Author: Andres-Papazian

RA NATIONAL ASSEMBLY SPEAKER HOVIK ABRAHAMYAN RECEIVES OF THE DELEGATION OF CANADA-ARMENIA PARLIAMENTARY FRIENDSHIP GROUP OF THE PARLIAMENT OF CANADA

National Assembly
Sept 8 2010
Armenia

On September 7 RA National Assembly Speaker Hovik Abrahamyan received
the delegation of Canada-Armenia Parliamentary Friendship Group of the
House of Commons of Canada, which comprised of the head of the group
Harold Albrecht, MPs Robert Oliphant and Tony Martin. The Chief of
RA NA Staff Gegham Gharibjanyan and the head of RA NA Armenia-Canada
Parliamentary Friendship Group Hovhannes Sahakyan attended the meeting.

Greeting the guests RA National Assembly Speaker highly assessed the
Armenian-Canadian relations, noting that the Canadian parliamentarians’
visit would promote to more activate those relations and strengthen
the inter-parliamentary relations.

The MP of Canada Harold Albrecht thanked for reception in the name of
the delegation and said that they represented the group of 30 members
of Canada-Armenia Parliamentary Friendship Group, and they had very
warm relations with Armenian-Canadians, who had big contribution in
the culture, business and in all spheres, in general.

RA National Assembly Speaker emphasized the role of the parliaments
and parliamentary diplomacy in the rapidly changing world. Hovik
Abrahamyan conveyed his warm greetings and the invitation to visit
Armenia to the Speaker of the Parliament of Canada. He thanked them
for recognition of the Armenian Genocide by the Parliament of Canada.

The Head of the Armenian Parliament considered necessary to activate
the economic relations between the two countries, noting that Canada
was represented in Armenia through different organizations and showed
considerable help and assistance. He considered tangible the support of
Canada, especially in the UN. Hovik Abrahamyan expressed willingness
to promote the activation of bilateral relations and the expansion
of parliamentary relations and considered important that Canada would
have embassy in Armenia.

At the meeting the sides also touched upon the NK conflict and the
Armenian-Turkish relations.

From: A. Papazian

GEORGIAN FOREIGN OFFICE PREPARING STATEMENT FOR YEREVAN

news.am
Sept 8 2010
Armenia

The Georgian foreign office is preparing an official statement on the
information reported by Azeri mass media, according to which Georgian
FM Grigol Vashadze regards as inadvisable longer-term Russian military
presence in Armenia, the Georgian foreign office informed NEWS.am.

“The statement is not yet ready, but it will certainly be made. W
are well aware the information evoked public response and we think
the Georgian foreign office will issue a relevant statement by the
end of the day,” the source said.

According to Azeri mass media, the Georgian FM stated that longer-term
presence of Russian military bases in the South Caucasus poses a
threat to Georgia, Azerbaijan, as well as top Armenia’s sovereignty.

“This military base does not guarantee stability, security and
cooperation to anybody. This base does not create favorable conditions
for resolving the South Caucasus’ problems in a peaceful and civilized
way,” the Georgian FM said.

The RA foreign office responded to this information. Tigran Balayan,
Spokesman of the RA foreign office, said that the Armenian leaders
have repeatedly stated Armenia’s official position on the Russian
military base’s presence in Armenia, Balayan said. “We consider the
Azeri mass media’s information is, by tradition, partially distorted.

In any case, no official representing any state has the right to
interfere in our domestic affairs or make comments on issues of our
security. Today the Armenian and Georgian Foreign Minister are holding
a telephone conversation,” Balayan said.

From: A. Papazian

AZERBAIJAN MFA SPOKESMAN: “ABOUT 30 000 ETHNIC ARMENIANS ARE LIVING IN AZERBAIJAN TODAY”

APA
Sept 8 2010
Azerbaijan

Baku. Lachin Sultanova – APA. Spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs of Azerbaijan Elkhan Polukhov denied reports of Armenian
newspapers which claimed that Baku protested the appointment of
Irakly Kavtaradze as a Georgian ambassador to Azerbaijan because of
his Armenian roots.

The diplomat told APA that relevant procedures are carried out in
connection with the appointment. “But unfortunately Armenian press
tried to describe it in other color and to relate it with the ethnic
intolerance. Everyone should know that Azerbaijan is a multinational
state and all ethnic minorities living in Azerbaijan can use equal
rights with other citizens of the country. Armenia should take it into
consideration that today about 30 000 ethnic Armenians are living in
Azerbaijan as a citizen of this country”.

From: A. Papazian

KARABAKH CONFLICT A ‘TACTICAL TESTING GROUND’ FOR WEST, RUSSIA

news.az
Sept 8 2010
Azerbaijan

Tofig Abbasov News.Az interviews Lider TV commentator, political
scientist Tofig Abbasov.

How do you assess the overall geopolitical situation in the South
Caucasus today?

