Author: Andres-Papazian

Kirill Razlogov: Golden Apricot is turning into a good international festival

2010-07-17 18:19:00

ArmInfo. Golden Apricot is turning into a good international festival,
Programme Director of the Moscow Film Festival Kirill Razlogov told
ArmInfo correspondent.

The festival has developed, he said. Its peculiarity is that it cannot
develop as the regional festival of Transcaucasia because of very
complicated relations with neighbors. It is a regional-ethnic
festival, the festival of Armenians worldwide. “But the most important
thing is that it is not restricted to Armenian topics, but is turning
into a good international festival”,- he stressed. When assessing the
competition program of Golden Apricot, Razlogov said: “I know that
there were certain difficulties with provision of the film copies, but
eventually, this has become a quite worthy program”,- he said. As
regards the negative aspects of the festival, Razlogov pointed out the
problems that arose in connection with Claudia Cardinale’s visit.
“Some ceremonial things arose, and the festival was unready for them
at the beginning, because by its nature the festival is homish and
friendly. And it was difficult to cope with the general political
standards. But this is the payment for success”,- said the film
expert.

From: A. Papazian

‘Apricot yield’ of Golden Apricot

2010-07-17 18:21:00

ArmInfo. The winners of VII Golden Apricot International Film Festival
will be announced today.

It is noteworthy that this year Golden Apricot has become a true
“board of revelations”. For instance, Stanislav Govorukhin expressed
regret that he didn’t study painting. “I have been painting for 20
years, but I feel that I am short of the relevant school, and I cannot
progress”,- he said. For his part, Fatih Akin told about the
difficulties of national identity. He said though his parent are of
Turkish origin, he feels himself German. He was born and grew up in
Germany, and the first girl he kissed was German. The most unexpected
confession was that of Allen Hughes, who has come to Armenia hoping to
find his queen. It has turned out that his previous girlfriends were
very afraid of his mother. By the way, Allen Hughes, whose mother is
of Armenian origin, has come to Yerevan to gain knowledge of his
historical motherland. He is so much impressed by the Armenian
hospitability that next year the whole family of the Hughes will visit
Armenia.

When summing up the “apricot yield” of Golden Apricot, one can’t help
pointing out that this year the festival presented a number of
interesting premieres to cinemagoers, among them “How I ended this
summer” by Popogrebski, “Poetry” by Lee Chang-dong, and “Honey” by
Semih Kaplanoglu. Fatih Akin’s retrospective was an unexpected gift
for the spectators, who received an opportunity to see three films by
Akin, which were awarded at Festival de Cannes, Berlin Festival and
Venice Festival. This year Golden Apricot has a jazz sounding. Since
July 11 6 bands have given performances in front of Moskva Cinema,
among them the Jazz Orchestra of the Public Radio and Television, Art
Voices and Night Watch Malkhas Jazz Band.

From: A. Papazian

Armenian expert: Stratfor is engaged in pro-Azeri propaganda with a
sole aim to earn more money

2010-07-17 12:19:00

ArmInfo. Stratfor CEO George Friedman’s recent article accusing
Armenia of starting a war against Azerbaijan and committing ethnic
cleansing against Azeris was just a propaganda, says Richard
Giragosian, Director of the Armenian Center for National and
International Studies.

He says that this article is based on biased views and propaganda
rather than on historical facts.

Giragosian believes that this might be the result of Friedman’s recent
visit to Azerbaijan. “I think he was not serious when writing this
article,” the expert says noting that Stratfor’s analysis cannot be
regarded as serious. After all, it is not a research center but a
commercial company and its employees do propaganda for earning money.

“Stratfor’s opinion is not important for Washington. Many people in
the US Government do not respect them and do not take them seriously,”
says Giragosian.

From: A. Papazian

Levon Ter-Petrossyan: If blockade continues, in some 100 years there
will be no single Armenian left in Armenia

2010-07-17 12:40:00

ArmInfo. Without solving the Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenian-Turkish
problems Armenia will not be able to ensure its political and
social-economic development, the first President of Armenia, the
leader of the oppositional Armenian National Congress Levon
Ter-Petrossyan said during a congress of the Armenian National
Moverment today.

