Author: Madatian Greg

CONSTRUCTION OF HIGH-SPEED BROADBAND INTERNET NETWORK TO START THIS YEAR IN ARMENIA

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
11.02.2010 18:41 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Construction of a high-speed broadband Internet
network will start late this year in Armenia, Vache Kirakosyan ,
head of high tech and IT department at RA Ministry of Economy, told
PanARMENIAN.Net. the Government has allocated USD 900 000 to carry out
preparatory works. According to him, DETECON International GmbH, one
of Europe’s largest consulting companies specializing in information
technology and global telecommunications is engaged in monitoring of
infrastructures. "Our aim is to ensure the penetration of the Internet
throughout Armenia. The network will be combined: both optical-fiber,
Wi-Max or satellite communications in the border villages, " Vache
Kirakosyan said. According to preliminary calculations, the program
will last 3 to 5 years, USD 24 million is planned to allocate for
its implementation.

THE WILLING MEDIATOR AND/OR THE TROJAN HORSE

Hurriyet
Feb 9 2010
Turkey

War may sometimes be a necessity, a path to peace or, as in the words
of American satirist Ambrose Bierce, God’s way to teach Americans
geography, or it may even be "engagement by another name." But
certainly war on Iran is certainly something undesired by almost
everyone.

Mediation is one way to prevent wars. It’s almost always costless
whether or not it prevents wars. And sometimes it may even work! If
mediation had been an industry Turkey’s per capita income would
probably have tripled by now. A few days ago a friend was joking that
he was confidently waiting for Ahmet Davutoglu, the foreign minister,
to knock on his door one of these days and offer his good offices
to mediate between him and his stubborn tenant who refuses to vacate
land despite a court warrant.

I personally would not be surprised if Turkey offered to mediate
between Turkey and Israel, or if Mr. Davutoglu launched a General
Directorate for Mediation at the Foreign Ministry. In reality it would
have been much nicer if Mr. Davutoglu’s boss, Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip Erdogan, genuinely mediated between pious and less pious Turks.

But the Turks may soon have to ask Israel to mediate between Turkey
and Howard Berman, an American Jew and the Democratic chairman
of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, particularly because the
congressional panel will vote next month on a resolution to label
the World War I-era massacre of Armenians as genocide.

Moreover, mediation-mania seems to be contagious. I would not be
surprised either if Greece, which has "increasingly warmer ties
with Israel and traditionally strong ties with Syria," appeared
on the mediation market with a view to replace Turkey as an honest
broker between Tel Aviv and Damascus. In return, Israel can offer
its good offices to mediate between Turkey and Greece, while Syria
can always mediate between Turkey and Israel to salvage the dying
Turkish-Israeli partnership. Like any other business, the mediation
business is increasingly looking like a joke.

But let’s leave the endless realm of mediation and go back to Iran.

This is the picture from the perspective of the Crescent and Star:
Ankara – as always – wants to mediate. But James Jeffrey, U.S.

ambassador to Ankara, is "skeptical Turkey can persuade Iran to
abandon any ambitions it might have for a nuclear bomb." Meanwhile,
the Iranians keep on repeating that "they would not need any third
country’s services to talk to any country."

What other input comes into the picture? Turkey is the most stable
country Washington can rely on – as some Americans think. And Iran’s
president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, happens to be a "very good friend"
of Mr. Erdogan who has declared Iran’s nuclear program as being
"merely gossip."

Complicated? Refer to the panacea called mediation. There are two
possibilities at this stage: 1) Turkish efforts to mediate between the
United States and Iran are genuine. They are NOT part of a "concerted
action" planned jointly – and privately – by Ankara and Washington,
and 2) Turkey is faking as an honest broker in favor of the Americans,
and hopes to make gains out of its role as a modern day Trojan horse.

So, the Turkish mediation fetish, especially when directed at Iran,
IS part of a concerted action against Iran.

If it’s (1), Turkish mediation will not succeed primarily because it
will not happen, and even if it did, Turkey does not have the power
and leverage on Iran for the moral persuasion the duty would require.

And, if it’s (2), be prepared for failure again, because the mullahs
are not as naïve as the Israelis who have successfully mis-located Mr.

Erdogan’s ideology. Any scenario based on the childish assumption that
the Iranians will trust Turkey because of Mr. Erdogan’s increasingly
pro-Islamic/anti-Israeli rhetoric in foreign policy is doomed to fail.

If there is a Turkish Trojan horse in this part of the world Tehran
will be the first capital to suspect and spot it.

And beware of a United Nations vote on sanctions on Iran. It might
be like a fire destroying the wooden disguise for the Trojan Horse
and unveiling the warriors hidden inside. How will Turkey, the U.N.

Security Council’s non-permanent member, vote if the council took up a
vote on fresh sanctions on Iran soon? Shyly smile and disappear? Vote
"yes"? Vote "no"? No doubt, the least probable is a "yes" vote –
and that would be the Trojan horse galloping!

