Author: Taslakhchian Andranik

GORAN LENNMARKER: PEACEFUL SETTLEMENT OF THE KARABAKH CONFLICT HAS NO ALTERNATIVE

Regnum
Feb 9 2009
Russia

On February, 9 the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia Edward
Nalbandyan received OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Special Representative
on Nagorno Karabakh Goran Lennmarker, who is in Yerevan in the
framework of a regional visit.

As a REGNUM was informed at the press office of MFA of Armenia,
at Lenmarker’s request, Minister Nalbandyan presented the latest
developments in the negotiations on the settlement of the Karabakh
conflict, the results of the Armenian and Azerbaijani Presidents’
meeting in Zurich. In this context it was underscored that the
Moscow declaration of November, 2, as well as the statements of the
Foreign Ministers of OSCE Minsk Group co-chair countries in Helsinki
concerning the settlement of Nagorno Karabakh conflict would create
a favorable ground for achieving progress in the negotiations. In
his turn Goran Lenmarker stressed that the negotiation process can
bring to the solution of the issue and expressed confidence that the
peaceful settlement of the conflict has no alternative.

Pasadena Star-News, CA
Feb 8 2009

BOXING: Darchinyan too much for Arce

By Robert Morales, Staff Writer
Posted: 02/07/2009 09:54:06 PM PST

ANAHEIM – Jorge Arce said he was hopeful that his fight with Vic
Darchinyan would produce a lot of blood, because he gets more
motivated when the red stuff gets on him. Unfortunately for Arce, most
of the blood spilled Saturday was his.

Absorbing a beating that left his face a bloody mask, Mexico’s Arce
was not allowed to answer the bell for the 12th round of his fight
with Darchinyan, who dominated Arce in retaining his three super
flyweight championship belts before 5,450 at Honda Center.

The fight was stopped because of cuts by referee Dr. Lou Moret on the
advice of the ringside physician, Dr. Paul Wallace. Darchinyan is
credited with an 11th- round technical knockout.

Arce showed tremendous courage, but Darchinyan – of Australia via
Armenia – was simply too powerful. Darchinyan smashed Arce often with
a vicious left cross that sounded loud when it landed. But Arce
claimed that the cut over his right eye was from something other than
a punch.

"I recognize he’s a strong fighter, but the cut was from his elbow,"
Arce said. "I don’t know why they stopped the fight. Going into the
last round, a fighter always has a chance to win."

Arce (51-5-1) was behind 109-100 on all three scorecards at the time
of the stoppage.

Darchinyan also proved a tough target to hit. He is left-handed, and
his style can be best described as crab-like, making himself a small
target.

Arce, 29, did land some body shots that seemed to affect Darchinyan,
and an occasional left hook and right hand. Since Arce is also an
aggressive fighter, he and Darchinyan also ended up in quite a few
clinches. But there was more than enough action. "He surprised me,"
Darchinyan said. "I didn’t expect him to fight like he did, but he
proved to me he was tough and a good fighter. I hit him with some good
shots and he kept fighting back. I would have liked to knock him out
cold, but it’s OK the way the fight ended. I am happy. If the fight
goes on, maybe I knock him out."

Darchinyan (32-1-1, 26 KOs), 33, admitted that Arce stunned him a
couple times.

"He hurt me with some good punches, also," Darchinyan said. "But I
always came back. … I was just too strong and I think my speed was a
difference."

Kid Diamond of Las Vegas was cut over the right eye from a head-butt
in the first round, but he did his best to stay in his lightweight
semi-main event against Antonio DeMarco of Tijuana.

But after Diamond was pummeled with a barrage of heavy punches to the
head near the end of the ninth round, Diamond’s corner did not allow
him to answer the bell for the 10th. The bout was scheduled for 12
rounds.

Diamond (27-2-1) said he was not at his best going into the fight.

"I got the flu, and I got sick and weak after the sixth round," he
said.

DeMarco is 21-1-1 with 15 knockouts. He was ahead by five points on
two of the scorecards – which seemed a bit much – and behind by one on
the other.

"I don’t think the head-butts affected him," DeMarco said. "He was a
good fighter."

