PURCHASE AND SALE TRANSACTIONS OF MILLION 455 THOUSAND CONDUCTED AT NASDAQ OMX ARMENIA OJSC ON MARCH 9
Noyan Tapan
March 9, 2010
YEREVAN, MARCH 9, NOYAN TAPAN. Purchase and sale transactions of
million 455 thousand at the weighted average exchange rate of 389.67
drams per dollar were conducted at NASDAQ OMX Armenia OJSC on March 9.
According to the press service of the Central Bank of Armenia, the
closing price was 390.5 drams.
"VIOLENCE, INTIMIDATION AND LEGAL CASES AGAINST JOURNALISTS AND MEDIA IN ARMENIA 2008-2009" COMPILATION WAS PUBLISHED
NOYAN TAPAN
MARCH 8, 2010
YEREVAN
YEREVAN, MARCH 8, NOYAN TAPAN. By the support of the OSCE was
published a compilation "Violence, Intimidation and Legal Cases against
Journalists and the Media in Armenia 2008-2009," and produced by the
non-governmental organization Investigative Journalists.
According to Liana Sayadyan, Editor of the compilation, violences
and intimidation against journalists the police don’t do their work
well, they don’t investigate the people who saw the perpetrators
whom journalists have shown. In several of the violent attacks the
perpetrators remain unknown because of the bad work of police.
"There is no complete data available on violence against journalists
and slander, personal insult and defamation cases involving journalists
in Armenia, but this compilation should be useful to judges reviewing
such cases, to journalists and to those filing lawsuits", said Liana
Sayadyan, Editor of the compilation.
news.am, Armenia
March 6 2010
Armenia to benefit from normalization process in any event: RA FM
11:41 / 03/06/2010`Armenia will benefit from Armenia-Turkey
normalization process in any case,’ RA Foreign Minister Edward
Nalbandian stated in an interview with Public Armenian Television.
`He who acts sincerely, always benefits. We did likewise, without any
ulterior motives. Both the mediator and supporting countries witnessed
it. If Turkey has hidden agenda or a different stance, I will decline
to comment on the consequences Turkey may face if the reconciliation
process fails. The world will lose confidence in Turkey at least, to
say nothing of other consequences,’ Nalbandian said.
According to him, if Turkey fails the normalization process, `Armenia
will at worst return to the state prior to September 6, 2008, but with
better international reputation.’
L.A.
NorthJersey.com
March 7 2010
Trip of a lifetime in Armenia
Sunday, March 7, 2010
The Record
Given the opportunity from my Dede (grandfather) Ara Kopooshian, I
took the trip of a lifetime to Armenia. The first nation to adopt
Christianity and the land of 1,001 churches, Armenia boasts having the
most accurate version of the Bible. However, Armenia offers so much
more than religion, such as its own written and spoken language,
created in 301 A.D. The people are always smiling and are very
friendly. The food is out of this world ` never have I had anything so
fresh. I ate more than ever and never felt better. Armenia is known
for having the best brandy, and after trying it, I would have to
agree.
If you leave the capital, Yerevan, I recommend visiting Jermuk to get
holistic mineral water out of the mountain, which has amazing healing
powers.
Tip: Many people speak English, but if you don’t have someone who
speaks Armenian, I would bring a pocket English-to-Armenian dictionary
just in case. And, one week is not enough time.
Aram Manoogian
Dumont
l/readers_on_the_road/86741312_Trip_of_a_lifetime_ in_Armenia_.html
Saudi Gazette
March 6 2010
US-Turkey ties at risk over `genocide’ label
By Zerin Elci and Ibon Villelabeitia
NATO member Turkey recalled its ambassador to the United States for
consultations after a vote in a US congressional committee Thursday
branded the mass killings of Armenians by Ottoman Turks genocide.
In a statement, Turkey’s Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan also said he
was seriously concerned that the non-binding resolution would harm
Turkish-US ties and efforts by Turkey and Armenia to bury a century of
hostility.
Washington regards Turkey, a Muslim but secular democracy which
aspires to join the European Union, as an ally whose help it needs to
solve conflicts from Iran to Afghanistan to the Middle East.
