Author: Vorskanian Yeghisabet

PAN-ARMENIAN LAWYERS’ FORUM GENERALIZES

Aysor
Sept 21 2009
Armenia

The 4th meeting of Pan-Armenian Lawyers’ Forum "Armenian legal thought
and the challenges of 21st century" which kicked off on September,
20, was held by Armenia’s Minister of Diaspora Hranush Hakobyan.

The participants together generalized tasks and goals among which
were "to be more active and united, raise proposals, make changes
and develop a clear and shared work through joint discussions."

The participants also generalized the same day’s discussions at
Constitutional Court of Armenia, Ministry of Justice, Chamber of
advocates and Yerevan’s State University.

Issues of each discussion and its results were underlined.

So, participants adjusted newly-formed "Pan-Armenian Law Community"
public organization’s Charter; formed Founding Board, clarified
countries-participants’ turn, approved members. Chairman of the
Constitutional Court of Armenia, Doctor of Legal Sciences, Professor
G. Haturyunyan was elected as coordinator.

It was marked, that this was the first conference; however, it is the
beginning of a large-scale process, whish will unite world’s Armenian
lawyers around national issues solution, reports press-office of
Armenia’s Minister of Diaspora Affairs.

Les Echos, France
Jeudi 17 Septembre 2009

Ankara et Erevan signeront bientôt un accord

AUTEUR: BERTHEREAU

Un accord historique prévoyant une normalisation des relations entre
l’Arménie et la Turquie pourrait être signé avant un match de football
des équipes nationales des deux pays en octobre, a indiqué hier le
porte-parole du ministère turc des Affaires étrangères. Il réagissait
à des informations de presse selon lesquelles l’accord serait signé le
13 octobre, à la veille d’un match comptant pour les éliminatoires du
Mondial 2010. Le mois dernier, Ankara et Erevan ont annoncé être
parvenus à un accord de principe en vue de l’établissement de
relations bilatérales et de l’ouverture de leur frontière, un geste
important visant à réconcilier les deux voisins.

SHAHNAZARYAN’S INTRIGUE: AN OFFER THAT ONE CAN’T REFUSE

Aysor
Sept 17 2009
Armenia

The main task was and still remains "the problem of political
prisoners’ liberation" thinks David Shahnazaryan, a representative of
"Armenian National Congress". According to him there are nineteen
political prisoners in Armenia.

At the upcoming tomorrow’s meeting ANC will speak about both prisoners
and Armenian-Turkish relations, said Mr. Shahnazaryan.

"These protocols are scheduled to be signed in October, 13, and then
the document will be submitted to Parliament. Afterwards Turkey
will link the protocols’ realization with settlement of Karabakh
problem. Armenia’s Parliament will fulfill instructions received
from Presidential Administration, will immediately ratify or play a
theatrical performance – it depends on instructions," the politician
thinks.

Mr.Shahnazaryan noted with regret that too little has been done
for correction or suspension of the process. On ANC’s opinion,
when time for discussions in Parliament come he will make "an offer
that Armenia’s authorities can hardly refuse". What kind of proposal
Mr. Shahnazaryan didn’t specify offering to wait.

At the moment, in his opinion, if proposals of such type enter the
Parliament, no one can speak about success.

"In ANC’s statement is said that we always advocated the development
of Armenian-Turkish relations and found them as progressive view,
nonetheless, the historian’s committee is unacceptable to us."

It is Robert Kocharyan and Vardan Oskanyan’s guilt that issue of
Armenian Genocide had been blown. They had made it the object of
foreign policy.

"Kocharyan spoke at UN like a kid, afterwards Turkey made Armenian
Genocide a question of discussions," Mr. Shahnazaryan noted.

David Shahnazaryan is seeing another threat for Armenia – the worsening
relations with Georgia. According to him, Armenia faces the danger of
war, and Georgia, the country, connecting with the world, if Armenia
goes in war, "will become an Armenian Army’s feeding artery."

