Author: Babajanian Karo

L’AMBASSADEUR D’ALLEMAGNE A EREVAN POINTE LES RESPONSABILITES DE TER PETROSSIAN
[email protected]

armenews.com
vendredi 30 septembre 2011
ARMENIE

Les difficultes socio-politiques aet economiques actuelles de l’Armenie
sont l’heritage laisse par l’ancien president Levon Ter-Petrossian,
a declare Hans-Jochen Schmidt, l’ambassadeur d’Allemagne en Armenie
qui s’exprimait lors d’une conference organisee mardi 27 septembre
par la Fondation Civilitas.

Intervenant lors de cette conference sur le theme “Renforcer
l’Independance en Armenie et dans la region”, le diplomate allemand
a indique que Ter-Petrossian devait personnellement assumer la
responsabilite de ce qui s’est passe durant l’exercice de ses mandats
de 1994 a 1997.

“J’ai souvent entendu le premier president critique très sevèrement
les elections et les autorites actuelles lors des manifestations de
l’opposition. J’ai demande a l’un de ses conseillers ce qu’il pensait
des elections qui se sont deroulees entre 1994 et 1997 et il m’a
repondu que j’etais mal informe”, a indique M. Schmidt. L’ambassadeur
allemand, toutefois, a estime que les critiques de l’opposition
etaient justifiees, l’Armenie etant un Etat de type oligarchique.

“Mais il doit etre rappele qu’un tel phenomène trouve ses racines dans
l’administration qui a ete mis en place alors”, a-t-il souligne. Tout
en saluant l’avancee que constituait le droit de manifester sur
la place de la Liberte accorde au Congrès national armenien (HAK)
de Ter-Petrossian, il a ajoute que “selon lui, exiger le droit de
manifester sur la seule place de la Liberte traduit une certaine
naïvete politique, car si les gens veulent se rassembler, ils doivent
le faire sur s’importe quelle autre place “.

Pour ce qui concerne la politique etrangère, l’ambassadeur allemand
a estime que la communaute internationale ne pouvait imposer aucune
decision a l’Armenie. “L’UE a aussi pris des initiatives en vue
du règlement du conflit du Karabagh, et de la normalisation des
relations avec la Turquie, mais elle ne peut rien imposer”, a-t-il fait
remarquer. M. Schmidt a precise que la mesure la plus importante dans
les relations entre l’Armenie et la Turquie serait l’etablissement
de liens diplomatiques entre les deux pays, comme le seul prealable
a un dialogue sur les autres questions. “Il importe que les parties
comprennent qu’en etablissant des relations diplomatiques, personne
ne fera de concessions ; il s’agit d’un processus normal”.

M. Schmidt a aussi commente le defile militaire organise le 21
septembre a Erevan a l’occasion du 20e anniversaire de l’independance,
en se disant impressionne par cette demonstration de force. “J’ai
aime le fait que le defile montre que les Armeniens avaient certaines
capacites, de telle sorte que si certains seraient tentes de lui faire
la guerre, l’Etat armenien saura leur donner une reponse adequate”,
a indique l’ambassadeur, qui ne s’est pas etendu en revanche sur la
controverse provoquee par le deploiement du drapeau russe lors du
defile. Il a estime qu’une telle capacite militaire etait un facteur
de stabilite pour la region, dans la mesure où l’armee armenienne
a montre qu’elle avait les moyens de faire face et de contrôler des
situations a risques.

ARMENIA FIRST EX-SOVIET COUNTRY HOSTING CONFERENCE ON OPTICS OF LIQUID CRYSTALS

news.am
Sept 29 2011
Armenia

YEREVAN. – Armenia is the first post-Soviet country where the 14th
International Topical Meeting on Optics of Liquid Crystals is being
held, Yerevan State University’s-which is an event organizer-Faculty
of Physics, Optics Department Head Rafik Hakobyan told Armenian
News-NEWS.am.