All the same, a vote and Turkey coming under the spotlight will not
be the end of the world. In case the global powers thought there is
something wrong with the Turkish attitude, Turkey can always mediate
between Turkey and the Council to find a compromise.

SVANTE CORNELL: TURKEY WILL HARDLY RATIFY THE PROTOCOLS EVEN IF ARMENIA DOES

armradio.am
10.02.2010 17:48

Even if the Armenian parliament ratifies the Armenian-Turkish
protocols, we can hardly expect an equivalent response from the
Turkish parliament, Central Asia-Caucasus Institute at Johns Hopkins
University Director Svante Cornell said.

"Even if the Armenian parliament ratified the Armenian-Turkish
protocols, we can hardly expect an equivalent response from the Turkish
Parliament, as the ratification of the protocol by Turkey is directly
linked to advances in resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,"
he told Trend News over the telephone.

According to Cornell, one must take into account the fact that if
the Armenian parliament ratifies the protocols, it will be another
step to increase pressure on Turkey, which Yerevan seeks.

"Pressure on Turkey will grow, but despite this, Ankara is unlikely to
continue the process of normalization of the Turkey-Armenia relations
without solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict," he said.

U.S. HOPES FOR PROGRESS ON KARABAKH, ARMENIAN-TURKISH RELATIONS

Interfax
Feb 8 2010
Russia

The U.S. has spoken in favor of the settlement of Armenian-Turkish
relations without any preconditions, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State
James Steinberg said.

The U.S. backs the idea pf progress of Armenian-Turkish relations
without any preconditions, which will benefit everyone, Steinberg said
in an interview with Armenia Public Broadcasting. The U.S. wants to
see progress in both issues without stating any relation between the
processes, he said. There is no need to delay the solution of these
issues as they ensure mutual confidence, Steinberg said.

Steinberg said he believes both Armenia and Turkey realize the value
of progress and have certain questions to each other about their
future plans. The role of the U.S. in this issue could be that the U.S.

can show to the parties the importance of progress and help them make
the necessary decisions, Steinberg said. The presidents of Armenia
and Turkey have made good decisions and the U.S. wants them to become
a reality, he said.

Steinberg said the U.S. is ready to work actively on normalizing
Armenian-Turkish relations.

The U.S. hails the efforts made by the Armenian president, Steinberg
said, adding that progress in Turkish-Armenian relations would benefit
the interests of Armenia and its people. And would bring security,
wellbeing and new opportunities to Armenia and the entire Southern
Caucasus.

Steinberg also said the U.S. has long-term interests in the Southern
Caucasus.

The U.S. is working with all countries of the Southern Caucasus and
Turkey, has good partners in the region and would like to help them
resolve their differences," he said.

IRAN SUPPORTS NORMALIZATION OF ARMENIA-TURKEY RELATIONS

Tert.am
14:10 ~U 09.02.10

Iran supports the normalization of relations between Armenia and
Turkey, said Iranian Ambassador in Ankara Bahman Hosseinpour, reports
Ankara news agency.

"We consider that an important issue in striving for peace and security
in the region, as well as establishing friendship among countries
in the region. Iran has been cooperating with Armenia from way back
when. With Turkey’s participation, that could become a trilateral
cooperation," said the Iranian diplomat.

TATE DISPLAYS ARSHILE GORKY ART REMEMBERING HIS MOTHER
Louise Jury, Chief Arts Correspondent

This is London
cle-23803617-tate-displays-arshile-gorky-art-remem bering-his-mother.do
Feb 9 2010
UK

Two haunting paintings of artist Arshile Gorky and his mother can be
seen together for the first time at the Tate.

They are a highlight of the first retrospective of Gorky’s work in
Europe in 20 years, and were inspired by a treasured photograph.

Both are entitled The Artist And His Mother. Born around 1904 in what
is now Turkey, he and his family were forced out during the Ottoman
Empire’s 1915 genocide of its Armenian population. His mother died
of starvation in 1919 and he left for America in 1920, to become a
key Abstract Expressionist.

The paintings are normally in New York and Washington. They are at
Tate Modern from tomorrow until 3 May.

VIKTOR YANUKOVYCH WINS UKRAINIAN PRESIDENTIAL RACE

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
09.02.2010 11:10 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Ukraine’s opposition leader Viktor Yanukovych will
win a narrow victory in the country’s presidential election, electoral
officials say. With more than 99% of votes counted, Mr Yanukovych
had a 3.2% lead over his rival, PM Yulia Tymoshenko, BBC reports.

Mr Yanukovych called on Mrs Tymoshenko to quit, but she refused and
is expected to challenge the result.

International observers described the vote as an "impressive display
of democratic elections". "For everyone in Ukraine, this election
was a victory," the observers, led by the Organization for Security
and Cooperation in Europe, said in a statement. "It is now time for
the country’s political leaders to listen to the people’s verdict and
make sure that the transition of power is peaceful and constructive."

