Author: Andres-Papazian

TURKEY ‘ENCOURAGES’ DESTRUCTION OF ARMENIAN MONUMENTS AT THE STATE LEVEL: SAMVEL KARAPETYAN

Tert.am
16:37 03.11.10

The last remnants of the Armenian monuments in Turkey will disappear
in less than decades, Samvel Karapetyan, an Armenian scientist engaged
in monument studies, said at a press conference today.

“A few years will pass, even not decades, and the last remnants of
the Armenian monuments will disappear,” said he.

Apparently resentful of a recent trip to Turkey only to find out that
the Armenian monuments and cemeteries are being robbed and demolished,
Mr Karapetyan said that the Turkish state has no direct participation
in that process. Instead, Turkey – through its inaction – encourages
the demolition of the Armenian monument at the state level.

In his words, every day Turkish TV channels show footage of how their
citizens find gold and other treasures while demolishing an Armenian
church or cemetery – something that prompts the Turkish society to
such actions.

“While the Armenians existed [there], they would enjoy what the
living Armenians earned, and now they hope that they will live on
some treasures dug out of our cemeteries or from who knows where,”
said Mr Karapetyan.

Further he said that Turkey still continues to extinguish the Armenian
origins from its territory – once home to more than millions of
Armenians.

“Turkey has not stopped the process of extinguishing our origins from
our home,” said Mr Karapetyan, adding that anything reminiscent of
the Armenian origin testifies to the historical truth – something
that bothers Turkey very much.

From: A. Papazian

RUSSIA HINTS AT HOLDING THE KEY TO KARABAKH CONFLICT RESOLUTION: EX-FOREIGN MINISTER

Tert.am
16:23 03.11.10

Armenia’s ex-Foreign Minister Alexander Arzumanyan hails Zharangutyun
(Heritage) Party’s recent initiative to introduce a draft law on
Karabakh recognition to parliament.

“This is a message to the international community. But recognizing
NKR now may negatively affect the [OSCE] Minsk Group process. It was
more reasonable to maintain the issue on the agenda,” he told a news
conference on Wednesday.

At that, he noted that the recent trilateral meeting between Armenian,
Azerbaijani and Russian presidents in Astrakhan was quite expected.

“Russia may prolong the agreement on deploying military base whenever
it wishes so,” he said, adding at the same time that the country
currently plays a major role on the international arena, hinting that
it holds the key to the resolution of Karabakh conflict.

Mr Arzumanyan does not anticipate any progress of the upcoming
meeting in Astana as he believes the moment for conflict resolution
has not matured.

“The parties will restrict themselves to general statements,
reiterating the principles of the Minsk process and hailing the
co-chairs in their efforts. What we have on the table now are the
Madrid principles, which are acceptable neither for Armenia, nor for
Karabakh, nor for Azerbaijan” said he.

From: A. Papazian

MAN SUSPECTED OF MURDERING RUSSIAN SERVICEMEN ARRESTED IN ARMENIA

Tert.am
16:02 03.11.10

An Armenian citizen suspected of murdering 2 Russian servicemen has
been arrested in Armenia thanks to Russian-Armenian joint investigative
operations, reports Russian news agency ITAR-TAS, citing a release
by the Investigative Committee at the Prosecutor General’s Office of
the Russian Federation.

On the night of October 23 warrant officers Arthur Yenokyan and Armen
Zakaryan’s dead bodies with stab wounds were found on the territory
of the Russian military subdivision in Gyumri, Armenia.

Russian law enforcement bodies had filed a criminal case in that
connection.

From: A. Papazian

ASTRAKHAN DECLARATION POSES THREAT TO KARABAKH’S LEGAL STATUS: DAVID SHAHNAZARYAN

Tert.am
16:01 03.11.10

The positive aspect of the recent declaration signed between
Armenian and Azerbaijani Presidents in Astrakhan is that it promotes
humanitarian cooperation, representative of opposition Armenian
National Congress (HAK) David Shahnazaryan finds.

At the same time the document contains a clause which poses a
serious political threat in terms of international law, he told a
news conference today.

“A documents has been signed at the presidential level with which
Armenia has admitted that it has been and continues to remain in
war with Azerbaijan,” Mr Shahnazaryan said, adding that the document
rules out the presence of third conflicting party.

This, according to him, drives Karabakh out of the negotiation process,
eliminating its role as a subject.

“This is an unprecedented phenomenon. The term “prisoner of war” is
clearly defined under international law and that applies to countries
which are at war,” HAK representative said, adding that the document
has given a big advantage to Azerbaijan.

“Astrakhan meeting followed Aliyev’s agenda,” he said in conclusion.

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIA’S AUTHORITIES WON’T USE THEIR RIGHT OF VETO IN ASTANA: DAVID SHAHNAZARYAN

Tert.am
15:32 03.11.10

Armenia’s authorities will not dare to use their right of veto at the
upcoming OSCE summit in Astana, Russia, representative of opposition
Armenian National Congress (HAK) Davit Shahnazaryan told a press
conference today.

“The authorities of the Republic of Armenia have such a low immunity
that they will not dare to unleash a war of vetoes,” Mr Shahnazaryan
said, asked whether Armenia would use its veto right as it did
in Lisbon.

