Month: December 2008

DELEGATION OF ARMENIA’S POLICE VISITED KARABAKH

De Facto
Dec 1, 2008

YEREVAN, 01.12.08. DE FACTO. The delegation of Armenia’s Police
headed by Major-General of Police Alik Sargsian, the Department Head,
visited Karabakh.

The Nagorno-Karabakh PM Ara Harutyunian received the Armenian
delegation.

In the course of the visit the Head of the Karabakh government
highlighted the importance of strengthening cooperation between
various departments of the two Armenian states.

"Mutual visits and contacts between various structures of Armenia
and NKR have been recently activated, and due to the relations we
are trying to create business atmosphere we are deeply in need of",
the NKR PM noted.

In his turn, the Head of RA Police attached importance to cooperation
between Policies of Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh.

"Our visit is of acquaintance nature, and all amendments being
implemented in Armenia also take place in Artsakh. We will go on
strengthening our cooperation, we should follow one path and always
be together", Sargsian noted.

A number of members of Karabakh Police were awarded with medals
and certificates of honor of Armenia’s Police, Robert Shaferian,
the Head of the NKR Police, was awarded a medal for strengthening
cooperation, NKR Road Police received two cars. The members of the
Armenian delegation also received souvenirs.

Nagorno-Karabakh Defense Minister, Lt.-General Movses Hakobian awarded
the H ead of the RA Police Alik Sargsian with the memorable medal of
the NKR Armed Forces.

In his turn, the Head of Armenia’s Police awarded the Karabakh Defense
Minister with a medal for cooperation with the RA Police and presented
UAZ car to the NKR Defense Army.

The delegation of Armenia’s Police also visited Nagorno-Karabakh and
Azeri Armed Forces’ contact line.

CONSTRUCTION RATES GROW IN NAGORNO-KARABAKH

De Facto
Dec 1, 2008

STEPANAKERT, 01.12.08. DE FACTO. In January-October, 2008, construction
works for 19048.2 million AMD was realized in the Nagorno-Karabakh
Republic, which is 17.4%, or 2825.1 million AMD more as compared with
the same period of 2007.

According to the information DE FACTO received at the NKR National
Statistic Service, the construction’s structure is as follows: state
budget’s means – 42.1%, community means – 0.5%, out-budgetary means –
6.1%, humanitarian assistance’s means – 12.6%, foreign investments –
6.9%, organizations’ means – 13.0%, population’s means – 4.2%, other
means – 14.6%.

NKR GOVERNMENT ALLOCATED MEANS TO ENSURE SHOUSHI UPPER MOSQUE WITH TEMPORARY ROOFING

De Facto
Dec 1, 2008

STEPANAKERT, 01.12.08. DE FACTO. The Cabinet of Ministers of
Nagorno-Karabakh Republic has allocated 10 million AMD to ensure the
Shoushi upper mosque, which had suffered during hostilities, with
temporary roofing and prevent from the monument’s further destruction.

Like other historical monuments situated in the Republic, this mosque
is also under protection and defense of the state irrespective of
the fact what nation’s cultural heritage a monument belongs to,
Azat Artsakh reports quoting the Tourism Department under the NKR
government. Allocating means for the preservation of the Persian
mosque can just be welcomed in this context.

It is not the first time that measures targeted at the preservation of
cultural heritage of other nations are being implemented in the NKR,
while our neighbors, Turkey and Azerbaijan, consequently and openly
destroy Armenian culture’s monuments.

ARMENIA FUND HAS TURNED INTO A PRESIDENTOMETER
Hakob Badalyan

Lragir.am
13:26:25 – 01/12/2008

Armenia All-Armenian Fund held its annual telethon during which,
according to the official news release, 35 million dollars was
raised. It was twice as much as the sum raised in the previous
telethons, because the highest sum raised previously had been about
15 million dollars. All the nation can do is to celebrate and take
pride in such a growth, especially considering the global economic
crisis. If there were not for the crisis, perhaps at least one hundred
million dollars would be raised. On the other hand, probably the
crisis is the reason why so much money was raised. The point is that
perhaps the famous formula has worked which the Armenian government
has been circulating recently. It is the formula of the capital
which is bothered by the global crisis and is looking for a calm
place. Apparently, the wealthy of other nationalities participated
in the pan-Armenian telethon as well, who preferred sending their
money into Armenia Fund, knowing that it will go to stable Armenia,
far from crisis and trouble.

