Author: Virabian Jhanna

LAVROV IS GOING TO BAKU
by Manvel Manvelyan

Haykakan Zhamanak
March 12 2009
Armenia

The main responsibility for resolving the Nagornyy Karabakh
conflict lies with the Armenians and Azerbaijanis, Russian Foreign
Minister Sergey Lavrov, who is going to Baku on a two-day visit,
told Azerbaijani media yesterday. Lavrov said that the Russian
position on the conflict was already known. "Russia is ready to
support a compromise agreement that would satisfy all parties to
the conflict. In this case, Russia would act as the guarantor of
the settlement," he said. Lavrov said that the common approaches
of Russia and Azerbaijan to the situation in the Caucasus and the
desire to make it a region of stability and peace were laid out in
the Friendship and Strategic Partnership Declaration signed by the
[Russian President] Dmitriy Medvedev and [Azerbaijani President]
Ilham Aliyev in Baku on 3 July 2008.

Despite the fact that Lavrov was trying to demonstrate Moscow’s
neutrality and saying that the main task of settling the conflict
is on the Armenians and Azerbaijanis, he, meantime, was quoting
the well-known Russian-Azerbaijani declaration, under which Moscow
recognized the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan and promised not
to make steps that could undermine it. In other words, it implied
that the Armenians and Azeris should reach a settlement on the basis
of the principle of Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity.

Another notable fact: via Lavrov, Moscow warns Baku that even after
the settlement, the region should not get out of the zone of Russian
influence. Probably, Azerbaijan’s possible membership of NATO is
implied. By the way, in his yesterday’s interview, Lavrov downplayed
Baku’s concerns that the setting up of the Collective Security Treaty
Organization (CSTO) rapid reaction forces could pose a threat to
Azerbaijan because Armenia is a CSTO member and Azerbaijan is not.

He emphasized that those forces will act only in case of an aggression
against a member state. It turns out that Lavrov is implying that
if military operations resume in the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict
zone, the CSTO forces would not intervene because Nagornyy Karabakh
is considered Azerbaijani territory, and Azerbaijan is not a CSTO
member. In return for all these, the Kremlin expects from Azerbaijan
all of Azerbaijan’s gas exports, which will allow Russia to control
Azerbaijani gas exports to Georgia, Turkey and Europe. Gazprom made
such an offer in summer 2008. Now Lavrov is leaving for Baku to get
Azerbaijan’s response ahead of the Caspian Sea summit. Russia’s further
policies in the South Caucasus will largely depend on that answer.

ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK TO PROVIDE MONEY FOR MAKING TECHNICAL-ECONOMIC PROJECT OF CONSTRUCTION OF IRAN-ARMENIA RAILWAY

ARMENPRESS
March 17, 2009

YEREVAN, MARCH 17, ARMENPRESS: Asian Development Bank (ADB) will
provide money for formation of the technical-economic project of
construction of Iran-Armenia railroad.

Armenian Transport and Communication Minister Gurgen Sargsian told
Armenpress that the Armenian side has recently conducted discussions
with the authorities of the corresponding department of the Bank
and the latter expressed readiness to provide money for the project
drafting.

"Only after finishing these works it will become clear how much the
construction of the railroad will cost",- the minister said.

The Armenian side also negotiates with Iranian, Russian sides and the
World Bank for the construction of the railway. All the interested
sides have expressed readiness to somehow take part in this project.

G. Sargsian also reminded that the Armenian specialists have conducted
researches in that direction. Three variants of construction of the
railway have already been suggested the most preferable of which is
the one which runs from Meghri to Sevan.

"SAS GROUP": WE DO EVERYTHING FOR OUR CUSTOMERS

Panorama.am
15:37 17/03/2009

Panorama.am had an interview with the Co-Chairman and Shareholder of
"SAS Group" Aram Sargsyan. Panorama.am – Mr. Sargsyan it’s already
10 years "SAS Group" runs its business. What has been the way of the
company and what results has it reached?

