Month: November 2009

MINSK GROUP CO-CHAIRS WARN AZERBAIJAN AGAINST BELLIGERENT RHETORIC

Yerkir
23.11.2009 12:18

Yerevan (Yerkir) – Following the meeting with Armenian President Serzh
Sargsyan in Munich on November 22, OSCE’s Minsk Grup co-chairs urged
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to abstain from making bellicose
statements.

"While speaking to reporters upon completion of the meeting, the
co-chairs have called on President Ilham Aliyev to abstain from
bellicose statements, a source close to the negotiation process in
Munich told Interfax Sunday.

Aliyev had raised the stakes before the talks, warning that the
meeting would be "decisive" and that his army was ready to take back
the region by force.

"Azerbaijan is spending billions on buying new weapons, hardware,
strengthening its position on the line of contact," Aliyev said in
comments broadcast on Saturday. "We have the full right to liberate
our land by military means."

Fassier, in response, said: "Our governments are of the opinion that
war is not an option."

CONSTITUTIONAL COURT TO CONSIDER ARMENIAN-TURKISH PROTOCOLS

Yerkir
23.11.2009 14:09

Yerevan (Yerkir) – Armenia-Turkey protocols have been submitted to
Armenia’s Constitutional. The ratification date should be announced
within next 20 days at the plenary session.

If failed to reach an agreement, the procedure will be prolonged for
another 10 days. Within a month the Constitutional Court should make
a decision on the matter, according to which either the Protocols
will be returned, or their constitutionality will be verified.

DIFFICULT TO FRIGHTEN SERZH SARGSYAN WITH BELLICOSE STATEMENTS: PSYCHOLOGIST

Tert
Nov 23 2009
Armenia

Military actions can resume between Armenia and Azerbaijan "in the
case of the presence of two factors," which were named today by
military psychologist Davit Jamalyan.

"One of the factors [is] if our state government for whatever reason
drastically weakens and our country becomes vulnerable to foreign
aggression. The second reason is geopolitical, if resuming the
war is advantageous for the so-called power centres of the world,"
Jamalyan stated.

Commenting on Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s statements that
the war may resume if no progress is made in negotiations wth Serzh
Sargsyan, the psychologist stated the aim of the bellicose statements
is to bring about a mess on Armenia’s population, "which will compel
the leadership to make concessions in the negotiation process."

According to the psychologist, it is difficult to frighten Sargsyan
with such statements. "Alieyev’s statements aim to frighten the
Armenian public," Jamanlyan stated.

"We must be prepared that Azerbaijan will decide to settle the
issue sooner or later through military action," Jamalyan emphasized,
stating that Azerbaijan has been preparing for that for years already.

Besides, he stated, the time passed long ago, when war began with
making announcements. "If one of the parties really decides to wage
a war, he wouldn’t announce it in advance."

One shouldn’t underestimate one’s rival, believes Jamalyan, while
stating the opinion held by numerous analysts, which is that
"Azerbaijan is not prepared for war."

TURKEY TO BEGIN TO ADDRESS ARMENIAN COMMUNITY’S ISSUES, SAYS ERDOGAN

Tert
Nov 23 2009
Armenia

Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, during his address
before Justice and Development (AK) Party representatives yesterday,
referred to minorities living in Turkey — making particular mention
of Armenians.

As reported by Tert.am’s correspondent in Istanbul, Erdogan noted
that the government has to begin to also address Armenians’ and
Armenian community’s issues in the country, as in the case of the
Kurdish community.

In Erdogan’s words, they have already met with representatives from
the Armenian community and have begun to discuss certain issues.

The Turkish prime minister has also promised to focus its attention
on the Armenian community’s issues.

NEW MEMBERS IN ARMENIAN DELEGATION TO NATO PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY

Tert
Nov 23 2009
Armenia

The make-up of the members in the Armenian delegation participating
in the NATO Parliamentary Assembly has changed. Today, Armenia is
represented by a delegation of three people: Republican Party of
Armenian MPs Karen Avagyan and Artak Zakaryan, as well as Heritage
Party MP Stepan Safaryan.

This news was conveyed by Avagyan, who is heading the Armenian
delegation, at a press conference today. Avagyan noted that
the necessity of changes in the delegation arose after Armenian
Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun) member Artur Aghabekyan
and Heritage Party founder and leader Raffi Hovannisian withdrew
their participation.

‘IN SOME AREAS, PROGRESS WAS MADE,’ OSCE CO-CHAIRS ON SARGSYAN-ALIYEV MEETING

Tert
Nov 23 2009
Armenia

OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs, Ambassadors Yury Merzlyakov of Russia,
Bernard Fassier of France, and Robert Bradtke of the United States,
released the following statement today:

"President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and President of Armenia Serzh
Sargsyan met on November 22, 2009, at the residence of the French
Consul General in Munich at the initiative of OSCE Minsk Group
Co-Chairs Ambassador Yuri Merzlyakov (Russian "Azerbaijani Foreign
Minister Elmar Mammadyarov and Armenian Foreign Minister Edward
Nalbandian also participated in the talks, as well as the personal
representative of the OSCE Chair-in-Office Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk.

