Author: Nahapetian Samvel

Azerbaijan Business Center
March 13 2010

CICA declines to deal with settlement of Armenia-Azerbaijan Garabagh conflict

Baku, Fineko/abc.az. The two-day session of the special workgroup and
senior officials of the Conference on Interaction & Confidence
Building Measures in Asia (CICA) finished in Baku yesterday.

Following the session deputy foreign minister Nurlan Yemekbayev of
Kazakhstan claimed that earlier military political issues had not been
advanced within the CICA framework.

`Only now we are beginning gradually to touch them carefully with
taking into account interests of all parties. In this connection the
Organization is not involved and does not consider issues of its
participation in settlement of conflicts. As a country presiding in
the OSCE, Kazakhstan is ready to do its best for settlement of
long-drawn-out conflicts, including Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno
Garabagh conflict,’ Yemekbayev said.

Currently interest to Conference’s activity is growing. Vietnam is
likely to accede to the Organization at an upcoming June summit of the
CICA member states’ heads, and possibly one or two more countries as
well.

The CICA Summit will pass Political Declaration and Convention on
Legitimacy, Immunity and Preferential Benefit of CICA, and action
plans on transport corridors, information technologies, and
environment.

At the Summit presidency in the CICA will for the first time transfer
from Kazakhstan to Turkey.

The Summit will be conducted for the first time outside of Kazakhstan
(in Istanbul, Turkey, on 8 June).

CICA was initiated by Kazakhstan in 1992 and until 2007 was dealing
with creation of legal base. Today it is numbering 20 member countries
covering 90% of Asian territory.

ABDULLAH GUL: "DECISION OF THE SWEDISH PARLIAMENT IS INEFFECTIVE"

APA
March 12 2010
Azerbaijan

Baku – APA. "We know how this decision was made. It is ineffective
from the point of our view", said Turkish president Abdullah Gul
making comments on the decision of Swedish parliament to recognize
"Armenian genocide".

According to APA, Gul said those, who made that decision, were not
historians. "I would like to reiterate what I said about the US
Congress. If you asked them about the event, they couldn’t be answer
even with three words. They are people, whose actions are based on
mostly wasted claims. This is very regrettable decision as disrespect
to the history. It has no effects. Don’t inflate that. This is no
such subject that could be inflated. We shouldn’t swell the issues
which are ineffective for us".

UNLESS KARABAKH IS A NEGOTIATING PARTY NO QUICK SETTLEMENT IS POSSIBLE: GULYAN

Tert.am
16:59 ~U 12.03.10

Ashot Gulyan, the chair of the National Assembly of the Republic of
Nagorno Karabakh (NKR), held a meeting with the OSCE Parliamentary
Assembly President Joao Soares at NKR’s permanent representatation
residence in Yerevan.

Gulyan told journalists after the meeting that they discussed
issues relating to NKR’s domestic and foreign policy, as well as the
settlement process.

"There is no news [on the process], as it is several years since
the same approach is being presented during meetings, [and that is]
announced by high-ranking officials from NKR and the Republic of
Armenia," said Gulyan, adding that he had mentioned at the meeting
that the settlement of this conflict would be possible only if Karabakh
has a seat at the negotiating table and presented its approach.

"As far as Karabakh’s participation [in the negotiations] is not
secured, the conflict will not be resolved at a quick pace," said
Gulyan, adding that a quick settlement of any conflict increases the
probability of making mistakes.

Asked why this meeting took place in Armenia and not in
Nagorno-Karabakh, Gulyan said that Soares had a tight schedule,
adding he would next time visit Stepanakert to personally see what
the situation is like there.

"I did not see any attempts to exert pressure [on me] or dictate [my]
views. On the contrary, I felt he was willing to receive unbiased
information," said Gulyan.

SERZH SARGSYAN MEETS WITH CHAIRMAN OF FRENCH SENATE GERARD LARCHE AND NATIONAL ASSEMBLY SPEAKER BERNARD AKOIE IN PARIS

Noyan Tapan
March 11, 2010

PARIS, MARCH 11, NOYAN TAPAN. RA President Serzh Sargsyan within the
framework of his official visit to France met with Chairman of the
French Senate Gerard Larche on March 10.