A. Sargsyan – We have started our business with the shoes production
and then we have gathered various business spheres together. The shoes
were purchased in Valentina shop and were rather prestigious. After
1996 when we started to import shoes from Italy the shop kept its
name. The company started to run business in importing food and
purchasing it. Our partners are famous all over the world. In 1997
the first "SAS" supermarket opened in Yerevan with twenty-four-hour
service. Today "SAS group" is the exclusive representative of some
internationally famous companies and is the shareholder of "SAS"
supermarkets. In 2003 Palermo shoes salon opened in Yerevan where
Italian shoes are presented from world wide famous shoes producers –
Testoni, Mario Bruni, Fabi, Cavali, Cerrutti, Lory Blu, etc. In 2004
"Slavianski" restaurant opened in the city.

Panorama.am – What is the strategy of your company?

A. Sargsyan – We do everything for our customers to feel
comfortable. We think globally and act strategically: creating
competitive advantage through unique solutions in our businesses,
building capabilities and mobilizing our efforts to meet the global
and local challenges in the business environment, driving sustainable
impact, providing unparalleled opportunities for personal growth,
succeeding together with passion and trust, creating values for
the society.

ARMENIAN FILM PRODUCTION DOES NOT SUFFER WORLD CRISIS

Panorama.am
13:59 16/03/2009

The legal successor of "Hayfilm" ("Armfilm") film studio "National
film-center of Armenia" continues its regular activities having no
impact of the world financial-economic crisis, Vardan Abovyan, the
deputy director of the center, told Panorama.am. According to him
they have several projects and they keep working on their initiatives.

V. Abovyan says that they continue their co-operation with foreign
companies. Note that the studio implements some part of its projects
in cooperation with international film companies – Germany, France,
Netherlands, Norway, etc.

Interfax, Russia
March 11 2009

Head of Armenian govt’s PR department, premier’s press secretary
dismissed

YEREVAN March 11

Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan has dismissed chief of the
Cabinet’s information and public relations office Meri Arutyunian and
the head of government’s press secretary Diana Mnatsakanian.

The decrees on the officials’ dismissal were signed on March 5 and
March 10, respectively, according to a report posted on the
government’s website.

Mnatsakanian has told Interfax that she is returning to her previous
PR job at Armenia’s national television station.

Arutyunian, for her part, told journalists that she has been offered a
post in the presidential administration.

Panorama.am
17:26 13/03/2009

ALI BABACAN’S VISIT TO ARMENIA A REGULAR STEP

We should not expect that the Foreign Minister of Turkey Ali Babacan’s
visit to Armenia will open a new page in Armenian-Turkish relations,
said political expert Sergey Shakaryants in a meeting with the
journalists.

`The visit is a regular step that the parties have decided to make,’
he said. Though the interests of the two countries differ, but they
both want those relations resolved. After the August events, Turkey
understood that Georgia could not be a reliable partner in the region,
said the political expert.

According to Shakaryants Armenia wants to say that there are no
obstacles to regulate our relations.

Source: Panorama.am

The Armenian Reporter
Engaging Turkey / Talaat Pasha’s Black Book
Published: Saturday March 14, 2009
Engaging Turkey

President Barack Obama will be visiting Turkey shortly. He is expected
to attend the April 6-8 Istanbul summit of the Alliance of
Civilizations, an initiative launched recently by Spain and Turkey
with the blessing of the United Nations.

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton was in Turkey last week as
part of a trip to Europe and the Middle East.

