Author: Andres-Papazian

YEREVAN, BAKU NEGOTIATE ON SWAP OF ANOTHER TWO CAPTIVES?

PanARMENIAN.Net
December 1, 2010 – 16:31 AMT 12:31 GMT

Head of the Public Relations Department at the International Committee
of the Red Cross (ICRC) office in Yerevan, Ashot Astabatsyan said that
ICRC always negotiates with the Armenian and Azerbaijani authorities
concerning all captives.

It is a confidential dialogue, Astabatsyan told a PanARMENIAN.Net
reporter.

At the same time, he neither confirmed nor refuted information of
the Azerbaijani media that Azerbaijan and Armenia negotiate on swap
of another two people.

Astabatsyan said that ICRC will convey relevant news on Armenians
who are in Azerbaijani captivity, if needed.

The Azerbaijani media reported that ICRC currently negotiates with
Armenia and Azerbaijan with respect to return of captives.

An Azerbaijani serviceman, who is in Armenian captivity, and an
Armenian civilian, who has been detained on the Azerbaijani territory,
expressed willingness to return to their homeland, 1news.az reported,
citing Head of ICRC office in Azerbaijan Cherine Pollini.

From: A. Papazian

OSCE MG STATEMENT SHOWS THAT PRINCIPLE OF TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY NOT PRIORITY FOR KARABAKH CONFLICT RESOLUTION

PanARMENIAN.Net
December 1, 2010 – 18:36 AMT 14:36 GMT

Director of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the RA National
Academy of Sciences Ruben Safrastyan said that the joint statement
of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair countries showed that the Karabakh
conflict settlement has gone beyond the boundaries of other conflicts
discussion, as a document on principles for conflicts resolution is
also envisaged to be adopted.

“The document on the Karabakh conflict settlement was presented
separately and prior to preparation of the document on principles for
conflicts resolution,” Safrastyan told a press conference in Yerevan.

According to him, OSCE believes that the Karabakh conflict resolution
should be based on those international principles, which served as
a basis for the OSCE Minsk Group’s activity and where the principle
of territorial integrity is not a priority one.

Safrastyan also noted that the statement attaches importance to
maintaining ceasefire.

The new document indicates that a peaceful resolution of the conflict
has no alternative.

“The document will serve as a basis for the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs,
so that they become more attentive in future and react adequately to
all cases of ceasefire violation by Azerbaijan,” said Safrastyan.

The Armenian expert added that the statement adopted in Astana can
facilitate further deepening of the negotiation process.

From: A. Papazian

KARABAKH CONFLICT GAINS ANOTHER INTERPRETATION AFTER STATEMENT IN ASTANA

PanARMENIAN.Net
December 1, 2010 – 17:28 AMT 13:28 GMT

Political analyst Armen Minasyan said that the fact that the OSCE Minsk
Group makes a reference to the UN Charter in the joint statement in
Astana is a new element in the Karabakh conflict settlement.

This novelty stems from the interest of the Karabakh people.

“The matter is that the UN Charter, which has a prevalent force in
the international law system, rather clearly fixes people’s right to
self-determination,” said Minasyan.

The first article of the document reads: “The purposes of the United
Nations are: … to develop friendly relations among nations based
on respect for the principle of equal rights and self-determination
of peoples, and to take other appropriate measures to strengthen
universal peace.”

“The principle of territorial integrity has no a high status in the
UN Charter,” Minasyan noted, adding that due to this the number of
UN member states has reached 200 against previous 52.

Besides, Minasyan said that provision 4 of Article 2 of the UN Charter
prohibits the threat or use of force.

According to him, the Karabakh conflict gains a new interpretation
on this evidence.

Minasyan said that if a necessity arises to bring the conflict
resolution in compliance with the UN Charter, it will mean that
the conflict origin, parties’ actions during its active phase
and consequences, specifically the fact of the Karabakh people’s
self-determination and Azerbaijan’s aggression that followed it should
be assessed.

“And here, in my opinion, parallels can be drawn with the Hague court
ruling on Kosovo,” said Minasyan.

On December 1, the Heads of Delegation of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair
countries (the President of the Russian Federation Dmitri Medvedev,
the Prime Minister of France Francois Fillon, and the Secretary of
State of the United States Hillary Rodham Clinton), the President of
Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, and the President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan
adopted a joint statement within the framework of the OSCE Summit in
Astana. The parties agreed that the time has come for more decisive
efforts to resolve the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.

From: A. Papazian

TURKEY GETS MOST FROM WIKILEAKS

news.am
Dec 1 2010
Armenia

A very sad events is really taking place in Astana, the Armenian
political analyst Manvel Sargsyan said.

He pointed out a number of factors, particularly the absence of the
U.S. and French leaders. “So the Astana Summit cannot be considered
a full-fledged one,” he said. The expert added that the WikiLeaks
exposures poured oil on the flames. The exposures on the threshold
of the Summit can hardly be a coincidence. The team had certain aims.