What will Turkey do next?
l In 2007, Ankara recalled its ambassador after a US panel approved a
similar bill. Turkey reacted angrily, suggesting trade, defense and
other ties might be affected. Then-president George W. Bush warned
against passage, and the measure never came to a vote on the House
floor. The ambassador returned to his post after one week.
l Ankara had launched a diplomatic offensive to block the bill.
Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu told reporters in Ankara hours before
the vote: `We are at a stage when US-Turkish ties need maximum
cooperation. Everybody should consider the importance of US-Turkish
relations for regional and global stability.’
Will it affect the Middle East?
l Erdogan said the bill might harm Turkey-US ties, but did not give
any details. President Abdullah Gul said Turkey should not be held
responsible for any negative consequences, but did not elaborate.
l Commentators had said the bill could affect Washington’s use of the
Incirlik Air base in southeast Turkey. Incirlik is vital in logistical
support for US troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. Turkey is a
transit route for US troops going to and from Iraq, and has 1,700
non-combat troops in Afghanistan.
l Ankara has played a key role in Obama’s strategy to get Afghanistan
and Pakistan to work together in fighting Al-Qaeda and Taliban
militants in their borders. Turkey has hosted high-level talks between
Pakistan and Afghanistan.
l Turkey, which has boosted ties with its Muslim neighbors, is a major
player in US-backed Arab-Israeli peacemaking and has mediated in
indirect talks between Syria and the Israelis.
l Ankara has offered to use its close ties with Iran to help solve a
dispute between global powers and Tehran over its nuclear programme.
The United States, France and other Western powers are preparing a
plan for a fourth round of UN sanctions against Iran over its nuclear
program. ` Reuters
method=home.regcon&contentID10030665440
Hurriyet, Turkey
March 5 2010
A game of chicken for Turkey and America
Friday, March 5, 2010
Ä°LHAN TANIR
Make no mistake: The successful passage of the Armenian `genocide’
resolution in the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee has started a
very difficult and painful period for all of us who want peaceful
solutions for regional problems.
In my last column, I stated that `a miracle is needed to stop the
resolution at this point.’ Even though the 23-against-22 tally in the
committee looks like it was not an easy win, it was nevertheless a
win. The resolution sailed through from the committee to the hands of
Nancy Pelosi, the speaker of the House and another staunch supporter
of the bill.
Turkey did not waste time recalling its newly appointed ambassador to
Washington, Namık Tan, back to Ankara for consultations, in an
apparent diplomatic protest. What comes next is the focus of this
column.
Canceling Trade Minister Zafer Ã?aÄ?layan’s upcoming visit to the U.S.
in two weeks would be another opportunity to display the anger of the
Turkish administration, as would Prime Minister Recep Tayyip ErdoÄ?an’s
scheduled visit to Washington, D.C., in the second week of April for
the nuclear summit ` unless ErdoÄ?an decides to use that visit to
cajole Obama into working harder to stop the bill for the last time.
Mr. Suat KınıklıoÄ?lu , the head of the Turkish-American Caucuses in the
Turkish Parliament, said to me after the voting that `even though the
U.S. administration and the Jewish lobby did not back the Turkish
position this time around, it was still a victory to make the result a
close call. Armenians were relaxed and thought before the vote that
they could have gotten an easy victory; instead, they got a good
beating.’ He added that `this bill will not come to the General
Assembly after what happened Thursday.’
Bryan Ardouny, the executive director of the Armenian Assembly of
America, stated, however, `the committee passed the motion despite a
well-funded lobbying effort by the Turkish government supported by
major defense corporations doing business with Turkey.’
The delegation from the Turkish Parliament that has been worked hard
to lobby against the bill this past week in Washington did not hide
its anger with the Obama administration at the press conference after
the voting. The administration was absent in Washington in showing the
political muscle needed to get the committee members in line.
The Obama administration has told the Turkish administration in many
different venues in recent weeks that it actually views the Armenian
constitutional court’s recent decision, which found the protocols in
line with its constitution, as a positive step for the normalization
process. As Å?ükrü ElekdaÄ?, one of the members of the Turkish
delegation and a member of the main Turkish opposition party, told me
in an interview, it was U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for European
and Eurasian Affairs Philip Gordon who elaborated this stance to
Feridun SinirlioÄ?lu, a high official from Ankara who visited
Washington a couple of weeks ago.
