Author: Talalian Arpi

MEETING ON CAUCASUS PLATFORM LIKELY LATE JANUARY

PanARMENIAN.Net
13.01.2009 17:19 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Ankara is likely to host a regular meeting on
the Caucasus Stability and Cooperation Platform in late January,
Haberler.com reports.

In December 2008, Turkey’s Ambassador to Azerbaijan Hulusi Kilic said
an agreement on the Turkish initiative may be signed.

"Foreign Ministers of Turkey, Russia, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Armenia
held their initial meeting. Presently, the working group is developing
a draft agreement," Amb. Kilic said.

Following hostilities in South Ossetia, Ankara offered to form a
Caucasus Stability and Cooperation Platform, which could unite Turkey,
Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia.

RA President Serzh Sarsgyan welcomed the initiative as an attempt to
create a favorable atmosphere in the region.

PAATA DAVITAYA: "AZERBAIJAN AND GEORGIA ARE TURNING INTO THE LEADING POWERS IN THE RESOLUTION OF PROBLEMS OF ECONOMY, SECURITY AND GEOPOLITICS IN THE CAUCASUS"

Today.Az
politics/50078.html
Jan 13 2009
Azerbaijan

Day.Az interview with vice speaker of Georgian parliament Paata
Davitaya.

– First of all, we would like to congratulate you on being appointed
for a responsible position of the deputy head of the Georgian
parliament. We would like to learn your opinion of prospects of
further development of relations with Azerbaijan including on the
parliamentary level?

– Thanks for congratulations. I am a member of the parliamentary group
of friendship Azerbaijan-Georgia. For me Azerbaijan is a close state,
I am a professor of the National Academy of Science of Azerbaijan. No
matter where I am, when I speak of Georgia I always mention Azerbaijan.

It is not by accident. Problems of Georgia and Azerbaijan are
similar. This is primarily the problem of territorial integrity. My
position regarding Karabakh is well-known: the territorial integrity
of Azerbaijan must be restored and the Karabakh problem be settled
in these frames.

– Heads of external political structures of Georgia and the United
States signed a charter of bilateral cooperation late last week. What
role does this document play for Georgia?

– This is an important, I would even say, a historical document
for Georgia. It supports the territorial integrity of Georgia,
raises issue of security of our country, a joint struggle for this
security. This is a wide concept, which is of great importance for
us. It proves the appearance of the strategic partner of Georgia. You
know that the United States have signed such a charter on partnership
and support only with several countries. This document is among one
of the main guarantors of Georgia’s security. It is important that
this document was signed today. I think the August events in Georgia
have promoted its soonest signing.

– Is the dislocation of US military bases on Georgian territory
possible on the basis of this document? Is it possible to say that
the charter rules out the repetition of August events?

– You know, nothing can be ruled out, this is my personal view. As
for the dislocation of US military bases in Georgia, the charter does
not imply it, though it can be considered one of the main guarantors
of security of the Georgian state. This charter enables the United
States to act opely in assisting to Georgia. It is difficult to say
what the assistance imply, today we speak of the financial and legal
assistance and so on, but it does not imply hostilities.

It is true that stopping aggression is among its main messages. But it
would be incorrect to say that the charter promotes the non-invasion of
Georgia by Russian troops as Russia’s actions are difficult to predict.

– What can you say of ways of normalizing relations with Russia?

– It is necessary to hold a dialogue with Russia and Georgian side is
ready to it. The second issue – it is necessary to settle issues with
Abkhazia and South Ossetia. No one in Georgia will ever recognize
independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, no one in Georgia will
ever make any concessions in the resolution of this issue. Taking
this account I think that it is necessary to settle this problem some
way and join efforts for the purpose. If this, main, problem is not
settled in this relations between Georgia and Russia, no problem will
ever be settled.

– Azerbaijan and Georgia are strategic partners in joint energy
problems. Is the bilateral cooperation profitable in the resolution of
not only our own tasks, but also global issues, especially of energy
security of Europe in conditions of the current gas crisis?

– I think this cooperation is very perspective. Such partnership
between Azerbaijan and Georgia already exists and in case of its
further deepening and appearance of more strategic tasks, then I think
our two countries will be dominating in resolution of any other issues,
especially security and geopolitical problems in the Caucasus.

Today we see that Europe is searching an alternative to the working
energy system. In fact, Azerbaijan, that has already created an
alternative for Georgia, and helps our country, will be an alternative
for Europe as well. Thus, it is a global issue. I do not want to go
deeper into this topic, but this is among the main issues, which will
face us in the future.

ACTION OF PROTEST HELD PARALLEL TO COURT SITTING ON "CASE OF SEVEN"

Noyan Tapan

Jan 13, 2009

YEREVAN, JANUARY 13, NOYAN TAPAN. Hundreds of members of the Armenian
National Congress and opposition activists during the whole process
of the January 13 court sitting on the "case of the seven" held an
action of protest near the building of Shengavit community’s general
jurisdiction court. Holding placards "Freedom to the wonderful seven!,"
"The Best guys are in prison!" the people demanded releasing them. More
than 10 police cars, more than twenty policemen and police forces in
red berets were near the court building.