The decision on holding the next conference in Armenia was reached by
the advisory board in 2010, and thus Armenian specialists’ contribution
to this area of science was recognized. Hakobyan also informed that
Belgium and Hong Kong competed with Armenia for hosting this event.

The conference has brought together approximately 130 scientists
from all developed countries, and, together with Armenia’s scientists
and students, the number of participants has reached 170. Holding of
this conference in Armenia will be beneficial for expanding ties and
establishing new ones between Armenian specialists and centers of
developed countries, and it will encourage young people’s interest
toward science, Rafik Hakobyan noted.

ARMENIAN AUTHORITIES CONCERNED ABOUT INTERFAITH PEACE

VestnikKavkaza.net
Sept 29 2011

The Armenian authorities held today a meeting devoted to the issue
of interfaith peace, News-Armenia reports.

The meeting was held in the Armenian capital, Yerevan, and headed by
Secretary of the National Security Council Artur Bagdasaryan.

Addressing the assembled officials, Bagdasaryan said that the aim to
secure interfaith peace in the republic remains a very important task
for the country’s administration.

He also said it’s necessary to sign a special document regulating
rights of believers and the role of religion in the society. Such
document should be up-to-date and coincide with the international law,
the head of the National Security Council said.

SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE NABIH BERRI TO REPORTEDLY VISIT IRAN, ARMENIA

NOW LEBANON
September 29, 2011

Speaker Nabih Berri will soon visit Iran and later Armenia,
Al-Jumhuriya newspaper reported on Thursday.

The daily said that the parliament session, which was supposed to be
held later in the day, was postponed ~Sbecause of Berri~Rs travel
schedule.~T However, the paper did not mention the dates of the
speaker~Rs trips.

The report added that the next parliament meeting will take place on
October 18.

-NOW Lebanon

AZERBAIJANI, RUSSIAN RELIGIOUS FIGURE SPEAK FOR PEACEFUL RESOLUTION OF KARABAKH CONFLICT

news.am
Sept 29 2011
Armenia

BAKU. – Religious figures and theologians of Azerbaijan and Russia
adopted a joint statement on the basis of bilateral meeting held in
Baku on September 29, dedicated to 20th anniversary of Azerbaijan’s
independence. They particularly advocated for the peaceful solution
to the Karabakh problem, Trend reports.

In addition, theologians of Azerbaijan and Russia expressed readiness
to deepen cooperation to preserve inter-religious and inter-confession
mutual respect, combat spreading of terrorism and extremism.

EUROPE URGENTLY NEEDS A NEW OSTPOLITIK
By Thomas de Waal

FT
September 28, 2011 11:47 pm

With their southern neighbourhood still in ferment and the eurozone
in ever deeper crisis, few European leaders have much time to think
about their eastern borderlands. They should. This is one region
where the collective European Union can make a difference. Indeed,
the much heralded return of Vladimir Putin as Russian president should
focus minds on how to present an alternative to Russia~Rs increasingly
authoritarian model.

Troubling smoke-signals are quickly rising from the six European
post-Soviet countries outside Russia: Belarus, Moldova, Ukraine,
Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan. Twenty years after they became
independent, with the end of the Soviet Union, they form an arc of
disappointment.

Tiny Moldova is probably the brightest spot and has the most
progressive government, but is also the poorest and its reformist
agenda is mostly on paper. Belarus suffers under Europe~Rs most
repressive leader, Alexander Lukashenka, and is close to bankruptcy.

Ukraine has squandered the chance of transformation promised by the
2004 Orange Revolution and is wracked by permanent political strife.

Elsewhere, the current Georgian elite has made some impressive
modernising reforms, but its democratic record is more patchy. Georgia
is also currently a one-party state with few checks and balances.

Armenia and Azerbaijan are still crippled by their perpetual and
intractable conflict over the disputed territory of Nagorny Karabakh.

Today in Warsaw, the EU re-launches its worthy but faltering eastern
partnership programme for these six countries. If ever there was a
project to energise it, this should be it. In eastern Europe, far
more than in the Arab world, the EU is a guiding star for millions of
people, who feel European but are frustrated by inadequate governments
and persistent poverty.

The issue is not a Russian imperial threat. With the exception of a few
sensitive spots, such as Abkhazia and Crimea, Moscow is in long-term
retreat from its former colonial space, and is mostly pre-occupied
with domestic problems, such as the volatile north caucasus. Russia
had concerns about Nato expansion into Georgia and Ukraine, but that
ill-conceived project has now run out of steam. The EU, by contrast,
is just a fact of life to the west. Russia~Rs challenge is more of an
economic one: a re-elected Mr Putin is likely to be more aggressive
in pushing an agenda of cross-border crony capitalism via for example
a customs union with Ukraine.

The EU can offer a brighter vision than that ~V if it tries. Currently
the default policy is to withhold the big carrot, a membership
perspective for these countries, while being softer on day-to-day
issues, such as conditionality on reform and conduct of elections,
in order to keep up a dialogue with governing elites.

In fact, it should be the other way round. The leaders of the EU
should make a general commitment that in theory and in the future
these six countries could eventually join the union, if ~V and it is a
big if ~Vthey raise their standards to meet it. Offering the hope of
eventual EU membership should not be a taboo. Turkey has been in the
EU waiting-room since the 1960s, but, more by good luck than planning,
the long wait has helped reform the Turkish state and now, arguably,
outgrow its EU ambitions.

However, it would be a big mistake for the EU to cut corners on
issues such as elections or trade agreements. Calling a bad election
a bad election sends a clear signal that some governments are more
legitimate than others. Negotiations on a deep and comprehensive
free trade area with Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine promise eventual
privileged access to the EU single market and Brussels should use
all the leverage that it has on this issue. All of these countries
have opaque and monopolistic corners in their economies that need
more light shone into them. If they want better access to the EU,
they should get it without bending the rules.

One principle should guide all others, in a new Ostpolitik: ordinary
citizens are often more pro-European than their leaders. That means
anything that can be done to lift visa restrictions and make travel
easier for students or professionals could pay big dividends in the
future. Leave aside the debt crisis for a moment. Presenting a vision
of a bigger freer Europe is a project that even Germany and Greece
should be able to get behind.

The writer is a senior associate at the Carnegie Endowment for
International Peace in Washington DC

OLIGARCHS HIDING MORE ASSETS IN ELECTION RUN-UP?
Grisha Balasanyan

hetq
11:00, September 29, 2011

In the run-up to the 2012 parliamentary elections, MP’s in Armenia
with something to hide are trying their best to avoid reporters armed
with official documents that can expose their Achilles heels.

One very potent weapon in our arsenal is the annual financial
statements these MP’s must submit for public perusal. Naturally, we
are not naive enough to take what these MP’s disclose at face value
for they surely must be hiding a good portion of their wealth. But
they are a start.

On July 21, we sent a five point questionnaire to Parliament President
Hovik Abrahamyan. To simply things, we also forwarded him a list of
businesses and assets he is rumoured to own – for example some 53
hectares of agricultural zoned land in the community of Mkhchyan and
tens of properties scattered throughout Yerevan.

There are these properties as well – 1,500 hectares of vineyards
in Artashat, 10 natural gas stations outside of Yerevan, 1/3 of
the shares in the AraratCement plant, casinos and gasoline filling
stations throughout the country on main roads outside Yerevan proper.

There is also a vacation resort in the Crimea purchased in 2007 at
a cost of $7 million. The list goes on…

Two months later, the National Assembly wrote back that a portion
of the businesses and assets had no connection to Abrahamyan. As to
what portion did belong to the parliament president, we were advised
to review his financial disclosure.

I should point out that reporters are only given a bulletin based
on the full financial disclosure. This does not fully reflect the
person’s financial transactions for the entire year. Neither does it
include specific information regarding his or her assets.