The two visits in short succession so early in Mr. Obama’s tenure are
an indication of the Obama administration’s welcome commitment to
mending frayed alliances in general and reaching out to
majority-Muslim countries in particular. They also indicate how
important the Obama administration considers Turkey for U.S. efforts
in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Some, including people in our community, will be concerned about these
visits, seeing a vigorous U.S.-Turkey relationship as a negative
thing. Despite the many positive aspects of a strong U.S.-Turkey
relationship and the potential benefits to the both the United States
and Armenia, many feel that Turkey is not deserving. Certainly, Turkey
is among the U.S. allies with a troublesome track record – both in
terms of human rights and in terms of reliability as an ally. And for
Armenia and Armenians, Turkey’s denial of the Armenian Genocide, its
land blockade, its military alliance with Azerbaijan, and its complete
solidarity with Azerbaijan over the Nagorno-Karabakh not-so-frozen
conflict warrant our highest concern and vigilance. Nevertheless, we
are favorably inclined toward engagement with Turkey. Such engagement
makes it possible to raise difficult issues, urge constructive action,
and see a relationship to go through a tough patch without unraveling.

Since Mr. Obama’s visit will probably take place just a couple of
weeks before April 24, the question inevitably arises: will the
Turkish authorities be successful in persuading the president to avoid
acknowledging the Genocide this April 24?

The answer is, not necessarily.

As it happens, the State Department issued its annual
country-by-country report on human rights only two weeks before
Mrs. Clinton arrived in Turkey. The report criticized Turkey’s human
rights record, as it should have. Turkey’s laws and practices on
ethnic and religious minorities do not meet democratic standards. Not
surprisingly, anti-minority intolerance is endemic. Did pointing out
such deficiencies weaken the U.S.-Turkey relationship? Not at
all. Indeed, Mrs. Clinton’s presence gave the Turkish authorities an
opportunity to complain about the report, and it gave Mrs. Clinton a
chance to reiterate the concerns raised in it.

The U.S.-Turkey relationship too will survive U.S. affirmation of the
Armenian Genocide.

Turkey’s leaders are trying to persuade President Obama to not to
acknowledge the events of 1915-17 as a genocide this April 24. They
are not confident that they will succeed. Foreign Minister Ali Babacan
said on March 8 he still saw "a risk" of U.S. affirmation of the
genocide. "Mr. Obama made the promise five times in a row," he noted.

We wish Mr. Obama success in his trip to Turkey. Meanwhile, with his
given his willingness to address difficult issues head on instead of
sidestepping them, Mr. Obama can and should speak clearly and
unequivocally about the Armenian Genocide.

The proportion of the Armenian population deported and missing in 1917
according to Interior Minister Talaat Pasha’s Black Book is shown in
black. For a larger map, . [Adobe
Acrobat Reader required. © 2009 Ara Sarafian Talaat Pasha’s
Black Book documents his campaign of race extermination, 1915`17 A
handwritten black book that belonged to Mehmet Talaat Pasha, the
Ottoman minister of interior in 1915, was published in facsimile form
in the end of 2008. It is probably the single most important document
ever uncovered describing the destruction of Armenians in the Ottoman
Empire in 1915`17. The Black Book draws on Ottoman sources no longer
available to answer many questions about what those sources
showed. Historian Ara Sarafian studies the document.

IMF approves US0 Million Stand-By Arrangement for Armenia

6

WASINGTON, MARCH 10, NOYAN TAPAN. The Executive Board of the
International Monetary Fund (IMF) has approved a 28-month SDR 368
million (about US0 million) Stand-By Arrangement for Armenia to support
the country’s program to adjust to the deteriorated global outlook,
restore confidence in the currency and financial system, and protect
the poor. The approval makes the amount equivalent to SDR 161.5 million
(about US7 million) immediately available and the remainder in nine
installments subject to quarterly reviews.

According to a press release of the IMF, the Stand-By Arrangement
entails exceptional access to IMF resources, amounting to about 400
percent of Armenia’s quota. It was approved under the Fund’s fast-track
Emergency Financing Mechanism procedures.

It is said in the press release that "the authorities’ program is based
on a consistent set of measures regarding exchange rate, monetary,
financial, and fiscal policies, as well as continued structural
reforms".

"The authorities intend to cut back on non-priority spending while
providing an increase in social spending of 0.3 percent of GDP,
relative to the budget, to protect the poor through well-targeted
social safety nets. Additional external financing will be used to boost
public investment. Armenia’s gross external financing requirements are
projected at about US.6 billion for 2009, and will remain elevated
through 2011, albeit with a slight downward trend. The Stand-By
Arrangement will cover a large share of the country’s 2009-2011
financing gap. Additional financing will be provided by Armenia’s
donors and international partners, including the World Bank," the press
release reads.

