Author: Tambiyan Samvel

PRESIDENT OF LATVIA VALDIS ZATLERS TO PAY A THREE-DAY STATE VISIT TO ARMENIA

ARMENPRESS
Dec 8, 2009

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 8, ARMENPRESS: At the invitation of the Armenian
President Serzh Sargsyan, President of Latvia Valdis Zatlers will pay
a three-day state visit to Armenia December 9 with his spouse. The
delegation headed by the Latvian president consists of ministers of
economy, home affairs, nature protection, chairman of the parliament’s
foreign ties commission, and other officials.

Presidential press office told Armenpress that on the same day
the Latvian president and his spouse, accompanied with the Armenian
president and his spouse Rita Sargsyan, will be present at the ceremony
dedicated to the 50th anniversary of establishment of Matenadaran.

December 10 the face-to-face meeting of the two presidents will take
place. Afterwards the extended meeting of delegations will take place,
followed by the signing of inter-governmental and inter-ministerial
documents. The two presidents will give a joint press conference.

Within the framework of the visit President Zatlers will have meetings
with the NA Speaker Hovik Abrahamyan, Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan,
will be hosted by the Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II. The two
presidents will participate in the opening of the Armenian-Latvian
business forum.

President of Latvia will also visit Tsitsernakaberd and put a wreath
on the memorial to the victims of the Armenian Genocide, plant a tree
in the Memory Alley.

In Yerevan State University Zatlers will meet with the students and
professor staff of the university. In Yerevan municipality the Latvian
president will meet with Mayor Gagik Beglaryan.

During his visit the Latvian president will be also in Yerevan Brandy
Company and Matenadaran.

The delegation headed by the Latvian president will depart from
Armenia December 11.

CONSTITUTIONAL COURT TO REVIEW PROTOCOLS ON JAN 12

armtown.com
09.12.2009 15:12

Armenia’s Constitutional Court will discuss the constitutionality of
the Armenian-Turkish protocols on January 12, 2010, Hovhannes Papikyan,
the secretary of the Constitutional Court, has said. He said that Judge
Vladimir Hovhannisyan will be the keynoter. He personally discussed the
protocols and presented his opinion to CC Chairman Gagik Harutyunyan.

Following the Constitutional Court ruling, the protocols are to be
submitted to the parliament for ratification.

AFTER WHITE HOUSE MEETING, ERDOGAN SAYS TURKEY-ARMENIA TIES CONNECTED TO KARABAKH

Asbarez
Dec 7th, 2009

WASHINGTON (Combined Sources)-Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan told reporters after his meeting with President Obama that
the normalization of Armenia-Turkey relations was contingent on the
resolution of the Karabakh conflict.

According to Erdogan, the US and Turkish leaders discussed relations
between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

"This is important in the context of relations between Turkey and
Armenia," he said, adding that the two also discussed the Karabakh
conflict within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group.

On the issue of Turkish-Armenian reconciliation, Obama said Erdogan
had been "courageous" in his efforts to normalize the decades-old
resentment and bitterness.

Obama and Erdogan were also reported to have discussed Iran. According
to Reuters, Obama said on Monday that Turkey could be an "important
player" in efforts to resolve the long-running dispute over Iran’s
nuclear program.

The US President made the statement during a White House meeting with
Erdogan, who said his country stands ready to do whatever it can to
achieve a diplomatic solution to the issue.

Obama said he had stressed the importance of resolving the dispute "in
a way that allows Iran to pursue peaceful nuclear energy, but provides
assurances that it will abide by international rules and norms."

"I believe that Turkey can be an important player in trying to move
Iran in that direction," the president was quoted as saying by AFP.

Obama also praised Turkey for its role in Afghanistan, where it has
some 1,700 troops.

SUGAR FACTORY OF SHIRAK PROVINCE TO OPERATE IN SPRING

ARMENPRESS
Dec 7, 2009

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 7, ARMENPRESS: Within the framework of the visit
to the Armenian province of Shirak Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan
got acquainted with the process of construction works of sugar factory
in Akhuryan community. The leader of the country, accompanied by Vice
Prime Minister, Territorial Administration Minister Armen Gevorgyan,
Agriculture Minister Gerasim Alaverdyan, Shirak Governor Lida Nanyan,
Gyumri mayor Vardan Ghukasyan, executive director Eduard Sargsyan
walked inside the factory, got acquainted with the current round
of construction.

The minister of agriculture said that the factory is a serious
institution in the region and about 100 million USD have already been
invested. The minister said that the factory will open also 20,000
working place.

Director E. Sargsyan noted that the factory is ready for operation
and it is because of weather conditions that its functioning has been
left for spring.

After the operation the factory will work at its full power. "It is a
powerful factory. The product will be exported to Georgia, Northern
Iran, Russia has also displayed interest. It is possible that the
product be exported to some of the European regions," the executive
director said.

