Author: Andres-Papazian

EC PRESIDENT PLEDGES FASTER INTEGRATION DURING VISIT TO ARMENIA
by Lilit Gevorgyan

Global Insight
December 5, 2012

During his recent trip to Armenia, the European Commission (EC)
president Jose Manuel Barroso welcomed the South Caucasian former
Soviet republic’s commitment to reforms. In particular, Barroso noted
progress made by Armenian authorities in May’s parliamentary election
by ensuring greater transparency and a level playing field for all
political parties. The head of the EU’s executive branch also stated
that the 27 -member European bloc will extend EUR15 million for
ongoing judicial reforms. Barroso also stated that Armenia and the EU
have made significant progress under the Mobility Dialogue. This will
involve signing the Visa Facilitation Agreement on 17 December, as
well as the Readmission Agreement, although the latter will take place
at a later stage. While pledging financial assistance, Barroso said
that beyond providing technical aid the EU has the political will and
commitment to continue co-operating with Armenia, adding, “We believe
that Armenia is a European country, that you belong to the European
family of nations and that we have everything to gain from working
even closer.” He urged the Armenian authorities to remain on the
reform path and work on improving democratic institutions,
independence of the judiciary, political pluralism, media freedom and
protection of fundamental rights. According to Barroso, Armenia,
Georgia and Moldova are currently the best reformers among the Eastern
European Partnership members, that also includes Azerbaijan, Belarus
and Ukraine.

Significance:Positive endorsement from Barroso is welcome news for
President Serzh Sargsyan’s government. Sargsyan has managed to turn
the tide of the Western criticism after he started his presidential
term in 2008 with disputed elections followed by unusual deadly
clashes between the police and protesters. The progress made with the
EU will be helpful during the upcoming election campaign as Sargsyan
bids for his second presidential term in February 2013. The signing of
the visa facilitation agreement in particular will be an achievement
that countries like Russia and Ukraine have yet to gain from the EU.

In late June Armenia launched Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade
Agreement (DCFTA) talks, as part of a wider Association Agreement with
the European bloc (seeArmenia – Europe: 25 June 2012:). The parties
now have 15 chapters to go through, which will fully harmonise
bilateral commercial relations. The talks are likely to conclude by
the end of 2012 or the beginning of 2013.

From: A. Papazian

ARFD: IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO CHANGE REGIME WE NEED MAXIMUM UNITY

arminfo
Thursday, December 6, 17:40

In order to be able to change regime, we need maximum unity, member
of the ARFD Armen Rustamyan said during a meeting with representatives
of different political and public forces on Thursday.

He said that people no longer trust elections and no longer believe
the existing political forces. “Nobody today has enough political
influence to gain power on his own. So, our only way is consolidation
and a joint presidential candidate,” Rusyamyan said.

The leader of Heritage Raffi Hovhannisian supported Rustamyan and
said that the ARFD’s approaches are quite promising.

From: A. Papazian

RED BOOK TO BE CREATED FOR NATURAL MONUMENTS

Armenia attracts tourists with its churches, however both Armenia
and Artsakh are rich with natural monuments which are of great
interest for the foreigners, said PhD in Geological Sciences Hayk
Melik-Adamyan dpeaking about the importance of the role of natural
monuments for tourism.

He also mentioned that both in Soviet times and today as well Armenia
is presented unequally. Our country, from the geological point of view,
is a museum in the open air as well. This fact is not present, however.

Speaker believes that the PR is week with Garny’s Symphony of stones
and mentioned that in Ukraine there is only in one place where such
separations of Basalt columns exist. The Ukrainians preserve it as
a sacred place, while in Armenia it is totally abandoned.

According to H. Melik-Adamyan there are different types of such
columns in Tavush region which are around 100-150 million years old.

He added that for keeping people informed a Red Book for Armenian
non-alive monuments should be created.

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIAN KILLED IN HASSAKE, HIS SON IS WOUNDED

17:17, 5 December, 2012

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 5, ARMENPRESS. According to unofficial information
armed rebels killed an Armenian in al Hassake city near the Turkish
border. His son is wounded. As reports “Armenpress” this was stated
in facebook pages of the Armenians from Aleppo. They state that the
accident happened at the time, when the rebels tried to kidnap the
Armenian young man. In accordance with the information the deceased
Armenian is Abd al Ahad Pachora. Although, this news has not been
officially approved yet. Telephone connection is out of order either.

On December 5 Press Secretary of the Armenian National Prelacy of
Aleppo Jirayr Reisian stated that situation in Aleppo is rather calm,
one cannot hear shooting and explosions as frequently as before. In
addition he said that electricity is still being interrupted and
telephone connection has not finally been fixed yet.

