Author: Nahapetian Samvel

news.az, Azerbaijan
March 5 2010

Azerbaijan may recall ambassador from US
Fri 05 March 2010 | 10:38 GMT Text size:

Azerbaijani parliament The parliament deputy considers that Azerbaijan
should recall its ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary from
the United States.

Azerbaijan should recall its ambassador in Washington in connection
with the support of resolution on "Armenian genocide" in the Committee
on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives, says deputy of the
Milli Majlis of the pro-governmental Ana Vatan (Motherland) party
Zahid Oruj.

"History showed that the Azerbaijan has always taken the most correct
and timely decision in an emotional state. I therefore consider it
necessary to recall our ambassador to the United States with the
wording "for consultations", said the deputy at the plenary session of
the Milli Mejlis on Friday.

According to him, the opinion that the Committee on Foreign Affairs
House of Representatives adopted the draft resolution on "genocide"
under the pressure of the Armenian lobby is a delusion.

"There is a frank bargain. By using the document, the US side is
putting pressure on Turkey to force it to open the border with Armenia
and to disavow the prerequisite of the liberation of occupied
Azerbaijani lands by Armenia. In turn, this will lead to the victory
of the Armenian diplomacy", considers Z. Oruj.

"The United States have failed to appoint its ambassador to Azerbaijan
for already half a year. This fact does not prove friendly attitude of
Washington to our country. The absence of the US ambassador has
numerous subtexts, both political and pursuing the plans to impose
pressure on our country.

This is also connected with the fact that the United States is working
in direction of the opening of the Armenian-Turkish borders", added MP
Gudrat Hasanquliyev.

1 news.az

La Stampa: The massacre of Armenians was Genocide

05.03.2010 21:20 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Democrats tripped up President Obama, by adopting
the resolution , recognizing the Armenian Genocide during the First
World War, Maurizio Molinari wrote in the La Stampa newspaper.

Democrats voted for the resolution, a bipartisan coalition voted
against. During the voting ambassadors of Ankara and Yerevan were at
the hall of the House of Representatives, as well as delegations from
the parliaments of Turkey and Armenia.

The Turkish ambassador immediately after the procedure was recalled to
Ankara for consultations, while the Prime Minister of Turkey Recep
Tayyip Erdogan few minutes after the adoption of the resolution made a
statement saying that the vote could harm Turkey-US relations, and
also prevent efforts aimed at Armenian-Turkish reconciliation. U.S.
Secretary of State, in turn, condemned the adoption of the resolution
and expressed hope that the House of Representatives would not approve
it, La Stampa wrote.

TURKEY RECALLS US AMBASSADOR OVER ARMENIA GENOCIDE RESOLUTION
Daniel Nasaw in Washington

guardian.co.uk
Friday 5 March 2010 00.16 GMT

House of Representatives committee approve resolution describing
massacre of more than a million Armenians during the first world war
as genocide

Turkey tonight recalled its ambassador to the US after a House
of Representatives committee approved a resolution describing the
massacre of more than a million Armenians by the Ottoman empire during
the first world war as genocide.

The non-binding measure passed despite objections from the Obama
administration, which had warned the house foreign affairs committee
it would harm relations with Turkey – a Nato ally with about 1,700
troops in Afghanistan – and could imperil fragile reconciliation
talks between Turkey and Armenia.

Turkish President Abdullah Gul called the resolution "an injustice
to history and to the science of history."

However, Armenia applauded the passage of the measure, which its
foreign minister, Edward Nalbandian, described as "an important step
towards the prevention of crimes against humanity". He added: "This
is further proof of the devotion of the American people to universal
human values and is an important step towards the prevention of crimes
against humanity."

It remained unclear whether the resolution will come to a vote in the
full house. A similar 2007 resolution died after intense lobbying by
the Bush administration, amid fears it would damage relations between
Turkey and the US. Historians say that 1.5 million Armenians were
killed by the Ottoman empire between 1915 and 1923, during a forced
resettlement. "The overwhelming historical evidence demonstrates
that what took place in 1915 was genocide," writes Henri Barkey,
a Turkey scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
in Washington DC, who nevertheless opposes the house resolution as
a needless political manoeuvre.

