Author: Tatoyan Vazgen

BLACK SEA’S IMPORTANCE GROWING, SAYS BULGARIAN ENVOY

Hurriyet Daily News
Thursday, January 28, 2010

Russian coast guard boats arrive in the Black Sea port of Ochamchiri
in December. Bulgaria’s Special Envoy Ivan Petkov says the Black Sea
is a strategic crossroads. AP photo

Russian coast guard boats arrive in the Black Sea port of Ochamchiri
in December. Bulgaria’s Special Envoy Ivan Petkov says the Black Sea
is a strategic crossroads. AP photo

The strategic importance of the Black Sea as a key geopolitical
crossroad linking Europe with Central Asia and the Caucasus is ever
growing, according to Bulgaria’s Special Envoy Ivan Petkov, speaking
at the Third Japan-Black Sea Region Dialogue held this week in Tokyo.

Petkov is the representative of the Bulgarian chairmanship-in-office
of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation, or BSEC. The topic of the
two-day meeting was "Prospects of changing the wider Black Sea region
and the role of Japan." It was supported by the Tokyo Club and the
Japan Foundation and sponsored by the Global Forum of Japan, or GFJ,
and BSEC.

"The time when Japanese foreign policy toward the Black Sea region
was cautious should be over," said Petkov. He said Japan is faithful
to universal values such as democracy and the market economy and
that it would only benefit from increased involvement in the region,
from stronger ties with Brussels and greater coordination with BSEC.

Petkov outlined the three directions as sectoral partnerships within
the frame of the Black Sea Synergy to gather financial support
for shared projects in energy, transport and the environment; the
necessity of effective participation of the European Commission
as an observer to BSEC and of involving more actively the other EU
member states with an observer or sectoral partner status to BSEC;
and strengthening of BSEC-EU dialogue through meetings in Brussels.

BSEC has been cooperating with the European Union more closely and
establishing higher-level cooperation and ties with other important
organizations. Petkov said BSEC became a member of the United Nations’
Alliance of Civilizations in 2009.

Importance of security

Turning to the issue of security, Petkov said all BSEC members, not
just the littoral states, should pay a working visit to the Black Sea
Border Coordination and Information Center in Bourgas. "The aim is
to contribute to strengthening the efficiency of border management,"
he said.

BSEC Secretary-General Ambassador Leonidas Chrysanthopoulus also
addressed security. "After Sept. 11, the fight against terrorism and
the efforts to dry up its financial resources, which are mostly linked
to various forms of organized crime such as the trafficking of arms,
drugs and human beings, have also increased the political and strategic
importance of the Black Sea region. We must acknowledge that frozen
conflicts pose a threat to security in the region. Frozen conflicts
constitute the main obstacles to enhancing regional cooperation. These
should be dealt with effectively and solved peacefully," he said.

Mithat Rende, director-general of economic affairs for Turkey’s
Foreign Ministry, talked about his country’s initiative to create
the Caucasus Stability and Cooperation Platform. "Countries in the
region support this initiative and hopefully it will create new and
constructive dynamics that will assist in the comprehensive settlement
of all Caucasian disputes."

Rende also referred to the Russian-Georgian war in 2008 and how BSEC
has continued to meet "in a friendly and constructive atmosphere."

"This has been a clear indication of the commitment of all the
member states to BSEC and to its goals of turning the BSEC region
into a region of peace, stability and prosperity through economic
cooperation."

Additional steps

According to BSEC’s secretary-general, of particular importance are the
additional steps being planned "in facilitating the road transport of
goods, which is also expected to contribute to trade relations in the
region. Within this framework, a pilot project for a BSEC permit system
for the road transit of goods has been prepared. The implementation
of this pilot project will start Feb. 16 with the participation of
some of the BSEC member states. This permit system is expected to
facilitate the work of the road transporters and simplify border
procedures in the region. With this project, BSEC will become the
first regional organization to issue such transit documents.

"Once they are in force, BSEC agreements to simplify visa procedures
for businesspeople and lorry drivers who are nationals of BSEC member
states, signed in 2008 in Tirana, will also surely contribute to
trade cooperation."

BSEC members are Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia,
Greece, Moldova, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Turkey and Ukraine. The
organization was established in 1992 through Turkey’s initiative and
as Chrysanthopoulus describes it, "Today, BSEC is the most inclusive
regional organization in the Black Sea area with developed mechanisms
and instruments of cooperation and a diverse institutional framework."

UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY DECLARES 2010 INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF BIODIVERSITY

PanARMENIAN.Net
27.01.2010 20:19 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova, opening
the "Science and Policy in Biodiversity" conference stressed, that
biodiversity diversity is a global problem, equal to global warming.

As the press office of UNESCO reported, since the 2010 has been
declared to be the International Year of Biodiversity , the UNESCO
Director-General is committed to concentrate all the activities
of UNESCO on adopting the comprehensive measures for biodiversity
management and conservation.

The UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations established
on 16 November 1945. Its stated purpose is to contribute to peace and
security by promoting international collaboration through education,
science, and culture in order to further universal respect for
justice, the rule of law, and the human rights and fundamental freedoms
proclaimed in the UN Charter. It is the heir of the League of Nations’
International Commission on Intellectual Cooperation. UNESCO has 193
Member States and seven Associate Members. The organization is based in
Paris, with over 50 field offices and many specialized institutes and
centres throughout the world. Most of the field offices are "cluster"
offices covering three or more countries; there are also national and
regional offices. UNESCO pursues its objectives through five major
programs: education, natural sciences, social and human sciences,
culture, and communication and information. Projects sponsored by
UNESCO include literacy, technical, and teacher-training programmes;
international science programmes; the promotion of independent media
and freedom of the press; regional and cultural history projects,
the promotion of cultural diversity; international cooperation
agreements to secure the world cultural and natural heritage (World
Heritage Sites) and to preserve human rights; and attempts to bridge
the worldwide digital divide.

ACCORDING TO SERZH SARGSYAN, IMPLEMENTATION OF LARGE-SCALE PROGRAMS WILL ESSENTIALLY CHANGE PICTURE OF ARMENIAN-IRANIAN ECONOMIC COOPERATION

Noyan Tapan
Jan 27, 2010

YEREVAN, JANUARY 27, NOYAN TAPAN. On January 27, RA President Serzh
Sargsyan receiving Foreign Minister of Iran Manouchehr Mottaki,
who is in Yerevan for the purpose of taking part in the 9th session
of the Armenian-Iranian Intergovernmental Commission, said that
he attaches much importance to the work of the Armenian-Iranian
Intergovernmental Commission. "You know well that we attach much
importance to the relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran,
you know that we perceive you as a reliable partner and a country
having a pivotal significance in the region. Therefore development
and deepening of bilateral relations is in our interests," he said.

S. Sargsyan mentioned that the large-scale work done in the past
decade, as well as implementation of the outlined big initiatives in
the energy, infrastructures and other spheres, the expediency of which
is justified on the political and economic planes, will essentially
contribute to further expansion of trade and economic relations
between the two countries and will be a new stimulus for deepening of
the Armenia-Iran friendship. "Implementation of large-scale programs
will essentially change the picture of our economic cooperation," S.

Sargsyan emphasized. He also emphasized the importance of current
high-level dialogue between Armenia and Iran and consultations
being held.

M. Mottaki conveyed IRI President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s greetings
to the RA President. The IRI Foreign Minister expressed satisfaction
with the issues discussed at Intergovernmental Commission’s Yerevan
session and the decisions made at the session aimed at fulfillment
of the political agreements reached between the two countries’ heads
in the past.

According to the RA President’s Press Office, Armenia’s initiative of
normalizing the Armenia-Turkey relations, urgent issues of regional
security and stability, as well as the latest developments in the
Nagorno Karabakh settlement negotiations process were discussed at
the meeting. S. Sargsyan thanked the Iranian side for its balanced
position in the issue of Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement.

ARMENIAN FOREIGN MINISTER TO PARTICIPATE IN INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON AFGHANISTAN

PanARMENIAN.Net
26.01.2010 20:59 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ On January 28, Armenian Foreign Minister Edward
Nalbandian will participate in international conference on Afghanistan
due in London.

As RA Foreign Ministry press secretary Tigran Balayan told
PanARMENIAN.Net reporter, the conference will host heads of foreign
policy structures of 61 countries and 7 international organizations
from US, EU states, Russia, Turkey and Azerbaijan.

No meetings between Edward Nalbandian and US, Turkish and Azeri
colleagues are scheduled, Tigran Balayan stated.