Our compatriot from Kessab also informed us that telephone connection
has now been restored and the intense situation of the last week
changed to relatively peaceful one. Road to Latakia is open now.

Notwithstanding from time to time one can hear shootings.

As to the situation in Damascus our compatriot informed us
that the situation in the capital is calm, but the situation in
Armenian-populated Jaramana region is still intense, as the road to
the airport is rather close to this region.

Clashes in Syrian lasting more than 20 months caused the death of
about 40 thousand people.

From: A. Papazian

HENRIKH MEKHITARIAN EST LE PLUS CELEBRE FOOTBALLEUR EUROPEEN D’APRES L’IFFHS
Krikor Amirzayan

armenews.com
jeudi 6 decembre 2012

L’International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS),
une organisation d’etudes historiques et statistiques sur le football
a lance un sondage entre le 15 octobre et le 30 novembre afin de
designer auprès du public, le plus celèbre des footballeurs pour
l’annee 2012. Pour l’Europe, c’est l’international armenien et milieu
de terrain du ” Chakhtior ” Donetsk (Ukraine) Henrikh Mekhitarian qui
est arrive en tete avec 53 884 voix obtenues. Il devance largement le
joueur de Manchester City, le bosniaque Edin Dzeko (32 727). Christian
Ronaldo est a la 5e place avec 10 048 voix.

jeudi 6 decembre 2012, Krikor Amirzayan ©armenews.com

From: A. Papazian

LE PRESIDENT SERGE SARKISSIAN ET SON HOMOLOGUE RUSSE VLADIMIR POUTINE SE SONT RENCONTRES AU TURKMENISTAN
Laetitia

armenews.com
jeudi 6 decembre 2012

Le president Serge Sarkissian et son homologue russe Vladimir Poutine
se sont rencontres lors d’un sommet qui reunissait les anciennes
republiques sovietiques au Turkmenistan mercredi 5 decembre 2012
pour discuter de la possibilite d’adhesion de l’Armenie a une union
douanière dirigee par la Russie.

Les sources officielles armenienne et russe n’ont pas donne de details
sur la reunion. Le bureau de presse de Serge Sarkissian a seulement
indique que les deux presidents ont discute d’un certain nombre de
questions sur les relations russo-armeniennes.

L’agence RIA Novosti a cite le dirigeant russe qui a parle de processus
d’integration de la Communaute des Etats independants (CEI) lors
de ses rencontres avec Serge Sarkissian ainsi que les presidents de
l’Ukraine et du Kazakhstan.

L’union douanière se compose actuellement de la Russie, de la
Bielorussie et du Kazakhstan. Moscou souhaiterait developper cette
structure et la transformer en une Union eurasienne des ex-republiques
sovietiques.

L’Armenie a jusqu’a present ete reticente a cette Union douanière,
citant l’absence d’une frontière commune avec l’un de ses trois Etats
membres. Poutine et Sarkissian ont discute de la question lors de
leur rencontre a Moscou en août dernier. Poutine a declare après
ces discussions que les gouvernements russe et armenien ont forme
un groupe de travail pour etudier les moyens d’implication possibles
d’Erevan dans le bloc.

De hauts responsables russes ont activement promu l’Union eurasienne
au cours de leur visite a Erevan cet ete. Dans un developpement
connexe, Viktor Khristenko, un chef russe de la Commission economique
eurasienne, l’organe directeur de l’Union douanière, s’est rendu a
Erevan et a rencontre le Premier ministre Tigran Sarkissian mercredi
5 decembre 2012. Le premier ministre armenien, pour sa part, a declare
que son gouvernement est en negociation avec l’Union europeenne sur un
accord de libre-echange et prevoit de les completer l’annee prochaine.

Tigran Sarkissian a declare hier que l’Armenie doit approfondir et
elargir les liens avec l’Union eurasienne. Erevan va donc de plus en
plus cooperer avec l’Union douanière.

Le president Sarkissian a eu des entretiens avec M. Poutine moins
d’une semaine après avoir accueilli un sommet a Erevan des dirigeants
de l’Armenie, de la Georgie et de la Moldavie. Le sommet, qui a ete
egalement suivi par Jose Manuel Barroso de la Commission europeenne, a
porte sur les efforts deployes par les trois anciens Etats sovietiques
conernant des accords negocies avec Bruxelles.

jeudi 6 decembre 2012, Laetitia ©armenews.com

From: A. Papazian

AZERBAIJANI FM MAMMADYAROV: “WE WILL NOT ACCEPT A TERRITORIAL DIVISION OF AZERBAIJAN”

10:30, December 6, 2012

The following commentary by Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar
Mammadyarov appeared in the December 5 edition of The Wall Street
Journal

Securing Lasting Peace in the Caucasus

At the end of this week, the Organization for Security and Cooperation
in Europe (OSCE) will gather in Dublin for its annual ministerial
meeting. I remain hopeful that we can achieve real progress on
resolving some of the outstanding issues facing our region-in
particular, achieving lasting peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijan is economically prosperous due to an oil and gas boom,
but our efforts to build a modern country are handicapped by security
issues. The broader Caspian region is plagued with tension, which could
quickly escalate from political problems between neighbors to open
conflict. The most irritating and damaging issue for my country is with
neighboring Armenia over the Nagorno-Karabakh province of Azerbaijan.

This province belongs to Azerbaijan. Armenian forces have occupied
Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent Azerbaijani districts since the
1993 cease-fire that was negotiated by the OSCE. The occupation has
displaced nearly one million Azeri citizens from their place of origin.

As a result, our relations with Armenia are practically nonexistent.

There is also a distinct lack of economic cooperation and trade
between our two counties.

Azerbaijan wants peace so that we can continue to grow our economy,
develop our energy resources and advance our relations with Europe and
our neighbors. But Armenia also has a stake in peace with Azerbaijan.

The country is isolated in the region largely because of this
conflict. It is excluded from all regional infrastructure and energy
projects, such as the oil and gas pipelines passing from the Caspian
Sea to Turkey and Europe via Georgia, as well as a new railroad line
between Azerbaijan and Turkey through Georgia, to be inaugurated
this year. When we can agree on lasting peace, Armenia could become
a stakeholder in these regional projects.

Settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict would benefit Europe as
well. Azerbaijan is becoming a major energy exporter to Europe, and
with the new pipeline agreement signed with Turkey, Europe will soon
receive 10 billion cubic meters of natural gas from Azerbaijan. That
volume could eventually rise to more than 20 billion cubic meters.

European economic interests in Azerbaijan and the region extend
beyond energy. Stability in the Caucasus is now part of Europe’s
internal security. It is no longer a matter of the EU engaging with
its periphery. Like Yugoslavia in the 1990s, the Caucasus is now part
of an internal EU security debate.

One thing should be clear: We will not accept a territorial division
of Azerbaijan. Our territorial integrity must be respected, as this
is international law. In 1993, the U.N. Security Council approved
four relevant resolutions calling for an immediate, complete and
unconditional withdrawal of Armenian forces from our territory. The
Armenian military withdrawal must be comprehensive, and it needs to
take place now.

Beyond these two conditions, we are flexible and willing to support
any peace process. We will back it up with a real economic development
plan for Nagorno-Karabakh, including serious investments.

We can resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh problem only if there is political
will on all sides. There certainly is such will on our side.

Azerbaijan is the biggest proponent of an immediate settlement of
the conflict, and we stand committed to building a stable economic
and security environment in our region.

I suggest we move forward in Dublin and achieve progress on this issue
beyond what has already been agreed with Armenia and the three OSCE
co-chairs: France, the U.S. and Russia. After drafting a comprehensive
peace agreement within a fixed time frame, the OSCE should agree on
a new Minsk Group meeting to be attended by all parties.

Peace in the Caucasus would open up new avenues for cooperation and
regional integration. With peace, we could all progress more quickly
in our efforts to catch up with the rest of Europe. Dublin is our
peace opportunity. I urge our Armenian counterparts to seize it,
together with us.

From: A. Papazian

US CONGRESSMAN CALLS ON US TO CUT SECURITY ASSISTANCE TO AZERBAIJAN

APA
Dec 5 2012
Azerbaijan

Spokesman for Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry: “One can not expect
the person, whose political career depends on the Armenian Diaspora,
to make a different statement”

Baku. Malahat Najafova – APA. US Congressman Adam Schiff has called
on the US to cut security assistance to Azerbaijan, the Armenian
National Committee of America (ANCA) issued a press release about it,
APA reports. The statement made by Congressman Adam Schiff (D-CA),
a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee, was related
with the pardon and promotion of Ramil Safarov.

“Plainly the investment we have made in training Azeri forces has
been worse than wasted. Azerbaijan must pay a high price for its
actions. Baku treasures the security assistance that it receives from
Washington, not because it needs the money (it does not), but because
it signifies a certain closeness in the bilateral relationship. By
cutting off military aid to Azerbaijan, the United States would signal
its disgust with the Safarov affair, while also reminding Aliyev that
the United States will not tolerate any acts of aggression against
Armenia or Nagorno-Karabakh,” pro-Armenian Congressman said.

Pro-Armenian Congressman Adam Schiff is also one of the authors of the
“Armenian genocide” bill.

Spokesman for Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry Elman Abdullayev told
APA that Adam Schiff is one of the congressmen under the influence
of the Armenian Diaspora.