The killings are considered one of the first instances of genocide
in the 20th century. Turkey insists its historical records indicate
no genocide took place, but points to a lack of common historical
understanding over the events.

After centuries of foreign domination, Armenia won independence from
the Soviet Union in 1991.

Under Swiss auspices, Turkey and Armenia have been negotiating a
normalisation of bilateral relations and an opening of the border,
outcomes which are strongly favoured by the US.

The house resolution is the product of intensive lobbying by
Armenian-Americans. Last year the Armenian national committee of
America spent $50,000 (£33,000) lobbying Congress on the resolution,
which urged Barack Obama to characterise the events as genocide in
an annual message commemorating the massacres.

During the presidential campaign, he referred to the killings
as genocide, but did not used the term last year in a statement
recognising Armenian remembrance day, which commemorates the massacres

On Wednesday, Secretary of state Hillary Clinton had called a senior
Democrat Congressman, Howard Berman, to warn that the resolution
could hurt US-Turkey relations.

DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF TO THE PRESIDENT OF ARMENIA,VIGEN SARGSYAN UNDERMINES ARMENIA’S NATIONAL SECURITY
By Appo Jabarian

USA Armenian Life Magazine
March 4, 2010

In February, Deputy Chief of Staff to the President of Armenia Vigen
Sargsyan visited the Center for Strategic and International Studies
(CSIS) in Washington, DC, to discuss the prospects and "potential
benefits of normalization of relations between Turkey and Armenia,"
according to the CSIS website.

During the question-and-answer session, in response to a question from
Mr. Kazari of the Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan in Washington,
DC, Mr. Sargsyan astonishingly said the following regarding the current
Armenian-Azeri border: "All those important parts of the borders can
be de-blocked. Our immediate borders between Armenia and Azerbaijan
have nothing to do with the territories around Nagorno Karabagh."

He continued: "Now as far as the occupation, our concerns are very much
in favor [of] … what is important [is that] the president of Armenia
[Serzh Sargsyan], who was the Minister of Defense of these territories,
has always stated that he does not think of these territories as
historic Armenian lands. He always stated that these territories
have to return to Azerbaijan when the settlement of Nagorno-Karabagh
is found."

In reference to the controversial former Foreign Minister of Armenia,
Mr. V. Sargsyan added: "Vardan Oskanyan’s reference to the word of
‘occupied territories’ [ignited] big internal discussions on what he
has to do" to mitigate the negative outcome in the mass media.

As many readers recall, in September 2007, I had called for Mr.

Oskanyan’s resignation or dismissal as Foreign Minister of Armenia.

The article was disseminated through several news outlets around
the globe.

In that article, I wrote: "Oskanyan has been Foreign Minister for
too long, without having achieved any substantial gains for Armenia.

Furthermore, Armenia squandered away many valuable opportunities
for diplomatic gains in the international arena and even sustained
self-inflicted damages thanks to Mr. Oskanyan’s mishandling of
several cases at the United Nations and elsewhere. It is absurd that
the foreign minister … mislabels the liberated Armenian lands as
‘occupied’ territories. … Isn’t it time for a change? The political
landscape is shifting. We need more proactive leaders in Armenia."

Is Mr. V. Sargsyan aware that the territories surrounding mountainous
Artsakh have always been part of Armenia?

The now-liberated territories around Artsakh are part of the entire
Region of Artsakh that extends to the Kura River, just east of the
border between the Republic of Artsakh and the former Soviet Socialist
Republic of Azerbaijan.

As Mr. V. Sargsyan should know, the Artsakh Region along with
Nakhitchevan was arbitrarily carved out of the 1918-1920 independent
Republic of Armenia. These regions were part of Armenia up until its
takeover by the Soviet occupation forces in November 1920.

