Author: Babajanian Karo

LE COLONEL-GENERAL VLADIMIR CHIRKIN S’EST RENDU EN ARMENIE
Laetitia

armenews.com
mardi 30 octobre 2012

Le commandant en chef de l’armee de terre russe, le colonel-general
Vladimir Chirkin, s’est rendu en Armenie pour rencontrer les
responsables militaires et inspecter les troupes russes deployees
dans le pays.

Le ministère armenien de la Defense a declare vendredi que V. Chirkin
s’est entretenu avec le ministre de la Defense, Seyran Ohanian, et le
chef d’etat-major general de l’armee armenienne, le colonel-general
Yuri Khachaturov, lors de la visite de trois jours qui a pris fin
jeudi.

Un communique du ministère declare qu’un eventail de questions a ete
aborde au sujet de la base militaire russe en Armenie et au sujet de
la cooperation militaire russo-armenienne. Il a affirme que V. Chirkin
est arrive en Armenie pour inspecter la base militaire et aider ses
commandants a se preparer a une nouvelle annee academique.

Chirkin a visite des installations militaires russes a Gyumri et a
Erevan. L’agence de presse Regnum a cite un porte-parole militaire
russe, affirmant que le general a examine la preparation au combat,
les armes et le moral des troupes.

La base russe comprendrait entre 4000 et 5000 soldats. Elle est
equipee de centaines de chars, de vehicules blindes et de systèmes
d’artillerie sophistiques avec des missiles sol-air S-300. La base
a subi ce que l’armee russe appelle une ” reorganisation ” depuis le
debut de l’annee dernière.

Le ministre russe de la Defense, Anatoli Serdioukov, a discute du
processus avec Ohanian lors de sa visite a Erevan le mois dernier. ”
Nous transferons environ 10 installations a la partie armenienne,
” a declare M. Serdioukov après les entretiens.

Le ministère russe de la Defense a annonce en juin dernier qu’il
va doubler cette annee le nombre de ses soldats en Armenie sur une
base contractuelle.

Un porte-parole russe du district militaire du Sud, qui englobe la
base de Gyumri, a declare mardi que la frequence des exercices et
d’autres activites de formation par les forces russes en Armenie a
augmente cette annee. Le fonctionnaire, Kirill Kiselev, a declare
a RFE / RL qu’elle decoule simplement des efforts de la Russie pour
renforcer ses forces armees.

mardi 30 octobre 2012, Laetitia ©armenews.com

PHILHARMONIA/JORDAN AT THE FESTIVAL HALL

The Times, UK
October 28, 2012 Sunday 4:03 PM GMT

by: Hilary Finch

Star Rating: 4 stars

Since his first prize at the Jean Sibelius Competition in Helsinki in
2000, Sergey Khachatryan, the young Armenian violinist, has treated
the composer’s Violin Concerto as something of a party piece, both
live and on disc. Yet his performance at the Southbank could not have
been less like a prizewinner’s showpiece.

Khachatryan holds both the music and his violin close to his heart.

Not for him the tossed back head, the sweep and swirl of the body. He
stands straight on a single axis, his torso barely moving, his head
slightly inclined, and making virtually no eye contact with his
audience. This is the outward manifestation of a deep inwardness in
his playing – so much so that even the most extrovert passages of
Sibelius’s Concerto seem to be rising from the innermost depths of
his consciousness.

And the 27-year-old Khachatryan, expansively supported by the
Philharmonia and Philippe Jordan, the evening’s conductor, gave this
concerto generous time and space. Finely poised, its opening notes
were barely audible as they rose from the hovering orchestral strings.

They quested rather than emoted their way forward, tentative and
awe-filled.

When energy was unleashed, it pierced the core of every musical nerve,
with intonation so perfectly focused it almost hurt. And, by taking
Sibelius’s directions at their word – fast, but not too fast – the
virtuosity of the finale kicked out all the harder and higher.

If spaciousness was Jordan’s brief in the Sibelius, then serenity
seemed to be his aim in Brahms’s Second Symphony which followed. There
was not a lot of emotional complexity in this performance: rather,
Jordan set up an easy lilt and, with sweeping left to right arcs
described by his left hand, drew song out of the music wherever
he could.

There were moments of slightly uneasy entry and ensemble in the
brass, but Jordan glided through Brahms’s modulations of harmony
and of pacing. And, in the finale as well as the third movement,
there was dance, too, with many a twitching foot among the players.

ARMENIA AND U.S. GOING TO BOOST EXPERIENCE EXCHANGE IN MILITARY INDUSTRY

Mediamax
Oct 29 2012
Armenia

Yerevan/Mediamax/. Armenian Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan said
that Armenia and U.S. are going to boost the experience exchange in
military industry sphere.

Seyran Ohanyan said this after his meeting with the U.S. Secretary
of the Navy Ray Mabus in Yerevan today, Mediamax reports.

“The cooperation in the sphere of military industry is a new area
where we can realize experience exchange. As a post-soviet state, we
have mainly soviet entities in the armament structure. Anyways, we can
realize experience exchange in introducing various foremost standards
especially use of means of special purpose”, said the Minister.

Seyran Ohanyan recalled that Armenian-U.S. defense cooperation is
mainly going on within peacekeeping mission and implementation of
defense reforms.

The Minister stressed that within the cooperation, above 200 Armenian
peacekeepers underwent re-training in Germany and Romania. According
to Seyran Ohanyan, “the cooperation will continue next year as well”.

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT STRONGLY CRITICAL OF PUBLIC PROSECUTORS

tert.am
29.10.12

On Monday, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan held a meeting with
law-enforcers at the RA Prosecutor General’s Office.

The meeting discussed problems of preliminary investigation in Armenia.

Pointing out some progress in the prosecutor offices’ work, the
Armenian leader, on the other hand, was strongly critical of some
public prosecutors.

The Prosecutor’s Office is among the government bodies that are
able to produce positive results. Evidence thereof is Armenia’s
cooperation with international agencies in money laundering and
trafficking control. The Military Prosecutor’s Office has somewhat
improved its activities as well, President Serzh Sargsyan.

These examples are evidence that honest public prosecutors are well
aware of their mission for the benefit of society and state, the
Armenian leader said.

On the other hand, President Serzh Sargsyan pointed out facts of
abuse by some public prosecutors and stressed he does not see fierce
struggle against negative phenomena.

The president spoke of people’s complaints about law-enforcers. In
some cases, law-enforcers conceal the crimes or even trump up charges
against innocent persons. “I cannot imagine a more immoral conduct
on a law-enforcer’s part,” Serzh Sargsyan said.

The Armenian leader mentioned a number of gross violations of law
and acts of hooliganism committed by Armenian public prosecutors.

In this context, President Serzh Sargsyan stated he expects the RA
Prosecutor General to draw necessary conclusions.

“I demand that each of you be responsible. We will certainly discuss
the quality of investigation and concrete facts recorded in the first
three months of this year,” the Armenian president said.

ARMENIAN PAVILION WAS EXCLUSIVELY ATTRACTIVE DURING PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES EXHIBITION IN TEHRAN

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 29, ARMENPRESS: Armenian pavilion was opened on
October 29 in the 19th international exhibition of Press and News
Agencies hosted in Iranian Islamic Republic. As reports Armenpress
reporter from Tehran, the pavilion representing Armenia had been at
the center of the attention of the participants and visitors from
the first moment after the opening.

Unlike previous years, this year Azerbaijan doesn’t participate in the
exhibition. Nevertheless Azerbaijan honored with its presence through
its compatriots living in Iran. As during the previous exhibition,
this time as well Azerbaijani visitors tried to involve Armenian
delegation in the conflict. Therefore, our delegation didn’t pay any
attention to the provocation of Azerbaijani representative.

Armenian representative in Tehran exhibition is Armenpress new agency.

Agencies from Russia, Kazakhstan, Iraq, Turkey, China, Syria, Lebanon
and other countries participated in the exhibition. The official
closing ceremony of the exhibition will take place on November 3.

POLITICS ISN’T EASY
Igor Muradyan

29 October 2012, 13:07

The fight of the Armenian people for its rights at the end of the 80s
encountered utter unawareness of our interest and place in politics.

Later, Russia tried to render our nation a society out of law. It
organized a mass dirty campaign, sent tanks to kill Armenians of
Karabakh.

The U.S. Senate has adopted a decision in favor of the Armenians of
Karabakh but the Americans had a specific negative position in regard
to Armenia and the Karabakh issue for a long time. The European
countries conducted a hypocritical policy, trying to frighten the
leadership of Armenia with Turkish aggression.

These are just some fragments of impressions and information which
are well known to those who held high positions in the state and were
engaged in foreign affairs. But perhaps the people who do not occupy
high positions are also knowledgeable and informed about the terrible
flow of anti-Armenian work pursued by the international community.

The position changed principally and significantly. The point is no
longer the Karabakh issue settlement, and no one thinks the Karabakh
province may past under Azerbaijan’s control. Neither the Americans,
nor the Europeans insist on compromise over Meghri corridor but, on
the contrary, they rule out such a possibility. Armenia has received
blunt proposals on close partnership with NATO and is considered a
“particular” partner in the region. Armenia gets financial and military
support. Apparently, not only by Russia; the ruling political team in
Armenia, which is far from being effective, became quite acceptable
for the North-Atlantic community.

The causes of this phenomenon in international relations are clear.

First, Armenia, with outside help and with application of creative
forces, has demonstrated the ability to create effective armed forces,
as well as the social and economic dynamics where all kinds of failures
have highlighted the possibility of overcoming them.

Second, the Western community is pursuing a strategy of “soft”
deterrence and geopolitical block of Turkey which displays totally
unacceptable ambitions of regional expansion, and Armenia is seen as
part of this strategy.

At the same time, imitations still go on in regard and around
Armenia. It is noteworthy that the West continues to play on the
allegedly anti-Russian content of Armenia’s rapprochement with the
European Union and NATO. In fact, all the great powers of the West
agree with the idea of absorption of Russia and the CSTO, considering
Armenia as a component of the task.

Despite hysterical assaults against Armenia, Russia has finally set
to conduct a policy toward Armenia (as a friend of mine from Gyumri
says) against the will of many Armenians, to continue relations with
Russia in the banquet and buffet style. As to the CSTO, this block
is not so global to play an independent role, and is massive enough
to be ignored and isolated.

Perhaps, in the current crisis and controversial era of
“incompleteness” of the previous global style, the attitude to Armenia,
to some extent, is determined by the unconscious perception of it as
a “test” of the survival of the Christian world. However, above all,
the West is interested in Armenia as a “second Israel” in the region,
or, rather “the third Israel” because the “second Israel” is Georgia
which has failed as a strategic partner.

But the destiny of all possible “Israels” since the times of the
Crusades has been well-known so the strategic goal of Armenia should
be the “establishment of the country of Nairi” once again, despite many
failures and catastrophes because only the national super-idea, strange
though it may seem, has facilitated the fresh attitude of the world.

It is time to end idiotic reflections on the “national idea” and to
understand that the national idea is what the country has achieved
during its independence, under all kinds of morons, cads and the
scum of the national elite. Armenia has received the “certificate”
of partner. This has already happened and it is not necessary to
create obstacles to this out of egoistic motives.

There is an evident deficit of definitions in the world political
typologies: “leaders”, “partners”, “raw material”. Thanks God we cannot
be a raw material. We don’t have it both literally and figuratively. We
are partners and we need to take the punch. Success in the chess and
box is not enough, we had better play football, otherwise they may
think Armenians lack monophysite sublimation.

Politics is not easy.

WHO WILL BE JOINT CANDIDATE OF OLIGARCHY?
Siranuysh Papyan

Interview – Monday, 29 October 2012, 10:51

Interview with political scientist Andrias Ghukasyan

Mr. Ghukasyan, how would you describe the current state of the
political field?

All the main political forces are controlled by the oligarchs,
including the ANC. This is what Levon Zurabyan stated. The main
issue of the political forces is who will be the joint candidate of
the oligarchs – Serzh Sargsyan or Robert Kocharyan. The second issue
is whom they will formally nominate as a joint candidate. The main
aim of the thieves is to get the approval of the European Union. But
what will be the price in case we know the value of approval is one
billion euro, and all the criminal groups are now united in their
fight to get one billion?

There is an opinion that we need to find out why we need the state,
what the party means in Armenia and how we should define tasks and
solve them.

The state is necessary in order to help people find the possibility to
realize their efforts, to ensure security and well-being. In democratic
countries, each one achieved the realization of their efforts through
work, capacities and abilities. In an oligarchic system which is
not guided by moral values but forces people to achieve well-being
through sponsorship of the oligarchy.

As to the parties, they are mediators between the state and the
society. Armenia is an oligarchic state, and parties are thieves which
deceive the society and ensure their life. Our state is formally
democratic while its content is oligarchic. The function of lying
belongs to the parties.

Mr. Ghukasyan, why is the civil sector helpless regarding this issue?

Do you see any ways to overcome this?

The victories of the civic initiatives will always be fragmental
unless they set to interfere with the political processes to overcome
the oligarchy. Today the oligarchic party is the Republican Party
which says to be the main fighter for democracy. If we consider the
fight is for the one billion Euros promised by the Europe, then
the RPA statement is true. Democracy can’t be restored with the
help of money. The people should decide whether it wants equality
or not. For this, the civil society needs to work and intervene in
political processes.

How can the civil society interfere in the political processes and
succeed? What are the tasks to be defined by the civil society,
I mean political issues?

The oligarchy has created a criminal electoral machine that guarantees
its victory in elections. In other words, the candidate of the ruling
oligarchic party wins as soon as nominated. The civil society needs
to pursue the following goals.It needs to hinder the nomination of the
oligarchy’s candidate and needs to destroy the election falsification
machine. Civic movements may intervene in the political processes by
nominating their own candidate or supporting an independent nominee.