Mr Shahnazaryan also said he was sure Armenia’s authorities will not
be able to thrust their will upon others at the OSCE summit is Astana,
Kazakhstan. In his opinion, no roadmap will be adopted in Astana.

Instead, a statement will be made.

“I think that it is more than probable that a statement will be
adopted stipulating all the settlement principles [known as the
Madrid Principles], those points around which the parties have already
reached agreement,” explained he.

Speaking about the Armenia-Turkey normalization process Mr Shahnazaryan
said Armenia’s authorities must confess that they have made a serious
mistake. Armenia’s authorities, according to him, have not understood
that the opening of the Armenia-Turkey border is being resolved within
the OSCE Minsk Group.

From: A. Papazian

OPPOSITION TO UNITE TO WIN MAJORITY SEATS IN PARLIAMENT

Tert.am
14:50 03.11.10

Elections are and will be a kind of “harrow” for our society to stand
on every five years unless people become sophisticated enough to
face such tests, according to Armenia’s ex-Foreign Minister Alexander
Arzumanyan.

The authorities are doing their best to ensure a majority of seats in
the upcoming parliamentary elections, he told a news conference today.

“And they will do that at the expense of their coalition partners. The
authorities are making every possible step to gain control of the
entire electoral process,” Mr Arzumanyan said.

The opposition, according to him, is preparing for the regular
parliamentary elections due in 2012 and in order to win, they have
to be united.

“The opposition should serve as a single window enabling people to
voice their complaints. They just lack diplomacy to negotiate and
join all their efforts,” ex-Foreign Minister said, adding that the
majority of society will support the opposition.

With regard to extraordinary presidential elections, the opposition
activist said they are not normally held in post-Soviet countries
unless there is a force majeure situation.

“Mr Ter-Petrosyan says the country is on the brink of collapse. Is
there anything worse than that?”

Mr Zurabyan didn’t rule out the possibility of having a new political
force on the arena following the elections.

“Since the elections are sure to be falsified, there will be a
necessity for such force,” he said.

From: A. Papazian

DAVID SHAHNAZARYAN CALLS ON ZHARANGUTYUN TO TURN DOWN DRAFT LAW ON KARABAKH RECOGNITION

Tert.am
14:46 03.11.10

Zharangutyun (Heritage) party’s recent initiative to propose a
law on Nagorno Karabakh’s recognition was a miscalculated step,
representative of opposition Armenian National Congress (HAK) David
Shahnazaryan believes.

In a news conference on today, Mr Shahnazaryan said that recognition
of NKR’s independence at this moment will greatly harm the Minsk
Group process, something Azerbaijan is seeking for.

“I am calling on Zharangutyun not to put the draft law to vote,”
he said.

From: A. Papazian

TURKEY TO RELEASE DINK’S MURDERER

Tert.am
14:28 03.11.10

A law prescribing from 1.5 to 2 years’ arrest period for accused
individuals will be incorporated into Turkey’s Criminal Procedure
Code on December 3, 2010, Turkish daily reports Aksam, characterizing
the event as a new “bingo” for Ogun Samast, the assassinator of
Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink.

After the entry into force of the new law, the court will make a
decision to release Samast who has been under arrest for 3 years and
9 months already.

Earlier, meeting Samast’s lawyer half-way, the Istanbul court decided
to mitigate Samast’s punishment, by considering him a minor at the
time of committing the crime.

This decision will reduce Samast’s sentence for 5 years.

From: A. Papazian

AUTHORITIES MUST FIND WAY TO RELEASE POLITICAL PRISONERS: ALEXANDER ARZUMANYAN

Tert.am
14:21 03.11.10

Pressured by the world community, Armenian authorities declared
amnesty, but they did it in a biased manner, Armenia’s former Foreign
Minister Alexander Arzumanyan said at a press conference on Wednesday,
as he expressed his concerns over the issue of political prisoners
in Armenia.

“Under the world community’s pressure, Armenian authorities declared
amnesty, but they did that in a biased manner,” he said, adding that
former political prisoner Ashot Manukyan’s recent release was a move
that gives comfort.

The opposition activist believes the world community is taking a
severe stance on the existing situation.

“The authorities have to find a way to gradually release all political
prisoners,” he added.

Touching upon opposition’s recent rally which coincided in time
aspect with Council of Europe’s “For the Sake of Democratic Future”
forum, Mr Arzumanyan said it produced its positive result since Ashot
Manukyan was released on that very day.

At the same time he stressed that this kind of problems are domestic
issues, of which the world community should be notified from time
to time.

From: A. Papazian

DEFENSE MINISTRY TO HOST DISCUSSION ON STRATEGIC TRENDS OF ARMENIA-DIASPORA DIALOGUE

Tert.am
12:59 03.11.10

An expert discussion devoted to the “Strategic Trends of
Armenia-Diaspora Dialogue” will take place today, at the National
Strategic Research Institute of Armenia’s Defense Ministry today.

The document to be discussed at the meeting has been elaborated by the
joint efforts of a number of experts both from Armenia and Diaspora.

The event is an attempt to elaborate doctrines on uniting the Diaspora
and coordinating Armenia’s Diaspora policy.

From: A. Papazian