Author: Andres-Papazian

OPEN TO CONTEST: REGULATOR KICKS OFF NEW TV LICENSING COMPETITION IN ARMENIA
By Gayane Lazarian

ArmeniaNow
21.07.10 | 16:09

News

“… it is the society that watches TV, and it should correspond not
to NTRC’s tastes, but to the wishes and requirements of the community,”
says Mesrop Harutyunyan.

Amid concerns from outside and internal observers about a growing
government grip on local media, the National Television and Radio
Commission (NTRC) has opened licensing contests for local TV companies
seeking to broadcast through a digital network in the territory of
Armenia. The tender that formally kicked off on July 20 consists of
18 contests.

NTRC Chairman Grigor Amalyan said the contests would ensure countrywide
broadcasts. Both companies currently broadcasting for capital Yerevan
only, or for separate provinces, are among participants in the tender.

Under the law, five private television companies of general direction
broadcasting countrywide (except two Public Television channels) are
planned to be licensed, several will have specialized orientation. One
private TV company to receive a license will focus on international
and local news and analytical programs, and four companies to be
licensed will be retransmitting programs of other TVs. There will be
one TV program for Yerevan and each of the 10 provinces.

By mid-October the competing companies are expected to submit their
proposals, and in mid-December the regulator is expected to make
decisions.

At its latest session earlier this year the National Assembly adopted
a government-proposed package of amendments to the Law on Television
and Radio, which aims at digitalizing broadcasts in Armenia. The
completion of this transition is expected by July 2013

Expert of the Committee for the Protection of Freedom of Speech Mesrop
Harutyunyan believes that by the amended law the government only
seeks to prolong its full control over television and radio broadcasts.

“We said many times that the law indeed requires lots of changes,
but not prohibitive, but encouraging plurality of opinion. I think
the changes made in the law do not allow for an open and transparent
conduct of [licensing] competitions,” he said.

Harutyunyan believes the competitive bids should pass through public
hearings, which is not stipulated by the amended law.

“The applications in fact remain close and confidential. Public opinion
remains unheard. Meanwhile, it is the society that watches television,
and it should correspond not to NTRC’s tastes, but to the wishes and
requirements of the community,” the expert told ArmeniaNow.

Another concern voiced by experts is that by law the commission is
not obligated to provide grounds for rejecting bids.

In June 2008, the European Court of Human Rights ruled in favor of
an embattled Armenian TV company in its dispute with the Republic
of Armenia. In particular, it said the state authorities committed
a violation of Article 10 (freedom of expression) of the European
Convention on Human Rights by refusing to grant A1 Plus’s requests
for broadcasting licenses on several occasions.

A1 Plus posing as an independent TV channel was taken off the air in
April 2002 after losing its broadcasting frequency in a tender that
was administered by NTRC. The regulatory body did not provide clear
reasons for its decision then and has blocked all of the company’s
subsequent attempts to win another frequency. The 2008 European Court
ruling said “the procedure which did not require a licensing body to
justify its decisions did not provide adequate protection against
arbitrary interference by a public authority with the fundamental
right to freedom of expression.”

A1 Plus will be amongst companies participating in the current
contests. Its chairman Mesrop Movsesyan believes that their proposed
project is competitive.

The company has maintained for years that its repeated failures to
win a broadcasting license in Armenia were the results of government
obstructions.

During her visit to Armenia earlier this month U.S. Secretary of
State Hillary Clinton said during a meeting with civil society
representatives that she had communicated her concerns about issues
pertaining to freedom of speech during her meeting with Armenian
President Serzh Sargsyan.

“I know many of you are concerned about the government’s recent changes
to the law on TV and radio and these are concerns that the United
States, the OSCE and the European Union share,” Clinton said on July 5,
while meeting a group of civil society activists and journalists in
Yerevan. She added that President Sargsyan had told her the Armenian
government was ready to once again consider the law this coming fall.

