Month: December 2008

RUSSIA TO DEPLOY ALPINE UNITS AT ITS MILITARY BASES ABROAD

RIA Novosti
16:57 | 04/ 12/ 2008

MOSCOW, December 4 (RIA Novosti) – Russia’s Defense Ministry plans
to deploy special mountain units at military bases in S. Ossetia,
Abkhazia, Armenia and Tajikistan, as well as in the Urals and Far East,
a ministry official said on Thursday.

"All military contingents deployed in mountainous regions will
have battalion-level units specially trained for mountain warfare,"
said Col.

Vladimir Chabanov, deputy head of the Ground Forces combat training
department at the Russian Defense Ministry.

Russia has already deployed two mountain brigades in the North Caucasus
republics of Daghestan and Karachayevo-Circassia. They are manned by
contract soldiers and total about 4,500 personnel.

Chabanov said the newly formed units would be equipped with special
weaponry and equipment developed for combat at high altitudes in
mountainous areas, including professional mountain-climbing equipment.

Russia currently deploys a military base in Gyumri, Armenia and
a military base near the Tajik capital, Dushanbe, which hosts the
5,000-strong 201st Motorized Rifle Division.

Moscow is also planning to open one base in Gudauta, in the west of
Abkhazia, and another in Tskhinvali, the capital of South Ossetia,
following a five-day war with Georgia over South Ossetia in August.

MOSCOW CALLS FOR KARABAKH PEACE TREATY

RT
December 4, 2008, 15:57

Military action is not the solution to the conflict in
Karabakh. Foreign Ministers of the OSCE Minsk Group meeting in Helsinki
discussed the need for a resolution to the long frozen conflict in
the South Caucasus.

"We call for both sides to reaffirm their devotion to a peace
settlement," the group said.

At the meeting, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that basic
principles of a peace treaty regarding the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
between Azerbaijan and Armenia must be formed.

"We urge the parties to make efforts jointly with the co-chairmen of
the Minsk Group to achieve an agreement within months on the basic
principles of the settlement, and then, on that basis, to pass over
to drafting a comprehensive peace agreement," Lavrov said at the
meeting of the OSCE Minsk Group.

The two countries came together last month in Moscow and agreed to
seek a peaceful solution to the conflict.

Lavrov reminded both sides about the agreement they signed in
November. "The declaration signed in Moscow opened a new promising
step in the restoration of peace in the region," he said.

Nargorno-Karabakh, a region in the South Caucasus, is technically
part of Azerbaijan. In 1988, the area voted to join with the Armenian
Soviet Republic. This action set off a conflict between Armenians
and Azerbaijanis.

After violence and conflict continued for several years, Armenians
in the region approved through a referendum the creation of an
independent state.

The referendum was rejected by Azerbaijan and conflict escalated.

The fall of the Soviet Union led to a power vacuum causing full-scale
war to erupt. By 1994, thousands had been killed and hundreds of
thousands displaced as a result. With Russia’s help, an un-official
cease-fire was reached in May 1994.

However, random spells of violence continued to plague the region
causing numerous deaths every year on both sides.

Today the region is under joint military control by Armenian and
Nagorno-Karabakh military forces. Armenia remains steadfast in its
commitment to bringing independence to the region while Azerbaijan
claims its territorial integrity must be respected.

The Minsk Group was formed by the OSCE and includes the US, Russia
and France. Its purpose is to encourage and negotiate a complete and
peaceful resolution between Armenia and Azerbaijan regarding Karabakh.

The efforts culminated on 2 November when the President of Azerbaijan,
Ilham Aliyev, and the President of Armenia, Serzh Sarkisyan, signed a
peace declaration at a meeting in Moscow arranged by Russian president
Dmitry Medvedev.

IRAN TO HOST INTL CONFERENCE ON RUDAKI

FNA
2008-12-04

TEHRAN (FNA)- The World Conference on the Commemoration of Rudaki
will be held from December 21 to 23 in Tehran and Mashhad on the
anniversary of his 1150th birthday.

