Author: Andres-Papazian

EX-LEADER KOCHARYAN’S MEETING WITH PUTIN FUELS TALK ABOUT HIS RETURN TO MAJOR-LEAGUE POLITICS
By Naira Hayrumyan

ArmeniaNow
24.12.10

The two ex-presidents have met again (2008 archive photo)

A report that former Armenian president Robert Kocharyan met with
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Monday (December
20) has given rise to press speculation that the former president is
plotting a political comeback.

The Kocharyan-Putin meeting was confirmed by the head of the
ex-president’s office Victor Soghomonyan.

Since his retirement in 2008, the second president of Armenia has led a
mostly non-public life, rarely attending public events. Still, during
this period reports have been coming about Kocharyan’s high-level
meetings at home and abroad. In March 2009 he made a trip to France
where he met with former French President Jacques Chirac, in January
this year he visited Iran where he was received by President Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad. He also met with newly appointed U.S. co-chair of the
OSCE Minsk Group Robert Bradtke in Yerevan last spring. Since his
resignation as president Kocharyan has given only one major interview,
in which he criticized the government’s economic policy and also
voiced harsh criticism over the initiatives of the current president
on Armenian-Turkish normalization.

Experts see the Kocharyan-Putin meeting as signaling the start of
Armenia’s 2012 parliamentary election campaign. At least two major
parties, Prosperous Armenia and the Armenian Revolutionary Federation
(Dashnaktsutyun), are believed to be Kocharyan’s support bases in
Armenian politics.

Head of the parliamentary faction of the ruling Republican Party of
Armenia Galust Sahakyan takes Kocharyan’s meeting with the Russian
prime minister in its stride.

“The meeting of the ex-presidents of the two countries is likely to
have been initiated by Putin and was of a protocol character rather
than was conditioned by the need to solve any major political issues,”
Sahakyan told reporters on Thursday.

According to the senior Republican Party member, Kocharyan has
no serious influence on political processes in Armenia and has an
“inert position”. However, he said, it does not mean that he is not
interested in the fate of Armenia.

Meanwhile, the leader of the Prosperous Armenia party, tycoon Gagik
Tsarukyan has not yet said whose candidacy he will support in the 2013
presidential election. His party is one of the two junior partners
of the Republicans in the current governing coalition.

In its turn, Dashnaktsutyun, which quit the coalition in May 2009
over what it considered the current administration’s conciliatory
position in the Armenia-Turkey rapprochement, has slammed the current
authorities for “failed foreign and domestic policies” and aims to
achieve a leadership change, i.e. “the change of the president,
the government and the National Assembly”, as was stated by the
party’s senior representative Armen Rustamyan. Speaking about the
change of power, Dashnaktsutyun has in mind the next parliamentary
and presidential elections.

Meanwhile, ex-prime minister Hrant Bagratyan, who is currently a
leading member of the extra-parliamentary opposition Armenian National
Congress, does not believe that there are any serious differences
between Prosperous Armenia and the Republicans.

“Tsarukyan or Kocharyan cannot go against the authorities. These
games are just for increasing their share in power and not to lose
what they have,” says Bagratyan.

From: A. Papazian

HOVSEP HOVSEPYAN: RA STATE COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE FINANCED 729 USELESS PROJECTS IN 2008-2009

PanARMENIAN.Net
December 24, 2010 – 13:18 AMT 09:18 GMT

Hovsep Hovsepyan, the head of the control service under the RA
President, has slammed the Armenian state committee on science for
financing 729 useless projects in 2008-2009.

“These projects had no scientific value. Yet, they were financed
several times at the total amount of AMD 3,4 billion,” Hovsepyan said.

He also informed that the committee was allocated AMD 76 mln to cover
research expenses. “These funds were spent on purchase of furniture,
refrigerator and household appliances, although reports issued by
the committee read that the money was spent on scientific research,”
Hovsepyan emphasized.

He added that AMD 36,6 million was allocated for conduction of
scientific conferences without any preliminary calculation and control
of the organization process.

From: A. Papazian

‘CLASSICAL OTTOMAN MUSIC AND ARMENIANS’ BOOK PUBLISHED IN ISTANBUL

PanARMENIAN.Net
December 24, 2010 – 13:48 AMT 09:48 GMT

Titled ‘Classical Ottoman Music and Armenians’, Aram Kerovpyan’s book
encourages the youth to learn about the beauty of the past.

“All these figures show the richness of our land,” said Yasar Kurt,
secretary-general of the Istanbul 2010 European Capital of Culture
Agency, which supported the publishing of the book. “This is an
important resource book going back 200 years ago and showing us who
carried Turkish classical music to the present,” he said.