Despite concerns voiced by local experts and a number of international
organizations, President Sargsyan in June signed into law the
parliament-adopted amendments regulating the introduction of digital
television and radio in Armenia and, in particular, curtailing the
number of television and radio companies in the country.

Opponents at home and OSCE media experts had warned the new law could
put serious curbs on pluralism in Armenia.

But NTRC Chairman Amalyan says that the procedures related to the
contests would definitely not be changed.

“No new requirements that would essentially impact competitive factors
will be set during these announced contests,” said Amalyan.

Expert Harutyunyan doubts the Armenian authorities will make any real
change following the statement by the U.S. secretary of state.

“I believe that these 18 frequencies have already been virtually
distributed. But we hope that one day this law will be changed,”
said Harutyunyan.

From: A. Papazian

DISPUTABLE STATEMENTS: NEWLY-ELECTED HHSH CHAIRMAN SUPPORTS OPPOSITION LEADER
By Karine Ionesyan

ArmeniaNow
21.07.10 | 16:34

News

According to Manukyan, the Karabakh settlement and Armenian-Turkish
rapprochement issues “can still be solved with legitimate authorities”.

Newly-elected chairman of the Armenian National Movement (HHSh)
Aram Manukyan invited journalists July 21 to announce he supports
first President of Armenia Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s statement that
the development and security of Armenia is directly connected with
a Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement and normalization of the
Armenian-Turkish relations.

Manukyan, who now leads the party that is a key member in the
Ter-Petrosyan-led Armenian National Congress, believes that the first
president’s statement made on July 17, during the HHSh congress, by
its contents does not differ from the one he made in 2007 and which
marked his political comeback after nearly a decade of reclusion.

Critics, however, say that in 2007 Ter-Petrosyan said quite
the opposite, mainly stating that only by means of solving
Armenia’s domestic problems would it become possible to reach
the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement and normalization of
Armenian-Turkish relations.

“He [Ter-Petrosyan] suggests that by means of replacing the current
authorities with legitimate authorities it would still be possible
to solve the two problems,” Manukyan says.

The latest statement of the first president of Armenia elicited
strong backlash not only in the pro-government camp, but also among
some opposition representatives. Ter-Petrosyan’s associate Karapet
Rubinyan also referred to that statement in his recent letter in
which he announced his resignation from HHSh, mainly due to alleged
falsifications in intra-party elections, shortly after the party’s
convention.

Different political figures also state that there is an unhealthy
atmosphere within HHSh, which Manukyan refutes, saying that they have
serious things to be accomplished; for example to voice the issue of
political prisoners in the international arena, to enlarge the scope
of their activities in Armenia and attract more youths to their party.

From: A. Papazian

ANALYSIS: WOULD AZERBAIJAN GIVE UP OIL IN EXCHANGE FOR KARABAKH?

By Aris Ghazinyan

ArmeniaNow reporter
21.07.10 | 16:59

Analysis

Azerbaijan’s strongest and weakest point is oil-based economy.

Despite the statements quite frequently voiced by the Azeri authorities
on the possibility of resuming hostilities against Armenia, it is
yet extremely premature to speak about prospects of a new war. There
are no objective prerequisites in current circumstances that would
indicate launch of war in the near future.

Azerbaijan is building its statehood on oil, and oil tariffs nowadays
reflect quite positively on main economic indicators. In that view
it is highly unlikely that Azerbaijan would go for a cardinal change
of situation, especially with most indefinite outcome prospects.

What tangible loss would Azerbaijan suffer in case of resuming the
war over Karabakh?

First of all it is Azerbaijan’s appeal for investors in the oil sector,
in other words – the only stable base for state construction.

In September of 1994, in Baku palace of Gyulistan, an agreement was
signed which was later called the Contract of the Century. Thirteen
companies were presented in that document among them British Petroleum,
McDermott, Lukoil, Turkish Petroleum, and others from eight countries
such as Turkey, USA, Japan, Great Britain,etc.