Iran and IAEA agreed on nuclear fuel exchange formula
06.02.2010 13:12 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Iran and IAEA agreed on a formula for sharing
low-enriched uranium to 20 per cent enriched overseas, but the details
have to be agreed yet: the exchange time, place and quantity, Iranian
Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said after a meeting with the RF
Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergei Lavrov in Munich.

"The main thing that both sides recognize the formula for the exchange
of fuel," he said. Mottaki called the remaining details as "three key
elements", which would guarantee the peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear
program.

"Time is required to enrich uranium to 20 per cent and our colleagues
in negotiations agree with this," Mottaki said. He suggested that it
will likely take five to six months to produce the enriched uranium
abroad.

"We agree and cannot wait until everything is ready, and we can
exchange 3.5 per cent uranium to 20 per cent," Foreign Minister of
Iran explained.

Mottaki did not give a specific answer which country can enrich fuel
for Iran, saying that the "enrichment under the supervision of the
International Atomic Energy Agency" can be one of the options.

"We hope that all parties can demonstrate a political will to
implement this formula," Iranian Foreign Minister said.

In his turn, Sergei Lavrov, in a separate interview with reporters
said that they discussed with Mottaki various options for the program
implementation about the additional enrichment of Iranian uranium
abroad, launched in Geneva by Six negotiators (the five permanent UN
Security Council members and Germany) together with IAEA.

"I hope that after today’s talk there is a chance that we will find a
scheme of reloading of the research reactor in Tehran, and it will be
implemented", Lavrov said, RIA Novosti reported.

Iran and IAEA agreed on a formula for sharing of low-enriched uranium
for enriched to 20 per cent abroad, Iranian Foreign Minister
Manouchehr Mottaki told a news conference.

Edward Sharmazanov: Ilham Aliyev must forget, that NKR might be part
of Azerbaijan
06.02.2010 15:44 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ "I want to remind the Azerbaijani leadership, that
16 years ago, they asked to sign a cease-fire agreement. I don’t treat
seriously the statement of Ilham Aliyev in an interview with Euronews
that Azerbaijan may agree to a military solution of the conflict, "
Edward Sharmazanov secretary of the parliamentary group of Republican
Party of Armenia told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter. According to
Sharmazanov, belligerent statements of Azerbaijani President is not
serious since they are followed by his calls to peaceful conflict
resolution. "Armenia has always been for a peaceful solution to the
conflict, but we proceed from the philosophy "if you want peace,
prepare to war, " Sharmazanov said.

He also reminded to Aliyev that Nagorno Karabakh has been occupied by
Azerbaijan during the Soviet era and achieved its independence in the
national liberation struggle.

Sharmazanov stressed that current bellicose statements by Aliyev are
more directed to himself. " Ilham Aliyev must forget, that NKR might
be part of Azerbaijan and start handling its internal problems, which
are innumerous,"MP said.

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.

The conflict between Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan broke out in 1988
as result of the ethnic cleansing the latter launched in the final
years of the Soviet Union. The Karabakh War was fought from 1991 to
1994. Since the ceasefire in 1994, sealed by Armenia, Nagorno Karabakh
and Azerbaijan, most of Nagorno Karabakh and several regions of
Azerbaijan around it (the security zone) remain under the control of
NKR defense army. Armenia and Azerbaijan are holding peace talks
mediated by the OSCE Minsk Group up till now.

ARMENIAN COURT RULING POSTIVE STEP IN PROTOCOLS PROCESS: US AMBASSADOR TO TURKEY

Tert.am
10:58 ~U 05.02.10

US Ambassador to Turkey James Jeffrey reconfirmed Washington’s position
on the Armenian Constitutional Court ruling on the Armenia-Turkey
Protocols. In an interview with Sabah, the American diplomat spoke
about the process of normalizing Armenia-Turkey relations, the Armenian
court’s decision, issues relating to the recently banned Kurdistan
Workers’ Party (PKK), and the matter of Cyprus.

Asked whether the Protocols "are dead," Jeffrey said, "No. Nothing’s
dead. With its decision, the Armenian Constitutional Court gave a
green light to ratifying the Protocols. There are Nalbandian-Davutoglu
contacts.

"We are working with Turkey every day. We are attempting to make
progress in the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. In truth,
those are two separate processes. However, Turkey doesn’t see it that
way. There are a number of conflicts that must be resolved in the
Caucasus. They can move forward in different speeds, but they’re all
important. They are parallel processes…" said the ambassador, adding
that there are no restrictive clauses in the Armenian court’s ruling.

"Certain statements in the Constitutional Court’s ruling have made
Turkey uncomfortable; however, we consider that decision to be positive
and see no restrictive clauses in that. We believe that both parties
approach their obligations assumed under the Protocols seriously,"
said Jeffrey.