Author: Andres-Papazian

“CSTO INFORMAL SUMMIT WAS A MORAL VICTORY FOR ARMENIA”

Aysor
Aug 24 2010
Armenia

For Armenia, CSTO informal summit was a moral victory over Azerbaijan’s
bellicose statements, director of the CSTO Office in Armenia Nver
Torosyan declared speaking about CSTO informal summit hosted by
Armenia between August 20 and 22. The holding of the summit can
restrain Azerbaijan, according to him.

In Torosyan’s words, the summit focused on the situation in Kyrgyzstan
after the coup. The speaker said that henceforth, after amending CSTO
regulations, organization’s response to its member countries in such
situations will be more efficient.

The summit also addressed transfer of CSTO chairmanship to Belarus
expected at CSTO official summit to be held in 2010 December, Torosyan
said in his remarks.

From: A. Papazian

ISTANBUL GASPARYAN-BINGOL CONCERT A NO GO, CULTURE AGENCY SAYS

Hurriyet Daily News
Aug 24 2010
Turkey

A scheduled joint performance between Turkish folk singer Yavuz
Bingöl and world-famous Armenian duduk virtuoso Djivan Gasparyan
will not happen in Istanbul on Sept. 1, despite previously successful
concerts with the pair in 2007 and 2008. Gasparyan says the show was
canceled while the Istanbul 2010 European Capital of Culture Agency
says the concert never received approval

‘Performing together with Turkish artists has a special meaning for
me,’ says Gasparyan. ‘We produce a universal language for ourselves
with the notes.’

An Istanbul concert planned for Sept. 1 with Turkish folk singer Yavuz
Bingöl and world-famous Armenian musician Djivan Gasparyan will no
longer occur, disappointing the latter after the pair’s extremely
popular dates in 2007 and 2008.

“It had been settled on the matter of the concert happening on Sept.

1,” said Gasparyan, a master on the duduk, an instrument related to
the oboe. “A decision was made on the cancellation of the concert
but no explanation has been made to me yet. I am very sorry to hear
of these developments.”

The Gasparyan-Bingöl concert was scheduled for March 6 as part of
the Istanbul 2010 European Capital of Culture activities but the wife
of a member of Gasparyan’s band was being treated for cancer and was
admitted to intensive care just days before the show. Gasparyan told
the Hurriyet Daily News & Economic Review that he chose to cancel the
show, but the 2010 Agency intervened and the parties instead decided
to postpone the concert until Sept. 1, which is celebrated as World
Peace Day in Turkey and northern Cyprus.

Now, however, there are conflicting reasons as to why the Sept. 1
date will no longer go ahead.

Although Gasparyan has expressed his sadness at the show’s
cancellation, an official at the 2010 European Capital of Culture
Agency, which was organizing the concert, said the show had not
actually been canceled since the date had never received approval
even though a contract had been signed.

“We had put the concert on our agenda for March 6 but Gasparyan
decided to cancel it for private reasons,” said the official, who
preferred to remain anonymous.

“Each one of my band members are like my children. I could not leave
them on their own during those hard times. That would not be worthy
of me,” said Gasparyan when asked about the March 6 date.

“A contract might have been signed, but not every signed [contract]
means the project is approved. It should pass from the acting board
and get budget approval first. The concert being canceled is not an
accurate representation of the truth because the agency did not even
announce the concert,” the official said.

When asked whether the tense relations between the two countries
might have affected the concert’s outcome or not, Gasparyan said:
“I hope that is not the actual reason behind the cancellation. That
would hurt me deeply. I support the two countries establishing dialogue
with all my heart.”

Gasparyan and Bingöl previously shared a stage in 2007 and 2008,
also on Sept. 1, calling on Turkish and Armenian people to find peace
through those performances. Both shows took place in Istanbul and
attracted great attention.

The Daily News attempted to reach Bingöl for comment on the issue, but
his manager said the singer was unavailable due to tour commitments.

“Performing together with Turkish artists has a special meaning for
me,” said Gasparyan. “Maybe we do not speak a common language but
through music, we produce a universal language for ourselves with
the notes.”

