Author: Andres-Papazian

PROTRACTED CONFLICTS ARE THE FOCUS OF OSCE SECURITY DAYS 2012

ARMENPRESS
25 June, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, JUNE 25, ARMENPRESS: New approaches to arms control, resolving
protracted conflicts and promoting reconciliation as foundations for
strengthening security in the OSCE area are the focus of OSCE Security
Days 2012 in Vienna today.

The inaugural Security Days event brings together a prominent group
of experts and OSCE delegates to discuss new security challenges and
the role of civil society in shaping a security community, Armenpress
reports citing the OSCE official website.

Taking place ahead of the OSCE’s Annual Security Review
Conference, Security Days aims to open up the security debate beyond
intergovernmental processes to include academics, think tank experts,
journalists and the general public, said OSCE Secretary General
Lamberto Zannier.

“At the OSCE we are coming to an important juncture,” said Zannier.

“We have started a vital debate on building a security community, which
represents a further step in developing a new security relationship in
the OSCE area, looking at the Euro-Atlantic dimension, the Eurasian
and the Euro-Mediterranean as well. This is forcing us to relook at
the traditional security tools of the OSCE, such as arms control,
confidence and security-building measures, globalization and
transnational threats. It raises important questions – how should
we adjust – do we need to evolve, do we need to reprioritize our
activities? The agenda for Security Days is wide open and leaves
space for everyone to contribute.”

Opening speeches were also held by Ambassador Eoin O’Leary on behalf
of the 2012 Irish OSCE Chairmanship and the President of the Foreign
Policy and United Nations Association of Austria and former Austrian
Chancellor Wolfgang Schussel.

Sessions today include: “Shaping a Security Community: thematic
and geographic issues within a comprehensive security agenda”;
“Shaping a Security Community: addressing emerging global
challenges. Developing a new approach to conventional arms control?”;
and “Towards Reconciliation: addressing the protracted conflicts and
revitalizing dialogue”.

From: A. Papazian

IAN GILLAN AND TONY IOMMI DEBUT WHO CARES ALBUM AUDIO SAMPLES

Mon, 25 Jun 2012

Last week, Tony Iommi and Ian Gillan revelaed the release date and
track listing for their forthcoming “Who Cares” album together.

The album was announced earlier this year after the success of the
two songs released last year to raise money to rebuild a music school
in Armenia.

On December 7th 1988, Armenia was hit by an earthquake, both Ian Gillan
and Tony Iommi have been dedicated in working to help a nation that
is still recovering over 20 years later.

The 2-CD set will be released July 13th through earMUSIC and the
label have released a series of audio samples that can be heard below:

The track listing for the 2-CD WHO CARES album is confirmed as:

CD1 01. WHOCARES “Out Of My Mind” (fi rst time on an album) Featuring
Jon Lord, Linde Lindstrom (HIM), Jason Newsted (METALLICA), Nicko
McBrain (IRON MAIDEN) 02. BLACK SABBATH “Zero The Hero” 03. Ian Gillan
feat. Iommi, Ian Paice and Roger Glover “Trashed” 04. M. Rakintzis
feat. Ian Gillan “Get Away” (fi rst release on a Gillan album,
only released in Greece before) 05. Tony Iommi feat. Glenn Hughes
“Slip Away” (fi rst time on CD) 06. Gillan “Don’t Hold Me Back”
07. Ian Gillan “She Thinks It’s A Crime” (vinyl single B-side, fi
rst time on CD) 08. Repo Depo feat. Ian Gillan “Easy Come, Easy Go”
(previously unreleased) 09. DEEP PURPLE feat. Ronnie James Dio “Smoke
On The Water” (live with the Royal Philaarmonic Orchestra)

