Author: Khoyetsian Rose

TRANSPORT AND COMMUNICATION MINISTER: ARMENIA’S EFFORTS ARE AIMED AT ENSURING ITS PARTICIPATION IN TRACECA

ArmInfo
2008-12-05 20:19:00

ArmInfo. Armenia’s efforts are aimed at ensuring its participation
in TRACECA. Relevant proposals were presented at the conference of
the transport ministers of TARCECA in Baku Dec 4, Transport and
Communication Minister of Armenia Gurgen Sargsyan said during a
press-conference today.

He said that Armenia was situated on the crossroads of the North-South
route and its capacities could be used for international cargo
operations. At the Baku conference the Armenian delegation was led
by the head of the Foreign Relations Department of the Ministry of
Transport and Communication of Armenia Gagik Grigoryan. The conferees
discussed possibilities of enlarging the transport system in the
framework of the European Neighborhood Policy.

The next conference will take place in Bishkek.

WE NEVER DO ANYTHING AIMLESSLY
Lilit Poghosyan

Hayots Ashkhar Daily
04 Dec 08
Armenia

During his recent visit to Baku, Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babajan
once again calmed down his Azeri brothers, saying that the task of
liberating Karabakh and its surrounding areas from the "Armenian
occupation" was a matter to be dealt with not only by Turkey but also
Azerbaijan and that his country has been standing by Azerbaijan since
1918 and will always stand by it in future. Isn’t Armenia playing into
the hands of Turkey which is pretending to conduct an Armenian-Turkish
dialogue in an attempt to cheat Europe?

In response to our questions, EDWARD SHARMAZANOV, member of the RPA
parliamentary faction presents his comments.

"Armenia and the Armenian authorities play their own game which is in
the interests of the nation and the state. This is a fact. President
Serge Sargsyan’s recent initiatory policy enshrined in his pre-election
program is aimed at that.

As regards Turkey’s partial approach, I don’t think the fact that
the Turkish Government has always been standing by Azerbaijan since
1918 (when Azerbaijan was formed as an independent state unit) is
something new for anyone. And the Government of Turkey was the first
to voice protests in different international conferences, claiming
that Karabakh form part of Azerbaijan or remain under its control.

There are a lot of books, as well as scientific articles. In
particular, Head of the Genocide Museum Hayk Demoyan has done serious
research in that field, giving detailed description of Turkey’s
military, financial, economic and political assistance to Azerbaijan.

But nonetheless, we live in this region, and whether or not we want
it, Turkey is our neighbor; so we must try to settle the problematic
questions between our countries. And to do that, it is first of all
necessary to have diplomatic relations."

"But the Turkish side has not given up its traditional approach of
establishing a relationship with preconditions. Don’t the bilateral
or trilateral negotiations in the Turkey-Azerbaijan-Armenia format
become aimless in view of this fact?"

"We never do anything aimlessly. I think the goal is very clear. That
is, to have normal relations with the neighboring countries, including
those with which we have serious problems. And let’s note that this
approach is also enshrined in the National Security Strategy.

If, in the 21st century, we have adopted democratic reforms and are
guided by the rules of a civilized game, then there is no alternative
to the Armenian party’s attitude expressed by President Serge Sargsyan
who proposed the Turkish side to establish diplomatic ties without
any preconditions.

The establishment of diplomatic ties without preconditions doesn’t mean
to forget about the recognition of the Genocide or make unilateral
concessions with regard to the Karabakh issue. No. Both President
Serge Sargsyan and Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandyan have many a
time announced that the Armenia-Turkish relations should be regulated
without any preconditions.

Naturally, both the international recognition of the Genocide and
the pro-Armenian settlement of the Karabakh conflict remain in the
foreign policy agenda."

PROTEST ACTION AGAINST PARTICIPATION OF ARMENIAN DELEGATION IN TRACECA CONFERENCE PREVENTED IN BAKU

PanARMENIAN.Net
04.12.2008 18:31 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Karabakh Liberation Organization (KLO) made
an attempt to foil participation of Armenian delegation including
representatives of the RA Transport and Communications Ministry and
Foreign Ministry in TRACECA conference in Baku.

