Month: November 2009

DEJAN KUKRIC (BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA) REVIEWS ARMENIA

Oikotimes.com
/index.php?file=articles&id=6842
Nov 17 2009

After Russia, Armenia went on stage next, with Luara Hayrapetyan and
the song "Barcelona". A very nice start and a strong choreography
for the Armenian song, with dark colours for the background and a
strong voice coming off of Luara’s microphone. Black clothes with
white stripes and white shoes for the main singer and the accompanying
dancers. The song itself is not of anything special, despite the strong
rhythm of it and the similarly dynamic dance routine. The singer’s
voice had some tuning problems at some moments. So, the final show is
"losing" some of it’s interest. It might go well because of the strong
children voices on stage and the dynamic presentation. I don’t think
the balls will "offer" some points, but it’s a nice moment in the
song presentation. No pyros on this one too, at the moment…

The song might fail to reach a top-five place though, because there
are songs better than this one, I’m afraid… But, who knows?

Eurovision is full of surprises!!

OSCE-ZONE CONFLICTS TO BE RESOLVED

news.am
Nov 17 2009
Armenia

Conflicts in OSCE zone (Nagorno-Karabakh, Transdniestria, Kosovo)
should be settled according to the format approved earlier, RF Foreign
Minister Sergey Lavrov said at the press conference following a
meeting with his Kazakh counterpart Kanat Saudabayev.

Lavrov expects Kazakhstan to "tackle the problem accordingly,"
meanwhile expressing confidence that "Kazakhstan will take with due
responsibility the issue"

As Kazakhstan holds the OSCE presidency starting 2010, it will be
the first time that a post-Soviet country assumes the post.

The Foreign Ministers also discussed the Caspian Sea legal status,
having Lavrov emphasizing that there will be no standstill on the
matter.

Underlining that Kazakhstan and Russia were driving engines in the
Caspian Sea issue, Saudabayev added, "Despite that resolution of
the problem does not solely depend on our states, but also other
countries, however Russia and Kazakhstan standpoints demonstrate
readiness to intendment."

THE QUESTION IS WHETHER TURKEY WILL IMPLEMENT AGREEMENT WITH FUTURE FREE OR CURRENT NAZI ARMENIA: POLITICAL EXPERT

Today.az
/57546.html
Nov 17 2009
Azerbaijan

Day.Az interview with political expert, Azerbaijan-based Social
Research Fund Director Rashad Rzaguliyev.

Day.Az: Talks around the Turkish-Armenian protocols seem to subside.

Do you think parliaments of these countries will ratify them in
scheduled term?

Rashad Rzaguliyev: Most likely, this is not the most important issue
today. These documents are also likely to be prolonged. It is also
realistic that these documents will be ratified sooner or later. One
can be fully confident of that.

The question is whether the agreement will be implemented between
Turkey and the future Armenia which will be free, purified from false
mythology and engaged in building a honest good-neighborly relations
in the region or current Nazi Armenia.

Q: What was Turkey’s goal while forming a policy of rapprochement with
Armenia? There have been many verisimilar versions in recent months.

What is behind this rapprochement?

A: I agree that there were to many options by foreign and local
political experts. But, I will not dwell on any specific version for
one simple reason.

Any global solution of this kind is always made in secret behind
closed doors. Their real motivation is always hidden. The tenth cause
behind what happens is introduced as the main while principal cause
often remains a mystery.

The world will never know what was the true aim of a historical figure
and his team while taking a decision or will learn about it only after
many decades. Past, present and future key players had and will have a
conceivable reason to hide true motivation of their decisions in a bid
to increase their legitimacy. Today our version of what is happening
is only review of founding mechanisms of the process. No more.

It should be noted that discussions on the Armenian issue in Turkish
society run along with the attempt to solve the Kurdish problem. We
hope very much that the current Turkish government is aware of
tremendous historical responsibility which rests on its shoulders to
future generations.

Q: Are Azerbaijan-Turkey relations likely to deteriorate once the
Turkish parliament ratifies these protocols?

A: At least one should proceed from the fact Turkey’s senior officials
have publicly promised not to give up the problem of Azerbaijan’s
Armenian-occupied territories and not to ratify the document till this
problem is solved. But the brotherhood of the peoples of our states is
inviolable. I am absolutely sure about it. Brothers, unlike friends,
are not chosen.

Q: The Armenian media reported about possible wave of "orange"
revolution and possible overthrow of the current regime in the
country. How real is this forecast?

A: There has been conditions for such a development of events long
ago. There is a real instrument to make "pro-Russian" Armenia a
"pro-Western." However, the matter is quite different.

The history showed that the three countries and three people of the
region can live in peace and harmony in the context of a specific
algorithm given by some third force from outside. There was a single
algorithm during the times of the Russia Empire and the USSR.

