Month: September 2013

HOVANES IGITYAN: NOTHING HINDERS SERZH SARGSYAN, WHICH CHANGED HIS DECISION BY 180 DEGREES OVER A NIGHT, TO AGAIN PULL A 180

by David Stepanyan

ARMINFO
Thursday, September 5, 17:19

Nothing hinders Serzh Sargsyan, which changed his decision by 180
degrees over a night, to again pull a 180 over the next night and
come back to the initial stage, a member of the initiative group for
restoration of the “Armenian Pan-National Movement” party, Hovanes
Igityan, told Arminfo correspondent.

“I think that against the background of the shame which all of us
in Armenia feel for the president’s mistake, we may accept it, put
emotions aside and change our decision for observing of the economic
interests of the country. The most important is that no irreversible
step has been made yet, which would terminate the prospects of
Armenia’s cooperation with the EU. Anyway, the decision about joining
the Customs Union is not such a step. Taking into consideration lack
of ultimatum from the side of Europe, it is still possible to develop
European integration of Armenia, and we can still choose this way.

Against such a background, I think that the Europeans will not stop
the association process, and at least till November Yerevan has time
for careful calculation and analysis”, – he said.

Touching on possible reaction of Moscow on such turning of Yerevan,
Igityan said that the Russians have never compared their steps
regarding Baku with devotion of the authorities of Armenia. Within
the frames of such a logic, today as well, Moscow will not change its
attitude to Armenia in the matter of the Karabakh conflict. “A year
ago, Aliyev himself has a rather negative attitude to Azerbaijan’s
possible joining the Customs Union. However, there was no repression
and punishment from the side of Moscow, on the contrary, Russia started
striving to the better relations and to rapprochement with Azerbaijan”,
– Igityan concluded.

From: Baghdasarian

CUSTOMS UNION OVERVIEW: WHAT ARE THE RISKS/REWARDS FOR ARMENIA?

SOCIETY | 05.09.13 | 19:04

Photolure

By GAYANE MKRTCHYAN
ArmeniaNow reporter

Joining the Customs Union puts Armenia in deeper dependence from
“the Russian Empire”, while the common economic zone, experts say,
is a veil for Moscow to solve its own, mostly political, issues.

Former head of the Central Bank of Armenia Bagrat Asatryan says
Armenia’s membership in the Customs Union (CU) is by 90 percent a
political issue, and only 10 percent economic, which will have a
heavy impact on Armenia’s economy.

“It is obvious that Putin simply said: ‘no more goofing around,
you must sign it’. Now, let’s put aside the issue whether he [Serzh
Sargsyan] is a good or a bad president, this [joining the Customs
Union] is a crucial issue for our country, so I want to raise
questions: what steps will be taken, what will be the process, what
volume, what tasks and objectives? It is like opening a window and
stepping into fog, not even knowing whether there is ground under
your feet, or whether there is a bridge, or you are just walking on
the air, in total obscurity,” Asatryan told ArmeniaNow.

Besides this obscurity, he says, Armenia is not ready to enter such
a framework, as it has no common borders with any of the CU member
countries, however, he does not rule out “healthy discussions” to
make it somewhat reasonable.

“If Russia guarantees that this is the price for the Abkhazian
railway, after somehow working through its issues with Georgia, then
the situation would alter significantly and the membership in the CU
would be an issue of sensible discussions. The next major, tough, issue
is whether we are entering CU with or without Karabakh. If without,
wouldn’t it mean that we are giving up Karabakh? And if Russians have
promised that they are solving this global issue, then, excuse me,
but I am all for it,” says the economist.

Does joining CU mean that Armenia would later find itself part of
common Ruble zone? Governance expert Harutyun Mesrobyan says it would
bring along more risks.

“In Europe many countries gave up their national monetary units,
and that’s when the crisis started. None of the countries, among
them Greece, Portugal, Spain, had their separate levers – their own
monetary unit, which are tools to resist and fight economic crisis,”
he told ArmeniaNow.

Meanwhile, Asatryan believes being in a bigger monetary zone can
be favorable for small economic entities, it is a new quality of
development, and the emotional aspect of the issue, typical of small
nations, should be put side.