In fact, yet in autumn of 1992, former British Prime-Minister Margaret
Thatcher visited Baku as a representative of British Petroleum, however
the Contract of the Century was not signed because of the Karabakh war.

Naturally, none of the investing companies in that period could invest
big money in Azerbaijan. Only the signing of cease fire in May of
1994 made it possible for the contract to be signed later that year,
in September.

As president of State Oil Company of Azerbaijani Republic (SOCAR)
Rovnag Abdullayev said, “as of today the foreign investment into
oil-gas sector of Azerbaijan is over $38 billion”.

It is obvious, that a new war would bring to naught Azerbaijan’s
appeal to investors, completely destroy the country’s economic and even
political structure, and Ilham Alliyev would never sign up for to it.

Besides the fact that a new war minimizes the country’s attraction
for investments, it is fully capable of destroying practically the
whole pipeline fairly enough considered the main blood vessel of the
Azeri state organism.

The thing is that practically all Azeri hydrocarbon is transported
through four pipelines, three of which pass only a few kilometers
away from the frontline, on the northern borders of both Karabakh
and Armenia: Baku-Tbilisi-Jeihan oil pipeline opened in July of 1996,
Baku-Suspa oil pipeline functioning since 1999, Baku-Tbilisi-Erzrum
gas pipeline (South-Caucasian pipeline) officially put into operation
in March 2007.

It’s not a big secret that Armenian cannons are pointed directly
at these communications and in case war would start the destruction
of that vitally important to Azerbaijan infrastructure would be the
top priority.

As a result, Azerbaijan can lose not only its appeal as a secure
investment ground, it might be deprived of all its means of
transporting oil and gas to the outer world.

A new war would mean that Azerbaijan might also lose control over a
strategic sector of river Kura, along which Baku-Tbilisi railroad lies
(it continues further to Turkey). That railroad runs parallel to the
pipelines and is again only a few kilometers from the frontline.

One quick-march would be enough to take control over this strategic
sector, after which the correlation of power in the region would
become principally different.

Armenia, which has been in a blockade for the past twenty years first
all by Azerbaijan, can quite successfully explain to the international
community the solid reasons for such a step.

Armenian control over a sector of Baku-Tbilisi railroad would in fact
cut Azerbaijan not only from Georgia, but also Turkey. The only railway
vector into the outer world would, in that case, be the “northern”
one connecting to Russia.

The Azeri president is well aware of the scale of these threats, and,
not less importantly, their feasibility. He would not go for such
obvious risks in exchange for the unobvious prospect of establishing
control over Nagorno Karabakh – a territory that has no connection
to Azerbaijan whatsoever, neither has it any influence on the tempo
of its development.

The only layout of events that could theoretically be in favor of
a new war is either drastically shaken positions of Aliyev clan in
Baku fraught with an inevitable reprisal, or catastrophic drop of
oil tariffs (below $15 per barrel). None of it can be observed at
the moment.

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIAN-TURKISH EXPERT DISCUSSIONS HELD IN ISTANBUL AND ANKARA

NOYAN TAPAN
JULY 21, 2010
ANKARA

Eurasia Partnership Foundation (EPF) held Armenian-Turkish expert
discussions in Istanbul and Ankara on July 8-9 with the participation
of the Istanbul-based Global Political Trends Center (GPTC) and with
the financial assistance of the USAID.

GPTC organized the conference entitled “Armenia-Turkey expert
discussions” at Istanbul Culture University on July 8. Among
participants were Armenian, Turkish and international reporters,
diplomats and experts.

Ambassador, lecturer of Yerevan State University (YSU) David
Hovhannisian and senior advisor of Istanbul Center of Political Science
at Sabanci University Evust Lagendayk were the main speakers of the
round table discussions moderated by Chairman of the Board of Anadolu
Kultur organization Osman Kavala.