“All of us must realize this fact irrespective of who is in power for
the moment. Armenia can develop under blockade for 100 years more. You
perfectly know who said that. But the only logic of this statement is
that in 100 years Armenia may become a developed country but there
will be no Armenians there. The sharp demographic decline in Armenia
and Nagorno-Karabakh is the best proof of my words,” Ter-Petrossyan
said.

From: A. Papazian

Levon Ter-Petrosyan: Threat of war resumption is real like it was
yesterday and will be tomorrow

2010-07-17 13:31:00

ArmInfo. A threat of war resumption should not be considered
neutralized unless the Karabakh conflict is resolved, the first
President of Armenia Levon Ter-Petrosyan said during ANM congress.

According to him, a statement “a war is an alternative to mutual
concessions” has not and will not cease to be in force, irrespective
of how much time it will take to assure oneself of it.

“Fortunately, both the Armenian and Azerbaijani authorities feel this
threat and try to use the last diplomatic opportunities to avoid a
war. However, this situation cannot last long. The situation may be
out of control and new bloodshed may start in case of the diplomacy
failure or delaying of settlement”, the ex-president said. According
to him, if not Armenia, Azerbaijan cannot but consider a military
version of the conflict settlement. L. Ter-Petrosyan also said three
statements are given against this thesis: Azerbaijan is not able to
bring Armenia and Karabakh to their knees; the Armenian Army will
overwhelm the enemy due to its will and spirit; the world community
will not allow to launch a new war; CSTO will offer a fitting rebuff
to Azerbaijan if necessary.

As the first president said, a threat of war resumption is real today
like it was yesterday and will be tomorrow.

From: A. Papazian

Levon Ter-Petrossyan: The clue to Nagorno-Karabakh settlement is in
the hands of Moscow

2010-07-17 13:33:00

ArmInfo. The clues to Nagorno-Karabakh settlement and Armenian-Turkish
rapprochement are in the hands of Moscow, the first President of
Armenia, the leader of the opposition Levon Ter-Petrossyan said during
a congress of the Armenian National Movement today.

Unlike the West, Russia has always regarded the South Caucasus as a
region of its vital interests and it can hardly be expected to refuse
defending them.

The passivity of the West in the region is due partially to this very
activity of Russia as somewhat subconsciously they out west regard the
South Caucasus as a sphere of Russia’s influence. So, whoever in power
in Armenia should view these problems in this very geo-political
context.

“I think that the present Armenian authorities do not realize this,
unlike Turkey and Azerbaijan, who are showing more realistic attitudes
and are actively contacting with Russia. Today we are facing the
situation of 1920 – a situation we failed to find a right way-out of.
Today, we have no right to repeat that mistake,” Ter-Petrossyan said.

From: A. Papazian

Russia, France and the USA urge Armenia and Azerbaijan not to select
any elements over others in Karabakh conflict settlement

2010-07-17 14:03:00

ArmInfo. The Heads of Delegation of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair
countries, Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation Sergei Lavrov,
Foreign Minister of France Bernard Kouchner, and Deputy Secretary of
State of the United States James Steinberg, released a joint statement
today at the OSCE Informal Ministerial in Almaty.

The OSCE headquarters told ArmInfo that Lavrov, Kouchner, and
Steinberg met on the margins of the OSCE Informal Ministerial with
Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan Elmar Mammadyarov and Foreign Minister
of Armenia Edward Nalbandian in Almaty, Kazakhstan. The Heads of
Delegation of the Co-Chair countries recalled the joint statement on
Nagorno-Karabakh of December 1, 2009 at the OSCE Ministerial meeting
in Athens and reminded the sides of their commitment to seek a
peaceful settlement to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict based on the
principles contained in the Helsinki Final Act, particularly those
related to refraining from the threat or use of force, the territorial
integrity of states, and the equal rights and self determination of
peoples. They reiterated that the elements articulated by Presidents
Medvedev, Sarkozy, and Obama on July 10, 2009 at L’Aquila and repeated
at Muskoka on June 26, 2010 must be the foundation of any fair and
lasting settlement to the conflict.

