Month: September 2013

DAVID SHAHNAZARYAN: ‘THE EUROPEAN UNION MUST NOT TAKE ARMENIA OFF THE ASSOCIATION PROGRAM’S AGENDA’

September 11 2013

According to David Shahnazaryan, otherwise it would mean that Kremlin’s
pressure affected also Brussels “The European Union has no plans
to finalize an Association Agreement with Armenia at an upcoming
EU summit in Lithuania,” Sweden’s Foreign Minister Carl Bildt said
on Monday. Writing on his Twitter account, Bildt said he and his
visiting Slovak counterpart Miroslav Lajcak agreed at a meeting in
Stockholm that the deal with Yerevan is “now off the table.” “We work
with Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia,” he added. Aravot.am asked David
Shahnazaryan whether this explicit statement made by a high-ranking
European official was justified. ‘If the European Union decides after
all to take Armenia off the Association Program I think it would be
a wrongly calculated, situation-prompted and emotional decision.

Brussels must not close the door of opportunities to Armenia because
that would mean that Russia’s pressure on Armenia that resulted in its
decision to join the Customs Union affected also Brussels,’ he said.

“It would mean that the Kremlin’s imperial ambitions affect Brussels
too. Accession to the Customs Union is a prolonged process, a vague
path filled with uncertainties and it is a big question whether
it will be accomplished or not. The European Union should continue
partnership cooperation with the Republic of Armenia within the frames
of the Association Program.” In response to Aravot.am question whether
Europeans had an alternative not to close the door of opportunities
to Armenia given the fact that the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade
Area (DCFTA) agreement is incompatible with a membership in the
Customs Union, Mr. Shahnazaryan said. ‘It is obvious that the DCFTA
and a membership in the Customs Union are absolutely incompatible,
however one should proceed from the reality that plagued with internal
disagreements the Customs Union is actually falling apart and as an
organization has neither future nor present. It is also a big question
whether the path which Armenia will have to pass towards the Customs
Union membership will accomplish in a way planned by the Kremlin.

Rapidly unfolding geopolitical and regional processes do not contribute
to Armenia’s full membership in the Customs Union either,’ concluded
Mr. Shahnazaryan. Emma Gabrielyan

Read more at:

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PRESIDENT SERZH SARGSYAN HAD A WORKING LUNCH WITH THE AMBASSADORS OF THE EU MEMBER STATES

17:55 11/09/2013 ” POLITICS

Today, at the Presidential Palace President Serzh Sargsyan had a
working lunch with the Ambassadors of the EU member states accredited
to Armenia: reports the president.am.

During the meeting held in a traditional format, the President
of Armenia spoke with the Ambassadors about the agenda items of
Armenia-EU cooperation, the ongoing process of reformation in Armenia,
and our country’s policy directions. The participants exchanged views
regarding the mentioned areas in a candid and open atmosphere.

President Serzh Sargsyan also responded to the questions raised by
the Ambassadors.

Source: Panorama.am

From: Baghdasarian

ARMENIA’S ACCESSION TO CUSTOMS UNION WILL STRENGTHEN ARMENIA’S DEFENSE AGAINST AZERBAIJAN, CORY WELT THINKS

by David Stepanyan

Wednesday, September 11, 16:59

Armenia’s accession to the Customs Union will apparently strengthen
Armenia’s defense in case the conflict with Azerbaijan flares up,
Cory Welt, Associate Director and Associate Research Professor of
International Affairs at the Institute for European, Russian and
Eurasian Studies (IERES) at the Elliott School, said when replying
to ArmInfo’s question. He thinks that Moscow will exert even more
pressure on Baku to support Armenia more actively.

The expert thinks that Armenia’s membership of the Customs Union
will probably make Azerbaijan be more careful in the matter of use of
force. In the meantime, Armenia’s membership will not make Russia look
for a political solution to the Karabakh problem more actively. The
status quo does not so much meet the interests of Russia, but does
not damage these interests either. So, the Kremlin has no reason to
take the risk and change something.