Gasparyan, 83, has roots in the eastern province of MuÅ~_. He was
awarded with the title of “People’s Artist” in the Soviet Republic
of Armenia in 1973 and has also received four gold medals from UNESCO
due to his contributions to world culture.

The musician has shared the stage with renowned musicians such
as Brian Eno, Peter Gabriel and Lionel Ritchie. At the same time,
he has prepared the soundtracks for 39 Hollywood movies and is the
winner of a WOMEX award for contributions to world music.

Furthermore, Gasparyan was one of the closest witnesses to the
Turkish-Armenian rapprochement begun in 2008 through “football
diplomacy” – the World Cup qualifying matches played between the two
countries’ national teams – performing a special concert in honor of
Turkish President Abdullah Gul when he visited Yerevan in September
2008. After the show, Gul presented a special plaque to Gasparyan.

From: A. Papazian

BLOW FOR SEPARATISM
JOHN CHERIAN

Frontline

Aug 24 2010

The international court has set a dangerous precedent in opining that
Kosovo’s declaration of independence did not violate international law.

THE advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice (ICJ),
given on July 22, endorsing the ~Sindependence~T of Kosovo has come
as a shock not only to Serbia but also to a host of countries around
the world battling secessionist and divisive forces. The learned
judges of the court ruled in a 10-4 decision that the unilateral
declaration of independence by Kosovo in February 2008 was valid
under international law.

The ICJ, however, clarified that its ruling pertained only to Kosovo’s
declaration of independence, not to its status as an independent
state. Hisashi Owada, the head of the ICJ, said international law
contained ~Sno prohibitions on the declaration of independence~T
and, therefore, Kosovo’s declaration of independence did not violate
international law. Serbia had asked the ICJ, through the auspices
of the United Nations General Assembly, to rule on the legality of
Kosovo’s action.

The advisory opinion of the ICJ was immediately welcomed in
many Western capitals, especially Washington, London, Paris and
Berlin. The governments there had played an important role in the
break-up of Yugoslavia. Kosovo hosts one of the biggest bases of the
North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) in the region.

The United States State Department spokesman was quick to endorse
the ICJ’s verdict, and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called on
the international community ~Sto move beyond the issue of Kosovo’s
status~T and recognise its statehood. Currently, 69 countries have
extended recognition to Kosovo. The ICJ’s landmark ruling could help
Kosovo cross the magic figure of 100, which would then let it qualify
for formal U.N. membership. Kosovo’s Prime Minister, Fatmir Sejdiu,
said the ICJ’s decision ~Sfinally removes all doubts that countries
that don’t recognise Kosovo still have~T.

Serbian President Boris Tadic said his country would never accept
the non-binding verdict of the ICJ. He said the ICJ opinion
was ~Sdifficult~T and Serbia would ~Snever accept the unilateral
declaration of independence by Kosovo~T. Most Serbs consider Kosovo
their spiritual heartland. The Serb minority in Kosovo has virtually
established an autonomous enclave in the tiny breakaway country. The
ICJ’s decision may embolden Kosovo to use military means to establish
control over the Serb minority in the north. There have already been
clashes there.

The Serbs have stocked up on weapons to prepare for any eventuality.

Serbia has offered ~Senhanced autonomy~T, bordering on virtual
independence, to Kosovo and wants the U.N. General Assembly to vote
on the issue when it meets in September. Serbia had argued in the ICJ
that Kosovo’s declaration of independence challenged its sovereignty
and undermined international law.

The United States and the major powers in the European Union seem to be
confident that Serbia’s desire to join the E.U. will eventually make
it accept the reality of an independent Kosovo. The Serbian President
has said that a confrontation with the West on the issue will be
counterproductive for the country’s plans to integrate with the E.U.

Russia for dialogue

Russia said the ICJ’s decision would have no influence over its policy
on Kosovo. The Russian foreign office spokesman said a solution to
the issue was possible only through dialogue between Belgrade (the
capital of Serbia) and Pristina (the capital of Kosovo). The Russian
envoy to NATO, Dmitry Rogozin, said there was no question of Moscow
accepting the splitting of a country that is a U.N. member. Chechen
rebels are still carrying out hit-and-run attacks in the Caucasus and
have not given up their dreams of secession. Until recently they had
the implicit support of many Western and West Asian countries.

