Author: Khondkarian Raffi

KOCHARYAN SPOKE ON BEHALF OF THE RA

A1Plus.am
21/01/10

According to Tehran Times daily, Foreign Minister of Iran Manuchehr
Motaki Wednesday received Robert Kocharyan in Tehran. The issues
discussed during the meeting were related to bilateral relations and
developments in the region.

According to Tehran Times, Motaki said that Iranian-Armenian relations
have a long history.

"Stability and security in the Caucasus must be strengthened through
a regional approach," said the Iranian Minister.

Talking about the global economic crisis, Iran’s Foreign Minister
said that "those issues come from the corrupted system of governance
of the world established after WWII."

According to "Azatutyun" radio, in his turn, Robert Kocharyan said
that Armenia is ready to broaden cooperation with Iran. In addition,
according to Tehran Times, Kocharyan also spoke about the need for
guiding by development of security and economy in the region and
regional approaches, saying that the "foreign countries’ remedies
for normalizing the crises in the Caucasus are dangerous."

GAGIK MELIKYAN: RA CC DECISION PRODUCED COLD SHOWER EFFECT ON TURKISH AUTHORITIES

PanARMENIAN.Net
22.01.2010 15:09 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ RA Constitutional Court’s decision produced a cold
shower effect on many circles, including the Turkish authorities,
which have always sought to impose preconditions upon Armenia, said
Gagik Melikyan, MP from the Republican Party of Armenia.

"By its decision, Armenia’s Constitutional Court proved that Protocols
contain no precondition and are aimed at establishing diplomatic
ties and opening border between Armenia and Turkey," he told a news
conference organized jointly with ARFD group parliamentarian Artsvik
Minasyan.

"Even if RA CC had found Protocols non-conformable to Armenia’s
Constitution, Turkey would have accused Armenia of protracting the
ratification process," Gagik Melikyan said, adding that Ankara signed
Protocols under international community’s pressure and cannot avoid
fulfilling its obligations.

At that, he noted that Armenia will never sign the Kars Treaty or
renounce the international recognition of Armenian Genocide.

"Turkish authorities will not force us into renouncing our
Constitution," he stressed.

The Protocols aimed at normalization of bilateral ties and opening of
the border between Armenia and Turkey were signed in Zurich by Armenian
Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian and his Turkish counterpart Ahmet
Davutoglu on October 10, 2009, after a series of diplomatic talks
held through Swiss mediation.

On January 12, 2010, the Constitutional Court of the Republic of
Armenia found the protocols conformable to the country’s Organic Law.

The Treaty of Kars was singed on October 13, 1923 between Turkey and
Transcaucasian republics. It consisted of a preamble, 20 articles
and 3 appendices.

The treaty was a successor treaty to the earlier Treaty of Moscow
of March 1921 and established contemporary borders between Turkey
and the South Caucasus states. It was signed in Kars on October 13,
1921 and ratified in Yerevan on September 11, 1922.

Most of the territories ceded to Turkey in the treaty were acquired
by Imperial Russia from the Ottoman Empire during the Russo-Turkish
War of 1877-1878. The only exception was the Surmalu region which
was annexed by Russia in the Treaty of Turkmenchay after the last
Russo-Persian War with Iran.

The treaty provided for the territory of the former Russian Batum
District of the Kutaisi Governorate to be divided. The northern half,
with the port city of Batumi, was ceded by Turkey to the Soviet Union.

The southern half, with the city of Artvin, would be annexed
by Turkey. It was agreed that the northern half would be granted
autonomy within Soviet Georgia. It eventually evolved into the Adjar
Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (today Adjara). Additionally,
Turkey was also guaranteed a "free transit through the port of Batum
for commodities and all materials destined for, or originating in,
Turkey, without customs duties and charges, and with the right for
Turkey to utilize the port of Batum without special charges."

