Author: Vanyan Gary

Armenia -Russia collaboration strengthened in 2009
22.01.2010 19:24 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Collaboration between Armenia and Russia
strengthened in 2009, RA Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian said,
summarizing 2009 results.

As he told a news conference in Yerevan, a number of meetings were
held between Armenian and Russian leaders; steps were undertaken
towards bilateral relations’ strengthening as well as development and
implementation of new programs.

The year of 2009 was marked by Armenia’s successful chairmanship in
Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) and Organization of the
Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC).

Besides, Armenia took active participation in the work of CIS and
EurAsEC, Edward Nalbandian stated.

The Collective Security Treaty Organization, formed under the
framework of the Commonwealth of Independent States, serves as a
mutual defense alliance among Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan,
Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan. The Collective Security Treaty (CST) was
signed on May 15, 1992 for five-year term, with the possibility of
prolongation. On December 2, 2004 the General Assembly of the United
Nations adopted the Resolution to grant the observer status to the
Collective Security Treaty Organization in the General Assembly of the
United Nations. The goal of the Collective Security Treaty
Organization is to strengthen peace and international and regional
security and stability and to ensure collective protection of
independence, territorial integrity and sovereignty of Member States,
in the attainment of which Member States shall give priority to
political methods. On February 4, 2009, the CSTO leaders approved
formation of Collective Rapid Reaction Force (RRF).

On 25 June 1992, the Heads of State and Government of eleven countries
signed in Istanbul the Summit Declaration and the Bosporus Statement
giving birth to the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC). It came
into existence as a model of multilateral political and economic
initiative aimed at fostering interaction and harmony among the Member
States, as well as to ensure peace, stability and prosperity
encouraging friendly and good-neighbourly relations in the Black Sea
region.

The BSEC Headquarters – the Permanent International Secretariat of the
Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC PERMIS) – was
established in March 1994 in Istanbul.

With the entry into force of its Charter on 1 May 1999, BSEC acquired
international legal identity and was transformed into a full-fledged
regional economic organization: Organization of the Black Sea Economic
Cooperation. With the accession of Serbia (then Serbia and Montenegro)
in April 2004, the Organization’s Member States increased to twelve.

The Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) is a regional
organization whose participating countries are former Soviet
Republics, formed during the breakup of the Soviet Union.

The organization was founded on 8 December 1991 by the Republic of
Belarus, the Russian Federation, and Ukraine, when the leaders of the
three countries met in the Belovezhskaya Pushcha Natural Reserve,
about 50 km (30 miles) north of Brest in Belarus and signed a Creation
Agreement on the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the creation of
CIS as a successor entity to the USSR. At the same time they announced
that the new alliance would be open to all republics of the former
Soviet Union, as well as other nations sharing the same goals. The CIS
charter stated that all the members were sovereign and independent
nations and thereby effectively abolished the Soviet Union.

On 21 December 1991, the leaders of eight additional former Soviet
Republics – Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova,
Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan – agreed to join the CIS,
thus bringing the number of participating countries to 11. Georgia
joined two years later, in December 1993. As of that time, 12 of the
15 former Soviet Republics participated in the CIS. Three former
Soviet Republics, the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania
chose not to join.

The Eurasian Economic Community (EAEC or EurAsEC) originated from the
Commonwealth of Independent States customs union between Belarus,
Russia and Kazakhstan on 29 March 1996. The Treaty on the
establishment of the Eurasian Economic Community was signed on 10
October 2000, in Kazakhstan’s capital Astana by Presidents Alexander
Lukashenko of Belarus, Nursultan Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan, Askar
Akayev of Kyrgyzstan, Vladimir Putin of Russia, and Emomali Rakhmonov
of Tajikistan. On 7 October 2005 it was decided between the member
states that Uzbekistan would join. Freedom of movement is implemented
among the members (no visa requirements).

EFFORTS TO ESTABLISH ARMENIA-TURKEY TIES MAY BREAK DOWN

news.az
Jan 22 2010
Azerbaijan

Armenia warns of breakdown in Turkey reconciliation.

Armenia’s foreign minister on Friday warned that historic efforts
to establish ties with Turkey may break down, blaming Ankara for
obstructing the process, according to Agence France-Presse.