ORINATS YERKIR STANDS FOR NORMALIZATION OF ARMENIAN-TURKISH RELATIONS

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
18.09.2009 15:05 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Orinats Yerkir party (OY) stands for normalization
of Armenian-Turkish relations.

"We welcome the President’s initiative to meet with leaders of
political forces to discuss the Armenian-Turkish protocols," OY
parliamentary group member Hovhannes Margaryan told a briefing in
Yerevan on Friday.

"There are problems which should be discussed," he said. "The party
will participate in parliamentary discussions. As to ratification of
protocols, these documents should still undergo a serious expertise."

THE ARMENIAN MILITANTS ARE READY FOR THE MILITARY EXERCISES IN KAZAKHSTAN

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1 6.09.09

In the centre for military exercises after Marshal Baghramyan
ended the trainings and studies of the Armenian company, which was
preparing for the military exercises in Kazakhstan. And now, after a
one-and-half-month preparation phase, the company shows satisfactory
results. A proof of this is the maneuver of tactics held on the 16th
of September.

On that day, in order to get to know the readiness of the members
of the company on spot and to observe the maneuver, the minister
of defence Seyran Ohanyan, Chief of the GS of the RA Armed Forces
Colonel-General Yuri Khachaturov, other high rank militants and company
commanders of different military units of the RA Armed Forces visited
the centre for military exercises after Marshal Baghramyan.

In order to get the target, the riflemen, the staff of the military
machine of the infantry, bombers use a battle fire. In the time given
the task was done and all the targets were destroyed. During this
kind of military exercises, indeed, the martial harmony and field
preparedness of the sub-units is improved. The practical capacities
of commanders are strengthened; physical readiness and determination
of the staff is developed. Watching the perfect operations of our
group we are convinced that they will show their martial and tactical
capacities in the international review, as well. After the maneuver
the minister of defence Seyran Ohanyan met the members of the company
and had a conversation with them. Expressing his satisfaction with
their readiness, the minister stated that whenever there is a clear
goal, whenever one works zealously and with devotion, the result is
always obvious. Wishing them success and hoping that they will show
high records, Seyran Ohanyan also emphasized that while abroad, they
ought to demonstrate lofty qualities characteristic to the Armenian
soldier, they ought to keep elevated the honor and the good reputation
of both our country and our army.

So, a couple of more days, and our group will leave for the Republic of
Kazakhstan. And during the maneuver there the martial activities of the
armed forces of ours and the CSTO member states will be assessed. And
we hope that our militants will represent Armenia at its true worth.

ARMENIA MAY RECEIVE $60 MILLION FROM IMF LATER THIS YEAR

ARKA
Sep 16, 2009

YEREVAN, September 16. /ARKA/. International Monetary Fund may lend $60
million to Armenia later this year, Mark Lewis, head of International
Monetary Fund’s mission in Armenia, said on Wednesday.

The IMF mission was in Armenia from September 3 to 16 for discussing
the second study of the 28-month stand-by agreement.

Lewis said that the mission and the government reach an accord on the
policy package aimed at summarizing the results of the second study.

He said that the IMF’s executive board is expected to gather in late
October to discuss the summarization of the results of the study,
and the board’s positive conclusion will enable Armenia to attract
SDR 37.72 (about $60 million).

Answering ARKA News Agency’s question, Lewis said that the IMF
extends this credit to the Central Bank of Armenia for replenishing
international reserves.

It means these funds are not intended for financing particular
programs.

The executive board of the International Monetary Fund decided in
June to enlarge the bailout credit to Armenia from $540 million to
$820 million, of which $400 million have already transferred.

ARMENIAN-TURKISH PROTOCOLS COULD BECOME KARS AGREEMENT EXTENSION

PanARMENIAN.Net
17.09.2009 17:12 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ "We can’t go back to the same relations we had
before protocols’ publication, and I believe there’s no need to do
so," ex NKR Foreign Minister Arman Melikyan told a news conference
in Yerevan. According to him, if signed, Armenian-Turkish protocols
could become an extension of Kars agreement.