A little conflict between law enforcers and demonstrants took place
during the action: the police demanded not holding placards, but
those gathered continued pushing forward the placards with whistles
and voicings. After the end of the court sitting the crowd saw off
the defendants led out from the building back entrance by voicing
"Struggle, Struggle Till the End!."

WORKSHOP FOR A PAN-EUROPEAN PENALISATION OF GENOCIDE DENIAL

armradio.am
13.01.2009 11:12

On Wednesday January 21st, the European Armenian Federation will
organize in the European Parliament in Brussels a workshop dedicated
to the provisions and the implementation of the Framework-Decision
against Racism and Xenophobia which was adopted late November by the
Council of the European Union.

The Framework decision provides a legislative framework to which the
penal laws of the 27 EU Member States will have to adopt within a two
year period, in order to penalize condoning, gross trivialization or
denial of genocides and crimes against humanity.

This meeting is organised under the aegis of Mrs Martine Roure,
Vice President of the European Parliament and rapporteur on the
Framework-Decision, and will be the occasion for European political
leaders, officials and experts from the European Commission
and Council, jurists from various countries, to present the
Framework-Decision, its application field and the legal possibilities
of its adaptation to the countries’ legislations where the penalization
is on the agenda.

Other speakers such as representatives of European associations for
Human rights will testify that denialist acts and talks have increased
these last years and will express on their action in favour of the
denial’s penalization.

20TH ANNIVERSARY OF WITHDRAWAL OF SOVIET TROOPS FROM AFGHANISTAN TO BE MARKED IN ARMENIA

armradio.am
13.01.2009 14:28

On January 13 the recurrent sitting of the interdepartmental commission
to organize and conduct the jubilee events dedicated to the 20th
anniversary of withdrawing the Soviet troops from Afghanistan took
place at the Ministry of Defense chaired by Defense Minister Seyran
Ohanyan.

Discussed were issues connected with the visit of the participants
of the event to Armenia, as well as the details of the organization
of arrangements in Armenia within this framework.

The program of events to be held in Armenia, which envisages an
exhibition titled the "Afghan War, meetings with servicemen, students
of military educational establishments, teachers and pupils of
secondary schools, visits of the veterans of the Afghan and Artsakhi
wars to memorials to the soldiers killed in the wars, visit to the
Yerablur Pantheon and "Haghtanak" Park, screening of archive video
materials, concerts, a Holy Mass at St Gregory the Illuminator Church,
as well as a meeting with mass media representatives.

At the end of the meeting RA Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan stressed
the importance of such events, noting that those contribute to the
patriotic upbringing of the younger generation.

Members of the commission later determined the programs for the
near future.

FUTURE OF SOUTH CAUCASUS AND ITS NEIGHBORS CONFERENCE DUE IN ISTANBUL

PanARMENIAN.Net
12.01.2009 18:52 GMT+04:00

On January 17 and 18, the UK Consulate in Istanbul will host an
international conference titled "The Future of South Caucasus and Its
Neighbors," which will bring together state figures and experts from
Turkey, Azerbaijan, Russia, Armenia, Georgia, EU and U.S.

U.S. Co-chair of the OSCE MG Group, Ambassador Matt Bryza, EU Envoy
for South Caucasus Peter Semneby and LINKS Executive Director Dennis
Sammut are also expected to attend the conference.

The discussions will focus on inter-ethnic conflicts, including Nagorno
Karabakh, the Russian-Georgian relations in the context of European
security and other regional geopolitical issues, 1news.az reports.

KAREKIN II OFF TO AMERICA

A1+
[03:36 pm] 12 January, 2009

On January 10 His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos and Supreme Patriarch
of All Armenians, left for the United States of America for a working
visit. The Supreme Patriarch is scheduled to have meetings with the
benefactors of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin to to discuss the
programs of the Holy See they have undertaken.

Interfax, Russia
Jan 9 2009

Gazprom to find out why Georgia suspended transit of Russian gas to
Armenia

MOSCOW Jan 9

Gazprom (RTS: GAZP) will soon identify the causes of the repair work
on a section of a gas pipeline to Armenia, a company official said.

"Very soon will become very clear as to what caused the emergency and
repair operations led by a Georgian gas transport company on a section
of a gas pipeline leading to Armenia," will be completed, a Gazprom
official said.

"So far we are unclear what happened there and why emergency
operations have to be conducted in extreme winter conditions," the
Gazprom source said.

On Friday, Georgia suspended Russian gas supplies to Armenia through a
transit gas pipeline, Gazprom’s deputy chief of the information policy
department Igor Volobuyev said earlier.

"Today at 12.30 p.m. Moscow time Georgia stopped transiting Russian
gas to Armenia," he said.

"Georgia says that the reason why it stopped is "the emergency and
repair operations to remove damage detected on the section between the
43.4th and the 66th kilometer of the Kazakh-Saguramo main gas
pipeline," Volobuyev said.

Gazprom and ArmRosgazprom have offered immediate help to the Georgian
gas transport company in order to resume gas supplies to Armenia as
soon as possible, Volobuyev said.