“The issue here is different. We want to enter a single zone, whom do
we want to live with, the poor or the rich? Naturally, the rich. But
Russia is yet an unviable economic entity, up until now it remains
an empire, and all empires collapse one day. Some two decades ago
it was the Soviet Union and it collapsed; who can claim that those
processes won’t recur in Russia?” he questions.

CU membership implies that Armenia loses its free trade agreements.

Earlier in his interview to ArmNews TV, deputy foreign minister
Shavarsh Kocharyan said that joining CU means “losing sovereignty”.

“We have a free trade agreement with Georgia, and in this case Georgia
would have to sign an agreement with the union’s over-national body,”
he said.

Armenia is approaching the end of its double game.

“You cannot adopt one principle with the Customs Union and another
with the rest of the world, you are no longer independent in that view,
you commit to adhere to a single policy,” says Asatryan.

By Customs Union many understand return to former Soviet Union. While,
Asatryan says, it is more about politics, consolidated by economic
means, the source of which is the international prices for energy
carriers.

“And if prices for oil happen to drop by 50 percent? If the oil sector
is extracted, Russia’s economy equals that of Turkey. This Customs
Union is temporary, I assure you, because Russia has set a rather
big political objective – a common economic zone, but has neither
financial nor political resources for it,” says Asatryan.

By joining CU Armenia won’t lose the European market, but will be
deprived of development opportunities. Asatryan says the road to
Europe had numerous challenges, too, but at least “we knew where we
were going”.

“And what are Russia’s political values? Corruption. And, if for
nothing else, getting rid of that component by itself would have
been worth it. Russia is by far not the developed, viable entity
to become full partners with,” he says. “We have brought this upon
ourselves by our terribly distorted regime, disgraceful elections,
weak authorities, and a state that has no values. The thing is that
one has to be a factor, and today we are Russia’s outpost, and when
you are small, but still a factor, you are reckoned with.”

Thomas de Waal, senior associate at the Carnegie Endowment,
specializing primarily in the South Caucasus region, writes in
his article posted in the Carnegie Moscow Center’s website: “Some
in the Armenian government complain that the EU did not give them
room for maneuver, and it is true that the Brussels bureaucracy is
a clunky machine that does not do diplomacy well. But you can also
see this as a car crash in slow motion over several years. Both the
administration of Sargsyan, and Robert Kocharyan before him, embraced
a Russian take-over of the economy, which left them political control
and did not expose them to European-style competition. As Sargsyan
began (tentatively) to have second thoughts about this bargain,
he found himself badly short of options.”

()

ARMENIA SHOULD ENHANCE CUSTOMS SECURITY FOR JOINING CUSTOMS UNION

YEREVAN, September 5. /ARKA/. Comparison of customs tariffs in Armenia
and Russia has laid ground for conclusion that Armenia should enhance
customs security, Evgeny Vinokurov, the head of the Eurasian Bank’s
Center for Integration Studies, said today in an interview with ARKA
News Agency.

Armenian and Russian presidents, Serzh Sargsyan and Vladimir Putin,
made a joint statement after they met in Moscow on Tuesday unveiling
Armenia’s decision to join the Customs Union and its intention to
take part in formation of Eurasian Economic Union in the future.

“An average import tariff in Armenia is among the lowest tariffs in
WTO countries (MFN rate is 2.7%, and in Customs Union 7.6%)” he said.

“Besides, Armenia doesn’t use tariff quota, and 73 tariff lines are
not subject to state duties, and almost all the remaining lines are
subject to a ten-percent duty.”

He said that in many areas the Custom Union’s regime is even more
liberal than that specified in Armenia’s commitments toward WTO.

—0—

– See more at:

From: Baghdasarian

ZORYAN HOSTS 22 STUDENTS TO STUDY GENOCIDE AND PREVENTION

18:26, 5 September, 2013

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 5, ARMENPRESS: The running of the 12th annual
Genocide & Human Rights University Program (GHRUP) couldn’t have
been timelier considering the atrocities and human rights violations
currently taking place in Syria, Egypt, and several countries in the
Middle East and Africa. This year, 22 university students came to
Toronto from 10 countries to meet and study with 10 distinguished
genocide scholars, rpeorts Armenpress referring to Armenian Weekly.