The treaty also created a new boundary between Turkey and Soviet
Armenia, defined by the Akhurian and Aras Rivers. Turkey obtained from
Armenia most of the former Kars Oblast of Russian Empire. The treaty
required Turkish troops to withdraw from an area roughly corresponding
to the western half of Armenia’s present-dayShirak Province (including
Alexandropol (Gyumri).

The document specified that the region of Nakhchivan (a territory
comprising the Nakhchivan and Sharur part of Sharur-Daralagez uyezds
of former Erivan Governorate of Russian Empire) was an autonomous
territory under the protection of Azerbaijan. In 1924, Nakhchivan
Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was formed on this territory as
an exclave subordinate to Azerbaijan SSR, and sharing a 15-km boundary
with now Turkish district of Surmalu. [1] It was also agreed that
both Turkey and Russia would become guarantors of Nakhchivan’s status

The Republican Party of Armenia is a national conservative political
party in Armenia. It was the first political party in independent
Armenia to be founded (2 April 1990) and registered (14 May 1991). It
is the largest party of the centre-right in Armenia, and claims to have
140,000 members. The party controls most government bodies in Armenia.

At the 2003 parliamentary elections on May 25, the party received
23.5% of the popular vote, winning 31 out of 131 seats. At the last
parliamentary elections on May 12, 2007, the party received 33.91%
of the popular vote, winning 64 out of 131 seats. The former prime
minister, Andranik Markaryan, was the leader of the party. Current
President of Armenia, Serzh Sargsyan, is the chairman of RPA board.

ANKARA’S ATTEMPTS TO PUT THE BLAME FOR FRUSTRATING RECONCILIATION PROCESS ON YEREVAN WON’T GAIN UNDERSTANDING

PanARMENIAN.Net
22.01.2010 15:17 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian slammed
Turkey’s statement that "the RA CC decision contains preconditions
and restrictive provisions which impair the letter and spirit of the
Protocols" as absurd.

"Willing to proceed towards ratification of the Protocols,
Armenia is hopeful that Turkey will show respect to the agreements
achieved earlier," he told a news conference on Friday. "Turkey puts
artificial obstacles to avoid ratification. However, attempts to put
the blame for frustrating reconciliation process on Yerevan won’t
gain understanding."

The Protocols aimed at normalization of bilateral ties and opening of
the border between Armenia and Turkey were signed in Zurich by Armenian
Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian and his Turkish counterpart Ahmet
Davutoglu on October 10, 2009, after a series of diplomatic talks
held through Swiss mediation.

On January 12, 2010, the Constitutional Court of the Republic of
Armenia found the protocols conformable to the country’s Organic Law.

Commenting on the decision of the Armenian Constitutional Court, the
Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that "the decision contains
preconditions and restrictive provisions which impair the letter and
spirit of the Protocols."

"The decision undermines the very reason for negotiating these
Protocols as well as their fundamental objective. This approach
cannot be accepted on our part. Turkey, in line with its accustomed
allegiance to its international commitments, maintains its adherence
to the primary provisions of these Protocols. We expect the same
allegiance from the Armenian Government," the Ministry said.

‘ISSUES OF KARABAKH AND GENOCIDE ARE NOT FOR DEALING’

Aysor
Jan 22 2010
Armenia

"If Armenia-Turkey documents have not preconditions, then why Turkey
raises the devil after Armenian Constitutional Court’s decision? They
understood, that after Court’s decision their preconditions on the
issues of border, Genocide, and Karabakh will not be implemented,
that is why they demand on re-deciding," told journalists Modern
Times Party’s leader Aram Karapetian.

Hamlet Harutyunian, a member of the Republican Party of Armenia and
Armenia’s Parliament, said in his part, that issues of the Genocide
and the Karabakh settlement are not negotiable in the context of
the Armenia-Turkey protocols. He said, Court’s decision is de jure
justified. He said believes Turkey will in future back of Azerbaijan’s
interests. "Armenia’s foreign ministry must continue negotiations
until it becomes clear that Turkey’s government seeks for beneficial
document, not reconciliation. But we have our own answer on this,"
he said.