I not only confirmed this with other sources in Washington, but also
heard from other reputable sources that Elizabeth Sherwood, senior
director for Europe at the White House, also took a similar stance
when she had a meeting with SinirlioÄ?lu and basically said that
America expects Turkey to move ahead with this process as quickly as
possible.
Spokespeople for both the White House and the State Department have
been quiet for weeks, and it was Michael Hammer, spokesman for the
White House’s National Security Council, who made a statement three
days before the voting, giving the White House’s position on the
resolution for the first time. `As the President’s 2009 Remembrance
Day message states clearly, the President’s … view of that history
has not changed,’ he said. `Our interest remains the achievement of a
full, frank and just acknowledgement of the facts.’
There were also personal issues for Obama to deal with while taking a
position on the issue this year. As a senator, he vigorously supported
the previous Armenian resolutions and accused former President Bush
very harshly in the past for working to stop the resolution. As
president, he now finds himself in such a position from which there is
no easy exit strategy. In addition, Vice President Joe Biden and
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton also supported similar bills in the
past and Congress is dominated by a Democratic majority. Obama hid
behind this quietness and `did not move his little finger,’ as one
Turkish deputy stated.
Where to go from here is the question. There are several factors to
watch now. Turkey lists three obstacles for not stepping forward to
ratify the protocols, the third one just added a day ago: 1) Armenia’s
unwillingness to take any positive action in regard to
Nagorno-Karabakh. 2) The Armenian constitutional court’s preambles to
its decision, which Turkey sees as changing the spirit of the
protocols. 3) With Thursday’s vote, the head of the Turkish
delegation, Murat Mercan, also added another obstacle, and it is for
Obama to stop the `genocide’ bill from coming to the House floor.
Armenia now, amid a victory after the Thursday voting, sees no reason
to make any concessions on any of these issues. Armenia’s responses to
Turkey’s claims are as follows: 1) The Nagorno-Karabakh issue is not a
pre-condition for the protocols, therefore it is not linked to the
ratification process. 2) Armenia, amid the U.S. and other countries’
backing, vows that its constitutional court’s decision is in
conformity with the protocols, therefore the decision is a positive
step for the normalization. In addition, according the constitution of
Armenia, the court’s decisions are final and irreversible, so Armenia
simply claims that there is nothing it can do about this decision now.
3) On top of all these discrepancies, the Armenian officials, starting
with the Armenian ambassador to Washington, who was present at the
committee vote in Congress, and others from the Armenian
administration, welcome the passage’s move to the full House, thinking
they already possess unbending supporters of the Armenian diaspora
cause, such as Nancy Pelosi and Majority leader Steny Hoyer, to name
just two.
Amid an already irate Turkish public and administration, expecting any
kind of positive step from the Turkish administration at this stage is
similar to daydreaming. And likewise the Armenians, who see now
recognition of the `genocide’ by the U.S. House of Representatives
within their reach, will not play nicely either.
So what is left for us while moving forward? What we will see in the
coming days is probably a game of chicken. Turkey will harden its
rhetoric and take more retaliatory steps, while the American side will
calculate that it can use the resolution in the House to put more
pressure on Turkey and hope that Turkey give in to move forward with
the normalization process, while being full aware how important it is
for Turkey to stop the resolution.
We might need to fasten our seatbelts while getting into this
turbulence. How and when this turbulence might end, nobody can predict
now, not even the administrations in Washington, Ankara and Yerevan,
but we hope it will not spin out of control.
Interfax, Russia
March 2 2010
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict could be settled soon – Armenia’s ex-president
YEREVAN March 2
The conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh could be resolved soon, Former
Armenian President and opposition Armenian National Congress leader
Levon Ter-Petrosyan said at a rally held in Yerevan on Monday to mark
the second anniversary of mass riots following the 2008 presidential
poll, when ten people were killed in clashes between police and
protesters.