Many of the students-Kurds, Nigerians, Pakistanis, Armenians, Jews,
Muslims, and Christians-came from backgrounds where gross violations
of human rights and genocide are a part of their national or personal
experience. There were several students who work to provide aid to
affected communities, such as those of Guatemala and Sudan. Perhaps
even more remarkable was the number of students who do not have a
direct connection, yet are deeply motivated to understand human rights
violations and genocide, and how to raise awareness to prevent them
around the world.

“Several students who are teachers commented on how much they
learned from watching the pedagogy of different instructors, as well
as from the course content,” said the course director, Prof. Joyce
Apsel of New York University. “Other students consulted me and other
instructors about which directions and schools to pursue for graduate
education. They proved to be an outstanding group of students, and
it was a privilege to have two weeks in and out of the classroom to
exchange ideas and interests.”

Indeed, the students brought many diverse experiences to the
classroom. One student, who is a journalist by trade, described to the
class, based on a personal visit to North Korea, the importance of
maintaining a critical perspective on decades-old yet still ongoing
human rights abuses there. Another student presented the current
and historical human rights abuses of disabled peoples affected by
policies of eugenics in the United States, a group she works with in
her field of social work and disability studies. Yet another brought
the class to tears by discussing her own family’s history of having
suffered chemical attacks in the Halabja massacre of March 16, 1988.

The GHRUP allows students the opportunity to voice these backgrounds,
to analyze comparatively how genocides unfold, and their immediate
and transgenerational effects on people, and to explore how we can
stop them.

It was remarkable to see descendants of perpetrator and victim groups
in the Armenian Genocide-students of Armenian, Kurdish, and Turkish
background-find common interests with each other and, within the
academic environment of the program and based on historical facts,
explore issues of stereotypes, memory, denial, and reconciliation
together, and see each other through the prism of humanity.

One student from Pakistan, currently a member of the UNAMID effort
in Darfur, Sudan, brought to the course the perspective and the
dedication of those who work to prevent genocide in the field.

This year, a business student audited the course. At the end of the
course, this student made a spontaneous and moving speech saying
the students had restored her faith in humanity. The GHRUP evokes a
powerful sense of enthusiasm and commitment from students and faculty
alike, and makes them reflect on their own lives and the lives of
others in the world.

Explaining his perception of the program’s greatest strength, one
student commented, “I think the GHRUP does an amazing job of providing
an incredibly comprehensive course in such a short period of time. The
quality of the scholars and students, and the incredible range of
experiences and backgrounds, are unparalleled.” Another student wrote,
“This program is life- and career-changing. It focuses on the history
of genocide, the patterns of genocide, the denial and prevention
of genocide.

The Zoryan Institute and its subsidiary, the International Institute
for Genocide and Human Rights Studies, is the first non-profit,
international center devoted to the research and documentation of
contemporary issues with a focus on genocide, diaspora and Armenia.

From: Baghdasarian

ARMENIA RIFT OVER TRADE DEAL FUELS EU-RUSSIA TENSION

5 September 2013 Last updated at 17:19

Armenia’s decision to join a Russian-led customs union has thrown EU
plans to forge closer ties with the Caucasus republic into disarray.

The EU plans to conclude association agreements with several ex-Soviet
states in November, but Armenia is unlikely to be among them.

Such agreements are seen as key steps on the path to eventual EU
membership.

Armenia’s move has fuelled Western anxiety that Russia wants to exert
control over ex-Soviet states.

The European Commission is asking Armenia to clarify its position.

Armenia had been preparing to initial the agreement with the EU in
November, after more than two years of negotiations.

The Commission says the agreement is “not a zero-sum game” – that is,
not simply a choice between Russia or the EU.

A statement from EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fuele said “we
take note of Armenia’s apparent wish to join the customs union.

“We look forward to understanding better from Armenia what their
intentions are and how they wish to ensure compatibility between these
and the commitments undertaken through the Association Agreement and
DCFTA [Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area].”

Energy leverage

However, a foreign policy expert at the European Parliament,
Conservative MEP Charles Tannock, told the BBC that Armenia could
not operate two different sets of tariff rules.

“If you join one customs union you can’t have a free trade agreement
with another jurisdiction,” he said.