The majority of factory’s equipment has been acquired from Czechia,
a part from Germany, Denmark, France, Ukraine and Russia.

Chicago ARF, AGBU Panelists Spark Discussion on Protocols

1/chicago-arf-agbu-panelists-spark-discussion-on-p rotocols/
December 1, 2009

By Alidz Oshagan

CHICAGO, Ill. – On Sat., Nov. 21, members of the ARF Chicago
`Christapor’ Gomideh and members of the AGBU of Chicago gathered at
the AGBU Onnig Norehad Center and presented a joint program discussing
the diplomatic protocols recently signed by the governments of Armenia
and Turkey. The three guest speakers discussing how they believe the
protocols will affect Armenia were Ken Hachikian, the chairman of the
Board of Directors of the ANCA; Oscar Tatosian, the chairman of the
Diocesan Council; and Dr. Henry Theriault, a professor of philosophy
at Worcester State College.

The ARF Chicago `Christapor’ Gomideh chairman, Unger Greg Bedian,
described the event as a way to `bring together Chicago Armenians with
different ideas about what the protocols mean, and to have an exchange
of ideas about how the protocols impact us.’

Each of the panelists spoke for 20 minutes about how the protocols
could impact Armenia and its diaspora. Following the discussion, the
panelists exchanged questions and answers. Afterwards, the audience
asked the panelists questions and made voiced their own opinions about
the protocols.

Theriault, who spoke first, discussed the protocols as finalizing the
last stage of the Armenian Genocide, which is the consolidation of
benefits gained from the denial of the genocide, including erasing the
memory of genocide. Theriault explained that the protocols, especially
the historical commission, effectively allow Turkey to consolidate its
gains from the genocide by seriously questioning the reality of its
existence.

Speaking next, Tatosian argued that Armenia President Serge Sarkisian
was dedicated to the recognition of the genocide and that the
protocols would not derail that mission. Tatosian also reassured
audience members that Sarkisian would not allow the stipulations in
the protocols over maintaining `territorial integrity’ to cause any
part of Karabagh to be taken by Azerbaijan.

Finally, Hachikian spoke, saying that the protocols involved too much
sacrifice on the part of Armenia. `I agree that the borders should be
open, but at what cost?’ Hachikian said. `The sacrifices we must make
due to these protocols are just too big.’

During the question and answer session, Detroit AYF-YOARF Chapter
member Nieri Avanessian asked whether aid to Armenia from the U.S.
government would increase in the year following the signing of the
protocols. Hachikian responded that foreign aid would probably not
increase, adding that it had decreased in the past year and that there
was no indication it would increase in the years to come.

Following the short question and answer session, during which AGBU and
ARF members also participated, AYF members from Wisconsin, Michigan,
and Illinois urged attendees to sign ANCA Action Alerts and encourage
their senators to support the Armenian Genocide Resolution, S.Res.316.

SH. TOROSYAN: GEORGIA SOFTENED ON UPPER-LARS ISSUE

Aysor
Dec 4 2009
Armenia

"The thawing of Armenian – Turkish relations will influence the
Armenian – Georgian relations directly. Besides that the stabilization
of the Armenian – Turkish relations will bring to geopolitical changes
in the region", – stated the chairman of "Javakhq" patriotic union,
NA deputy Shirak Torosyan.

"As soon as the round of regulation of the Armenian – Turkish relations
started and the discussions of the possible opening of the boarder
the Georgian side immediately replied and tried not to lose the chance
of transporting goods through the Georgian region, and started to be
softer in the Upper Lars issue", – explained the deputy.

"It is very clear that the heart of the Georgian authorities is
not filled with kindness towards Armenia, the problem is that the
possibility of having an alternative way for transportation for
Armenia in the nearest future made them think over not losing the
state budget of Georgia getting high taxes from our businessmen", –
explained Sh. Torosyan.

ARMENIA TO CARRY OUR MISSION IN AFGHANISTAN UNDER GERMAN COMMANDERSHIP
Lena Badeyan

"Radiolur"
04.12.2009 16:54

Next week Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan will be hosted at the
National Assembly to present the two agreements under which the
Armenian servicemen undertake to assist the United States and carry
out peacekeeping mission in Afghanistan.

"Armenia’s participation in the peacekeeping operation in Afghanistan
has been agreed upon with the Collective Security Treaty Organization.

Therefore, no problems will arise," DM Seyran Ohanyan said during
today’s hearings at the NA Standing Committee on Foreign Relations.

According to Seyran Ohanyan, as a result of the negotiations that
lasted 1.5 years, it has been decided that Armenian peacekeepers will
carry out mission in Azerbaijan under the German commandership and
will be located 500-550 km away from Kabul..

