Author: Maghakian Mike

TURKEY MUST COMPENSATE ARMENIANS, SAYS MP SHIRAK TOROSYAN

Tert.am
14:30 ~U 17.03.10

President of Javakhq Patriotic Union and head of the Republican Party
of Armenia’s parliamentary faction Shirak Torosyan would very much
like that the Armenia-Turkey border to open and normal relations be
established between Armenia and Turkey.

"Of course those normal relations will be established according to
the requirements of the 21st century. But that, which took place in
the 20th century, in order to recognize that, an ongoing struggle
must be carried out, so that Turkey itself finally recognizes the
[Armenian] Genocide. Personally, for me, that’s very important,"
said Torosyan at a press conference today,

The Javakhq Union president also highlighted the necessity of
reparations. In his words, Turkey must compensate the Armenian people
for the genocide it committed, much in the same way Germany compensated
the Jews for the Holocaust.

PACE CO-RAPPORTEURS TO ARRIVE IN YEREVAN

news.am
March 17 2010
Armenia

Armenia submitted a schedule of reforms to the Monitoring Committee
of the CE Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) in Paris, France, on March 17.

Head of the Armenian delegation to PACE David Harutyunyan told RFE/RL
that, according to the schedule, Armenia’s election law is to be
reformed by the end of this year, which will enable the country to
start preparing for new elections. He pointed out that the first steps
will be taken within the next month, before PACE’s spring session.

Harutyunyan also reported that the schedule of measures proposed by
the Armenian authorities provides for a new law on big popular events.

A broadcasting contest is scheduled for this July, and the A1+ TV
Company will be able to participate.

Harutyunyan said that PACE Rapporteur for Armenia George Colombier
welcomed the schedule of reforms submitted by the Armenian
authorities. He stressed that the PACE Monitoring Committee will see
to it that Armenia honor its commitments. He also pointed out the
need for judicial reforms in the context of the OSCE/ODIHR report on
the trials of the Opposition members arrested amid the post-election
processes in Armenia in 2008.

PACE Co-Rapporteurs George Colombier and John Prescott are to arrive in
Yerevan this April to hold a more detailed discussion of the schedule
of reforms.

The opposition Armenian National Congress (ANC) expressed the
confidence yesterday that the Government-proposed reforms are nothing
but "half-hearted measures."

SWEDEN’S GENOCIDE RESOLUTION ‘SHOULD NOT BE EXAGGERATED’

News.az
March 16 2010
Azerbaijan

News.Az interviews Ingmar Oldberg, senior research associate at the
Swedish Institute of International Affairs.

May the disagreements between Russia and the USA influence the
settlement of conflicts in the post-Soviet area?

There are real conflicts of interests between Russia and the US in the
post-Soviet space, more exaggerated fears than misunderstandings. Some
states want and need support from the US, but the US cannot do much.

Russia and the USA are the main mediators in settling the Karabakh
conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Are they able to help reach
a peaceful solution conflict or are they simply fighting over their
own interests and influence in the region?

Russia is much more involved than the US, as it is a military ally
of Armenia, and an official mediator. The US is mainly involved due
to the Armenian lobby in the US.

Moscow says that possible NATO membership of any CIS state is a threat
to Russia. Do you agree?

No, but the Russians would see it as a threat.

Might the expansion of NATO to the South Caucasus enhance security
in the region?

No, it would provoke Russia, and NATO would be overextended.

Turkey is a NATO member and is helping the Azerbaijani military get
closer to NATO standards. Turkey is also trying actively to bring
peace to the South Caucasus. How successful is this work and do you
think that closer relations with Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia are
in NATO’s interest?

I think Turkey plays a positive role in the region, and is preferable
to US activities, especially in the Russian view. Indirectly
Turkish engagement also favours NATO and promotes stability. Turkish
reconciliation with Armenia is especially valuable, also to NATO and
the US, but for Russia it’s of mixed value, as it needs it less.

How would you comment on recognition of the ‘Armenian genocide’ by
the Swedish parliament? Won’t it harm Swedish-Turkish relations and
the improvement of relations between Turkey and Armenia?

The importance of the Swedish parliament’s decision should not be
exaggerated. There have been several such decisions by other states,
and the Swedish government and supporting parties were against it and
will try to balance it and to remedy relations with Turkey. The issue
of genocide is of course serious, but should be left to historians.

Aliyah Fridman News.Az

PRESS RELEASE
Kalaydjian Foundation
96-102 Zenonos Kitieus Street
Larnaca 6022
Cyprus
Contact: Tigran Kalaydjian
Tel: 00357-24659200
Fax: 00357-24659203
Email: [email protected]
Web:

Lecture in Cyprus by Genocide Museum Director Hayk Demoyan

ARMENIAN GENOCIDE MUSEUM DIRECTOR HAYK DEMOYAN DELIVERS LECTURE ON MUSEUM
ACTIVITIES AND ON ARMENIAN-TURKISH PROTOCOLS

16th March 2010

On Saturday the 13th of March 2010, the Director of the Armenian Genocide
Museum in Yerevan, Mr. Hayk Demoyan, gave the Armenian Cypriot community a
detailed and highly informative lecture on the history and activities of the
Genocide Museum and on the possible consequences of the Armenian-Turkish
Protocols signed last year. The lecture, which also included a slide-show
presentation of photographs and newly-acquired material, took place in front
of around 120 community members and was organised by the Kalaydjian
Foundation under the auspices of His Eminence Archbishop Varoujan.