WHAT ISRAEL CAN LEARN FROM TURKEY
By Selene Verri

Huffington Post
Jan 9 2009
NY

Originally published on GroundReport.com, the citizen journalism site
covering world news at the local level.

Turkey recently condemned Israel’s offensive in Gaza. Ankara has even
decided to suspend its mediating efforts between Israel and Syria.

It would be easy to dismiss such a position as just solidarity with the
Muslim brothers and sisters in Gaza. Not that it would be wrong. But
I would like to change the perspective on the issue, noticing that
Israel and Turkey, two long-standing allies, have more in common than
one could imagine:

1. Both Turkey and Israel are countries strongly defined by their
main religions, and yet both are secular countries. In both cases
religion identifies largely with ethnicity (with the important
exceptions of Kurds, of course, where ethnicity is predominant,
and Alevis, who are not considered as a religion minority). Which
has brought discrimination and / or war against religious and / or
ethnic minorities. The modalities are different, but the similarities
are striking.

2. Both Turkey and Israel are countries artificially created by the
international community. Israel, through the partition of Palestine
into two states decided by the United Nations in 1947; Turkey,
through the Treaty of Lausanne, which in 1923 replaced the 1920
Treaty of Sèvres, actually reintegrating a series of territories
which had been previously stripped off it, and frustrating the Kurds’
hopes for an independent State (hopes that had been fed by the Treaty
of Sèvres). I should add that the international community has not
little responsibility in the Armenian genocide.

3. Both countries have compulsory military service. In Israel,
it applies both to men (3 years) and women (2 years); in Turkey,
it’s mandatory only for men (15 months). I admit I don’t know what
the consequences of this are in Israel (where a limited amount of
conscientious objection exists anyway), but I know in Turkey for a
long time this situation helped PKK recruit militants, since many
Kurds did not wish to be sent to fight against their own fathers or
brothers, preferring rather fight at their side.

4. Both countries are just a few weeks away from the next electoral
rendezvous. On February 10, Israelis will vote for the next government
(and, for those of you who can read French, I suggest that you go
through this interesting article by Le Monde); on March 29, municipal
elections will take place in Turkey.

Let me focus on this last point. The key issue in Turkey’s local
elections will be the Kurdish majority regions (what PKK and in general
militant Kurds refer to as "Kurdistan", a word that in Turkey can
bring you straight to prison). On the subject, I recommend you read
this article on the Christian Science Monitor.

Now, what has been the big news in Turkey in the last few days (apart
from Nazim Hikmet’s rehabilitation)? I quote from Reuters:

Turkey has launched its first 24-hour Kurdish-language TV station.

Which brings me to the conclusion:

1. Israel is moving towards elections â~F’ Israel bombs Palestinians

2. Turkey is moving towards elections â~F’ Turkey gives more rights
to Kurds

Of course Kurds are not satisfied, and they are not completely paranoid
in considering this decision as a way by the government to get as many
votes as they can, in short a propaganda move. It is also true that
Ankara has quite a double-face attitude: while PKK is considered a
terrorist group, soon after Hamas won the elections the AKP government
welcomed to Turkey Khaled Meshal, the exiled Hamas leader. And they
never uttered a word about the rockets fired against Israel.

Nonetheless, one cannot help noticing that making propaganda through
opening up to minorities is a more democratic way than bombing
civilians. So, what are the main differences in this situation? Why
do two similar countries in two similar situations act in such
different ways?

First of all, Turkey is a EU candidate. It is true that in the last
few years the great reform impulse that marked the first period of
the AKP government has slowed down, if not thoroughly stopped. And
the new nationalistic vague has not helped in that sense. It is
also true that this government is struggling hard at least to show a
nice image of itself, which is surely not enough, but it’s helping
improvement. And improvement is never easy, especially for a proud
people like Turks. The journey is still long, but the path is the
right one.

Now, this doesn’t mean of course that Israel should be a candidate to
the EU, but at least it shows that the EU can actually have a role
in international politics. More than that: personally, I think we
have a responsibility in that sense.

But in all this story we must not forget one decisive point: in Turkey,
Kurds vote. In Israel, Palestinians don’t.

–Boundary_(ID_ZuixV7ptwG+h/o1XATu9ow)–

AZG Armenian Daily #242, 27/12/2008

Economy

CONSTRUCTION OF NEW NUCLEAR POWER STATION PROBABLY IN 2011

Two important documents on construction of a new nuclear power station
were signed December 26 by the Government. Deputy Minister of Energy
Areg Galstian presented the details to the journalists.

The first document is the bill on construction of a new nuclear
reaction that after being approved by the National Assembly will give
an opportunity to start legally the construction of a new nuclear
power station.

With the second document, the government approved the list of
companies eligible for the construction tender.

To the question "When will the construction of the new nuclear power
station start?" Areg Galstian answered that it will probably start in
early 2011.

"Meanwhile, in 2010 we will have a leader company and in the mid of
2010 agreements will be signed with the investors.

It is necessary to invest 5 mln US dollars in the construction of the
new nuclear power station", the Minister added.

By Ara Martirosian, translated by L.H.