Professor Welt has the impression that Russia exerts pressure on the
countries that are considered to be its closest partners but betray
Russia by establishing relations with the West. He pointed at the
example of Georgia, on which Russia exerts no visible pressure. He
thinks that Moscow mostly pressures the countries that expect some
benefits from the relations with Russia. The Kremlin wants to make
sure that these countries realize that these benefits depend on their
foreign policy.

Cory Welt is sure that in the course of time Russia would seek to
make Azerbaijan join the Customs Union. The expert also thinks that
Russia would try to do that by means of the carrot diplomacy rather
than the stick policy.

US PROFESSOR: PUTIN, UNDOUBTEDLY, THREW ARMENIA INTO A DILEMMA

by David Stepanyan

ARMINFO
Wednesday, September 11, 16:56

It would be good to know what Vladimir Putin told Serzh Sargsyan in
the room of negotiations in Novo-Ogarevo and in what manner. There
is no doubt that the Russian president threw Armenia in a dilemma,
Cory Welt, Associate Director and Associate Research Professor of
International Affairs at the Institute for European, Russian and
Eurasian Studies (IERES) at the Elliott School, told ArmInfo.

During the Sept 3 meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in
Moscow, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan confirmed Armenia’s intention
to join the Customs Union. Afterwards, both countries’ leaders signed
a joint statement. Before that, Yerevan actively negotiated for the
Association Agreement, including DCFTA. The negotiations were to be
completed in 2013 at the Eastern Partnership Summit in Vilnius.

“Putin, probably, hinted that Armenia and/or Nagorno Karabakh would no
longer be able to rely on Russia in security issues, unless Armenia
decides to join the Customs Union. Sargsyan also hinted at that when
saying that it is ‘impossible and inefficient’ to be part of a military
alliance and ‘do not meet the economic area’ of its members.

That statement is nonsense, of course. Just look at the West where NATO
and EU do not fully exceed each other,” he said. In the case of the
CSTO and the Customs Union, Welt said, that statement is acceptable,
maybe. The point is that, as he thinks, Russia has been throwing down
a gage too long. “Probably, Putin was sure that Armenians understand
the cost of Russia-provided security and he was surprised to see that
Armenians keep moving towards AA/DCFTA,” the professor said.

Welt does not think, however, that Russia is playing a long-term game
with short-term measures to scare some countries, namely, Ukraine and
Armenia, and hold them from signing AA/DCFTA. He thinks that Russia
will establish a new status quo if this plan fails. Nevertheless, Welt
believes that Moscow will succeed in its plans with Kyiv and Yerevan.

Joint online press conference of experts from various countries for
Armenian, Azerbaijani and Georgian mass media on the relevant problems
are organized within the project “Expansion of knowledge of Armenians
and Azerbaijanis about each other and confidence building through
first-hand information”. The project of the “Region” Research Center
(Armenia) and Peace and Democracy Institute (Azerbaijan) is supported
by the British Embassies in Armenia and Azerbaijan.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

EXPERT: THE BATTLE BETWEEN RUSSIA AND THE WEST FOR ARMENIA IS DEVELOPING MORE AND MORE

by Nana Martirosyan

ARMINFO
Wednesday, September 11, 16:57

The battle between Russia and the West for Armenia is developing
more and more, as the geo-political role of Armenia is growing day
by day, the governance analyst Harutyun Mesropyan said at today’s
press conference.

“There is a border issue with the Customs Union, but there is a similar
issue with the European Union (EU), too. We have the Karabakh issue
with the Customs Union, but the same problem exists with the EU,
too. No matter what we say, we need neither one nor the other”, – he
said and added that the point is that both documents do not exist;
many questions arise. It is the degree of the loss of Armenia’s
sovereignty, he said.

