Author: Andres-Papazian

AMERICAN PROFESSOR: NAGORNO-KARABAKH PROBLEM IS BEGINNING TO RESEMBLE THAT OF ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN STAND-OFF

Today

Nov 9 2010
Azerbaijan

Interview with Michael Gunter, professor of Political Science at the
Tennessee Technological University, USA.

How do you see the solution to the Iran problem from international
perspective? If the decision is to bring more military to the region,
then what are the neighbors of the country expected to do?

The Iran problem needs to be addressed completely through diplomacy.

This means that the military stick be kept in the background but
potentially available as a thorough diplomatic process is engaged.

The US still believes that the Iranian policy is dangerous not only
for the people of Iran but for the region. Could you please describe
Iran’s danger to the region? Should countries like Azerbaijan be
worried and what should they do about that?

Much of the Iranian problem has to do with the unrestrained and
threatening rhetoric with which Iranian President Mahmud Ahmedinejad
engages. Iran has a long and distinguished history as a great
regional power that is acceptable to its neighbors. Therefore, I do
not believe that Azerbaijan should be worried. I think neighboring
countries should try to explain to the US how it is necessary for
them to continue economic relations with Tehran, that such relations
would actually help soften the heated rhetoric that threatens violence.

How important is the South Caucasus region for global affairs?

The South Caucasus region is mainly important for global affairs only
for its oil resources. The US maintains a keen interest, but realizes
that it remains a distant third power when compared to the proximity
of Russia, Iran, and Turkey. Still given that the US is in many ways
the world’s only super power, by definition it remains interested in
all global regions especially the South Caucasus because of its oil.

What are the prospects of resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh issue today?

What is needed to be done by the parties involved and world mediators?

I do not see any early solution to the issue regarding
Nagorno-Karabakh. Indeed all the third parties and Armenia tend to
benefit by the continuing impasse.

oan the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict be compared to the other regional
conflicts, such as Abkhazia, North Ossetia, Israeli-Palestinian
stand-off? In what ways are their road-maps similar?

I think the Nagorno-Karabakh problem is beginning to resemble that
of the Israeli-Palestinian stand-off. Abkhazia and North Ossetia on
the other hand remain very secondary and more recent problems and
therefore cannot yet be compared to Nagorno-Karabakh.

From: A. Papazian

“U.S. EFFORTS TO NORMALIZE ARMENIAN-TURKISH RELATIONS IN ISOLATION FROM THE NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT HAVE NOT YIELDED POSITIVE RESULTS”

Today

Nov 8 2010
Azerbaijan

Heritage Foundation’s leading expert on Eurasia Ariel Cohen said
that Baku, Tbilisi and even Yerevan believe that the United States’
political course in the South Caucasus is failing.

“U.S. efforts to normalize Armenian-Turkish relations in isolation
from the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict have not yielded positive results,”
Cohen said in an interview with the Caucasus Times.

Turkish and Armenian foreign ministers Ahmet Davutoglu and Edward
Nalbandian signed the Ankara-Yerevan protocols in Zurich on Oct. 10,
2009.

During the Swiss-mediated talks, Turkey and Armenia reached an
agreement to launch “internal political consultations” on Aug. 31
to sign the “Protocol on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations
and Protocol on the Development of Bilateral Relations,” the Turkish
Foreign Ministry reported.

Diplomatic relations between Armenia and Turkey have been severed
since 1993 due to Armenia’s claims of an alleged genocide and its
occupation of Azerbaijani lands.

Turkish-Armenian and Armenian-Azerbaijani relations have been at the
same level, at which they were, at least, three years ago, Cohen said.

“The United States has failed to persuade the parties to abandon
the pre-conditions preventing the normalization of the relations,”
he said. “Turkish officials constantly drew parallels between the
Armenian-Turkish rapprochement process and the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict, clearly stating that these processes are linked and their
solution is impossible in separate.”