"During this meeting, the sixth such meeting this year, the two
presidents engaged in a detailed and in-depth discussion of the most
important unresolved points in the co-chairs’ proposals. The talks,
which lasted almost four hours, were constructive. In some areas,
progress was made. At the same time, some issues still remain open.

Federation), Ambassador Bernard Fassier (France), and Ambassador
Robert Bradtke (United States).

"The presidents instructed their foreign ministers to continue working
with the co-chairs on these matters. As a next step, the co-chairs
are organizing a working session with the two ministers in advance
of the OSCE Ministerial Council, which will take place December 1-2
in Athens."

NAGORNO-KARABAKH DEFENSE MINISTRY RESPONDS TO DISINFORMATION FROM AZERBAIJAN

Tert
Nov 23 2009
Armenia

Ceasefire violations occurred on a number of sections of the
Nagorno-Karabakh-Azerbaijan contact line from November 21-23, according
to a release circulated by the Nagorno-Karabakh Ministry of Defense
press service. As per the ministry’s statement, Azerbaijan opened
fire in the direction of Nagorno-Karabakh military posts located in
Horadiz, Chkhrl, Ashaghy Adburahmanl, Lyala-Ilagli, Shkhlar, Bash
Karvend, Levonarkh, Talish and Tap-Karakoyunlu.

"It’s interesting that after all this, the Azerbaijani propaganda
machine, as per usual, circulated information today that allegedly,
as a result of the ceasefire, an Azerbaijani citizen was wounded
because of open fire from the Armenian side. This was contrived by
the Azerbaijani propaganda machine, which doesn’t correspond to the
truth," reads the Nagorno-Karabakh Defense Ministry press release.

CORRUPTION IS ARMENIA’S ACHILLES HEEL: ASHOTYAN

Tert
Nov 23 2009
Armenia

The problem of corruption is Armenia’s Achilles heel, Republic of
Armenia Minister of Education and Science Armen Ashotyan said while
meeting with Armenian youth in Russia. Ashotyan was responding to a
question posed by Union of Armenians in Russia (UAR) Vice-President
Levon Mukanyan on corruption in the education sector and the option
of having a hotline number to call in cases of corruption.

According to the minister, there is a hotline, "but unfortunately, the
calls of most citizens are anonymous and without any follow-up, and
in that case it’s difficult to differentiate truth from slander. But
the appropriate bodies regularly deal with that."

At the same time, Ashotyan stated that as of today, receiving
education in Armenia is attractive both for Armenian citizens and
for foreigners. "6,500 out of 100,000 students studying at higher
educational institutions, as well as elementary and secondary
vocational educational institutions in Armenia are international
students. Their percentage is quite large according to international
criteria and enriches Armenia’s economy with 25 million USD annually.

It’s already clear that in Armenia the number of international
students will increase, taking into account that not all efforts are
used to attract international students," said Ashotyan, according to
the Union of Armenians in Russia website.

MEDVEDEV CALLS EU’S EASTERN PARTNERSHIP HARMLESS BUT POINTLESS

RIA Novosti
November 23, 2009

Russia does not regard the EU’s Eastern Partnership program for closer
ties with ex-Soviet states as useful, but will not seek to impede it,
the Russian president said on Monday.

However, Dmitry Medvedev denied that Russia was "hostile" toward
the program.

"I can see nothing in it that would be directed against our country,"
he told Belarusian reporters at Barvikha presidential residence
near Moscow.

"Needless to say, if they discuss anti-Russian scenarios, I as
president will not like that. But I hope that our partners will
refrain from this. Otherwise, let them discuss whatever they want,"
Medvedev said.

The Eastern Partnership program, adopted by 27 EU countries in 2008,
includes Azerbaijan, Belarus, Ukraine, Armenia, Moldova and Georgia
and aims to bring these countries in line with EU standards without
formal admission to the EU.

ALIYEV’S STATEMENT AIMS TO RUIN ARMENIAN-TURKISH PROCESS, SAYS ANALYST

Tert
Nov 23 2009
Armenia

Ilham Aliyev’s warlike statements are not new for not only the Armenian
public but also the international community, political analyst Stepan
Grigoryan said when commenting on the Azerbaijani president’s recent
statements, upon Tert.am’s request.

Grigoryan said that he has repeated those bellicose statements numerous
times, but he is sure the statement made on November 20, by its nature,
differs from previous statements.

"It is the first time that the statement has no connection whatsoever
with the Nagorno-Karabakh issue. It serves [only] one purpose, to
ruin the establishment process of Armenia-Turkey relations, and the
ratification of the Protocols," Grigoryan said.

The analyst said that the improvement of Armenia-Turkey relations
will bring qualitative changes into the region, as a result of which
Azerbaijan’s role will diminish.

"It is clear that Azerbaijan understands that quite well and is ready
to take any steps to ruin the Armenia-Turkey process," Grigoryan said.

According to him, in such a situation, postponing the Protocols’
ratification is a serious mistake in both the Armenian and Turkish
parliaments, since it makes room for those which are against
Armenia-Turkey relations.