Author: Varosian Antranik

TURKISH END PLAY: TURKEY GOES ACTIVE IN THE CAUCASUS AND PLANS TO RESTORE RELATIONS WITH ARMENIA: ARMENIA AND TURKEY INTEND TO NORMALIZE RELATIONS
by Dmitry Yermolayev

WPS Agency
What the Papers Say Weekly Review (Russia)
September 15, 2008 Monday
Russia

Presidents of Armenia and Turkey met in Yerevan and decided to finally
normalize relations between their two countries, severed in 1915. "We
all hope that we are able to express good-will for solution to the
existing problems rather than leave them to the next generations to
grapple with," President of Armenia Serj Sargsjan said. "We expressed
the political will to create the atmosphere necessary to solve the
problems that exist," his Turkish counterpart Abdullah Gul Enhanced
Coverage LinkingAbdullah Gul -Search using: Biographies Plus News News,
Most Recent 60 Days added. A meeting between Armenian and Turkish
foreign ministers followed the summit. The ministers reiterated the
determination to reestablish fully-fledged relations and discussed
the Caucasus Stability and Security Platform.

What does it mean? Could Ankara, Baku’s dedicated ally in the Karabakh
conflict settlement, decide to normalize relations with Armenia
and even perhaps establish diplomatic relations with it? Everything
done in the region so far (construction of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan
pipeline and development of transport routes between Baku and Ankara
bypassing Armenia) did not exactly endear Turkey to Armenia. Neither
was it calculated to, for that matter.

So dramatic a turn in Ankara’s foreign policy took Azerbaijan entirely
by surprise so that it took Baku certain time to recover its wits
and try to puzzle it out. A statement made by Novruz Mamedov of the
Azerbaijani president’s secretariat implied that "Yerevan needed
Gul’s visit more than Ankara itself did." It was a misinterpretation,
of course. President of France Nicolas Sarkozy appraised Gul’s visit
to Yerevan as "a gallant initiative of historic magnitude."

What with the geopolitical changes taking place in this part of the
Caucasus, Armenian-Turkish normalization facilitates settlement of the
old conflict over Karabakh and, even more importantly, brings Turkey
into the equation in a manner official Baku never expected. No wonder
Sargsjan made a point in the talks with Gul that a dialogue was all it
took to discuss any problem however complicated. Bearing in mind that
Gul is also expected to visit Azerbaijan now and the United States
on September 20, observers are stone-cold confident that some game
on a major scale is under way, one where stakes are high indeed.

Activization of Turkey’s policy in the Caucasus in the meantime may
have a thoroughly logical explanation. Georgian aggression against
South Ossetia played havoc with the previous geopolitical accents
in the region, including the ones that concern security of energy
routs from Azerbaijan to Turkey via Georgia. What really counts
is that this aggression put the Western community’s pet Nabucco in
jeopardy. Official Baku is understandably upset. In fact, Azerbaijani
Foreign Minister Elmar Mamedjarov informed official Ankara on a visit
there recently that Azerbaijan could shift all its energy export routes
to the territory of Russia after all. Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan
seem to be of the same frame of mind. It means that Turkey may cease
being the route by which Central Asian hydrocarbons reach Europe.

It may be added that Ankara’s refusal to recognize genocide of the
Armenians in 1915 was one of the factors that prevented its membership
in the European Union. Normalization of the relations with Armenia
now may remove this barrier and some others as well. There is actually
more to it than meets the eye. Turkey’s participation in the so called
Caucasus Five project boosts its geopolitical weight in the eyes of
Europe and makes it a broker in the international dialogue initiated
by Paris.

As for the Turkish-Azerbaijani relations, Gul’s visit to Yerevan
plainly shows that Baku is about to be asked to accept a peaceful
solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh problem. This is precisely the
geopolitical end game Moscow has been telling Baku to beware. It is
up to Azerbaijan now.

Four new commercial attachés appointed

September 15, 2008
Tehran Times Economic Desk

TEHRAN ` An official of Iran Trade Promotion Organization announced
here on Sunday that four new commercial attachés have been dispatched
to Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, Nigeria, and South Africa.