Collapse of the union led to destruction of balancing mechanisms in
the region and a war. The mechanisms can be recovered only after a
new system of matrix of coexistence is formed which will be dictated
by force which would take the region under its supervision, to put
it mildly.

Unfortunately, it is truth. Because of inadequate policies carried
out by the current Armenian leadership makes it impossible for our
countries to develop self-balance mechanism.

We are not aware of formats of a global agreement between Russia and
the United States while it is clear that such an agreement exists. It
is enough to draw attention to a significant softening of rhetoric
of the official press of these countries against each other. One can
grasp reality only through some hidden meaning. In this perspective,
it think threat of "color revolution" in Armenia is a powerful resource
of pressure on the leaders of this state.

One thing is clear that existence of pro-Western Georgia, pro-Russian
Armenia and neutral Azerbaijan in the South Caucasus is rather
difficult.

Q: How Azerbaijan’s reaction to ongoing events in the region can
be assessed?

A: Azerbaijan’s stance voiced by President Ilham Aliyev and country’s
foreign office is adequate to the current situation and is largely
based on preventive action. Azerbaijan has a fairly wide space to
manoeuvre in the context of its own national interests. Azerbaijan’s
strategy is designed to maximize the effectiveness of region’s
conclusions from a geopolitical crisis.

AZERBAIJANI PARLIAMENTARIANS RAISE ISSUE OF TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY OF AZERBAIJAN AND GEORGIA AT 55TH SESSION OF NATO PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY

APA
Nov 17 2009
Azerbaijan

Baku. Elnur Mammadli – APA. Azerbaijani parliamentarians raised the
issue of territorial integrity of Azerbaijan and Georgia at the 55th
session of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly in Edinburgh, member of
the parliament Zahid Oruj told APA. NATO Secretary General Anders
Fogh Rasmussen made large report at the meeting. He talked about the
duties ahead, increase of contingent and security in Afghanistan and
relations with Russia.

Making a comment on the report, Zahid Oruj said military-political
balance was disrupted in the South Caucasus. He said territories of
both Georgia and Azerbaijan were occupied and Collective Security
Treaty Organization’s policy in the region proved that. The
parliamentarian characterized these steps as an action against NATO.

He emphasized the importance of Azerbaijan in the security issue
for the West and said the country was out of influence sphere of
Iran and Russia. "I stressed that Armenia fully became the Russian
military base. I asked whether it is time to create an opportunity for
normal cooperation with the South Caucasian countries with securing
their territorial integrity. The Secretary General said conflicts
in this region caused concerns and noted that NATO strategic plans
will particularly insist on territorial integrity and sovereignty
of the countries. He said they didn’t include speared countries in
this concept and would act on the basis of principles. He said they
normally approached security alliances between the countries. I think
it was positive case that this issue was raised at the Parliamentary
Assembly and that NATO Secretary General said future concept contained
points about the territorial integrity and sovereignty".

Former NATO Secretary General George Robertson also addressed the
session.

TURKEY EXPECTS ARMENIA TO RELEASE OCCUPIED AZERI LANDS – AMBASSADOR

news.az
Nov 17 2009
Azerbaijan

Hulusi Kilic The opening of the Turkish-Armenian border is impossible
unless Armenia releases the occupied lands of Azerbaijan, Turkish
ambassador in Baku Hulusi Kilic said.

"Turkey has taken necessary steps reaching the midway. Now it is
Armenia’s turn to make steps", Kilic said Tuesday commenting on the
ratification of the Turkish-Armenian accords on establishing diplomatic
relations between Ankara and Yerevan and opening of borders in the
Turkish parliament.

"Turkey has set its provisions on opening borders with Armenia. This
is the de-occupation of Azerbaijani lands", he said.

The ambassador also noted that Turkey intends to facilitate visa regime
and even lift it with Azerbaijan in the future, the ambassador said.

"This is normal. In the future we should take actions for the citizens
of our countries to be able to travel with identity cards", Kilic
told reporters in Baku Tuesday.

He said from 2007 the Azeri citizens have been able to stay in Turkey
without visas within a month.

"But this time Azerbaijani citizens will be able to stay in Turkey
without visa within three months. Also Turkish citizens will be able
to stay in Azerbaijan without a visa within three months", Kilic said.

"This document will be signed between the Foreign Ministries of
Azerbaijan and Turkey by the end of the year", the Turkish ambassador
in Baku said.

EGEMEN BAGHISH: TURKEY IS RAPIDLY TRANSFORMING INTO A SUPERPOWER

news.az
Nov 17 2009
Azerbaijan

Turkey that has recently been holding an active external policy is
rapidly transforming into a world superpower.

