Author: Nahapetian Zhanna

WPS Agency, Russia
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
December 31, 2008 Wednesday

GERMAN POLITICIANS ADVISE AZERBAIJAN TO TAKE REALITY INTO ACCOUNT

The office of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation in Berlin organized a
conference to discuss "Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict Settlement from the
Azerbaijani Standpoint: Options".

Spokesman for Azerbaijan invited to address those present spoke of
territorial integrity and threatened to resort to military might.

Uve Halbach of the German International Security institute and Reiner
Dornseuver of the Council of Europe replied by saying that with all
due respect for the principle of territorial integrity, conflict
settlement should take the existing reality into account. Halbach
announced that the demands for territorial integrity were not absolute
and sometimes even impossible to meet (here a reference was made to
Georgia).

Dornseuver in his turn advised Azerbaijan to learn from the past
experience of Germany that had accepted the reality formed by WWII and
thus facilitated peace and security in Europe. He said that abandoning
this demand would advance peaceful settlement of the conflict and that
Azerbaijan and Armenia could count on assistance from the Council of
Europe in dealing with consequences of the conflict.

Source: Regnum news agency, Russia, December 29, 2008

, Turkey
Dec 28 2008

Armenian claims "risky area" with Obama admin: Turkish FM

Appearing in a program on a private television channel, Babacan
replied to questions on several matters.

Sunday, 28 December 2008 16:16

Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan said on Sunday that Turkish
authorities regarded the issue of 1915 incidents as "risky area" in
the relations between Turkey and the United States during the period
of the new U.S. administration.

Appearing in a program on a private television channel, Babacan
replied to questions on several matters.

Answering a question on the fight against PKK in the north of Iraq,
Babacan said "terrorist organization in the north of Iraq was an issue
poisoning the relations between Turkey and Iraq. "

"Turkey has entered a different process in regard to combating
terrorist organization last year", he said.

"We have not taken any step which might make negative impact on daily
life of the people living in the north of Iraq. We have some problems
with mentality and policies of the local administration in the north
of Iraq," Babacan said.

Replying a question on Turkey’s EU negotiation process, Babacan said
EU had some internal problems in the recent period.

Turkey’s decisions on Cyprus and statements in France and Germany
against Turkey made a negative impact on the relations, he said.

"Despite all these difficulties, Turkey’s negotiation process is
advancing on its track," he added.

AA

Panorama.am

14:53 27/12/2008

MATENADARAN TO HAVE MORE VISITORS

`This year the number of visitors to Matenadaran increased by 3000,’
said the director of Matenadaran Hrachik Tamrazyan to Panorama.am. He
said that foreign tourists formed the majority of the visitors, which
is the evidence of tourism development in Armenia.

`I am happy to see that the interest towards our culture has been
increased. Foreigners are much interested in Matenadaran,’ he said.

Note that 17.000 manuscripts are kept in Matenadaran and 13.000 of
them are Armenian manuscripts.

Source: Panorama.am

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT TO SPEND HIS NEW YEAR HOLIDAY AT HOME, TOGETHER WITH HIS FAMILY

ARMENPRESS
Dec 26, 2008

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 26, ARMENPRESS: President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan,
as usual, will spend his New Year holiday at home, together with
his family, spokesman for the Armenian president Samvel Farmanian
told Armenpress.

UNEMPLOYMENT – ARMENIA’S NUMBER ONE PROBLEM?

The Messenger
Dec 18 2008
Georgia

The Armenian budget for 2009 does not take into account the world
financial crisis, says former head of the Armenian Central Bank Bagrat
Assatrian, now in opposition. He says that this budget was submitted to
Parliament in July and August and adopted in October and therefore does
not include any concept of operating within a global economic crisis.

Assatrian thinks that the economic situation will deteriorate in
2009, because the country artificially maintains the Drum (national
currency) rate against the USD. He also thinks that the number one
problem in 2009 will be unemployment. He considers Armenian nationals
now working in Russia will also face serious problems and will be
forced to return home.

MP Vardan Bostanjian however thinks the Armenian economy is
in compliance with the demands of the current international
situation. According to him amendments of the customs and taxation
codes are envisaged.

ARMENIA NOT FULFILLS PACE RESOLUTIONS: VICE-PRESIDENT

Trend
Dec 18 2008
Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan, Baku, Dec. 17 /TrendNews, I.Alizade/ The Vice-President
of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) urges
the organization to take serious measures against Armenia, which does
not fulfill its Resolutions.

