Author: Tatoyan Vazgen

ARMENIA’S INDEPENDENCE DAY CELEBRATED IN GREECE AND EGYPT

PanARMENIAN.Net
24.09.2009 16:27 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ On September 21, RA Embassy in Greece organized
a reception dedicated to 18th anniversary of Armenia’s Independence
Day. The reception was attended by Deputy Foreign Minister of Greece
Theodore Kassimis, MFA and Defense Ministry representatives, as well
as Head of Greek MFA Department for Russia, Ukraine, Byelorussia,
Caucasus, Black Sea and Central Asian states Maria Teophilin.

Greek authorities and representatives of political and social
organizations participated. "Greek Diplomatic Life" social -political
magazine covered the event.

On September 23, personal representative of Egypt President,
Mohammed Najm visited RA Embassy in Egypt and gave Egypt President
Hosni Mubarak’s congratulations to RA President Serzh Sargsyan and
Armenian people.

BAGHDASARYAN MEETS WIEGAND

Information-Analytic Agency NEWS.am
Sept 23 2009
Armenia

September 22, 2009 RA National Security Council Secretary Artur
Baghdasaryan received the EU delegation headed by Gunnar Wiegand,
Director for Eastern Europe, South Caucasus and Central Asia.

The parties discussed the issues of Armenia-EU action plan details,
as well as the prospects of political cooperation within the framework
of European Neighborhood Policy, RA National Security Council Press
Service informed NEWS.am.

Gunnar Wiegand expressed content with the process of program
implementation and emphasized the EU Advisory Group activities in
Armenia. The sides outlined the necessity of hastening the process
of establishing EU information centers in Armenia.

Artur Baghdasaryan touched upon the facilitation of visa restrictions
with EU member states. Wiegand expressed the EU readiness to support
the procedure.

According to Baghdasaryan, working group headed by RA Deputy Foreign
Minister was formed, that will undertake the elaboration of the
relative agreements.

The officials also spoke of the Armenia-Turkey reconciliation and
NKR conflict settlement within the context of the regional security
strengthening.

NALBANDYAN RECEIVES EC DELEGATION

Information-Analytic Agency NEWS.am
Sept 23 2009
Armenia

September 22, RA Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandyan received European
Commission delegation, headed by Gunnar Wiegand, Director for Eastern
Europe, South Caucasus and Central Asia.

The sides discussed Armenia-EU cooperation, as well as a number of
issues on the implementation of European Partnership program.

The parties will touch upon facilitation of visa restrictions and
proceedings of free trade agreement signing, RA Foreign Ministry
Press and PR Department informed NEWS.am. Gunnar Wiegand told about
the decision to present proposals on Association Agreements with
Armenia and other South Caucasian countries in November, 2009.

At the guests’ instance, Nalbandyan spoke of the Armenian-Turkish
reconciliation and recent developments in the talks on Karabakh
conflict settlement.

POLAND HOPES YEREVAN AND ANKARA CAN REACH AGREEMENT

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
23.09.2009 16:35 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian met
Wednesday with visiting Poland’s State Minister for Europe Mikolay
Dowgielewicz to discuss devolvement of political dialogue and economic
relations.

The men also referred to Armenia-EU cooperation, specifically the
Eastern Partnership, visa system simplification and Armenia’s joining
Free Trade Agreement.

At the guest’s request, Minister Nalbandian briefed on the process of
normalization of the Armenian-Turkish relations and recent developments
in Karabakh talks.

TENTH SESSION OF ARMENIA-EU COOPERATION COMMITTEE STARTED TODAY ITS WORKS IN YEREVAN

ARMENPRESS
Sep 22, 2009

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 22, ARMENPRESS: Tenth session of Armenia-European
Union cooperation committee started today its works in Yerevan. Head
of the Armenian delegation, Armenian Economy Minister Nerses Yeritsian
told today journalists that there is a quite wide range of issues which
are being discussed – Armenian anti-crisis policy and the EU support,
energy sphere, regional security, general assessment of the Armenia-EU
plan of actions within the frameworks of European Neighborhood Policy,
organization of the pre-negotiation round of signing of an entirely
free trade agreement, Nagorno Karabakh issue as well as regulation
of Armenia-Turkey relations.

During the session stressing the importance of organization of such
meetings N. Yeritsian noted that it enables to assess the conducted
works and to discuss the further steps. According to him the relations
of Armenia with the European Union have penetrated into a new round
becoming more enhanced.

"During the latest years quite serious works have been conducted in
different spheres but there is still much to be done. The Armenian
Government is ready to go on working with the European Union,
notable results can be achieved through a close cooperation,"
N. Yeritsian said.

Head of the department of External relations of the European Commission
Gunar Wigend assessed the Armenia-EU relations on the whole positive.

"Our relations had a positive development, I can say that we not only
cooperate but do something more. EU is ready to assist Armenia during
the upcoming years as well," he said.

G. Wigand stressed that the relations with Armenia can be more
enhanced. He noted that the deepening of bilateral relations also
increases the commitments and the both sides must guarantee that they
will exert all their efforts.

According to G. Wigand such meetings give opportunities to assess
what has been done and to indicate ways for fostering the potential.

GARRY KASPAROV, ANATOLY KARPOV PLAYING EXHIBITION REMATCH

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
22.09.2009 12:00 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Chess greats Garry Kasparov and Anatoly Karpov are
playing an exhibition rematch marking the 25th anniversary of their
first epic title clash.

Starting September 22, the former champs will play 24 speed chess
games during a four-day match in Valencia, Spain.

Kasparov, 46, won the world title at 22 and dominated the game for two
decades. He is now an active political opponent of Russian president
Vladimir Putin.