In his speech Mr. Demoyan listed the various milestones in the history of
the Armenian Genocide Memorial and Museum at "Tsitsernakabert" in Yerevan,
and explained that a large-scale expansion of the Museum’s facilities is
planned in the near future, which will allow for a better and more effective
display of recently-acquired material. He also stated that numerous foreign
heads of state had visited the Museum in recent years and signed the
Visitors Book. Mr. Demoyan also stressed the importance of the Museum’s new
"Bedros and Aram Kalaydjian Collection", which comprises rare books,
original period postcards and newspapers, maps and other items that relate
directly to the Armenian Genocide of 1915-1923 and which was acquired by the
Museum during the last two years. These items will officially be put on
display next month and it is the Museum’s intention to send them abroad as a
temporary exhibition entitled "The Armenian Genocide: Frontpage Coverage".

Mr. Demoyan then expanded his speech to include the subject of the Protocols
that were signed by Armenia and Turkey last autumn. He stressed that the
Protocols do not call for the creation of a commission tasked with examining
whether the Genocide actually took place or not. The Armenian Government’s
position on this, he said, has always been very clear, namely that any
commission formed as a result of the Protocols would deal solely with the
consequences of the Genocide and how those consequences can be overcome.

Recently published books by Mr. Demoyan were also presented to the Armenian
community. The lecture then concluded with a question and answer session and
was followed by a cocktail reception.

The Management Committee of the Kalaydjian Foundation

news.am, Armenia
March 13 2010

Regular `April’ gesture from Ankara to Yerevan

15:36 / 03/12/2010By Arthur Hakobyan

Alarmed by Armenian Genocide resolutions adopted in U.S. and Sweden
and assuming that the process will continue Ankara restarted its
regular games on the threshold of April 24.

Turks remember that last year Ankara flagged up the world community by
idle talks, declaring of speedy border opening and normalization of
relations with Armenia. However, time told that after the joint
statement by Armenian and Turkish FMs on last April 22, all froze up
including Protocols to be initialed in August end.

However, after the U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs approved H.
Res. 252, Turkey’s anger strangely spent itself fast. And again
referring to some anonymous diplomats, Turkish media started to assure
that Ankara does not link Genocide Resolution passed in the U.S. with
Armenia-Turkey relations. In this context, a statement somewhat
resembling a call to tolerance by Suat Kiniklioglu ‘ AK Party Deputy
Chairman and Spokesman of Foreign Affairs Committee made before
arrival to Yerevan is noteworthy. It outlined a necessity to sign
Armenia-Turkey Protocols emphasizing that Armenian Diaspora will
advance Genocide recognition campaign in any case.

Commenting on the issue, Turkish Sabah daily says that Turkish
diplomats attending the Protocols’ signing ceremony in Switzerland
call the phrase `Protocols are dead’ a romantic babble. According to
anonymous sources, no need to worry about the documents’ ratification,
as the process goes ahead by its own stream.

Meanwhile, Turkish Star notes that after Protocols’ ratification
having the Karabakh conflict settled, Turkey will offer construction
of Turkey-Armenia and Turkey-Armenia-Azerbaijan highway. The source
reports that Turkish Economic Policy Research Foundation already
informed the RA Government about this. Thus, Turkey becoming a
conflicting party in Karabakh peace process has nothing short of
ambitious plans. `Turkey will offer to send troops to ensure security
of Lachin,’ Star reads, meantime forecasting terms Armenian contingent
withdrawal from Lachin and Kelbajar.

It’s time for Turkey to get that it cannot go on with deceiving
international community by obsolete and threadbare techniques. This
policy will assist even more the Armenian Genocide recognition
internationally by other countries’ parliaments.

A.G.

DELEGATION OF OSCE PA PAY TRIBUTE TO MEMORY OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE VICTIMS

ArmInfo
2010-03-11 20:48:00

ArmInfo. Today President of OSCE PA Joao Soares and Special
Representative of OSCE PA for Nagorno-Karabakh Goran Lennmarker
visited the Armenian Genocide memorial at Tsitsernakaberd.

They planted a tree in memory of the Armenian Genocide victims and
visited the Armenian Genocide Museum. They expressed sympathy with
the Armenian nation and said that such things must not happen in
the future.

