Author: Virabian Jhanna

ON 25 JANUARY, RUSSIAN, AZERBAIJANI AND ARMENIAN LEADERS TO HOLD THIS YEAR’S FIRST MEETING ON GARABAGH CONFLICT

Azerbaijan Business Center
Jan 21 2010

Baku, Fineko/abc.az. Russia is unlikely to reduce this year its
mediation efforts on settlement of Armenian-Azerbaijan Nagorno
Garabagh conflict.

The Russian Presidential Administration’s press service informs that
the presidents of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia are to hold a meeting
in Sochi on 25 January 2010 on issues of the conflict.

The Kremlin activated its efforts on organization of direct dialogue
between the conflict countries’ heads after election of Dmitry Medvedev
as the Russian president. Dynamics of negotiations generated hopes
for a possibility of settlement of the conflict already in 2010 on
the basis of keeping of Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity.

‘THERE’S NO JUSTICE IN THIS COUNTRY,’ SAYS ARMENIA’S FORMER FOREIGN AFFAIRS MINISTER

Tert.am
17:17 ~U 21.01.10

There’s a certain malicious, negative approach that’s emphasized
toward Pashinyan, which played a role in sentencing him, said Armenian
National Congress representative and former Minister of Foreign
Affairs Alexander Arzumanyan, speaking at a press conference today
and referring to Pashinyan’s sentence of seven years imprisonment.

"Justice is completely absent in this country. There’s no court and
[option] to speak about what crossed Judge Mnatsakan Martirosyan’s mind
in this specific case, that he added a year [to Pashinyan’s sentence],
I don’t know, [one] must ask those who gave him the order.

Mnatsakan’s motivation doesn’t really interest me; what interest me,
and you, as journalists must be interested in, is the motivation of
the individual who gave him the instruction… as for the instruction
being given out at the highest level, that’s obvious," he said.

"This government is prepared for everything. The experience of all
of our former political prisoners who are now free shows that the
authorities were doing everything in order to keep them behind bars if
only for another day. Remember that mockery of a story about amnesty
that was referred to for months at a time and delayed till the knife
reaches the bone," said the former foreign affairs minister.

For Arzumanyan, it’s difficult to "get into the crevices of the
minds" of immoral individuals and "to get inside their psychology"
and understand their motives, since he hasn’t been raised that way,
and he finds that "strange way of thinking" and "hostile sources"
to be incomprehensible.

"For that reason, don’t ask me questions about what this or that
chief is thinking; I haven’t been a part of the chiefdom, I’m not a
chief and I can’t understand," said Arzumanyan.

IRAN TO HOST CONFERENCE DEVOTED TO HISTORICAL DISTORTIONS IN AZERI LITERATURE

PanARMENIAN.Net
19.01.2010 20:28 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Numerous materials with false information about
Armenia and Armenian pogroms in Azerbaijan published for 20 years in
Azerbaijan. These materials represent an Armenian as an enemy, thereby
enhancing the image of the enemy among the Azerbaijani people, Vladimir
Zakharov, Deputy Director of Caucasian Studies Institute of Moscow
State Institute of International Relations told journalists in Yerevan.

"In these materials Armenians are presented as the perpetrators
of the Armenian pogroms in Sumgait, Baku, and the worst thing is
Baku distributes these materials and literature in the West. Why the
Armenian side does not respond to these actions, why does not initiate
steps in this direction? After all, wrong views are spread in Europe,"
the political scientist said.

Vladimir Zakharov informed that Iran will host a conference devoted
to historical distortions in Azerbaijani literature in May this year.

On January 13, 1990, the Azerbaijani authorities instigated 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.

WAR IN THE REGION CAN HARDLY BEGIN, SAYS GORENBURG

Aysor
Jan 20 2010
Armenia

"I think, war in the region is hardly expectable next year. There
are two possible sides and zones of war: war between Russia and
Georgia, and war between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Conflict in the
first-mentioned zone can hardly start as Georgia’s forces are too
weak; its president will hardly challenge Russia keeping in view
2008’s losses. The second-mentioned zone will probably remain frozen,
too," said in his interview with 1NewsAz agency Dmitry Gorenburg,
Ph.D. Political Science at Harvard University.

"If the Karabakh goes in war, superpowers’ position will depend on
situation. The side believed as aggressor, will hardly have backing,"
said Dmitry Gorenburg.

Moscow doesn’t want to pose risks to its economical relations with
Azerbaijan, but at the same time Russia considers Armenia as ‘a close
ally’, according to expert’s opinion.

The U.S. will probably back Azerbaijan standing from economical
reasons, but it should take into account powerful Armenian lobby in
the United States.