“These proposed elements have been conceived as an integrated whole,
and any attempt to select some elements over others would make it
impossible to achieve a balanced solution”,- says the statement.
Foreign Minister Kouchner and Deputy Secretary Steinberg expressed
appreciation for the efforts of President Medvedev and Foreign
Minister Lavrov to bridge the differences between the parties, taking
into consideration the positions discussed during the meetings in
Sochi on January 25, 2010 and in St. Petersburg on June 17, 2010.

The Heads of Delegation of Russia, France, and the United States
stressed that the efforts made so far by the parties to the conflict
have not been sufficient to overcome their differences. They deplored
recent developments, which have increased tension in the region,
including the serious armed incident of June 18-19, 2010 and
inflammatory public statements. They warned that the use of force
created the current situation, and its use again would only lead to
suffering, devastation, and a legacy of conflict and hostility that
would last for generations.

They urged a greater spirit of compromise to reach agreement on a
common basis for continuing the negotiations. Additional actions by
the sides are needed to reinforce the ceasefire of 1994 and to create
a more favorable atmosphere for further political dialogue and
reaching agreements. The Heads of Delegation of the Co-Chair countries
renewed their commitment to support the sides in reaching a peace
agreement, but reiterated that the primary responsibility to put an
end to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict still remains with Azerbaijani
and Armenian leaders.

From: A. Papazian

Armenian National Movement is holding its 16th Congress

2010-07-17 12:20:00

ArmInfo. The 16th Congress of the Armenian National Movement set off
in Yerevan today.

While opening the meeting, member of the ANM’s board Aram Manukyan
made a comprehensive report on the party’s past and present.

ArmInfo’s correspondent reports that Manukyan’s report was followed by
speeches by the leader of the Social Democratic Party Hnchakyan
Lyudmila Sargsyan, Ex Prime Minister of Armenia Hrant Bagratyan, the
leader of the Democratic Fatherland party Petros Makeyan, the
coordinator of the Armenian National Congress Levon Zurabyan and,
finally, the leader of the Hanrapetuyun (Republic) party Aram Sargsyan
and the leader of the People’s Party of Armenia Stepan Demirtchyan.

None of them was original: once again they criticized the Government
and said that there are political prisoners in Armenia and that it is
necessary to hold free and fair elections.

In Demirtchyan’s opinion, Armenia may lose its chance for normal development.

All of the speakers praised the ANM as a force that played a
consolidating role in the early 1990s and greatly contributed to the
victory in the Nagorno-Karabakh war. Today, it is one of the key
forces constituting the Armenian National Congress.

The leader of the latter Levon Ter-Petrossyan was welcomed with
standing ovation.

During the congress the ANM is to adopt a number of resolutions and to
elect its board.

From: A. Papazian

Turkey not ready for package normalization with Armenia without preconditions

July 17, 2010 – 14:54 AMT 09:54 GMT
PanARMENIAN.Net –

Leader of Armenakan-Ramkavar Azatakan party Hakob Avetikyan said that
the party hails Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan’s initiative on the
Armenian-Turkish rapprochement.

`However, after Turkey’s frustration of the Armenian-Turkish Protocols
ratification, Armenia, in case of necessity, should discuss certain
documents with Turkey, for example, only the border opening or
establishment of diplomatic relations,’ Avetikyan told the party
congress.

According to him, the practice proves that Turkey is not ready for
package normalization with Armenia without preconditions.

From: A. Papazian

Eduard Sharmazanov: `yellow card’ was given to Azerbaijan in Almaty

July 17, 2010 – 19:01 AMT 14:01 GMT
PanARMENIAN.Net –

Secretary of the Republican Party of Armenia parliamentary group
Eduard Sharmazanov said that the statement by the Heads of Delegation
of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair countries is an obvious case when the
Azerbaijani leadership’s bellicose statements are not left without
response.

According to Sharmazanov, specifically, the statement condemns the
threat or use of force. Besides, the Heads of Delegation of the OSCE
Minsk Group Co-Chair countries recalled provisions of the joint
statement on Nagorno Karabakh at the OSCE Ministerial meeting in
Athens, in which the NKR people’s right to self-determination is
noted.

`This proves that the Azerbaijani leadership’s bellicose statements
intended for the internal use lead the country into a deadlock.
Meanwhile, a `yellow card’ was given to Azerbaijan in Almaty on July
17,’ concluded Sharmazanov.

From: A. Papazian