Following the conference, the Armenian group visited Dogan Media
Center where the group members met with the famous Turkish reporter,
political commentator and writer Mehmed Ali Birand and CNN Turk
television company advisor Ferhat Boratav and toured the offices of
the media center.

On the second day the group went to Ankara to meet with several
high-ranking Turkish officials. At the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
Turkey’s Deputy Foreign Minister Feridun Sinirlioglu received the
group of representatives of GPTC and EPF. He spoke about the current
state of Armenian-Turkish relations and the ministry’s approaches to
the future of these relations.

Then the group visited Turkish parliament and met with MP of Justice
and Development Party, deputy chairman of the Foreign Affairs
Subcommittee Suat Kinikoglu and MP of the same party, former foreign
minister, Ambassador Yasar Yakis, who informed the group members
about the government approaches and positions on the Armenian-Turkish
normalization process and responded to their questions.

According to the press release submitted to NT, the meetings in
Istanbul and Ankara were a continuation of the Yerevan discussions.

They were part of the USAID-financed project “The Further Steps of
the Armenian-Turkish Normalization”.

From: A. Papazian

ELECTION RESULTS AT 16TH CONGRESS OF APNM RIGGED, FORMER MEMBER OF PARTY KARAPET RUBINIAN SAYS

NOYAN TAPAN
JULY 21, 2010
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, JULY 21, NOYAN TAPAN. In his open letter to the Armenian
Pan-National Movement (APNM), former vice speaker of Armenia’s National
Assembly Karapet Rubinian stated his decision to leave the party,
noting that the elections held at the July 17 congress of APNM were
rigged. At the 16th congress of APNM, K. Rubinian, among 40 other
candidates, was nominated as member of the party’s new board, but he
was not included in the newly-elected 31-member board.

Presenting the reasons for his decision, K. Rubinian wrote:

I am leaving the APNM.. According to my observations and information,
the results of the elections of APNM members at the July 17 congress
were rigged.

It is a very strange and regrettable phenomenon as it occurred in a
party which advocates liberal democratic principles, in a party which
as part of the Armenian National Congress has protested and struggled
over two years against the unfair rigged 2008 presidential elections.

It is also regrettable that this happened under the conditions when
the first Armenian President Levon Ter-Petrosian took the processes
prior to and during the congress under his control in order to
prevent the Armenian authorities’ plans to split the Armenian National
Congress. Yet under such strict control, despite all assurances given
by the organizing committee, an “exemplary” voting paper, according
to which, for example, I was not to be elected to the board, had
suddenly appeared during the vote.

Since even sick minds cannot imagine me in the “conspiratorial wing”,
as a person who has closed a deal with the authorities, it only
remains to assume one thing – Mr. Ter-Petrosian is thus punishing
me for criticizing the policy of the Armenian National Congress,
more specifically, he is keeping dissent away from the APNM board.

To tell the truth, I am enraged, but I would not leave the party
only for this reason. Unfortunately, all this is combined with some
irreversible and highly degradation processes within the APNM”.

In his letter, K. Rubinian also calls on his friends who were delegates
of the APNM congress to “sincerely and soberly analyze the conduct
of the latest congress”.

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIA AND EU LAUNCH NEGOTIATIONS ON ASSOCIATION AGREEMENT

NOYAN TAPAN
JULY 21, 2010
YEREVAN

The first meeting of the negotiations on an Association Agreement
between Armenia and the European Union was held in Yerevan on July 19.

The negotiations were preceded by the meeting of Armenian Foreign
Minister Edward Nalbandian with the EU negotiating delegation headed
by Gunnar Wiegand, Director of the European Commission General
Directorate of External Relations for Eastern Europe, South Caucasus
and Central Asia.

