Author: Aram Torosian

STEPANAKERT MUST BE PART OF KARABAKH SETTLEMENT PROCESS – DASHNAKTSUTYUN

Interfax
Dec 4 2008
Russia

Baku and Yerevan may meet each other halfway at the Karabakh settlement
negotiations, yet Stepanakert must be a party to the settlement
process, the Dashnaktsutyun party, a member of the Armenian ruling
coalition, told Interfax on Thursday.

"The Bureau of the Dashnaktsutyun Armenian Revolutionary Federation
in Lebanon said that a lasting settlement of the Karabakh problem was
possible only through peaceful negotiations involving the Karabakh
side," the party noted.

"As Azerbaijan did not quit its militant rhetoric after the signing
of the Moscow declaration on Karabakh, it is extremely important to
keep the issue on the national agenda as a super important security
goal of Armenia and the entire Armenian community," the party said.

The negotiations must be based on self-determination of the Karabakh
people through the independence referendum of 1991 and the Karabakh
constitution referendum of 2006, the party said.

"Mutual concessions can be only equal and simultaneous and add to
the integral solution," the party said.

The party wants Armenia and Turkey to continue the settlement of
bilateral relations.

"Turkey has not taken a single positive step. On the contrary, it is
trying to use bilateral contacts for the prevention of recognition
of the Armenian genocide in the Ottoman Empire in 1915. In addition,
Ankara conditions relations with Yerevan on a relationship between
Armenia and Azerbaijan," the party said.

BAKU CRITICIZES ARMENIAN PRESIDENT’S STATEMENTS ON KARABAKH

Interfax
Nov 11 2008
Russia

The statement made by Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan, who said that
Karabakh’s right to independence needs to be recognized to withdraw
the Armenian troops from Azerbaijan, contradicts the recently signed
Moscow Declaration, said Khazar Ibragim, a spokesman for the Azeri
Foreign Ministry.

"Mr Sargsyan’s words fully contradict the Moscow Declaration signed by
the presidents of Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Russia, which states that
the Karabakh conflict should be resolved on the basis of international
law, and also the documents and decisions made within that framework,"
Ibragim told Interfax.

"If you look at these documents and decisions, they all clearly
state the supremacy of the principle of territorial integrity, and
the right to independence is possible only within the framework of
the above-mentioned principle. From this viewpoint, contradictions
in the Armenian leadership’s actions are obvious," said the diplomat.

Igragim also criticized Sargsyan’s statement saying that the Moscow
Declaration will deprive Azerbaijan of its right to free its land by
military force.

"The Moscow Declaration states the norms and principles of
international law, which prohibit the use of military force. However,
it was Armenia that violated these norms and principles by using force
to take over Azeri land. For this reason, Armenia should have withdrawn
its troops at least after the signing of the Moscow Declaration. On
the other and, if Armenia has already used military force against
a different state, then this state, Azerbaijan, has full rights to
defend itself," said the diplomat.

LEVON TER-PETROSIAN: START OF NAGORNO KARABAKH SETTLEMENT FINAL STAGE WAS ANNOUNCED BY MOSCOW DECLARATION

Noyan Tapan

Nov 7, 2008

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 7, NOYAN TAPAN. Though many formed an impression that
the joint declaration signed by the Presidents of Russia, Armenia,
and Azerbaijan on November 2 has a formal nature and is deprived of
concrete contents, however, according to first RA President Levon
Ter-Petrosian, people not familiar with the nuances of the Nagorno
Karabakh settlement process can form such a wrong impression. While,
as L. Ter-Petrosian mentioned in his interview to A1+, for experts,
the declaration is, on the contrary, too eloquent, as several concrete
moments and moments of principle are clarifed in it.