Washington, Cohen said, showed detachment toward Azerbaijan quite a
long time by not appointing a U.S. ambassador to that country since
July last year.

“This fact seriously worries the Azerbaijani establishment, and this
has repeatedly been voiced by representatives of the Azerbaijani
Foreign Ministry, including in Washington,” he said. “The internal
reasons undermine the appointment of experienced diplomat Matthew
Bryza to this post. In addition, Baku is angered at the U.S. support
for hte normalization of Turkey-Armenia relations without reference
to the Nagorno-Karabakh issue.”

Cohen added that the occupation of Azerbaijani territory was one of
the main reasons for the break in Turkey-Armenia relations in 1993.

However, striving for peacemaking, the White House has just closed eyes
to many aspects of the complex relationships in the Baku-Ankara-Yerevan
axis, he said.

“The Obama administration overlooks the fact that Azerbaijan is a
secular Muslim state, whose elite is committed to Western values and
the existence of such a partner on the border with Iran, Turkey and
Russia is important,” he said. “Given the fact that the rating of
the United States in the Islamic world is rather low, the presence
of allies-Islamic countries bordering the Caspian Sea and in the
Central Asia is an important trump card for Washington. The country
has considerable energy resources and is ready to deliver them to the
West, including in the framework of the economically uneasy Nabucco
project, which Moscow has long sought to torpedo.”

The main thing that should worry the United States is Azerbaijan’s
discontent with the Obama administration’s policy, which may persuade
Baku to move toward closely allied relations with Russia, Cohen said.

He also noted that there are objective prerequisites for such a move.

Already, both Turkey and Azerbaijan are more oriented toward
partnership with Russia due to their geographic location, growing trade
and economic ties, and Moscow’s peaceful approach to the peculiarities
of political life in both countries, he said.

“Of course, it is impossible to please everyone at once in a region
with diametrically opposed interests,” Cohen said. “Unfortunately,
U.S. policy in the region, which both parties have pursued over the
last 20 years during the Clinton and Bush administrations, is in
deep crisis.”

Today, Moscow is doing everything to strengthen its regional leadership
by all available means, he said.

Cohen believes it is not difficult amid the Obama administration’s
apparent weakening of interest in the South Caucasus. The Kremlin
took over the main role of the mediator in the territorial dispute
between Baku and Yerevan, and is now trying to keep a delicate balance
between its traditional ally, which is Armenia, and its prospective
partner Azerbaijan, he said.

From: A. Papazian

AZERBAIJANI, TURKISH MPS SHARE SAME POSITION ON NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT

Today

Nov 8 2010
Azerbaijan

Azerbaijani and Turkish MPs share the same position on Azerbaijan’s
occupied territories, Azerbaijan-Turkey Inter-Parliamentary Friendship
Group head Mustafa Kabakci told journalists today in Baku.

Kabakci added that Turkey has always supported Azerbaijan and will
continue this course. He said anyone who carries out propaganda
against these “two brotherly countries” in Turkey or in Azerbaijan
will be seen as the “enemy of such a brotherhood.”

From: A. Papazian

KARABAKH TALKS HELD IN OTHER FORMAT, LEVON TER-PETROSYAN SAYS

news.am
Nov 9 2010
Armenia

The last (seventh) meeting of the Armenian, Russian and Azerbaijani
leaders proves that despite the OSCE Minsk Group’s activities, talks on
Nagorno-Karabakh are in fact held in other format, Levon Ter-Petrosyan,
leader of the Armenian National Congress, said at today’s oppositional
rally in Yerevan.

Interestingly, Levon Ter-Petrosyan changed his stance within recent
two years. He stated that key to resolution of the Karabakh conflict
is in Washington, not in Moscow, as he used to say before.

As NEWS.am reported earlier, Armenian, Russian and Azerbaijani
Presidents met in Astrakhan on October 27, 2010. It is the seventh
meeting of the presidents in such format, three of them took place
last year.