“Armenia is located in a geopolitical center where it may play a
very significant part. They all attach great importance to us, but
we do not attach importance to ourselves; that is why we think about
where we should enter, and this is unacceptable,” – the analyst said
and added that “Armenia’s geopolitical role increases step by step;
this means we can objectively become a factor. But we toss the docile
submissive status, and become an object.

“It is wrong to join any union. We can become a subject, but by
choosing one union, we become an object,” Harutyun Mesropyan said.”One
should not forget that the wave of the “Arab war” is gradually coming
closer to Armenia, challenges are growing and if the country is not
strong, it will be simply used in the mayhem”, – he said and added
there is no sense to discuss the issue with representatives of the
ruling regime as the latter are indifferent to the destiny of the
country.

To note, as a result of the talks that were held on September 3 in
Moscow between Armenian and Russian Presidents Serzh Sargsyan and
Vladimir Putin, Sargsyan announced that Armenia plans to join the
Customs Union and subsequently engage in the formation of the Eurasian
Economic Union.

KARBAKAH REPUBLIC SUGGESTS AZERBAIJAN TO OPEN 2 ADDITIONAL “BLACK LISTS”

17:31, 11 September, 2013

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 11, ARMENPRESS. The cooperation of the Nagorno
Karabakh Republic with prominent international brands and companies
may serve a good reason for Azerbaijan to increase the number of its
“black lists”. In a conversation with “Armenpress” the Press Secretary
of the President of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic, Davit Babayan
stated that the second Armenian republic makes relevant steps for the
cooperation with a number of brands and will not cease its efforts
in this direction. Among other things Davit Babayan underscored:
“We don’t want to publish the list of all those companies, as it may
break Azerbaijan’s heart. In my opinion Azerbaijan must open a new
“black list” for legal entities as well, including all those companies
and firms.” In addition Babayan suggested Azerbaijan to open another
“black list” for countries.

The funny list of “persona non grata” issued by Azerbaijan
contains 14 deputies of Russian Parliament, 5 reporters of German
ZDF TV channel, president of Berlin academy, deputies of Iranian,
Slovakian, Argentinean parliaments, famous Russian economist Victor
Sheinis, Baroness Cox, President of military academy of Denmark,
Russian political scientist Sergey Marcedonov, 14 deputies of French
parliament, Italian singer Al Bano, 8 deputies of European Parliament,
reporter of Washington Post in Moscow Will Englund, reporter of
New York Times Anastasia Taylor Wint, Phillip Kirkorov’s father –
Bedros Kirkorov, famous opera singer Montserrat Caballe, a deputy of
Canadian Parliament.

The list also includes 6 American doctors, 7 British deputies, a
Greek deputy, 3 deputies of Swiss Parliament, editor in chief of EU
foreign policy magazine, former EU special representative in South
Caucasus Peter Samnabi, 5 deputies of Uruguayan parliament, famous
Swiss cosmonaut Claudi Nikolia, 6 Australian deputies, a deputy of
German Bundestag and other famous people.

From: Baghdasarian

LAWYERS TO FOCUS ON ‘TERROR ORGANIZATION’ IN ARMENIAN-TURKISH JOURNALIST DINK CASE

14:51 11.09.2013

Hrant Dink

The case related to the assassination of Hrant Dink, which is set to
restart on Sept. 17, will be more focused on the “terror organization”
aspect of the case, one of the Dink family lawyers has said.

Speaking to the Hurriyet Daily News, lawyer Cem Halavurt said they
would demand that the “real web of connections” be brought to light.

An Istanbul court will begin rehearing the case related to the
assassination of Turkish-Armenian journalist Dink, after the Supreme
Court of Appeals overturned Yasin Hayal’s acquittal on charges of
“being a terrorist organization leader” and finding him guilty of
“founding and leading an organization for crime” earlier this year.

“The Dink case is even more complicated than the Ergenekon [coup plot]
case, and that is why it has not been illuminated yet,” Halavurt said.

“Unless this case is solved, the deep state will not have been
unveiled.”

Halavurt added that it was impossible to continue the case as it was.

