Author: Nalbandian Albert

AGOS EDITOR SARKIS SEROPYAN: ERGENEKON CASE WAS HRANT’S DREAM

armradio.am
18.01.2010 15:25

If Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink, who was fatally shot in
front of the headquarters of the bilingual Armenian weekly Agos in
2007, were alive today, he would have been overjoyed that the Ergenekon
gang is being investigated, Agos Editor Sarkis Seropyan has said.

"If Hrant were alive and saw the Ergenekon case, he would have been
over the moon," he told Today’s Zaman. "He would have supported the
Ergenekon case much more than what we are able to do at Agos. He
would not have been satisfied just by presenting the news related
to Ergenekon."

Seropyan was referring to the investigation into Ergenekon, a
neo-nationalist gang believed to be the extension of a clandestine
network of groups with members in the armed forces and accused of
being behind a number of unsolved murders of journalists, academics,
public-opinion leaders and writers.

"It was his dream that those people’s masks would drop," Seropyan
said, referring to alleged members of Ergenekon investigated by the
Ä°stanbul Public Prosecutor’s Office.

An investigation in the wake of the Dink assassination revealed that
a group of ultranationalists was behind the murder. Strong evidence
suggested that some members of the group had ties with the police
department in northern Trabzon, the hometown of the plotters.

Some gendarmes later confirmed that they had been tipped off about
the plot to kill Dink before the murder was committed.

However, although three years have passed since Dink was killed,
the investigation into this vicious murder has yielded no conclusion.

Today, Azerbaijan
Jan 16 2010

Azerbaijani embassy in Russia sends protest note to Russian FM over
Russian official’s statement

16 January 2010 [12:09] – Today.Az

`Azerbaijan’s embassy in Russia has send a protest note to the
Russian Foreign Ministry over Russian parliament’s Vice Speaker
Vladimir Zhirinovsky’s recent statement,’ Azerbaijani Foreign
Ministry’s Spokesperson Elkan Polukhov said.

In his recent interview with Lithuanian Neatkarigas Rita Avize
newspaper, Zhirinovsky said `Russia should recognize
Nagorno-Karabakh’s independence once it itself proclaims its
independence.’

`The Azerbaijani embassy in Russia has sent a protest note to the
Foreign Ministry in connection with the statement by Vladimir
Zhirinovsky in which he called for the recognition of Azerbaijani
territories occupied by the Armenian armed forces,’ Polukhov added.

"The note protests such a statement by Russian Vice Speaker and the
states that such remarks by the Russian State Duma contradict spirit
of relations between the two countries,’ he said.

N. Abdullayeva

URL:

CRISIS DIDN’T AFFECT ARMENIA’S MUNICIPAL AND REGIONAL ADMINISTRATION’S INCOME: DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Tert.am
17:14 ~U 15.01.10

Despite the global economic crisis, municipalities and regional
administrative bodies in the Republic were able to secure a growth
in their budgetary income in 2009, said RA Vice Prime Minister and
RA Minister of Territorial Administration Armen Gevorgyan, while
discussing the results of the ministry’s 2009 activities during a
press conference today.

In the minister’s words, the municipalities and regional
administrative bodies’ income has been on the rise since 2007 –
satisfactory indicators have been registered in the collection of
land and property, in particular.

That being said, however, there were still salaries owed to employees
of municipalities and regional administrative bodies, an issue that
was raised in early 2009, noted Gevorgyan. As of January 1 of this
year, the amount of salaries owed by municipalites and regional
administrations was 836,309,000 AMD (about $2,200,813 USD). The
Vice Prime Minister believed that the issue in 2010 is paying off 50
percent of this debt.

RA FOREIGN MINISTER DISCUSSES REGIONAL ISSUES WITH EU STATES’ AMBASSADORS

PanARMENIAN.Net
15.01.2010 21:42 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Today, January 15, RA Foreign Minister Edward
Nalbandian held a work dinner with EU states’ ambassadors accredited
to Armenia and the head of EU delegation.

The meeting covered a large-scale discussion of international and
regional issues, Armenian Foreign Ministry press service reported.

2009 MARKED WITH INTENSIFICATION IN KARABAKH PEACE PROCESS

news.am
Jan 14 2010
Armenia

2009 was marked with intensification of efforts in the peaceful
settlement to Karabakh conflict, the annual press release of
Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry says.

The release indicates that 6 meetings of Armenian and Azerbaijani
Presidents as well as numerous meetings of Foreign Ministers with
the participation of OSCE Minsk Group prove this fact.

"Armenian-Azerbaijani, Nagorno-Karabakh conflict should be settled
only within territorial integrity, sovereignty and the framework of
internationally recognized Azerbaijani borders," – this is Azerbaijan’s
principal stance on Karabakh issue.

International community realizes that maintenance of existing status
quo is impossible and the solution should be found shortly, the
release reads.