"If Turkey is not ready to ratify the protocols, if it continues to
speak in ultimatums, to set preconditions and to obstruct the process,
then I do not exclude that negotiations will break down," Foreign
Minister Edward Nalbandian said at a press conference, AFP reported.

On Monday, Armenia’s Constitutional Court published its ruling
affirming the constitutionality of the protocol, angering Ankara
because the decision stipulated that the agreements must not violate
a part of Armenia’s declaration of Independence that calls for
recognition of the deaths of Armenians in 1915 as "genocide."

In October, Nalbandian and Turkish Foreign Minister Davutoglu signed
the historic protocols, which could pave the way to diplomatic
relations between the two countries

Turkish Foreign Ministry sources said Tuesday that the court’s
reference to a declaration rejecting even the questioning of the 1915
killings of Armenians at the hands of the Ottoman Empire is against
the essence of the normalization process with Yerevan.

Turkey and Armenia have no diplomatic relations and their border has
been closed since 1993, after Armenia’s invasion of 20 percent of
Azerbaijani territory.

The territorial conflict, referred to as Nagorno-Karabakh, was tied
to the normalization process after Turkish leaders warned it would be
hard to pass the protocols without any progress toward a resolution
to Karabakh.

AZERBAIJANI PRESIDENTIAL ADMINISTRATION’S HEAD: ARMENIA HAS SIGNED FIRST TIME UNDER TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY OF AZERBAIJAN

Azerbaijan Business Center
Jan 22 2010
Azerbaijan

Baku, Fineko/abc.az. The first Azerbaijan-Russia Forum on Humanitarian
Co-operation has opened in Baku today.

At its opening the head of the Azerbaijani Presidential Administration,
Ramiz Mehdiyev, said that today Armenia recognized itself the necessity
of Garabagh problem settlement on the basis of principle of territorial
integrity of Azerbaijan.

"Territorial integrity of Azerbaijan is recognized by the entire
world community. It certainly should be restored," Mehdiyev said.

It was talked precisely of that at the session of the OSCE Foreign
Ministers Council held at the end of 2009.

"For the first time for entire time of the conflict Armenia acceded to
such document recognizing that settlement of the problem is possible
precisely within the framework of territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.

Thus, difficult period of contraposition of principles of territorial
integrity and the right of nations for self-definition has completed,"
Mehdiyev said.

He appealed the Russian media to more impartial enlightening of this
conflict objective emphasizing that application to this theme demands
highest professionalism from journalists.

CRITICAL DOCUMENT MAY BE SIGNED AT SARGSYAN-AIYEV MEETING: BOZOYAN

news.am
Jan 22 2010
Armenia

Quite possibly critical document will be signed at
Sargsyan-Aliyev-Medvedev trilateral meeting in Sochi, January 25,
political scientist Yervand Bozoyan told NEWS.am.

According to him, another document may be signed in the negotiation
process, however no crucial breakthrough will be registered. "The views
of the conflicting parties differ dramatically," Bozoyan outlined.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s visit to Moscow and
urges by Turkish side to be involved in Karabakh conflict settlement
more deeply gave Russia an opportunity to show international community
its active hand in the process, Bozoyan outlined.

PROTOCOLS NOT TO BE DISCUSSED IN TURKISH PARLIAMENT: MERCAN

news.am
Jan 20 2010
Armenia

Turkish Parliament will not discuss Armenia-Turkey Protocols, the
chairman of Foreign Relations Committee of the Turkish Parliament
Murat Mercan told Trend News.

"The Turkish parliament will not discuss the protocols signed between
Ankara and Yerevan till the Armenian forces are withdrawn from all
occupied territories of Azerbaijan," Trend quotes Mercan.

"The Turkish Grand National Assembly represents the Turkish nation. It
was always in solidarity with the people of Azerbaijan," Mercan
underlined, adding that ratification of the Protocols in the parliament
is impossible "without solving the Armenian-Azerbaijani problem."

ANCA: ARMENIAN COMMUNITY DISAPPOINTED WITH U.S. PRESIDENT

news.am
Jan 20 2010
Armenia

The Armenian community in the United States and the Hay Dat (Armenian
Cause) Committee are disappointed with U.S. President Barack Obama’s
work over the last year, particularly with his failing to keep his
election pledges – recognition of the Armenian Genocide, development
of the U.S.-Armenia relations and increase of assistance — Elizabeth
Chuljian, Press Secretary of the Armenian National Committee of America
(ANCA), told NEWS.am.

