Author: Tigranian Ani

NKR FOREIGN MINISTRY HOSTED FIRST OFFICIAL MEETING WITH TMR DELEGATION

PanARMENIAN.Net
26.10.2009 19:11 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ NKR Foreign Minister Georgy Petrosyan has received a
delegation from Transnistrian Moldovan Republic (TMR). The delegation
headed by Foreign Minister Vladimir Yestrebchak is carrying out a
three-day official visit to Stepanakert.

During the closed-door discussion which lasted over 1.5 hours, Foreign
Ministers discussed a range of issues of mutual interest, outlining
the framework of further contacts between two republics which share
similar faith. Parties were later joined by TMR delegation members,
as well as responsible representatives of NKR Foreign Ministry. The
meeting took place in official atmosphere, NKR Foreign Ministry’s
press service reports.

PERMANENT MISSION OF AZERBAIJAN TO THE UNITED NATIONS REFUTES INFORMATION SPREAD BY ARMENIAN NEWS AGENCY

APA
Oct 26 2009
Azerbaijan

Baku – APA. Permanent Mission of Azerbaijan to the United Nations
issued a statement on the news spread by Armenia’s Panarmenian agency
that the speech of Azerbaijan’s representative was interrupted in the
hearings on "Promotion and protection of children’s rights" at the UN
General Assembly Social, Humanitarian and Cultural Affairs Committee
(the Third Committee). Foreign Ministry’s press service told APA that
Azerbaijan’s representative took a stance on the work done within
the framework of the UN concerning the problem and spoke about the
steps taken by official Baku. Azerbaijan’s representative said that
occupation of Azerbaijani territories by Armenia also caused serious
problems in the humanitarian sphere, children’s rights were violated
in this context and finalized his speech.

The news about the speech of Armenia’s representative was also
falsified. Armenia’s representative did not attend the common
discussions, only took a stance on the speech of Azerbaijan’s
representative. Azerbaijan’s representative replied to him.

AMERIA CJSC CONDUCTS RESEARCH ON PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV AND INTRAVENOUS DRUG USERS

ArmInfo
2009-10-26 14:40:00

ArmInfo. Ameria CJSC conducts basic research on people infected
with HIV and intravenous drug users by the order of the WCC (World
Council of Churches) Armenian Round Table ecumenical foundation. As
Ameriabank’s press service told ArmInfo, the research is of anonymous
nature, and the data received will be summarized.

According to the source data, the aim of the research is to evaluate
the efficiency of the support received by the HIV infected people
and intravenous drug users from the public and private sectors,
religious, social and international organizations. It also targets
at evaluation of the level of satisfaction with the assistance
provided by the Armenian Apostolic Church in the social integration
process, the support expected by the beneficiaries of the research,
as well as disclosing types of the assistance which will facilitate
the integration process, additional necessity for professional
consultation, etc.

The research will disclose and estimate the needs of HIV infected
people and intravenous drug users to ensure personal and purpose aid.

ARMENIA SEES TURKEY-ARMENIA NORMALIZATION AS SEPARATE FROM RESOLUTION OF KARABAKH CONFLICT: ARMENIAN DEPUTY FM

Today.Az
06.html
Oct 22 2009
Azerbaijan

The normalization of Turkish-Armenian relations and the settlement of
the Karabakh conflict are two different processes, said Armenian Deputy
Foreign Minister Aram Kirakosyan, who attends BSEC meeting in Baku.

"These are two different processes. Armenian-Turkish relations is a
relationship between two sovereign states, and in legal terms they
have no relation to the negotiation process on Nagorno-Karabakh,"
Kirakosyan said.

Kirakosyan noted that Armenia and Turkey signed two documents which
are expected to be ratified by the parliaments.

"If all goes well, after the ratification, the border between the two
countries will open in two months and intergovernmental commission
will begin work in three months," the Armenian diplomat said.

DISCUSSIONS OVER "GENOCIDE" NOT SO IMPORTANT ON BACKGROUND OF NEGOTIATIONS IN CAUCASUS: U.S. CONGRESSMAN

Today.Az
itics/56853.html
Oct 23 2009
Azerbaijan

"Congress should pay more attention to the negotiations in the
Caucasus, than problem of the Armenian claims on the "genocide of
1915"," Co-Chair of the Turkey Caucus in the US Congress Robert
Wexler said.

Wexler intends to leave Congress in 2010 and will take the post of
Head of the Center for Middle East Peace and Economic Cooperation.

Two pro-Armenian senators in the United States, Robert Menendez
and John Ensign, have introduced the so-called "Armenian Genocide
Resolution" to the U.S. Senate.

Mr. Wexler believes that currently this issue is not so important on
the background of the regional negotiations.

MAYOR OF YEREVAN AND DIRECTOR OF YEREVAN JUR DISCUSS ISSUES OF WATER OF THE CAPITAL

ARKA
Oct 23, 2009

YEREVAN, October 23. / ARKA /. The mayor of Yerevan Gagik Beglaryan
and director of Yerevan Jur Pascal Royer discussed the issues of
water supply in the Armenian capital, the official website of Yerevan
Municipality reported.

As it is noted in the message, Beglaryan stressed the importance of
concerted action in addressing existing problems.

"I will be consistent, so that in Yerevan will be provided with high
quality water supply, and by working together, we will eliminate all
outstanding problems," Beglaryan said.

Both sides expressed concern about the high water losses.