We brought this to the attention of the parliament speaker and sent
him the 2009 disclosure he filled out.

Hovik Abrahamyan stood fast and never answered our questionnaire.

In any event, it’s also known that Abrahamyan owns the operating
licenses for several mines. In 2010, a license was granted to Paramount
Gold Mining, a company he owns. A license for exploratory purposes
at the copper and molybdenum mines in Yelpin village was granted to
him under the name of Argamik Ltd.

Despite these acquisitions, Abrahmyan disclosed less on his 2010
statements than his 2009 disclosures.

In 2009, Abrahamyan reported 29,499,760 AMD while in 2010 he reported
25,515,220 AMD. Maybe the 4 million decrease was due to unfavourable
weather for crop growing in 2009? You decide.

There are some 90 hectares of agricultural land registered in his
wife’s name alone in the village of Narek in Armavir Marz.

MP Samvel Aleksanyan has experienced a huge drop in revenues.

In 2009, he reported 439.5 million and only 10.5 million in 2010.

Despite calling himself ‘bankrupt’, Aleksanyan recently purchased
the famous Pak Shuga (Enclosed Market) on Mashtots Avenue.

He too has not concealed his intention to run for re-election next
year.

ARF IS FOR TOTAL AUTHORITY CHANGE

AZG DAILY
30-09-2011

ARF is for total authority change including Serzh Sargsyan, announced
ARF Bureau member, head of ARF fraction Vahan Hovhannisyan during
the press conference.

According to Yerkir news, he noted that for reaching to that change
one must know the value of his vote and that everything cannot be
changed by the magic wand.

“The social-economic situation that we have today does not contribute
to people’s self-awakening. What are the ways? We will not tell you
now”, said Vahan Hovhannisyan and added that they will talk about it
as soon as they start their campaign.

ARF member reminded only about “Vote is power” movement which has
but one purpose, and that is to contribute to honest elections.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND MISSED OPPORTUNITIES: PANEL ASSESSES INDEPENDENCE IN ARMENIA

Armenian Weekly
Thu, Sep 29 2011

YEREVAN (A.W.)-The Civilitas Foundation hosted a public forum called
“Assessing Independence in Armenia and the Region” at Ani Hotel in
Yerevan on Sept. 27 to explore Armenia’s accomplishments, missed
opportunities, and regional and international relations.

(L to R) Ghazarian, Schmidt, and Evans.

Part of a series of forums to promote dialogue about democracy and
development in Armenia, the panelists were John Marshall Evans,
former U.S. Ambassador to Armenia, and Hans-Jochen Schmidt, current
Ambassador from Germany to Armenia. The conversation was moderated by
Salpi Ghazarian, Director of Civilitas, and former Special Assistant
to Vartan Oskanian inArmenia’s Foreign Ministry.

Ghazarian began the Forum by asking panelists whetherArmeniahas met
the high expectations of the world during the past 20 years. “People
ask me whyArmeniaisn’t doing as well asEstonia,” remarked German
Ambassador Schmidt. “Armeniafaced lots of challenges at the beginning.

There was the conflict withAzerbaijan, economic issues, and the first
wave of migration.” He urged people to not underestimate the successes
and said the country has excellent experts in government, though he
stated that the Central Bank is the only institution inArmeniathat
pays adequate salaries.

Evans, who left his post as ambassador five years ago this month,
noted the importance of looking at the past 20 years against trends in
the world, including the end of the Soviet Union, the rise of internet
and globalization, and advancements in democracy and for women.

“Armenians are already globalized,” Evans said, “a good foundation
was laid during this time, but it’s not perfect.”

When asked by Ghazarian whether other decisions could have been made
during that time, Ambassador Schmidt noted that former president Levon
Ter-Petrossian should recognize that he is responsible for how it
is today. With regard to European relations, Schmidt said that, “You
have to live up to challenges if you want to be part of European Union.