KLO leader Akif Naghi said that the protesters entered the Gyulistan
palace where the meeting was taking place but the police prohibited
them from speaking.

KLO deputy chairman Ilgar Aliyev waxed indignant over the police’s
behavior, Day.az reports.

RA FM: ARMS RACE CAN LEAD TO RESUMPTION OF MILITARY CONFLICT

PanARMENIAN.Net
05.12.2008 14:10 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenia is interested in continued cooperation
within the OSCE in all dimensions, Armenian Foreign Minister said.

"In human dimension we are ready to continue constructive cooperation
with the OSCE/ODIHR, yet at the same time we support the re-evaluation
of the role of the ODHIR and a higher level of its accountability
before the member states. We are ready to work with all interested
member states in this direction. We are prepared to work towards
developing a more consolidated approach in economic-environmental
dimension in order to ensure its continuity and sustainability,"
Minister Edward Nalbandian said in his address to the OSCE Ministerial
Council.

"We note the importance of the dialogue on the OSCE political-military
dimension. Conventional arms control is an issue of primary
importance. The situation in our region makes the maintenance of the
Conventional Arms Control Treaty more imperative. Full implementation
of commitments is crucial for the security and stability of the area
of application. Regrettably, Azerbaijan’s massive military build-up
conducted in violation of its international obligations has not
received an adequate reaction from the majority of the state parties
of the Convention.

"An arms race can lead to a resumption of a military conflict. The
situation becomes somehow classic – if there is a gun on the stage, it
has to fire. Europe obviously needs a new security architecture, which
will take into account all the existing concerns. With this in mind,
we think that a debate over a European security treaty can provide
a good forum for the development of a commonly acceptable system.

"That is why we support the proposal by Presidents of France and
Russia regarding the convening of a summit to launch the negotiations
on the implementation of the initiative to develop a European Security
Treaty," he said.

THEY DEMAND TO RESTORE

Hayots Ashkhar Daily
02 Dec 08
Armenia

The Batman’s Armenian Organization demanded from the Turkish
government to restore their cadastre rights towards the Armenian
Church, cemeteries, and lands. The organization stated that the before
mentioned property, which used to be the possession of the Armenian
Community is at present in the balance of the Turkish treasure.

Turkish DHA agency reports the President of the Batman’s Armenian
Organization Aziz Daghja submitted a complaint to the commission
of the study on Human Rights of the Turkish Parliament, that the
group of the competent of Batman cadastre directorship "forced me
to accompany them to Kozluk-Akchal village, before it gets dark,
at 9.00 p.m. to find the tracks of history."

‘Is it possible to do similar investigation in darkness," Daghja
complained, saying that once they refuse to meet the demand of the
Armenian organization the issue will be shifted to the European Court
of Human Rights.

ISESCO CONDEMNS ARMENIA FOR DESTRUCTION OF HISTORICAL MONUMENTS IN OCCUPIED TERRITORIES OF AZERBAIJAN

Trend News Agency
Dec 2 2008
Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan, Baku, 2 December / Trend News , corr. N.Abdullayeva /
ISESCO condemns destruction of historical monuments in the occupied
territories of Azerbaijan by Armenians.

"Destruction of monuments in the occupied territories contradicts
international laws and all principles of the UN, and this is
unacceptable," Abdel Aziz Ben Osman Al-Twaigry, the director general
of the Islamic Education, Science and Culture Organization (ISESCO),
said to journalists in Baku on 2 December.

ISESCO completely supports Azerbaijan on this issue," Al-Twaigry said.

The conflict between the two countries of the South Caucasus began
in 1988 due to Armenian territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Since
1992, Armenian Armed Forces have occupied 20% of Azerbaijan including
the Nagorno-Karabakh region and its seven surrounding districts. In
1994, Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement at which
time the active hostilities ended. The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk
Group ( Russia, France, and the US) are currently holding peaceful
negotiations.