Junior middleweight Vanes Martirosyan of Glendale remained undefeated
with an eight- round unanimous decision over Billy Lyell (18-7) of
Youngstown, Ohio.

Martirosyan, a member of the 2004 U.S. Olympic team, said afterward
that he believes he broke his left hand in the first round. He was in
obvious pain as the fight progressed.

Martirosyan (23-0) is promoted by Top Rank Inc. Lee Samuels, a Top
Rank spokesman, said Martirosyan’s hand was quite swollen after he
removed his glove.

Chris Avalos of Lancaster put quite a beating on Torrence Daniels of
Colorado Springs in a super bantamweight fight that was stopped after
seven rounds on the advice of the ringside physician. Avalos decked
Daniels in the second and seventh rounds. Daniels (12-9-1) was a
willing combatant and showed tremendous heart, but he was outquicked
and overpowered by Avalos (9-0, 7 KOs), who is just 19.

Omar Henry of Houston is now 3-0 with three knockouts after knocking
out Francisco Martinez of Moreno Valley at 57 seconds of the first
round. Their junior middleweight fight was scheduled for four rounds.

Today’s Zaman, Turkey
Feb 8 2009

Cleansing our conscience from guilt

AYSE KARABAT

Have you ever closely observed a child who is in the second or third
grade trying to do homework, particularly a writing assignment? Some
children are so gifted; they can easily write what has to be
written. The paper they use is white; their handwriting is nice and
legible. There are other children who simply don’t care how their work
looks. But I greatly respect children who really try to do their best
and always find the energy to make a clean copy of their draft
work. When I see a child who is making a clean copy of his or her
homework with the utmost concentration, something inside me
melts. First of all, I truly respect this kind of student, just as I
respect societies that are about to or are trying to cleanse their
collective mind, conscience and heart.

Our dominant political culture until now has been similar to students
who simply don’t care about their homework. It was never interested in
what was going on around the world and in the near abroad; it refused
to evaluate or even think about certain subjects, such as the
possibility of elite bureaucrats being involved in crimes, questioning
the meaning of terror and certain events in history such as 1915 and
Sept. 6-7, 1955, which was one the very first operations of the deep
state and which ended with the mass migration of non-Muslim Turkish
citizens out of the country.

Sometimes lazy students suddenly discover reality and decide to change
their attitudes; something makes them to come to their senses, and
they start to rewrite their homework. The righteous reaction of
Turkish society to the massacre in Gaza and the Ergenekon
investigation can have the same effect; these two developments can
cause our dominant political culture to find the strength to cleanse
our collective conscience, mind and heart from the guilt.

The reaction of Turkish society to the massacre in Gaza proves that
this society is actually able to stand resolutely against unfair
actions. The Ergenekon investigation provides an opportunity to
question many things that our dominant culture has been hesitant to
look into until now.

It seems to me that after getting angry, frustrated and feeling so
much pain due to the massacre in Gaza, it would be very difficult for
our dominant political culture to close its eyes to its internal
problems. It would be very difficult for Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdo?Ä?an to turn a blind eye to political killings after what he
said in Davos. Turkey, and its society and leaders, after standing
against the cruelty in Palestine, must clear its conscience regarding
its internal problems, too.

For example, after crying so much for the children of Gaza, surely it
is time for us to start thinking seriously about the 17 teenagers who
were sentenced over the last two months to varying prison terms for
being members of illegal organizations in Adana. It is time for us to
say something other than "the terrorist Kurdistan Workers’ Party [PKK]
is using teenagers as human shields and putting them on the front
lines at illegal demonstrations." Yes, of course, the circumstances
and conditions are very different, but it is time for Turkey to change
its penal code, which allows youths above the age of 15 to be tried as
adults. In the end we are talking about children whose rights are
violated either on the battlefield or in the courtroom.

The Ergenekon investigation can help us cleanse our conscience,
too. Just a small example: After learning that the police have
actually identified one of the Ergenekon suspects as the provocateur
of a flag-burning incident in Mersin during the Nevruz celebrations in
2005, which led to mass demonstrations all over Turkey and sparked
anti-Kurdish sentiment among the public, can we refrain from cleansing
our collective mind and heart and rethinking all other incendiary
events?