According to the first RA President, the document is only the
top of the iceberg, and a much more detailed protocol lays under
it. Presenting the latter’s content he said:

"1. The very first point of the declaration contains an alarming
formulation, according to which "the Nagorno Karabakh conflict will
be solved on the basis of principles and norms of international law,
as well as of decisions and documents adopted within the framework of
them." The diplomatic expression regarding "principles and norms of
international law" is not so alarming as the mentioning of "decisions
and documents adopted within the framework of them." By the latters,
no doubt, by Azerbaijan’s demand, Resolutions of UN General Assembly N
62/243 and of PACE N 1614 are meant, in which Azerbaijan’s territorial
integrity is recognized and unreserved withdrawal of Armenian troops
from Azeri territories bordering upon Nagorno Karabakh is demanded.

2. Moscow declaration’s Point 2 unequivocally records that the Madrid
principle of November 29, 2007 of Minsk Group co-chairmanship will
be laid in the basis of the Nagorno Karabakh settlement. <…> I
will remind that the idea of Madrid proposal is combination of two
principles of international law, territorial integrity and nations’
self-determination.

3. In fact, a new format of conflict sides is determined in
declaration’s preface and Point 4, in which the necessity to solve
the Nagorno Karabakh problem through a direct dialogue proceeding
between Azerbaijan and Armenia is mentioned. Thus, the declaration
finally buries the decision made by the 1994 OSCE Budapest summit,
under which Nagorno Karabakh Republic was recognized as a third
conflict party enjoying full rights. And it means that NKR will have
no role in the further process of negotiations deciding its fate.

4. However, the most important result of Moscow declaration should
be considered the fact that the two conflict parties established by
the new format, Armenia and Azerbaijan, by signing that document,
officially gave a consent to the Madrid proposal, which is an
unprecedented event in the whole process of Nagorno Karabakh
settlement. The point is that the previous three official proposals
of Minsk Group co-chairmanship, "package," "stage-by-stage,"
and "common state" were not unanimously approved by the conflict
sides and therefore were removed from the agenda. The "package" and
"stage-by-stage" variants were rejected by Nagorno Karabakh and the
variant of a "common state" by Azerbaijan. Thus, by the signatures
of Serzh Sargsyan and Ilham Aliyev under Moscow declaration the start
of Nagorno Karabakh settlement final stage is announced."

In response to the question of whether Russia’s initiative does not
contradict the thought expressed in his last speech that it is the West
that will play a decisive part in the Nagorno Karabakh settlement, L.

Ter-Petrosian said: "Not at all. Though Moscow meeting is indeed
turning, yet it is only the start of the settlement process. Now
that process continues in Europe and in all probability, will finish
in December in the United States. Thus, though outwardly the honor
of launching the settlement is given to Russia, nevertheless the
prerogative to finish the settlement will belong to the West. Both
Sargsyan and Aliyev took part in Moscow meeting if not forcedly, then
at least with unconcealed reluctance, and all the same, though from
different considerations, after all they will prefer the mediation
of the West."

As regards the necessity to continue the activity of OSCE Minsk
Group, which is mentioned in the declaration, according to
the first RA President, the more the necessity of Minsk Group’s
activity is emphasized and the more compliments addressed to it are
lavished, the more the suspicions on disagreements within the group
deepen. L. Ter-Petrosian affirmed that Minsk Group being a useful
working instrument is no more than an outward veil to ensure the
diplomatic propriety of the goals pursued by the country-mediators.

IRAN ATTACHES IMPORTANCE TO DEVELOPMENT OF BILATERAL RELATIONS WITH ARMENIA

DeFacto Agency
Sept 17 2008
Armenia

YEREVAN, 17.09.08. DE FACTO. The situation in the region was discussed
in Tehran in the course of the RA FM Edvard Nalbandian’s meeting with
President of Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) Mahmud Ahmadinejad.

According to the RA MFA Press Office, in the context of discussion
of the situation created in the region Minister Nalbandian expressed
his gratitude to Iranian President for assistance in transportation
of Armenian cargo through Iran during crisis in South Ossetia.

The sides expressed satisfaction with efficient economic cooperation,
establishment of agreement-legal field and realization of numerous
joint programs between Armenia and Iran.

The parties exchanged opinions over establishment of cooperation and
stability in the region.

Underscoring the importance of development of versatile relations with
Armenia, Iranian President noted that Iranian side would be glad to
receive RA President Serge Sargsian.