The conference will be held at Tehran’s Rudaki Hall on December 21 and
22 and then in Mashhad, which will host the third and final day of the
conference, Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Organization
Public Relations director Mohammad Hossein Barzin mentioned on Tuesday.

The conference has been organized by Iran’s Cultural Heritage,
Tourism and Handicrafts Organization following an agreement signed
between Iran, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan, MNA reported.

Scholars and academics from 27 countries will present papers during
the conference and 54 diplomatic figures will take part in the event.

Representatives of participant countries will join in the ceremony to
be held at the Sadabad Cultural Historical Complex on December 21. The
occasion falls on Yalda Night, the last night of the fall season and
the longest night of the year, which celebrated annually in Iran.

Books and theses on Rudaki and some manuscripts written by Iranian
luminaries will go on display during an exhibit on the sidelines of
the conference and Iranian and Tajik musical groups will also hold
some performances during the event.

About 250 articles were submitted to the secretariat of the conference
out of which 60 articles are from foreign countries including Morocco,
Bulgaria, Egypt, Italy, Sweden, Armenia and Lebanon.

Born in the village of Rudak (Panjrud) in Khorasan, now located in
present-day Tajikistan, Rudaki (858 – ca. 941) was the first great
literary genius of the modern Persian language who composed poetry in
"New Persian," which is written in the Perso-Arabic alphabet script.

Most of his biographers assert that he was totally blind, but his
accurate knowledge of colors shown in his poems makes this very
doubtful. Of the 1,300,000 verses attributed to him, only 52 elegies,
sonnets and quatrains remain.

15TH SITTING OF THE ARMENIA-RUSSIA INTERPARLIAMENTARY COOPERATION COMMISSION TO BE HELD IN YEREVAN

armradio.am
04.12.2008 17:42

The 15th sitting of the Armenia-Russia Interparliamentary Cooperation
Commission will kick off at the National Assembly of Armenia on
December 5.

The agenda includes the issue of participation of the members of
parliament of the two countries in the arrangements dedicated to the
20th anniversary of the Spitak earthquake. Opening speeches will be
delivered by the President of Parliament of the Republic of Armenia,
Hovik Abrahamyan, Co-Chair of the Armenia-Russia Interparliamentary
Cooperation Commission Nikolay Rizhkov and Vice-President of the
Russian State Duma Lyubov Sliska.

The same day members of the Russian delegation are expected to meet
with the second President of Armenia, Robert Kocharyan, and have a
meeting at the Russian Embassy in Armenia.

On December 6 members of the delegation will be received by the
President of Armenia, Serzh Sargsyan, and the Catholicos of All
Armenians, His Holiness Garegin II.

On December 7 members of the Commission will leave for Gyumri
to participate in the commemoration events dedicated to the 20th
anniversary of the earthquake of 1988.

The delegation will return to Moscow on December 8.

JOINT DECLARATION OF THE FOREIGN MINISTERS AND DEPUTY MINISTER OF FRANCE, RUSSIA, AND THE UNITED STATES ON NAGORNO-KARABAKH

ArmInfo
2008-12-04 16:14:00

ArmInfo. The foreign ministers and deputy minister of OSCE Minsk
Group Co-chair countries – France, Russia, and the United States –
have come out with a joint statement on Nagorno- Karabakh.