On January 28, 2010, a major international conference on Afghanistan
will take place in London which will be co-hosted by UK Prime
Minister Gordon Brown, Afghan President Hamid Karzai, and United
Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. The purpose of the conference
is to drive forward campaign in Afghanistan, to match the increase
in military forces with an increased political momentum, to focus
the international community on a clear set of priorities across the
43-nation coalition and marshal the maximum international effort to
help the Afghan government deliver.

STALEMATE IN KARABAKH PEACE TALKS INEVITABLE WITHOUT STEPANAKERT’S DIRECT INVOLVEMENT IN PROCESS

PanARMENIAN.Net
25.01.2010 20:30 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The statements on the preamble of updated Madrid
Principles being coordinated is a positive factor, says Sergey
Minasyan, Vice Director of Caucasus Institute.

"The negotiations will not definitely accelerate the conflict
settlement process, but Azerbaijan will be forced to renounce its
military rhetoric," he told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter in an interview.

At that, he expressed hope that the outcome of Armenian, Russian and
Azerbaijani Presidents’ meeting in Sochi will enable Turkey to speed
up the ratification of Armenia-Turkey Protocols.

"The process of Karabakh conflict settlement depends on NKR. If Nagorno
Karabakh is not involved in the talks, the process will be pointless,"
he said, touching upon the rumors on the issue being discussed during
the recent meeting.

The trilateral meeting between Armenian, Azerbaijani and Russian
leaders took place in Sochi on Monday, Jan. 25. Following the meeting,
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov summed up the results,
estimating the discussions as positive.

As informed by a high ranking official, the necessity of NKR’s
participation in the next round of talks was enshrined in the preamble
to the agreement on Karabakh conflict settlement. The preamble also
enshrines the priority of self-determination principle.

The conflict between Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan broke out in
1988 as result of the ethnic cleansing the latter launched in the
final years of the Soviet Union. The Karabakh War was fought from
1991 to 1994. Since the ceasefire in 1994, sealed by Armenia, Nagorno
Karabakh and Azerbaijan, most of Nagorno Karabakh and several regions
of Azerbaijan around it (the security zone) remain under the control
of NKR defense army. Armenia and Azerbaijan are holding peace talks
mediated by the OSCE Minsk Group up till now.

The Protocols aimed at normalization of bilateral ties and opening of
the border between Armenia and Turkey were signed in Zurich by Armenian
Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian and his Turkish counterpart Ahmet
Davutoglu on October 10, 2009, after a series of diplomatic talks
held through Swiss mediation.

On January 12, 2010, the Constitutional Court of the Republic of
Armenia found the protocols conformable to the country’s Organic Law.

PRESIDENT SARGSYAN TO MEET HIS RUSSIAN, AZERBAIJANI COUNTERPARTS IN SOCHI

armradio.am
25.01.2010 11:06

President Serzh Sargsyan left for Sochi today.

Presidents of the Republic of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan, President of
the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev and President of the Republic
of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev will meet in Sochi on January 25.

The meeting is dedicated to the settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh
conflict, President’s Press Office reported.

AGREEMENT ON SOLUTION TO THE KARABAKH CONFLICT MAY BE ACHIEVED IN SPRING, LENMARKER BELIEVES

armradio.am
25.01.2010 17:27

"An agreement on the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict may
be achieved in spring of this year," Special Representative of the
OSCE Parliamentary Assembly for Nagorno Karabakh conflict and Georgia
Goran Lenmarker said.

Touching upon the meeting of Armenian, Azerbaijani and Russian
Presidents in Sochi, Lenmarker expressed confidence that the sides
would be able to come to agreement at the end of the negotiations.

"I hope that the parties are at the end of negotiations. I think it
will take more meetings and it will not happen today. But the parties
are coming closer and it will be possible to conclude an agreement
this spring," he said.

Trend, Azerbaijan
Jan 22 2010

OSCE Minsk Group co-chair: OSCE chairman’s visit to South Caucasus to
harmonize principles of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict’s early settlement

Kazakhstan, Astana, Jan. 22 / Trend News K. Konyrova /

There should be an early agreement on the basic principles of settling
the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, OSCE Minsk Group Russian Co-Chairman
Yuriy Merzlyakov told journalists after a meeting with OSCE Chairman
Kanat Saudabayev in Astana.