CD2

01. WHOCARES “Holy Water” (fi rst time on an album) Featuring Jon Lord,
Linde Lindstrom (HIM), Jason Newsted (METALLICA), Nicko McBrain (IRON
MAIDEN) 02. BLACK SABBATH “Anno Mundi” 03. Tony Iommi feat. Glenn
Hughes “Let it Down Easy” (fi rst time on CD) 04. Ian Gillan “Hole
in My Vest” (7″ vinyl single B-side, fi rst time on CD) 05. Gillan &
Glover feat. Dr. John “Can’t Believe You Wanna Leave me” 06. Ian
Gillan & The Javelins “Can I Get A Witness” 07. Garth Rockett &
The Moonshiners aka IG “No Laughing in Heaven” (rare track) 08. Ian
Gillan “When A Blind Man Cries” (Live at Absolute Radio, previously
unreleased) 09. DEEP PURPLE “Dick Pimple”

The album is available to pre-order now through Amazon.

From: A. Papazian

THE OCCUPATION MUST AND WILL BE BROUGHT TO THE END, THE PRESIDENT OF AZERBAIJAN

News.Az
Tue 26 June 2012 05:19 GMT | 6:19 Local Time

“In terms of forces, Armenia will never be able to stand in front
of us”.

“An attention is paid to the training of military personnel in
Azerbaijan,. I am very pleased that the professionalism and combat
readiness of our troops are growing from year to year, morale is high.

Our young people brought up in a patriotic spirit. Thus, we must
be prepared and ready for facing the country’s main problem – the
liberation of our lands from the invaders, ” said Ilham Aliyev, the
President of the Republic of Azerbaijan at 2012 graduation ceremony
of officers from special military educational institutions held at
the Heydar Aliyev Azerbaijan Higher Miiltary School, APA reports.

The President noted the Army’s construction process began in 1993:
“This process continues today. During these years, the regular army
was established and reinforced in Azerbaijan. Azerbaijani army is one
of the strongest armies, not only in the region but also globally. The
material-technical base of our army is massively strengthened.

Military expenditures are growing every year. Military expenditures
are at the first place of the state budget. And this is natural. So it
should be, because we live in a time of war. The war is not over yet.

Completed its first phase. There is a ceasefire. But the peace
agreement has not been signed. The country that lives in war,
first of all need to pay attention to army. This is the situation in
Azerbaijan. Over the past few years, our military spending increased
by more than 20 times. Currently, these costs are at $ 3.6 billion.

That’s 50 percent more of total government expenditure in Armenia. Of
course, these realities have created our successful economic policy,
our economic reforms. The cost of the army will continue to grow. Of
course, this is a huge support for strengthening our army. But at
the same time, I am very pleased that combat readiness of our army
is increased. The patriotic feelings of those who serve in the army,
are at a very high level. We create a professional army. I am sure that
the logistics, our economic strength, military training, education of
our youth in patriotic spirit – all these factors lead us to achieve
the sacred purpose.

Our lands are under occupation. This occupation continues. This
occupation must and will be brought to an end. ” The President said
that from a political point of view of Azerbaijan’s position is strong
enough, ” Any initiative and any project can not be implemented can
not be implemented without our involvement in the region. We won
the support of the world. Our election to the UN Security Council in
October last year demonstrates the world’s attitude towards Azerbaijan.

The occupying forces must withdraw from all occupied lands.

Azerbaijani citizens must return to their native lands.

I regularly visit military units. I am often on the front lines. I meet
and talk with the soldiers in the trenches. I see that Azerbaijani
soldiers is really tied to the homeland. Love of country, patriotic
spirit are very high. I am sure that all these factors I have mentioned
– our political power, economic development, military power, love
of country will lead to a solution of the problem, Azerbaijan will
restore its territorial integrity, the flag of Azerbaijan will flutter
in Shusha, Khankendi, Nagorno-Karabakh.

From: A. Papazian

PROSPEROUS ARMENIA PARTY LEADER IS EXTREMELY HURT BY PM – NEWSPAPER

news.am
June 26, 2012 | 06:16

YEREVAN. – Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP) Chairman Gagik Tsarukyan
will not go to the National Assembly (NA) as long as Tigran Sargsyan
is Premier, Zhamanaki Mitk weekly writes.

“They say the PM behaved very pompously during the meeting with him
[Tsarukyan] around reaching an agreement on the Government’s program,
and this offended Gagik Tsarukyan.