The negotiations were opened by E. Nalbandian who said in his speech:
“The ties of Armenia and the Armenian people with Europe are as old
as the European continent itself. The European direction has been one
of the priorities of Armenia’s foreign policy since Armenia gained
independence. In this respect the Eastern Partnership project opens
a prospect for establishing contractual relations of new quality with
the EU, particularly through the Association Agreement, the start of
which we initiated today”.

In his words, the Armenia-EU Justice, Freedom and Security Subcommittee
successfully completed its first meeting in Yerevan on July 6. “We
expect the constructive discussions in this format to open the door
to signing an agreement on the facilitation of the visa regime with
the EU as soon as possible. We also attach importance to the talks
on the deep and comprehensive free trade zone as a component of the
Association Agreement,” he pointed out.

The main document regulating Armenia’s cooperation with the European
Union – the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement took effect in July
1999 for a period of 10 years. Under the respective provision of the
agreement, after the expiry of the term, it is extended for one year.

The Association Agreement will replace the Partnership and Cooperation
Agreement currently in force. The guidelines of cooperation on economic
integration, free movement and energy issues will be reflected in
this document. The talks will involve three thematic groups that will
negotiate on issues of political dialog, foreign and security policies,
justice, freedoms, as well as cooperation in the spheres of economy,
finance, culture, energy, etc.

According to the RA MFA Press and Information Department, with the
aim of organizing the negotiating process by Armenia, on July 15
the Armenian president signed the Order on Negotiations over the
Association Agreement between the Republic of Armenia and the European
Union, under which Foreign Minister E. Nalbandian is the coordinator
of the negotiations on behalf of Armenia, and Deputy Foreign Minister
Ms. Karine Ghazinian is the chief negotiator.

Deputy Minister of Justice Nikolai Arustamian is the head of the
working group on justice, freedoms and security, Deputy Minister
of Finance Mushegh Tumasian is the head of the working group on
cooperation in economic and financial spheres.

The meeting to mark the start of the negotiations was followed by
the press conference of K. Ghazinian and G. Wiegand.

From: A. Papazian

GAGIK MINASYAN: ARMENIA’S COMPLEMENTARY POLICY HAS GREAT OUTLOOKS FOR DEVELOPMENT

PanARMENIAN.Net
July 21, 2010 – 16:38 AMT 11:38 GMT

Chairman of the RA NA Standing Committee on Financial-Credit, Budgetary
and Economic Affairs, member of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia
Gagik Minasyan said that Armenia’s complementary policy has great
outlooks for development.

“We have ideal relations with the CSTO member countries, including
Russia,” Minasyan told a press conference in Yerevan on July 21.

According to him, Armenia does not exclude any opportunities for
normalizing and boosting political and economic ties with the EU.

Referring to negotiations on signing Association Agreement between
Armenia and the EU, Gagik Minasyan said that a certain progress has
been achieved in integration into Europe.

“Integration into Europe has always been a top priority for Armenia,”
said Minasyan.

From: A. Papazian

ON CURRENT CONDITION OF THE ARMENIAN PATRIARCHATE IN ISTANBUL
Rouben Melkonyan

15.07.2010

Over the last several months the election in the Patriarchate of
Istanbul has been the matter on the agenda in the Armenian community
in Istanbul. The point is that the incurable disease connected with
the memory was found on Patriarch Mesrop Mutafian which made him
incapable. According to the church rules the elected patriarch, despite
different circumstances, bears the title lifelong and in case of a
disease a co-patriarch, who has equal authority, is elected. The health
problems of Patriarch Mutafian seriously affect different spheres
of life of the Armenian community because continuing the Ottoman
traditions, Turkish authorities today also recognize Patriarch as a
head of the Armenian community and his factual absence disorganizes
the situation.

Let us remind you that the Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople was
founded in 1462 when after the conquest of Constantinople Sultan Mehmet
II invited primate Bishop Hovakim from Bursa and he became the head
of a newly established patriarchate. But only since 1543, beginning
from Astvatsatur I, the Armenian Patriarch title has been used. Till
present the Armenian Patriarchate in Istanbul has had 84 Patriarchs.

