GEORGIAN FM PAYS VISIT TO YEREVAN
Panorama.am
17:40 31/08/2009
Foreign Minister of Georgia Grigol Vashadze is going to pay working
visit to Armenia on 4-5 September, "News-Georgia" reports referring
to the Georgia Foreign Ministry.
"The visit is going to take place in the framework of Armenia-Georgia
political dialogue," David Jalagani, deputy FM said.
Georgian FM will have meetings with Armenian FM Edward Nalbandyan
and other high ranking officials.
OFFICIAL LITHUANIA REJECTS AZERBAIJANI WEB SITE
Panorama.am
17:36 31/08/2009
Deputy Foreign Minister of Lithuania Evaldas Ignatavichus answered
to the Armenian Ambassador to Lithuania Ashot Galoyan’s request
on Lithuanian Ambassador to Azerbaijan Kiastutitas Kudzmanas’
assessments given to Azerbaijani "1news.az" web site on 10 August,
over the Nagorno-Karabakh problem.
According to the content of the answer Azerbaijani media is faithful
to its style falsifying the official disposition of the Lithuanian
Ambassador. The message writes:
"Regarding the falsifications made by some mass media representatives
over the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, I would like to stress our
disposition over this issue which has significance for Armenia and
Azerbaijan.
Lithuania has relations with conflicts in South Caucasus and Moldova
Republic. Especially, regarding the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,
Lithuania supports the principles and norms of international right
emphasizing excluding of force implementation, territorial integrity
and self-determination right of nations. We cordially hope that
both Armenia and Azerbaijan could find a decision in favor of both
states. In 2011 under the presidency of Lithuania to the OSCE we
support Minsk Group efforts addressed to the peaceful dialogue and we
are sure as soon as the solution is found, the international society
including the European Union will make efforts to help the sides to
implement it."
USA ANTICIPATES ADVANCEMENT IN ARMENIAN-TURKISH TIES
Panorama.am
17:21 31/08/2009
The United States supposes to witness advancement in Armenian-Turkish
relations, Ambassador of U.S. Marie Yovanovitch stated. "The
advancement of Armenian-Turkish ties is under the interests of not
only Armenia and Turkey but the region also," Mrs. Ambassador said
adding that the United States supports regulation of ties and opening
of border between the two states.
It’s worth noting that Mrs. Ambassador’s statement followed Armenian
President Serzh Sargsyan’s interview to BBC, where the President
stressed that he would travel to Turkey only if visible advancement
is made in bilateral dialogue.
Mrs. Marie Yovanovitch’s statement is not made by chance; it is
a signal addressed to Ankara that the U.S. will do correspondent
conclusions if the dialogue is messed up.
EBU EXAMINES MATTER OF AZERBAIJAN: SANCTIONS ARE SUPPOSED FOR THEM
Panorama.am
15:05 31/08/2009
The European Broadcasting Union, responsible for running the
"Eurovision" Song Contest will examine the matter of Azerbaijan
regarding allegations that telephone voters in Azerbaijan who voted
for the Armenian song in this year’s Eurovision Song Contest were
interrogated by security police at a meeting in Oslo on 11 September
2009.
The EBU will examine and discuss the matter that the National
Security Ministry of a participant country – Azerbaijan, has showed
interest towards the voters of Armenian representatives Inga and
Anush Arshakyans. It’s worth reminding that 43 are found to vote for
Armenian singers and all of them have been invited to Ministry of
National Security. It’s said that they have been accused of voting
the Armenian singers.
But the responsible figure of running the contest is determined to
examine the matter thoroughly.
"Any breach of privacy regarding voting, or interrogation of
individuals, is totally unacceptable," The EBU’s Director General,
Jean Reveillon told "New York Times".
According to the source, Ictimai, the EBU’s Azeri Member which
broadcast this year’s Song Contest from Moscow in May, has confirmed
its commitment to free and fair voting. While two individuals had
been invited to the Ministry of National Security, Ictimai said,
the Ministry of National Security had given assurances that nobody
had been questioned, either officially or unofficially, on voting in
the competition itself.
The EBU’s Director General said he took note of the
statements. However, he stressed that the freedom to vote for any
song except the one of the country where you are watching is one of
the cornerstones of the contest.
EBU will discuss the matter and it is supposed Azerbaijan will get
sanctions of suspending its right to participate in Eurovision song
contest for three years.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
SERZH SARGSYAN SAYS WE HAVE NO RIGHT TO FORGET OUR PAST
Panorama.am
14:46 31/08/2009
President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan gave interview to "BBC" covering,
so called, "football diplomacy" issue. Find the President’s interview
to world media giant below.
The term "football diplomacy" was put into circulation a year
ago, when Turkish President Abdullah Gul arrived in Yerevan at the
invitation of the President of Armenia, Serzh Sargsyan, to watch the
match between the national football teams of the two countries. It
raised hopes that the Armenian-Turkish border could be opened and
the two countries would start the process of reconciliation. However,
official Yerevan accuses Turkey of freezing the process.
BBC correspondent Gabriel Gatehouse visited Yerevan one of these days
to figure out whether President Serzh Sargsyan of Armenia was going
to attend the return match in Turkey.