The EU association agreements go beyond measures to ease trade –
they also entail commitments to democratic standards, which are not
part of Russia’s customs union.

For years the EU has been pursuing a new “Eastern Partnership” with
Moscow’s former Soviet allies.

Moldova and Ukraine are on course to sign association agreements
with the EU in November. But both have come under Russian pressure
to remain in Moscow’s sphere of influence – and their heavy reliance
on Russian gas puts them in a vulnerable position.

On Tuesday a senior Russian envoy, Dmitry Rogozin, told Moldovans that
“energy supplies are important in the run-up to winter – I hope you
won’t freeze”.

Speaking later, Moldova’s President Nicolae Timofti said his country
would pursue integration with the EU and “cannot live under pressure
or threats”.

Russian-speaking separatists – armed by Russia – still control
Trans-Dniester, a large strip of land that broke away from Moldova.

Russia and Armenia – former Soviet partners with shared Christian
traditions – have long had close ties.

Military tensions

Armenia is still locked in a bitter territorial dispute with
Muslim-majority Azerbaijan – and some observers have drawn a direct
link between that dispute, over Nagorno-Karabakh, and the customs
union plan.

Mr Tannock said concern about Russian arms sales to Azerbaijan appeared
to have influenced Armenian President Serge Sarkisian more than any
other issue.

Oil-rich Azerbaijan is receiving military equipment from Russia
worth up to $1bn (£843m), including tanks and artillery, in a drive
to modernise its armed forces, Russian media report.

Since the 1990s Nagorno-Karabakh war Armenia has had close military
co-operation with Russia, and without that “Armenia would be totally
vulnerable to attack by Azerbaijan”, Mr Tannock told the BBC.

He said Russia “seems to be winning battles now” in its traditional
sphere of influence and “has caught the EU a bit on the hop”, he said.

Mr Sarkisian held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in
Moscow on Tuesday, and drew a direct link between trade ties and the
security partnership between former Soviet states.

Mr Sarkisian spoke of Armenia’s “desire to join the customs union and
get involved in the process of creating the Eurasian Economic Union”.

Mr Putin sees a future Eurasian union as an economic bloc pulling
together former Soviet states. Currently Russia’s customs union only
embraces Belarus and Kazakhstan.

“I have stated on many occasions that, since we share a system
of military security, it is impossible and inefficient to isolate
ourselves from the corresponding geo-economical space,” Mr Sarkisian
said.

“This is a rational decision; it is a decision based on Armenia’s
national interests. This decision is not a rejection of our dialogue
with European institutions.”

In a tweet on Tuesday Sweden’s Foreign Minister Carl Bildt said
“seems as if Armenia will break talks on free trade agreement with
EU and integrate with Russia instead. U-turn.”

From: Baghdasarian

REP. GRIMM WITHDRAWS SUPPORT FROM SYRIA AIR STRIKES

Thursday, September 5th, 2013

Rep. Michael Grimm

WASHINGTON-Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chairman, Rep. Michael
Grimm (R-NY) posted on his Web site Thursday that he is withdrawing
his support for the proposed US air strikes against Syria.

“I have heard from many constituents who strongly oppose unilateral
action at a time when we have so many needs here at home. Thus, after
much thought, deliberation and prayer, I am no longer convinced that
a U.S. strike on Syria will yield a benefit to the United States
that will not be greatly outweighed by the extreme cost of war,”
said Grimm on his site.

“When President Obama announced his plans to strike Syria in response
to the discovery that the Assad regime used chemical weapons to kill
thousands of men, women and children; my initial reaction, as a Marine
combat veteran, was to stand by the Commander in Chief and support
immediate, targeted strikes,” explained Grimm. “I believed that the
reputation and credibility of the United States was on the line and
that we had to send a strong message that the use of chemical weapons
is reprehensible and will not be tolerated. Unfortunately, the time
to act was then and the moment to show our strength has passed.”

The Armenian National Committee of America, citing the Armenian
American community’s profound concern for the fate of Syria’s Armenian
population and the welfare of all of Syria’s citizens, circulated
letters Wednesday across Capitol Hill calling on Members of the U.S.

House and Senate to oppose legislation authorizing U.S. strikes
against Syria.