“One thing is obvious: the Astana Summit is taking place is a tense
atmosphere. The world leaders are hardly pleased to hold the event
in such an atmosphere,” he said.

Turkey is one of the targets. Most unpleasant information has become
available to the public.

As regards the summit agenda, the expert said that the world leader’s
statement confirms that many of the participants do not believe the
OSCe is capable of resolving serious problems.

From: A. Papazian

ALIYEV COMPLAINS ABOUT ARMENIA’S “UNWILLINGNESS” TO ESTABLISH PEACE

PanARMENIAN.Net
December 1, 2010 – 19:24 AMT 15:24 GMT

Baku urges Armenia to continue peace negotiations, expecting the
conflict to be settled as soon as possible, Azeri President Ilham
Aliyev stated at OSCE summit in Astana.

“Today, Armenia uses force to keep Karabakh territories under
control and impeding return of IDPs to their homelands. Nevertheless,
Azerbaijan is loyal to peace talks and principles,” Aliyev said.

“But, instead of conducting negotiations to achieve solution of the
conflict, Armenia prefers to use conflict escalation, pursues illegal
settlement policy and tries to change peace process into senseless
one,” APA quoted the Azeri President as saying.

From: A. Papazian

PRESIDENT SARGSYAN DISCUSSES ARMENIA’S RELATIONS WITH EU, BRITAIN, SERBIA IN ASTANA

PanARMENIAN.Net
December 1, 2010 – 17:47 AMT 13:47 GMT

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan currently on a visit to Astana,
held a number of bilateral meetings with the heads of OSCE co-chair
delegations.

Meetings with the President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy,
British Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, and the President of Serbia
Boris Tadic were also on presidential agenda.

A large scale of issues including Armenia-EU cooperation, visa regime
facilitation, establishment of Armenia-EU free trade zone and bilateral
relations were discussed, presidential press service reported.

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIAN DELEGATION REBUFFS BAKU’S ANTI-ARMENIAN PROPAGANDA AT ISTANBUL-HOSTED SESSION

PanARMENIAN.Net
December 1, 2010 – 21:14 AMT 17:14 GMT

Armenian Justice Ministry delegation led by Deputy Minister Nikolay
Arustamyan participated in Istanbul-hosted summit of EU Ministers of
Justice on November 24-27.

While speaking at the summit, Azeri Minister of Justice explained the
overload in Azerbaijan’s prisons by the “aggression of the neighboring
state and occupation of 20% of Azeri territories”.

In response, Deputy Minister Arustamyan warned the Azeri delegation
against turning the event into a medium for political statements, also
characterizing the Azeri side’s statements as lacking legal grounds,
ministerial press service reported.

From: A. Papazian

MOSCOW MOVIE THEATRE TO FEATURE 3D SCREENING OF ANIMATION FILMS

PanARMENIAN.Net
December 1, 2010 – 18:30 AMT 14:30 GMT

Starting November 12, Moscow movie theatre has been hosting the 3D
screening of The Chronicles of Narnia and Megamind animation films.

As the managing director of Moscow movie theater Toma Movsesyan noted,
“3D format is gaining popularity worldwide. I believe, Armenian
viewers should be kept abreast of popular tendencies.”

Prices for morning and evening shows were set at AMD 1500 and 2000
respectively.

From: A. Papazian

IRAN BECOMES ONE OF MAIN DRUG SUPPLIERS TO ARMENIA

PanARMENIAN.Net
December 1, 2010 – 18:08 AMT 14:08 GMT

Vahan Dilanyan, a member of the Union of Young Politicians of Armenia
spoke on a large-scale drug import to Armenia from Iran.

At December 1 news conference in Yerevan, he urged to pay special
attention to the nationality of the importer of illicit substances.

“Recently, we’ve discovered an Iranian citizen importing drugs to be
an Azerbaijani by nationality,” he noted.

As Heritage Armenia party youth wing committee secretary Gevorg
Manukyan, in turn, noted, “often, some representatives of governmental
structures, responsible for drug trafficking prevention, turn out to
be the ones promoting it.”

From: A. Papazian

7.1% UNEMPLOYMENT RATE REPORTED IN JANUARY-OCTOBER 2010 IN ARMENIA

PanARMENIAN.Net
December 1, 2010 – 21:15 AMT 17:15 GMT

The unemployment rate totaled 7.1% in Armenia in January-October 2010
against 6.9% reported during the same period in 2009.

The number of unemployed officially registered by the State Employment
Service totaled 83,900, the RA National Statistical Service reported.

The total number of economically active population totaled 1187,200
in January-October 2010, with 1103,300 people having jobs.

The official demand for workforce in Armenia comprised 1067 people
or 77 unemployed per 1 vacancy as of end of October 2010.

24,100 out of the total number of unemployed were receiving benefits
as of the end of October 2010 against 26,600 as of the end of July
2009. The average monthly benefit grossed AMD 16,595 against 17014
in October 2009.

From: A. Papazian