That means creating a competitive environment and good investment
climate, improving customs, and addressing corruption. We’ll be
watching the next elections closely.”

Evans stated that theU.S.is still arguing about its constitution 230
years after its creation. He continued to say that, “What’s great
about elections when they’re perceived as fair is that they confer
legitimacy. Democracy is a work in progress. No democracy emerges
as a fully formed democracy. In the five years I’ve been away, I see
great improvements, mainly in the capital, because I haven’t visited
the countryside. But there are clearly shortcomings.”

The U.S.has invested inArmenia’s development since its independence
from theSoviet Union. When asked what efforts have worked, Evans noted
the U.S.-funded vouchers for those dislocated in the earthquake zone
proved to be a good model for generating the local housing industry.

Additionally, he stated the United States Department of Agriculture’s
work in the countryside with goat husbandry, slaughterhouses, and
developing wine production consistency was particularly successful.

Unfortunately, Evans said, “The Millennium Challenge ended [this
month] becauseArmeniais falling behind on ruling justly. TheU.S.has
showed much, maybe too much, tolerance, hoping [the situation] would
improve.” According to the Millennium Challenge Account – Armenia
website, the program was intended to refurbish major sections of the
country’s main canal systems, modernize pumping stations, introduce
new gravity irrigation schemes, re-build tertiary canals and restore
sections of the Ararat Valley Drainage system. Evans acknowledged
that the project’s cancellation has been widely criticized.

As relates to the region, Ghazarian asked whether theSouth Caucasusis
considered a region or three separate countries. “Everyone sees it
as a potential region. It’s a troubled region, but if the problems
can be overcome, there’s tremendous potential,” Evans said, adding
thatArmeniashould not lose sight of relevant changes in theMiddle
EastandTurkey.

Ghazarian notedGermany’s close relationship with neighboringGeorgiaand
asked whether that is a topic discussed. The Ambassador responded that
they have made efforts to promote regional cooperation, but have not
been able to promote economic cooperation. Additionally, “Armeniais
excluded from energy cooperation. I am concerned thatArmeniawill fall
more and more behind. It will be detrimental toArmenia. Opening the
border withTurkeywould help economy.”

In response, Ghazarian stated, “We’ve given all we have to give. We
want the border open.” Asked whether theU.S.can encourageTurkeyto open
the border and place the blame onArmeniato appeaseBaku, Evans stated,
“This is a problem of post-Soviet era. They’d just send the problem
toMoscowbefore. There weren’t institutions of problem solving here.

The Minsk Group will not impose a solution andAmericacan’t
tellTurkeywhat to do.” He went on to argue that the first step should
be diplomatic relations withTurkey. “No one is doing anyone a favor
by having diplomatic relations – it doesn’t mean friendly. TheU.S.had
diplomatic relations with Stalinist Russia with the goal of defeating
Hitler.GreeceandTurkeyhave full diplomatic relations despite ongoing
border issues.”

In response to patriotic comments from an audience member, who
was three years of age whenArmeniacelebrated its independence from
theSoviet Union, Evans noted that this may be the age of the small
state, calling outSingaporeas an example of a special environment. He
continued to say, “You’re the independence generation. You’ve grown
up with the internet. You are creating new ways of doing things.”

ARMENIAN OPPOSITION REP. DISCUSSES DOMESTIC SITUATION WITH UK OFFICIALS

Tert.am
20:23 29.09.11

Levon Zurabyan, coordinator of the opposition alliance Armenian
National Congress (or HAK) has met UK Ambassador to Armenia Charles
Lonsdale and Alan Farit, a UK Foreign Office official.

According to a press release by the HAK, they discussed issues
related to the current domestic political situation in Armenia, and
especially the suspended political dialogue between the authorities
and the opposition.

They also spoke about the September 30 rally to be organized by the
HAK, the bloc’s further activities and the possibilities of staging
fair and free elections in Armenia.

Zurabyan and the UK officials also referred to opposition’s demand
to hold snap presidential and parliamentary elections.