The situation is notable for the growing tensions. Since the incident
on 18 June when Azerbaijani advance groups managed to suppress a
provocation to the rear of the enemy, Armenian servicemen have been
looking for revenge; they constantly break the ceasefire and provoke
tension. In such conditions it is at the least naïve to speak of
prospects of a breakthrough in the peace process. I don’t know the
mood of the [Minsk Group] co-chairs in their visit to the region,
but one thing’s for sure and that’s that they aren’t deeply affected
by the losses.

Is the deterioration of the situation on the front line part of
ongoing processes in our region?

Hostilities are inevitably explosive material which fills the vacuum
in the political process. For example, Armenian President Sargsyan
regrets that Azerbaijan has not concluded a treaty on the non-use of
force. Can a party that is genuinely seeking peace demonstrate the
level of aggression [seen from Armenia]? The answer is simple. On
the one hand, the Armenians are brainwashing the mediators and the
community with their traditional whining about alleged repression
and, on the other hand, they are putting pressure on Azerbaijan to
force it into concessions. I think a treaty on the non-use of force
may be concluded with Armenia. This will help take the wind out of
the enemy’s sails and model a thoroughly different situation when
Armenia will have one less reason for its intractability.

How will all this influence the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict?

This is what we are talking about. Armenia is a party with which
you have to “go all round the houses” in search of compromise. The
Armenians complain about a lack of measures of trust. The doleful
complaints come from a party that bore a grudge in the times of the
Ottoman Empire, the Turkish Republic, the Azerbaijan Democratic
Republic, in Soviet times and since. If it did not have foreign
supporters, it would behave differently. We should not forget that
the major powers always welcome such crises as Karabakh. They help
them to execute their plans to rule. They cannot have an interest
in their resolution. Moreover, for the West and Russia the Karabakh
conflict is a tactical, rather than strategic, testing ground. In other
words, this is not the Balkans or Iraq, where the basis of a long-term
economic program was laid under the cover of military intervention.

They operate very slowly in the South Caucasus, even lazily. This is
all contradictory. All our troubles stem from this. And Armenia, a
country with the status of a geopolitical appendix, bears the greater
part of these troubles. Unfortunately, the Armenian elite is aware
of the harmfulness of what is going on but lacks both the political
and civil will to recognize it and draw the necessary conclusions.

Is there a risk of escalation into a full military confrontation? Do
you agree with Russian political scientists who say that Azerbaijan
should not expect the support of any state, not even Turkey, if we
seek to restore the territorial integrity of our state through war?

This risk is growing every day. Only the mediators from the Minsk Group
can be cold-blooded in these conditions. The process is inevitably
moving towards a critical point. The mediators are making no effort
but do not conceal their delight that the dialogue of the presidents
has not been frustrated. And against this background, soldiers
and officers are dying at the front. It is strange that the three
countries [of the Minsk Group co-chairs – France, the USA and Russia]
and international organizations are always warning Azerbaijan against
using force. They are talking to the wrong side. Baku has said what
it had to say at the negotiating table, unlike Yerevan. It means that
the party that is hindering the peace process is preparing for war.

From: A. Papazian

TOWN SQUARE: ARMENIANS MAD AT LAMBORN

Colorado Springs Gazette

Sept 8 2010

Colorado Springs Republican U.S. Rep. Doug Lamborn has earned the
ire of the Armenian-American community by allegedly not pushing hard
enough to recognize the suffering that small nation faced at the
hands of the Ottoman Empire during World War I.

Armenia, on the Ottoman’s – now Turkey’s – eastern border, suffered
an estimated 1 million deaths during a program of mass resettlement
and killing known as the century’s first genocide.

Pamela Barsam of Boulder, founder of the pro-Armenian group Rocky
Mountain Hye, said Lamborn should be punished for dropping his support
of an effort three years ago to pass a resolution effectively scolding
Turkey for that nation’s failure to recognize the mass-killings
in Armenia.

“If you fail to recognize a past genocide you are enabling and inviting
genocides to occur,” said Barsam.

Lamborn has said he backed off the Armenia resolution because it could
have upset America’s key alliance with Turkey during a crucial point
in the Iraq war.

Barsam said she’s gone elsewhere for support, getting a promise from
Lamborn’s long-shot Democratic opponent Kevin Bradley that he’ll back
the Armenian measure if he gets elected in November.

It would take a lot of Armenian votes to unseat Lamborn. He beat
Democrat Hal Bidlack with 60 percent of the vote in 2008.

From: A. Papazian

NKR PRESIDENT CALLS UPON MEDIATORS TO USE POTENTIAL AND BRING AZERBAIJAN INTO CONSTRUCTIVE STREAM

news.am
Sept 8 2010
Armenia

On September 8, NKR President Bako Sahakyan met OSCE Minsk Group
co-chairs Robert Bradtke (USA), Igor Popov (Russian Federation) and
Bernard Fassier (France), NKR Presidential press service informed
NEWS.am.

A wide range of issues related to the current stage and prospects of
the Azerbaijani-Karabagh conflict settlement were discussed during
the meeting.

