Author: Andres-Papazian

AZERI MASS MEDIA DISTORT IRANIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN’S COMMENT ON PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION IN NAGORNO-KARABAKH

arminfo
Tuesday, July 24, 19:41

The Azeri mass media have distorted the answer given by Spokesman of
Iran’s Foreign Ministry Ramin Mehmanparast to the question concerning
the presidential election in Nagorno- Karabakh.

According to the Mehr news agency, Mehmanparast said that this zone
is in crisis, and as long as it is in crisis and the Armenian and
Azeri leaders are unable to achieve progress in their peace talks,
such steps will not have an acceptable effect.

The Iranian official urged the parties to first achieve specific
results and only then to take such steps under acceptable conditions.

What the Azeri mass media quoted Mehmanparast as saying was “the so-
called elections in Nagorno-Karabakh have a negative impact on the
peace process of resolving the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict.

From: A. Papazian

THE EASTERN PARTNERSHIP CIVIL SOCIETY FORUM CALLED FOR THE RESOLUTION OF POLITICAL PRISONERS IN AZERBAIJAN

ARMENPRESS
25 July, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, JULY 25, ARMENPRESS: The Civil Society Forum has called
for the release of all political prisoners in Eastern Partnership
countries in a statement addressed to the EU Eastern Partnership
ministerial meeting in Brussels on 23 July 2012, reports Armnepress
citing European Neighborhood Policy informatin center.

“Some political prisoners have been released in Azerbaijan and
Belarus, but it is not acceptable to have any political prisoners in
the Eastern Partnership countries, and we call for the unconditional
release of all,” says the statement. “On 26 June 2012, the Council of
Europe called for resolution of the cases of more than 80 political
prisoners in Azerbaijan alone, and we must not forget that next
week marks the anniversary of the imprisonment of Ales Bialiatski,
a courageous human rights defender in Belarus.”

In the statement, the co-Chairs of the CSF Steering Committee, Ihor
Kohut and Jeff Lovitt, also welcomed the increased engagement with both
EU and Eastern Partnership governments in governmental platforms and
ministerial meetings through the extension of permanent participant
status for the CSF.

It welcomed the progress on visa facilitation agreements with
Armenia and Azerbaijan along with the launch of the visa dialogue
with Georgia and the action plans towards visa liberalisation for
Moldova and Ukraine.

The Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum was established in 2009
following the Prague Summit which launched the Eastern Partnership.

The EaP CSF aims to support the development of civil society
organisations and facilitate their dialogue with public authorities.

The first EaP CSF took place in Brussels on 16-17 November 2009.

From: A. Papazian

CHARENTS POETRY FESTIVAL IN SHUSHI

Published: Wednesday July 25, 2012

One of the poetry contest participants.

Shushi, Nagorno-Karabakh – Avan Shushi Plaza Hotel held the first
Poetry Festival in Shushi, involving over 50 students ranging in age
from 9 to 16 in a contest on July 6 and 7.

These students represented winners of poetry contests organized by
the Artsakh’s ministry of education; schools from all Artsakh regions
had taken part in the contest. This year’s festival was dedicated to
Armenian great poet Yeghishe Charents for his 150th birthday. Students
from Artsakh schools were broken into three age groups and competed
for prizes in each age group. Winners of Yerevan State University’s
Poetry contest and students from dance and singing academy took part
in the festival as presenters.

Poetry organizing committee consisted of Alec Baghdasaryan, President
of Avan Ishkhan Partnership Group, Dr. Gourgen Melikyan, Dean of
Eastern Armenian Studies and Dr. Artsrun Avakyan, Dean of Language,
Yerevan State University; prominent Armenian poets Lala Mnacakanyan
and Samvel Baghimian who along with Naira Martirosyan of thw Education
Ministry of Artsakh, acted as the Jury for the contest.

“We are very excited about the success of our first annual Poetry
Festival,” said Alec Baghdasaryan of Avan Ishkhan partnership,
“we are continuously looking for ways to return Shushi to its past
glory as a cultural center for Armenians by taking on projects which
will contribute to development of Shushi as a cultural center. We
believe that our Poetry Festival is a fitting event to be conducted
in Shushi annually.

“We are committed to the continued success of this project and will
work with Armenia and Diaspora schools and organizations, to expand
the list of schools participating in the future poetry festivals. Our
goal is to expand the festival in coming years to include students from
Diaspora schools as contest participants as well as guest presenters
from around the world to enrich the program.”

Avan Ishkhan partnership is an entity formed for development of
a touristic district in Shushi. Avan Ishkhan Partnership projects
include development of the Avan Shushi Plaza Hotel, the Eastern Shouka
(Bazzar), the Eastern Bath as well as many other historic buildings
in the heart of Shushi.

A video of festival can be viewed at
For inquiries regarding
taking part in future festivals please contact Alec Baghdasaryan or
Sargis Galstyan via [email protected].
Content-Type: MESSAGE/RFC822; CHARSET=US-ASCII
Content-Description:

MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
From: Mihran Keheyian
Subject: Charents poetry festival in Shushi

Charents poetry festival in Shushi

Published: Wednesday July 25, 2012

One of the poetry contest participants.

Shushi, Nagorno-Karabakh – Avan Shushi Plaza Hotel held the first
Poetry Festival in Shushi, involving over 50 students ranging in age
from 9 to 16 in a contest on July 6 and 7.

These students represented winners of poetry contests organized by the
Artsakh’s ministry of education; schools from all Artsakh regions had
taken part in the contest. This year’s festival was dedicated to
Armenian great poet Yeghishe Charents for his 150th birthday. Students
from Artsakh schools were broken into three age groups and competed
for prizes in each age group. Winners of Yerevan State University’s
Poetry contest and students from dance and singing academy took part
in the festival as presenters.

Poetry organizing committee consisted of Alec Baghdasaryan, President
of Avan Ishkhan Partnership Group, Dr. Gourgen Melikyan, Dean of
Eastern Armenian Studies and Dr. Artsrun Avakyan, Dean of Language,
Yerevan State University; prominent Armenian poets Lala Mnacakanyan
and Samvel Baghimian who along with Naira Martirosyan of thw Education
Ministry of Artsakh, acted as the Jury for the contest.

“We are very excited about the success of our first annual Poetry
Festival,” said Alec Baghdasaryan of Avan Ishkhan partnership, “we are
continuously looking for ways to return Shushi to its past glory as a
cultural center for Armenians by taking on projects which will
contribute to development of Shushi as a cultural center. We believe
that our Poetry Festival is a fitting event to be conducted in Shushi
annually.

“We are committed to the continued success of this project and will
work with Armenia and Diaspora schools and organizations, to expand
the list of schools participating in the future poetry festivals. Our
goal is to expand the festival in coming years to include students
from Diaspora schools as contest participants as well as guest
presenters from around the world to enrich the program.”

Avan Ishkhan partnership is an entity formed for development of a
touristic district in Shushi. Avan Ishkhan Partnership projects
include development of the Avan Shushi Plaza Hotel, the Eastern Shouka
(Bazzar), the Eastern Bath as well as many other historic buildings in
the heart of Shushi.

A video of festival can be viewed at
For inquiries regarding
taking part in future festivals please contact Alec Baghdasaryan or
Sargis Galstyan via [email protected].

From: A. Papazian

DES MEMBRES DU CONGRES AMERICAIN SALUENT LES ELECTIONS PRESIDENTIELLES AU HAUT-KARABAKH
Jean Eckian

armenews.com
mercredi 25 juillet 2012

Des membres du Congrès americain ont salue les elections
presidentielles au Haut-Karabakh, le 19 Juillet dernier.

Selon le bureau de ” Hay Dat” a Washington, environ 10 legislateurs,
y compris les co-presidents sur les questions armenienne Frank Pallone
et Ed Royce, ainsi que Howard Berman, Brad Sherman, Adam Schiff, Jim
Kostan, David Sisilin, Anne et Jackie Speier Eshun se s’ont felicites
des elections presidentielles au Haut-Karabakh.

Dans une declaration, le Congrès a souligne que les elections ont recu
les eloges d’environ 110 observateurs internationaux. Les legislateurs
americains ont felicite le peuple du Haut-Karabakh pour la tenue
d’elections libres et equitables dans le cadre de la re-election de
Bako Sahakian en tant que president de la republique. Ils ont souhaite
le succès sur la route de l’independance de la RHK, confirmant leur
volonte d’apporter toute l’assistance necessaire.

From: A. Papazian

L’OLEODUC IRAKO-TURC ENDOMMAGE PAR UNE EXPLOSION SERA REPARE DANS UNE SEMAINE
Ara

armenews.com
mercredi 25 juillet 2012

ISTANBUL, 24 juil 2012 (AFP) – L’oleoduc reliant la ville petrolière
irakienne de Kirkouk (nord) au port turc de Ceyhan-Yumurtalik (sud),
endommage samedi par une explosion d’origine criminelle dans le
sud-est de la Turquie, devrait etre repare d’ici une semaine, a
rapporte l’agence de presse turque Anatolie.

Les reparations ont debute après un minutieux ratissage par l’armee
de la zone de l’explosion, entre les villages de Sogutlu et Senkoy
(province de Mardin, riveraine de la Syrie), au cas où d’autres
explosifs auraient ete disposes, suivi de travaux de refroidissement
de l’oleoduc, selon l’agence. Le flux de petrole devrait reprendre
d’ici une semaine, ont indique a Anatolie les responsables de l’equipe
de reparateurs depechee par la compagnie petrolière turque BOTAS.

L’oleoduc Kirkouk-Ceyhan, long de 970 km, est regulièrement la cible
d’attentats attribues aux rebelles kurdes du Parti des travailleurs
du Kurdistan (PKK), qui cette fois encore ont ete designes comme les
auteurs de l’attentat.

Depuis le port de Ceyhan, sur la côte mediterraneenne turque, le brut
est embarque sur des petroliers en direction des marches mondiaux. Le
PKK, considere comme une organisation terroriste par Ankara et de
nombreux pays, mène depuis 27 ans des actions armees pour obtenir
l’autonomie du sud-est et de l’est de la Turquie, a majorite kurde. Le
conflit kurde a fait plus de 45.000 morts, selon l’armee.

From: A. Papazian

CRECE EL CONFLICTO DIPLOMATICO ENTRE LA ARGENTINA Y ARMENIA

La Nacion

Martes 24 de julio de 2012
Argentina

Los viajes comerciales de Guillermo Moreno por países exoticos no
le saldran nada barato al Gobierno. Un nuevo frente de conflicto
diplomatico se abrio desde anoche entre la Argentina y Armenia por
la inminente visita del canciller de Azerbaijan a Buenos Aires.

La llegada del canciller Elmar Mammadyarov, prevista para pasado
mañana, es el resultado de la mision comercial que Moreno y Hector
Timerman realizaron hace 15 días, junto con un grupo de 200 empresarios
argentinos a Azerbaijan.

Pero esta visita oficial de un alto funcionario de Azerbaijan, al igual
que aquel viaje a Bakú no cayeron nada bien en la comunidad armenia
en la Argentina y mucho menos por parte del gobierno de ese país,
que tiene una relacion muy tensa con Azerbaijan por el territorio en
disputa de Nagorno Karabaj.

Anoche, casi a la misma hora en que la Cancillería emitía un comunicado
oficial anunciando la visita de Mammadyarov, el embajador de Armenia
en Buenos Aires, Vahagn Melikian, entraba en el palacio San Martín con
un firme objetivo: exigir a las autoridades argentinas un tratamiento
“igualitario y recíproco” de parte de la Casa Rosada con respecto
a Armenia.

Fuentes confiables de la Cancillería ratificaron a LA NACION la
presencia del embajador de Armenia que, al parecer mantuvo una
reunion con el segundo de Timerman, Eduardo Zuain, a quien le
pidio explicaciones por la visita del canciller de Azerbaijan a la
Argentina. La de ayer fue la tercera reunion que el embajador de
Armenia mantuvo con autoridades de la Cancillería en menos de 10 días.

Mas alla de algunos gestos de buena predisposicion de la Cancillería,
el encuentro de anoche no se desarrollo en los mejores terminos y el
embajador Melikian recordo ante sus interlocutores el conflicto que
mantiene su país con Azerbaijan por el territorio de Nagorno Karabaj.

Este espacio esta bajo soberanía de Azerbaijan pero se encuentra
poblado por armenios y autoproclamado independiente en 1991. La
secesion del enclave dio lugar a una guerra que duro hasta 1994 y
causo unos 30.000 muertos. En solidaridad con Azerbaijan, Turquía
cerro la frontera con Armenia en 1993.

Consultadas por LA NACION, las autoridades del Centro Armenio de
la República Argentina expresaron su preocupacion por el viaje del
canciller de Azerbaijan y dejaron entrever que esa visita podría
influir en la posicion de la Argentina respecto del conflicto de
Nagorno Karabaj. A la vez, la comunidad armenia expreso “la necesidad
de que exista un comportamiento equilibrado” en las relaciones
diplomaticas.

Tal como lo anticipo LA NACION la semana pasada, Timerman recibira
pasado mañana a su par de Azerbaijan, que encabezara una delegacion
azerí de funcionarios y hombres de negocios.

Ayer la Cancillería informo que esta visita de Azerbaijan “se enmarca
en un proceso de fortalecimiento de la relacion entre ambos países”, y
recordo la visita que efectuo Timerman a principios de julio Timerman,
junto con el secretario de Comercio Interior y una comitiva de 200
empresarios argentinos.

La delegacion que llegara de Bakú participara del Foro de Negocios
Argentina-Azerbaijan en el Palacio San Martín, pasado mañana, y luego
habra una ronda de negocios, por la tarde, con la participacion de
algunos de los mas importantes holdings integrantes de la delegacion
oficial de Azerbaijan.

La comitiva azerí tambien mantendra reuniones de trabajo con los
ministros Debora Giorgi (Industria), Norberto Yauhar (Agricultura)
y Julio De Vido (Planificacion). Con este último, existe un tema
de central interes para la Argentina: la necesidad de arribar a un
acuerdo comercial con la petrolera estatal Socar de Azerbaijan para
sumarla a los negocios de YPF.

From: A. Papazian

INCLUSIVE AND EXCLUSIVE FOREIGN POLICIES

Today’s Zaman
July 25 2012
Turkey

I was in Paris at the beginning of the month to listen to Foreign
Minister Ahmet Davutoglu give a talk at the Institut Francais des
Relations Internationales (IFRI), a French think tank. The following
point he made drew my attention: “A Europe without Turkey would find
its cultural inclusiveness narrowed.”

The minister spoke of how a Europe increasingly unable to live with its
Muslims is finding its cultural influence wane as its policies exclude
the cultures that are right next to it, while by contrast Turkey’s
cultural influence only increases in concert with its inclusive
approach. The contradiction between the inclusiveness-exclusiveness
approaches is telling.

Though Turkey’s diplomatic facilities may still be limited, its
frenzied activity is beyond doubt. There is unseen diplomatic traffic,
with new embassies being opened up all over the world, a new presence
in Africa and assistance to war-torn and abandoned Somalia.

Also, add in challenging initiatives such as the lifting of visa
restrictions for many countries, top-level positions in international
institutions and countless efforts to act as honest broker or
facilitator between hostile parties.

And then there is as well Turkish participation in international
military operations, taking counter-positions when necessary against
former allies, and not to mention the widespread regional economic
and cultural influence increasing in concert with diplomatic activity.

Pretty impressive!

This hyperactivity is valuable, but not always adequate. There remain
some strange and stubborn moves next to the commendable actions.

Perhaps one of the most distressing moves of late has been Turkey’s
military cooperation with Sudanese leader Omar al-Bashir, a global
persona non grata known for his massacres of Christians in the south
and Muslims in Darfur.

But I would like to underline a basic oxymoron of foreign policy
herein. It appears that while Turkey carries on with sparkling
foreign policy moves, it continues to live with countless internal and
external problems that contradict its foreign policy actions. These
internal problems are well known. All of them have turned, over time,
into foreign policy dossiers of their own.

First, it is because we are living in a world where problems have
become globalized. Second, for a century now, people suffering problems
in Turkey have been moving outside of the country with their problems,
and have developed counter-policies. This refers to all those groups
who have resettled in Europe, the Middle East and the US (non-Muslims,
Kurds), all those big and small issues related to them (Cyprus,
the Heybeliada/Halki Orthodox seminary, Western Thrace, Armenia,
etc.) and of course third parties directly or indirectly involved in
these issues (France, Russia, the US, etc.).

Previous governments ignored and overlooked these problems and their
consequences, taking advantage of the Cold War’s “comfort” and happily
relying on the Western alliance. Today, just as visible and audible
as the activism and inclusiveness in foreign policy is, so are the
pending Turkish or Turkey-related problems. In fact, the situation
appears almost schizophrenic. A simple example: How is it that the
prime minister can pay a visit to the late Coptic Patriarch Shenouda
III of Alexandria in Cairo but manages to avoid paying an official
visit to the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I in Ä°stanbul. A wealth
of other contradictory situations abound these days.

It is just not possible that Davutoglu is not aware of this situation.

To the contrary, his comments to Ali Bayramoglu of the Yeni Å~^afak
daily regarding Armenians are clear proof of his awareness.

Regarding the centenary in 2015 of the widespread massacres that
wiped the Armenians out from Anatolia, the minister declares: “Who
they face is not a foreign minister saying that nothing happened in
1915.” He then talks of three efforts at hand: the revival of the
Zurich Protocols, a dialogue with the diaspora and the approach of
“just memory” when it comes to 1915. “We are not the Germans,” he says.

“Throughout our history, there has been no concept of ethnic carnage,
of ghettos. What’s more, we too have experienced great pains during the
same period. There were also concerns, fears and losses experienced
by Muslims living in the Balkans and the Caucasus. … There were
some events resulting from the paranoia that we would be expelled
from Anatolia as well. In the struggle to hold on to the land, some
mistakes, massacres and illegalities took place. But you cannot compare
this to Nazism, and you cannot describe us as a murderous race.”

It might be so, but more is needed — because searching out some sort
of “historic rationality” in the decision made by the Committee for
Union and Progress (CUP) to carry out the annihilation of Armenians
should not be the endeavor of those who carry an anti-Ä°ttihadist
agenda and who are busy designing the new Turkey. What they should
instead be concerned with is exposing those actors responsible
for these black stains as the main vein that nurtures yesterday’s
Ä°ttihadism and today’s Ä°ttihadist mindset.

From: A. Papazian

2012 OLYMPICS COMES WITH GIANT EXHIBITONS

Hurriyet
July 25 2012
Turkey

While the preparations continue for the kick-off of the London Olympics
on June 25, the London2012 Festival is gaining full speed with arts
and culture events presenting famous artists

As preparations continue for the kick-off of the London Olympics on
June 25, the London2012 Festival, which has been going on in the U.K.

capital since June 21, is gaining full speed. Conceptualizing the giant
sports event as a festive opportunity to hold a series of accompanying
cultural activities, London2012 features amazing art projects covering
all genres from music, film and theater to fine art, and extending
its reach to design, architecture, street art and fashion.

Here are Hurriyet Daily News’ must-see selections from the London2012
exhibition program, with a focus on events taking place after the
start of the Olympics.

An underground pavilion has been created for the occasion by dissident
Chinese artist Ai Weiwei and the design duo Herzog & de Meuron, and
is being exhibited until Oct. 14 at the Serpentine Gallery’s lawn in
Hyde Park. Embedded in the gallery’s front lawn, the work is a large
circular structure made of muted steel and earth-colored cork.

Architects Herzog & de Meuron and Ai Weiwei previously collaborated
on Beijing’s Bird Nest National Stadium. Serpentine Gallery is also
hosting Japanese-American artist Yoko Ono’s show “To the Light,”
a major retrospective of works by the conceptual artist, featuring
new and existing work plus her large-scale project “SMILE.” The show
runs through Sept. 9 Tate St. Ives is hosting a retrospective by
Brooklyn-born artist Alex Katz, bringing together over 30 canvases
plus collages and cut-outs that span the full breadth of his career,
from the 1950s to the present day. The exhibit is open until Sept. 23.

Interesting art events are also taking place elsewhere in the U.K.
this summer: the Clinton Centre in Enniskillen, Northern Ireland,
will be home to Armenian director Atom Egoyan’s installation
“Steenbeckett,” a tribute to British playwright Samuel Beckett,
as part of the Enniskillen International Beckett Festival, Aug. 11-27.

London’s famous Victoria & Albert Museum is hosting an exhibition
titled “Britain Creates 2012: Fashion + Art Collusion” until July 29.

The show brings together leading British fashion designers and
artists including Hussein Chalayan, Giles Deacon and Jeremy Deller
to celebrate London2012.

The first substantial survey of the work of Damien Hirst, one of the
most prominent British artists to emerge in the 1990s, is presently
on view at Tate Modern. The exhibition runs through September.

“She Lay Down Deep Beneath the Sea,” is the first major exhibition by
the celebrated British artist Tracey Emin in her home town of Margate,
and is open to visitors through Sept. 23 at Turner Contemporary in
Margate. The museum also houses works by Turner and Rodin.

Street artist Inkie is curating Europe’s largest street art festival,
“See No Evil,” including over 20 commissions on a disused site in the
heart of Bristol until Aug 19. Visitors to the London Olympics should
also check the dates for the World Shakespeare Festival, as the Royal
Shakespeare Company’s presentations will continue until late August.

From: A. Papazian

TOP AZERBAIJANI OFFICIAL: ANY ACTIONS IN NAGORNO-KARABAKH HARM PEACE AND NEGOTIATION PROCESS

Trend
July 25 2012
Azerbaijan

Any actions taken in Nagorno-Karabakh harm peace and the negotiation
process, Azerbaijani Presidential Administration Political Analysis
and Information Provision Department head Elnur Aslanov told media
on Wednesday.

“We always say that Armenia must hold a more constructive position and
take actions to change the situation and restore peace in the region,
rather than to preserve the status quo,” Aslanov said.

“EU and many other countries have condemned the show with so-called
“presidential elections” in Nagorno-Karabakh,” Aslanov said, adding
that today the separatist regime in Nagorno-Karabakh is being
controlled from Yerevan.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian
armed forces have occupied 20 per cent of Azerbaijan since 1992,
including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The
co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group – Russia, France and the U.S. –
are currently holding peace negotiations.

Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council’s four
resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the
surrounding regions.

Responding to a question related to Azerbaijani poets arrested in Iran,
Aslanov said that the issue between the two neighboring countries
will be resolved on the basis of the neighbourhood policy.

“Unfortunately, our diplomats thus far were not able to meet with the
arrested poets,” he said. “Azerbaijan has always been interested in
continuing good neighborly relations, developing strategic partnership
with all countries. We have always supported the establishment and
development of cooperation in terms of peace and tranquility with
all countries.”

Two Azerbaijani citizens Farid Huseyn and Shahriyar Hajizade were
detained in Iran on May 2.

Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry has sent five diplomatic notes to
Iran’s Foreign Ministry demanding to clarify the situation with the
two missing men and to organize a meeting with them.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry confirmed the arrest of two Azerbaijani
citizens. According to its response to Azerbaijan’s note, two
Azerbaijani citizens are being accused of attempting to commit a crime.

From: A. Papazian

NO INCIDENTS DURING MONITORING OF ARMENIAN-AZERBAIJANI CONTACT LINE

Vestnik Kavkaza
July 25 2012
Russia

The OSCE has monitored the Armenian-Azerbaijani contact line of
forces near the Alibeyli Village of the Tovuz District of Azerbaijan,
Trend reports.

Monitoring of the Azerbaijani side was held by assistants of the
personal representative of OSCE chairman William Pryor and Christo
Christov.

The other side was monitored by field assistants Antal Herdic and
Irzhi Aberle.

No incidents have been registered.

From: A. Papazian