Serzh Sargsyan – The question has two answers. The fist answer is as
follows. It’s not important whether I’ll visit Turkey or not. I’d like
to say that my visit to Turley should not be linked to the relations
between the two countries. Let’s assume that Armenia freezes the
negotiation process with Turkey and I leave for that country to
watch the football match. The second option is as follows: the two
countries continue negotiating, but I don’t attend the match. Which
is more important? This is my answer if you ask the question in the
context of our talks with Turkey.
BBC – what signals is Armenia expecting from Turkey in order to
defreeze the talks?
Serzh Sargsyan – I will leave for Turkey only in case of opening of
the border or at the threshold of the event. We have an agreement. I
think that it’s normal and correct for the parties to implement the
agreement reached earlier. Our wish remains the same – to establish
relations without preconditions.
BBC – Is Armenia ready to make concessions as regards the events of
1915 and do You believe Turkey will call them genocide?
Serzh Sargsyan – Of course, it’s very important for our people, for
Turkey and the whole world. It’s important to restore historical
justice. It’s important for our nations to be able to establish
normal relations. At last, it’s important that it never reoccurs
in the future. But we do not see the recognition of genocide as a
precondition for the establishment of relations.
BBC – Hence, is there an opportunity of compromise?
Serzh Sargsyan – It cannot be called compromise. This is not the
case to speak about compromises. We say, yes, there was genocide,
and irrespective of the fact whether Turkey recognizes it or not,
there is a fact established by all genocide scholars in the world
and recognized by many countries of the world. However, today we do
not view it as a precondition for normalization of relations.
BBC – But anyway that problem is an obstacle to regulate ties with
Turkey. A man, with whom I have had a talk earlier in Yerevan,
recommended another solution: when you drive, you should follow your
back side and you look at the mirror showing the back of you but the
important thing is the way in front you. How well does this example
describe the current situation?
Serzh Sargsyan – Right, I can see quite well what the man wanted to
say. He wants to say that we should follow our future, but we do not
have the right to forget the past.
Panorama.am. It’s worth reminding that Abdullah Gul traveled to Armenia
at the invitation of Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan, after which
the two countries took initiatives to start intensive negotiations
to regulate bilateral ties. In the aftermath of those negotiations
"road map" has been signed and published in April of 2009, which
covers definite steps to regulate ties. But Turkey adopted another
policy of breaking the agreements, which the international experts
and high ranking foreign officials have noted and made statements.
They say that Ankara’s activities have been conditioned by the
blackmail from Azerbaijan. But still, the international society is
optimistic with the fact that Armenian-Turkish "football diplomacy"
will be continued. In fact, today, Turkey is the only responsible
figure, as official Yerevan has been announcing many times that they
are ready to continue negotiations based on the previous agreements.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
BAKU’S AUTHORITIES CONCERNED ABOUT DEVELOPING IN-HOUSE PROBLEMS
Panorama.am
14:15 31/08/2009
On 29 August a protest rally, organized by Azerbaijani-Americans
for Democracy (AZAD), was held in front of Azerbaijani Embassy in
Washington, DC, in support of the arrested bloggers Adnan Hajizada
and Emin Milli, foreign media reports.
According to the source representatives from different international
organizations attended the rally having the following slogans uttered:
"Free Azeri Bloggers", "Freedom for Adnan and Emin".
It’s worth mentioning that the rally participants in Washington
announced that the Azerbaijani authorities are not so powerful. They
ensure that all those arrests of bloggers and journalists are the
evidences to the fact that the local authorities are concerned about
the atmosphere of distrust among the local Azeri people and and loss
of international image.
A representative of Reporters Without Borders, Clothilde Le Coz,
attending the rally, has read a statement demanding the immediate
release of Adnan and Emin.
MEDIEVAL CHURCH DISCOVERED IN NAGORNO-KARABAKH
Information-Analytic Agency NEWS.am
A ug 31 2009
Armenia
The specialists of the Tourism Department, Government of the
Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR) discovered ruins of a church and
khachkars (cross-stones) on the slope of a hill in the village of
Krkzhan, to the south of Stepanakert.
The village of Krkzhan is famous for its archeological
finds. Archeologists found pitchers there before, and different
articles can be found during construction work now. It is noteworthy
that, in his book entitled Artsakh, Archbishop Markar Barkhudaryan
mentions St. Stephen Church located there. The old residents of
Krkzhan told about the church, but the young ones have not seen it.
During the Soviet times the rapidly increasing Azerbaijani population
in the village was ousting the Armenian elements toward Stepanakert.
The newly discovered building is evidence of Azerbaijanis’ attempts
to blot out every trace of an Armenian church and cross-stones. The
church was probably used as a cattle shed, and the cross-stones were
broken to pieces, say the specialists.
Sergey Shahverdyan, Head of the Tourism Department, said that an
archeologist will be involved in the cleaning work at the church. At
present, the specialists plan to clean the 12 meters high and five
meters wide church building (a limestone structure with a baptistry)
as well as the cross-stones and prepare them for the 10th anniversary
of the re-establishment of the Armenian Church in the NKR.