The Armenian Foreign Ministry press-service quotes them as stating:
"We, the Foreign Ministers and Deputy Minister of the OSCE Minsk
Group’s Co- Chair countries – France, Russia, and the United States –
call on the parties to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict to build on the
positive momentum established during the meeting of the Presidents
of Armenia and Azerbaijan in Moscow on November 2, 2008. The Moscow
Declaration signed that same day opened a new and promising phase in
our shared endeavor to expand peace in the South Caucasus. In that
declaration, the Presidents reaffirm their commitment to advancing a
peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in the framework
of the Basic Principles developed by the Minsk Group Co-Chairs in
collaboration with the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan on the basis
of their proposals advanced last year in Madrid. We call on the parties
to work with the Co-Chairs to finalize the Basic Principles in coming
months, and then begin drafting a comprehensive peace settlement
as outlined by those agreed principles. In keeping with the Moscow
Declaration, we call on the parties to work with the Co-Chairs to
develop confidence-building measures, beginning with pulling back
snipers from the Line of Contact to save lives of innocent civilians
and soldiers as our mediators already proposed to the sides at the
highest level during the last visit mid November. It is urgent for
the parties to work with each other, the Co-Chairs, and the Personal
Representative of the Chairman in Office to stabilize the ceasefire
through this and other measures. We reiterate our firm view that there
is no military solution to the conflict and call on the parties to
recommit to a peaceful resolution".

ARMENIAN PARLIAMENTARIAN: HARSH ASSESSMENT BY HAMMARBERG RESULT OF PRESSURE BY ARMENIAN OPPOSITION

ArmInfo
2008-12-04 16:03:00

ArmInfo. ‘CE Commissioner for Human Rights Thomas Hammarberg will
soften his assessments of domestic political situation in Armenia
before PACE Winter Session’, Gagik Melikyan, Armenian parliamentarian
from Republican Party of Armenia said to ArmInfo.

He said harsh assessments by Hammarberg during his last
visit to Armenia were result of the pressure by the Armenian
opposition. ‘Hammarberg’s assessments were not impartial’, he said. As
regards the activity of the Parliamentary Interim Commission to
Investigate March 1-2 incidents in Yerevan, Melikyan said: ‘Interim
Commission should fulfill its functions i.e. give political assessment
of the incidents of March. In this context, one can say the Commission
has to some extent deviated from the right way’.

INFORMAL MEETING OF CSTO MEMBERS-STATES’ FOREIGN MINISTERS IN HELSINKI

ArmInfo
2008-12-04 11:04:00

ArmInfo. Informal meeting of CSTO member-states’ foreign ministers
will be held in Helsinki today, CSTO News Department adviser Vitaly
Strugovets told ArmInfo. To recall, OSCE summit will also start in
Helsinki today. ‘CSTO member-states will come out from a single stance
at the session of OSCE Foreign Ministerial Council concerning a new
Agreement on the European Security. Prior to the OSCE ministerial
meeting to be held on December 4 in Helsinki, informal meeting of CSTO
member-states’ foreign ministers will also be held in Helsinki, during
which a unified stance on the new Agreement on European Security will
be developed’, CSTO Secretary General Nikolay Bordyuzha said before
leaving for Helsinki.

‘The heads of CSTO member-states have already supported the initiative
of Russia on development of the Agreement on European Security at
Mosocw summit in September 2008, that was fixed in the Declaration of
CSTO Collective Security Council session. During November consultations
of CSTO member-states’ foreign ministers held in CSTO Secretariat,
this stance was confirmed once more’, N. Bordyuzha emphasized. CSTO
Secretary General will take part both in OSCE FMC and in the informal
meeting of CSTO foreign ministers.

ARMENIAN PREMIER: MINISTERS AND HEADS OF DEPARTMENTS TO BE PERSONALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE RISKS OF THE WORLD ECONOMIC CRISIS WHICH WERE NOT TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT

ArmInfo
2008-12-04 16:08:00

ArmInfo. Armenian premier: Ministers and heads of departments will
be personally responsible for the risks of the world economic crisis,
which were not taken into account, in case of possible negative affect
of the crisis, Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sarkisyan said in the
government, Thursday.

He charged to assess the risks in 2009. He also recalled that a
commission was set up under the prime minister which is called up to
coordinate the events directed to minimization of possible consequences
of the world crisis. If there is no good management at a company, the
government is ready to help drawing out of business-programmes, and
in this case it is not ruled out that the government will participate
in the capital of such companies, the premier said. "It is no secret
that the year of 2009 will be hard and will require intensive work
from all of us". – Tigran Sarkisyan said.

ARF BUREAU: PACKAGE OF COMPROMISE

Lragir.am
18:24:27 – 04/12/200

The ARF Dashnaktsutyun Bureau held a plenary session in Beirut,
Lebanon, which lasted from November 29 to December 1. The session
dwelled on the new situation in the South Caucasus, the urgent moves
towards supporting the state, the offices of political affairs, the
issue of Artsakh, the state of the Armenian and Turkish relations,
the international recognition of the Armenian genocide.

It was noted that the final settlement of the issue of Artsakh is
possible through peace talks in which NKR will be a party.

Considering that the militaristic rhetoric of Azerbaijan continues
after signing the declaration of Moscow, it is highly important that
the issue remains on the national agenda as a problem relating to the
existence and security of Armenia and the Armenians. For us, the basis
of the talks should be the fact of self-determination of Artsakh which
took place on two occasions, the referendums on independence in 1991
and adoption of the NKR Constitution in 2006. Compromise can only
be equal, simultaneous and in the framework of a complete package
solution, the press release of the ARF Dashnaktsutyun holds.

Reasserting that as neighboring states Armenia and Turkey must continue
efforts to improve relations, it was underlined that Turkey has taken
no positive step yet. On the contrary, the existing contacts are used
to hinder the process of recognition of the genocide and to determine
the relations of the two states by the relations of Armenia with a
third state, Azerbaijan.

In this context, the determination of the top government of Armenia
was appreciated to have adopted the recognition of the Armenian
genocide, including by Turkey, as one of the strategic directions of
the foreign policy of Armenia. On the other hand, it was noted that
the current importance of improvement of relations between Armenia and
Turkey should not be set superior to the rights of the generations,
the press release holds.

The Bureau made decisions the starting point of which is the basic
principle that the primary goal of the ARF Dashnaktsutyun is the
independence and security of the Republic of Armenia.

DOES NOT TAKE MOSCOW DECLARATION SERIOUSLY

Lragir.am
18:01:00 – 04/12/2008

The former NKR defense minister Samvel Babayan who founded the Dashink
party but soon dissolved it and joined the Ramkavar Party of Armenia,
was hosted at the Hayatsk press club on December 4. He said he does
not take the declaration on Karabakh signed in Moscow seriously. Samvel
Babayan thinks Moscow needed that declaration to display its influence
in the region but according to Samvel Babayan that document will not
have serious consequences for the settlement of the conflict.

By the way, Babayan thinks that at least in the upcoming five years
the sides will be far from the settlement. As to the question of
reporters what he would do if there were an agreement on settlement,
Samvel Babayan said in case of a dangerous option he will do everything
to mobilize the "forces depending on him" to fight against that option.

By the way, the ex-foreign minister of NKR and the ex-presidential
candidate of Armenia Arman Melikyan does not expect crucial and
dangerous developments relating to the settlement of the Karabakh
conflict. He stated that in case of dangerous developments there is
sufficient human potential in both Armenia and Karabakh to oppose to
that dangerous development. As to the declaration of Moscow, Arman
Melikyan said Armenia actually made a mistake by signing it without
Karabakh, and Azerbaijan benefited, since it turns=2 0out that the
conflict is with Karabakh.

Arkady Ter-Tadevosyan who was also hosted at the Hayatsk press club
said everyone is bluffing in the process of settlement, and there is
no reason for worry.

In addition, Arkady Ter-Tadevosyan made an interesting statement. He
said the Armenian troops were not needed in Kelbajar since the Karabakh
army led by Samvel Babayan could have taken Kelbajar. According
to Arkady Ter-Tadevosyan, that mistake now enables Azerbaijan to
manipulate the issue and present as if Armenia had attacked Azerbaijan.