“One can not expect the person, whose political career depends on
the Armenian Diaspora, to make a different statement,” he said.

From: A. Papazian

“2013 STATE BUDGET” OF SEPARATIST NAGORNO KARABAKH REGIME IN AZERBAIJANI TERRITORY IS 2.4 TIMES LOWER THAN STATE BUDGET OF NAKHCHIVAN AUTONOMOUS REPUBLIC

APA
Dec 5 2012
Azerbaijan

Baku. Rashad Suleymanov – APA. The separatist regime in Nagorno
Karabakh established by Armenia, which is keeping the territories
of Azerbaijan under the occupation, has approved its “state budget”
for 2013.

APA reports quoting Arka agency that it calls for 70.294 billion drams
(approximately $174 mln) in revenue and 71.050 (approximately $176 mln)
billion drams in spending.

The incomes and spending of “state budget” of the separatist regime in
Nagorno Karabakh is 2.4 times lower than the state budget ($ 424 mln)
of Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic.

From: A. Papazian

PERSUASION

Aksam
Dec 4 2012
Turkey

Column by Husnu Mahalli
[Translated from Turkish]

Everything you have read or heard about Russia’s leader Putin’s visit
to Turkey all have one thing in common: Syria. Syria was the most
important topic of the talks between Putin and Prime Minister Erdogan
because according to Ankara, were it not for Russia Al-Asad would
have gone long ago. Moscow for its part is saying, “If it were not for
Ankara’s meddling the Syria problem would have been fixed long ago.”

Those two sentences sum up not only any possible Putin-Erdogan tension
but also both countries’ regional and international policies in that
as far as both countries are concerned Syria is the key to a new
international order. So, Syria is not to be dismissed. How, you ask?

First of all, let us look at it from Prime Minister Erdogan’s
perspective:

Prime Minister Erdogan found support in an important country like
Egypt because of the Arab Spring. He knows that he will not be able to
advance his regional projects if the Muslim Brothers in Syria, or at
least a government that includes them, do not come to power in Syria.

This is because no regional plan ever works in this part of the world
without Syria, for a variety of reasons. Perhaps this is why Prime
Minister Erdogan is coming down so hard to Al-Asad and giving the
Syrian opposition all manner of support. As long as Al-Asad remains
in power Prime Minister Erdogan’s plans for Turkey and the region
are largely held back. To be even more blunt, as long as Al-Asad
stays in power none of Anakra’s new strategic allies Egypt, Saudi
Arabia and Qatar’s plans for Turkey will stick, and these countries
plans, along with the United States, to oppose the “Shi’i Crescent”
will fall into the water. This is because unless and until Al-Asad
is gone Hizballah in Lebanon will stay. Unless and until Al-Asad is
gone the Shi’i government in Iraq will grow in strength while Iran
will gain an ever stronger foothold in the region. The Kurd issue is
an even more complex story.

Putin’s 10-Year Plan

So, where do Putin and Russia stand?

When pro-Western and Islamist governments came to power in Tunisia,
Egypt and Libya, Russia lost considerable ground in the Mediterranean
and also lost all its ports of call outside Syria. It now better
understands the West’s natural gas game. The US-backed EU countries
stand to gain natural gas from Libya, Egypt, Palestine, Israel, Cyprus
and also Syria and Lebanon should Al-Asad fall, and their first order
of business will be to try and break Russia’s natural gas monopoly.

Russia is famous for its Vladimirs and Putin is right now working on
regional and international schemes via Syria. This is because Putin
is going to remain in power for the next 10 years. These 10 years are
important not only for his country but also for international policy.

This Putin knows all too well what challenges his country would face
should Al-Asad fall and the Islamists come to power in Damascus. He
knows that US-backed Islamists will be a problem for Russia’s policies
in the Caucasus and Central Asia. Former KGB, Putin remembers
very well the Green Generation Project that played a role in the
collapse of the Soviet Union. He thinks that the West along with the
Islamists might be able to stir up the millions of Muslims living
in the Russian Federation. Especially in Chechnya. Meanwhile in the
Caucasus, Russia’s pro-Armenia policy is at odds with the West’s plans
to seize Azerbaijan. It would not be good for Russia for Al-Asad to
fall and then for Iran to get involved.

You can add as much detail as you want to these assertions. In the
end, Russia is still a super power and considers what is best for
its own interests when thinking about Syria. The AKP [Justice and
Development Party] government in Turkey for its part is trying to take
on a regional and international role that will strengthen its domestic
policy position by taking advantage of the situation resulting from
the Arab Spring. Let us see who will be able to persuade whom and
in return for wh at. The real question is what might happen should
nobody be persuaded.

[Translated from Turkish]

From: A. Papazian