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIAN AUTHORITIES TO RELEASE POLITICAL PRISONERS

news.am
Nov 9 2010
Armenia

According to some information, the Armenian authorities decided
to release all the political prisoners except for Nikol Pashinyan,
the editor-in-chief of the Haykakan Zhamanak newspaper, and Sasun
Mikaelyan, a veteran of the Karabakh war, Levon Zurabyan, Coordinator
of the Armenian National Congress (ANC), stated at a rally in Yerevan
on Nov. 9.

According to him, the authorities are thus trying to escape sanctions
by the Council of Europe. “The ruling regime has lately shown obvious
signs of panic, particularly pressure on Nikol Pashinyan by means
of criminal circles, the aim being to silence the Haykakan Zhamanak
newspaper. Over 50 policemen have attacked the young activists today.

The reason for the panic is that the authorities are well aware of
the fact that the people’s getting completely full of hatred and
international pressure is growing,” Zurabyan said.

He pointed out that PACE co-rapporteurs, as well as CE Commissioner
for Human Rights Thomas Hammarberg, are to arrive in Armenia before
the PACE session scheduled for next January. It is on the threshold of
the visits that many of the active Opposition members may be released.

Zurabyan stressed that the Opposition’s current task is to continue
active struggle for the release of all the political prisoners.

In his turn, Aram Sargsyan, Political Council Chairman, Republic Party,
stressed the “Armenian authorities immediate involvement in the recent
international criminal scandals.” He also spoke of the video with
U.S. Vice-President Joe Biden claiming that the Armenian President
asked the U.S. administration for not highlighting recognition of
the Armenian Genocide as long as the Armenian-Turkish reconciliation
process is under way.

Aram Sargsyan stressed that the illegitimate Armenian authorities’
anti-national policy resulted in a most unfavorable situation in the
Nagorno-Karabakh peace process.

“It means that the incumbent authorities’ term is expiring and
inevitable changes are coming,” Sargsyan said.

From: A. Papazian

ANC HOLD PROCESSION IN YEREVAN

news.am
Nov 9 2010
Armenia

Supporters of the opposition Armenian National Congress (ANC) started
a procession in Yerevan at 8:00 p.m. local time.

The participants decided not to head for the police department of
the Center community. A few minutes before the procession four young
active members were released and arrived at the rally.

The Opposition claimed that the authorities listened to its appeal
for releasing the “guys.” They stated the procession will go along
the center of Yerevan. Aram Mankyan, Board Chairman, Armenian National
Movement (ANM), stated that a new procession is to be held on December
10, on the occasion of Human Rights Day. The ANC’s new rally will
be announced.

From: A. Papazian

INEVITABLE VICTORY OF RULING PARTY DRUBBED INTO PEOPLE’S HEADS, STEPAN DEMIRCHYAN SAYS

news.am
Nov 9 2010
Armenia

It is clear that the Armenian authorities are getting ready for
parliamentary elections and the essence of their actions has not
changed, Stepan Demirchyan, chairman of the People’s Party of Armenia,
said at today’s rally of the Armenian National Congress (ANC).

According to him, authorities are trying to drub an idea on inevitable
victory of the ruling party into people’s heads.

“What is the reason that authorities should get majority of votes?

They have done nothing for the country. They can achieve success only
if they use their traditional methods – rigging,” Demirchyan said.

From: A. Papazian

INTERNATIONAL AGENCIES ADMIT POLITICAL PRISONERS IN ARMENIA, OPPOSITION LEADER SAYS

news.am
Nov 9 2010
Armenia

International agencies admitted the existence of political prisoners
in Armenia long ago, Chairman of the Armenian National Congress (ANC)
Levon Ter-Petrosyan stated at the ANC rally in Yerevan on Nov. 9.

According to him, the Armenian Opposition has never tried to force
European officials to use the term “political prisoners,” as they
recognized the fact long ago. The only thing is, Ter-Petrosyan claims,
the Opposition demands that the international agencies see to it that
Armenia strictly observe its commitments. Armenia’s first President
severely criticized the Council of Europe, a NEWS.am correspondent
reports.