The last Patriarch of the Ottoman period ~V Zaven Ter-Eghiaian,
who had started rather vigour activity especially in 1918-1922 ~V was
forced by the Kemalist authorities to leave Turkey in 1922. After that,
till 1927, the patriarchal see had been vacant, and in 1923-1927 the
patriarchate was headed by Vicar Bishop Gevorg Aslanyan.

For the first time in the Turkish republic the elections of Patriarch
took place in 1927 and Mesrop Naroyan (1927-1944) was elected a
patriarch. After his death the patriarch see again remained vacant and
Bishop Gevorg Aslanyan became Vicar for the second time (1944-1950).

And only at the end of 1950 the patriarch elections were arranged.

Archbishop Garegin Khachatrian who was the spiritual leader of the
Armenians in Latin America was elected a patriarch. After returning
to Turkey in 1951 he became a Patriarch. After the death of Garegin
Khachatrian Archbishop Shnork Galustian was elected a patriarch who
became one of the Patriarchs who hold the throne for the longest period
(1961-1990). Due to his efforts the life of the community became more
active; the works were carried out to improve the condition of the
Armenians living in provinces. After the death of Patriarch Shnork in
1990 Archbishop Garegin Kazanjian (1990-1998) came to the throne and
after the death of the latest, in 1998, Archbishop Mesrop Mutafian
was elected a Patriarch.

All the Apostolic Churches on the territory of the Ottoman Empire
belonged to the Patriarchate of Istanbul since the beginning of the
17th century. In 1900s the Patriarchate had 1181 churches and 132
monasteries. Today 42 Armenian churches at the territory of Turkey
and one on the island of Crete are under the jurisdiction of the
Patriarchate of Istanbul. 6 of 42 Armenian churches are outside of
Istanbul ~V in Kesaria, Diyarbekir, Derik, Iskander, Kirikhan and
village of Vakifli. There are also many other institutions under the
charge of Patriarchate.

It is not a secret that the Armenian community in Istanbul faced
a number of serious problems and under factual absence of Patriarch
those problems remain unsolved and even more aggravated. The incapable
condition of Patriarch Mutafian made the Patriarchate and community
look for the way out of the situation. Basing on some norms of the
Armenian Apostolic Church discipline a decision was taken to hold
the co-patriarch elections.

According to Turkish laws Istanbul governor~Rs office allows
holding the elections of the Patriarch, which, in its turn gets
the permission from the Ministry of Home Affairs. Several months
ago an application was submitted to Istanbul governor~Rs office
by the Armenian Patriarchate to allow to hold the elections of the
co-patriarch and some time later the Initiative group formed of the
Community members, in its turn, submitted request to the Governor~Rs
office to allow electing Patriarch. Thus, two different applications
were submitted by the Armenian community which contained one important
legal difference, i.e. to elect Patriarch or co-patriarch. This
issue put forward some problems in the community and the existing
discrepancies were even strained and Turkish authorities under the
pretext of this judicial uncertainty had left those two applications
without response for months.

The initiated process implies nominating candidates. According to
the law of the Armenian Apostolic Church and law of Turkey only 8
high ranking spiritual figures of the Armenian Apostolic Church had
a right to lay claim to the Patriarch see and five of them refused
participating in the elections from the very beginning. The other 3 ~V
the Head of the Gugarats Dioceses Bishop Sepuh Chuljyan, the Head of
the German Dioceses Archbishop Garegin Bekchian and the chairman of the
Supreme Spiritual Council of the Patriarchate of Istanbul Archbishop
Aram Ateshian stated that they were going to run for the elections.

>>From the very beginning it was clear that Turkish authorities are
going to meddle in the matter and try to see on the patriarch throne
the candidate they want, and that candidate, in the opinion of many,
is the citizen of Turkey Archbishop Aram Ateshian. But the initiated
electoral campaign had rather interesting course and the visits and
meetings of the candidates with the community essentially changed
the scenario prepared by the Turkish authorities.