S. Sargsyan emphasized the special role of the two countries’
parliaments in further deepening of Armenian-French traditional
friendly and warm relations. He highly assessed the activity of the
Senate France-Armenia deputy friendship group and current level of
cooperation at interparliamentary structures, attached importance
to periodical mutual visits and contacts of Armenian and French
parliamentarians. J. Larche, in his turn, confirmed Senate’s readiness
to contribute to further deepening of Armenia-France friendship.

At the request of the French Senate Chairman S. Sargsyan presented
Armenia’s approaches over the Nagorno Karabakh settlement negotiations
process, regional problems and prospects of normalization of
Armenia-Turkey relations. Other issues of bilateral interest were
also touched upon.

According to RA President’s Press Office, S. Sargsyan met with French
National Assembly Speaker Bernard Akoie in Paris. S. Sargsyan highly
assessing the active work of members of the France-Armenia deputy
friendship group warmly emphasized the considerable contribution
of group’s former and current Chairmen Francois Rochbluan and Rene
Rouquet in strengthening of Armenia-France friendship, in unbiassed
approach shown by group members in issues pivotal for the Armenian
people. Thoughts were also exchanged over regional issues, prospects
of pushing forward Armenia-France friendly relations.

At the end of his official visit to France S. Sargsyan had a working
supper with a number of influential representatives of the French
Armenian community in Paris.

RA President’s delegation will leave Paris for Yerevan on March 11.

PRESIDENT SARGSYAN ATTENDS JANSEM’S WORKS AT THE MATIGNON EXHIBITION HALL
Nelly Danielyan

"Radiolur"
10.03.2010 11:36
Paris

On the first day of the official visit to France, President of the
Republic of Armenia, Serzh Sargsyan, visited a display of renowned
artist Jansem’s works at the Matignon Gallery."

President Sargsyan congratulated the artist on his 90th birthday, and
awarded him with an Order of Honor for his significant contribution
to the reinforcement of the Armenian-French friendship.

Jansem said during the conversation with President Sargsyan that
although he lives in France, he has always been with Armenia with his
mind and heart, and that is the reason why he can help crying every
time he visits Armenia. The Armenian artist confessed that he feels
pity that his sons and grandsons do not speak Armenian.

Serzh Sargsyan assured that "maintaining the Armenian spirit is the
most important for staying an Armenian." For that purpose Armenia
has created the Ministry of Diaspora, which actively cooperates with
Armenian communities on issues of maintenance of the Armenian language
and culture.

The Armenian artist last visited the motherland ten years ago, but
even far from Armenia he follows the events here.

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT MEETS WITH PRESIDENT OF FRENCH SENATE

news.am
March 10 2010
Armenia

RA President Serzh Sargsyn held a meeting with President of the French
Senate Gérard Larcher.

The NEWS.am correspondent reported that participating in the meeting
were also RA Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian, Minister of Diaspora
Hranush Hakobyan, Chairman of the Armenian-French parliamentary
friendship group Ara Babloyan, RA Ambassador to France Vigen
Chitechyan, Vice-Chief of the RA Presidential Staff Vigen Sargsyan.

The Armenian leader is also to meet with President of the National
Assembly of France Bernard Accoyer. The Armenian delegation members
will take part in the meeting. President Serzh Sargsyan is also
scheduled to hold a meeting with representatives of the Armenian
community in France.

During his visit to France, the Armenian leader gave an interview to
Le Figaro.

ARMENIA’S STATE FOREIGN DEBT LAST YEAR GREW BY 88.1%

ARKA
March 9, 2010

YEREVAN, March 9, /ARKA/. Armenia’s state foreign debt last year
grew by 88.1% (or $1.389.6 billion) from 2008 to $2.966.7 billion or
1.121.1 trillion Drams, the National Statistical Service reported.

Some 83% of the debt or $2.462.3 billion was the government’s debt,
which grew last year by 76.3% or $1.065.7 from a year before. Central
Bank’s debt last year grew by 184.5% or $324.7 million to $500.8
million making 16.9 % of all the debt. Loans received for special
projects constituted 0.1% of all debt or $ 3.6 million.

Some 67.9% of the debt or $2.013.9 billion is owed to international
financial organizations. This debt grew last year by 63.1% from 2008.

Armenia owed $1.213.9 billion to World Bank – 40.9% of all debt to
international financial organizations. Armenia’s debt to World Bank
grew last year by 19.1%.