Lazy students cannot change their attitude in a short time; they need
to make an effort, and they need to be supported. It takes time, but
when they are able to overcome challenges, they usually become the
best student in the class, just like societies that are able to ease
their collective conscience — then no one can claim that they should
first put their own house in order before criticizing others.

PanARMENIAN.Net

Sarkozy: Russia poses no threat to EU or NATO
07.02.2009 15:53 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Russia poses no military threat to the European
Union or NATO and confidence between the partners has to be restored,
French president said.

"I don’t think the Russia of today is a military threat to NATO or the
European Union," Nicolas Sarkozy told the Munich Security Conference
on Saturday.

"We must restore confidence ," he said, Reuters reports.

FIGURE SKATER PIERRE BALIAN WANTS TO REPRESENT ARMENIA

PanARMENIAN.Net
06.02.2009 16:24 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Pierre Balian, an ethnic Armenian, who is among
U.S. top figure skaters, announced intention to represent Armenia at
international championships.

"Balian has already requested the Armenian government for an
Armenian passport. We are awaiting the governmental decision,"
Samvel Khachatryan, the President of the Armenian Figure Skating
Federation said.

Balian was trained by renowned Irina Rodnina and Alexey Mishin.

"If everything goes well, Pierre will represent Armenia at the World
Championship in Los Angeles on March 23-29. Otherwise, another Armenian
figure skater Gegham Vardanyan will depart for the United States,"
Khachatryan said.

Balian is 25 already. Figure skaters usually finish career at 25-27.

COSTLY FRIENDSHIP
by Denis Malkov, Maria Tsvetkova, Natalia Kostenko

WPS Agency
What the Papers Say (Russia)
February 4, 2009 Wednesday
Russia

Russia promises its allies $3.5 billion and 100 billion rubles;
Russia has promised a great deal of money to its allies in the past
few days. These countries include Belarus, Cuba, Kyrgyzstan, and
Armenia. The Euro-Asian Economic Community is establishing its own
Anti-Crisis Fund.

In the past three days, Russia has promised its allies around $3.5
billion, plus 100 billion rubles.

At talks with Belarus yesterday, Russia agreed to deliver a $1 billion
loan in February – following on from the $1 billion provided in
November. Minsk has asked to borrow a further 100 billion rubles. On
January 23, Deputy Finance Minister Dmitri Pankin told us: "We
aren’t even considering that request." But presidential aide Sergei
Prikhodko said yesterday that staff have been instructed to work on
this issue over the next two weeks; the loan sum in rubles hasn’t
been decided, but it would run into tens of billions. Pavel Borodin,
state secretary of the Russia-Belarus Union State, assured us that
Belarus would receive 100 billion rubles in the first half of 2009.

President Kurmanbek Bakiyev of Kyrgyzstan announced in Moscow that
the US air base at Manas, used to support US-NATO operations in
Afghanistan since 2001, will soon be shut down. Bakiyev said that the
USA hadn’t been receptive to Kyrgyzstan’s proposals regarding economic
compensation for hosting the base. US General David Petraeus maintains
that the American base brings in $63 million a year for Kyrgyzstan,
while the rent is only around $17 million a year.

The Euro-Asian Economic Community (EAEC) is holding an extraordinary
summit in Moscow today. One of the two main items on the agenda is the
Anti-Crisis Fund. This $10 billion fund was announced in December,
when the presidents of Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Armenia, and
Tajikistan met in Kazakhstan. Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said in
late January that the money for the fund would be provided by Russia
and Kazakhstan; the share contributed by the other countries would
be small. The fund will be managed by a board, with each country
having votes in proportion to its contributions. A Cabinet staff
source told us that Russia is supposed to deliver 10% of its first
annual contribution within three months of signing the agreement.

A large delegation from Armenia, headed by President Serge Sargsian,
has come to Moscow. Russian Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister
Alexei Kudrin said on January 22 that Armenia has asked Russia for
a stabilization loan. Vardan Aivazian, chairman of the parliament’s
economy commission, told us that Armenia is negotiating with Russia
for a loan of $500 million to $1 billion.