This hypothesis may seem to many to be an unserious approach to the
serious pan-Armenian event. However, the problem is that this serious
pan-Armenian event is made unserious by those who are organizing
it. Many may think that the content of the TV program is meant which
is unchanged for many years.

Som e details change, of course, such as the song and the video. For
instance, one year the video is shot in front of North Avenue, the
next year in front of the Erebuni Hotel, and the next will probably
be shot in front of a newly-built elite apartment building, but the
content of the telethon remains the same, with the same faces, the
same emotional speeches, the same "Armenian design", which allows
supposing that every year a lot of money is wasted on that program
and on air tickets and several weeks of accommodation for the groups
of officials, actors, hosts, showmen, since it is enough to show the
video of the previous years. For instance, the video of the telethon
could be shown for at least three years, and the money that would be
saved could be donated for a program that the foundation carries out.

Although I spoke for an entire paragraph, nevertheless the unserious
approach of the organizers does not concern the content of the
TV program.

The problem is the approach towards the telethon as a phenomenon. The
impression is that we are competing with ourselves to prove
something. The telethons, the pan-Armenian donations have become
something like a math quiz where only figures are important. It
is important who donated the most, who gives little although could
have donated more, what percentage of one’s possessions one gives,
and how much was raised in the end to announce another re cord. And
the record should be presented as another merit of the government.

For instance, under one president the Armenians raised this much,
it means that president is the best. In other words, Armenia Fund
has turned into an instrument for measuring the reputation of the
president with money, a peculiar presidentometer. More exactly, they
have turned it such, thinking that it affects the society. However,
the real effect is that the society, the Armenian society, is gradually
becoming disappointed with the pan-Armenian donations. Evidence to
this is the sums donated by ordinary donators, which is shrinking year
by year, and records are set through donations by millionaires. The
2008 telethon is a classic example. 35 million dollars was raised. In
fact, however, only 5 million is a pan-Armenian donation in the direct
sense of the word, and the other 30 million had been pledged by the
Armenian millionaires at a dinner with the president of Armenia a
few days before.

Certainly, the millionaires are also Armenians but the problem is
that if 80 percent of the pan-Armenian donation is raised by a few
Armenian millionaires, and only 10-20 percent has real pan-Armenian
geography, serious doubts about the pan-Armenian nature of Armenia
Fund occur. More exactly, those doubts occur among the Armenians
worldwide, or may already have occurred, since the volume of donations
is "sustained" by millionaires only. Why is it so? T his is a question
which requires a serious study, a serious analysis of the activities
of the foundation, reconsideration of approaches, unbiased summary of
results. However, it is possible that nobody cares for this because
the millionaires are important, with whom the government may always
make arrangements, deals on money in return for something, and take
care of propaganda. And the practical aspect will be what it will be.

CATHOLICOS OF ALL-ARMENIANS FACES A CHOICE

Lragir.am
12:45:41 – 01/12/2008

The campaign of the mayor of Gyumri against the primate of the Diocese
of Shirak of the Armenian Apostolic Church Archbishop Michael Ajapahyan
causes serious worries among the society. The Head of the diocese
had criticized Vardan Ghukasyan on the eve of election of mayor of
Gyumri. And now the "pious" mayor of Gyumri, having the OK of Serge
Sargsyan and Arthur Baghdasaryan as a "godfather", has launched a
campaign aimed to replace the primate of the Diocese.

According to a reliable source, Serge Sargsyan’s staff "has offered"
Catholicos Garegin II to "solve" the question of the primate of the
Diocese of Shirak. In addition, the Catholicos has not only been
instructed but it is also "made clear" to him with different methods
which we do not mention, sparing the readers. We have learned that
the catholicos has met Michael Ajapahyan and discussed the situation
in the Diocese of Shirak, and at the same time scolded the archbishop
why the latter cannot "get on well" with the city authorities.