"Armenia does not fulfill the PACE Resolutions," Samad Seyidov, the
Vice-President of the PACE and the head of the Azerbaijani Delegation
to the organization, told TrendNews on Dec. 17.

The presidential elections were held in Armenia on Feb.19. The Central
Election Commission (CEC) announced the victory of Serzh Sarkisyan,
the Premier nominated as a candidate from the authorities, with 52.25%
of votes. Disagreeing with these results, supporters of ex-president
Levon Ter-Petrosyan, the main candidate from the opposition, began
holding continuous actions. Peaceable demonstrations were broken
up violently in the early hours of March 2. About eight people were
killed and 131 were injured.

The PACE adopted the Resolutions 1609 and 1620 on Armenia. The
Resolutions comprises discharge of political prisoners, unbiased
investigation of the developments and punishment of law enforcement
bodies using violence against peace protesters without any reason.

The PACE Monitoring Committee will discuss a situation in Armenia at
a meeting in Paris on Dec. 17.

Seyidov believes that discussions on Armenia will be more serious at
the PACE:

" Armenia openly refuses to fulfill the PACE Resolutions. At the
same time, the current state and developments in Armenia prevents
to fulfill the PACE Resolutions. The PACE will specially discuss
political prisoner problem in Armenia."

Measures to be taken on Armenia will be specified after discussions
at the Jan. session of the Monitoring Committee and the PACE, he said.

"There is a special attitude toward Armenia because of some forces at
the PACE and this country is preserved. However, at present facts on
this country are too serious that it is impossible to hide them. It is
the third PACE session that an issue on Armenia is being discussed,"
the Vice-President said.

MHP’S BAHCELI: "I’M ASHAMED OF THE PEOPLE BEHIND THE APOLOGY INITIATIVE"

Turkish Press
Dec 19 2008

Opposition Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli
yesterday he was ashamed of the scholars who started an initiative
to apologize for the 1915 killings of Armenians at the hands of the
Ottomans. Speaking with reporters, Bahceli said that Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s statement that he wouldn’t let Turkey be
divided shows that even after his 2005 visit to Diyarbakir, Erdogan
sees the plots threatening Turkey. He said the premier’s statement also
shows his agreement with the MHP’s ideas, calling this an "important
step." These issues should be solved in Parliament, not on the streets,
he added. Bahceli also criticized an initiative by the main opposition
Republican People’s Party (CHP) to welcome members who wear chadors,
saying that Baykal should clarify his stance on the issue.

HAKOBYAN IS NOT TAKING RISKS

A1+
[08:38 pm] 18 December, 2008

Armenian grosmeister Vladimir Hakobyan continues to take precautions
as he plays in the FIDE "Gran Prix Elista". The key player of the
Armenian team played his 5th 0-0 match in the 5th round.

This time his opponent was Ukrainian Pavel Elyanov. The competitors
took 25 rapid steps and tied the match. In any case, Vladimir’s
opponent was more careful in this match. In the previous rounds,
Hakobyan had not taken risks and had won half a point.

Thus, the Armenian representative now has 2.5 points. The
Mammedyarov-Kasimjanov match has already ended and the competitors have
earned half a point each. The remaining matches are still in progress.

HRANUSH HAKOBIAN: WE NEED TIME TO REALIZE ALL OUR PLANS

PanARMENIAN.Net
17.12.2008 17:19 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ A great deal of work should be carried out with
the Armenian community of Russia, according to the RA Minister of
Diaspora Affairs.

"At that Armenians in each region of Russia should be treated
in a special way. Besides, I am glad that we can cooperate with
the Union of Armenians of Russia to achieve better results and
maintain Armenianhood," Ms. Hranush Hakobian said in an interview
with PanARMENIAN.Net.

"We know that the society and Diaspora have big expectation from our
work but we will need time to realize all our plans," she said.

TABRIZ-YERASKH OIL PIPELINE CONSTRUCTION TP START IN 2009

Panorama.am
19:46 17/12/2008

Next year Armenia and Iran start the construction of oil pipeline
from Tabriz to Yeraskh, announced the Minister of Energy and Natural
Resources Armen Movsisyan during a meeting with the Foreign Minister
of Iran Manucher Motaqi.

The Minister said that fuel and diesel oil will flow though the
pipeline to Armenia. According to him the establishment of Armenian
Consulate in Tabriz will contribute to the development of cooperation
between the two countries.

"We welcome any project which is aimed to develop the industrial
field of Armenia," said the Iranian Foreign Minister.