Author: Babajanian Karo

ARMENIA, EU INK A PRELIMINARY DEAL ON VISA FACILITATION

ARMRADIO.AM
15:47 18.10.2012

On October 18 in Brussels the Armenian Representative to the EU,
Ambassador Avet Adonts and Stefano Manservisi, Director-General for
Home Affairs at the European Commission signed a preliminary deal on
visa facilitation and readmission between Armenia and the European
Union. The document is expected to be inked in December 2012 and
enter the stage of ratification in the first half of 2013.

The Visa Facilitation agreement provide for lower visa fee for all
citizens, fee waivers for certain categories (e.g. family members,
pensioners), a maximum processing time of 10 calendar days, simplified
supporting document requirements, wider issuance of multiple-entry
visas for certain categories (e.g. business people), visa-free travel
for holders of diplomatic passports and enhanced mobility in a secured
and well-managed environment. The cost of Shengen visas will be cut
to ~@35.

The Readmission Agreement provides for reciprocal obligations on the
contracting parties to readmit their national and also, under certain
conditions, third country nationals and stateless persons which are
in an irregular situation on the territory of the other party. The
agreements also set out in detail the operational and technical
criteria for this process.

AZERBAIJAN, J-LO AND THE AXE MURDERER

by royce.house.gov

The Washington Post on Monday ran a glowing page-one article on
the energy-rich, Caspian Sea nation of Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan is
“coming to relish its role as the region’s anti-Iran, a secular,
Western-leaning country that is working mightily to become everything
that Iran is not.” Iran is repressive, but Azerbaijan is “tolerant,”
embracing Western music and entertainers, Post readers were told.

Exhibit-A is a recent Jennifer Lopez concert, flocked to by
Azeribaijans. The article’s sub-headline pronounces this “embrace of
J-Lo symbolizes Muslim-majority nation’s ascent.” More, we are told
that the pop music is actually part of Baku’s foreign policy, as “every
Western diva who arrives to croon and titillate” drives the mullahs
in Iran crazy. The embrace of J-Lo, Rihanna and Shakira sure gives the
reader a sense that this is a country moving in the right direction.

This all reminds me a bit of when the Economist pointed to an uptick
of sushi restaurants as a sign of Syria’s moderation.

A different rock-star reception reveals another Azerbaijan. Last month,
a convicted axe murderer who nearly decapitated an Armenian soldier
in his sleep was given a hero’s welcome. Thousands of Azerbaijanis
greeted the ex-soldier at the airport as he returned from Hungary,
scene of his ghastly crime. Eight years ago, the Azeri murdered
the Armenian while both were in Budapest for a “Partnership for
Peace” English language course. The Azerbaijan-Armenia war over the
Nagorno-Karabakh enclave killed 30,000 in the late 80s and 90s and
the two remain bitter foes. But no one expected this brutality.

Sent home under an Azerbaijani promise that he would serve his life
sentence in Azerbaijan, President Ilham Aliyev instead promptly
pardoned, promoted and back paid the murderer. Local media was filled
with stories of how the President saved their hero. I don’t care how
many hits J-Lo cranked out, the outfit she wore, or how irritated
the Iranian regime was. When axe murderers are national heroes,
something is askew in Baku.

You don’t see President Aliyev’s “so I pardoned an axe murderer” tale
in this Post article. The lengthy piece gave just three sentences to
the country’s ills, calling it “hardly the perfect role model.” I’ll
say.

The only thing this Post article tells me is that, next to the regime
in Iran, anyone looks good.

18.10.12, 15:44

AZERBAIJAN CONTINUES THINKING UP NEW VERSIONS REGARDING STEPANAKERT AIRPORT

14:21, 18 October, 2012

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 18, ARMENPRESS. Azerbaijani authorities keep using
international forums for pushing forward their policy of lie. Being
quite impotent to prevent the exploitation of Stepanakert Airport
Azerbaijan continues searching for new ways for groundless accusations
and staining reputation of the Republic of Armenia. This time the
position of official Baku regarding Stepanakert Airport was declared
by the permanent representative of Azerbaijan to the United Nations in
New York Agshin Mehdiyev. As reports “Armenpress” citing Azerbaijani
1news.az, this was announced by Press Secretary of the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan Elman Abdullayev.

For this time again Mehdiyev tried to put forward Azerbaijani version
about “illegal attempts of the Armenian side to exploit Stepanakert
Airport”. The permanent representative of Azerbaijan to the United
Nations mentioned in his letter the following: “By these attempts
Armenia shows its disrespect towards international law and damages the
process of peaceful regulation by causing disturbances about security
in the region”. Complaining about Artsakh Air Company airlines founded
by the Armenian side he turned to the UNO member states to abstain from
any cooperation and with Stepanakert Airport and Artsakh Air Company.

The Airport of Stepanakert was built in 1974 and received flights
mainly from Yerevan and Baku. From 1992 the Airport was idle. In 2008
the construction of the new main building of the Airport was launched,
which is analogous to an eagle with opened wings. Within this period
of time the runway has been widened as well and the peaks of some
hills adjacent to the runway have been evened, so that the reception
of the modern large airplanes has become possible.

>From the very beginning of the reconstruction and re-equipment
works of the Airport of Stepanakert the Azerbaijani authorities have
threatened that in case of the Airport’s functioning, they would shoot
down the civil airplanes. These announcements made by Azerbaijani
side have been condemned by the international community as well.

