Author: Tigranian Ani

Erdogan: Turkey and Armenia appear to have got off to unhealthy start
31.01.2010 16:16 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ We appear to have got off to an unhealthy start,
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in an interview to
Euronews TV channel.

`Well, we appear to have got off to an unhealthy start. What are we
negotiating about? What are we going to do? Armenia should once again
take this into consideration, because we fulfilled our protocol
commitments,’ he stressed.

Yet, despite the above, the Premier emphasized Turkey’s readiness to
continue with the process. `Both sides have road maps. The process
will continue. We are fully prepared and sincere, and will proceed in
the same way as we have so far,’ he concluded.

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.

Commenting on the decision of the Armenian Constitutional Court, the
Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that `the decision contains
preconditions and restrictive provisions which impair the letter and
spirit of the Protocols.’

‘The decision undermines the very reason for negotiating these
Protocols as well as their fundamental objective. This approach cannot
be accepted on our part. Turkey, in line with its accustomed
allegiance to its international commitments, maintains its adherence
to the primary provisions of these Protocols. We expect the same
allegiance from the Armenian Government,’ the Ministry said.

ARMENIAN NATIONAL ASSEMBLY SPEAKER HAS PHONE CONVERSATION WITH THE NEWLY ELECT PACE CHAIRMAN

AZG DAILY
29-01-2010

Karabakh conflict

Armenian National Assembly Speaker Hovik Abrahamyan had January
28 a phone conversation with the newly elect PACE chairman Movlud
Cavushoglu, Armenpress reports.

NA Public relations department told the source that in the beginning
of the conversation the NA speaker congratulated M. Cavushoglu on
being elected as chairman of PACE. Taking into consideration the
circumstance that the Turkish political figure is the first one from
our common region to assume this high office, Abrahamyan called on
him to display sensible and balanced position during the two-year of
presidency toward the issues connected with the region.

During the phone conversation M. Cavushoglu said that in the text
of his interview to the APA news agency he was ascribed a number
of statements which he did not make. Cavusoglu assured that these
statements are result of bad translation and misunderstanding of the
Azerbaijani reporter.

According to the news agency, the parties also exchanged viewpoints
over the process of normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations. The
interlocutors also discussed the possibility of the visit of the PACE
chairman to Armenia.

IT IS THE BIGGEST VICTORY TO PREVENT WARS, SAYS PRESIDENT

Aysor.am
28.01.2010, 17:50

"Authors of any provocations against Armenia should know they’ll face
serious counterattacks by Armenian Army. It’s at least naive do not
understand this," said Armenia’s President Serge Sarkisian in his
congratulatory speech in occasion of Armenian Army’s Day and the 18th
anniversary of Armenian Army.

"Armenian Army is s steel guarantor providing us with existing, move
and lives; it’s a cold shower against any hot-tempered adventurers,"
said President Sarkisian.

"Balance, and as a result peace and stability, in our region are
impossible without combat-ready armed forces. For any democracy country
that stands up for human rights, rights of nations and states, it is
the biggest victory to prevent wars. You do this being loved and backed
with Armenian people’s trust. Your main objective is to defense the
country. And you do reliably defense Armenia from any attacks with
your high professional skills, possession of modern technologies,
your morality and patriotism."

President Sarkisian also said that in regard to trends of strengthening
of international relations Armenian Army’s objectives are being added
by some new different issues which are usefully implemented and solved.

PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V.Rev.Fr.Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Director
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: [email protected]
Web:

PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon

Watch our latest videos on YouTube here:

HIS HOLINESS ARAM I CONGRATULATES HIS HOLINESS PATRIARCH IRINEJ OF SERBIA

In a letter addressed to His Holiness Patriarch Irinej of Serbia, who was
installed on 23 January 2010, Catholicos Aram I expressed his good wishes
and hoped that relations between the two churches and ecumenical relations
are strengthened under his spiritual leadership.

##
The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the history and
the mission of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer to the web page of
the Catholicosate, The Cilician
Catholicosate, the administrative center of the church is located in
Antelias, Lebanon.

PACE WANTS AZERBAIJAN TO BE MORE DEMOCRATIC

News.am
19:26 / 01/25/2010

The Council of Europe (CE) wants to see more democratic Azerbaijan
and will continue working both with this and with other countries of
the region, Lluís Maria de Puig, the newly retired president of the
CE Parliamentary Assembly, stated at a press conference on January 25.

"Our wish is that Azerbaijan should show itself a more democratic state
meeting the CE’s standards," Lluís Maria de Puig said. He pointed
out that the CE is ready to render any assistance to Azerbaijan in
this process. Summing up his work as PACE President, Lluís Maria de
Puig pointed out that it was not easy, but he is satisfied with it.

The PACE ex-president also remembers many events especially the
election of the CE Secretary General and "Georgian-Russian war." Lluís
Maria de Puig intends to continue working at PACE. He is a member of
three PACE committees and calls on the newly elected PACE President
to disseminate PACE’s values.

The Turkish Parliament member Mevlut CavuÅ~_oglu was elected PACE
President on January 25, 2010.