And they say the real reason is Tsarukyan’s coercion to appoint
PAP-member, factually non-party affiliate Hrachya Rostomyan as Sport
and Youth Affairs Minister. And this became the reason that Tigran
Sargsyan wing [ruling Republican Party] RPA-member, ex-NA Speaker
Samvel Nikoyan remained simply a rank-and-file MP.

Otherwise, RPA’s then-MP [former capital city Yerevan Mayor] Gagik
Beglaryan was to become the Sport and Youth Affairs [Minister] and
Samvel Nikoyan [was to be appointed] Transport and Communication
Minister,” Zhamanaki Mitk writes.

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIAN DM, CSTO SEC. GEN. DISCUSS PREPARATION FOR INTERACTION-2012 DRILLS

armradio.am
26.06.2012 12:32

Armenian Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan had a meeting with Nikolay
Bordyuzha, Secretary General of the Collective Security Treaty
Organization.

The interlocutors discussed issues related to the preparation of the
Interaction-2012 joint military exercises to be held in Armenia from
September 3 to 8, establishment of an information center, etc.

The parties hailed the work done towards implementation of the
military component of the drills.

From: A. Papazian

ZHOGHOVURD: SYUNIK GOVERNOR SOLD MINE TO MAXIM HAKOBYAN

Panorama.am
26/06/2012

Zhoghovurd reminds that Syunik governor Suren Khachatryan fails to pay
employees’ salaries in his Geghvadzor mine and is therefore selling it.

The governor wanted to sell the mine to Maxim Hakobyan, General
Director of Zangezur Copper Molybdenum Combine.

“According to reliable information, Khachatryan and Hakobyan met in
Yerevan yesterday to strike a deal. The mine is now owned by Maxim
Hakobyan,” the paper says.

From: A. Papazian

ARF members are leaving party in NKR? – newspaper

news.am
June 26, 2012 | 08:17

YEREVAN. – It has become a pattern that when Armenia’s opposition ARF
Dashnaktsutyun Party has no response, it has no time to listen either,
Iravunk daily writes.

“The Facebook discussions are actively chatting about the topic that
the ARF members in Artsakh [i.e., the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR)]
have begun leaving the ARF ranks, because Armenia’s Dashnaktsutyun is
obligating [them] to support the candidacy of incumbent NKR President
Bako Sahakyan in the upcoming NKR presidential elections.

When we attempted to establish contact with [Armenia’s] ARF members,
so as to refute or confirm the circulating rumors, [it turned
out that] ARF Bureau member Vahan Hovhannisyan was in traffic, ARF
[Parliamentary] Faction leader Armen Rustamyan cannot be reached since
a long time, [and] ARF Faction member Artsvik Minasyan was busy,”
Iravunk writes.

From: A. Papazian

RMC.fr, France
21 juin 2012

Ankara annule les sanctions liées au génocide contre la France

ANKARA (Reuters) – La Turquie a décidé d’annuler toutes les sanctions
prises en décembre 2011 à l’encontre de la France à la suite du vote
par…

NKARA (Reuters) – La Turquie a décidé d’annuler toutes les sanctions
prises en décembre 2011 à l’encontre de la France à la suite du vote
par l’Assemblée nationale d’une loi pénalisant la négation du génocide
arménien, a annoncé jeudi le chef de la diplomatie turque Ahmet
Davutoglu.

Ankara avait alors rappelé son ambassadeur à Paris et annoncé
l’annulation de toutes les rencontres politiques, économiques et
militaires avec la France ainsi que de l’autorisation accordée aux
avions de chasse et btiments de guerre français d’atterrir ou de
mouiller en Turquie.

La loi pénalisant la négation des génocides reconnus par la France,
dont celui des Arméniens par les Turcs en 1915, a été censurée en
février par le Conseil constitutionnel, mais les sanctions étaient
maintenues.

S’exprimant à la télévision turque, Ahmet Davutoglu a indiqué que le
Premier ministre turc Recep Tayyip Erdogan avait ordonné la levée des
sanctions après une rencontre positive avec le président François
Hollande en marge du sommet de Rio sur le développement durable.

“En raison de la nouvelle attitude de la France, ces sanctions seront
annulées”, a déclaré Davutoglu sur CNN Turquie, sans plus de détails.

Le chef de la diplomatie turque a précisé qu’il se rendrait le 5
juillet à Paris pour des rencontres bilatérales où seront évoquées
d’autres “mesures positives” à prendre dans le futur.

L’Arménie, soutenue par de nombreux historiens et parlements mondiaux,
estime à 1,5 million le nombre de victimes des massacres de 1915,
qu’elle considère comme le fruit d’une politique délibérée de l’Empire
Ottoman dans ce qui est aujourd’hui l’est de la Turquie.

Ankara affirme de son côté qu’il ne s’agissait pas d’un génocide et
que de nombreux Turcs musulmans et Kurdes ont également été tués lors
de l’invasion des troupes russes en Anatolie orientale, parfois avec
l’aide de milices arméniennes.
Tulay Karadeniz, Jean-Stéphane Brosse pour le service français

From: A. Papazian

Libertiamo.it , Italia
21 giugno 2012

Si vota nel Nagorno-Karabakh, dove tira aria di conflitto tra Armenia
e Azerbaijan

Il 19 luglio prossimo il Caucaso affronterà una scadenza elettorale
misconosciuta ai più ma capace di rinfocolare come non mai le tensioni
della regione di cui si è già avuto modo di parlare da questo
webmagazine. In quella data si terranno, infatti, le quinte elezioni
presidenziali dell’auto-proclamatasi Repubblica dell’Artsakh, quel
territorio al centro di un ventennale conflitto `congelato’ tra
Armenia e Azerbaijan.

Malgrado sia attualmente riconosciuto solo da Transnistria, Sud
Ossezia e Abkhazia – a loro volta territori dall’ambiguo status
internazionale – il Nagorno-Karabakh – repubblica `semipresidenziale’
sul modello armeno – gode di un’attiva vita politica interna che,
tuttavia, sta subendo una discreta flessione in termini di diritti
politici e libertà civili. Infatti, secondo l’annuale indagine
delll’ONG Freedom House, attualmente il Nagorno-Karabakh sarebbe `not
free’ – a livello quindi dell’Azerbaijan – con un netto peggioramento
rispetto agli anni precedenti che lo vedevano `partly free’ con
punteggi a volte superiori alla medesima Armenia. Considerando che un
probabile sviluppo delle trattative condotte tramite il Gruppo di
Minsk dovrà passare per l’inclusione di questo soggetto nei negoziati,
è importante, quindi, che la prossima tornata elettorale possa
esprimere una leadership legittimata a prendere decisioni capaci in
ultima istanza di produrre cambiamenti in tutta l’area caucasica.

Le elezioni presidenziali, che coinvolgeranno tutti i cittadini dell’
`Artsakh’ – vale a dire non solo l’area dell’ex oblast sovietico del
Nagorno-Karabakh ma anche i 7 distretti azeri occupati durante il
conflitto in funzione di `cuscinetto’ – vedono fondamentalmente due
sfidanti affrontarsi nell’agone politico. Da un lato il `Presidente’
uscente Bako Sahakian, dall’altro il Generale Vitali Balasanian, che
nella guerra del 1991-1994 comandò le truppe armene-nagornine nel
distretto di Askeran e che, in seguito, venne `ricompensato’ con una
nomina a vice-ministro della Difesa di Stepanakert. Da notare che
entrambi condividono un forte `background’ militare, in quanto
Sahakian, prima di divenire Ministro degli Interni nel 1999, fu uno
dei vice-comandanti delle forze nagornine impegnate nello scontro. La
legittimazione politica ottenuta per meriti `sul campo’ non è certo
una novità nell’area, se si pensa che due dei tre Presidenti della
Repubblica di Armenia, ossia Robert Kocharyan e l’attuale Serzh
Sargsyan, sono nati a Stepanaker esercitando nell’Artsakh cariche
politiche di primo piano – il primo ne fu Presidente e il secondo, tra
le altre cose, fu il fondatore dell’esercito nagornino -.
Ufficialmente, la competizione vedrà la partecipazione anche di altri
due contendenti – Arkady Soghomonyan e Valery Khachatryan -, ma sarà
sulle due figure sopra menzionate che si concentrerà la gran parte dei
voti.