Talking to Mehr News Agency, Hamid Zadboom added that the number of
Iran’s commercial attachés abroad will have reached 19 by the end of
the first half of the current Iranian calendar year (Sept. 21, 2008).

Iran will dispatch 6 more attachés in the second half of the (Iranian)
year, he noted.

Commercial attachés can contribute to the expansion of Iran’s economic
and trade relations with the target countries, the official stressed.

The attachés will serve for a three year period under the diplomatic
and economic rules and regulations of Iran and the target countries and
are supervised by the embassies

PanARMENIAN.Net

Armenian, Georgian FMs discussed ways to stabilize Caucasus
13.09.2008 13:41 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian met
Friday with his Georgian counterpart Eka Tkeshelashvili to discuss the
Armenian-Georgian cooperation and the ways to stabilize Caucasus, the
RA MFA press office told PanARMENIAN.Net.

Minister Nalbandian briefed on the Karabakh problem and normalization
of the Armenian-Turkish relations and voiced hope that the
international community’s efforts will promote resolution of problems
through talks and dialogue.

He also invited Eka Tkeshelashvili to Yerevan

NKR OFFICIAL CASTS DOUBTS ON TURKEY’S REGIONAL PLATFORM DRIVE

ArmInfo News Agency (in Russian)
Sept 11 2008
Armenia

Stepanakert, 11 September: Nagornyy Karabakh republic [NKR] foreign
minister Gerogi Petrosyan thinks that given the current situation the
Nagornyy Karabakh issue will not be settled soon due to its complexity.

Petrosyan made the statement after the round table discussion,
titled "Situation in South Caucasus: Prospects of NKR international
recognition," at the NKR National Assembly [parliament], attended by
the leaders of parliamentary and non-parliamentary parties.

Responding to a question on Turkey’s initiative to be a mediator in
the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict settlement process, Petrosyan said
that Turkey’s initiative is "the hottest topic that Armenians have
been discussing". He added that the initiative contradicts the OSCE
Minsk Group co-chairmanship in some sense. "Which initiative should
prevail in this rapidly changing situation or would they be combined
is not clear for anyone, to be frank," Petrosyan said. He said that
Turkey’s initiative to set up a platform of stability and security in
the region does not envisage including the European Union, the USA,
Iran and other countries interested. "But how is it possible to ensure
full-fledged security in the region today if countries having serious
interests in the region are left out? This is a question that should
be discussed by all sides," he added.

NIKOLAY BORDYUZHA: COLLECTIVE SECURITY TREATY ORGANIZATION MEMBER-STATES’ FOREIGN MINISTERS AND DEFENCE MINISTERS TO MEET IN YEREVAN IN AUTUMN

ArmInfo
2008-09-12 14:48:00

ArmInfo. CSTO member-states’ foreign ministers and defence ministers
will meet in Yerevan in autumn to discuss the problems of activation
of the CSTO cooperation, CSTO Secretary General Nikolay Bordyuzha said
today, as adviser of CSTO information department Vitaliy Strugovets
reported.

ARMENIAN COURT OF CASSATION SIGNS COOPERATION MEMORANDUMS WITH IRISH AND LATVIAN SENIOR COURTS

ARMENPRESS
Sep 11, 2008

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 11, ARMENPRESS: The chairman of the Armenian
Court of Cassation Hovhannes Manukian and chairman of the
Supreme Court of Ireland John Murrey signed today a memorandum on
cooperation. H. Manukian signed such like document with the chairman
of the Latvian Supreme Court Bicoviz Ivars as well.

The documents will give an opportunity to activate the cooperation
with the judicial systems of the two countries. The Armenian side
will have an opportunity to get acquainted with the experience of
the European countries closer.

"The further cooperation will give an opportunity to find more
interesting solutions for our legislation," Hovhannes Manukian said
after signing the memorandums.

QUICK REPORT: SPAIN 4-0 ARMENIA
Jonathan Roorda

Soccerway
Sept 10 2008
Netherlands

David Villa scored two of Spain’s four goals

ALBACETE (SW) – European champions Spain achieved a rather simple
victory over Armenia in their second World Cup qualifier. One of the
highlights was the participation of youngster Bojan Krkic.