Mr. Murillo Portugal, IMF’s Deputy Managing Director and Acting Chair,
said: "With the adverse global developments, real growth is expected to
contract in 2009, reflecting the downturn in Russia and other countries
in the region. Falling international prices, lower growth, and exchange
rate depreciation will help reduce the external current account
deficit".

"Sound policies are essential to maintain macroeconomic stability. The
recent return to a flexible exchange rate will help cushion the impact
of the global downturn and eventual further regional deterioration. An
appropriately tight monetary policy is necessary to contain the
inflationary pressures stemming from the depreciation and support
demand for dram-denominated assets. While potential negative impact of
the depreciation on the financial sector seems unlikely, contingency
plans are available to help address any such effects. In light of the
expected revenue shortfall, fiscal policy will remain prudent,
protecting social outlays and public investment by reducing
non-priority spending. Maintaining the structural reform agenda will
contribute to macroeconomic stability and a strengthened business
environment. Key elements include the completion of the unfinished tax
policy and tax administration reform agenda, and progress on financial
sector reforms," M. Portugal said.

Armenian national currency keeps strengthening against dollar

YEREVAN, March 10. /ARKA/. Armenian national currency keeps
strengthening against U.S. dollar. Armenian dram’s average market value
climbed 1.3 percentage points against the dollar on Monday, compared
with Friday, to AMD 359.37 per dollar, press office of the Central Bank
of Armenia reports.

However, the revaluation pace slowed down slightly. The dram
strengthened 1.76% and 1.56% against the dollar on Thursday and Friday,
while on Monday it climbed only 0.36%.

This Tuesday the CBA Board took into account the gradually worsening
trade conditions amid the present global economic and financial crisis,
as well as lower capital flow rates, and decided to restrict its
interventions in the currency market thereby reverting to its floating
exchange rate policy. CBA experts believe that the USD average exchange
rate will be 360-380 AMD/$1 this year.

After the Central Bank announced the restriction of its intervention,
the dram plummeted 66.36 points, compared with the previous day to AMD
372.11 per dollar.-0—

Focus News Agency, Bulgaria
March 7 2009

Clinton’s visit in Turkey /RÐ?UNDUP/

7 March 2009 | 18:54 | FOCUS News Agency

Ankara. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrived in Ankara
early on Saturday for a working visit in which the use of Turkish
ports by the American forces, Atlantic cooperation, and Armenian
claims regarding 1915 incidents will top the agenda, Hurriyet writes
today.
Clinton met with Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign
Minister Ali Babacan early in the morning and scheduled to meet with
President Abdullah Gul later on the day.
Clinton and Babacan held a joint press meeting at 1.30 p.m. (GMT
1030).
The use of Turkish ports by the U.S. forces during withdrawal from
Iraq, fight against the terror organization PKK, France’s decision to
rejoin the military wing of NATO, the situation in the Middle East and
attempts to have the U.S. Congress recognize the Armenian claims
regarding the 1915 incidents are expected to be discussed during the
Secretary of State’s visit.
Leaders of diplomatic mission of the two countries pointed they will
work together for increase of energy security and widening of south
corridor for infrastructure for natural gas and oil. Thus the
producers of energy sources from the Caspian Basin and Iraq will reach
European and world markets.
Turkey and US said they will continue to co-operate with Afghanistan.
Turkey is ready to resume co-operation in negotiations between Israel
and Syria. This is what Turkey Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Babacna
said at a press conference with American Secretary of State Hillary
Clinton.
`We are ready to resume the negotiations if there is such a proposal
from both countries,’ Turkish diplomat said.
He said representatives of Israel and Syria had four circles of
negotiations in Turkey but they were frozen in reference to the
military offensive of Israel army in Gaza Strip.