Wednesday,
Minister Sees No Leadership Change In Armenia
• Artak Hambardzumian
Armenia - President Serzh Sarkisian, former Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamian and
other senior officials hold a congress of the ruling Republican Party in
Yerevan, 26Nov2016.
President Serzh Sarkisian will become Armenia’s prime minister just days after
his decade-long presidency ends on April 9, Diaspora Minister Hranush Hakobian
said on Wednesday.
“I think that given the existing situation the president of the republic will
be nominated by the Republican Party (HHK) for prime minister and get elected
[by parliament,]” she told RFE/RL’s Armenian service (Azatutyun.am).
Sarkisian hinted at his intention to become prime minister and thus extend his
rule in comments to an Armenian media outlet made last week. In that context,
he downplayed his assurances in 2014 that he will “not aspire” to the top
executive post under a parliamentary system of government.
Echoing statements by other senior members of the ruling HHK, Hakobian
dismissed opposition claims that the outgoing president is about to break his
pledge. “Life is not a dogma whereby if we say something today it must
necessarily occur,” she said. “Life changes and evolves.”
Some Armenian opposition groups have pledged to try to scuttle Sarkisian’s
perceived plans with street demonstrations that will be staged early next month.
Eduard Sharmazanov, the chief HHK spokesman, insisted on Wednesday that the
ruling party is undaunted by those protests. “Under the constitution, it is the
parliament deputies who will decide who will be our prime minister for the next
four years,” he said. “What are [the opposition forces] going to do? To scare
us?”
“The people voted [in the April 2017 parliamentary elections] to determine who
should be in government and who should in opposition,” added Sharmazanov. “The
people voted to give us the right to form the executive branch.”
Dashnaks Signal Support For Sarkisian’s Continued Rule
• Astghik Bedevian
Armenia - President Serzh Sarkisian greets leaders of the Armenian
Revolutionary Federation before concluding a new power-sharing agreement with
them in Yerevan, 11May2017.
A leader of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun) indicated on
Wednesday that his pro-government party does not object to President Serzh
Sarkisian’s apparent plans to stay in power after serving out his final term
next month.
Arsen Hambardzumian, the new nominal head of Dashnaktsutyun’s governing body in
Armenia, commented on claims by senior members of the ruling Republican Party
(HHK) that Sarkisian is “irreplaceable” for the country.
“There are clear challenges facing Armenia,” Hambardzumian told a news
conference. “It’s not a secret that we have the issue of Artsakh’s
(Nagorno-Karabakh’s) security … that there are critical developments in the
region with an element of unpredictability, that the government system in
Armenia is being changed.
“These are all risks and challenges. In these circumstances, the approaches
voices with regard to [Sarkisian’s] experience and being well-informed about
these processes are logical.”
“So if we all are guided by common sense, I’m sure you too will conclude that
those arguments are often appropriate,” he added.
Dashnaktsutyun leaders have said in recent months that it is up to the ruling
HHK to decide who should govern Armenia after Sarkisian’s final presidential
term ends on April 9. So far they have stopped short of explicitly endorsing
the outgoing president’s candidacy for the post of prime minister.
Armenia - Supporters of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation attend an
election campaign rally in Yerevan, 30Mar2017.
Dashnaktsutyun, which is particularly influential in the worldwide Armenian
Diaspora, is represented in the government by three ministers in line with a
power-sharing agreement reached with Sarkisian two years ago. It won 7 seats in
the country’s 105-member parliament elected in April 2017.
In Hambardzumian’s words, the party leadership is satisfied with the work of
the three Dashnaktsutyun-affiliated ministers and sees “no need for their
replacement.” The next Armenian prime minister is due to form a new cabinet
after being elected by the parliament on April 17.
In a statement released in early February, Dashnaktsutyun said it remains
dissatisfied with the socioeconomic situation in Armenia despite
“unprecedented” GDP growth achieved last year. The government, it said, should
do more to reduce poverty, spur job creation, “ease income polarization,” and
take tougher anti-trust measures.
Armenian Official Lauds ‘Productive’ Military Cooperation With Russia
• Sargis Harutyunyan
Russia -- A Russian TOS-1A multiple rocket launcher fires during the opening of
the Army-2015 international military forum in Kubinka, outside Moscow, June 16,
2015
Armenia is continuing to acquire Russian-manufactured weapons and other
military equipment as part of its close defense links with Russia, Deputy
Defense Minister Davit Pakhchanian said on Wednesday.
In particular, Pakhchanian announced that the Armenian army has received such
weaponry purchased with a $200 million Russian loan disbursed to Yerevan in
2015.
“What was planned within the framework of the first [Russian] loan has already
been delivered, and there is an agreement to continue that work,” he told a
news conference. “That is a serious component of our arms acquisitions. Our
cooperation with Russia is now going quite well.”
The weapons covered by that loan are believed to include, among other things,
Smerch multiple-launch rocket system, thermobaric TOS-1A and anti-tank Kornet
rocket systems, and shoulder-fired surface-to-air missiles.
The Armenian government announced in October 2017, that Moscow will provide it
with a further $100 million loan that will be spent on buying more Russian
weapons at internal Russian prices set well below international market-based
levels. Armenia is entitled to such price discounts due to its membership in
the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO).
Despite these close military ties, Russia has sold Armenia’s arch-foe
Azerbaijan at least $4 billion worth of tanks, artillery systems, combat
helicopters and other weaponry in the last several years. Armenian leaders have
publicly criticized these arms deals, saying that they contributed to the April
2016 fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh.
Visiting Yerevan earlier this month, a senior Russian pro-government lawmaker
indicated that Moscow will scale down its future arms dealings with Baku in
response to the Armenian criticism.
“We are obviously unhappy with Russian arms supplies to Azerbaijan,” said
Pakhchanian. “The Russian side is now saying that the scale of those supplies
will be cut significantly.”
Earlier this year, the U.S. government reportedly warned that Yerevan will risk
U.S. sanctions in case of signing “substantial deals” with Russia’s state-owned
defense industry.
“Of course, sanctions are a problem but we need to ensure our security and our
actions on this issue will be first and foremost based on our interests,”
Pakhchanian said in this regard.
The official made clear that Armenia is also keen to step up
“military-technical cooperation” with other foreign nations, including China,
Serbia and NATO member Poland. Incidentally, defense companies from these and a
dozen other nations, including Germany and Italy, will take part in an arms
exhibition that will open in Yerevan on Thursday.
Pakhchanian further said that the Armenian military is increasingly reliant on
the domestic defense industry in its arms acquisitions and other procurements.
Armenian companies manufacture items such as unmanned aerial vehicles, radars
and electronic equipment using laser technology.
U.S. Again Condemns 2016 Attack On Yerevan Police Station
Armenia -- Ambassador Richard Mills speaks to journalists in Yerevan, 13Sept2017
The United States has reaffirmed its strong condemnation of the 2016 seizure by
opposition gunmen of a police station in Yerevan and any other attempts to
forcibly overthrow Armenia’s government.
Richard Mills, the U.S. ambassador to Armenia, was asked by Aysor.am to comment
on “rumors” that the West supports armed groups like Sasna Tsrer which stormed
the police compound in Yerevan’s Erebuni district.
“Those rumors couldn’t be farther from the truth,” Mills told the online
publication in comments published on Wednesday. “We do not support groups
seeking to illegally overthrow an elected government. And especially with
groups like Sansa Tsrer, who chose violence over dialogue, our condemnation is
firm.”
“We abhor the actions of Sasna Tsrer and others who use violence or who
threaten to harm others to serve their political agenda,” he said. “The actions
of the members of Sansa Tsrer last year led to a tragic loss of life and
unnecessarily terrorized the surrounding community.
“Violence as a tool to bring about political change goes against not only U.S.
values, but also global democratic values of peaceful dialogue and respect for
human life. Violence on all sides undermines democratic principles and can
never be tolerated. So no, we do not support such groups or activities.”
“That said, all those who stand accused deserve a fair trial,” added the
diplomat.
The three dozen gunmen mostly affiliated with Founding Parliament, a radical
opposition movement, seized the Erebuni base on July 17, 2016. They demanded
that President Serzh Sarkisian free Founding Parliament’s jailed leader,
Zhirayr Sefilian, and step down.
The Armenian authorities rejected those demands. The gunmen laid down their
weapons after a two-week standoff with security forces which left three police
officers dead. They are currently standing three separate trials.
The U.S. State Department was quick to condemn the armed attack, while urging
the authorities in Yerevan to exercise “restraint.” The U.S. Embassy in Armenia
reiterated that condemnation after three Armenian medics were taken hostage by
the gunmen a few days later. It called for their “immediate, safe, and
unconditional release.”
Press Review
“Zhoghovurd” says Luxembourg’s Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn implied that
Armenia has yet to become a rule-of-law state when he visited Yerevan on
Tuesday. “It is hard to disagree with the European official,” comments the
paper. “After all, it is not a secret to anyone that human rights protection in
our country still leaves much to be desired. Successive rulings against Armenia
handed down by European Court of Human Rights testify to that.”
“Aravot” reacts to allegations by a 19-year-old Armenian woman, Asya
Khachatrian, that police in Nagorno-Karabakh harassed and ill-treated her
earlier this year because of her appearance unusual for Karabakh. “A person has
the right to decide how to dress and dye their hair, when to start having sex
and with whom,” writes the paper. It says that a lack of a civic consciousness
is the reason why many Armenians tolerate violations of this right by the
police or non-state actors.
“Hraparak” expresses its admiration with “audacious” women like Khachatrian who
differ from others with their “revolutionary views.” “They are the kind of
individuals who change the quality of the society, set the agenda and not
retreat in the face of masculine aggression,” writes the paper. “Each of them
tries to change something in their area of activity and improve our country and
our life. It is thanks to them that our country will renew and establishment
itself and move forward. A new mentality introduced by them and new generations
brought up by them will solve problems facing our country. Do not interfere
with them. Do not stand in their way.”
(Elen Chilingarian)
Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2018 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.
www.rferl.org