“As our nation’s elected representatives gather this week to consider
potential U.S. actions against Syrian targets, we wish to add our
voice, as Americans of Armenian heritage, to those of our fellow
citizens who oppose American military strikes and are against any
escalation of violence. Such an escalation would very likely create
further challenges and lead to serious additional harm to Christian
communities, including Syria’s Armenian minority,” said ANCA Chairman
Ken Hachikian in letters to U.S. legislators. “We take this stand
mindful of the horrific human suffering that armed conflict has
already visited across Syria, including the death and destruction
being endured, to this day, by Armenians and other Christian
communities. There has already been too much bloodshed, too much
brutality, and too much suffering. An escalation in aggression can
neither save lives nor help bring about peace.”

The ANCA also launched a Web campaign for Armenian-American to express
their message of opposition to the administration’s planned attacks on
Syria.

NAGORNO-KARABAKH TAKES BALANCED STANCE ON ARMENIA’S CUSTOMS UNION MOVE – OFFICIAL

21:06 05.09.13

The Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) Republic takes quite a balanced
approach to Armenia’s decision to join the Eurasian Customs Union,
a spokesperson for the country’s president has said, considering the
move Yerevan’s independent choice.

“I don’t think the move poses any harm to the Armenian statehood or
the interests of our people or Artsakh,” David Babayan told Tert.am,
adding that the authorities in Karabakh are not seeking any political
motives behind the process.

“Armenia continues implementing its foreign policies, so from that
point of view, I don’t think the move directly closes our doors to
cooperation with other countries. This is an option which I think has
been widely discussed, and the decision was made after considering
the pros and cons, so to say,” he added.

Asked about pro-Russian or pro-Western circles’ reaction to the move,
Babayan said he doesn’t admit any such splits in state policies. “I do
not admit such an approach. What does pro-Russian or pro-Western mean?

We are simply obliged to pursue complementary policies. We are a
Diaspora-oriented nation. Unfortunately, many Armenians reside abroad
as a result of the Genocide. Hence, we are obliged to maintain good
relations also with the countries which have a big Armenian Diaspora.

We cannot, for example, have negative relations with the United State.

Neither can we with Russia which has the biggest Armenian Diaspora.”

When asked whether Nagorno-Karabakh may join the Customs Union, the
spokesperson called for taking a sober approach to the issue to avoid
heated scenarios. He said Nagorno-Karabakh is an unrecognized country
regardless of possible memberships in any union. Babayan added that
the country has not yet developed mechanisms for developing relations
with unrecognized states.

Armenian News – Tert.am

KARABAKH WAR HEROES AGAINST CUSTOMS UNION (VIDEOS)

22:07 05.09.13

Several heroes of the Nagorno-Karabakh war rallied Thursday evening
in Yerevan’s Liberty Square, protesting against Armenia’s decision
to join the Russian-led Customs Union.

Suren Sargsyan, who led the public gathering, said the president’s
Wednesday statement was evidently made under the threat of pressure.

“Serzh Sargsyan was sitting next to [Russian President] Vladimir Putin,
looking as though he had just been beaten by a club. And Putin was
angrily and contemptuously looking at the Armenian president as if
he had realized Sargsyan was trying to apply double standards. He
seemed to be saying to him, ‘Speak out, now’. It’s quite possible
for Europe and the Americas to treat us likewise tomorrow,” he said.

The activist stressed the importance of having a legitimate country
leader, noting in the meantime that the incumbent president won his
second term through vote-buying. “Regardless of whether or not the
president’s decision is in Armenia’s interests, I declare that the
Armenian people do not need a president like Serzh Sargsyan,” the
war veteran added.

Yervand Manaryan, a merited Armenian actor who had joined the rally,
also criticized the Customs Union move, considering it a major disgrace
for Armenia. “The only thing left now is to be able to straighten
our back. This is what I think; I am not one of those who bend down
all the time,” he said.

President of the Yerevan Writers’ Union Abgar Apinyan later delivered
a speech, expressing support to the protesting crowd. “By joining
the home-guard, we will try to attain results every week to reach a
victory,” he said.

A former member of the Karabakh committee, Ashot Manucharyan, also
shared the opinions voiced, pointing out to Russia’s double standards.

“We have seen two kinds of Russia. Russia can be an ally, but it can
also be a rival; all depends on Armenia’s posture,” the activist noted.