It was mutually noted that any scenario of military solution of the
conflict is absolutely unacceptable. At the same time Bako Sahakyan
underlined that recent frequent violations of the cease-fire regime
by Azerbaijan generate concern and pose a serious threat to regional
peace and stability as well as to the efforts by the OSCE Minsk
group’s co-chairs directed to peaceful settlement of the conflict.

Within this context NKR President called upon the Co-Chairs to use
their potential and bring Azerbaijan into the constructive stream.

Both sides underlined that the Artsakh issue should be settled within
the frameworks of the OSCE Minsk Group and any attempts by Azerbaijan
to transfer the issue into other instances did not contribute to the
settlement of the conflict.

NKR Foreign Minister Georgy Petrosyan and personal representative of
the OSCE chairman-in-office Andrzej Kasprzyk were present at the talks.

From: A. Papazian

TAVUSH, VITEBSK REGIONS SET TO EXPAND COOPERATION

Aysor
Sept 8 2010
Armenia

The Chambers of Commerce and Industry of the Tavush region (Armenia)
and Vitebsk region (Belarus) signed a cooperation agreement today
in Yerevan.

The parties reached a series of agreements, particularly, meat and
dairy products will be imported to Armenia from Vitebsk, accumulator
production will be launched in Armenia, with further exports of
products to Belarus.

Tavush region delegation will travel to Vitebsk to study region’s
trade and economic, educational, cultural potential.

Commodity circulation between Armenia and Belarus amounted to USD
19.9m in the first six months of 2010. Exports from Armenia totaled
USD 1.9m, imports USD 17.9m.

From: A. Papazian

AZERBAIJAN’S RESOLUTION A CAUSE TO APPLY TO INTERNATIONAL COURT

Aysor
Sept 8 2010
Armenia

The OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs are trying to push forward the process
of settlement to the Karabakh conflict, said leader of Ramkavar
Azatakan Party of Armenia Haroutyun Arakelian at news conference
Wednesday.

“The co-chairs didn’t pay a serious attention to the process of
settlement to the Karabakh conflict over recent years, and this
makes us think that there is a certain issue that causes activation
of efforts until the year’s end,” said Arakelian.

In his opinion, the situation in talks was changed by new
Armenia-Russia agreement which makes the West review its relations with
Armenia and activate the energy projects which bypass our country,
and in particular, the Nabucco. According to Arakelian, co-chairs
will try to find a solution until the December OSCE summit which is
to be held in Astana.

“I think they have set time and must solve the issues until December,”
said politician and added that some progress can come into being
after November 7 – day of the parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan.

Referring to Azerbaijan’s resolution on Karabakh to be introduced
into the UN General Assembly, Arakelian said that it is a cause to
apply to the international court of justice.

“We are glad that the issue of Karabakh will be considered within the
framework of the UN as it is a chance to apply to the International
Court of Justice and voice there issue of the mass killings and
genocide committed by Azerbaijan against Armenians.”

He said that due to hundreds of thousands of eyewitnesses it’s
necessary to prove that Azerbaijan committed Genocide against Armenians
in 1988-1994s.

“We must demand to recognize the liberated territories as compensations
for the Genocide,” he said and added that Armenia should take the
chance and take the initiative.

From: A. Papazian

DESPITE “TURKISH LOGIC”…

Panorama
Sept 8 2010
Armenia

According to the Turkish website poll among the football
fans, 80% of the asked was convinced that Georgia~Rs U21 football
team would defeat Armenia, after the former won against Turkey in
their own field.

Once Georgia won, it would advance to the next stage. Another
20% thought, the teams will end in a draw and no one believed in
Armenia~Rs victory since 8 Armenian players of the main staff had
departed for Macedonia as part of the national team and couldn~Rt
play in this match.

Despite ~STurkish logic~T, and despite the problems, Armenian players
scored two goals against Georgia and celebrated a significant victory
(Georgia-Armenia 0:2).

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIA APPOINTS RUSSIA-BASED MILLIONAIRE AS AMBASSADOR TO IRAQ

EurasiaNet
Sept 8 2010
NY

Taking up a cushy ambassadorial position may be a worthwhile career
change for an accomplished businessman. But how advisable is it if it
involves moving from Moscow to Baghdad? Especially amidst warnings
that Iraq’s security situation may further deteriorate as the US
wraps up its campaign there?

Russia-based millionaire Murad Muradian, who was appointed yesterday
as Armenia’s first-ever ambassador to Iraq, appears to have no qualms.

Muradian’s appointment left Armenian media guessing why the
construction tycoon would trade the comforts that Moscow offers the
rich for the prospect of proving his mettle in a city ranked as the
most dangerous in the world. Muradian has made no public comment yet.

Armenia’s first diplomatic mission in Iraq opened and closed in
2003 ahead of the US-led invasion. Before the invasion, up to 25,000
ethnic Armenians are reported to have lived in Iraq, but many left
the country during the war.

From: A. Papazian