The situation in the Diocese of Shirak worries the public in
Gyumri. And this worry got an expression. Several dozens of citizens
of Gyumri visited the seat of the archbishop and expressed their
support. These people were best aware of the consequences of the
campaign of the20mayor of Gyumri for whom the only obstacle to
turning the city into his "zone of influence" is the primate of
the Diocese. The citizens of Gyumri no longer rely on the central
government to interfere and ask the mayor to behave himself. On the
contrary, they have become convinced that Vardan Ghukasyan not only
enjoys the support of the central government but also acts upon
their instructions.

And now the Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II has to choose. And
he had to face this choice at once time, since the moment when with the
blessing of Garegin II the Armenian Apostolic Church became engaged
in politics and made a deal with the present government, naturally
comprising part of the quota-zone-racket system established in the
country with all the ensuing "duties". This system does not like jokes,
and acts in accordance with iron logic, and now it has set the demand
of fulfilling the "duty" before Catholicos Garegin II. Either the
image and flower of the Armenian government Vardan Ghukasyan or the
"misled" primate of the Diocese with his pasture.

Recently the Holy Synod of the Armenian Apostolic Church has discussed
the situation in the Georgian Diocese. The Synod criticized the stance
of the Georgian government and church and asserted its determination
for the protection of the Armenian monuments in Georgia.

A few days ago the disagreement between the Armenian and Greek clergy
escalated into a scuffle. The Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem is in
a bad state. On the one hand, the governments of Israel and Palestine,
on the other hand, the pressure of other churches, as well as the
behavior of some clergy of the patriarchate, as a result of which it
is getting more and more difficult to protect the immense spiritual
heritage in Jerusalem.

Is the present government of Armenia able to solve these problems and
support the Armenian Apostolic Church? The answer is no. Not only it
cannot but also will no longer want. On the contrary, the government
may make deals with the governments and interested organizations of
those countries for the sake of its interests. On the other hand,
is the Church able to protect itself and its pasture? The answer is
again no. The Church has indicated this in the past few years. The
Church has made a deal with the government, thereby alienating itself
from its pasture and making its tongue shorter. In this connection,
no matter how much they speak about the "special role of the Church in
the history of the Armenian people", presently it is a mere part of
the system established in Armenia, with the ensuing "duties", as it
was mentioned above. And the church loses and will continue to lose,
starting with the spiritual and material heritage finishing with the
faith of the pasture in the Church.

However, th e Armenian Apostolic Church is able to get over this
situation. For this purpose, the Catholicos of All Armenians must
decide to say his "no". Like in May 1918 the apostolic clergy said no
to everyone who tried to handle the fate of the Armenian people – the
leaders of parties, mouserists, criminals, sham heroes – and organized
the self-defense of their people which ended in victory. Since the
Armenian history is in the bad habit of reoccurring, it should not be
ruled out, considering the qualities of the present political system,
that tomorrow it may be necessary to protect the country. And it should
not be ruled out that if a present-day Kazim Karabekir invades Gyumri,
Arthur Baghdasaryan and Vardan Ghukasyan will greet him with salt and
bread to surrender the city to him. At least there should be someone
in Gyumri to ring the church bells.

HAIK ARAMYAN

P.S. The movement in support of the primate of the Diocese of Shirak
which has started in Gyumri is evidence that the Armenian people
are able to protect their dignity. Catholicos Garegin met with the
delegates of the movement on Sunday, which was the request of the
latter, and said they will try to establish "peace", and if it proves
impossible, they will have to replace the primate of the Diocese. The
delegates of the initiative expressed their support for the primate
of the diocese and warned the catholicos not=2 0to take such a step.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

THEY WILL ACCEPT ANY DECISION OF THE KARABAKH PEOPLE

Lragir.am
13:50:08 – 01/12/2008

Now it is an active phase in the settlement of the Karabakh conflict,
and in the upcoming few months a framework agreement on the main
principles may be reached, stated Arman Musinyan, the spokesman for
the founder of the Armenian National Congress Levon Ter-Petrosyan,
on December 1 at the Friday Press Club. He said the Congress which
considers the signing of such an agreement possible, considering
it as the conclusion of the active phase of the settlement of the
Karabakh conflict does not mean that the conclusion will be a final
Great accord on details.