Armenian government debt to IMF grew last year by 335.4% to $586.7
million (19.8% of all government debt). The debt to the International
Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) rose last year to $60.4
million from $57.8 million in 2008 and the debt to OPEC Fund grew
from $15 million in 2008 to $25 million in 2009. Armenia’s debt to
the Asian Development Bank grew almost 16 times to $126.5 million.

Armenia also owed $142.7 million to Germany, which grew last year
by 13.9%. The debt to the USA reduced by 6.9% to $34.7 million, the
debt to France dropped from $4.97 million in 2008 to $4.83 million
s of late 2009. The debt to Japan grew from $174.9 million to $270.6
million. Armenia’s debt to Russia was $500 million.

GENOCIDE LABEL THREATENS U.S.-TURKISH TIES

United Press International UPI
March 8 2010

ANKARA, Turkey, March 8 (UPI) — A U.S. Congress panel’s decision to
label the mass killings of Armenians during World War I as genocide
has damaged relations with Turkey, a key ally linking the West and
the Middle East.

The resolution labels the 1915-23 killings of up to 1.5 million
Armenians genocide and calls on U.S. President Barack Obama to use
the word in his yearly statement on the issue. After the House of
Representatives’ Foreign Affairs Committee passed the nonbinding
resolution last week, opening the door for a vote in full House,
Turkey recalled its ambassador from Washington.

Turkish leaders over the weekend slammed the resolution, saying it
would hurt U.S.-Turkish relations if passed. Turkish Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdogan called it a comedy.

"Let me say quite clearly that this resolution will not harm us," he
said in remarks on Turkish television. "But it will damage bilateral
relations between countries, their interests and their visions for
the future."

The Turkish Embassy said in a statement that the resolution,
if adopted, would "impede the efforts for the normalization of
Turkey-Armenia relations."

Observers say the vote threatens an already stalled peace process
that hit its high last October when Turkey and Armenia after decades
of conflict signed two documents to re-establish ties and reopen the
countries’ mutual border.

Washington has tried everything to contain the damage.

"The Obama administration strongly opposes the resolution that was
passed by only one vote in the House committee and will work very
hard to make sure it does not go to the House floor," U.S. Secretary
of State Hillary Clinton said Friday.

A similar resolution was introduced in 2007 but failed to make it to
the House floor because it was blocked by President George W. Bush.

Turkey is a key ally for the United States. Sporting good ties with
governments in the Middle East, Ankara is able to mediate in the
nuclear conflict with Iran and in the ongoing struggle to revive the
Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

A NATO member with troops in Afghanistan, Turkey has opened its
military bases to U.S. troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. It is
also an important transit country for oil and gas from Central Asia
and the Caspian Sea.

Armenia says Turks killed up to 1.5 million Armenians when the Ottoman
Empire collapsed during World War I. Many historians say the killings
amount to genocide, a charge Turkey strongly denies.

In Turkey, people are critical of Armenia’s occupation of
Nagorno-Karabakh, an enclave in neighboring Azerbaijan. In 1993
Ankara severed ties with Armenia when it fought a war with Azerbaijan,
a close Turkish ally.

The "genocide" label is important to Armenians scattered around the
world. An estimated 5.7 million Armenians live abroad, including
1.4 million in the United States, significantly outnumbering the 3.2
million living in the small landlocked country itself.

THE PAST IS DISTANCING ANKARA FROM EUROPE
by Vittorio Emanuele Parsi

La Stampa
March 6 2010
Italia

It was easy to predict that the Turkish Government would come up with
an extremely tough response to a vote taken by the US Congress’ Foreign
Affairs Committee urging Turkey to acknowledge that the slaughter of
hundreds of thousands of Armenians in the course of World War I was
full fledged genocide, similar in every way to the Sho’ah that the
Nazi regime was to perpetrate a few decades later. But how come the
authorities in Ankara still adopt such an inflexible stance almost 100
years after those tragic events which, what is more, were perpetrated
by an institutional player (the Ottoman Empire) that is not the same
as today’s Turkish Republic? The answer is that the Armenian people’s
genocide is the most embarrassing thread linking the collapse of the
Ottoman Empire with the birth of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk’s Republic.

The genocide reflected a plan to "Turanize" ("Turkify" – La Stampa
editor’s note) the empire, replacing people’s previous and now obsolete
loyalty to the sultan with a new and vigorous loyalty to a national
Turkish homeland which had yet to be built, to be "invented," as was
the case with other countries that took shape in the course of the
century. The plan intersected and partly rerouted the last desperate
attempt to reform the empire made by young Turks from the mid-19th
century on.

