasnits Mangants Church of Aleppo in the
presence of His Holiness.

Also attending this important meeting between His Holiness Aram I and
President Bashar Al-Assad were Bishop Shahan Sarkissian (Primate of the
Diocese of Aleppo), Mr. Tsolag Tutelian (a member of the Central Committee),
Sounboul Sounboulian (Armenian deputy in the Syrian Parliament), Daron
Avedissian (Chairman of the Lay Council of the Diocese of Aleppo), Mesrob
Shirinian (the Catholicosate of Cilicia’s representative in Damascus) and
Father Mesrob Sarkissian (staff bearer).

##
View the photos here:
tos/Photos307.htm
*****
The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the history and
the mission of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer to the web page of
the Catholicosate, The Cilician
Catholicosate, the administrative center of the church is located in
Antelias, Lebanon.

ARMENIAN REPUBLICANS PUT UP CANDIDACY OF HOVIK ABRAHAMYAN TO POST OF PARLIAMENT SPEAKER

ARKA
Sep 9, 2008

YEREVAN, September 9. /ARKA/. Republican Party of Armenia put up the
candidacy of former head of presidential staff Hovik Abrahamyan, who
took a seat in National Assembly recently by winning by-election, to
the post of parliament speaker, the press office of the party reports.

The party board considered the reasonability Tigran Torosyan’s further
staying in office and decided to dismiss him.-0—

FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT OF ARMENIAN NPP BY RUSSIA PROLONGED FOR 5 YEARS

ArmInfo
2008-09-09 18:33:00

ArmInfo. The financial management of the Armenian Nuclear Power
Plant by CJSC ‘Inter RAO UES’ has been prolonged for 5 years, Head
of the Rosatom State Corporation Sergey Kiriyenko told journalists
in Yerevan, Tuesday.

According to him, the 5-year agreement on financial management of the
ANPP, the term of which is expiring in 2008, was quite efficient. ‘Good
cooperation was established between the parties, therefore we are
prolonging the agreement’, Kiriyenko said. He came to Yerevan on
Sep 9, met Armenian Energy Minister Armen Movsissyan at the ANPP
and discussed with him the wide range of energy cooperation in the
10-year outlook. He expressed content with the current state of the
ANPP and expressed confidence that it will safely ensure electric
power supply till 2016.

To recall, in September 2003 the ANPP was handed over to the financial
management of the ‘Inter RAO UES’ CJSC, a branch of the RAO ‘UES of
Russia’ for five years. Two power units with a total capacity of 815
MW are installed at the ANPP. The first unit was put into operation in
1976, the second one – in 1980. In 1989 the operation of both units
was stopped for political reasons. In November 1995 the second 408
MW unit was re-launched.

SOFIA, YEREVAN MAYORS TO SIGN CO-OPERATION AGREEMENT
Spasena Baramova

Sofia Echo
Sept 9 2008
Bulgaria

Yervand Zakharyan, mayor of Armenia’s capital city of Yerevan, has
begun an official three-day visit to Sofia. Zakharyan and Sofia mayor
Boiko Borissov will sign an agreement for co-operation between their
two cities tomorrow (September 10), Sofia municipality’s press centre
has announced.

Also tomorrow, before the signing, the two mayors will open a khachkar
monument in the garden on Sofia’s Vladaiska Str, behind the building
of the Agriculture and Food Supply Ministry.

The building of the monument was funded by Yerevan municipality. After
its opening, it will be donated to Sofia municipality.

Zakharyan has already arrived in Sofia.

CRITERIA FOR EVALUATION OF DIPLOMATS’ EFFORTS IN INTENSIFYING FOREIGN TRADE LINKS TO BE DEVELOPED IN ARMENIA

ARKA
Sep 4, 2008

YEREVAN, September 4. /ARKA/. Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan
instructed to develop criteria for evaluation of diplomats’ efforts
in intensifying foreign trade links. The criteria will be used
in assessing the performance of diplomatic officers at the end of
the year.

Objective criteria should be found to assess contribution of officers
to the field, Sargsyan said at his meeting with Armenian ambassadors
and representatives of Armenia in international organizations.

In response to President’s call to all Armenians to contribute to the
development of the homeland, investment initiatives are received from
abroad for a total of hundred millions USD.

Responses to the call are still coming, the President said adding
that ambassadors should take active part in this program.

CSTO BACKS RUSSIA’S ACTIONS IN S.OSSETIA, CONDEMNS GEORGIA

RIA Novosti
15:03 | 04/ 09/ 2008

MOSCOW, September 4 (RIA Novosti) – Foreign ministers from the members
of the Collective Security Treaty Organization blasted Thursday
Georgia’s attack on breakaway South Ossetia and supported Russia’s
contribution to peace in the region.

"We have come out with support for Russia’s active role in contributing
to peace and cooperation in the region," Armenian Foreign Minister
Edvard Nalbandyan said, citing the joint statement.

The Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) is a security
grouping comprising Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia,
Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.

The foreign ministers’ statement pointed to the danger of increasing
military deployments to the Caucasus and attempting to use force in
resolving conflicts.

The ministers also came out for a rigorous implementation of the
Medvedev-Sarkozy peace plan in order "to thwart new attempts to use
force in settling the conflict and securing peace and stability in
the region."

The heads of the security councils of the CSTO met Tuesday in Yerevan,
Armenia. They backed a Russian proposal to impose an arms embargo
on Georgia.

South Ossetia was attacked by Georgian forces on August 8. The
majority of residents of South Ossetia hold Russian citizenship,
and Moscow launched a massive operation to expel Georgian troops from
the region and to reinforce its peacekeepers.

On August 26, Russia recognized South Ossetia and another Georgian
breakaway republic, Abkhazia, as independent states.

BAKU: GUL’S VISIT TO ARMENIA IS TURKEY’S INTERNAL AFFAIR

PanARMENIAN.Net
04.09.2008 19:06 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The visit of Turkish President to Armenia is an
internal affair of Turkey, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister said.

"This is Turkish President’s decision and Azerbaijan has no right to
interfere," Elmar Mammadyarov said.

Commenting on Caucasus Stability and Cooperation Pact, Mammadyarov said
that Azerbaijan assessed this initiative as positive for countries of
the region. "Azerbaijan will negotiate the issue but it is premature
to make conclusions now," he said.

Touching on discussions on Nagorno Karabakh held by Armenian and
Russian Presidents in Sochi, Mammadyarov said, "We will continue
negotiations with Armenia with mediation of the OSCE MG Co-chairs. We
believe that stability and peace should be achieved within the
territorial integrity of Azerbaijan," the Azeri Press Agency reports