Author: Nahapetian Zhanna

S. Ohanyan visited 9th fortified area

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11.03.09

On March 11, 2009 the Minister of Defense of the Republic of Armenia,
Mr. Seyran Ohanyan visited the 9th fortified area unit in Armavir
region. The commander of the unit colonel H. Shahbazyan reported
minister about the current situation, existing problems of the unit
also about the performed construction.

Afterward S. Ohanyan accompanied by the Chief of Engineers Forces of
the Armed Forces of RA major-general V. Adoyan, the head of 5th army
headquarters of defense ministry colonel A. Makaryan, Chief of
Department of major construction and quartering of troops of MOD
colonel A. Gevorgyan visited the 9th fortified areas division where
they were acquainted with on going construction works, the security and
maintenance of tank towers as well as with the social life of military
man.

In the frames of visit Minister Ohanyan visited to the observation post
of fortified area.

Charter97
March 13 2009

Lukashenka: From Serbian resort to Armenian one! (Photo) 20
12:51, ‘ Politics

The visit of the Belarusian dictator to Armenia in reality has become
a continuation of his vacation, which started in Serbia at Kopaonik
resort. Now Lukashenka is skiing in the town of Tsakhadzor.

But president’s servants have drawn certain conclusions from the visit
to Kopaonik, and the visit to the mountain resort of Tsakhadzor was
masked more carefully.

As we have informed, Lukashenka visited Serbia almost anonymously. In
the airport of Niš he was met in fact like a private citizen,
without any solemnities like honourable guard.

In the Armenian airport Zvatrnotz Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan
personally came to the ramp when the leader of the Belarusian state
came out of the plane with his youngest son Nikolay and bread and salt
where presented to them. A short conversation of Lukashenka and
Sargsyan took place in the airport. Since that time it was the only
conversation of the `working’ nature of the visit to Armenia.

As `Belorusskiye novosti’ has found out, directly from Yerevan
Lukashenka went to the town of Tsakhadzor, 55 km from the Armenian
capital. He stayed in five-star hotel complex Multi Rest House. He
plans to stay there till Sunday. At least, the rooms for Belarusian
guests had been reserved till March 15.

Guests of Multi Rest House which opened about two years ago, are
offered not only comfortable rooms, but also two- and three-storey
VIP-cottages, characterized by a bathroom in each bedroom.

Multi Rest House has been chosen not by accident. It is not just the
newest and most modern hotel of the resort, it is ideal for active
rest lovers, to whom the Belarusian president belongs. There is a
fitness-room, sauna, pool, football and basketball grounds, tennis
grounds and billiard room in the hotel. Besides, the hotel is proud of
its playground for children.

A little Armenian town of Tsakhadzor is well-known as a ski resort. It
is mostly visited from December to April, when three is snow
there. There are 5 levels of hills’ difficulty, so the resort is good
both for inexperienced and skillful sportsmen.

The hotel complex Multi Rest House is situated almost in the centre of
Tsakhadzor, with a 5-minute trip in a car from funicular and skiing
courses. But most guests prefer to walk and enjoy local sceneries.

By the way, the press-service of Armenian president does not have
information whether Lukashenka and Sargsyan are to meet
again. According to the spokesperson of the Belarusian president,
Pavel Lyohki, Lukashenka to return to Minsk `not earlier than
tomorrow’. `There still will be meetings in Armenia,’ he noted.

As previously informed by the press-service of Lukashenka, the program
of the visit includes meetings of Lukashenka with the leadership of
Armenia and representatives of business circles.

view photos at

PanARMENIAN.Net

Armenian Court of Appeals chairman resigns
14.03.2009 18:25 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ During the sitting as of March 13, having discussed
the application regarding the resignation made by the chairman of RA
Civil Court of Appeal,Edward Muradyan, the Council of Justice of
Armenia proposed to Serzh Sargsyan, the president of Armenia, to
deprive Muradyan of the power as per his application, reports Alina
Yengoyan, press secretary of RA Court of Cassation.

According to part 4 of the article 167 of RA judicial code, the judge
leaves his post as per his application. Edward Muradyan was appointed
chairman of Civil Court of Appeal by the decree of the RA President as
of November 15, 2007.