RECOGNITION A LONELY EXERCISE FOR MOSCOW
By Nabi Abdullaev / Staff Writer

The Moscow Times
Sept 5 2008
Russia

Ten days after Russia recognized South Ossetia and Abkhazia as
independent states, the only other country to have followed suit as
of Thursday was that Cold War battlefield of the 1980s: Nicaragua.

Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega’s announcement this week of his
Central American nation’s recognition of the breakaway Georgian regions
was a "pleasant surprise," a Foreign Ministry spokesman said Thursday.

Closer to home, however, Russia’s allies among former Soviet republics
have remained reticent on the issue.

The Collective Security Treaty Organization, a Russia-led alliance of
seven former Soviet republics that Moscow hopes will evolve into a
full-fledged military bloc, issued a statement Thursday criticizing
Georgia’s military campaign — which was crushed by Russia — but
making no mention of the Kremlin’s recognition of South Ossetia
and Abkhazia.

Their silence on recognition could change Friday, when the heads of the
alliance’s member states — Belarus, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan,
Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan — are to meet in Moscow for a summit.

But so far it’s just Managua, where the socialist leader was actively
supported by the Soviet Union three decades ago. Ortega on Tuesday
announced that his country would back independence for the rebel
regions.

"This was a pleasant surprise," Foreign Ministry spokesman Igor
Lyakin-Frolov said.

He added that Moscow was not pressuring other governments on the
issue and took a swipe at the United States to make his point.

"We, unlike the United States, give every country a chance to make
its own decision," Lyakin-Frolov said.

Nicaraguan Deputy Foreign Minister Manuel Coronel Kautz told
RIA-Novosti on Thursday that his ministry is drawing up the documents
to recognize the regions and will send them to the parliament for
ratification.

Following Moscow’s Aug. 26 recognition of Abkhaz and South Ossetian
independence, expectations ran high that at least some of the Moscow’s
allies — above all Belarus — would follow suit and not leave Moscow
on its own.

Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko has supported Moscow in
the conflict with Georgia, telling President Dmitry Medvedev in
an Aug. 28 letter that Russia had no choice but to recognize the
separatist republics.

But a Belarussian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said by telephone from
Minsk on Thursday that the letter "does not exactly mean that Belarus
is recognizing them."

She said her ministry had so far received no presidential order to
begin the process of recognizing their independence.

Back in Nicaragua’s neighborhood, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez
said on Aug. 30 that Russia was "right" to support independence for
the two regions.

But there have been no reports that Venezuela, to whom Russia has
sold $3.5 billion worth of arms in recent years, would also offer
recognition, despite the close personal ties Chavez has developed
with Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.

Meanwhile, Russia last week attempted — and failed — to win support
from its Central Asian allies on Abkhaz and South Ossetian independence
at Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Tajikistan.

The organization offered only a general defense of Russia’s actions
in the Caucasus.

Analysts said it was unrealistic for Medvedev to expect the
organization, in which China plays a leading role, to support Moscow’s
position on independence given Beijing’s own concerns over its own
separatist Tibet and Xinjiang provinces.

Furthermore, most former Soviet republics are being courted intensely
by the United States, which is offering massive investment and
political backing as they integrate into the global economy.

The Kremlin might be better off looking for support not only among
its traditional former Soviet allies, but also among countries at
odds with the United States, said Sergei Mikheyev, an analyst with
the Center for Political Technologies.

Belarus, Venezuela and Syria would fit the bill, Mikheyev said.

THERE ARE THREE LEADERS IN INTERNATIONAL CHESS TOURNAMENT GOING ON IN MARTUNI

NOYAN TAPAN

Ju ly 16

The games of the 5th tour were held on July 15 in the International
Chess Tournament in Martuni. Only the Avetik Grigorian – Sergei
Zhigalko game was effective, which was ended by the Belarusian chess
player’s victory. The other four games ended in a draw.

Sergei Zhigalko (Belarus), Arman Pashikian and Hrayr Melkumian (both
from Armenia) are the leaders with 3.5 out of 5 possible points each.

