OSCE Head of Yerevan Office Sergey Kapinos: “Karabakh Should Be Engaged in Talks”

Head of the OSCE Yerevan Office Sergey Kapinos today refuted the statement of Goran Lenmarker, Special Representative of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly for Nagorno Karabakh, who said Nagorno-Karabakh should not be engaged in the talks as a conflicting side.

At first Kapinos said Lenmarker could not have made such a statement. After A1+ quoted Lenmarker’s words, Mr. Kapinos said: “The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly is not entitled to deal with the Karabakh conflict settlement. The OSCE Minsk group and special representative of the OSCE chairman-in-office Andrzej Kasprzyk handle all issues concerning Nagorno-Karabakh.”

Sergey Kapinos spoke about the talks over the Karabakh issue as a “side expert”.

“In the initial stage of the settlement process, Nagorno-Karabakh participated in the negotiations. In 1994 Nagorno-Karabakh’s representative signed the contract on ceasefire,” said Mr. Kapinos.  Read more... (415 words)

Turkey’s FM Davutoglu to raise Armenian Genocide Resolution in Turkish Parliament

Turkish FM Ahmet Davutoglu is due to deliver address on the developments that followed the endorsement of the Armenian Genocide Resolutions by the US House Foreign Affairs Committee and the Swedish Parliament at the Turkish Grand National Assembly today.

According to CnnTurk, the Foreign Affairs Committee of Turkey’s Parliament is due to convene a sitting March 15 to raise the Armenian Genocide Resolution passed by the US House Foreign Relations Committee and a number of foreign policy issues. Davutoglu is also expected to attend the sitting.  Read more... (187 words)

Armenian Party Ditches Two Ministers

A major political party represented in Armenia’s government announced on Monday that it is replacing two of its three government ministers by other individuals who have had no ties with it until now.

Iran Frees Armenian Aid Worker Silva Harotonian

Aid worker Silva Harotonian, who has been in an Iranian prison for more than twenty months, has been released, reports The Armenian Reporter.

In a March 10 statement, her employer, the U.S.-funded International Research and Exchanges Board (IREX), thanked “the Government of Armenia for their engagement in securing Silva’s release.” Details of that engagement have not been made public.

Harotonian, an Iranian citizen, was arrested on June 26, 2008, while on a business trip to Tehran for IREX’s Maternal and Child Health Education and Exchange Program (MCHEEP). A Yerevan-based administrative officer for the program, launched in 2007, she was the only IREX staff member working in Iran at the time.  Read more... (255 words)

Georgian Authorities File New Charges Aagainst Vahagn Chakhalyan

The Georgian authorities have filed two new charges against the Javakheti political activist- Vahagn Chakhalyan, who was sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment on April, 2009.

The first charge is based on the failed attempt of Georgianization of the Armenian Church in Javakheti village Samsar in July 2005, the second one is based on the protest manifestation at the Georgian-Armenian border checkpoint “Zhdanovakan-Bavra” in December 2005.

Vahagn Chakhalyan and his lawyers were informed about this on March 11, 2010 by the investigators of the Akhalkalaki and Ninotsminda Police departments- Spartak Khechoyan and Gevorg Kspoyan, who visited the Javakheti political activist for interrogation in Rustavi colony of strict regime.  Read more... (180 words)

Armenian National Assembly Speaker Does Not Take Turkish Authorities Seriously

Today in the RA National Assembly Heritage faction MP Armen Martirosyan suggested NA Speaker Hovik Abrahamyan either to introduce the Armenian-Turkish Protocols to Armenian parliamentarians or to recall them under recent amendments to the RA Law on International Rights taking into consideration continuing slaps by the Turkish side.

“Let me disagree with you in view of slaps as empty talks cannot be considered slaps. The authorities [Turkish] signing the protocols and then making statements contradicting the document cannot be taken seriously,” said Hovik Abrahamyan.

“As to the ratification of Protocols, we discussed the issue with the coalition partners and adhere to the position already announced: Armenian Parliament will take no further steps until Turkey ratifies Protocols,” the Armenian parliament speaker emphasized.  Read more... (181 words)

Armenia Interested in Expanding Relations With Israel

Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan received a non-resident Ambassador of Israel in Armenia Shemi Tzur upon completion of his diplomatic mission, press office of the government reported. Thanking the Ambassador for his work, the prime minister spoke about the great potential of the development of Armenian-Israeli relations.

 Tigran Sargsyan stressed that Armenia is interested in broadening and deepening its relations with Israel.
The officials attached importance to sharing good practices in agriculture, health, culture, and to developing joint programs.

They also touched upon regional issues. The prime minister of Armenia wished the ambassador success in his future endeavors.

Source: PanArmenian – Original Article