I’m sure there will be some independent candidates for president.

PRESS RELEASE OF MINSK GROUP CO-CHAIRS AND FM’S OF ARMENIA AND AZERBAIJAN

hetq
14:59, October 29, 2012

The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group and the Foreign Ministers of
Armenia and Azerbaijan issued the following press release in Paris
on 27 October 2012.

The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group (Ambassadors Robert Bradtke of
the United States of America, Igor Popov of the Russian Federation,
and Jacques Faure of France) met jointly on October 27 with the
Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan, Elmar Mammadyarov, and the Foreign
Minister of Armenia, Edward Nalbandian. The Personal Representative
of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk also
participated in the meeting.

The Co-Chairs stressed to the Ministers the importance of reducing
tensions among the parties. They presented their ideas on a working
proposal to advance the peace process.

The Foreign Ministers reiterated their determination to continue
working with the Co-Chairs to reach a peaceful settlement. The
Ministers and the Co-Chairs agreed to a further discussion of these
ideas during the Co-Chairs’ visit to the region in November.

Trend Daily News (Azerbaijan)
October 26, 2012 Friday 2:29 PM GMT +4

Three bells donated by Azerbaijani government for Mexico City (PHOTO)

Azerbaijan, Oct. 26 /Trend/

An official presentation ceremony for the commissioning of three
church bells donated by the Azerbaijani government took place in
Mexico City at Konsepsion Santisima church on Tlakskoake-Khojaly
Square adjacent to a monument dedicated to victims of Khojaly genocide
the Azerbaijani Embassy in Mexico reported on Friday.

According to the head priest Eduardo Lozano Juarez, who opened the
event, the repair and restoration of Tlakskoake Khojaly Square with
the support of the Azerbaijani government, as well as a donation of
bells to the church are signs of peace and love to God, as well as the
monument to the victims of Khojaly genocide located on the square.

Citing a quote from the works of the great Azerbaijani poet Nizami
Ganjavi and giving examples of Pope John Paul II’ s statements about
Azerbaijan, made during his visit to the country in 2002, Lozano said
Azerbaijan is the place where you can find peace.

During his speech at the ceremony, Azerbaijani Ambassador to Mexico
Ilgar Mukhtarov noted the developing friendly relations between the
people of Azerbaijan and Mexico.

In turn, speaking about Azerbaijan, the Cardinal of the catholic
church Norberto Ribera Carrera, said the country has an unusual
religious tolerance and stated that Christians and Jews live freely
and equally along with the Muslims in Azerbaijan .

During the solemn presentation of the church bells some members of the
Armenian community attempted to draw the attention of the press and
the event participants by stating that “what happened in Khojaly, in
fact, was not genocide” and “the inscription on the monument is not
true.”

However the provocation which caused disapproval of the residents and
embassy guests who were gathered there failed and the protestors were
expelled from the venue by Mexico City residents.

Islamic Republic News Agency IRNA, Iran
Oct 26 2012

Armenian president, Iranian energy minister discuss ties

Yerevan, 26 October: President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan in a meeting
with visiting Iranian Energy Minister Majid Namju here Friday [26
October] expressed interest in expansion of Yerevan-Tehran
cooperation.

According to IRNA, the Media Office of the Armenian Republic
Presidential Office further quoted President Sargsyan in his meeting
with the Iranian Head of the State Commission for Iran-Armenia
Cooperation, “I am sure this commission plays a major role in
expansion of bilateral cooperation in various political, economic and
cultural fields.”

He added, “Armenia is interested in expansion and deepening its
beneficial relations with its neighbour Iran and this would naturally
lead and contribute to the growth of our bilateral economic ties.”

The Armenian president expressed satisfaction over the growing trend
of Iran-Armenian relations, arguing, “The two countries’ ties are
expanding permanently and in near future the completion of Moqri
Hydroelectric Power Plant over Aras River and its being put to use
would be another example of the fruitful Iran-Armenia cooperation.”

The Islamic Republic of Iran Energy Minister and Iranian Head of the
State Commission for Iran-Armenia Cooperation Majid Namju, too, said
in the meeting, “The session of the State Commission for Iran-Armenia
Cooperation have always been convened successfully and exactly on
scheduled time, and important bilateral agreements have been achieved
in each and every one of them.”

He added, “As the head of State Commission for Iran-Armenia
Cooperation I would spare no effort aimed at materializing the
achieved agreements in the course of the recent meeting between the
presidents of the two friend countries.”

Both the Iranian and the Armenian side in the meeting emphasized the
need for expansion of bilateral cooperation in energy field.