Bishop Sepuh and Archbishop Garegin visited Istanbul and had rather
interesting and populous meetings with the community. Especially
impressive were the meetings with the Head of the Gugarats Dioceses
Sepuh which aroused serious enthusiasm and one may say that the
candidate from Armenia became the possible favorite at the elections.

It is necessary to mention that the problems in the community are
even more aggravated also due to the current stagnation and the
preservation of the current status quo may have disastrous aftermaths.

Of course Turkish authorities are not interested in the election of
the active Patriarch and the improvement of the Armenian community
so it was predictable that they would do everything to preserve the
state of stagnation.

The wait state connected with the election of the co-patriarch
had lasted for several months and only on June 29 the Ministry of
Home Affairs responded through Istanbul governor~Rs office to the
applications of the Armenian community. They said that they did not
find the elections of either patriarch or co-patriarch reasonable
and allowed carrying out only the elections of the Patriarchal Locum
Tenens. Let us mention there had already been a Patriarchal Locum
Tenens represented by the oldest spiritual figure of Istanbul see
Archbishop Shahan Svajian who resigned after the response brought
above and in several hours the Spiritual council of the Patriarchate in
haste elected Archbishop Aram Ateshian a new Patriarchal Locum Tenens.

This whole process proves that Turkish authorities were very interested
in the matter and directly meddled in it. On the other hand, the
logic of their actions tells us that they gave a permission to elect
Patriarchal Locum Tenens after they had understood that the available
resources are not enough to provide the victory of their candidate
at the communal election.

This all will have rather negative consequences for the Armenians in
Turkey and aggravate the stagnation and uncertainty in the community.

The inspiration which could be observed in the community during the
electoral campaign seeded to disappointment and uncertainty. Besides,
the split in the community and struggle between the groups will
become strained. One may say that the election of Armenian Patriarch,
however, is connected with the Armenian-Turkish relations and Turkish
side considers it one of its aces which can be used when necessary.

It is worth noting that the similar situation when the elections of
the Armenian Patriarch were prohibited had been in Turkey for two
times ~V first when Kemalists came two power and Kemalist nationalism
was spread, and second, in 1940s when chauvinism and pan-Turkic moods
prevailed in Turkey. In both cases the regress, aggravation of the
problems and split were observed in the community.

From: A. Papazian

WAR IS INEVITABLE

17:24:24 – 21/07/2010

The commander of the first Karabakh troops Arkady Karapetyan, said
today that war is inevitable, because the ultimate goal of the Turkish
nation is the elimination of Armenians. Regardless of what document
will be signed, Azerbaijan will still start a war. Now everything
is done to weaken Armenia and force it to make concessions with or
without a war.

Dwelling on the readiness of the army, Arkady Karapetyan assessed
it as unsatisfactory, given its potential, although he believed that
compared with the Azeri army it is enough.

He noted that security depends not only on the army but the number of
tanks. If you have no idea, if the soldier is not ready to sacrifice
their lives, there will be no victory.

Arkady Karapetyan regarded as unsatisfactory the activities of OSCE
Minsk Group. He does not like the idea of placing peacekeepers in
the liberated territories, which cannot be impartial.

From: A. Papazian

DMITRY ATBASHYAN APPOINTED CHIEF OF NKR CIVIL AVIATION BOARD

armradio.am
21.07.2010 17:46

According to the decision of the Prime Minister of the Nagorno Karabakh
Republic, Ara Harutyunyan, Dmitry Atbashyan was appointed Chief of
the Civil Aviation Board adjunct to the NKR Government.

The newly appointed Chief of the Civil Aviation Board was instructed
to present the statute of the Board and the structure of the staff
to the government within ten days.

From: A. Papazian