"We had a very interesting and meaningful meeting," he said today."
During the talks, we set out our vision of the situation and prospects
for settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The OSCEchairman
expressed support for the efforts of the international mediators."

According to Merzlyakov, Saudabayev’s visit to the South Caucasus in
February will harmonize the principles of the early settlement of the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

"During Saudabayev’s forthcoming visit, we can bring to the position
of the three mediating countries (Russia, the U.S. and France) and
chairman of the OSCE, which are in need of early agreement on the
basic principles of the Nagorno-Karabakh problem," he added.

At the end of the meeting, the parties agreed that after the
forthcoming visit of the chairman to the region, they will have
another meeting.

news.az, Azerbaijan
Jan 23 2010

Karabakh problem of concern to EU and USA – analyst
Sat 23 January 2010 | 08:00 GMT Text size:

Mark Kramer News.Az interviews Mark Kramer, director of the Cold War
Studies Program at Harvard University.

Russian President Medvedev has said that there is no going back to the
Soviet system for Russia. How sincere is this comment? Is it true of
Russia’s policy towards its neighbours?

Russia is not going to return to being the Soviet Union, but under
Putin, who is still the real leader in Russia, Russia has become a
largely authoritarian country that seeks an exclusive sphere of
influence in the CIS, including countries in the South Caucasus.
Russia wants to be the dominant power in the region, unchallenged by
any other country.

There is a view that the West lost Georgia following the 2008 war and
may lose Ukraine after the presidential elections. Is the West losing
the struggle with Russia for influence in the post-Soviet area?

The West has certainly lost some influence in the region in the wake
of the August 2008 war, but many countries in the CIS are very
ambivalent about their ties with Russia. The Collective Security
Treaty Organization has made some headway, but less than the Russians
wanted. I don’t rule out that Western countries could regain some of
their lost influence, as the United States already has in Uzbekistan.

The South Caucasus is full of conflicts. The US and EU seem not to
want to be involved in the settlement of regional conflicts,
especially after the war between Russia and Georgia.

I wouldn’t agree with you. I do think that the EU and the United
States want to serve as mediators in these regional conflicts. The
August 2008 war was a sobering reminder that if the region is left to
Russia, it will just become an array of authoritarian vassal states.
Most Western governments don’t want that. The French and the Germans
might not care much, but the other Western countries do.

Do you view the Karabakh problem between Azerbaijan and Armenia as a
purely regional problem or is it a problem for the whole of Europe, as
Azerbaijan says?

The Karabakh issue has been a flashpoint for the past 22 years and
inspired deadly warfare in the early 1990s. In that sense, the problem
is of concern to all OSCE countries. But ultimately a solution will
become feasible only if Azerbaijan and Armenia reach common ground.
Other countries can help promote that, but no one is going to be able
to impose a lasting solution on the two countries that have a direct
stake in the fate of Karabakh.

How may Georgia and Azerbaijan benefit from membership of NATO?

The question of NATO membership for either of these countries is off
the agenda for the time being, and maybe for a long time to come. The
United States has supported membership for these countries, but the
accession of new members requires unanimous support among NATO
governments. Even before the August 2008 war, the French and the
Germans were adamantly against bringing Georgia and Ukraine into NATO.
Azerbaijani membership wasn’t really on the agenda yet, but I have no
doubt that if it had been, the French and the Germans would have
opposed it. In the wake of the August 2008 war, the NATO governments
have de facto dropped the question of NATO enlargement to include
Georgia or Ukraine or Azerbaijan. I hope that at some point NATO will
revive this issue, but the French and the Germans will undoubtedly do
everything they can to oppose further enlargement.

Mark Kramer is director of the Cold War Studies Program at Harvard
University and senior fellow of Harvard’s Davis Center for Russian and
Eurasian Studies.

Aliyah Fridman
News.Az

Lavrov: The principles of self-determination and territorial integrity
can not prevail over each other

22.01.2010 14:03

Yerevan (Yerkir) – `There is no precise hierarchy between the basic
principles of the international law and all serious scientists attach
similar importance to the principle of territorial integrity, people’s
right to self-determination and other principles of the international
law, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has told a news conference
in Moscow.

The only attempt to realize the principle of self-determination within
the framework of the principle of territorial integrity was in the UN
declaration adopted in 1970, he added.