China said it would continue to ~Srespect the sovereignty and
territorial integrity of Serbia~T. Beijing also stressed ~Sthat respect
for sovereignty and territorial integrity is the basic principle of
international law and the basis of today’s global legal system~T. The
reaction was an implicit criticism of the ICJ’s position on Kosovo’s
declaration of independence, an action that provided succour to the
separatists in Tibet and Xingjian.

ALEXA STANKOVIC/AFP

SERBIAN PRESIDENT BORIS Tadic (centre) at an extraordinary Parliament
session on July 26 in Belgrade held in the wake of the ruling by
the ICJ.

New Delhi’s response has been low-key, unlike Moscow’s and Beijing’s,
as it does not want to anger unnecessarily its close strategic ally,
the U.S. The Indian Foreign Ministry spokesman said the government was
studying the ICJ’s ruling and there was no change in the government’s
position. New Delhi has not recognised Kosovo’s unilateral declaration
of independence.

Five E.U. members, which are themselves battling secessionist forces,
have refused to recognise Kosovo’s independence. Spain is facing
challenges to its unity in the Basque and Catalan regions. Cyprus has
been unilaterally partitioned, with the Turkish Cypriots claiming
the northern half of the island. Greece, Slovakia and Romania are
also facing challenges from restive minorities.

Important global powers like Russia, China and India fear that the
ICJ’s ruling will set up a dangerous precedent. China, for the first
time since the 1960s, made an oral presentation at the ICJ, arguing
against recognition being granted for an independent Kosovo.

The leaders of many breakaway regions in the world view the ICJ’s
ruling as a green signal to declare formal independence. In fact,
breakaway regions like Nagorno-Karabakh, an Armenian-dominated
enclave inside Azerbaijan, are preparing to follow suit and declare
independence. The leaders of Abkhazia and Southern Ossetia say the ICJ
ruling has given them also the right to seek self-determination. These
two regions had broken away from Georgia with Moscow’s military help.

Kosovo, too, was created by U.S. and NATO troops masquerading as
peacekeepers during the last Balkan war, 11 years ago. After Yugoslavia
was bombed into submission, Kosovo was declared a U.N.

protectorate. In reality, it was a NATO protectorate created on the
basis of the propaganda that the Yugoslav government of Slobodan
Milosevic had perpetrated acts of genocide there.

Responsibility to protect’

The E.U. then put in motion the ~Sprocess of supervised independence~T
for the protectorate. During the conflict in Kosovo, the Canadian
government sponsored an International Commission on Intervention and
State Sovereignty, known as R2P (responsibility to protect). This
doctrine, endorsed wholeheartedly by the West, maintains that if a
state is unwilling or unable to uphold its duty of protection to its
people, then this duty falls upon the international community.

Russia, too, justified its intervention in Abkhazia and Southern
Ossetia in 2008 on the basis of ~Shumanitarian intervention~T to
protect the enclaves from ethnic cleansing by Georgia. Moscow showed
the West that it, too, can play a similar game. The West is using
the R2P rationale to interfere in Darfur and other parts of the world.

LAURA BOUSHNAK/AFP

OSOVAN SERBS IN a cafe in the northern part of the divided Kosovan
town of Mitrovica on August 4. People of this ethnic group consider
themselves victims of injustice.

The ICJ’s opinion should be seen in this context. Serbian Foreign
Minister Vuk Jeremic warned recently that there were about 50 Kosovos
waiting to happen on the African continent alone. Pandora’s Box has
been well and truly opened.

The ICJ has taken a clear position on the issues of self-determination
and territorial integrity for the first time in more than 40 years.

The ICJ stated that international law recognised ~Sa right to
self-determination for the people of non-self-governing territories~T
and that the ~Sprinciples of territorial integrity applies only to
the sphere of relations between states~T.