TURKEY NEEDS TO BE REMINDED: ARMENIA IS NOT ONE OF ITS PROVINCES

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
25.01.2010 15:26 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Obvious progress is observed in Armenian diplomacy:
Armenia managed to separate RA-Turkey rapprochement process from
Karabakh conflict settlement issue, Social Democrat Hunchakian Party
member Vardan Khachatryan said.

As he stated during joint news conference with RPA member Karen
Avagyan, Turkey and Azerbaijan still continue pressure.

At the same time he noted that the language of ultimatum negotiations
are conducted with, will most probably hamper their normal course.

"Turkey needs to be reminded: Armenia is not one of its provinces, so
the language of preconditions will be ineffective here," Khachatryan
said.

Karen Avagyan stated, for his part, that Armenia adhered to its course
throughout the process of negotiations with Turkey, which attempts
to shift the responsibility for talks-related problems on Yerevan.

OSCE MG deliver the updated version of the Madrid principles to the
presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan

2010-01-22 12:57:00

Arminfo. The OSCE MG have delivered the updated version of the Madrid
principles to the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan, the OSCE MG
co-chairs made such a statement in Astana.

"On January 20, the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs (Ambassador Yuri
Merzlyakov, the Russian Federation; Ambassador Bernard Fassier,
France; Ambassador Robert Bradtke, United States) met with Armenian
President Serzh Sargsian in Yerevan, Armenia. As instructed by their
presidents in L’Aquila in July 2009, the Co-Chairs delivered to
President Sargsian, just as they had to President Ilham Aliyev during
their visit to Baku in December 2009, an updated version of the Madrid
Document of November 2007, containing the Co-Chairs’ latest
articulation of the Basic Principles. On January 21, the Co-Chairs
met President Aliyev in Baku, Azerbaijan. In their discussions with
the Co-Chairs, each president expressed their commitment to continue
to pursue a peaceful settlement to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and
reaffirmed the seriousness of their side in the negotiations", – the
statement says.

To recall, the tip level trilateral meeting is scheduled on 25 January 2010.

ARMROSGAZPROM INVESTMENTS IN ARMENIA FOR 2010-2012 TO COMPRISE AMD 31,81 BILLION

PanARMENIAN.Net
21.01.2010 16:48 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ ArmRosGazprom CJSC presented company’s investment
program for 2010-2012 to Public Service Regulation Committee.

According to program presented, total expenditures over the years
2010-2012 will comprise AMD 31,81 billion, with AMD 7,65 billion
allocated to transportation system and AMD 24,16 billion to gas
distribution system.

Program discussion is currently in progress, ArmRosGazprom press
service reported.

Founded in 1997, ArmRosGazprom, a subsidiary of Gazprom, supplies
gas for the domestic market in Armenia. The company also transports,
stores, processes, distributes, and sells natural gas; and generates
electricity, as well as engages in the reconstruction and expansion
of the gas transportation system and underground storage facilities
system in Armenia. In addition, it manages gas deliveries from the
Russian Federation to Armenia, as well as exports to Turkey.

Currently, the company’s authorized capital totals AMD 316.6 billion.

UNEMPLOYMENT CONTINUES TO RISE IN ARMENIA

Tert.am
16:43 ~U 21.01.10

As of data collected up to December 31, 2009, unemployment in Armenia,
as compared to 2008, has risen by 0.8%, and is currently at 7.1%,
said Sona Harutyunyan, head of the State Employment Service Agency.

According to her, a number of issues and challenges in the area of
unemployment in 2009 were due to the global economic crisis.

During the press conference today, Harutyunyan presented some facts
from the preceding year: the agency was able to secure employment
for 9,400 individuals who were previously unemployed. Out of those,
37% had been enrolled in the state agency’s programs.

"Our issues are to support both those who are unemployed to find
work in their field and employers to find staff – and with that,
supporting economic development," she said.

The state agency director said that in 2009, 4,960 individuals found
temporary employment, while 33,300 individuals have received support
through the agency’s programs (for which the Armenian government had
allocated 1 billion 400 million AMD). A number of programs have also
been implemented thanks to the support of international agencies.

HEARINGS OF MINISTERIAL REPORTS KICKED OFF AT GOVERNMENT

W ednesday, 20 January 2010

Hearings of ministerial reports for 2009 have started at the Office
of Government.

In the first half of the day, reports were delivered by the ministers
of Education and Science, Finance, Economy, Nature Protection.

Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan reminded those present that the texts
of reports shall be published and available at the official websites
of ministries. Before proceeding to the hearings, the Prime Minister
stated in part: "You may remember my directive concerning the focus to
be placed on the following items: firstly, concerning the shortfalls
and impediments having affected the pace of reform and the rate of
economic growth. Secondly, what conclusions should be drawn from 2009?

We shall formulate such priority tasks for the year 2010 as must
be kept under strict ministerial control so that each minister can
report back the outcome of his agency’s work at the end of the year."

Tigran Sargsyan stressed once again the importance of having 3 programs
both completed and to be implemented in 2010 under the ministers’
immediate control. He reiterated that the growth-oriented programs
will be open to the public in 2010.

In the second half of the day, reports were submitted by the ministers
of Diaspora, Agriculture, Labor and Social Affairs, Sport and Youth
Affairs, Urban Development, Transport and Communication.