"In the negotiations Armenia showed itself as a civilized state,
while Turkey with its pan-Turkist mind is still at the VII century’s
concept of living," said Hamlet Harutyunian.

"He said Armenia-Turkey documents’ future depends on the Military
Staff of Turkey, whose influence is stronger than government’s."

ADVANCEMENT OF FREEDOM OF SPEECH IN TURKEY WILL MAKE IT POSSIBLE TO DISCUSS ARMENIAN ISSUE: OLLI REHN

Tert.am
12:58 ~U 21.01.10

It will become more possible in Turkey, with the conditions of freedom
of speech, to discuss the Armenian and Kurdish issues and the Cyprus
conflict, said European Commissioner Olli Rehn, who is responsible
for EU enlargement, adding that freedom of speech in Turkey doesn’t
correspond with EU standards, reports Turkish news agency Anadolu
Ajansi.

Rehn, in particular, placing the main emphasis on Turkey’s Ergenekon
case, said that it is "the lock in democratization in Turkey."

The European Commissioner expressed his concern in the ban on the
pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party, and added that Turkey must
pursue the European Commission’s suggestions in the question of laws
pertaining to political parties, amending them so that they are in
accordance with the European Court of Human Rights.

ILHAM ALIYEV FALLS INTO THE TRAP PREPARED BY HIS PSEUDO-HISTORIANS

ArmInfo
2010-01-20 18:43:00

ArmInfo. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has fallen into the trap
prepared by his pseudo-historians, Director of Armenian Genocide
Museum-Institute Hayk Demoyan said at today’s press- conference.

To note, on 30 Dec 2009 the Azeri president made a decision to allocate
1 mln manats for creating in the town of Guba a "Memorial Complex of
Genocide" devoted to Azeris that allegedly dies "as a result of the
policy of ethnic cleansing and aggression conducted by brigandish
groupings of Armenian dashnaks in Azerbaijani territories".

Hayk Demoyan stressed that in fact, 200 Armenian residents, mainly
from the rich social class that were expelled from Guba and cruelly
killed with their children on the way from the town in 1918, are
buried in the given place. Demoyan stressed that the Armenian party
has all the necessary historical documents and facts on this issue.

According to him, the Armenian party is even ready to finance an
independent DNA testing which will confirm that the remains belong
to Armenians, and not Azeris. "This is a game with the bones and
memory of the dead people. And such actions of the Azerbaijani party,
particularly, Aliyev are immoral",- he said.

POSITIVE DYNAMICS IN NAGORNO-KARABAKH PROCESS SHOULD NOT BE LOST: SPANISH FM

Trend
Jan 19 2010
Azerbaijan

Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos expressed hope that a
positive dynamic in resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, created
by frequent contacts between the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan
will not be lost.

"A positive dynamics was created by frequent contacts between the
Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan that should not be lost,"
Moratinos said addressing the OSCE Constant Council.

Moratinos heads the six-month-chairmanship in the EU.

The last November meeting of Azerbaijani and Armenian Presidents
Ilham Aliyev and Serzh Sarkisian in Munich became the sixth one for
the last year.

The previous talks between the Azerbaijani and Armenian Presidents
were held in Chisinau, Moscow, Saint-Petersburg, and Prague.

The first meeting was held in St. Petersburg in June 2008, the second
meeting in Moscow on November 2, 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. Armenian
armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan since 1992,
including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and 7 surrounding districts.

Speaking about security, Moratinos noted the situation in Georgia.

Though the EU has a mission in Georgia, it was "in favour of restoring
the OSCE’s presence on the ground.

Minister said that strengthening of security and stability in Europe
must promote solving the real problems.

"The efforts we are making to strengthen security and stability in
Europe are worth nothing if they do not contribute to the resolution
of real problems on the ground," Moratinos said.