Edwin Bakker, an expert on international law at the Netherlands
Institute of International Relations Clingendael, told The Financial
Times that the ruling would strengthen separatists round the globe.

~SCases that have been confronted with very brutal repression may feel
that their chances for an independent state have increased,~T he said.

Bakker also noted that it was for the first time since the break-up
of Pakistan in the early 1970s that a country had become independent
despite strong opposition from the state it was separating from.

Observers are of the view that the strong language in the ICJ ruling
will give additional legal ammunition to separatist and independence
movements. The ruling is sure to provide a fillip to long-running
struggles, such as the one in Western Sahara, which the African Union
views as an unfinished agenda of the decolonisation struggle. The
other gainers will no doubt be groups whose struggles for independence
have been given the status of ~Sinternational dispute~T. Already some
Western commentators have drawn parallels between Kashmir and Kosovo.

Edwin Bakker said the cases comparable to Kosovo were the conflicts
in Myanmar (Karen, Shan), Iraq (Kurdistan) and India (Kashmir).

From: A. Papazian

SCIENTIFIC CENTER OF ARMENIAN STUDIES TO BE ESTABLISHED AT BAKU STATE UNIVERSITY

Trend News Agency
Aug 24 2010
Azerbaijan

A scientific center of Armenian studies will start functioning at the
Baku State University in the coming days, head of the University’s
press and information department Parvana Ibrahimova told Trend on
August 24.

“The center will study the historical and contemporary problems
on the “Armenian issue” and inform the public of Azerbaijan on
public-political processes taking place in Armenia. The center will
study the ideological and subversive activities of the Armenian state
and the diaspora directed against Azerbaijan and the Turkic world.

Also, the center will conduct activities to combat such activities
of Armenians,” said Ibrahimova.

According to Ibrahimova, establishing such a center will fill
certain emptiness available in Azerbaijani society. “The essence
of the “Armenian issue” raised abroad and inside country will be
investigated in detail and also the activities of missionaries
from Western countries in certain historical periods will be
studied. West’s interests in Anatolia and the South Caucasus, its
plans for “Greater Armenia” and implementation of these plans through
the historic lands of Azerbaijan will be scientifically analyzed and
studied. The character of the Armenian terrorism will be disclosed, and
a chronology of crimes committed by the Armenians will be compiled,”
said Ibrahimova.

From: A. Papazian

OVER THE WEEKEND: SCARS ON BROADWAY AT THE AVALON
Paul Rogers

LA Weekly

Aug 24 2010
CA

When Scars on Broadway frontman Daron Malakian pulled an eleventh-hour
plug on their debut tour two years ago, it seemed like the impish
songwriter had succumbed to cliched rock star meltdown (Malakian is
also in System Of A Down). But seeing him and his delightfully robust
band (including SOAD drummer John Dolmayan) deliver Friday night with
passion, precision and palpable appreciation — both for the songs
and the crowd — forgave any false-starts.

Scars performed all but two of the tunes from their eponymous 2008
album, plus a pair of relative newbies (“Fucking” and “Talkin’ Shit”)
and a couple of covers (“Gie Mou Gie Mou” by Greek singer Stamatis
Kokotas and Skinny Puppy’s “Assimilate”). The rambunctious crowd was
rewarded with a near-perfect mix (perhaps in part thanks to the lack
of opening act), Malakian in fine voice and buoyant mood, and an
outstanding display from journeyman guitarist/singer Franky Perez,
whose bearded presence far transcended usual “sideman” standards.

Malakian’s oddly catchy music straddles decades and continents,
nonchalantly blending Beatles-y melody and keyboards, provocative punk
vitriol, death metal’s tortured virtuosity and aching Eurasian echoes.

As well as being stylistically irreverent, he’s a lyrical devil’s
advocate, littering last night’s set with mentions of Iraq (where he
has family), Charles Manson, the Armenian Genocide (both Malakian
and Dolmayan are of Armenian descent), drugs and sex. Yet however
serious, sarcastic or frankly distasteful his subject matter at Avalon,
Malakian radiated a winning, boyish sense of wonder and a stoner’s
disarming embrace (at one point repeating “Even if you hate me,
you’re my friend and I love you”).

