Author: Navasardian Karapet

BELARUS CELEBRATES ARMENIA’S INDEPENDENCE DAY

PanARMENIAN.Net
22.09.2009 19:15 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ On September 18., Armenian National Television
and Radio Company’s symphonic orchestra organized a concert in
Minsk, Belarus, to celebrate the 18th anniversary of Armenia’s
independence.Next day, on September 19, Armenian Ambassador to Belarus
Oleg Yesayan gave a press conference to introduce Armenia’s history
since gaining independence. Diplomat attached special importance to
Armenian-Belarusian ties, bilateral cooperation and further prospects
for trade-economic development.

The same evening, RA Embassy and Hayastan Cultural-Educational
Association organized a reception which was attended by representatives
of Armenian-Belarusian community, RA Embassy and outstanding cultural
figures.

OBAMA’S STATEMENT IN HONOUR OF ARMENIA’S INDEPENDENCE

Tert
Sept 22 2009
Armenia

President of the United States of America, Barack Obama, issued
a statement on the occasion of National Day of Independence in
Armenia. The statement reads:

"The people of the United States join the people of Armenia in
celebrating Armenia’s day of independence today. We deeply value
the many cultural and historic ties that bind our two countries. The
United States gains strength as a nation from the contributions of
so many Americans of Armenian ancestry. We congratulate the people
of Armenia on their national day".

OSKANYAN AGAINST ARMENIA-TURKEY PROTOCOLS

Information-Analytic Agency NEWS.am
Sept 22 2009
Armenia

"No one has a right to sign Armenia-Turkey Protocols as they go,"
RA former Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan stated.

Touching upon Armenia-Turkey Protocols at the Civilitas Foundation
discussion, he declared: "Signing the document as it goes is
unacceptable. Moreover, no one has a right to do so".

Press Secretary of Republican Party of Armenia Eduard Sharmazanov
commenting on Oskanyan’s position on Armenia-Turkey Protocols said:
"The worst case scenario for a politician is loss of his post."

ADDRESS OF THE SPEAKER OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA HOVIK ABRAHAMYAN ON THE OCCASION OF THE INDEPENDENCE DAY

National Assembly of RA
Sept 22 2009
Armenia

Dear compatriots,

Today, we are celebrating the holiday of Armenia’s independence. This
great day is an occasion for giving again a meaning to the process
of the establishment of our independent statehood.

Declaring its independence through referendum the people of Armenia
founded our third republic and established its united will of building
free and independent modern statehood. After a break of long years
the re-establishment of Armenia’s independent statehood was the result
of rise and unity of the Armenian people.

On the occasion of this great day I cordially congratulate all of
us. I am sure that in future the proud spirit will be seen with new
creative rise of the Armenian people, and our unity will pave the
path for new and new victories of the Armenian people. I wish all of
us new successes, welfare and happiness for the benefit of Armenia’s
independent statehood.

ANS TV, Azerbaijan
Sept 18 2009

UK supports peaceful solution to Karabakh conflict, British envoy says

[Presenter] British ambassador to Azerbaijan Carolyn Browne spoke
about her country’s foreign policy in a round table held at the
Strategic Research Centre [in Baku] today in the context of modern
geopolitical subject of Azerbaijani-British relations.

[Corespondent] The ambassador said that 100 large British companies
are operating in Azerbaijan and that she hopes that economic,
political and cultural relations between the two countries will be
expanded even further. Touching on energy issues, the ambassador said
that although British companies are not involved in the Nabucco gas
project, it is a very interesting and long-term project. Browne also
said that her country is in favour of fighting terrorism and
establishing peace in the world.

Browne said that when she first arrived in Azerbaijan, she was of the
opinion that the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict belonged to the category
of frozen conflicts. But she saw the opposite of this during her
tenure here, the ambassador said. She added that her country is in
favour of preventing and resolving conflicts.

[Carolyn Browne, speaking in English with overlaid translation into
Azerbaijani] Our country positively assesses Azerbaijan’s fulfilment
of its international commitments, sending of its troops to Afghanistan
and closer participation in other peacekeeping processes. Our country
is in favour of impartially resolving the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict
through the mediation of international organizations. Our country
strives for the resolution of conflicts in line with international
norms at both the UN and the European Union.

We also support the development of democratic institutions in
Azerbaijan and its aspirations to integrate into the European Union.

Armenian cabinet ministers approve inspection system reformation concept

YEREVAN, September 18. /ARKA/. On Thursday, Armenian cabinet ministers
approved the concept of inspection system reformation.

Economy Minister Nerses Yeritsyan said the discussion over the matter
lasted one year.

He thinks the concept adoption will lay groundwork for reforming
inspection area and securing citizens’ interests.

In his words, inspections prompted public concern recently.

Businessmen say many inspections are groundless and inspectors show no
respect toward the inspected and impose very tough sanctions.

`The concept is intended for solving these problems’, the minister
said.

He said that the concept has been worked out under international
experts’ support.

World experience has been taken into account.

Yeritsyan said that the concept proposes to create a decentralized
system that will include the PM-affiliated council for coordinating
inspection reformation and the technical support board affiliated to
the Economy Ministry.

Yeritsyan said that 20 inspection agencies function in Armenia.