Azerbaijan appeared with the initiative before PACE to send the mission
of the cultural heritage of organization to the occupied territories
to study the state of remained historical and cultural monuments
of the country. Azerbaijan already presented the list of monuments,
which underwent destruction, to the mission.

DELEGATION OF ARMENIA’S POLICE VISITED KARABAKH

De Facto
Dec 1, 2008

YEREVAN, 01.12.08. DE FACTO. The delegation of Armenia’s Police
headed by Major-General of Police Alik Sargsian, the Department Head,
visited Karabakh.

The Nagorno-Karabakh PM Ara Harutyunian received the Armenian
delegation.

In the course of the visit the Head of the Karabakh government
highlighted the importance of strengthening cooperation between
various departments of the two Armenian states.

"Mutual visits and contacts between various structures of Armenia
and NKR have been recently activated, and due to the relations we
are trying to create business atmosphere we are deeply in need of",
the NKR PM noted.

In his turn, the Head of RA Police attached importance to cooperation
between Policies of Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh.

"Our visit is of acquaintance nature, and all amendments being
implemented in Armenia also take place in Artsakh. We will go on
strengthening our cooperation, we should follow one path and always
be together", Sargsian noted.

A number of members of Karabakh Police were awarded with medals
and certificates of honor of Armenia’s Police, Robert Shaferian,
the Head of the NKR Police, was awarded a medal for strengthening
cooperation, NKR Road Police received two cars. The members of the
Armenian delegation also received souvenirs.

Nagorno-Karabakh Defense Minister, Lt.-General Movses Hakobian awarded
the H ead of the RA Police Alik Sargsian with the memorable medal of
the NKR Armed Forces.

In his turn, the Head of Armenia’s Police awarded the Karabakh Defense
Minister with a medal for cooperation with the RA Police and presented
UAZ car to the NKR Defense Army.

The delegation of Armenia’s Police also visited Nagorno-Karabakh and
Azeri Armed Forces’ contact line.

Panorama.am

18:21 28/11/2008

INDIA-ARMENIA U21 MATCH

The India – Armenia match between U21 chess teams will be held from
November 30 to December 2, 2008, in New Delhi, India. The match will
be played on four boards, and the teams will encounter three times.
The match will be held according to the World Chess Olympiad
regulations: the winning team will get 2 points, the losing team zero
point and in case of a draw 1 point each. The winner will be
determined according to the results of three matches.

Here are the compositions of Armenian team:

Armenia: GM Andriasian Zaven, GM Grigoryan Avetik, GM Melkumyan Hrant,
FM Ter-Sahakyan Samvel.

The FIDE Congress in Dresden awarded Grandmaster titles to two
Armenian chess players, Hrant Melkumyan and 15 year-old Samvel
Ter-Sahakyan.

Source: Panorama.am

ERGENEKON IS A TINY PIECE OF THE DEEPER STATE, SAYS MIHRI BELLI

Today’s Zaman
Nov 26 2008
Turkey

One of the most important former leaders of the Turkish left, Mihri
Belli, has expressed the opinion that the Ergenekon organization,
some of whose members currently face trial on charges of plotting
to overthrow the government, is just a drop in the ocean of the
"deeper state" or "counter guerrilla," vaguely defined as rogue
elements inside the state hierarchy pushing and pursuing their own,
often nationalistic, agenda.

"Ergenekon is only a small piece of the counter guerilla," says Belli
in an interview Today’s Zaman, adding that confronting Turkey’s
two coups — namely the Sept. 12, 1980 coup and the March 12,
1971 intervention — is the only way for the country to establish
democracy. Belli also stated that in order for the "deep state" to
be exposed completely, the unresolved murders of Kurdish businessmen
and other individuals in the Southeast and attacks including the
assassination of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink in 2007 had
to be investigated until their murkiest details are illuminated.