Scars on Broadway’s set, like their album, spanned wistful nostalgia
(“Funny”, “Babylon”, “3005”), heads-down metal (“Stoner-Hate”),
carnival rock (“Exploding/Reloading”), sneering punk (the verses
of “Serious”) and even sub-disco grooves (“Enemy”). And while they
sailed close to the recorded versions, Dolmayan’s hits seemed crisper,
Perez added succulent six-string flourishes, and Malakian meandered
into apparently semi-improvised guitar wack-attacks.

It speaks volumes for Scars on Broadway’s stand-alone identity that,
even when SOAD bassist Shavo Odadjian joined them on stage for closers
“Cute Machines” and “They Say”, I didn’t hear a single shout of
“System Of A Down!” This was the most compelling rock band I’ve seen
in memory – and, in this line of work, I see many, many bands.

From: A. Papazian

THE RUSSIAN/ARMENIAN AXIS

Strategy Page

Aug 24 2010

August 24, 2010: Armenia has signed a pact with Russia that, in effect,
makes it a protectorate of Russia. The deal extends the lease on a
Russian military base in Armenia from 2020 to 2044. The 3,000 man
Russian force in Armenia may be increased and Russia, in effect,
guarantees Armenia’s security. Armenia needs all the help it can get,
as it is a landlocked Christian nation surrounded by three hostile
Moslem states (Turkey, Azerbaijan and Iran). To the north, there is
Georgia which, while Christian, has its own problems with Russia.

There are over nine million Armenians worldwide, making it clear that
most Armenians want to be anywhere but Armenia. But not everyone could
get out. Moreover, Armenians have been in Armenia for over 3,000 years,
and there is a certain attachment to the place. The Russians like
surrounding Georgia, and being closer to Turkey (an ancient enemy).

In return for this security, Armenia will have to follow Russia’s
lead in diplomacy, and any other area the Russians feel is important.

Meanwhile, the Russians will provide new weapons and equipment for
the 43,000 troops in the Armenian military, and help arm an even
larger reserve force.

The only active enemy Armenia has at the moment is Azerbaijan. Both
countries continue to disagree over possession of Nagorno-Karabakh,
a 4,400 square kilometer district, full of Armenians, surrounded by
Azerbaijani territory. Technically, there has been a truce between
Armenia and Azerbaijan since 1994. But it has been a hot truce.

Between 1991 and 1994 there was a war between the two countries over
Nagorno-Karabakh, which Armenia won. Some 20,000 people died, and over
a million (400,000 Armenians and 700,000 Azerbaijanis) fled their homes
as Armenia occupied 31,000 square kilometers of Azerbaijani territory,
to connect Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia. Most of the refugees were
from areas dominated by one group, who drove out the minority. Some
40,000 Azerbaijani civilians were driven from Nagorno-Karabakh. The
situation was humiliating for Azerbaijan, who saw it as yet another
example of more powerful and wealthier (via oil fields) Moslems being
defeated by a smaller number of armed and more capable non-Moslems.

The Armenians have survived, although surrounded by Moslems, for
centuries. But the Armenian economy is a disaster, particularly since
Turkey and Azerbaijan have closed their borders with Armenia. Since
the early 1990s, the best educated Armenians have been emigrating.

They join a six million strong community of expatriate Armenians. This
group can raise millions of dollars on short notice, and have provided
the emergency funds when needed for the fighting against Azerbaijan.

Some twelve percent of the 150,000 Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh are
armed and organized to defend the mountainous area, and are backed
up by even more troops in Armenia.

But Azerbaijan is making a serious effort to create an effective
military. Azeri defeats at the hands of better trained, led
and organized Armenian troops defeated were caused, in part, by
Azerbaijani corruption and double dealing among themselves. Moreover,
the Armenians have a military tradition going back centuries. The
Azeris are constantly working to redress the military balance, thus
the Armenian need for a Russian alliance.