The reforming movement’s nationalistic slide finally prevailed after
the Balkan wars of 1912 and 1913, and it was fuelled by the massacres
and enforced expulsions of the Muslim populace in the European
provinces that the empire had owned until that moment – massacres
perpetrated by Greeks, Serbs, and Bulgarians. The Turks responded
to those atrocities, which had not spared the Jews in Thessaloniki
either, with the first expulsions and massacres of Armenians and
Greeks in Anatolia.

Ethnic cleansing rose to new heights in World War I, reaching a peak
with the events of 1915. This cleansing operation was as ethnic and
it was religious, and it was explicitly and lucidly pursued by the
empire’s new leadership class, a large part of which was to then
transfer to the new Republic established by Mustafa Kemal after the
victorious war against Greece and against the other occupying powers.

Even Kemal Ataturk himself, a renowned "nonconfessional," actually felt
that equating the concept of "a real Turk" with "a Sunnite Muslim"
served his cause perfectly. In fact, it is no mere coincidence that
he was hostile to all other religious faiths (including other branches
of Islam), or that he accorded Sunni Islam special treatment with the
Ministry of Religion, in accordance with a vision of the relationship
between "church and state" that bore a far greater resemblance to
King Henry VIII’s English model than it did to the French republican
model with which it is often mistakenly compared.

In defending the Republic’s origins from an embarrassing original sin,
Ankara’s new overlords have shown that, albeit from a far more "pious"
standpoint, they continue to feel that Turkey’s national identity is de
facto inseparable from its Islamic and Sunnite identity. In so doing,
they are taking another step that distances Turkey from the European
haven which they still formally claim to want to reach.

LA TIMES EDITORIAL URGES GENOCIDE RECOGNITION

Asbarez
rges-genocide-recognition/
Mar 8th, 2010

LOS ANGELES-The LA Times issued an editorial on March 8, urging US
recognition of the Armenian genocide. We provide the editorial below:

Making Sense of Genocide

Turkey needs to come to grips with its bloody past so it can move
forward in its relations with Armenia and the U.S.

March 8, 2010

An estimated 1.5 million ethnic Armenians were massacred in the
final throes of the Ottoman Empire. That blood bath, carried out
by the Turks between 1915 and 1918, was genocide, and should be
called by that name. In approving a nonbinding resolution to make
this the official U.S. position, Chairman Howard L. Berman (D-Valley
Village) and other members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee were
responding to constituent demands that the United States take a moral
stand. Now, Congress and the Obama administration must decide whether
such a symbolic act also serves the strategic interests of the United
States. For the moment, just like presidents George W. Bush and Bill
Clinton before him, Barack Obama appears to be saying no.

It is important for the United States to stand for historical truth on
the Armenian slaughter. Even more important is that Turks themselves
come to terms with their brutal history. From Germany to South Africa
to Argentina, there are many examples of countries that have confronted
their violent pasts honestly.

Instead, Turkey recalled its ambassador for consultations after the
23-22 House committee vote, saying the resolution offends the country’s
honor and warning of negative consequences for U.S.-Turkish relations,
as well as for the ratification of agreements to normalize ties with
the Republic of Armenia. A more productive approach would be for the
Turks and Armenians to adopt the protocols hammered out last year to
establish diplomatic relations and reopen their shared border.

The U.S. vote must not become a pretext for further stalling.

During the 2008 campaign, Obama was unequivocal in his support for
labeling the killings a genocide. As president, however, he has the
unenviable task of weighing that position against the need for Turkey’s
support in Afghanistan, in stabilizing Iraq and for United Nations
sanctions against Iran. Turkey is the only Muslim country in NATO,
and it currently sits on the U.N. Security Council.

We understand that any U.S. administration must nurture the vital
strategic alliance with Turkey. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham
Clinton, who coaxed Turkey and Armenia into signing the protocols last
year, noted that the agreement established a commission to examine
their bloody history and argued that "it is not for any other country
to determine how two countries resolve matters between them." That’s
true, but we also understand Armenian fears that such a commission
could whitewash history.

The goal is Turkish and Armenian reconciliation, putting to rest the
ghosts of the past. That is in the U.S. interest as well as that of
both peoples. For it to happen, the onus is on Turkey to acknowledge
the Armenian genocide.