In 1921, soon after Sovietization, Armenia was subjected to the
process of "Stalinization" when the infamous Soviet Dictator Josef
Stalin "gifted" the entire Region of Artsakh with its lowlands and
highlands; and Nakhitchevan to the then newly created Soviet Republic
of Azerbaijan.

Presently, the Republic of Azerbaijan continues to illegally occupy 1)
The northern Artsakh district of Shahumian; and Gandzak (Kirovabad); 2)
the outlying lowlands that extend to Kura River; and 3) Nakhitchevan.

One wonders if Pres. Serzh Sargsyan is aware of his Deputy Chief of
Staff V. Sargsyan’s latest serious international blunder (to say the
least), undermining Armenia’s national security interests during a
lecture in Washington, DC.

By using the misleading term "occupation," Mr. V. Sargsyan should
feel ashamed for having committed an act of blasphemy against the
memory of thousands of innocent Armenian victims of the 1988 Azeri
pogroms in Baku, Sumgait and Gandzak/Kirovabad and their deportation
staged by Azerbaijan.

Mr. V. Sargsyan also disrespected the memory of countless freedom
fighters that liberated Artsakh from the Azeri yoke during the Artsakh
Liberation War (1991-1994) which was in response to the 1988 Azeri
crimes against defenseless Armenians.

While still on the job, Mr. Sargsyan should steer away from or
remain unswayed by the influence of neo-con enablers in various
academic/diplomatic circles, such as the one inside the Fletcher
School of Diplomacy which he graduated from.

Interestingly, during recent years, the Fletcher School of Diplomacy
has been serving as the farming grounds for spineless Armenian
diplomats, among them former Foreign Minister Oskanyan.

To President Serzh Sargsyan’s credit, as soon as he took the helm
of Armenia’s leadership in 2008, he decommissioned Foreign Minister
Oskanyan because of his dismal performance.

It would only be logical, if Pres. Sargsyan were to deal with Mr. V.

Sargsyan, the way he dealt with Mr. Oskanyan. May be, Mr. V. Sargsyan
should not even wait – he should present his letter of resignation
sooner rather than later.

To listen to Mr. V. Sargsyan’s comments at CSIS, please fast-forward
to the last 5 minutes of his remarks, by using the following link:
( armenia-turkey-normalization-view-yerevan).

IN THE RECONSTRUCTION OF COMPANY AGARAK COPPER-MOLYBDENUM COMBINE IN ARMENIA WILL BE INVESTED $18-22 MILLION

ArmInfo
2010-03-05 17:34:00

ArmInfo. The tentative cost of the project of reconstruction privately
held company "Agarak copper-molybdenum combine" in Armenia (AMMK),
calculated for 2-3 years, composes $18-22 of mln. This, in the
interview for ArmInfo correspondent reported Sergey Ropeyko, chief
project engineer, developed by Russian project company Mekhanobr
Engineering. According to him, by the international company of
GeoProMining, into structure of which enters the company Agarak
copper-molybdenum combine last year was ordered Technical Economic
Assessment of reconstruction and studied the entire complex of the
measures, which must lead to reduction in prime cost and return
on the production produced. It noted that the investments will
be directed toward the reconstruction of the concentrating plant
of the combine and toward the building of the new building of the
main building of factory. Collocutor reported that the flotation
equipment at the factory will be completely substituted, which is
exploited from the 60’s. "Machines are old, although partially
they were modernized, spare parts changed, but, in the essence,
they have not been changed completely. Equipment works unstably and
it leads to the frequent stoppages", said S.Ropeyko. It is planned
to replace crushing equipments, floto-park Chief project engineer
added that the main building of factory also is in lamentable state
and they made a decision to construct the new building of flotation,
which subsequently can serve for the development of enterprise. In the
new building it is planned to place new additional capacities and to
ensure a rise in productivity. Specialist noted, after reconstruction
the indices on the extraction of copper and molybdenum will grow by
2%, what will lead from one side to a rise in productivity, and with
another – to a reduction in the prime cost of production. Essential
success is planned to achieve, also, on the part of the ecology,
collocutor added. In particular, aspiration systems for the purpose
of decrease of the quantity of dust will be substituted, will be
installed contemporary indozators of the reagents, which will exclude
the leakage of poisonous substances in the work places. Besides
this, on the new flotation equipment is installed a more effective
ventilation system, which will ensure the best working conditions,
chief engineer noted. He certified, that half of entire flotation
equipment are already in the warehouses of the combine and today
satisfy all necessary technical requirements of flotation. S. Ropeyko
reported that in this stage Mekhanobr Engineering is on the initial
stage of the development of the design, whose delivery to customer is
outlined in August – September 2010. The periods of the realization
of project will be tentatively 1-3 years. From an economic point of
view, the reconstruction will make it possible to increase the design
volumes of output and ore processing from the present 3 mln. tons
to 3,5 mln. tons per year. However, these design capacities can be
substantially increased in the long-term outlook. The building of the
new main housing of factory will make it possible to place new power
equipments in the liberated old building of flotation. With the start
of the second turn of flotation repartition, it is possible to attain
output and processing of 6 mln. tons of ore per year, collocutor said.