Joan Capdevila put the Spaniards ahead after only seven minutes,
and Euro 2008 top scorer David Villa’s goals in the 15th and 79th
minutes earned his side a comfortable lead.

Marcos Senna, another key player earlier this summer, netted Spain’s
fourth and final goal in the 82nd minute.

The home crowd in Albacete had another reason to celebrate as the young
Bojan Krkic made his debut, replacing Santi Cazorla in the 64th minute.

This event means that Bojan ties his future to Spain, and is no longer
eligible to play for the Serbian national team.

THE PROBLEM ON POSSIBILITY OF PARTICIPATION IN THE ACTIONS TO SUPPORT RECOGNITION OF NAGORNYY KARABAKH NEEDS ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION, LEADER OF THE HERITAGE PARLIAMENTARY FACTION SAYS

ArmInfo
2008-09-09 11:44:00

ArmInfo. ‘The problem on possibility of participation in the actions to
support recognition of Nagornyy Karabakh needs additional discussion’,
– the leader of the Heritage parliamentary faction Armen Martirosyan
told journalists today at the press-conference in Urbat club.

He also added Heritage party has always been for recognition of the
NKR and has always been sure Armenia is late in this problem. ‘If the
draft law initiated by our leader Raffi Hovannissian would be adopted
in the previous autumn, the situation with recognition of the NKR
would be more favourable and ahead of the Kosovo precedent’, – he said.

ACCORDING TO PRELIMINARY RESULTS OF SEPTEMBER 7 PREFECT ELECTIONS OF KANAKER-ZEYTUN COMMUNITY, CURRENT PREFECT RECEIVES MOST OF VOTES, STABBING TAKES PLACE THE SAME DAY IN ARABKIR COMMUNITY

Noyan Tapan

Se p 8, 2008

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 8, NOYAN TAPAN. According to the preliminary results
of the election of head of Yerevan’s Kanaker-Zeytun community, current
prefect, RPA member Arayik Kotanjian received most of the votes. 12
040 voters voted for him.

As Noyan Tapan correspondent was informed by Tatev Ohanian, the
Spokesperson of the Central Electoral Commission, the votes for
the rest candidates for prefect’s post have been distributed in the
following way: representative of the Democratic Path Party Manuel
Gasparian 8 046, non-partisan Varuzhan Mkrtchian 682.

21 737 out of 53 235 voters of the community took part in voting. 298
ballot-papers were invalidated. The number of inaccuracies is 298.

The deadline of submitting applications to district electoral
commission N 3 is September 8, 14:00.

The same day, on September 7, a report was received from the
Kanaker-Zeytun medical center that Mher Kerobian was taken to the
medical center with stabbing hip and stomach wounds, brain injuries
and rib fracture in consequence of the brawl in Tbilisian highway,
7. Noyan Tapan was informed about it by the Public Relations and
Information Department of the RA Police. A criminal case has been
instituted on the fact by the signs of Article 113, RA Criminal Code,
deliberate doing harm of average gravity to health. The circumstances
are being cleared up, a preliminary investigation is carried out,
which will be also clear up whether the incident is connected with
the election held the same day in the community or not.

PIANO VIRTUOSO TO PERFORM IN PITTSFIELD

Noyan Tapan

Se p 8, 2008

WASHINGTON, SEPTEMBER 8, ARMENIANS TODAY – NOYAN TAPAN. Armenian piano
virtuoso Karen Tchougourian will perform on September 8, at 3:30pm,
at EPOCH Assisted Living. Tchougourian will perform a full range of
music including classical, movie scores, jazz and waltz. A regular
performer at EPOCH, Tchougourian studied at the Komitas University
in Armenia and the University of Arkansas. He received his Doctor of
Musical Arts from the Manhattan School of Music, and has won many
performance competitions, including the 1999 Artists International
Auditions. As the winner, Tchougourian made a fully sponsored debut
at Carnegie Hall.