He proposed one way of bridging the existing gaps. “That’s when the
people gather here to join efforts,” he said.

A deputy leader of the opposition Heritage party, Armen Martirosyan,
also addressed the topic, criticizing the political decision.

“After all this, [Heritage party leader] Raffi Hovhannisian could not
but demand Serzh Sargsyan’s resignation. This is an impermissible
situation for us. Such unions bring harm rather than offer any
assistance,” he said in his speech.

From: Baghdasarian

GENOCIDE DENIER NAMED STATE DEPT. SPOKESMAN

Thursday, September 5th, 2013 | Posted

by Ara Khachatourian

Doug Frantz

WASHINGTON-Doug Frantz, the notorious Genocide denier and former
Los Angeles Times managing editor who lost his job when he blocked
the publication of an article about the Armenian Genocide penned by
journalist Mark Arax has been appointed the new spokesperson of the
US State Department, a White House memo reported.

Frantz’s stint as Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs at the State
Department will not be his first with Secretary of State John Kerry.

He worked as an investigation for the Senate Foreign Relations
Committee when Kerry was chairman.

The Armenian-American community came to know Frantz when in April
2007, as LA Times managing editor, he killed the publication of a
front-page story penned by Armenian-American journalist Mark Arax
about the Armenian Genocide resolution pending in Congress at the
time. In a memo to Arax, Frantz said the author’s ethnicity posed a
conflict of interest.

This sparked a controversy and prompted the Armenian National Committee
of America-Western Region and other community leaders to launch a
grassroots campaign against Frantz and the LA Times demanding an
explanation and his resignation from his top post at the newspaper.

After an overwhelming response from the Armenian community and numerous
meetings by Armenian leaders with LA Times top brass at the time,
Frantz resigned in June 2007 and went to Istanbul.

Frantz has had long-standing ties to Turkey. He was stationed
in Istanbul for several years, first as bureau chief for The New
York Times and then as investigative reporter for the Los Angeles
Times. He had developed close contacts with various Turkish officials,
including the Turkish Consul General in Los Angeles who boasted in a
taped interview with Arax at the time about his special relationship
with Frantz who in May 2007 went to Istanbul to moderate a panel that
included a notorious genocide denier.

NATO DATA: ASSAD WINNING THE WAR FOR SYRIANS’ HEARTS AND MINDS

[ Part 2.2: “Attached Text” ]

– SEPTEMBER 4, 2013

A man waves the Syrian flag bearing the image of President Bashar
Assad. /Marwan Naamani/AFP/Getty Images

Special to WorldTribune.com

LONDON – After two years of civil war, support for the regime of
Syrian President Bashar Assad was said to have sharply increased.

NATO has been studying data that told of a sharp rise in support
for Assad. The data, compiled by Western-sponsored activists and
organizations, showed that a majority of Syrians were alarmed by the
Al Qaida takeover of the Sunni revolt and preferred to return to Assad,
Middle East Newsline reported.

“The people are sick of the war and hate the jihadists more than
Assad,” a Western source familiar with the data said. “Assad is
winning the war mostly because the people are cooperating with him
against the rebels.”

The data, relayed to NATO over the last month, asserted that 70 percent
of Syrians support the Assad regime. Another 20 percent were deemed
neutral and the remaining 10 percent expressed support for the rebels.

The sources said no formal polling was taken in Syria, racked
by two years of civil war in which 90,000 people were reported
killed. They said the data came from a range of activists and
independent organizations that were working in Syria, particularly
in relief efforts.

The data was relayed to NATO as the Western alliance has been divided
over whether to intervene in Syria. Britain and France were said to
have been preparing to send weapons to the rebels while the United
States was focusing on protecting Syria’s southern neighbor Jordan.

A report to NATO said Syrians have undergone a change of heart over
the last six months. The change was seen most in the majority Sunni
community, which was long thought to have supported the revolt.

“The Sunnis have no love for Assad, but the great majority of the
community is withdrawing from the revolt,” the source said. “What
is left is the foreign fighters who are sponsored by Qatar and Saudi
Arabia. They are seen by the Sunnis as far worse than Assad.”

yrians%E2%80%99-hearts-and-minds/