Let us note that Mekhanobr Engineering was created on the base of the
design and scientific parts of the institute Mekhanobr in December
1990 and has a 90-year experience of activity, which was specialized
in development of technologies and planning of 250 ore-dressing
enterprises in the territory of Russia, CIS and other states. By the
projects of Mekhanobr Engineering were constructed Agarak copper-
molybdenum combine and Zangezur copper-molybdenum combine in Armenia,
and also Madneuli in Georgia. At present the company works on the
projects of mining companies Norilsk nickel, Severstal.

The group of the companies of GeoProMining acquired the shares
of Agarak copper-molybdenum combine in December 2007. GeoProMining
specializes in the output, the enrichment of polymetallic ores (copper,
molybdenum, antimony and precious metals (gold, silver).

Company has a diversified structure of production and markets for
sale. Deposits and processing plants of company are located in Armenia,
Georgia and Russia and in Vietnam.

JEWISH GROUP OPPOSES ARMENIAN ‘GENOCIDE’ BILL

Hurriyet
March 2 2010
Turkey

Turkey’s newly appointed ambassador to Washington has dived into a busy
schedule to prevent the passage of the Armenian "genocide" bill in his
first days in office and received support from a Jewish organization.

Ambassador Namık Tan met with "the representatives of almost all
Jewish lobbies and organizations in Washington" over the weekend,
according to sources in the Turkish Embassy in Washington, D.C.

According to the same sources, Tan met with the representatives of
"eight or 10 Jewish organizations," including the Anti-Defamation
League, or ADL; American Jewish Community, or AJC; and B’nai B’rith
International. They say the meetings are not only focused on the
Armenian "genocide" bill.

A day after his meetings, the Jewish Institute for National Security
Affairs, or JINSA, a nonprofit and nonpartisan organization that
addresses the security requirements of both the U.S. and Israel,
released a report titled, "The Armenian Resolution Should be Opposed
and Defeated."

"As the Turkish government began to slide — and then rush — away
from its relationship with Israel and slide — and then rush —
toward new accommodations with Syria and Iran, the Jewish community
has become less inclined to use its organizational skill on behalf of
the agenda of a country that is less inclined toward the Western side
of the great divide. It doesn’t help that the Turkish ‘request’ for
‘help’ has begun to sound more like a threat of damage yet to come,"
the report said.

However, it concluded that "to the extent that either side believed
opposition to the resolution was a test of loyalty, or tied it to
extraneous issues, they made a mistake. The Armenian resolution -driven
largely by the Armenian-American community- should be opposed and
defeated. But the reasons stand without regard to the [increasingly
difficult] behavior of the Turkish government and without regard
to [increasingly difficult] Turkish-Israeli or Turkish-American
relations."

Tan already met with the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs
Committee, Howard Berman last week as well as several key members of
the House, the embassy source confirmed. He also met with the Turkish
associations working in the United States last week.