Kerovpyan, who was born in Istanbul but has lived in Paris for 33
years, said that not only Armenian but also Greek and Jewish composers,
made great contribution to Turkish classical music, Hurriyet Daily
News reported.

From: A. Papazian

VAZGEN SAFARYAN: INDUSTRY SHOULD BECOME PRIORITY SECTOR OF ARMENIAN ECONOMY

PanARMENIAN.Net
December 23, 2010 – 19:17 AMT 15:17 GMT

In 2010, the share of industry in Armenia’s GDP comprised 23,5%,
the head of the Armenian Union of Local Manufacturers Vazgen Safaryan
stated.

“In January-November 2010, AMD 734 billion worth of goods were
manufactured, food products grossing 50% of the figure,” the head of
the Union told a news conference in Yerevan.

As he noted, 6,6% growth of GDP was observed based on 2010 results;
4,6% increase is expected next year.

In conclusion, Safaryan emphasized the importance of including the
industry in priority sectors of Armenian economy.

From: A. Papazian

MOST OF PERMISSIONS FOR DRINKING WATER USAGE IN ARMENIA GIVEN WITHOUT EPIDEMIOLOGICAL EXPERTISE

PanARMENIAN.Net
December 24, 2010 – 13:46 AMT 09:46 GMT

Head of the control service under the Armenian President said that
the agency for water resource management has issued 541 permissions,
in 250 of which violations were revealed.

“Most of permissions for drinking water usage were given without
epidemiological expertise,” Hovsep Hovsepyan told a news conference.

Violations of norms of utilization of artesian waters in Ararat valley
were also found. “Despite the governmental ban, 46 permissions for
digging 71 wells were issued,” he said.

From: A. Papazian

CHANGE OF POWER ACCORDING TO THE ARF

A1Plus.am
December 23, 2010

“In 2010, we saw the results of the complete failure of “football
diplomacy”,” said ARF MP, Chairman of the International Relations
Committee Armen Rustamyan as he summed up the year.

The only thing he considered positive was the decision of the
Constitutional Court which corroborated the concerns of parties
joining the “no” movement.

Rustamyan says there was no other progress and is not even content with
Armenia suspending the ratification of the Armenian-Turkish Protocols.

“We suspended the process of ratification of the Protocols and thought
that we took a huge step, but in reality, we are suspending a process
that Turkey had suspended a long time ago.”

Rustamyan says the right thing for Armenia to do would be to call
back its signature under the Protocols and return to the baseline.

The ARF sees no progress in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict resolution
and says all processes are pro-Azerbaijani, except for the three
principles which Armenia has always attached importance to.

Rustamyan liked Serzh Sargsyan’s speech in Astana, but he sees a huge
difference between his words and actions.

“Speaking is one thing and the reality is another. If Armenia says it
can’t substitute Karabakh in the negotiations process that includes
the issues of status, refugees, territories and security, it shouldn’t
even sign under the documents without the participation of Karabakh.”

Rustamyan doubts that the Armenian government or the political majority
listens to and is guided by Serzh Sargsyan’s announcements.

“The government has failed not only in foreign policy, but domestic
policy as well and, first of all, in the spheres of society and
economy,” says Rustamyan.

In terms of democracy, Armen Rustamyan is not satisfied. “Plutocracy
is in place of democracy in Armenia. Money is power, and power is
more money and the authorities are reproducing with this logic.”

The ARF sees the solution through structural reform. “It is change of
content and not just change of people,” says Rustamyan, adding that
“the entire structure must change in order for the country to get
back on track and develop without ceding”.

From: A. Papazian

WHOM THE PRESIDENT OFFICE SINGLED OUT

Lragir.am
24 Dec 2010

On December 24, the president’s office of supervision service summed
up the year. The head of the office Hovhannes Hovsepyan presented
the results of 2010 studies and the breaches revealed. There is no
comprehensive assessment yet because many studies are still underway,
but Hovhannes Hovsepyan says that abuses of a serious scale have
been revealed.

During the press conference, Hovhannes Hovsepyan dwelt on several
spheres: Kotayk Marzh, Hrazdan Municipality, Tsakhkadzor Municipality,
Ministry of Nature protection, Ministry of Education and Science,
Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry Health and Committe for Coordination
of charity programs.

For example, in Kotayk Marzh, 15 of 25 alienation auctions took place
with legislative breaches. In Hrazdan, the Mayor made 456 decisions on
alienation and all contained legislative breaches without the consent
of the Elders’ Council. In Tsakhkadzor, 151 similar decisions were
found out.

250 from 541 decisions on water use of the Ministry of Nature
Protection contained law breaches. The Ministry of Education and
Science allocated money for scientific researches, while 90 percent of
the whole money was spent on salaries, or on never existed scientific
seminars and trips.