He claimed that evidence establishing key links in the murder to
retired general Veli Kucuk and lawyer Kemal Kerincsiz, who were both
given life sentences in the Ergenekon case, had been deliberately
erased by the police department.

“You cannot reach the data with writing petitions to the General
Staff, the gendarmerie, the National Intelligence Agency [MÄ°T], or the
Trabzon and Istanbul police departments,” he said. “[The court] should
order the handing over of the digital systems of those institutions
[to unveil the links].” Another lawyer of the Dink family, Fethiye
Cetin, is set to release a book on the court process of the Dink case,
in which she claims the MÄ°T played a role in the assassination.

Halavurt said that the claims in the book “Utanc Duyuyorum: Hrant Dink
Cinayeti Yargısı” (“I Feel Ashamed: The Judgment of the Hrant Dink
Murder) that the killing order was given by MÄ°T with an encrypted
message, were well established. “Public opinion is aware that the
MÄ°T, as an institution, played a role in the Dink murder, and there
is evidence in the court files,” he said, Hurriyet Daily News reports

TURKEY DELIVERS BULK OF T-122 SAKARYA MULTIPLE LAUNCH ROCKET SYSTEMS AND MISSILES TO AZERBAIJAN

by Ashot Safaryan

Wednesday, September 11, 14:00

The Turkish ROKETSAN company will complete the deliveries on
Azerbaijan’s orders by the end of the year, ROKETSAN told APA.

The significant batches of T-122 Sakarya multiple launch rocket systems
and missiles offered by Azerbaijan have already been delivered. T-300
“Hurricane” missiles (named as Kas?rga) are under production and
testing and have been modernized compared to relevant systems in the
arsenal of the Turkish Armed Forces.

The universal launch rocket system produced by ROKETSAN for Azerbaijan
allows firing rockets with 122 and 300 mm caliber.

T-122 Sakarya multiple launch rocket systems purchased by Azerbaijan
from Turkey were demonstrated in Baku military parade in June, this
year. These systems with long-range missiles are capable of destroying
enemy targets at a distance of 40 km.

ANALYSIS: U.S. STEPPING UP EFFORTS ON KARABAKH AS ARMENIA OPTS FOR INTEGRATION WITH RUSSIA

KARABAKH | 11.09.13 | 09:28

Photolure

By NAIRA HAYRUMYAN
ArmeniaNow correspondent

The new American co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group James Warlick
alone, without his Russian and French colleagues, has visited the
region of the conflict where he has already met with the leadership
of Azerbaijan in Baku, the Armenian foreign minister in Yerevan and
intends to participate in a line-of-contact monitoring in Karabakh.

The fact that the negotiator came alone is explained by his recent
appointment (only about a month ago) and desire to see the situation
on the ground. However, there are also opinions that after the sharp
move by Armenia towards Russia, Washington has decided to redouble
its efforts in the region, at least in order to avoid preventive
steps from Russia.

If Russia has given certain guarantees on the matter of Karabakh’s
security, soon these guarantees must somehow be manifested. This was
stated a few days ago by Deputy Prime Minister of the NKR, former
Deputy Defense Minister of Armenia Artur Aghabekyan. He did not
specify what kind of guarantees those were, but information has already
appeared in the press about the operation of the Stepanakert airport
(for both civilian and military purposes), as well as deployment
of a peacekeeping contingent of Russia or the Russia-led Collective
Security Treaty Organization in Karabakh.

The United States would be concerned about such a prospect, and
it is not by accident that Warlick gave Ilham Alive a letter from
President Obama that reads: “I support your efforts to take advantage
of opportunities for direct dialogue with Armenia in the months ahead,
and to avail yourself of the co-chairs’ time and expertise to move
beyond the current impasse in negotiations. With the outlines of a
compromise already well established, now is the time for a renewed
effort to bring peace to the region.”