From: A. Papazian

VISITING A MEDIEVAL MONASTERY IN ARMENIA
Ulf Mauder

Earthtimes
,a-medieval-monastery-armenia.html
Aug 24 2010

Geghard, Armenia – The medieval monastery of Geghard in Armenia’s
Kotayk province appears almost camouflaged, being partially carved
out of the adjacent mountain, surrounded by cliffs.

Geghard was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000 and although
the monastery has been in place since before the 4th century, the
main cathedral was built in 1215.

It takes the eyes a moment to adapt to the darkness of the cathedral’s
interior, which is lit up by a stream of light from a hole in the
cupola above.

Visitors strike matches on the grey walls, some of which are part
of the cliff face, to light beeswax candles but even they fail
to illuminate this dark space which is devoid of relics, statues,
benches or pictures.

Armenians are once again proud of their religious heritage after it was
suppressed for decades when the country was part of the Soviet Union.

Over 1,700 years ago, Armenia became the first country to declare
Christianity as an established religion and traces of this long
tradition are still visible in the southern Caucasus region.

However, this former Soviet Republic offers so much more, including
enormous mountain ranges, fast-flowing rivers and excellent cuisine.

Geghard was initially known simply as Ayrivank (Cave Monastery) but
was renamed as Geghard, meaning “lance” (spear) in Armenian. The name
refers to the Holy Lance used by a Roman soldier to pierce Jesus’
side as he hung on the cross in John’s account of the Crucifixion.

The lance allegedly brought to Armenia by Apostle Jude, called Thaddeus
here, was kept in Geghard for a long time before being moved to the
museum of Echmiadzin Cathedral.

Tour guide Nelly Pilipossyan points out that the internal walls of
the main church have many inscriptions recording donations.

There also many fine carvings, including a representation of trees
with pomegranates hanging from their branches on the tympanum. Around
the cupola there are detailed reliefs showing birds, human masks,
animals heads, various rosettes and jars.

Armenia is approximately 30,000 square kilometres in size, the
equivalent land mass of Belgium, and is a Christian state surrounded
by Islamic neighbours.

Historically, wars were religious-based and their consequences
reverberate in the region to the present day, especially when it
comes to relations with Azerbaijan and Turkey, with the border to
both countries remaining closed.

Despite these drawbacks, Armenia’s 3 million citizens remain hopeful
of increasing tourism revenue.

“Above all, we have to do something about the cost of flights. They
are simply too expensive for a lot of travellers coming from the
West,” explains tourism expert Araik Vardanyan from Armenia’s chamber
of commerce.

While Armenia has a reputation for hospitality, that’s not enough.

Currently, the country’s religious sites attract mostly elderly
visitors, who make 40-kilometre day-trips to Geghard from the capital
Yerevan.

There is also a hiking route from Geghard, which follows a 5 km trail
through a gorge to Garni, famous for its fortress complex with the
1st century AD Garni Temple.

The Garni Gorge, meanwhile, has well preserved basalt columns,
carved out by the Goght River, and is referred to as the “Symphony
of the Stones.”

From: A. Papazian

TALK OF TURKISH ARMY PRESENCE IN AZERBAIJAN ‘MAY SERVE MANY PURPOSES’

news.az
Aug 24 2010
Azerbaijan

Hans Gutbrod News.Az interviews Dr Hans Gutbrod, regional director
of the Caucasus Research and Resource Centre.

How would you comment on the Russian-Armenian agreement on military
cooperation and the Russian base at Gyumri?

There may be some novel aspects to this Russian-Armenian agreement, but
the reality is that cooperation has been running deep for many years,
and that Russia, and Russian elites, have great stakes and direct
involvement in Armenia, and in the Armenian economy. What we’re seeing
here is primarily the formal reaffirmation of existing relationships.

Isn’t this cooperation a threat to Azerbaijan?

This is not a direct threat to Azerbaijan, since Armenia and Russia
prefer the status quo. However, the reaffirmation shows that it’s
difficult for Azerbaijan to change that status quo without aligning
Moscow in one way or the other.

Will this support from Russia allow Armenia to be tougher in the
negotiations with Azerbaijan?