The Ministry of Health, state order medicine was purchased at high
prices while the same medicine is sold in pharmacies at lower prices.

There have been cases when the producer recalled the medicine it
produced since bad, while the Ministry did not check, and if the
producer did not recall the medicine, it would appear in the Armenian
medicine market.

Hovhannes Hovsepyan says that those guilty will be punished for the
breaches, as well as legislative amendments aimed at decreasing risks
will be proposed. Hovsepyan noted that 16 cases in 2009 were sent to
court and 12 criminal cases were launched, more than 1.4 billion was
restored to the budget.

As for whether further dismissals are possible as a result of their
revelations, Hovsepyan said he could not answer that question.

From: A. Papazian

WAS TURKEY PREPARING TO OCCUPY ADJARA?

Lragir.am
24 Dec 2010

Armenian and Russian sources have seized on American embassy cables
published by WikiLeaks which claim that Turkish armed forces were
ready to occupy Adjara during the war of August 2008 in the event of
Russian troops coming 100 km from the Georgian-Turkish border.

The leaked information suggests that Turkey’s Prime Minister, Recep
Erdogan and members of the Turkish parliament flew to Moscow to inform
Russia’s President Dimitri Medvedev that Turkey, as a NATO member
country would have the right to bring military units to the conflict
zone in order to protect the territory of the neighboring country.

In such a scenario, the cables claim, Turkey would have sent its
ground units into Adjara supported by air power. There is in fact a
precedent for the scenario, as in 1921 when the Red Army conquered
Georgia, Turkey’s military units moved in to occupy Adjara.

Is this all true?

The cables claim that on March 3, 2009 the Georgian Interior Minister,
Vano Merabishvili told Georgian journalists that if during the
Russian-Georgian war, the government had not been able to ensure the
country’s security, Turkey was ready to bring its armed forces in
through Adjara to protect Georgia.

According to the Kars agreement, signed by Russia after the occupation
of Georgia in 1921, Turkey has the right under international law to
bring troops into the Autonomous Republic of Adjara, but it is hard
to believe that an armed conflict could take place between NATO-member
Turkey and Russia over the territory.

There are several reasons for doubting that the sides would ever have
come to blows: First – the Turkey would not have been able to act in
the name of NATO without the consent of every NATO member state.

Second – Turkey could bring troops to Adjara but not as a NATO-member
state, it would only have been possible to use the Kars agreement to
justify a military presence in the territory, not actual conflict.

Third – Ankara would have done its best not to allow military
confrontation between the Turkish and Russian military units to occur
as such an event would cause a serious international incident.

On the morning of August 11, 2008, Russian jets bombed a Georgian
military base in Khelvachauri, Adjara as well as Sharabidzes,
Kapandichi and Makho, villages 10 km from the Georgian-Turkish border.

Russian planes flew well within the exclusion zone near the
Georgian-Turkish border but no response was seen from Ankara.

During the August war, a Russian commando unit entered Poti
and bombed several sites in the port town. One month later, a
Russian control-checkpoint was still located at the entrance to
Poti. Even though these actions took place less than 100 km from
the Georgian-Turkish border (70 km), there was no serious military
reaction from the side of the Turkish government.

These factors certainly shed doubt on the truth of the reports being
circulated in the Russian and Armenian media.

It cannot be ruled out that agencies of certain countries may be
trying to use the WikiLeaks data to spread misinformation as it is
quite difficult to check the validity of the information in the vast
hoard of data that can be found on the website.

By Irakli Aladashvili, Editor-in-chief of the military analytical
magazine “Arsenali” 23.12.2010

From: A. Papazian

NABUCCO PIPELINE PROJECT DISCUSSED IN ISTANBUL

PanARMENIAN.Net
December 24, 2010 – 11:42 AMT 07:42 GMT

Nabucco pipeline project was in the focus of a meeting between Turkish
President Abdullah Gul and his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev
on the sidelines of the Economic Cooperation Organization in Istanbul.

Ilham Aliyev emphasized that the issue will be considered with the
European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso and EU Commissioner
for Energy Gunther Oettinger, who are expected to arrive in Baku soon.

From: A. Papazian

GUL: RELATIONS WITH ARMENIA IMPOSSIBLE WITHOUT KARABAKH CONFLICT RESOLUTION

PanARMENIAN.Net
December 24, 2010 – 11:10 AMT 07:10 GMT

Turkish President Abdullah Gul has implied that normalization
of relations with Armenia is dependent on the Karabakh conflict
resolution.

“We are open for cooperation and call for it. Our intentions
are known,” Gul told journalists upon completion of the Economic
Cooperation Organization (ECO) summit in Istanbul, RIA Novosti
reported.

From: A. Papazian