The Armenian parliament voted yesterday to approve Armenia joining the
Euro-Asian Bank of Development, which will be used for Anti-Crisis
Fund payments. The bank was established by Russia and Kazakhstan in
2006 in order to finance EAEC projects. Its authorized capital is
$1.5 billion, including $1 billion from Russia and $100,000 from
Armenia. According to Armenian Energy Minister Armen Movsisian,
participating in the bank will enable Armenia to raise money to build
a new nuclear power plant and a railroad to Iran.

Moscow’s generosity began on January 30, when Medvedev held talks
with Cuban leader Raoul Castro; the volume of loans and aid to
Cuba grew from $20 million to $354 million. According to a Foreign
Ministry source, the two sides agreed just a few hours before signing
the papers that Russia would allocate an extra $150 million (to buy
Russian-made agricultural and construction equipment) and $100 million
(for leasing Russian machinery).

Debts and loans were also discussed at talks with Kyrgyzstan yesterday.

On January 28, following a visit to Bishkek, Deputy Prime Minister Igor
Sechin said that Moscow is prepared to give Kyrgyzstan a non-repayable
grant of $150 million, along with $300 million in the form of a
low-interest loan, repayable over 40 years, with a seven-year grace
period before repayments start.

What’s more, Moscow will write off $180 million of Kyrgyzstan’s
debts in exchange for a 48% stake (the largest stake) in OAO Dastan –
an enterprise that produces torpedo components.

Far more substantial aid to Kyrgyzstan was announced after yesterday’s
talks. As well as the debt write-off agreement, Russia and Kyrgyzstan
also signed agreements on non-repayable financial aid ($150 million)
and an immediate state loan of $2 billion. Moscow and Bishkek also
agreed to build the Kambaratin hydro-electrical power plant together.

President Emomali Rakhmon of Tajikistan arrived in Moscow yesterday
after all. Vladimir Zharikhin, deputy director of the CIS Countries
Institute, says that Rakhmon made a mistake in ignoring a scheduled
February 2 meeting with Medvedev; he had an opportunity to sort out
the financing for the Rogun hydro-electrical power station (up to $3
billion) and to discuss Uzbekistan’s objections to this project.

In each of these cases, there is a different explanation for Russia’s
generosity. A source from the presidential administration says
that aid to Cuba is being increased due to Deputy Prime Minister
Sechin’s activity in Latin America; Sechin chairs the Russian-Cuban
inter-governmental commission. The source adds that the EAEC fund is
being established because Russia wants to reach agreement with its
CIS neighbors on a common regional anti-crisis policy. Ermuhamet
Ertysbayev, aide to President Nursultan Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan,
told us that the fund is being established to facilitate a transition
to ruble-based payments. According to Kudrin, Belarus needs the 100
billion rubles "to increase its gold and currency reserves." Medvedev
said that aid to Kyrgyzstan is being provided due to the special
alliance nature of bilateral relations.

Vadim Gustov, chairman of the Federation Council’s CIS Affairs
Committee: "Russia is showing its neighbors that it’s a good friend
in times of trouble. If we don’t give them the money, others will."

Vladimir Nikitin, a member of the Duma’s CIS Affairs Committee, says
that the Russian leadership is pursuing geopolitical objectives: the
question of whether Kyrgyzstan will continue to cooperate with the USA,
and the question of which way Tajikistan and Turkmenistan will look.

Zharikhin explains that the loans are being granted to countries
that have visa-free travel agreements with Russia and practically no
borders: if the situation turns critical in any of these countries,
millions of refugees would flood into Russia. From Moscow’s
perspective, it’s much better to keep them afloat now.

HRANUSH HAKOBIAN AND HRAYR HOVNANIAN DISCUSS PROBLEMS OF ARMENIA-DIASPORA COOPERATION

Noyan Tapan

Feb 3, 2009

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 3, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. A meeting of
the RA Minister of Diaspora Hranush Hakobian with the Chairman of
the Armenian Assembly of America (AAA) Hrayr Hovnanian took place
recently. The AAA Director for Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh Arpi
Vardanian also took part in the meeting. The interlocutors discussed
problems of Armenia-Diaspora cooperation and measures aimed at their
solution. Hrayr Hovnanian presented the recent activities and the
future programs of AAA. In particular he expressed a willingness to
continue the work with the new administration.

