Author: Vorskanian Yeghisabet

AZERBAIJAN’S OPPOSITION PARTY SUPPORTS STRENGTHENING MILITARY COOPERATION WITH TURKEY

Trend
March 1 2010
Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan’s opposition party supports strengthening military
cooperation with Turkey.

"Statement by Armenia that Turkey can not be a mediator in settling
the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict due to the fact that it has military
relations with Azerbaijan is absolutely inappropriate," was mentioned
at a board meeting of the Democratic Party of Azerbaijan (DPA).

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian
armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan since 1992,
including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and 7 surrounding districts.

Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The
co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group – Russia, France, and the U.S. –
are currently holding the peace negotiations.

Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council’s four
resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh region and the
occupied territories.

Armenia is cooperating in the military sphere with Russia and France,
implementing a mediation mission to resolve the conflict, said at
the meeting.

"Threfore, Azerbaijan should further strengthen military cooperation
with Turkey and continue all efforts to bring Turkey as a mediator
in the Minsk Group," the opposition party considers.

GEORGIAN OPPOSITION GROUPS SLAM GOVERNMENT OVER REOPENING OF RUSSIAN BORDER

Kavkasia TV
March 1 2010
Georgia

Georgian opposition politicians have expressed concern and outrage
over the government’s decision to reopen the Qazbegi-Verkhniy Lars
crossing on the border with Russia, saying the move will put the
residents of Georgia’s Qazbegi District at risk. The crossing –
closed by Russia unilaterally in July 2006 – was opened on 1 March
to limited traffic and Georgian officials have said the move aimed to
provide Armenia with a land route to its main trading partner, Russia.

Tbilisi’s local Kavkasia TV broadcast the following remarks by
opposition politicians at briefings at their respective party
headquarters on 1 March:

Gubaz Sanikidze of the People’s Forum said: "Qazbegi District is
on the opposite side of the watershed [north of the main ridge
of the Caucasus Mountains]. Let me remind you that the watershed
of the mountain range is the Jvari pass. Qazbegi District may end
up absolutely occupied without so much as a gun being fired. The
People’s Forum states that the opening of the Verkhniy Lars and
Qazbegi checkpoint[s] is an anti-state and anti-Georgian act."

Giorgi Gugava of the Labour Party said: "[Opening the crossing]
Is not targeted at serving people’s interests so that they can move
back and forth and make a living – rather it serves the interests
of Russia and another country while our country remains in its great
geopolitical trap."

MP Nikoloz Laliashvili of the Christian Democratic Party said: "We
think that in the course of diplomatic manoeuvring there should not
have an exchange at the expense of the interests of the people of
Georgia, particularly the people of Khevi [Qazbegi District]. The
Georgian government has failed to provide additional security
guarantees to the local population."

ARMENIA NEEDS HEDGING INSTRUMENT

PanARMENIAN.Net
02.03.2010 18:18 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Provided a small monetary base in Armenian commercial
banks, a certain hedging instrument is reqiured for Armenia, Chief
Executive Officer of ACBA-CREDIT AGRICOLE BANK Stepan Gishyan said.

According to him, international hedge funds experienced difficulties
during the crisis and 2009 was not the best year for establishing such
a fund in Armenia. "Armenia’s monetary base is not sufficient yet,
and banks are forced to attract cash in foreign currency to meet the
credit needs of its customers," he said.

GUL NOMINATED FOR CHATHAM HOUSE PRIZE 2010

PanARMENIAN.Net
02.03.2010 14:41 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Chatham House, the Royal Institute of International
Affairs, London, has announced nominees for the Prize 2010. The
award ceremony will take place in the autumn. Voting will close on
March 15, 2010. The nominees are Abdullah Gul, President of Turkey,
Christine Lagarde, Finance Minister of France and Stjepan Mesic,
President of Croatia.

As said in the nominee’s details, "Abdullah Gul has been a
significant figure for reconciliation and moderation within Turkey
and internationally, and a driving force behind many of the positive
steps that Turkey has taken in recent years."