Arman Musinyan also said that by the pause of rallies the opposition
gave the government a chance to participate in the talks for the
settlement of the Karabakh conflict with a stronger stance and avoid
undesired consequences for Armenia, but the government did not use
that chance, and signed a declaration in Moscow which is regress,
which Karabakh did not sign, and which sees the settlement of the
conflict on the basis of the international law and the decisions and
documents made in its framework.

Arman Musinyan said the approaches inside the Armenian National
Congress towards the Karabakh issue vary but the Congress unanimously
endorses any decision that the society of Karabakh will make. According
to Arman Musinyan, if the society in Karabakh rises against the
present principles of Madrid, they will endorse it, and if it accepts
a settlement based on those principles, the Armenian National Congress
will accept the decision of the people of Karabakh. Musinyan says they
will do everything to provide information to the people of Karabakh,
to explain the situation, but it should be taken into account that
the society in Karabakh is more close and controllable.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

NSSP REFUTES THE INFORMATION ABOUT THE EARTHQUAKE EXPECTED IN ARMENIA
Gita Elibekyan

"Radiolur"
01.12.2008 17:15

The information that a strong earthquake is expected in Armenia does
not correspond to reality. Director of the National Survey for Seismic
Protection of Armenia Alvaro Antonyan told a press conference today
that the NSSP has a national observation network, which keeps track
of 40 parameters with the help of 150 stations. Using the most modern
means of transferring information, i.e. satellite, radio and digital
communication, the data is transferred to the center, analyzed and
the existing seismic danger is assessed.

The reason of the panic, according to Alvaro Antonyaн, was the speech
of one of the NSSP experts, who noted that their radon-measuring
stations indicate that thevolume of radon gas in the Earth crust
is more than it should be, which is viewed as a sign of seismic
events. "Almost every year people spread such information in this
season, because the day of Spitak earthquake is nearing, people start
talking about it, recall the events on 1988 and start making comments.

"We have more than 20 radon measuring units, which indicate that
there are no anomalies, and we assess the situation deriving from
that data. No country in the world manages to predict the date,
location and time of earthquakes. At the best, we can assess the
current seismic danger," Alvaro Antonyan added.

–Boundary_(ID_HLHmuQaNSkm4XTRoD3r1wg)–

FOREIGN MINISTERS OF ARMENIA, AZERBAIJAN TO MEET IN HELSINKI DECEMBER 3
Anna Nazaryan

"Radiolur"
01.12.2008 17:44

The Foreign Minister of Armenia, Edward Nalbandian, will leave for
Helsinki tomorrow to participate in the OSCE Ministerial meeting on >
> From December 3 to 5.

US Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group Matthew Bryza had declared in
Yerevan on November 17 that the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and
Azerbaijan would meet in Helsinki on the sidelines of the meeting. Head
of the Media Relations Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
of Armenia Tigran Balayan told "Radiolur" that Nalbandian-Mammadyrarov
meeting with participation of the Minsk Group Co-Chairs will take
place on December 3.

Tigran Balayan did not give exact information about the face-to-face
meeting of the Foreign Minister of the two countries. Neither did
he confirm the information about a trilateral meeting between the
Foreign Ministers of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Turkey.

Within the framework of the OSCE Ministerial Edward Nalabndian
will have bilateral meetings with his counterparts from Luxemburg
and Ireland.

Since Armenia presides over the Collective Security Treaty
Organization, Mr. Nalbandian will initiate a meeting of CSTO Foreign
Ministers.

NO ESSENTIAL CHANGE IN THE SETTLEMENT PROCESS
Lilit Poghosyan

Hayots Ashkhar Daily
29 Nov 08
Armenia

Ex Speaker of the National Assembly, at present neutral MP Tigran
Torosyan introduced his standpoints regarding the problematic issues
linked with Armenia’s internal and external policy.