“Many European officials believe the situation in Armenia to be better
as compared with that in Afghanistan or Somali. And our situation is
really better: if their election campaigns claim hundreds of lives,
ours claim only ten lives. However, such an approach is a subconscious
manifestation of racism – when Armenia is deprived of the opportunity
of being compared with civilized countries. The European officials’
position that sanctions against authoritarian regimes are ineffective
is beneath criticism. However, if so, what is the reason why the CE
regulations provides for such sanctions,” Ter-Petrosy

From: A. Papazian

MINSK GROUP PERSUADES AZERBAIJAN OF THE LOSS OF KARABAKH

news.am
Nov 9 2010
Armenia

Recognition of Nagorno-Karabakh by Armenia will trigger Azerbaijan
to carry put its military threats, Richard Giragosian, Director of
Armenian Center for National and International Studies told a round
table discussion in Yerevan.

According to him, today the main thing is not the recognition
of Karabkh by Armenia, it is more important that OSCE de facto
recognized Nagorno-Karabakh and is currently holding talks on
Karabakh’s status-quo and tries to persuade Azerbaijan to accept the
loss of Karabakh.

“Azerbaijani specialists should draw a new map of Azerbaijan, as
Nagorno-Karabakh will never be part of Azerbaijan any longer. The last
to understand this should be the person sitting in the presidential
residence,” the expert said.

He stressed Azerbaijan will recognize Karabkh’s independence, only
when oil resources are exhausted in the country or when Baku loses
a new war or a democratic regime is established in the country.

Giragosian did not rule out that another war will be needed to resolve
the Karabakh conflict.

As for the recognition of Nagorno-Karabakh by Armenia, Giragosian said
Yerevan missed two opportune moments-in 1994, during the signing of
ceasefire agreement and Kosovo’s self-determination process. Today it
is important for the Armenian society to hold debates on the matter,
the expert concluded.

From: A. Papazian

AZERBAIJANI PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS CHALLENGE TO THE WORLD

news.am
Nov 9 2010
Armenia

Azerbaijan does not care about the international community’s opinion.

The international community cannot exert any pressure on Azerbaijan
due to its oil and being a transit country on the way from Turkey
to Afghanistan, Richard Giragosian, Director of the Armenian Center
for National and International Studies, stated at a roundtable,
commenting on the disgraceful parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan.

The elections proved a test not only for Azerbaijan, but also for
the international community. Azerbaijan actually made a challenge to
the international community by holding elections running counter to
democratic standards. However, due to a number of factors, the latter
has to give a lenient response to Baku’s impudence, Giragosian said.

According to him, Armenia now has a more aggressive and authoritarian
neighbor. The disgraceful elections have even more alienated
the region from democratic values, Giragosian said. This year’s
parliamentary elections proved to be even more disgraceful than the
previous elections, as the Opposition hardly had any chance to get
into Parliament. All means were used, from denial of registration
of opposition candidates down to bans on rallies and black PR –
during the prime time the state TV showed porno video with one of
the opposition candidates,” Giragosian said. He also pointed out
the clan system in Azerbaijan. In no country has the First Lady ever
been a Parliament member. Even the latest amendments to the country’s
Constitution, which extend the terms of Aliyev’s presidency, were, as
some experts believe, aimed at neutralizing his wife Mehriban Alieva’s
political claims – many political figures consider Mehriban her own
husband’s real political rival, Giragosian said. He pointed out that
the President’s uncle and his niece’s husband got into Parliament as
well. Relatives of numerous high-ranking officials got into the Milli
Majlis as well. In fact, the son inherits power from the father in
Azerbaijan, Giragosian said.

This is the Azerbaijan the Armenia side will have to negotiate
the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Given the current
situation in the country, the following question arises: will the
Azerbaijani people under yoke support the authoritarian regime in
unleashing a new war in Nagorno-Karabakh?

From: A. Papazian