Fellow Russian Karpov, 58, was reigning champion when Kasparov first
challenged him in a match starting in September 1984 and spilling
over into February 1985.

The match was halted on health grounds with Karpov 5-3 up after 48
games. No winner was declared but Kasparov won a 1985 rematch to
capture the world title.

Kasparov this week called Karpov "my grandmaster, the one from whom
I learned most, in chess and in life".

PROTOCOLS’ SIGNING NEITHER CONFIRMED NOR REFUTED

Information-Analytic Agency NEWS.am
Sept 21 2009
Armenia

RA Foreign Ministry neither confirms, nor refutes information spread by
Turkish mass media about the possibility of Armenia-Turkey Protocols’
signing on October 12, 2009.

"Foreign Ministry will inform mass media about the issues related
to Protocols in due form," Tigran Balayan Foreign Ministry Press
Secretary told NEWS.am.

Today Turkish Hurriyet daily spread information about Turkey’s
readiness to sign the Armenia-Turkey Protocols at latest October
12. According to the daily, Protocols will be signed by both countries’
Foreign Ministers Edward Nalbandyan and Ahmet Davutoglu in Bern,
Switzerland, as this country is a mediator in the negotiations.

As to the meetings’ agenda of RA Foreign Minister in the framework
of UN General Assembly Session in New York, Balayan said it was not
confirmed yet. Edward Nalbandyan will be in New York September 26-29.

"THERE ARE SOME FORCES WHO WANT TO FAIL THE NORMALIZATION PROCESS"

Aysor
Sept 21 2009
Armenia

In the Armenian – Turkish reconciliation process Armenia moves on
without any preconditions", – stated the President of Armenia Serzh
Sargsyan answering the questions of Sergey Brilyov, the announcer of
the "Saturday news" ("ВеÑ~AÑ~BÐ&# xB8; в Ñ~AÑ~CббÐ&#xB E;Ñ~BÑ~C").

The head of the country stressed that the initiation of the Armenian
side establishing bilateral relations is not a mere project, but
a step aimed at the formation of a relatively pliable atmosphere,
which can serve a basis for a dialogue between the neighbor countries
in the 21st century. S. Sargsyan has reminded that the first and the
second Presidents of the Armenian Republic had also appeared with
this initiation.

"Turkey also showed his initiation, but all these processes have been
failed. Today also there is no 100% guarantee that this process will
not fail too", – President Sargsyan said, mentioning that there are
many pessimists who want to fail this process. " I do understand that
both in Armenia and in Turkey there are forces that try to fail this
process. By the way these types of forces exist also in the third
countries. But in spite of the previous processes, I think that this
process has one advantage, this one is the most publicized and open
process that we have ever had with Turkey", – said the head of the
country and added that there is a hostility between the two societies
and a bid distrust, but this is the result of the historical reality,
the Genocide of Armenians in the Osmanian Empire.

"And if we be able one day to normalize our relations we will need the
political will of both Armenian and Turkish leaders, as well as the
participation of the society in that process. Our societies should
know about the details of the normalization process", – President
Sargsyan mentioned.

Armenian FM: Connecting normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations
with Karabakh conflict settlement process, both of them may be failed

2009-09-19 16:17:00

ArmInfo. Connecting normalization of the Armenian-Turkish relations
with the Karabakh conflict settlement process, both of them may be
failed, Foreign Minister of Armenia Edward Nalbandyan said when
commenting on the last statement by Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip Erdogan regarding the Armenian- Turkish reconciliation, Karabakh
conflict and Armenian Diaspora. "The Turkish party is informed, and we
are sure it realizes that we rule out a possibility of connecting
normalization of the Armenian-Turkish relations with the steps towards
solution of the Karabakh problem. Trying to connect these two
processes, both of them may be failed", Nalbandyan said.

According to him, many other countries, including OSCE MG
cochair-countries, adhere to the similar stance. These countries have
multiply claimed that settlement of the Armenian-Turkish relations
should proceed without preconditions. "If the Turkish authorities are
not ready today to recognize the fact of the Armenian Genocide, at
least they have to treat the people, who lived through the Genocide,
and their descendants with respect", E. Nalbandyan emphasized.

To note, during the events dedicated to Ramadan, with participation of
the Turkish media heads, prime minister of Turkey also touched on the
issue of Armenia-Turkey relations, among other issues. Erdogan said, in
particular: "We shall not open the border unless the
Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict is settled. We told them about it.
Aliyev-Medvedev- Sargsyan meetings have become frequent. Now we are
close to solution of the Karabakh problem. OSCE MG activity should
intensify. The process of settlement of relations with Armenia, having
been started under mediation of Switzerland, moved forward, however,
the Minsk Group should speed-up its work. We shall not make a step
without solution of this issue. It is also necessary for Armenia to get
rid of the Diaspora’s influence. The Diaspora is of no use to Armenia".

ARMAN MELIKYAN: DISCUSSIONS CHANGE NOTHING

Aysor
Sept 17 2009
Armenia

Discussions over current phase of Armenian-Turkish relations with
leaders of political parties will not change anything, said Arman
Melikyan, an ex-Foreign Minister of Nagorno-Karabakh Republic.

"Taking stock of last meetings’ experience, I think, authorities’
position will not change. For several party leaders is important to
be closer to Serzh Sargsyan, see him, hear and feel the atmosphere
of the meeting. For others, perhaps, this can become a matter to
express thoughts and then happily tell how these thoughts were kindly
received," said Mr. Melikyan.

He also marked that Turkey’s policy is not determined in these
discussions.

"President Sargsyan has his own policy. This meeting and the following
ones will have the fixed mood. He arranges these meetings to say later:
there are objections, however, the most part of Armenia’s political
parties are agree to sign these protocols," Arman Melikyan noted.