News

The United States got down to normalization of Armenian Turkish relations. Resolution of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict is Russia’s priority, according to director of analytical research center, political scientist Ruben Hakobyan.

“To all appearance, Turkish parliament will ratify the Protocols. Then, Karabakh talks will be intensified under Russia’s aegis,” he said. “Nagorno Karabakh is the price Russia will pay for 500 million cu m of gas it bought from Azerbaijan.”

/PanARMENIAN.Net/

The vice president of the European Commission, Günther Verheugen, has underlined the reciprocal needs between Turkey and the EU, saying Turkey requires the EU and vice versa; however, the EU needs Turkey more than Turkey needs it.

“Turkey has immense strategic importance. I highlight the security of the entire region. The EU should consider what would happen if Turkey preferred to pursue another road other than gaining a seat among Western states. This would pose a big risk for us, and we had better not take it,” said Verheugen, adding that Turkey's EU membership will be an advantage for them and that it will help Western democracies improve relations with the Muslim world. He also warned that the strategic importance of Turkey will not result in easing EU membership conditions.

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Azerbaijani fundamental position is simple. The conflict must be settled within Azerbaijani "territorial integrity". Armenian armed forces “must be withdrawn from the occupied territories. Our compatriots must return to native lands,” said Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, AzerTaj state news agency quotes as reported by Azerbaijani news agency Trend News.

No other point of view is considered beyond this position. Azerbaijan has repeatedly voiced its position on this issue, Aliyev said.

He said that presently, the conflict has not been solved yet.

Azerbaijani President said that at present, Azerbaijani economy can not be compared with Armenian one. "We excel it in all spheres. We have ver ... Read more »

During a unity conference between Sunni and Shia leaders in the border city of Pishin in Sistan-Baluchistan on Sunday, a suicide bomber blew himself up, killing at least 42 people, including raking commanders of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), reports Iranian news source Press TV.

The commander of the IRGC's ground force, General Mohammad Pakpour, said the perpetrators will be dealt a crushing response.

President Ahmadinejad reacted to the attack and demanded Pakistan eradicate the terrorist group Jundullah, which has taken responsibility for the bombing.

"We have heard that certain officials in Pakistan cooperate with main agents of these terrorist attacks in the eastern parts of the country. It is our right to ask (for extradition) of criminals," Ahmadinejad said after a Cabinet session on Sunday night.

“Those who carry out ... Read more »

It’s already been three days since they began to remove Turkish flags in Azerbaijan’s cities and regions. As reported by Azerbaijani paper Azadliq, the campaign began immediately after the signing of the Armenian-Turkish Protocols. The local leadership explains that a new law on flags has been implemented.

First, they removed not only the Turkish flags but also the metal flagstaffs at the memorial to those Turkish people who fell victim during the years of establishing Soviet authority. Then, last Friday, authorities made a decision to remove all the flags from in front of all offices and buildings belonging to Turkish companies in the country.

Azadliq reports that local governments were given these orders from higher-up administrative bodies. On the same day, checks ... Read more »

Georgia’s Foreign Minister Grigol Vashadze confirmed that despite the rupture in Russian-Georgian diplomatic relations, he is still a Russian citizen, reports Georgia Online.

Vashadze was reported as saying to Georgian journalists that having a Russian citizenship doesn’t create any difficulties for him.

According to the minister, he alone will make the decision whether or not to give up his Russian citizenship in the future, emphasizing that he doesn’t break any law by having dual citizenship, report Tert.am.

A number of Turkish media today reported on Turkish-Azerbaijani relations; in particular, the noticeable rupture in relations.

Turkish news source Hurriyet Daily News reports that there’s a breach in the “one nation, two states” principle which Turkey’s and Azerbaijan’s former presidents built and developed.

One can speculate that some of the reasons for this are the recently signed Armenian-Turkish Protocols, as well as the anti-Turkish sentiment expressed in Azerbaijan recently, which resulted in a policy to remove all Turkish flags in Azerbaijan’s cities.

As reported by Hurriyet Daily News, because of an improvement in Armenian-Turkish relations, Azerbaijan might raise the price of natur ... Read more »

A delegation from the Republic of Armenia Ministry of Foreign Affairs office will take part in the 21st meeting of Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) Foreign Ministers Council, taking place in the Azerbaijani capital of Baku on October 22, 2009.

Deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia Arman Kirakosyan will head the Armenian delegation to the meeting, reports the press and information department of the Republic of Armenia Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

An unbelievable incident happened during the 31st Intercontinental Istanbul Eurasia Marathon yesterday, reports Turkish new source Vatan.

43-year-old Yasar Olmez came to Bogazici Bridge, the starting point of the marathon, took off his raincoat, and put aside his umbrella soon after the marathon started. Then, before thousands of people, he jumped off the bridge into the Bosphorous strait below.

His body was found near Dolmabahce Palace, on the European side of the Bosphorous.

/Tert.am/

Armenian team took first place in the men’s team competition in the European weightlifting championship under 23, which was held in Poland. Six out of eight Armenian athletes won medals.

The Armenian team under 23 years old won 7 gold (3 big, 4 small), six silver (2 big, 4 small) and three bronze (1 big, 2 small) medals. This was the best result in the championship.

All the eight athletes representing Armenia demonstrated good results. None of them reached anything below sixth place in any exercise.

Armenia scored 587, followed by teams from Russia, Poland, Turkey, Italy, and Spain. In total, teams from 32 countries were taking part in the European championship.

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A new bronze Sayat Nova statue was placed at the intersection of Sayat-Nova and Khanjyan streets on October 16.

Sculptor Toros Raskelyan has been creating Sayat Nova’s bronze bust for over 45 years. The sculptor intended to present the work to the homeland. As announced by the information and public relations department of Yerevan City Hall, the Republic of Armenia Ministry of Diaspora and Yerevan City Hall assisted Raskelyan in realizing his dream.

Thanking the author of the sculpture, Yerevan’s Mayor Gagik Beglaryan expressed hope that Toros Raskelyan will keep his promise and present more works to the city of Yerevan.

Born in Aleppo, Syria, and now working in France, Raskelyan’s roots go back to the town of Urfa in Western Armenia (within present-day Turkey’s borders). He is the creator of 30 sculptures which among collections in the world’s prestigious a ... Read more »

A meeting between European Union representatives and the foreign ministries of Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan is set to take place in the western European country of Luxembourg on October 26, 2009.

Republic of Armenia Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Tigran Balayan, upon Tert.am’s request, commented on the news, which was circulated by Georgian media. Balayan noted that those are not going to be joint meetings with the European Union, but rather, advisory sessions between the EU and each of the country’s foreign ministers separately; that is, EU-Armenia, EU-Azerbaijan and EU-Georgia meetings.

/Tert.am/

If only the world matched U.S. President Obama’s rosy image of it. Perhaps then pre-emptive concessions to other nations, in the hope of prompting reciprocation, might make sense, reports an editorial from The New York Post.

Last month, the president unilaterally scrapped plans to deploy an Eastern European missile-defense shield meant to take out incoming Iranian missiles.

Obama’s administration said the gesture was meant to improve relations with Russia, though the decision broke a Bush administration pledge to U.S. allies in Poland and the Czech Republic.

Earlier, Washington seemed to be eyeing a deal: Russia’s cooperation with efforts to contain Iran in exchange for America’s ditching ... Read more »