VAFA GULUZADE SAYS AZERBAIJANI DIPLOMACY FAILS

Aysor
Dec 3 2009
Armenia

An Azerbaijani twice-told analyst and a political scientist Vafa
Guluzade shared his view on the recently made statement by the Minsk
Group co-chairs on Karabakh.

When asked by Day.az on-line Agency’s correspondent about this
statement, Vafa Guluzade said it was nothing but just a statement
made under lack of really taken steps. "When there is neither real
step taken in the fair settlement of the Karabakh conflict, the Minsk
Group co-chairs time after time have to make such kind of statements –
loud by form, but empty by content."

"This is another baseless statement made by another American diplomat,"
said the analyst keeping in view the recent statement of Secretary of
State James Steinberg. The point is, that James Steinberg said that
U.S. intends to support and contribute to the final settling of the
Karabakh conflict.

"The analogous statements were voiced repeatedly by the U.S.

officials, but nothing changed. The U.S. hasn’t yet seriously
engaged in the Karabakh conflict, so I can hardly believe something
has changed."

When asked whether any decision can be made after the visit to
U.S. of Turkey’s Prime Minister Erdogan, the Azerbaijani analyst said
no. "You shouldn’t expect such developments as Turkey can’t press
U.S. On the contrary, the U.S. will press Turkey in demand to open
the Armenia-Turkey border until 2010 April."

"At the same time the Turkish media will cover the visit to U.S. as
the political event completely linked with the settlement of the
Karabakh conflict," said Vafa Guluzade pointing that in reality it
will become an another informational myth to be fed Turkey’s and
Azerbaijan’s societies.

Vafa Guluzade voices concerns on failure of the Azerbaijani diplomacy
not in vain. Some other Azerbaijani analysts and experts are skeptical
about Azerbaijan’s foreign policy, especially after the Munich
meeting, and meetings in Athens some of these days when the 17th
OSCE Ministerial Council was held. The fundamental principles won’t
be brought into accord in the near future, they say. The matter is
whether Turkey will wait for final coming to an agreement with the
fundamental principles, or it will influence the great pressure by
U.S. to ratify the Armenian-Turkish protocols. Keeping in view all
these matters, Azerbaijan is out-of-pocket for any single hope to
benefit from the negotiations.

WHITE HOUSE TO ASK FOUR QUESTIONS TO ERDOGAN

Panorama.am
15:20 03/12/2009

Turkish mass media are still seriously interested in what the
U.S. President Barack Obama and Turkish Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip Erdogan will discuss when they meet in the White House on
Dec. 7. Turkish famous analyst Qadri Gyursel covered those four
basic requests that are supposed to be addressed to the Turkish
PM, "Milliyet" writes. The reporter writes in his story about his
meeting Turkish expert Ian Lessery in German Marshall Fun meeting
in Canada. Experts say four questions having top priority are:
1. Disposition towards Iran nuclear projects Processes round Iran are
changing rapidly. It’s supposed that that UN Security Council might
commit sanctions against Tehran, which can appear to be an obstacle
for American-Turkish foreign policy. USA needs definite image whether
Turkey will say "yes" or "no" regarding Iran’s sanctions. 2. When will
they ratify the protocols signed with Armenia? Obama’s administration
is interested in parliamentary ratification of those protocols. USA
hailed Amrenian-Turkish protocols as they are balanced with American
reality due to some reasons. The White House wants the fate of the
protocols to be definite. 3.

Withdrawal of relations with Israel The withdrawal of
Turkish-Israeli relations was foreseeable. It happened under powerful
influences…changing of Turkish public opinion, changing of strategic
cooperation with Syria, etc. It’s not the 90th anymore. That’s why USA
was not surprised by the changing of Turkey’s disposition. Washington
just will be trying to make it clear how long that withdrawal will
be going on. 4. Founding missile base in Turkey After unsuccessful
experience of founding missile bases in Poland and Czech Republic
that issue is supposed to have reassessed its significance and Obama
might be interested in Turkey’s disposition.

DAVUTOGLU MET WITH NALBANDIAN AND THEN MEMMEDYAROV

AZG DAILY
03-12-2009

Karabakh conflict

According to the Turkish State TV, "Security" was the main item on
the agenda of the OSCE Foreign Ministers; however, Karabakh summit,
held as part of the meeting, was at the forefront. Foreign ministers
from major OSCE members such as the United States, Britain and Germany
did not attend the talks.

Progress on the Karabakh summit during the meeting carries great
importance for Turkey’s Armenian drive while Foreign Minister Ahmet
Davutoglu’s bilateral talks are also essential for the Karabakh
dispute.

Davutoglu first met Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian, and
then the duo exchanged information on the parliamentary processes of
the protocols.

Later on, Ahmet Davutoglu came together with his Azerbaijani
counterpart Elmar Memmedyarov. The two ministers discussed the
protocols signed between Turkey and Armenia, the ways to safeguard
the point reached in Baku-Yerevan talks and to make further progress.