NT was informed by the press service of the Ministry of Diaspora that
Hrayr Hovnanian invited Hranush Hakobian to attend the conference
on national problems and their propaganda to be held by the AAA in
Washington on March 1-3, 2009.

RA PRIME MINISTER TIGRAN SARGSYAN RECEIVED NEWLY APPOINTED GENERAL EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF SOUTH CAUCASIAN RAILWAY CJSC SHEVKET SHAIDULLIN

M onday, 2 February 2009

RA Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan received newly appointed
General Executive Director of South Caucasian Railway CJSC Shevket
Shaidullin. To begin with, Tigran Sargsyan congratulated Mr. Shaidullin
for his appointment to this post of high responsibility. Then,
the parties discussed a broad range of topical issues. Tigran
Sargsyan noted that recently the holder of the Armenian railways’
concession has been criticized not only by the representatives of
business circles, but also on the part of the general public. The
problem has been addressed during high-level meetings held with
South Caucasian Railway’s former president Vladimir Yakunin, RF
President Dmitry Medvedev in Yerevan and with RF Prime Minister
Vladimir Putin in Moscow. Responding to the questions raised and
evoking the remedies, Mr. Shaidullin underscored that the Company
has embraced a new partnership policy which implies that in addition
to being an investing entity, the Company will henceforth design
nationwide railway networks and develop projects on the integration
with the European transportation networks. Mr. Shaidullin assured
that the contractual obligations assumed by his company shall be
complied with. Effective cooperation is maintained with the Armenian
ministry of transport and communi cation. Nevertheless, additional
arrangements need to be signed with local stakeholders. Currently a
social-economic agreement is being drafted through joint efforts.

In turn, Tigran Sargsyan said the Government of Armenia will provide
necessary assistance to speed up the pace of north-south railway
line construction.

SAMED SEIDOV: "IF THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE CONTINUES DOUBLE STANDARDS AGAINST AZERBAIJAN, THE POSITION OF OUR COUNTRY TO THIS ORGANIZATION WILL CHANGE"

Today.Az
litics/50451.html
Feb 2 2009
Azerbaijan

The Council of Europe applies double standards towards Azerbaijan
and if such policy continues Azerbaijan might review position on this
organization, said head of the Azerbaijani delegation in PACE Samed
Seidov at today’s session of Milli Medjlis.

He noted that Azerbaijan has fulfilled all its committments assumed
during CE accession except for the law "On alternative service". He
said European deputies realize the complexity of adoption of this law,
as Azerbaijan is at war with Armenia".

Meanwhile, Seidov, speaking about raising the issue of appointment
of a rapporteur "on political prisoners" in PACE, said this is an
example of double standards towards Azerbaijan.

"PACE has not deprived Armenia of the voting right due to the
post-electoral situation in this country, where 12 people died during
protest, mass medias were closed and several opposition deputies
arrested, while the activity of NGOs was limited.

Yet in its document PACE has never mentioned the term "political
prisoners in Armenia" and contended itself with the formulation
"persons under arrest". However, on this background, PACE is raising
the issue of the need to appoint a rapporteur on "political prisoners"
in Azerbaijan, though this issue was settled in this country several
years ago", said Seidov.

ARMENIA TO JOIN GSP+ IN 2009

PanARMENIAN.Net
30.01.2009 15:48 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The European Union offered Armenia to join the
new GSP+, which grants duty-free access to the EU for approximately
7,200 products (natural juices, fruits, vegetables, etc.) from small
and vulnerable countries that have ratified the major multilateral
environmental agreements (MEAs) as well as key human rights and
governance agreements.

Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) is the system of preferential
trading through which the EU extends preferential access to its
markets for imports from developing countries.

"In 2007, the GSP allowed Armenia to export over 2000 names of goods
at reduced rate to the EU member states and save 120 million euro of
the impost fee," Armenian Deputy Minister of Economy Mushegh Tumasyan
told a news conference in Yerevan.

"GSP+ will help Armenia increase commodity turnover and represent its
brand in the world market," said Gagik Markaryan, executive director
of the republic’s union of employers.