BALAYAN: ARMENIAN-GEORGIAN BORDER NOT SPECIFIED
Information-Analytic Agency NEWS.am
Aug 31 2009
Armenia
"There is no news about Armenian-Georgian border
clarification. Delimitation Commission has not completed its work yet,"
RA Foreign Ministry Press Secretary Tigran Balayan told NEWS.am.
Georgian border guards pushed 3 km and 408 meters to Armenian land on
Armenian-Georgian border (Shirak region sector). Though the locals
have title deeds and plots, Georgian frontier guards ignore these
documents. The situation is extremely tensed in Bavra village. Georgian
side claimed of the allegedly existing treaty dated 1947, under which
the mentioned territories belong to Georgia.
August 27, the issue was discussed at RA Government by Vice Prime
Minister Armen Gevorgyan. Koryun Sumbulyan, Bavra village community
head participated.
MONEY TRANSFERS CARRIED OUT TO AZERBAIJAN’S OCCUPIED LANDS FROM MORE COUNTRIES
Today.Az
ics/55152.html
Aug 31 2009
Azerbaijan
Day.Az has reported on numerous occasions that express money transfers
are carried out to Azerbaijan’s occupied lands despite clear violation
of international norms and regulations.
Very recently Day.Az reported that the LIDER money transfer system and
Sberbank, largest bank in Russia and CIS area, carry out remittances
to Nagorno-Karabakh.
Day.Az continues to expose financial institutions cooperating with
separatists in Nagorno-Karabakh.
New facts emerge more and more.
Thus, one can transfer money to 90 countries worldwide and also to
Nagorno-Karabakh, which is Azerbaijan land under Armenian occupation,
with help of ‘Anelik’ money transfer system. Through this remittance
system one can transfer money to Armenia-occupied Nagorno-Karabakh
from 90 countries.
‘Anelik’ official Web site says one needs to contact the head office
of Bank Anelik RU LLC to transfer money. But besides this, the money
transfer system ‘Anelik’ has many partners over 500 of which is located
just in Moscow. These partners include offices and branches of such
banks as Bank Uralsib, VTB 24, Globex, AKB Promsvyazbank, Master-Bank,
Rus-Bank, Petrocommerce, etc. Money transfer can be performed from 63,
000 points.
The Web site also says one can receive remittance in six Artsakhbank
branches in Nagorno-Karabakh.
‘Anelik’ money transfer system and Anelik RU apparently have links with
Armenian separatists. The fact that former Armenian Foreign Minister
Vartan Oskanian is a board member of the bank testifies to it. It
is therefore not surprising that it carries out money transfers to
the occupied Nagorno-Karabakh and sponsors Armenian separatists. The
surprising is that dozens of Russian banks are cooperating with this
system of money transfers.
WHICH AZERBAIJAN JOINED UN?
By Lusine Avanesyan
Information-Analytic Agency NEWS.am
Aug 31 2009
Armenia
"We have always stated that Nagorno-Karabakh must have a status,
but we do not see this status apart from Azerbaijan’s territorial
integrity," Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev stated yesterday.
In the negotiations for the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict our neighbors’ trump card is the fact that Azerbaijan became
a UN member with Nagorno-Karabakh as part of it. All the states,
including the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs, recognized Azerbaijan’s
territorial integrity. Nonetheless, a Declaration adopted by Azerbaijan
(a UN-member) on August 30, 1991, states that the Democratic Republic
of Azerbaijan of 1918-1920 was re-established in Azerbaijan. Thus,
the new independent state declared itself a legal successor to Musavat
Azerbaijan of 1918-1920. Speaking of Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity
now, our neighbors forget all about that fundamental document.
Knowing the "blind spots" of history, however, helps reveal the
implications of this seeming forgetfulness. How can they in Azerbaijan
remember that modern-day Azerbaijan is successor to a state that
had no definite borders, without Nagorno-Karabakh, Nakhichevan and
Zangezur being part of it? In the last case, our neighbor is still
laying claims.
According to the international norms in effect at that time, those
were disputable territories. Evidence thereof is the proceedings of
the Paris Assembly of the League of Nations, when the newly formed
Transcaucasian republics were admitted to the League of Nations.
Also, both the agreements signed during the first years of the Soviet
state and Bolsheviks’ statements prove that. According to historical
documents, Azerbaijan’s claims to the neighboring territories once
proved to be an obstacle to its admission to the League of Nations. In
December 1920, the organ of the League of Nations that considered
the issue of Azerbaijan’s admission, unanimously voted against, as
Azerbaijan’s border disputes with Georgia and Armenia did not allow the
organization to be properly informed of whether Azerbaijan’s borders
had been finally fixed or not. So when Azerbaijani officials state
that Azerbaijan joined the UN with Nagorno-Karabakh being part of it,
they should specify which Azerbaijan they mean: if it is the successor
to the Musavat Azerbaijan of 1918-1920, Nagorno-Karabakh was not part
of it then. Therefore, the state of Azerbaijan that was admitted to the
UN in 1991 was to be admitted without Nagorno-Karabakh as part of it.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress