Author: Andres-Papazian

MAY 1 RALLIES ENDED IN CLASHES IN ANKARA

PanARMENIAN.Net
May 2, 2011 – 13:06 AMT

Though it was overall one of the calmest Labor Day celebrations in
recent years, May 1 rallies in the capital were marked by minor clashes
between various groups. Led by various unions and nongovernmental
organizations, the celebrations in capital took place in Ankara’s
Sıhhiye Square with the participation of some 10,000 to 15,000 people.

The rally kicked off in a calm atmosphere but later witnessed a clash
at checkpoints formed by police between a group of people including
members from the pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party, or BDP,
and union members. Two unionists and one journalist were injured in
the conflict, which was halted with the intervention of police and
rally organizers.

Another incident allegedly occurred between the members of the BDP
and the Turkey Youth Union near the end of the rally, according to
the private channel NTV. That clash also ended with the intervention
of security forces.

Union representatives made public statements about the significance
of the day while demonstrators protested the election promises and
policies of the ruling Justice and Development Party, or AKP.

The rally ended nearly two hours earlier than scheduled. Its uneventful
nature was attributed to the fact that many people from Ankara had
chosen to attend the larger celebrations in Istanbul’s Taksim square,
Hurriyet Daily News reported.

Groups participating in the rally included the Confederation of
Turkish Labor Unions, or Turk-Is; the Confederation of Progressive
Trade Unions, or DISK, the Confederation of Public Sector Trade Unions,
or KESK, and the Turkish Union of Engineers’ and Architects’ Chambers,
or TMMOB.

From: A. Papazian

MILITARY THREATS BAKU’S SOLE AND LAST RESOURCE TO INFLUENCE KARABAKH PROCESS

PanARMENIAN.Net
May 2, 2011 – 14:00 AMT

Head of the political studies department at the Caucasus Institute,
political analyst Sergey Minasyan said that military threats
is Azerbaijan’s sole and last resource to influence the Karabakh
conflict settlement.

“Azerbaijan conceives that it can use only this resource in the
Karabakh process. However, I would like to note that the incidents
along the frontline and subversive acts organized by Azerbaijan do
not have any impact on the real policy around the conflict settlement.

Though international community’s reaction to Baku’s subversive acts
is temperate, but its stance is clear – nobody wants resumption of
hostilities. Azerbaijan is the only country speaking about war,”
Minasyan told a press conference in Yerevan.

He added that even the Azerbaijani public today conceives that Aliyev’s
warlike statements are mere blackmail.

From: A. Papazian

AZERBAIJAN “INDIGNANT” OVER ARMENIA’S PARTICIPATION IN GENEVA BOOK FAIR

PanARMENIAN.Net
May 2, 2011 – 13:34 AMT

Armenia’s participation in Geneva International Book and Press Fair,
where the country presented materials about Armenia and Artsakh
“aroused Azerbaijan’s indignation.”

According to Trend News, during a meeting with the event organizers,
Azerbaijan’s ambassador to Switzerland Murad Najafbayli insisted
that “the materials presented by Armenians should be removed from
the exhibition.”

The embassy also sent a note to the Swiss Federal Department of
Foreign Affairs “to explain the essence of the demand.”

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIAN MP OFFERS TO ESTABLISH PARK FOR DISMANTLED MONUMENTS

PanARMENIAN.Net
May 2, 2011 – 13:38 AMT

Member of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) Karen Avagyan
offered to establish a park in Armenia to host all dismantled
monuments.

“They make a part of our history,” Avagyan told a press conference
in Yerevan. He noted that monuments are dismantled in many countries
worldwide due to various reasons.

Well-known Armenian sculptor Levon Tokmajyan noted for his part that,
for example, the dismantlement of Worker Monument was quite a jolt to
its author Ara Harutyunyan. “Any monument reflects the era, during
which it was created, while the nation should respect its history,”
he said.

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIA IS PUSHED INTO A WAR
NAIRA HAYRUMYAN

Story from Lragir.am News:

Published: 13:10:45 – 02/05/2011

Like in global politics, in the Karabakh conflict too, the time X
starts. Nobody knows the further course of the conflict over Karabakh,
just like nobody knows who will be “enemy N 1” after Bin Laden’s death.