BAKU 1990: ORGANIZERS AND COMMITTERS STILL UNPUNISHED

Panorama.am
17:46 19/01/2010

Yerevan hosted a conference on 20 years since January 13-19 Baku
pogroms today.

"Genocide is not an offence against one nation. It’s a crime committed
by a junta and is directed against all humanity. One of the causes why
Genocide is still a hazard for all humanity today is non sufficient
scientific research," NA deputy Larisa Alaverdyan said.

According to her, all scientific layers should once again define why
these offences have such harsh frequency of occurrence and moreover,
why the committers and organizers remain unpunished.

Note that the conference was under way in the Academy of National
Sciences. A number of state, political and social figures were among
the participants.

AZERBAIJAN SHOULD INCLINE ARMENIANS TO PEACE THROUGH ECONOMIC WAY, MP

news.az
Jan 19 2010
Azerbaijan

Mubariz Gurbanly Azerbaijani people are facing continued aggression
of Armenia today, said Mubariz Gurbanly, deputy executive secretary
of New Azerbaijan Party, MP.

According to the deputy, the Azerbaijani people must unite around the
policy conducted by country’s President Ilham Aliyev that is aimed
at the development of the country’s economic potential.

"Azerbaijan should incline Armenians to peace through economic way. If
it fails, we do not rule out the military option for liberation of
our occupied lands", Mubariz Gurbanly said.

RA WILL NEVER QUESTION ARMENIAN GENOCIDE AND IMPORTANCE OF ITS INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION

PanARMENIAN.Net
18.01.2010 14:09 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ RA will never question the Armenian genocide and the
importance of its international recognition, Armenian Foreign Minister
Edward Nalbandian noted. According to him, historic subcommittee,
the creation of which was stipulated by RA-Turkey rapprochement
Protocols, will be in charge of restoration of trust between the
people of Armenia and Turkey.

As Edward Nalibansian noted, he sees no alterations of Genocide
issue- related policy as conducted by current or previous Armenian
leadership. "President’s statement on having no intention to question
Armenian Genocide and importance of its international recognition
suggests there are no changes in foreign policy," the Foreign Minister
said, Radio Svoboda reported.

The Protocols aimed at normalization of bilateral ties and opening of
the border between Armenia and Turkey were signed in Zurich by Armenian
Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian and his Turkish counterpart Ahmet
Davutoglu on October 10, 2009, after a series of diplomatic talks
held through Swiss mediation.

On January 12, 2010, the Constitutional Court of the Republic of
Armenia found the protocols conformable to the country’s Organic Law.

The Armenian Genocide (1915-23) was the deliberate and systematic
destruction of the Armenian population of the Ottoman Empire during
and just after World War I. It was characterized by massacres, and
deportations involving forced marches under conditions designed to
lead to the death of the deportees, with the total number of deaths
reaching 1.5 million.

The date of the onset of the genocide is conventionally held to be
April 24, 1915, the day that Ottoman authorities arrested some 250
Armenian intellectuals and community leaders in Constantinople.

Thereafter, the Ottoman military uprooted Armenians from their homes
and forced them to march for hundreds of miles, depriving them of
food and water, to the desert of what is now Syria. Massacres were
indiscriminate of age or gender, with rape and other sexual abuse
commonplace. The Armenian Genocide is the second most-studied case
of genocide after the Holocaust.

The Republic of Turkey, the successor state of the Ottoman Empire,
denies the word genocide is an accurate description of the events. In
recent years, it has faced repeated calls to accept the events as
genocide.

To date, twenty countries and 44 U.S. states have officially recognized
the events of the period as genocide, and most genocide scholars
and historians accept this view. The Armenian Genocide has been also
recognized by influential media including The New York Times, BBC,
The Washington Post and The Associated Press.

The majority of Armenian Diaspora communities were formed by the
Genocide survivors.