PanARMENIAN.Net

Ankara pleased with EP report on Turkey
14.03.2009 19:10 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Turkish State Minister and Chief Negotiator for EU
talks Egemen Bagis said Friday the adoption of a report on Turkey by
528 European Parliament (EP) deputies is an affirmation of Turkey’s
accession process.

Speaking to reporters at Istanbul’s Ataturk International Airport
after a trip to the Czech Republic, Bagis said that the EP report is
overall a balanced one.

Compared to the previous years, the EP report is more constructive and
makes a call to strengthen Turkey’s efforts for full membership to the
EU, Bagis said.

"The absence of â??1915 incidentsâ?? in the report
and a clear referral to PKK as a terrorist organization within the
report are very important. The EP report is the joint report of 27 EU
countries representing eight different political parties and it is a
balanced one," Bagis said.

In reference to a question on the upcoming visit of U.S. President
Barack Obama to Turkey, Bagis said that this visit is an indication of
where Turkey has come globally.

"Turkey is not merely a member of the UN Security Council. It is a
country that continues negotiations with the EU and runs the
Secretariat General of the Organization of Islamic Conference. The
fact that Turkey has become a country that is consulted with in global
matters should be a matter of pride for all of us," Bagis said.

VivaCell-MTS provided AMD 60.6 million to the American University of
Armenia for the video conferencing room

2009-03-12 10:48:00

ArmInfo. Today the official opening of the videoconferencing hall of
the American University of Armenia was held. The videoconferencing hall
was sponsored by VivaCell-MTS, a subsidiary of Mobile TeleSystems OJSC
(NYSE: MBT). VivaCell-MTS has provided AMD 60.6 mln of support for the
videoconferencing facility, which will be named for VivaCell-MTS.

The videoconferencing room comprises a set of interactive
telecommunication technologies which allow students and professors in
different locations to interact via two- way video and audio
transmissions simultaneously. Thanks to this innovative technology,
students and faculty of AUA can benefit from guest lecturers ‘brought’
into a class from another university though videoconference.

The official launch of the room was marked by the first
videoconferencing lecture in the new Paramaz Avedisian Building by Dr.
Michael Thompson from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte,
for students of the College of Health Sciences. Through
videoconferencing students can visit another part of the world to speak
with others which brings opportunities to students and faculty from
diverse communities and backgrounds to come together. Scientists can
collaborate with colleagues at other universities on a regular basis
without loss of time due to travel.

"Bringing Armenia to the world and the world to Armenia is our aim. We
are responsible for developing highly skilled and flexible human
capital in Armenia. Application of up-to- date technologies in
education today is necessary if we want to compete effectively in
global markets. Nowadays we should be able to think globally. And
videoconferencing allows students from Armenia and their peers in other
countries to explore, communicate, analyze and share information and
ideas with one another", – VivaCell-MTS General Manager Ralph Yirikian
mentioned during the official opening.

"The support of VivaCell-MTS for the videoconferencing hall in the
University’s brand new state of the art campus building is appreciated
by the whole University community. The VivaCell-MTS commitment to
education in Armenia is exemplary and demonstrates its direct continued
support of the community," said AUA President Haroutune Armenian.
Support for the videoconferencing equipment was provided by USAID in an
earlier grant to the University.

VivaCell-MTS (K-Telecom CJSC) is the leading Armenian mobile operator,
providing a wide range of Voice and Data services. Since its launch on
1st July 2005, in a short period of time VivaCell-MTS
has managed to build a nationwide network and a considerable customer
base. VivaCell-MTS drives the development and offering of innovative
mobile communications products, services and features in the Armenian
mobile communications market.

Mobile TeleSystems OJSC ("MTS") is the largest mobile phone operator in
Russia and the CIS. Together with its subsidiaries, the Company
services over 91.4 million subscribers. The regions of Russia, as well
as Armenia, Belarus, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan, in which
MTS and its associates and subsidiaries are licensed to provide GSM
services, have a total population of more than 230 million. Since June
2000, MTS’ Level 3 ADRs have been listed on the New York Stock Exchange
(ticker symbol MBT).

Focus News , Bulgaria
March 11 2009

Turkish towns discontinue twinning with 12 Bulgarian municipalities
over recognition of Armenian genocide

11 March 2009 | 09:06 | FOCUS News Agency

Sofia./ Ankara. Turkish towns terminated twinning with 12 Bulgarian
municipalities, which recognized the actions of 1915 as Armenian
genocide. Turkish Ministry of Interior wrote a circular letter for the
municipalities to be taken out of the list for twinning towns,
Hurriyet informs.