The militarization of the conflict is evident, and if till last week
Elmar Mammedyarov announced virtually that “there is a notion of
military diplomacy and this factor sustains the progressive course
of the talks”, at the end of the week the Azerbaijani snipers started
killing Armenian soldiers.

Soldiers were killed before but this time the Armenian side reacted
in another way. In fact, all the parliamentary parties stated the
necessity of an adequate response and revenge. The co-chairs have
not reacted to the killings yet although a couple of weeks ago
they initiated a special mission to investigate the death of the
Azerbaijani boy.

The impression is that this time the silence of the co-chairs and the
provocation of the Azerbaijani side is caused by the wish to receive
an “adequate Armenian response”. And the international community and
the Azerbaijani press hushed in the expectation of information on
revenge from the Armenian side.

The diplomatic settlement of the Karabakh issue, despite the optimistic
statements, is obviously deadlocked. Evidence to this is the statement
of the Turkish prime minister: “Karabakh is our issue, Nakhidjevan
is our issue”. Erdogan said: “The normalization of relations with
Armenia is impossible unless a settlement of the Karabakh issue
is reached. We have always backed Azerbaijan, Karabakh and we will
continue in the future.” It means that Armenia has not accepted the
conditions of Turkey.

On the other hand, the Turkish sides (Baku and Ankara) are not going to
accept the status quo, and now they are mostly interested in revenge
and use of force by Armenia. Especially that appeals are voiced for
decisive action in Armenia.

Armenia is also interested in the failure of the talks based on the
Madrid principles. However, unlike Azerbaijan and the others, Armenia
should not meet provocations and become involved in military revenge.

There is another way, namely recognize Karabakh and leave the talks.

This move will be fully justified – after all, Azerbaijan does not
even faintly implement the obligations assumed during the talks. Is
there a meaning to continue?

It is obvious that the Madrid process has stopped being a tunnel
through which it is possible to move, and has run into a deadlock.

Someone wants Armenia to get out of this deadlock at the cost of
several hundreds of young lives. However, Yerevan should seriously
think about the value of the life of every soldier.

From: A. Papazian

TOMATOES FROM TURKEY WITHOUT CUSTOMS CLEARANCE

Story from Lragir.am News:

Published: 13:59:01 – 02/05/2011

About twenty owners of greenhouses are protesting in front of the
government against import of vegetables from Turkey without customs
clearance.

They say running a greenhouse is very costly in Armenia. They built
greenhouses on loan, moreover, the price of gas is up, forcing the cost
of vegetables up. In addition, the protesters say that borrowed the
money in dollars at an interest rate of 24 percent, when the exchange
rate was 305 drams for 1 U.S. dollar but they repay the loan in drams,
and the current exchange rate is 370 drams for 1 U.S. dollar.

They say the cost price of tomatoes grown in Armenia is 700 drams,
the imported Turkish tomatoes must cost 800 drams after customs
clearance while they are sold for 500 drams per kg.

They demand equal opportunities from the government to enable local
producers to sell their products.

From: A. Papazian

SARKISIAN-TER-PETROSIAN TANGO CAN’T BE GOOD FOR ARMENIA
by Ara Khachatourian

asbarez
Thursday, April 28th, 2011

Ter-Petrosian addresses protesters on Thursday

The ongoing dance between President Serzh Sarkisian and Armenian
National Congress leader Levon Ter-Petrosian continued Thursday as
the latter claimed victory to his supporters by saying that recent
overtures by the president have enhanced the climate for dialogue.

Ter-Petrosian also claimed that the authorities had given in to
three of his main demands outlined earlier this year in his version
of manifesto. Several weeks ago, Sarkisian told law enforcement
agencies to conduct a thorough investigation into the March 1,
2008 clashes following the presidential election. Earlier this
week, the ban on gatherings and demonstrations in Liberty Square
were lifted and, during a press conference Wednesday, Sarkisian
praised the “extra-parliamentary opposition” and signaled that more
prisoners-Ter-Petrosian loyalists-will be freed.