"Now there has to be an opportunity before April 24 for him to specify
his viewpoint. In this case the Armenian community and Hay Dat will
continue working with not only the Obama administration, but also with
the U.S. Congress, because it is high time for the United States to
specify its position and recognize the Armenian Genocide," she said.

In this context Chuljian said that Hay Dat will continue working
with U.S. Congress members and Senators from Massachusetts. "Also,
letters should be addressed to President Obama to remind him that
he has gone back on his pledges over the last year – and not only
concerning the Armenian Cause," the ANCA representative said.

CONSULTATIONS BETWEEN RA AND BULGARIAN FOREIGN MINISTRIES HELD ON JANUARY 18

Noyan Tapan
Jan 19, 2010

SOFIA, JANUARY 19, NOYAN TAPAN. Consultations between the RA and
Bulgarian Foreign Ministries were held on January 18 in Sofia, led
by RA Deputy Foreign Minister Karine Ghazinian and Bulgarian Deputy
Foreign Minister Marin Rajkov.

The sides discussed issues related to international and regional
developments, implementation of the European Neighborhood Policy
Actions Plan, the two countries’ cooperation at international
organizations, and development of bilateral and many-sided cooperation
in the Black Sea region.

The Armenian side attached importance to fulfillment of the
provision regarding citizens’ free travel in secure conditions and
liberalization of the entrance visa regime stipulated by the Eastern
Partnership Declaration. It was mentioned that Armenia’s involvement
in the already approved Council of Europe’s Actions Plan within the
framework of the EU Neighborhood Policy will give a possibility to
establish closer cooperation with EU, as well as to integrate into
the European internal market.

Touching upon cooperation between Armenia and Bulgaria in political,
trade and economic, scientific-cultural spheres the sides mentioned
that a considerable progress was recorded especially in the
scientific-cultural sphere and already in June the Year of Armenia’s
Culture festival will start in Bulgaria.

Thoughts were exchanged about the reforms carried out in the two
countries, relations with their neighbors, the Nagorno Karabakh
settlement negotiations process, as well as normalization of
Armenian-Turkish relations.

According to the RA Foreign Ministry Press and Information Department,
the same day at the Diplomatic Institute under the Bulgarian Foreign
Ministry K. Ghazinian gave a lecture on the subject The Republic of
Armenia Foreign Policy and Regional Cooperation.

ARMENIAN EXPERT: IT WOULD BE STRANGE FOR ARMENIA TO SIGN PROTOCOLS, BUT NOT ENDORSE THEM

Today
753.html
Jan 19 2010
Azerbaijan

Day.Az interview with Armenian political expert, director of the
Caucasus Institute Alexander Iskandaryan.

What is your views on the Armenian Constitutional Court decision
endorsing the Turkey-Armenia protocols?

The decision was expected and logical. It would be strange for Armenia
to sign the protocols, but then not to confirm their legality. Someone
will hardly imagine such a fantastic degree of separation of powers in
the post-Soviet country. As for the political message to the world,
it is also clear: Armenia fulfills its obligations and expects the
same from Turkey.

Do you agree with the assertion that Armenian Constitutional Court
decision on legitimacy of the Armenian-Turkish protocols means
Armenian’s recognition of Turkey’s borders, rejecting claims to
Turkish land even without the protocols’ approval by the parliament
and the president of Armenia?

Not, of course. Declaring the protocols as conforming with the
Constitution means that the parliament is empowered to put to them
to vote and that it does not contradict country’s Constitution. The
Constitutional Court is not empowered to do anything else. It cannot
replace the parliament or president.

Will Turkish-Armenian protocols be ratified by the Armenian
parliament? In your opinion, what will Turkey’s next step be?

At the moment the Armenian side is awaiting ratification of the
protocols in the Turkish Parliament. If Turkey ratifies the protocols
within a reasonable time, I think, it will not be difficult for the
Armenian parliament to ratify them under current balance of coalition
and the opposition.

In your opinion, will the Turkish-Armenian normalization and settlement
of Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict take place as to
two parallel processes?

No, I think that these processes cannot run in parallel as they have
fundamentally different parameters, time perspective, balance and
finally complexity.