RUSSIA, FRANCE TO COLLABORATE FOR KARABAKH CONFLICT RESOLUTION

PanARMENIAN.Net
02.03.2010 10:51 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Russia and France are determined to closely
collaborate for resolution of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, French
President Nicolas Sarkozy said.

"Russia and France will work together to help Armenia and Azerbaijan
reach an agreement," Mr. Sarkozy said joint a news conference with
his visiting Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev, RIA Novosti reported.

The conflict between Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan broke out in
1988, as result of the ethnic cleansing the latter launched in the
final years of the Soviet Union. The Karabakh War was fought from
1991 (when the Nagorno Karabakh Republic was proclaimed) to 1994
(when a ceasefire was sealed by Armenia, NKR and Azerbaijan). Most
of Nagorno Karabakh and a security zone consisting of 7 regions is
now under control of NKR defense army. Armenia and Azerbaijan are
holding peace talks mediated by the OSCE Minsk Group up till now.

ARMENIANS CALL IT GENOCIDE – TURKEY & US REBUKE MASSACRE CLAIMS
By Donald Griffith

America’s News Online
-call-it-genocide-turkey-us-rebuke-massacre-claims -902/
Feb 28 2010

The 1915 massacre or genocide, in April of that year, of over
1 million Armenians and other groups by the Turkish regime is
well-documented. The Turks like the Nazis kept extensive records and
there is no doubt that a genocide occurred (if the word genocide is
allowed to be used apart from the Jewish experience).

Politics Trumps Morality To this day the Turks deny this genocide. The
U.S. in need of allies, especially with the problems in that part of
the world, sidesteps the issue. In addition, the Jews and their home
state of Israel, also stay clear of condemning Turkey even though at
the present Israel and Turkey have strained relations.

Israel And The Turkish Massacre Genocide is only important if it
plays into the foreign policy of a nation. Israel, though it claims
had suffered a Holocaust, refuses to condemn the Turkish massacre of
the Armenians. Israel goes a step beyond. Israel’s Holocaust Museum
in Washington, D.C., and their similar museums that seem to crop up
everywhere, praise righteous Gentiles at the holocaust centers. They
not only never condemn Turkey, but do not have exhibits at the
holocaust memorials, concerning U.S.

companies that were complicit in the Holocaust. General Motors and
Ford subsidiaries supplied the German war machine. There was an
agreement about Israel and the Jews never condemning U.S. companies,
and their part in making the holocaust run smoothly.

IBM (International Business Machines) made sure its subsidiaries in
occupied Europe had their famous punch cards that facilitated the
roundup and extermination of Jews and others. This punch card system
not only had the trains running on time, but had personal information
about the Jews, making their roundup throughout Europe an easy task.

Genocide Is A Relative Concept Genocide will only be condemned by
Turkey, the U.S. and for that matter any country, when it is in their
national interest to do so.

The fact remains that as far as Turkey, the United States and Israel
are concerned, the Turkish massacre of the Armenians is to be swept
under the rug.

OPPOSITION SUPPORTERS HOLD RALLY IN YEREVAN

news.am
March 1 2010
Armenia

March 1, at 7:30 p.m. the rally of Armenian National Congress
(ANC) ended in Yerevan. RA Former President and ANC leader Levon
Ter-Petrosyan delivered a 50-minute long speech at the meeting.

He referred to 2008 post-presidential events, as well as touched
upon Armenia-Turkey reconciliation and the current stage of Karabakh
peace process.

The opposition representatives declared the next republican rally
will be held on April 6-on the day of the opening of Human Rights
Protection Congress in Armenia.

Presently, thousands of opposition supporters are marching down the
Mashtots Avenue escorted by the police, chanting anti-governmental
slogans. They visited the places where bloody events took place two
years ago. The demonstrators laid flowers to Myasnikyan monument and
paid tribute to March 1 victims. No incident between the oppositionists
and law enforcement agents was reported.