"Ergenekon must merely be a part of the counter guerilla that they
discarded. The main body is still active. The Ergenekon trial, it seems
to me, is slightly teasing those in Turkey who are pro-democracy. The
real organization is still being protected. But if this trial is
expanded, and if those police officers or army officers involved
in the Hrant Dink murder, and if those individuals who organized
provocative demonstrations ahead of the Sept. 12 and March 12
military interventions are brought before court, the real network
could be exposed. It is the responsibility of every democrat in this
country to make sure these people are found and brought before a
court." Belli said,

Belli also said that the National Forces Associations (Kuvayi Milliye
Dernekleri), whose leaders and senior members have all been detained
as part of the Ergenekon investigation, are organized in the same
structure as units that were part of Operation Gladio — a post-World
War II NATO operation structured as "stay-behind" paramilitary
organizations, with the official aim of countering a possible Soviet
invasion through sabotage and clandestine operations. In fact, many
analysts believe such networks of groups in Turkey today, sometimes
referred to as the "deep state," are remnants of the Turkish leg
of Gladio.

He said, however, that the trial process associated Ergenekon too
closely with the Workers’ Party (Ä°P), whose leader, Dogu Perincek,
is currently in jail as an Ergenekon suspect. "Attributing all this
to Dogu’s little party is pushing the imagination a bit too far. It
is possible that certain centers in the military and the deep state
used the Ä°P. It looks like there is another game at play, since
the admiral who kept those journals was not arrested," Belli said,
referring to a retired navy commander whose alleged journals from 2004
kept meticulously detailed descriptions of a coup plot against the
Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government. No legal action
against or investigation into the retired admiral has materialized.

A retrospective look

Belli also stated that he and his friends had fought in the past
to unify the Turkish left. In response to a question on why he and
Perincek, an old comrade of his, went their separate ways, Belli said,
"Perincek parted ways with us because we weren’t close enough to
the military."

–Boundary_(ID_A6LmXsIHSq6aWuFHv+ xitg)–

TIGRAN DAVTIAN: LOW DEFICIT WILL PROVIDE SERIOUS OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE ENOUGH RESERVES FOR REDUCING IMPACT OF POSSIBLE ECONOMIC CRISIS

Noyan Tapan

Nov 27, 2008

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 27, NOYAN TAPAN. As a result of discussion of the
2009 draft state budget, the government has received 534 proposals from
the National Assembly deputies, factions and standing committees. 177
or 33.2% of these proposals were accepted fully or partially. As
a result, the government has managed to include the proposals in
the total amount of funds, making internal distributions, accepting
considerably the proposals of deputies, and keeping the overall indices
of the state budget. The expenditures of the 2009 final draft state
budget make 945.4 bln drams, revenues – 905.4 bln drams and the
deficit – 40 bln drams, the RA minister of finance Tigran Davtian
said at the November 27 special session of the National Assembly.

According to him, all the main macroeconomic indices were also
maintained in the final version of the draft. The only change was made
in the settlement index of the exchange rate of the Armenian dram:
the average Armenian dram/US dollar index was fixed at the index of
303.69 as of November 3 instead of the preliminary version of 302.44,
and the Armenian dram/euro index was fixed at 389.83 instead of the
preliminary version of 442.89.

T. Davtian said that the majority of 534 proposals submitted
by deputies were related to envisaging additional sums for
expenditures with various aims as well as to redistribution of
some expenditures. The amount of additional financing by proposals
envisaging an increase was assessed at 27.3 bln drams, including
financing in social-cultural and educational sectors – 16 bln drams,
in economic branches – 5.6 bln drams, and in the sphere of state
assistance to communities – about 1.5 bln drams. Proposals of a total
of 5.8 bln drams were accepted, including proposals of 4.1 bln drams
in social-cultural and scientific sectors, 0.11 mln drams in economic
branches, 770 mln drams for maintenance of the state machinery,
and 760 mln drams for state assistance to communities. The proposals
related to other sectors amounted to 40 mln drams.

On its own initiative the govenment proposes increasing the tax
revenues of the year by 1.5 bln drams and reducing the revenues from
official grants by 1.4 bln drams – due to the decline in the exchange
rate of the euro.

In the words of the finance minister, the low deficit "will provide
quite a serious opportunity to have enough reserves for reducing the
impact of the possible economic crisis". It was announced that some
chnages were also made in the message of the 2009 draft state budget
in connection with the global economic developments.