On the basis of a text of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the
Ministry of Interior sent a letter to other towns with orders not to
establish relations of twinning with 12 Bulgarian towns or to
terminate them if such have already been launched.

Three Turkish towns terminated twinning after it became clear their
Bulgarian twin towns recognized Armenian genocide. These are – Bursa,
Kurkklareli and Adapazara. They terminated twinning with Dobrich,
Plovdiv and Shumen after the circular letter of July 18, 2008.

National program of human rights protection to be adopted in Armenia

1

YEREVAN, MARCH 11, NOYAN TAPAN. Issues related to regional security and
stability, Armenian-Turkish relations, settlement of the Nagorno
Karabakh problem were discussed at the March 11 meeting of the
Secretary of the National Security Council of Armenia Arthur
Baghdasarian and the Ambassador of the Netherlands to Armenia Onno
Elderenbosch.

The interlocutors addressed the priority tasks and measures to be
carried out in 2009-2011 under Armenia-EU Action Plan of the European
Neighborhood Policy. A. Baghdasarian said that an interdepartmental
working group has been set up to adopt a national program of human
rights protection.

As NT was informed by the press service of the National Security
Council, the sides also spoke about the international conference "The
Security in the Caucasus" to be held in Yerevan in May.

PanARMENIAN.Net

Armenia to develop national human right protection program
11.03.2009 14:58 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian National Security Council Secretary Artur
Baghdasaryan met Wednesday with Netherlandsâ?? Ambassador to
Armenia Onno Elderenbos to discuss regional security issues,
Armenian-Turkish relations and Karabakh peace process.

The two also touched upon the European Neighborhood Policy and
organization of Caucasus Security international conference due in
Yerevan in May.

Mr. Baghdasaryan also announced formation of an interdepartmental
group charged with the task to develop national human right protection
program, the RA NSC press office reported.

PanARMENIAN.Net

Ankara plays rather a safe game in the issue of the Armenian Genocide
Turkey has never acknowledged an exact number of deportees or deaths.

Karine Ter-Sahakyan

10.03.2009 GMT+04:00

A month before the 94th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide in the
Ottoman Empire The New York Times published an interesting article by
Sabrina Tavernise. According to a long-hidden document that belonged
to the Interior Minister of the Ottoman Empire, 972.000 Ottoman
Armenians disappeared from official population records from 1915
through 1916. The numbers are published by Murat Bardakci, the Turkish
author and columnist, in a book that is a collection of documents and
records that once belonged to Mehmed Talat, known as Talat Pasha, the
primary architect of the Armenian deportations.

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ But since its publication in a book in January, the
number had gone virtually unmentioned. Newspapers hardly wrote about
it. Television shows did not discuss it. `The silence can mean only
one thing,’ said Bardakci, `My numbers are too high for ordinary
people. Maybe people aren’t ready to talk about it yet.’ For
generations, most Turks knew nothing of the details of the Armenian
Genocide of 1915 to 1918. `Turkey locked the ugliest parts of its past
out of sight, Soviet-style, keeping any mention of the events out of
schoolbooks and official narratives in an aggressive campaign of
forgetting,’ the author of article says.

Not once Turkey has appeared hostage in the clutches of her own wiles
with regard to whether `to use the word `genocide’ when addressing the
events of 1915′. The whole world was called up for assistance,
including the Jewish lobby and the Israeli Government. In effect,
Ankara played and still plays rather a safe game in the issue of the
Armenian Genocide: Israel will never bear the fact that there has ever
been another genocide in the world besides Holocaust, «thanks
to» which the Israeli state was established. Swelling the
Catastrophe of the European Jews into an event of universal scale, for
60 years Israel has been successfully waging a war against the Arabic
tightening encirclement, and, first of all, against Palestine. This
position of Israel matched Turkey most of all, as Ankara realized that
sooner or later she would have to recognize the `events of 1915′ as
genocide. However, the system collapsed during the operation
«Cast Lead». As we wrote, Prime-Minister Erdogan
accused Israel of `committing genocide against the Palestinians’ and
got a respective answer: `Turks ought not to speak of genocide¦’ It
should be noted, that for the Jews Holocaust is the sole national idea
for the sake of which the whole nation works. Unfortunately, this
cannot be applied to Armenians. Only two or three Diaspora
organizations are seriously engaged in the works of Genocide
recognition on an international scale. And the fact that they do it is
worthy of respect. The Government contents itself with declarative
statements and tries to promote relations with Turkey with the sacred
phrase `We are ready to normalize relations without any
precondition’. However, in reality, it means that Armenia shuts her
eyes to the blockade, gives consent to the support provided to
Azerbaijan in the Nagorno-Karabakh issue and overlooks the Armenian
Genocide.