TURKEY AND ARMENIA MUST SPEAK PRIVATELY: VARTAN OSKANIAN

Tert.am
16:47 ~U 12.03.10

The diplomatic protocols awaiting ratification by the parliaments
of Turkey and Armenia have fallen victim to miscalculations on both
sides, writes former Foreign Minister of Armenia Vartan Oskanian in
Lebanon’s The Daily Star.

"The Armenians came to believe that Turkey would find a way to
reconcile Azerbaijan’s interests" with Turkey normalizing relations
with Armenia, and "would open the border with Armenia regardless
of progress on resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh issue. The problem
is that Turkey initially closed the border precisely because of
Nagorno-Karabakh, rather than any bilateral issue," writes Oskanian.

In his words, Turkey believed that by signing protocols with
Armenia and clearly indicating its readiness to open the border,
Armenians could somehow be cajoled or pressured into resolving the
Nagorno-Karabakh problem more quickly or cede territories surrounding
Nagorno-Karabakh.

"But this has always been unlikely in the absence of a comprehensive
settlement that addresses Armenians’ greatest fear – security – and
fulfills their basic political requirement, namely a definition of
Nagorno-Karabakh’s status. Both sides seem to be somewhat surprised
by the other’s expectations. Indeed, there is a growing fear that
a settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute is more distant now,
because Turkey’s public backing has raised Azerbaijan’s expectations,
while some Armenians fear collusion between neighbors out to railroad
them into an unsustainable agreement," he explained.

According to Oskanian, however, the situation is not irreversible.

"Endless public sparring between Turkish and Armenian officials through
the media is not helping. It is time for both countries’ leaders to
speak privately and directly with each other, with an understanding
of the instability that could result from any failure to complete
the diplomatic opening that the two sides initiated," writes Oskanian.

CRIMINAL CASE AGAINST MARIAM SUKHUDIAN QUASHED

Noyan Tapan
March 11, 2010

YEREVAN, MARCH 11, NOYAN TAPAN. The criminal case against human rights
defender Mariam Sukhudian has been quashed, criminal prosecution ended,
and the precautionary measure has been lifted. Spokeswoman for the
RA prosecutor general Sona Truzian informed NT correspondent about it.

By the criminal case opened by Erebuni administrative region’s
investigation unit of the RA police, M. Sukhudian was charged under
Article 135 Part 1 of the RA Criminal Code (libel through dissemination
of obvioulsy false information humiliating another person’s honor
and dignity or injuring his (her) reputation). The preliminary
investigation, however, revealed that the Erebuni investigators
had interpreted the obtained evidence in their own way, and based
on newly-discovered evidence, the Yerevan police department made a
decision to quash the case against M. Sukhudian.

Instead, a criminal case has been opened in connection with committment
of lecherous actions with respect to pupils of the special edicational
complex No 11 in Nubarashen. M. Sukhudian had raised the alarm about
this incident.

PURCHASE AND SALE TRANSACTIONS OF MILLION 998 THOUSAND CONDUCTED AT NASDAQ OMX ARMENIA OJSC ON MARCH 11

Noyan Tapan
March 11, 2010

YEREVAN, MARCH 11, NOYAN TAPAN. Purchase and sale transactions of
million 998 thousand at the weighted average exchange rate of 392.39
drams per dollar were conducted at NASDAQ OMX Armenia OJSC on March
11. According to the press service of the Central Bank of Armenia,
the closing price was 391.8 drams.

SOUTH CAUCASUS RAILWAY COMPANY PLEDGES TO INVEST 530 MILLION RUBLES IN UPGRADING ARARAT- SOTK RAILROAD

ARKA
March 11, 2010

YEREVAN, March 11, /ARKA /. The South Caucasus Railway company has
pledged today to invest 530 million Russian rubles in upgrading a
railroad from the town of Ararat in the same name province to Sotk
gold mines in Gegharkunik province. Speaking at the inauguration
of electrical centralization module at Daralik railway station in
Ararat Shevket Shaidulin, the company’s s CEO, said the investment
will be made within the next three years to modernize all stations
on the railroad.

Shaidulin said the modernized Daralik station will enable to increase
the capacity of the road in the direction of Sotk gold mines in line
with an agreement signed with GeoProMining company.

Roman Khudoliy, GeoProMining president, praised the South Caucasus
Railway company for its efforts to upgrade the system. He explained
that under an agreement with the South Caucasus Railway Óompany
GeoProMining is to double production volumes and consequently the
volume of ore transported from Sotk to Ararat gold extraction plant
by railway.

GeoProMining is a privately owned company specialized in mining and
processing of metalliferous ores (copper, molybdenum, antimony)
and precious metals (gold, silver). The Group has a diversified
production structure and markets. Deposits and processing plants
of the Group are in Russia, Armenia, Georgia and Vietnam. Its major
assets in Armenia are GPM GOLD and Agarak coper-molybdenum combine.

The South Caucasus Railways is run by Russian Railways. The
concessional agreement was concluded in 2008 for 30 years, with a
right of extension for another 20 years after the first 20 years of
operation.