Turkey has taken important steps in relations with Armenia, Syria
and Iraq within the framework of the priority goal of eliminating
all problems with neighbors, and by the end of the year there is a
plan to open a new chapter in the process of negotiations with the
European Union.

According to State Minister Egemen Baghish, the aim of the policy is
transformation of Turkey into a world center.

Noting that the west is aware of Turkey’s potential, Baghish said
"By rejecting the west, Turkey will never be able to reach progress
in the east while by turning its back to the east it will not reach
progress in the west".

In a response to the criticism that Turkey is more inclined to the
east in its external policy, Baghish noted that Turkey is the most
western country of the east and the most eastern country in the west".

LEVON ZURABYAN: ROBERT KOCHARYAN REMAINS A GASBAG

news.am
Nov 17 2009
Armenia

Levon Zurabyan, member of the Armenian National Congress (ANC) would
with pleasure comment on the statement made by Armenia’s ex-president
Robert Kocharyan "if it were a political one".

"But they were a hunter’s words, we, in politics, do not understand,
as we are not in the habit of going on safaris," Zurabyan said. "I am
sorry, but this person remains a gasbag. Concrete, factual accusations
were brought against him, and he should have responded if he had
something to say," Zurabyan said.

NEWS.am reminds readers that, speaking at meeting of the ANC active
members on November 11, Ter-Petrosyan accused Robert Kocharyan and the
then Minister of Foreign Affairs Vartan Oskanian of having implemented
an ineffective foreign policy which weakened Armenia’s positions on
the Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia-Turkey normalization processes. He
also called for not laying the "sins" of Kocharyan’s presidency on
the incumbent President Serzh Sargsyan.

Robert Kocharyan, in turn, called the accusations absurd. He told about
an experience he had in Africa: one of the hunters was constantly
remembering the bear as the strongest of the animals. "May be I am
a source of inspiration for Ter-Petrosyan, and it is the reason why
he remembers me so often," Robert Kocharyan said.

RUSSIAN INTERNSHIP FOR ARMENIAN TV ASSOCIATES

news.am
Nov 17 2009
Armenia

Russian TV channels will offer internship for 20 Armenian TV associates
annually, said Mikhail Shvydkoy, Chairman of Russian State Television
and Radio Broadcasting Company and RF President’s Special Envoy for
international cultural cooperation.

He stated that the agreement on the matter was reached in the course
of the official meetings in Yerevan.

According to him, among the joint projects discussed was that on
the need to make a comprehensive documentary about Sergey Parajanov,
whereas soap operas are still under questionable.

THE MEMORANDUM OF ARMENIAN – RUSSIAN COOPERATION SIGNED

Aysor
Nov 17 2009
Armenia

Today in the frameworks of the Days of the Russian Television
in Armenia a memorandum was signed between the Armenian central
TV channels and the President of the Russian Television Academy
Foundation Mikhail Shvydkoy, the director of the "Public Television"
Armen Arzumanyan, director of the "H2 TVchannel" Samvel Mayrapetyan,
director of the "Shant-TV" Arthur Yezekyan, director of the "Armenia –
TV" Gagik Lazarian.

During the interview with the journalists Mikhail Svydkoy informed
about some of the agreements achieved during the meetings with the
Armenian TV channels.

According to the chairman of the fund an agreement has been
reached with the TV channels on retraining 20 journalists and other
professionals in TV sphere in the Russian premium TV channels each
year. They have also reached agreement on shooting a film about
Sergey Parajanov.

The speaker also touched upon the issue of license for spreading the
Armenian channels over the Russian territories. He mentioned that
the Russian side is ready to solve all the problems connected with it.

EU ADVISOR TO WORK AT ARMENIAN NA

news.am
Nov 17 2009
Armenia

Speaker of the RA Parliament Hovik Abrahamyan received yesterday
Raul de Luzenberger, Head of the European Commission’s Delegation to
Armenia, Rolf Behnke, the Head of the EU High Level Advisory Group
to Armenia, and Eduardo Lorenzo Ochoa, the group member and Advisor
to the Speaker of the RA National Assembly.

The press service of the RA Parliament told NEWS.am that Speaker
Abrahamyan welcomed RA President Serzh Sargsyan’s initiative to
form a EU advisory group. Abrahamyan pointed out the importance of
developing cooperation with the European Union (EU), expressing hope
that the EU Advisor’s activities at the RA Parliament will contribute
to Armenia’s integration with Europe, and his wide experience at
the European Parliament will facilitate the development of the RA
Parliament’s relations with the European Parliament.

The sides also discussed issues of organizing the EU Advisor’s
activities at the RA Parliament, pointing out the fields his activities
can be beneficial in.