He says the "fiery" developments around Karabakh issue are far not
conditioned by the logic of the main negotiation process, but mostly by
the regional developments. After the five days war between Russia and
Georgia, the latter finally oriented itself towards the United States
(though Georgia’s mildly speaking pro-American stance was evident, at
least after the revolution of roses) and Azerbaijan’s weight increased,
on the background of Armenia’s "nearly evident" pro-Russian stance.

"Depending on which side Azerbaijan will take: Russia’s or the US’s,
that country will have essential influence on our region. This was the
main signal, which marked the beginning of the future developments."

The Moscow declaration of the Presidents, according to the
speaker: "doesn’t have any significance from the point of view
of the settlement", but anyway it is a matter of concern, because
NKR President didn’t sign it: "It is really dangerous and can be
speculated later, because a document has been signed, where the main
party is absent, a party the dest iny of which is being decided by
that document. This indirectly means that they don’t recognize NKR’s
self-determination.

In general the developments displayed that: "there is no essential
change in the settlement process". By signing the declaration Russia,
in the person of President Medvedev simply wanted to emphasize its
influence in South Caucasus.

On the other hand it is really strange that "the declaration speaks
about Madrid principles, which in reality don’t exist. That is to say
the document that includes those principles is a bill, which has not
been signed.

Secondly, all the parties underscore that many issues still need
clarifications. In fact they refer to the bill. It is most probably a
reverence towards the Minsk Group, but it is a very strange approach,
how can we speak about approaches, which have not been yet completed
and there is no complete agreement regarding them. "

Anyhow Tigran Torosyan attaches importance to Madrid principles as
a logical continuation of the "Prague process". "After the "Prague
process" the Co-Chairmen started to speak about solving the problem
in the framework of the two principles: territorial integrity
and national self-determination. In this regard, of course, these
principles essentially and principally differ from the previous bills,
where there is no word about the right to self-determination." But
u ntil the document is finalized and the disputable episodes are not
yet clarified, it is too early to give assessments as the "Satan is
in the details," the speaker believes.

"The radicals state that Karabakh is out of the negotiation format
beginning for 1998, when President Robert Kocharyan "owned" the
function of representing Karabakh’s interests. Whereas according
to the statement made recently by the Chairman of the Committee on
Foreign Affair of the NKR National Assembly Vahram Atanesyan, after
signing the agreement on ceasefire in 1994 NKR hasn’t participated
in the negotiations as a full party. So which is the truth?"

"In reality I’m not interested in when and under which President
did these processes take place. I’m concerned that Karabakh’s
non-participation in the negotiation process weakens the positions
of both Armenia and Azerbaijan. It has an exclusive importance for
me. All the other things are insignificant," Tigran Torosyan said.

The speaker believes: "If the war starts, no one will fight for the
sake of the ruling power, so we shouldn’t link it with the ruling
power.

People protect their motherland, their dignity, and their people’s
dignity and I’m sure any time, whether or not they approve of the
ruling power they will fight."

"Do you intend to establish your own party for the defense of
Karabakh?"

In response to the question of one journalist the ex Speaker of the
National Assembly said: "There is no need to establish party if you
want to protect Karabakh. On the contrary you must forget about your
party interests and protect Karabakh by arms, by pen and by all the
other means."

As regards Armenian-Turkish relations, he said the football diplomacy
didn’t bring any dividends for Armenia, except the encouragement of
the West. "We didn’t achieve anything due to the recent developments in
the Armenian-Turkish relations. God willing in future we will. Turkey
didn’t refuse any of its pre-conditions even three months after Gyul’s
visit and I don’t think they will. So where is the achievement."

Touching upon Hammarberg’s "strict assessments" T. Torosyan agreed,
"There are issues that still need to be solved". Meanwhile he stated
that "There are two months before the January sessions of the PACE,
and only after that can we give real assessment regarding the existing
situation and the response of the General Assembly."

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

"GALLUP" PRESENTS OBJECTIVE DATA
Armen Tsatouryan

Hayots Ashkhar Daily
29 Nov 08
Armenia

What has changed over the past 10 months?

The large scale-social survey conducted in the capital city and marzes
by the representatives of the Lithuanian department of "Gallup"
organization and the Georgian IMP organization 10 months after
presidential elections and the end of the 2008 "spring-fall" political
season are important in terms of clarifying the post-electoral
dynamics.

It should be noted from the outset that this social survey presents
large-scale, conscientious and thorough work whose separate parts
are even like a scientific research.

The section concerning the domestic policy issues contains information
about the population’s awareness of and attitude to the political
figures and organizations, presenting concrete and clear-cut data
in numbers.

What immediately attracts attention in the first section entitled
"The Population’s Awareness of the Political Figures" is that no new
politician apart from Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan has been in the
domain of visibility of our citizens over the past 10 months.

And because the Prime Minister is not actually a newcomer on the
political arena either, our voters’ awareness can be considered
strictly unsatisfactory as restrict their knowledge about the
politicians to those activists whose names became well -known during
the 2007-2008 electoral marathon.

This is first of all accounted for by the fact that the radical
opposition together with its leader L. Ter-Petrosyan has blocked
the way of the newcomers, having captured the political arena after
the presidential elections. But we believe this situation, which
is quite normal for the first 10 months following the elections,
will not last long. With regard to the three best-known activists,
the picture here is exactly the same as it was before the presidential
elections: Serge Sargsyan, Levon Ter-Petrosyan and Arthur Baghdasaryan.

Quite interesting are the results recorded in the section entitled
"The Population’s Awareness of Political Organizations".

The top party in this list is "Prosperous Armenia" (with a rating of
98.19%) which, despite being the best-known political organization
and even having higher records than the Republican Party (97.41%),
does not have the highest electoral rating. Such phenomenon is
probably accounted for by the party’s pompous name which sounds more
impressive to the ordinary voters of the marzes than the names of
other political parties.

But what attracts attention is that 60 percent of the voters are
not simply "insufficiently informed" of the leading parties of
Armenia. They have only "heard" something about their existence. This
is also a precise observation which testifies to the conscient
iousness of the authors. This may probably account for the fact that
the name of Gagik Tsaroukyan, leader of "Prosperous Armenia" party,
was ticked in the list of the 10 Republican activists, and the name
of Raffi Hovhannisyan, leader of "Heritage" party, was ticked in the
list of the more prominent figures of "Prosperous Armenia".

More important is the third question which runs as follows, "Which
politician’s attitudes and views are more or less close to you?" The
absolute leader in this list is incumbent President Serge Sargsyan
with a rating of 44.4 percent. Such a high record stands in contrast
to the 10 percent rating of L. Ter-Petrosyan. Leader of "Heritage"
party Raffi Hovhannisyan has surpassed the ex-President with his
rating of 18.57 percent.

That’s to say, the 53 percent of votes obtained by the incumbent
President on February 19 has reduced only by 9 percent over the past
10 months while his main contender’s rating has reduced exactly twice
as much in the same period. Taking into consideration the fact that
this is not a pre-election survey but rather, a survey conducted
in a period between two elections, we can definitely arrive at the
conclusion that S. Sargsyan’s rating has even recorded a certain
growth in comparison with February 2008.

The 44.4 percent rating recorded at present equals at least a 60
percent rating20recorded at election time.

In the meantime, the rating of the incumbent President tends to
increase further, because in response to the question "Who will you
vote for during the next presidential elections if the things continue
to develop in the same spirit?", 59.9 percent of the respondents
mentioned the name of S. Sargsyan and only 6.7 percent gave the name
of the ex-President. Our citizens do not trust L. Ter-Petrosyan
even in the role of the contender of the incumbent President. As
seen from their responses to different questions, they pin hopes on
"some other activist", i.e. they look forward to the appearance of
a new opposition leader who is still unknown to society.

Of course, a single analytical report is not enough for summarizing
all the repeated regularities and new tendencies found as a result of
the recent "Gallup" survey. However, as shown by the general picture
of such studies, the overall rating of the main political parties
has remained unchanged, but there have been noticeable changes in
the ratings of the political leaders.

Our society’s little trust in L. Ter-Petrosyan, an activist who
suffered defeat in the presidential elections and continued the
electoral struggle till autumn, has reduced more than twice, whereas
the rating of the authorities and hence – the incumbent President,
has steadily increased.