When asked whether the Turkey-Armenia border will open in 2010, Dmitry
Gorenburg said yes, it may happen this year. "Not 100 percent sure,
but I think it may happen this year. If not in 2010, then, probably,
next year, if neither crisis comes."

TURKEY’S PM ACCUSES ARMENIA OF "OPERATING" ON PROTOCOLS

news.az
Jan 20 2010
Azerbaijan

Recep Tayyip Erdogan Recep Tayyip Erdogan has added his voice
to Turkish criticism of an Armenian court ruling on protocols on
rapprochement between Turkey and Armenia.

"Armenia has operated on the text", Erdogan said, referring to the
Armenian Constitutional Court’s ruling on the protocols.

The Turkish prime minister was speaking at a joint press conference in
Jeddah with the secretary general of the Organization of the Islamic
Conference (OIC), Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu.

"Turkey sent the protocols straight to the Turkish parliament without
making any other institution an intermediary. We have not conducted
an operation on the sentences. We have sent the protocols as they
were signed and showed good faith," Erdogan said.

Erdogan said that Armenia’s attempt "to operate on the protocols"
should be corrected.

Turkey is not in a position to keep relations between Azerbaijan and
Armenia "out of this context", Erdogan said.

In Turkey’s first public criticism of the Armenian court decision,
the Foreign Ministry said in a press release on Monday that the ruling
"contains preconditions and restrictive provisions which impair the
letter and spirit of the Protocols".

The protocols were signed in Zurich on 10 October 2008 by the foreign
ministers of Armenia and Turkey. The first protocol covers the opening
of the Armenian-Turkish border and the normalization of relations,
while the second envisages the establishment of a joint historical
commission to investigate the events of 1915 in Ottoman Turkey,
which Armenia insists constituted genocide.

UAE FOREIGN MINISTER EMPHASIZES IMPORTANCE OF ARMENIA-TURKEY RELATIONS

PanARMENIAN.Net
19.01.2010 14:05 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ RA Vice Premier and Territorial Administration
Minister Armen Gevorgyan is on a working visit to United Arab Emirates,
ministerial press service reported.

Armenian delegation to UAE includes Vice Minister of Energy and Natural
Resources Areg Galstyan and RA Ambassador to UAE Vahagn Melikyan.

During the visit, RA Vice Premier met with UAE Foreign Minister,
Shaikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan to summarize results of last
year’s visits. UAE Foreign Minister emphasized the importance of
RA-Turkey rapprochement.

RA Vice Premier, in turn, stated that Armenia continues with the
policy of RA-Turkey ties normalization, informing of another step
undertaken in this direction: RA Constitutional Court’s recognition
of Protocol’s conformity with Armenian Constitution.

Armen Gevorgyan also emphasized the importance of UAE Embassy opening
in Yerevan.

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.

WHAT IF THE CONSTITUTIONAL COURT DID NOT CORRECT THE MISTAKES OF THE DIPLOMACY?
Lilit Muradyan

"Radiolur"
19.01.2010 15:15

The Armenian Constitutional Court corrected and edited the shortcomings
of our diplomats, President of the Democratic Party of Armenia Aram
Sargsyan told a press conference today.

"Our diplomatic corps was on a very low level, and obviously, it’s
simply dangerous to entrust the implementation of the national policy
to such people. Can you imagine what would happen if the Constitutional
Court did not have the right to correct and edit and if the protocols
came into force?" Aram Sargsyan said.

"The future developments will become clear after the steps of the
Turkish side," he said.

"I think we should wait and see what the Turkish side is going to do.

Davutoglu will not be able to declare at the Parliament that Armenians
have accepted the fact of the borders. He will not be able to declare
that Armenians have accepted that the Genocide issue is subject to
discussion. He will not declare that Armenians have accepted the Kars
Agreement. I think that under these circumstances Turkey’s political
line has to change," Aram Sargsyan said.

ECONOMY MUST BE DECENTRALIZED, BAGRATIAN SAYS

Aysor
Jan 18 2010
Armenia

Any act in economy today becomes a policy 10 years after, said former
Armenian prime minister and oppositional Armenian National Congress’
member Hrant Bagratian.

He said believes Armenia is still at risk of cutback of economic
activity, so the country needs new radical reforms while government
doesn’t take any necessary steps.

According to politician, among not applicable activities in Armenia
are, in particular, private lotteries, high prices for water despite
Armenia’s huge water reserves. Besides, Armenian government uses
expensive gas from Russia instead of supply from Iran, pointed Hrant
Bagratian.

Armenia’s foreign dept, according to Hrant Bagratian, stands by 2009’s
$74 million (in comparison with 2008’s $54 million) and will increase
by $115 million in 2010, $129 million in 2011, $280 million – in 2012,
and $470 million in 2013.