These gestures from both sides are self-serving, at best. However, the
real danger will be if this so-called “dialogue” turns into collusion,
which will set Armenia back decades. In the end, the Armenian people
will pay the price, once again.

“In this process, the people are becoming a tool, an observer,”
Armenian Revolutionary Federation’s Armen Rustamian told RFE/RL’s
Armenian service on Thursday. “Under the worst-case scenario, those
political forces will agree on something but the people will eventually
gain nothing from that.”

“Right now I don’t see signs that this dialogue will lead to a
meaningful improvement of the existing situation,” added Rustamian.

After all Sarkisian and Ter-Petrosian are birds of the same feather.

It was their mutual interests that guided Armenia’s domestic economic
and foreign policies in the early days of independence and has turned
Armenia into a monolithic oligarchy and has not created an atmosphere
where new-young-leaders can emerge and true change can be implemented.

As early as last week, Ter-Petrosian was reiterating his failed
position on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, when he told the BBC’s
Russian service that if Karabakh lands were given back to Azerbaijan,
the conflict would have ended a long time ago. He also claimed that he
was not allowed to see this brilliant vision through due to opposition
from Karabakh and his inner circle.

Armenia’s current situation on all fronts is dire and neither
Ter-Petrosian nor Sarkisian are proposing any concrete changes to
turn the tide and initiate positive change. Both men are motivated
by securing their place in authority and as we’ve seen in the past,
self-righteously rule over Armenia rather than lead it.

Perhaps after this “dialogue” (if it ever transpires) will once and
for all convince Armenia’s voters to abandon these Soviet vestiges
that have looted the national wealth, consciousness and psyche and
look inward to find alternatives who can properly lead and strengthen
the Armenian state.

It is up to people to end this political grandstanding by claiming
their rights as citizens.

From: A. Papazian

NKR HERHER VILLAGE SCHOOL HAS NEW SPORTS HALL

Aysor.am
Monday,May 02

On May 1, President of the Artsakh Republic Bako Sahakyan visited
the village of Herher in the Martuni region of NKR.

The President attended the ceremony of opening a newly built sports
hall in the village school.

B. Sahakyan expressed gratitude to French philanthropists of Armenian
origin Hrach Siseryan and Elizabeth Keleshyan for financing the
construction of this sports facility. For patriotic activity the
President awarded the philanthropists Gratitude Medal.

In his speech, Bako Sahakyan underlined that the sports hall would
be of pivotal significance for developing physical culture in Herher
and the neighboring villages.

Second President of NKR Arkady Ghukasyan, Primate of the Artsakh
Diosese of the Armenian Apostolic Church Archbishop Pargev Martirosyan
and other officials attended the event, Artsakh President~Rs press
office reported.

From: A. Papazian

STATEMENT BY SPOKESPERSON FOR AZERBAIJANI DEFENSE MINISTRY ABSURD -NKR DEFENSE MINISTRY

Monday, 02 May 2011 09:39

The statement by Spokesman for Azerbaijani Defense Ministry Eldar
Sabiroglu is absurd, Spokesperson for NKR Defense Ministry Senor
Hasratyan told Armenian News-NEWS.am.

“This is another attempt to deceive the international community. The
purpose of this tragicomedy is to conceal Azerbaijan’s actions,”
he stressed, commenting on Sabiroglu’s recent statement.

According to APA agency, Spokesperson for Azerbaijani Defense Ministry
Eldar Sabiroglu said that not Azerbaijanis, but an Armenian citizen
killed two Armenian soldiers and injured one on the contact line.

From: A. Papazian

PRESIDENT SARGSYAN EXTENDS CONDOLENCES TO BARACK OBAMA

armradio.am
02.05.2011 14:14

President Serzh Sargsyan sent a letter of condolences to the President
of the United States Barack Obama on death and devastation caused by
tornadoes in the Southern states. The letter reads:

“I learned with deep sorrow the news of almost 300 deaths and
devastation caused by tornadoes in the Southern states.

On behalf of the people of Armenia and my own behalf, I express my
sincerest condolences to You and families of the victims. We share
Your pain and at this grave moment wish you patience and endurance.”

From: A. Papazian