Turkey has never acknowledged a specific number of Armenian deportees
or deaths. And in this respect the pessimism of the US Armenian
community is more than justified. The latter has been doing its best
to achieve the US Congress adoption of resolution on recognition of
the Armenian Genocide. `A disturbing development is an invitation
issued by Armenian officials to Turkey’s Foreign Minister Ali Babacan
to attend the Black Sea Economic Conference (BSEC) on April 16-17,
just days before the 94th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide,’ in
his weekly column writes Editor of The California Courier Arthur
Sassounian. In his opinion, while Ankara officials are ‘bombarding’
Washington with such fake messages, the Armenian side should not stay
astonishingly silent, giving credence to Turkish misrepresentations
which are intended to undermine the prospects of any U.S. declaration
on the Armenian Genocide. `It is hard to believe that the Armenian
Government should invite to Yerevan the Turkish Foreign Minister, a
supporter of Genocide denial, who does not intend to visit the
Memorial of the Armenian Genocide, lay a wreath and offer an apology
to the Armenian people,’ emphasized Sassounian.

Bullhorn Diplomacy

asbarez
Published: Friday March 6, 2009

This week it was announced by the Turkish media, quoting official
sources, that Armenia, in an effort to accommodate Turkish foreign
minister Ali Babacan’s schedule, has postponed a scheduled meeting of
the Black Sea Economic Council, scheduled in Yerevan.

It took the Armenian foreign ministry two days to announce that it had
not changed any dates to accommodate the Turkish foreign minister,
asserting that the meeting was scheduled for April 16 to begin with.

This was yet another announcement that has appeared in the Turkish
media of late that makes it appear as if Turkey is proactive in its
willingness to normalize relations with Armenia.

This, coupled with the expressions of `concern’ from Azeris that
normalization of relations between Turkey and Armenia would hinder
Azerbaijan’s negotiating position in the Karabakh conflict illustrate
the concerted campaign being waged.

The Turkish media and Turkish officials are also utilizing this
`robust’ approach by Turkey to send a message to the international
community–especially the United States–that any effort to recognize
the Armenian Genocide would be counterproductive to the inroads in this
process.

Day in and day out we are barraged by reports on Turkey’s posturing on
this and other regional issues, with the Turkish media often being used
to stir the pot and leave the
public in somewhat of a quandary.

Conspicuously absent from this war of words is official Yerevan, which
appears to be taking a more reactionary position to issues and waiting
to respond rather than to put forth a position that would be vital in
this evolving process.

While the Turkish foreign ministry does not shy away from discussing
the Genocide resolution and Turkish-Armenian relations on a daily
basis, either through announcements or clever press leaks, the Armenian
foreign ministry, which stated at the onset of the new administration
that the international recognition of the Genocide is a foreign policy
priority, remains quiet and at times on the fringes of this discussion.

Especially important is the fact that April 24 is around the corner and
efforts to introduce a Genocide resolution in Congress have begun to
take shape.

The same can be said about the Karabakh conflict.

This week the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs visited the region and
announced plans for another Armenian-Azeri presidential meeting.

The Azeri press is filled to the rim with reports, analysis and
conjecture about the recent visit and upcoming talks, shaping public
opinion both within Azerbaijan and stakeholder circles.

Armenia, on the other hand, continues to remain hush about its
approaches and assessments.

At a juncture where we are being told that the conflict resolution
talks are centered on the very dubious Madrid Principles, conje
cture
and hearsay could critically hinder public opinion vis-?-vis the final
peace proposal.

Whether it is Turkey’s bullhorn diplomacy or the current trend of
projecting Azerbaijan as a victim, the evasiveness and ambiguity of
official Yerevan does not come off as a prudent tactic.

Friday, March 6, 2009