"I wonder, if Armenian president has been informed that double Army
spending will be directed to foreign dept in three years," asked
Hrant Bagratian.

He also pointed that there never took place an economic integration
between Armenia and Diaspora up to now. Economy must be decentralized
to overcome this situation, he said.

GAGIK MINASYAN: OPENING OF THE ARMENIAN-TURKISH BORDER IS OF STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE
Lena Badeyan

"Radiolur"
18.01.2010 16:03

"The Armenian-Turkish relations are not in a stage to be in the focus
of attention of businessmen. Furthermore, after every statement
by Edrogan and Davutoglu I get an impression that the chances of
ratification of the Armenian-Turkish protocols by the Turkish side
is gradually reducing," Chairman of the NA Standing Committee on
Financial-Credit and Budgetary Affairs Gagik Minasyan told a press
conference today.

Gagik Minasyan presented the positive aspects of opening of the
Armenian-Turkish border for businessmen.

"Everyone remembers that we faced most serious economic problems,
when the corridor was closed for a short period of time during the
Russian-Georgian war. What if the conflict lasted for two months? We
would have greater problems. In this regard, the opening of the
Armenian-Turkish border is of strategic importance," the MP said.

WE DID NOT PREVENT THE ESCAPE

Lragir.am
18/01/10

Interview with Ashot Bleyan

How was 2009 in your opinion?

I consider the last 20 years of our third republic lost. We did
not manage to solve our main problems related to the development by
ourselves-the establishment of a new community with Turkey, Azerbaijan
and Georgia. We did not manage to consider the rights of a modern
Armenian citizen supreme. And all these issues which are not solved
pass from year to year and in 2010 we again face them. If we assess the
last year from three points-political election, freedom of expression
and implementation of the choice of work, we see that people cannot
be elected parliamentary members if the government does not want. A
man will be deprived of freedom if the government wants it. A man
cannot do the work they like. William Saroyan said a person has to
keep this piece of land saved by miracle like the light of their eye
(he meant saved from the Soviet Union), but people see their rescue
in escape. During 20 years, we did not manage to prevent this escape.

Did none of the governments tried to solve this issue?

No just they did not manage. This means they did not treat this piece
of land as the light of their eye. They not only did not take care
of it, but they pose it to danger, they did not respect their citizens.

Let us bring only one example, the Byurakan observatory was a brand
created by the Armenian geniuses during the Soviet years which today
seems a cemetery. Its annual budget is equal to a salary of a professor
of a foreign country.

Where was the error?

The error was that the birth of the third republic was not attached
importance as well as the misevaluation of the significance of
political independence. If we observe 2009 from this point, we may
assess it as one of the most unsuccessful years because the economic
crisis deepened the lack of perspectives, the speed of immigration
increased, political prisoners were not freed and we embraced the year
2010 with the stamp of the 2009. I call the presence of political
prisoners since 1995-96 as the stamp of the third republic. In
2009 some hope appeared, the establishment of Armenian and Turkish
interstate relations as well as possibilities for the settlement of
the Karabakh issue. But nothing is moved now. I registered a thing
that many years ago William Saroyan said "We adopt the Christianity
only superficially, in depth we are still the same pagans".

During our interview in 2009, you seemed excited with the steps aimed
at the normalization of the Armenian and Turkish relations. I am not
seeing the same moods today. Why?

This issue is on the agenda of each government and each government
is obliged not only to have it on the agenda but to solve it too. If
they do not, they fail their government. The government of the first
president did not solve these issues either. And if the current
government has these issues on its agenda, they need to solve them
not to fail.

Will the issues you noted be solved in 2010?

Unfortunately, the solution to these problems started again not being
considered as home issues and everything is left on foreign forces.

These forces are to be so well with each other to force us to live
in peace with our neighbors.

What was the reason of passive participation of citizens in the
by-election at the Constituency No.10?

There will always be found some explanation. But the point is not the
explanation. Obviously, Nikol could be elected only with the help of
the active participation of electors. Will the citizens be active to
solve this issue, or they will pass it to their children. Once again
it was registered that complaining is not a solution to a problem.

What do we have to do?

Citizens must take responsibility for their own lives. I want to
deal with a sane citizen because in the absence of a certain number
of citizens, the crowd does not turn into a society conscious of its
responsibilities and having a collective responsibility. Obligations
charged to the citizen are not limited to criticism of government
or opposition they start with this and are reborn in the case –
a consistent struggle for the rights of their own and others, which
is the moral foundation of any society, and creativity. This is not a
curse but a blessing. Everything else is twaddle. And the most pious
man for me, Blaise Pascal said ‘In order to communicate with God,
we must cease to twaddle".

Interview By Siranuysh Papyan