"The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict has entered the stage where it could be
settled. Armenia’s return of five districts to Azerbaijan is on the
agenda today. This issue has been practically sorted out,"
Ter-Petrosyan said.
The presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan have found the key to resolve
the dispute over Nagorno-Karabakh’s future status, the presence of
peacekeepers in the region, as well as the land border between Armenia
and Azerbaijan, he said.
Armenia’s policy aimed at normalizing relations with Turkey has
failed, the opposition movement leader said.
"Turkey has managed to stop the process of international recognition
of the Armenian Genocide, and the border between Armenia and Turkey
will stay closed until the Karabakh conflict is settled," Ter-
Petrosyan said.
Armenia is facing five key challenges today – the Nagorno-Karabakh
peace process, the normalization of relations with Turkey, demographic
problems, law enforcement and the fight against corruption, he said.
"Until the first two problems are sorted out, the international
community will not pay attention to the situation with demography and
human rights in Armenia," Ter-Petrosyan said.
House Passes Armenian `Genocide’ Bill; Turkey Recalls Ambassador
2010/03/05 | 08:37
world
The U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee narrowly passed a bill
describing the mass killings of Armenians in 1915 as `genocide’.
Committee members yesterday voted 23 to 22 in favour of the
non-binding resolution despite a last minute plea by the Obama
Administration to prevent its passing. Turkish reaction was swift.
Prime Minister Recep Erdogan condemned the bill and Turkish Ambassador
Namik Tan was recalled from Washington D.C.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told Committee Chairman Howard
Berman late on Wednesday that a vote would harm reconciliation efforts
underway between Turkey and Armenian.
Mr. Berman, as nearly every member of the Committee saluted Turkey as
a vital U.S. ally. `Be that as it may,’ he added, `nothing justifies
Turkey’s turning a blind eye to the reality of the Armenian Genocide.’
Berman said that the United States, as a leader in promoting human
rights, has a `moral responsibility’ to pass the resolution. `Perhaps
there will be consequences. . . . But I believe that Turkey values its
relations with the United States as much as we value our relations
with Turkey.’
Three elderly genocide survivors were in the packed hearing room
before the vote took place. Pointing to the survivors – ages 97, 98
and 105 – Rep. Gary L. Ackerman (D-N.Y.) said, `They’re here for
justice. How long can they wait?’
The resolution’s supporters said they are unlikely to bring the
resolution to the House floor until they are confident they have the
votes to pass it.
Rep. Adam B. Schiff, its chief sponsor, said, `The whipping operation
starts today.’
news.az, Azerbaijan
March 5 2010
Azerbaijani Parliament appealed to U.S. Congress
18:24 / 03/05/2010Azerbaijani Parliament adopted an appeal to the U.S.
Congress in connection with approval of Genocide Resolution by House
Committee on Foreign Affairs. According to Trend News, appeal was
drafted by working group headed by Samad Seyidov `chairman of the
Milli Majlis standing committee on international relations and
inter-parliamentary relations.
In the declaration of protest, Azerbaijani MPs express regret about
Genocide Resolution passing.
`In fact Armenian Genocide is figment of sick imagination. Armenian
nationalists are not interested in studying of documents on 1915
events, as they take interest in spreading false rumors instead of
revealing historical record. Armenians exterminated over 2 million
Azerbaijanians and Turks,’ the document reads. Azerbaijani MPs are
also confident that resolution wil be rejected by the U.S. Congress.
March 4, U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs approved Armenian
Resolution by a vote of 23 to 22.
In response, Turkey recalled its Ambassador Namik Tan from U.S. for
consultations.
A.G.
HEATED DISCUSSIONS ON GENOCIDE RESOLUTION IN U.S. CONGRESS
news.am
March 4 2010
Armenia
U.S. recognized genocides of Holocaust and Darfur, now it is time to
recognize Armenian Genocide as well, Congressman Donald Payne stated
in the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee on March 4.
In his turn, Congressman Royce (R-CA) noted that California already
recognized the fact of Armenian Genocide. He also called on the
Committee members to vote for 252 Resolution.
Congressman Michael McMahon opposed the resolution saying that its
adoption might hamper Armenia-Turkey reconciliation process.