Is there any risk that failure of attempts to resolve the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict by peaceful means can lead to a new war
between Armenia and Azerbaijan?

No, there is no such risk. The war is beneficial to none of the
opposing sides. Risks associated with war are so much greater than
the hypothetical benefits that no one will start a war. There may
be many claims to the politicians in Yerevan, Baku, but I would not
consider them fools.

‘LAVROV HAS PAID A SCHEDULED VISIT IN AN UNSCHEDULED TIME’

Aysor
Jan 18 2010
Armenia

Russian foreign minister Lavrov’s visit to Armenia was a scheduled
visit in an unscheduled time, said Director of the Caucasus Media
Institute Alexander Iskandarian at the teleconference between Armenia
(Yerevan) and Russia (Moscow).

"It was a visit from a scheduled list; however, we meet some
strange developments in the region. Russia has its own relations
with Turkey, in particular, in energy, policy, it even has military
relations. So Lavrov’s visit was not just a simple visit," said
Alexander Iskandarian.

Political scientist Alexander Makarov, in his turn, said regional
visits of last days bring to mind a triangle: Turkey’s prime minister
paid a visit to Moscow, Russian foreign minister paid a visit to
Yerevan, and Armenia’s President paid a visit to Russia.

Director of the Department for Caucasian Studies at the Institute
of Ethnology and Anthropology of the Russian Science Academy,
Sergei Arutyunov noted Russia’s position in the process of
reconciliation between Armenia and Turkey. He added: "There are
three key Armenia-related separated issues at the moment. These are:
reconciliation between Armenia and Turkey, Armenia and Azerbaijan,
and issue of the Genocide. All these three issues are very important,
however, they shouldn’t be linked."

An expert at Russian Strategic Studies Institute Alexander Skakov
as well opposed against linking the Karabakh settlement and talks on
Armenia-Turkey reconciliation. "This is a completely separated issue,"
he pointed adding that Armenia-Turkey’ reconciliation makes Georgia
feel fear of losing its role of the transit zone while Turkey can
become a monopolist.

ARMEN ASHOTYAN: WE CAN FORGIVE PEOPLE, BUT CANNOT FORGIVE THE STATE OF AZERBAIJAN

PanARMENIAN.Net
18.01.2010 14:01 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Armenia’s Minister of Education and Science Armen
Ashotyan held a public lesson in the Yerevan school N 187, devoted to
the topic of Armenian pogroms in Baku in 1990. He told students the
history of Baku and a role the Armenians played in the development of
that city, and mainly focusing on the Armenian pogroms in Baku. "Some
of my ancestors by my father’s side were from Western Armenia, they
moved to Armenia after the Armenian Genocide, The ancestors by my
mother’s side came from Zangezur. My mother studied in Baku, and her
family moved to Yerevan after the Baku pogroms, " Armen Ashotyan said,
adding that in nearly every family in Armenia, somebody witnessed the
Genocide. He also stressed that does not want the current generation
remember their forefathers as refugees or victims of the Genocide.

"We can forgive people, but we cannot forgive the state of Azerbaijan,
which still maintains the policy of biological annihilation of the
Armenians," Ashotyan stressed. According to him, the Baku pogroms
proved that Armenians cannot live in Azerbaijan, as it was in Soviet
times. "The people of Karabakh cannot live within Azerbaijan, since
in that state rights of even its own citizens are totally violated,"
Armen Ashotyan said.

The Ministry of Education and Science of Armenia conducts History
lessons in secondary schools on the topic of Armenian pogroms in Baku
in 1990.

On January 13, 1990, the Azerbaijani authorities instigated the the
Armenian pogroms of Baku. Some 400 Armenians were killed and 200
thousand were exiled in the period of January 13-19. The exact number
of those killed was never determined, as no investigation was carried
out into the crimes.

On the above-mentioned date, a crowd numbering 50 thousand people
divided into groups and started "cleaning" the city of Armenians. On
January 17, the European Parliament called on EU Council of Foreign
Ministers and European Council to protect Armenians and render
assistance to Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh. On January 18, a group of
U.S. Senators sent a letter to Mikhail Gorbachev to express concerns
over the violence against the Armenian population in Azerbaijan and
called for unification of Nagorno Karabakh with Armenia.