Three of them ` the state inspection agency on protection of market and
consumers’ interests, the state veterinary and epidemic-prevention
inspection and the fire safety inspection ` will be included in the
pilot reformation program.

The minister said that all inspection agencies would join the
reformation process later.

Yeritsyan said that a new inspection system will be established as a
result if the reformation.

Activities of this system will be transparent and no room will be left
for double inspection.

Special attention will be paid to inspectors’ conduct to prevent abuse
of powers.

The minister found it difficult to indicate planned expenses.

Instead, he said that Armenia expects financial support from
international organizations. M.V.-0—

Tert, Armenia
Sept 19 2009

European Broadcast Union to Change Eurovision Rules after Azerbaijan Inquest
12:33 ¢ 19.09.09

The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) investigation into the reported
Azerbaijan arrests and interrogations of viewers who voted for Armenia
at the 2009 Eurovision Song Contest has been concluded.

The EBU has stated that it will not take any sanctions against Azeri
broadcaster Ictimai; instead, they will change the Eurovision Song
Contest rules so that braodcasters can be held accountable for actions
taken by governments and telecom companies with respect to the
competition, says an EBU official statement issued yesterday.

For that reason, the EBU will change the rules of the Eurovision Song
Contest `to hold the participating broadcaster strictly liable for any
disclosure of information which could be used to identify voters.’ If
such activities ever take place in future, the EBU will be able to act
and ban the country from the competition or fine the broadcaster who
will be accountable from now on.

The investigation came after reports that viewers in Azerbaijan who
voted for Armenia were traced by the government and interrogated for
acting unpatriotically and being a potential threat to national
security. The news was circulated worldwide, and it seems unlikely
that voters in the country will risk voting for a country that could
lead to their arrest or questioning by the ministry of security. In
their statements to the EBU, the Azeri broadcaster confirmed that they
spoke to voters, though they deny any instance of interrogating or
arresting said voters.

Tert.am

OSCE MG CO-CHAIRS TO MEET WITH AZERBAIJANI, ARMENIAN FOREIGN MINISTERS

Today.Az

Sept 17 2009
Azerbaijan

OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs Yuri Merzlyakov of Russia, Bernard Fassier
of France, Robert Bradtke of the U.S. and Personal representative of
OSCE chairman-in-office Andrzej Kasprzyk will meet with Azerbaijani and
Armenian Foreign Ministers Elmar Mammadyarov and Edward Nalbandian
as part of 64th session of the UN General Assembly in New York,
Russian co-chair Yuri Merzlyakov said.

Merzlyakov said he did not know new American co-chair Robert Bradtke
and would acquaint with him in New York. Russian diplomat said
Mammadyarov and Nalbandian would discuss the planned meeting of
Azerbaijani and Armenian Presidents Ilham Aliyev and Serzh Sargsyan
in Chisinau.

The co-chair said the presidents principally agreed to meet, but the
final agreement had not been reached yet.

According to the diplomat, if agreement is reached, the meetings will
take place on Oct. 10.

Merzlyakov noted the political situation in Moldova and said he could
not say whether the meeting would take place or not.

"The protocols on the normalization of Turkey-Armenia relations will
possibly be signed on Oct. 13 following the Chisinau meeting.

Asked whether decision on liberating Azerbaijani territories might
be passed in Chisinau the Russian co-chair said: "As far as I know
there is nothing about Nagorno-Karabakh in the text of the protocols."

Yuri Merzlyakov said he would leave the post of co-chair by the end
of the year and did not know who would succeed him. As regards the
reports that Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Grigori Karasin would be
appointed to the post, Merzlyakov said those reports had been refuted.

USA’S REFUSING TO PLACE ABM IN EUROPE IS A STEP TOWARDS RE-LAUNCH OF RF-US RELATIONS

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
18.09.2009 20:11 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ USA’s refusing to place antiballistic missile
system in Poland and Czechia is a positive step towards re-launch
of RF-US relations, Head of Democracy and Collaboration Institute,
New York Department Andranik Mihranyan told a news conference in
Yerevan. "Washington has undertaken steps. Before, USA expected
concessions from other states, the situation is different now,"
the politologist noted.

WILL OPENING OF BORDER WITH TURKEY TEAR ARMENIA FROM RUSSIA?

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
18.09.2009 12:07 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian-Turkish talks have been hold for a long
time and it’s not ruled out that the power of Turkish diplomacy and
process initiators have been underestimated, according to Andrey
Areshev, deputy director of Russian strategic culture foundation.

"The tension at the Armenian-Georgian border which as if emerged
from nowhere is not accidental. As all know, contingency is a rare
phenomenon in politics," he said.

"Opening of the Armenian-Turkish border will have both positive and
negative consequences. Some western experts believe that this move
will tear Armenia from Russia. They also link the reconciliation
process to resolution of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, to be more
precise surrender of territories connecting Armenia and Nagorno
Karabakh Republic," he said.

Areshev supposes that with development of an unfavorable scenario,
Armenia and Karabakh may face serious problems in the region. "This
will be harmful for Russia, Iran, China, Arab and Central Asian
countries as well," he said.

"Possible replacements in Russian chairmanship in the OSCE Minsk
Group can attach positive dynamics to the Karabakh process. At that,
Armenia and Russia will not drift apart. Both countries face similar
challenges and should combat them together," Areshev concluded.