SPANISH FOREIGN MINISTER, HERITAGE PARTY DISCUSS ARMENIA-TURKEY RAPPROCHEMENT

PanARMENIAN.Net
02.03.2010 20:11 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Tuesday, March 2 Heritage parliamentary group leader
Stepan Safaryan and MP Zaruhi Postanjyan met with EU President, Spanish
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Miguel Angel Moratinos.

On EU President’s request, Heritage parliamentary group members
presented their position on Armenia-Turkey rapprochement. They
expressed distrust for current Armenia-Turkey reconciliation process,
emphasizing the importance of integrated approach in resolution of
bilateral issues.

Founded in 2002, Heritage , a National Liberal Party, is national by
its roots, liberal in its economic principle, and an advocate of the
democratic system of governance and due process for its citizens. The
party’s objective is the development of Armenia as a democratic,
lawful, and rights-based country that anchors its domestic and foreign
policies in the nation’s sovereign interest. During the party’s Third
Congress on May 30, 2005, Raffi K. Hovannisian was elected chairman.

The other eight members of the party board were elected by secret vote.

WAR – THE ONLY ARGUMENT

hos17008.html
13:04:46 – 02/03/2010

Azerbaijan stopped bringing up legal arguments in connection with
the Karabakh settlement using only one argument- the war. Yesterday,
the Azerbaijani president stated: "The processes happening in the
world show that who is strong is also right".

Apparently, the Armenian diplomacy decided that it has to direct its
main forces to the prevention of a war in the Karabakh conflict zone.

As it came out, Armenia intends to present a resolution on its
renounce from force methods of conflict settlements at the summer
session of the OSCE. Azerbaijan has already announced it will not
allow the adoption of such a resolution.

So, Baku breaks one of the fundamental principles of the right –
non-use of force or its threat. Mediators and the Armenian party take
this with "comprehension", evidently, knowing that Azerbaijan needs to
"cover" somehow its renounce from rights to Karabakh.

In the course of the March 1 rally, Levon Ter-Petrosyan stated
about innovations in the Karabakh issue. He did not rule out the
adoption of a document, where would be recorded as agreed between the
parties issues, and those for which there are differences. Perhaps the
adoption of a common document, even if there are disagreements, will
be perceived by Turkey as a "progress in the Karabakh settlement",
which it put forward as a precondition for ratification of the
Armenian-Turkish protocols. In any case, Western analysts have said
many times that at the moment no one requires a final settlement
of the whole Karabakh problem, but just a gesture of "goodwill"
and open communication. In this context, Serge Sargsyan’s statement
is quite remarkable that Turkey would open its border with Armenia,
regardless the ratification process.

Against this background, the statements of the Azerbaijani side about
the war are to be viewed as a means to get the maximum dividends from
the inevitable settlement. Borders are to be opened, only the place
of the division line is to be decided. The "correction" of this line
may happen with the help of a local military operation which will be
said to be a war.

The last statement of the Turkish foreign minister is not accidental
that the opening of the Armenian and Turkish border will not bring
peace in the region and will not open communications. This is possible
to be achieved only through the settlement of the Karabakh issue. It
is not accidental that the road between Georgia and Russia opened
and that Serge Sargsyan participated in the opening and after, he
met with Mikhail Saakashvili who suddenly left for Turkey.

ACBA-CREDIT AGRICOLE BANK: Armenian banking system leader

PanARMENIAN.Net
02.03.2010 13:54 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Despite financial crisis, ACBA-CREDIT AGRICOLE BANK
succeeded to provide financial growth, winning leading positions in
Armenian banking system.

As the bank’s General Manager Stepan Gishyan told a news conference
in Yerevan, by the end of 2009, bank assets comprised AMD 162 billion
(12.3% out of total banking system in Armenia).

In 2009, the growth of bank’s assets comprised 31,6% compared with
2008 results. The bank’s owned capital comprises 12.7% out of total
Armenian banking system (AMD 35 billion); own capital growth comprised
34.8% compared with 2008.