Aliyev has only a few months to go before his second consecutive term
in office ends and now he is seeking a third term in office in next
month’s elections. Obama, apparently, hints to Aliyev that he will
have to find some sort of solution during his next term and that
solution, as he made it clear in the message, should be based on a
compromise. It is yet unclear what Russia’s opinion is on this matter.

After the declaration by President Serzh Sargsyan of Armenia’s
willingness to join the Russia-led Customs Union, official Moscow has
not yet made any statements on Karabakh. Armenian Minister of Foreign
Affairs Edward Nalbandian said only during his meeting in parliament
on Tuesday that Karabakh will not suffer because of Armenia’s accession
to the Customs Union.

UNGROUNDED INFLATION?: MANY EXPERTS SAY RECENT PRICE INCREASES BAFFLE LOGIC

ECONOMY | 11.09.13 | 10:41

Photolure

Armen Poghosyan, Babken Pipoyan

By Gohar Abrahamyan
ArmeniaNow reporter

Armenia has posted the highest inflation rates in years during the
past 12 months and this inflation that is well above its projected
level is seen by many experts as abnormal.

According to the Armenian National Statistical Service (NSS), in August
the 12-month inflation rate reached 9.3 percent, which is well beyond
the 4 (±1.5)-percent band projected by the Central Bank.

According to the NSS, food price increases have been 10 percent, prices
for alcohol and tobacco have increased by 5.9 percent, inflation on
non-food products has been 4.3 percent, while services have been
11.2 percent more costly. As compared to July prices increased by
0.3 percent, with food products prices falling by 1 percent, due to
lower prices for agricultural produce, sugar, oil and flour.

Still in August, the Board of the Central Bank decided to raise the
refinancing rate by 0.5 percentage points, setting it at 8.5 percent,
in an attempt to check inflation.

“The decision of the Central Bank is aimed at checking inflationary
expectations formed as a result of domestic developments and softening
the secondary effects of energy price growth. As a result of the
Central Bank’s policy we expect that inflation in the coming months
will fall gradually,” the Central Bank said in its statement.

Mikael Melkumyan, an MP with the Prosperous Armenia Party’s faction,
said on Tuesday that since 2010 the inflation has totaled to 20-30
percent, which, in his opinion, means that the poverty rate in Armenia
is higher than the officially stated 35.6 percent. The lawmaker also
says that in the second quarter of 2013 the GDP growth made only
0.6 percent.

“There is no GDP growth at all, which does not fit in the context
of the program declared by the government. It is impossible that
at the end of December we have a growth of 5-7 percent,” said
the MP affiliated with the party that has positioned itself as an
‘alternative’ to the current government.

Consumers Union Chairman Armen Poghosyan thinks that in reality the
inflation rate is much higher than officially presented by the NSS,
as the statistical body surveys 700 names of products, producing a
much lower general inflation index than, for example, a list of 20
essential goods, which account for the bulk of family budget expenses
in Armenia, would do.

“There is nominal inflation, when you see that prices for a certain
product have gone up, and there is criminal inflation, when the price
is the same but the product weighs less or the content of sugar in a
product has been reduced. An ordinary consumer will hardly notice that,
as there are competent bodies for that with all possibilities to check
it,” said Poghosyan, talking to ArmeniaNow. He added that recently
he has also received reports about increased prices of baby food.

Aware and Protected Consumer NGO founder and chairman Babken Pipoyan
told ArmeniaNow that due to the recently introduced excise tax on
beverages prices for these products have also gone up. Prices of
dairy products, bread, eggs have also increased, he said.

“The problem is that in Armenia, unlike other countries, price
increases baffle all logic, which is due to improper control by
competent bodies,” said Pipoyan, adding that no foundation has been
presented for price increases in the dairy products and eggs market,
for instance.

While many connect the recent price increases to the rise in the
tariffs for natural gas and electricity, Pipoyan says that the current
inflation is disproportionate to higher energy prices and in many cases
prices for some goods are raised 10 times as high as they should have
been if only higher energy costs were taken into account.