ARMENIAN COMPANY OF ACTORS PLAYS BRILLIANTLY IN FANTASTIC YOUTH AND CHILDREN’S INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL

NOYAN TAPAN

Ju ly 4

The Fantastic Youth and Children’s International Theatrical Festival
held on June 19-22 in the city of Rudolstadt, Germany, started with
the tale-performance "Ofelia Shadows Theater" of Armenian Aestheticism
National Center’s Small Theater.

As performance producer Vahan Badalian said at the July 3 press
conference, 9 out of 40 presented performances had been selected for
the festival, including the Armenian one. Besides Armenia, companies
of actors from Poland, Russia, Croatia also took part in the festival.

For the purpose of smoothing over the language problem the Armenian
performance’s dialogues were in Armenian and narrative parts in German.

According to V. Badalian, they intend to play the performance in the
same way in English, French, and Russian.

"German press has repeatedly touched upon our performance mentioning
that the Armenian company of actors played brilliantly in the
festival," V.

Badalian said. Though there were no prizes in the festival, the
advantage of the Armenian performance was noticed by both the
participants and the spectators, as a result of which the Small
Theater’s actors were also invited to Ireland and Macedonia.

"Childrens’ theaters’ performances are often perceived not seriously in
society as an individual great event. However, we can state that though
the actors are aged 10-15, they play their parts very professionally
and with great devotion receiving a warm welcome by society," he added.

GROWING DEFENSE EXPENDITURES RESULT FROM AZERI DEVELOPMENT – DIPLOMAT

Interfax News Agency
June 24 2008
Russia

The regular enlargement of defense expenditures is not a goal in
itself but a trend reflecting the general development of Azerbaijan,
Foreign Ministry spokesman Khazar Ibrahim told a Monday press briefing.

"Azerbaijan is not only developing its military might, as this is
not the main goal of the country, we are developing all spheres,
including economics, politics and defense," he said.

The spokesman was commenting on a recent statement by U.S.

Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Fried, who said that Azerbaijan
should quit military rhetoric in the Karabakh conflict because the
possible resumption of combat in that region would be harmful for
everyone.

Ibrahim said that Azerbaijan would use the advantages of its
comprehensive development for the soonest resolution of the Karabakh
conflict.

"Azerbaijan has achieved the highest rates of growth in its region,
which naturally has an effect on various development aspects, among
them the military might. These measures are targeted for the soonest
release of the occupied lands," he said.

Interfax News Agency, Russia
Russia & CIS
March 7, 2008

U.S. State Department backs President-elect Sargsyan – Bryza

YEREVAN March 7

Washington backs Armenian President- elect Serzh Sargsyan, Deputy
Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs
Matthew Bryza said, the Armenian governmental press service told
Interfax.

Bryza said at a meeting with Sargsyan a day earlier that he, as well
as the U.S. charge d’affaires in Armenia, thinks that the Armenian
president-elect has the vision and approach that the United States
would like to see during the implementation of joint projects.

The U.S. diplomat also said that the U.S. wishes that Sargsyan and
his country are successful.

Sargsyan and Bryza also discussed plans aimed at excluding instances
of involving the violations of the ceasefire at the Armenian- Azeri
contact line in Nagorno-Karabakh, similar to the incidents on March
4.

Regnum, Russia
Jan 18 2008

US embassy refused to conduct exit polls at presidential election in
Armenia

The US embassy to Armenia and the USAID has decided not to conduct
exit polls at the presidential election in Armenia.

As REGNUM was told at the US embassy press office, the decision was
stipulated by the fact that the International Republican Institute
and Baltic Surveys Ltd/Gallup failed to agree on all procedural
issues after intensive and detailed discussions and to find a
solution that would suit all parties.

`We will continue sticking to the idea that exit polls can be a
useful means regarding raising transparency and confidence in the
election. Taking into account limited time for organization process
and questions raised by various political figures, we have made a
decision that it would have more sense that we do not conduct such
poll as there are problems in conducting it that can result in
negative processes in the political dispute,’ says a statement of the
US embassy.