In 2009, ACBA-CREDIT AGRICOLE BANK profits comprised AMD 4,3 billion,
with a share of 49,6% out of total banking system volume; bank’s
credit portfolio grossed AMD 90 billion (12,2% share), bank’s total
liabilities amounted to AMD 127 billion (12,1% share).

On January 25, 2010, the Financial Ombudsman’s office marked the
close of its first year of operation. During the event, Mrs. Piruz
Sargsyan, Armenia’s Financial Ombudsman, awarded certificates to
financial institutions which stood out for their cooperation with
the Ombudsman’s office. ACBA-CREDIT AGRICOLE BANK was awarded the
"Best Cooperating Bank" title.

Also, starting from January 25, ACBA-CREDIT AGRICOLE BANK allows its
customers to perform transactions with American Express Travellers
Cheques.

The ACBA bank was established in 1996, within TACIS program of the
European Union.

Credit Agricole Consultant consulting service of the French Credit
Agricole bank jointly with Dutch Rabobank and German DG-Agroprogress
companies successfully implemented the three-phase bank establishment
program.

In the first phase of program implementation (1993-1994), a study
on possibilities for financing the Armenian agriculture was carried
out, as a result of which a recommendation was made to establish an
agricultural bank under the model of the European cooperative bank.

In the period between September 1994 and December 1995, the structural
formation of ACBA Bank was accomplished, the main achievement of it
being formation of 60 village cooperation unions. Such unions were
established in four regions of Armenia: Armavir (Edjmiadzin), Ararat
(Artashat), Shirak (Gyumri) and Vayots Dzor (Yeghegnadzor).

The functional establishment (1996) was signalled by creation of
ACBA bank and its three branches, and by the Central Bank of Armenia
issuing a license for practicing banking activities on March 29, 1996.

Long-term and mutually beneficial cooperation between ACBA Bank and
the European leading French banking group Credit Agricole led Credit
Agricole bank group to become the biggest shareholder of ACBA Bank
on September 15, 2006, by making a significant financial investment
into the bank capital. ACBA bank was restructured into closed joint
stock company and renamed ACBA-CREDIT AGRICOLE BANK.

MORATINOS: THE EU WILL UPHOLD ITS EFFORTS TOWARDS PEACEFUL SETTLEMENT OF THE KARABAKH ISSUE
Anna Nazaryan

"Radiolur"
02.03.2010 15:09

The European Union intends to assume an important role in the world
and is working seriously with Armenia, Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel
Angel Moratinos said at a joint press conference with Armenian Foreign
Minister Edward Nalbandian.

The new European Union wants to conclude an Association Agreement
with Armenia. "We attach importance to the cooperation with countries
interested in easing the visa regime. We have created a sub-committee
on issues of justice, which will accelerate the process of conclusion
of the agreements on privileged visa regime, we are working out a
roadmap," Moratinos said, adding that "the Armenia-EU relations should
grow stronger within the framework of the Eastern Partnership Program."

The European Union will continue making efforts to reach a settlement
on the Nagorno Karabakh issue. Mr. Moratinos reminded that the Madrid
Principles were worked out in 2007 under the Spanish Presidency of
the OSCE.

Commenting on Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s statement that the
use of force is a decisive factor in international practice, Armenia’s
Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian said: "It was the application of
force by Azerbaijan that caused the Karabakh conflict, and it is the
threat of use of force that hinders the resolution of the issue today."

Touching upon the process of possible establishment of Armenian-Turkish
relations, Miguel Angel Moratinos said he hopes the protocols will be
ratified without preconditions and within a reasonable timeframe. "The
European Union welcomes the statements of the Presidents of Armenia and
Turkey. The EU wishes to get more actively involved in the process,"
the Spanish Foreign Minister said.

Referring to Turkish Prime Minister Erdogam’s statement that the wrong
steps on March 4 and April 24 could hamper the reconciliation process,
Minister Nalbandian said "It’s Turkey’s statements that impede the
process. It’s the return to the language of preconditions that hurts
the process of Armenian-Turkish normalization. We hope Turkey will
stop creating artificial difficulties, and we’ll have a chance to
move forward in line with the agreements reached."