It’s not exactly as if the negotiation process had been very dynamic
over the last few years. The question is whether things are going
to move forward swiftly. Right now, that doesn’t seem to be a likely
scenario.

Do you expect intervention from Russian or the Collective Security
Treat Organization in the Karabakh conflict, if war broke out again
in the region?

If there were to be such a conflict, many unpredictable things may
happen. It’s always good to remember that of the many major wars in
the last 150 years, only one helped the initiator get all they wanted.

That was Bismarck, a very long time ago. Realistically, however,
it is in the interest of Armenia and Russia to make everyone believe
that Russia may very well intervene, so that any attempt to change
the status quo will be seen as very risky.

There are many reports about a possible Turkish military presence in
Azerbaijan in the near future. Could this really happen?

A direct Turkish military presence in Azerbaijan would be a very major
step. This step would make some of Turkey’s NATO allies uncomfortable,
since it could potentially draw Turkey into larger-scale complications
that may be difficult to disentangle. In the short term, however, it
may serve many purposes to play around with this idea, publicly. Not
least, it could be a signal to those negotiating, that Turkey is
interested in promoting an equitable resolution.

From: A. Papazian

TURKISH, RUSSIAN PRESIDENTS DISCUSS TIES

news.az
Aug 24 2010
Azerbaijan

Medvedev, Gul Abdullah Gul and Dmitriy Medvedev have discussed
bilateral relations and regional issues in a telephone conversation.

No information was available about the content of the discussions,
although a statement from the president’s office said the phone
conversation, which took place on Monday morning, was “comprehensive”.

The two presidents discussed bilateral relations, the situation in the
South Caucasus and other regional issues, according to the statement.

Turkey signed protocols with its Caucasus neighbour Armenia last year
to normalize relations, severed since 1993, when Ankara closed its
border and cut diplomatic ties with Yerevan in a show of solidarity
with its regional ally Azerbaijan during an Armenian-Azerbaijani war
over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region. The normalization efforts,
however, are at a standstill amid mutual accusations that each side
is trying to modify the agreement.

They also discussed recent fires in Russia, triggered by the country’s
worst heat wave in 130 years. Dozens of people were killed in thousands
of wildfires that raged across the country for weeks. Gul extended
condolences to Medvedev, while Medvedev thanked Gul for Turkey’s help
in efforts to battle the fires.

From: A. Papazian

THEORETICALLY PLACEMENT OF TURKISH MILITARY BASES ‘POSSIBLE IN NAKHCHIVAN’

news.az
Aug 24 2010
Azerbaijan

Rovshan Ibrahimov Azerbaijani political scientist has commented on
signing of agreement on prolongation of Russian military base in
Armenia between Moscow and Yerevan.

‘In fact, this visit is a routine visit of the Russian president to
Armenia. Furthermore, the next meeting of the CSTO, which includes not
only Russia but also Central Asian countries, as well as Belarus was
held in Yerevan. Thus, the signing of the agreement was “adjusted”
to Dmitriy Medvedev’s visit’, said political scientist Rovshan
Ibrahimov, commenting on the signing of a military treaty between
Russia and Armenia.

‘Clearly, this is the strengthening of Russia’s position on the
southern front, in this case in Armenia. And yet, this is more routine
than responding to an event response’, – he said.

According to the analyst, in theory, Russia can provide some assistance
to Armenia in case of war in Nagorno-Karabakh, although officially
it is denied.

Asked how realistic the deployment of Turkish troops in Azerbaijan
is, the expert noted that, according to Azerbaijani law, placement
of military bases of foreign states is impossible.

“But, nevertheless, the military doctrine has some exceptions about
the cases in which it may be implemented. The protectorate of Turkey
over Nakhchivan under the Treaty of Kars is considered exceptional.

Therefore, in my opinion, theoretically the placement of the Turkish
military bases is possible in Nakhchivan”, said the analyst.

R. Ibrahimov also pointed out that the signing of a treaty between
Russia and Armenia does not have any special significance for the
United States.

From: A. Papazian