ARMENIAN COURT APPROVES NATION’S DEAL WITH TURKEY

Associated Press Worldstream
January 12, 2010 Tuesday 2:48 PM GMT
Armenia

Armenia’s Constitutional Court ruled Tuesday that an agreement with
Turkey to establish diplomatic relations and thereby end a century
of enmity between the two countries conforms with the constitution.

Judge Gagik Arutiunyan said his court’s decision is final and the
agreement can now be given to Armenia’s parliament for ratification.

The court’s approval and parliamentary ratification at a future date
are seen as formalities in Armenia, where the judiciary and lawmakers
are loyal to President Serge Sarkisian.

The historic reconciliation was signed by the leaders of the two
nations in October, despite stiff opposition in both.

Turkey closed the border in 1993 to protest Armenia’s war with
neighboring Azerbaijan.

Armenia wants Turkey to acknowledge the 1915 massacre of up to 1.5
million Armenians as genocide. Ankara denies genocide.

MIKHAIL GUSMAN: RUSSIA MOST INTERESTED IN NAGORNO-KARABAKH SETTLEMENT

news.am
Jan 11 2010
Armenia

The Turkish politicians’ activities early this year are expected
to have a beneficial effect on the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process,
Mikhail Gusman, First Deputy Director General of the ITAR-TASS News
Agency, told Trend News, speaking of Turkish Premier Recep Erdogan’s
visit to Moscow and RF Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s planned visit
to Armenia.

According to him, one should realize that the issues related to the
settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict are part of the efforts
by the mediators, and the recent developments in the Armenian-Turkish
relations arte most likely to have their impact on the Nagorno-Karabakh
peace process.

"I think Russia is one of the states most interested in the settlement
of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict – after Armenia and Azerbaijan,
of course," Gusman said. Russia is really taking steps evidencing it
wants to be an honest mediator in the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process.

However, whatever efforts Moscow and other mediators exert, the
resolution of the conflict is in the hands of the two nations’ leaders,
Gusman said.

"If we speak of Russia’s role in supporting Armenian President Serzh
Sargsyan in this difficult matter of concessions, a question may
arise: is this support sufficient compared with the discontent such
concessions may cause inside Armenia?" Gusman said.

MOTHER SEE OF HOLY ETCHMIADZIN DIDN’T RECEIVE INVITATION FROM BAKU

Panorama.am
14:00 11/01/2010

World spiritual leaders are going to meet in Baku this year.

Azerbaijani mass media report Armenian Supreme Patriarch Gagregin II
will be in the list of invited holy leaders. Panorama.am requested
Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin to find out if Armenian Supreme
Patriarch plans to be present at the meeting. "We haven’t yet received
any invitation from Baku. As soon as we receive such invitation,
we’ll discuss it," priest Vahram Meliqyan said.

Armenian national chess team defeated Turkey
08.01.2010 14:56 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ In the World Chess Team Championship, which takes
place in the Turkish city of Bursa from January 4 to 14, the Armenian
team in the 3rd round defeated the Turkish national team with a score
of 4,5-0,5.

Mert Erdogdu – Levon Aronian – 1/2 -1/2
Mustafa Yalmaz – Vladimir Akopian – 0-1
Kan Emre – Gabriel Sargsyan – 0-1
Esen Baris – Arman Pashikyan – 0-1.

After 3 tours Armenian chess players have 2 victories (Israel, Turkey)
and one loss (Azerbaijan). Thus, Armenia is leading the tournament
table of the world championship, and Turkey without any points
occupies the last – 10th place. United States ranks second and
Azerbaijan is the third.

In the 4th round the Armenian national team will play against Brazil
team, which is 8th in the standings.

FIDE holds World Chess Team Championship since 1985. 10 strongest
teams of the world, selected in Chess Olympiads and continental team
championships take part in it. During the first championship matches
were held on 6 boards, and in next tournaments – on 4 boards. The
venue of the first four tournaments was chosen the Swiss city of
Lucerne, then it was decided to hold competitions in different cities.
In 2001, the championship was held in Yerevan. The National Team of
Armenia in 1997, 2001 and 2005, won the bronze medals.

AzerNews Weekly, Azerbaijan
Jan 8 2010

France setting up `genocide court’

08-01-2010 05:39:39

An ad hoc bureau will be established in France to deal with genocide
and other crimes against humanity, Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner
and Justice Minister Michele Alliot-Marie told Le Monde, a local daily
newspaper.
The bureau, to be set up under the French Criminal Court, will review
cases of such grave crimes committed outside the country. A relevant
bill is to be submitted to parliament for consideration in the first
quarter of 2010, officials said.
French courts are presently considering 12 cases brought against
persons suspected of complicity in genocide perpetrated against ethnic
Tutsis in Rwanda.*