La differenza tra i due rivali rimane, comunque, abissale. Secondo un
sondaggio commissionato il 26 e 27 maggio scorso da `Patria Libera’ –
il partito vincitore della tornata parlamentare di Stepanakert del
2010 – se Sahakian potrebbe assicurarsi il 30% dei voti, Balasanian
dovrebbe accontentarsi solo del 3.5%. Pur essendo i sondaggi
elettorali in Caucaso poco o nulla affidabili, da questa indagine
condotta dal Centro Indipendente `Sociometer’ risulterebbero due
elementi positivi: l’alta partecipazione attesa (84.3% dei votanti) e
il ridotto rischio di brogli elettorali. Quest’ultimo elemento
troverebbe fondamento da un lato nella sicurezza di vittoria
`avvertita’ dall’ `incumbent’ – che non avrebbe incentivi a dare adito
a contestazioni post-elettorali – dall’altro dalla scarsità materiale
di fondi a disposizione del Generale. Considerando, inoltre, che alle
elezioni presidenziali del 2007 Bako Sahakian venne supportato da
quasi tutto l’arco parlamentare, questa tornata si annuncia
all’insegna di un maggior pluralismo essendo Balasanian parlamentare
del `braccio locale’ della Federazione Rivoluzionaria Armena
(Dashnaktsutyun).

Di certo, malgrado i programmi dei due candidati non siano ancora
stati resi pubblici – quello del Generale lo sarà a partire da dopo il
20 giugno, data d’inizio della campagna elettorale – non è azzardato
ipotizzare che, come negli anni passati, essi non differiranno che per
poche sfumature da due `linee’ essenziali per la `Repubblica’
nagornina: sviluppo economico e riconoscimento internazionale. Se sul
primo punto Sahakian avrà facile gioco a far valere il proprio peso di
`incumbent’, per il secondo la strada pare ardua per entrambi.
Malgrado le elezioni del 2010 siano state monitorate da più di 70
osservatori esteri, la comunità internazionale – Unione Europea, OSCE
e Consiglio d’Europa in testa – ha più volte ribadito che l’esercizio
elettorale non potrà essere riconosciuto valido finché l’ambiguo
status della regione non verrà ad essere stabilito per via negoziale.
Ovviamente, questo processo non sarà in alcun modo agevolato
dall’Azerbaijan che continua a vedere il Nagorno-Karabakh come parte
dei propri confini e le autorità di Stepanakert come degli
illegittimati `secessionisti’ da combattere con ogni mezzo.

From: A. Papazian

Islamic Republic News Agency, Iran
June 24 2012

Armenian diplomat urges lifting visa issuance

Tabriz, East Azarbaijan Prov., June 24, IRNA – Armenian Ambassador to
Tehran, Grigor Araklyan, on Saturday called for lifting visa issuance
for Iranian and Armenian nations visiting the either country.

In a meeting with Governor General of Iran’s East Azarbaijan Province
on Saturday, Araklyan said to this end, his country has started speedy
issuance of visas for Iranian tourists, working on it round-the-clock,
even holidays.

He said the visit to Armenia of Iran’s Interior Minister and Governor
General of East Azarbaijan Province will help promote bilateral
relations.

He said high potential of Iran’s East Azarbaijan Province is known to
Armenia and the International Silk Road Meeting, held in Tabriz, would
positively influence mutual economic transactions.

He said his country also welcomes more provintial and border
cooperation with Iran.

Also pointing to high industrial and trade potential of Iranian city
of Tabriz, Araklyan said the city reserves a special status in
Iran-Armenia relations.

1420

From: A. Papazian