According to Pascal Royer, the company Yerevan Jur will take the
necessary measures regarding this issue.

ARMENIA SHOULD NOT QUESTION THE FACT OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
23.10.2009 15:37 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian diplomacy should announce that it will
not give up the worldwide campaign for recognition of the Genocide,
ARF Dashnaktsutyun Bureau’s Hay Dat and Political Affairs Office
Director Kiro Manoyan said.

"Some leading American editions are of the opinion that agreeing to
formation of a joint historical commission, RA questions the fact of
the Armenian Genocide. And their number will grow if Armenia doesn’t
take action," he said.

OPPOSITION LEAVES TURKISH PARLIAMENT AS PROTEST

Trend
Oct 21 2009
Azerbaijan

During the speech by the MP from the ruling Justice and Development
Party of Turkey Omer Chelik, MPs from the opposition left the meeting
hall of Parliament as protest, TRT 3 television channel reported.

On Oct. 21, the Turkish Parliament began discussions over the
Armenian-Turkish protocol.

Turkish and Armenian foreign ministers Ahmet Davutoglu and Edward
Nalbandian signed the protocols Ankara-Yerevan in Zurich on October 10.

Diplomatic relations between Armenia and Turkey have been broken due
to Armenia’s claims of an alleged genocide, and its occupation of
Azerbaijani lands. The border between them has been broken since 1993.

TURKEY MUST RECKON WITH AZERBAIJAN: TURKISH OPPOSITION LEADER

Trend News Agency
Oct 20 2009
Azerbaijan

Turkey must reckon with Azerbaijan, Leader of the Turkish opposition
Republican People’s Party (RPP), Deniz Baykal said at the meeting,
CNN Turk reported.

"Turkey is obliged to reckon with Azerbaijan," said Baykal.

Turkish and Armenian Foreign Ministers, Ahmet Davutoglu and Edward
Nalbandian signed the Ankara-Yerevan protocol in Zurich on Oct. 10.

Armenian-Turkish ties have been severed since 1993 due to Armenia’s
claims of an alleged genocide, and the country’s occupation of 20
percent of Azerbaijani lands.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian
armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan since 1992,
including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and 7 surrounding districts.

Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The
co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group – Russia, France, and the U.S. –
are currently holding the peace negotiations

Baykal also said that although his party called on the Turkish
authorities not to sign the protocol with Armenia, their words were
not accepted seriously.

He said this process serves to separate Azerbaijan from Turkey.

"PKK terrorists by surrendering crossed the border with their flags
in their hands, but unfortunately, the Azerbaijani flags were not
allowed to the Armenia-Turkey football match," said Baykal.

"The government does not have enough power to the PKK, but to
Azerbaijan," he said.

He said the Azerbaijani-Turkish relations are also experiencing a
bitter situation. "Show me a country whose brother is in a state of
war and killed, but they would shake hands with its enemies," said
the leader of the PRR.

According to Baykal, the Turkish-Azerbaijani brotherly ties should
not become a victim of the Turkish government’s mistakes.

TURKEY PROTESTS OVER REMOVAL OF FLAGS IN AZERBAIJAN

Kyiv Post
Oct 21 2009
Ukraine

The Turkish embassy in Azerbaijan protested on Wednesday over the
removal of Turkish flags in the capital Baku, reflecting strained
ties between the allies over Turkey’s thaw in relations with Azeri
foe Armenia.

Oil-producing Azerbaijan is angry at a rapprochement between fellow
Muslim ally Turkey and Christian Armenia, Azerbaijan’s enemy in the
conflict over breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh.

Muzafar Shahin, religious affairs adviser of the Turkish embassy,
told Azeri news agencies that the Turkish flag outside its religious
affairs office in Baku had been removed by unidentified men, "without
any explanation".

It followed the removal of Azeri flags at a monument in Baku to fallen
Turkish soldiers.

The Azeri Foreign Ministry confirmed it had received a protest note.

"We received a note to the foreign ministry, and we are preparing
a reply," Azeri news agency APA quoted a Foreign Ministry spokesman
as saying.

Azeri authorities say they are implementing legislation by which
flags of foreign countries can only fly outside diplomatic missions,
consulates and residences of ambassadors.

Turkey and fellow Turkic-speaking Azerbaijan share deep historical
and cultural ties, as well as a key energy relationship based on the
transit of Azeri oil and gas from the Caspian Sea to the West.

But ties are under strain from a bid by Turkey and Armenia to establish
diplomatic relations and open their land frontier under plans to end
a century of hostility stemming from the World War One mass killing
of Armenians by Ottoman Turks.

Turkey closed the border in 1993 in solidarity with Azerbaijan during
its war with ethnic Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Armenian-backed forces drove the Azeri military from the mountain
region and seized seven surrounding Azeri districts, which they still
control today.

Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan has said the accords on
diplomatic ties and the reopening of the border will only be ratified
by parliament after progress between Armenia and Azerbaijan in
negotiations over Nagorno-Karabakh.

Azeri news agencies said President Ilham Aliyev and Turkish counterpart
Abdullah Gul spoke by telephone on Wednesday.

The Azeri state news agency quoted Gul as saying: "Relations between
Turkey and Armenia cannot be normalised before a solution to the
conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh."

Further testing ties, Aliyev said last week Turkish terms for the
transit of Azeri gas were unacceptable and the country would look
for other options. Turkey said negotiations were ongoing.