PRESIDENT SERZH SARGSYAN VISITED GEORGIA

Armradio.am
01.03.2010 10:37

On the first day of his two-day private visit to Georgia,
President Serzh Sargsyan in Batumi met with this counterpart Mikhail
Sahakashvili. The two Presidents discussed issues pertinent to the
further deepening of the Armenian-Georgian friendly relations and
economic cooperation. They also spoke about the ongoing works to open
the Upper Lars border crossing, President’s Press Office reported.

After the meeting, Presidents Serzh Sargsyan and Mikhail Sahakashvili
answered questions raised by journalists.

The President of Georgia welcomed this Armenian counterpart and noted
that his country always rejoices at Armenia’s success and is saddened
with Armenia’s problems; Armenia feels the same for Georgia. "I
believe, that these cordial relations and close cooperation are
conditioned not only ours – the Presidents’ personal input, even
though it is important, but first of all they must be credited
to our two nations," President Sahakashvili underlined and added,
"Many Armenians visit this town in summer, and locals welcome them
with pleasure. In addition, many ethnic Armenians live here and there
is also an Armenian church. All ethnic groups coexist peacefully, and
we are very proud of that fact and consider it to be our achievement."

The President of Armenia expressed gratitude for the invitation
and warm welcome and said that he heard a lot about Batumi and is
much impressed with what he has seen on this visit. Serzh Sargsyan
reiterated that Armenia and Georgia enjoy excellent relations and
expressed confidence and it will last forever. "We have lived like
brothers for thousand years and will continue to."

Accompanied by Mikhail Sahakashvili, President Serzh Sargsyan made a
tour of Batumi, observed construction works and investment programs
aimed at the town’s development.

On the second day of the visit President Sargsyan visited the Armenian
Church, where he met with representatives of the Armenian community
of Ajaria.

DAVID HARUTYUNYAN REMOVED FROM OFFICE

6/david-harutyunyan
12:06 pm | February 26, 2010

Official

February 25, RA President Serzh Sargsyan signed a decree on
releasing David Harutyunyan from the duties of Chairman of the RA
State Commission for the Protection of Economic Competition (SCPEC),
RA Presidential Press Service reports.

Mr. Harutyunyan handed in his resignation to the RA President earlier
in the day.

ARMENIA PASSES BILL TO ALLOW VOIDING OF TURKISH-ARMENIAN PROTOCOLS

Radio Free Europe
February 25, 2010

YEREVAN — Armenia’s National Assembly has passed a billthat will
make it easier for Yerevan to abandon two protocols on establishing
diplomatic relations with Turkey, RFE/RL’s Armenian Service reports.

The parliament passed on the third and final reading amendments to an
existing law on interstate treaties that would allow the suspension
or termination of international agreements that have been signed by
Armenia before they go into force.

The vote was 70 in favor and four against.

The nationalist Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun)
party boycotted the vote.

The amendments now await President Serzh Sarkisian’s signature to
become law.

Sarkisian announced in December his intention to enact these
amendments in response to Turkish leaders’ repeated statements pegging
Ankara’s ratification of the two protocols to a resolution of the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

But Sarkisian has made it clear that Yerevan will walk away from the
deal if Ankara fails to ratify it within a "reasonable" time frame.

The parliament overwhelmingly passed the amendments on the first and
second readings on February 23 and 24, respectively.

Opposition Zharangutyun lawmakers said Armenian law and international
conventions signed by Yerevan already allow for the abrogation of
international treaties, and voted against the amendments.

Dashnaktsutyun deputies criticized the amendments during the first
reading.

Dashnaktsutyun deputy Artsvik Minasian argued that not only the
president of the republic, but also the parliament should be empowered
to invalidate international agreements.

Armen Rustamian, another Dashnaktsutyun lawmaker who chairs the
parliament committee on foreign affairs, said on February 23 that the
National Assembly should also be given the right to ratify them with
"reservations."

He denied any contradiction between the Dashnaktsutyun criticism of
the amendments and its deputies’ decision to vote for them.

Sarkisian formally submitted the two Turkish-Armenian protocols to
the parliament for ratification on February 15.

Leaders of the parliament’s pro-presidential majority have repeatedly
stated that the protocols will not be put to a vote before they have
been ratified by the Turkish Parliament.