"Kars agreement stipulates for acknowledgement of borders between
Turkey and 3 Caucasian states: Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan. At
present, only the point stipulating for RA-Turkish borders is being
observed by default. First, Yerevan should annul Kars agreement, and
later continue negotiating RA -Turkish rapprochement." Arman Melikyan
stated, adding that neither Azerbaijan or Georgia acknowledged borders
with Turkey, thus automatically annulling the agreement. Refusing to
observe Kars agreement, Azerbaijan refused Nakhichevan, as, legally,
it does not belong to Azerbaijan territory.

"Only Armenia keeps following the Agreement, which even Turkey does
not acknowledge. Everything both courtiers are trying to achieve
through Protocols, including normalization and development of ties,
is already specified by Kars agreement," Arman Melikayn noted.

According to him, by refusing to acknowledge Kars agreement and sign
the Protocols, Armenia will find itself under Turkey’s influence. "I
don’t want such fate to befall our country. We have to clarify our
relations with Turkey and finally free ourselves from "ghosts of
past"," Arman Melikyan said.

NKR LEADERSHIP DISCUSSED CONTACT-LINE ISSUES

Information-Analytic Agency NEWS.am
Sept 16 2009
Armenia

10:45 / 09/16/2009NKR President Bako Sahakyan and NKR Defense Army
supreme commands headed by NKR Defense Minister Movses Hakobyan at the
meeting discussed situation at the Karabakh-Azerbaijan contact-line.

In the course of the meeting, also the issues on army build-up
and improvement of servicemen social conditions, Nagorno-Karabakh
Presidential press service told NEWS.am.

On Sept. 14-15 cease-fire violations on various segments of
NKR-Azerbaijan contact-line were reported. Azerbaijani side fired
(with subcaliber arms and sniping rifles) at NKR Army positions in
South-Eastern, Eastern and North-Eastern directions.

JUDO PLAYER FROM AZERBAIJAN COMMENTS ON ARMENIA EXPERIENCE

HULIQ
Tert.am
Sept 15 2009
SC

The European Judo Championship in Armenia is not only a big sports
event, but also a small contribution to reconciliation between
Armenia and Azerbaijan. For the first time the national judo team
of Azerbaijan visited Armenia to participate in the European Judo
Championship. One of the Azeri team members won gold. The national
hymn of Azerbaijan was played and the flag raised. Armenia had no
problem with that. The two countries are negotiating for Nagorno
Karabakh independence through referendum.

The Armenian Judo Federation interviewed a member of the Azerbaijani
judo youth team, Elmar Gasimov, who won the title of world champion
in the 100kg weight category, about his visit to Armenia.

Responding to the interviewer’s question, Gasimov said he didn’t have
any interactions with Armenian athletes.

"But I would like to say that Armenians are a hospitable
people… though we didn’t come out of the hotel, we were concentrating
on our training, in order to achieve high results. But the trainers
went out and walked around town," Gasimov said.

He found it difficult to answer the question whether he would visit
Armenia if there was no championship.

"If the Karabakh issue is settled, of course, I could come. I don’t
know, there were many visits and an agreement was signed, and so on,
before we were able to come," said Gasimov.

He also said he thinks if there wasn’t any agreement, in any case,
there wouldn’t be any problems.

US AMBASSADOR DISCUSSED THE ARMENIA-TURKEY RELATIONS WITH TURKISH PARLIAMENT SPEAKER

armradio.am
15.09.2009 16:55

Turkish Parliament Speaker Mehmet Ali Sahin received U.S. Ambassador
in Ankara James Jeffrey on Tuesday.

Jeffrey told reporters that he had been in Washington D.C. last week
to exchange views about Turkey-U.S. relations, adding that Washington
was very interested in cooperation with Turkey.

Upon questions of reporters about Turkey-Armenia relations, Jeffrey
said that the U.S. was supporting the process, and he expressed hope
that the process would continue.

When asked whether the U.S. might extend a concrete support to the
process, Jeffrey said that his country was extending political support,
and wanted peace and stability in the whole Caucasus, the Journal of
Turkish Daily reported.