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MUCH OF AZERBAIJAN’S MILITARY BUDGET IS POCKETED BY OFFICIALS – ARMENIAN ANALYST

news.am
October 18, 2012 | 13:51

YEREVAN. – Azerbaijan’s military budget is directly linked with money
laundering, Sargis Asatryan, an expert in Azerbaijani affairs, stated
during a press conference on Thursday.

“Azerbaijan’s officials and [military] command staff use the
[country’s] military budget for money laundering. According to
representatives of the neighboring country, the money is not at all
used for the soldiers’ needs. On the contrary, much of the military
budget is going into the pockets,” the analyst noted.

In Sargis Asatryan’s words, Azerbaijan is purchasing old military
equipment and weapons, and the overinflated budget only partially
contributes to raising the combat-readiness of the Azerbaijani army.

To note, Azerbaijan continually increases its military budget, and
Azerbaijan has violated all OSCE standards, in terms of the number
of weapons purchased, since a long time.

LE VIRTUOSE TURC DU PIANO FAZIL SAY JUGE POUR BLASPHEME REJETTE LES ACCUSATIONS
Stephane

armenews.com
vendredi 19 octobre 2012

Le pianiste turc mondialement connu et bete noire des islamistes,
Fazil Say, a comparu jeudi devant un tribunal d’Istanbul où il a rejete
les accusations d’atteintes aux valeurs religieuses des musulmans,
a constate l’AFP.

La justice turque l’a inculpe au debut de l’ete pour “insulte aux
valeurs religieuses d’une partie de la population” après qu’il a publie
sur son compte Twitter quelques tirades provocatrices sur l’islam,
religion très majoritaire en Turquie, et les musulmans.

“Je rejette toutes les accusations”, a dit le compositeur habille
tout en noir et visiblement enerve lors d’une brève intervention
devant la cour, avant de remettre au juge sa defense ecrite.

Ses avocats ont reclame l’acquittement immediat de leur client, ce
qui a ete refuse par le tribunal d’instance qui a fixe la prochaine
audience au 18 fevrier.

Le virtuose, âge de 42 ans, encourt une peine d’un an et demi de
prison.

Dans l’acte d’accusation, il lui est reproche d’avoir envoye des
messages tels que : “Je ne sais pas si vous vous en etes apercus, mais
s’il y a un pou, un mediocre, un magasinier, un voleur, un bouffon,
c’est toujours un islamiste”.

La justice a ete saisie par trois particuliers s’estimant leses par
ses propos sur les reseaux sociaux.

“Quand j’ai lu (les messages de Say), j’ai ete brise, je me suis senti
deshonore”, a affirme l’un d’eux, Turan Gumus, devant la cour jeudi.

Dans sa defense ecrite, le pianiste a assure qu’il n’avait pas
l’intention d’insulter quiconque mais qu’il voulait exprimer son
malaise face aux personnes qui s’efforcent d’exploiter les valeurs
religieuses de la population, a rapporte l’agence de presse Anatolie,
designant implicitement les mouvements islamistes.

“Aucune des expressions que j’ai employees sur Twitter n’avait pour
objectif d’insulter, d’humilier”, a affirme Say dans ce document,
cite par Anatolie.

“Je n’ai appele personne a la violence, il est clair que je n’ai pas
mis en danger l’ordre public”, a-t-il ajoute, estimant que ce sont
“les pressions et les menaces” exercees contre lui qui nuisent aux
valeurs religieuses comme a la paix sociale.

L’ouverture de ce procès relance la controverse sur une islamisation
de la societe turque, un sujet qui divise profondement les tenants de
la laïcite, une institution republicaine, et les partisans du pouvoir
islamo-conservateur du Parti de la justice et du developpement (AKP).

“Les procès de l’Inquisition etaient les memes. Ils interdisent tout ce
qui pousse les gens a penser, a rire”, a declare a l’AFP le sculpteur
Mehmet Aksoy, venu avec une centaine de militants, dont de nombreux
artistes, afficher leur soutien a Fazil Say.

“Il est incomprehensible d’avoir un tel procès (…), ce gouvernement
doit laisser Fazil libre, avec son piano, ses ~uvres, ses concerts
et le laisser embrasser le monde entier librement”, a affirme l’acteur
Rutkay Aziz.

La deputee allemande d’origine turque Sevim Dagdelen a pour sa part
rendu publique une petition signee par 103 parlementaires allemands
de gauche contre les poursuites visant le pianiste.

“Dans un pays laïc et democratique, la simple expression d’une opinion
ne doit pas conduire a des accusations de crime grave ou a des peines
de prison longues”, souligne le document.

Laïc convaincu et fils d’un intellectuel engage, Fazil Say a
regulièrement suscite la polemique en critiquant vertement l’AKP.

Des militants islamistes attaquent regulièrement l’artiste sur les
reseaux sociaux ou sur les plateaux de television, l’accusant de
bafouer la religion.

En avril, un depute de l’AKP, Samil Tayyar, s’etait demande, lui
aussi sur Twitter, si ce n’etait pas la mère de Fazil Say qui sortait
“d’une maison close”.

Say, qui s’est eloigne des reseaux sociaux depuis son inculpation,
avait indique quelques mois plus tôt qu’il envisageait de s’exiler
au Japon.

“Si je suis condamne a la prison, ma carrière sera terminee”, avait
affirme le virtuose, qui remplit des salles entières de Tokyo a Berlin,
Paris, Londres ou Salzbourg.

vendredi 19 octobre 2012, Stephane ©armenews.com

US-ARMENIA MEMORANDUM ON NUCLEAR PLANT TO BE FOLLOWED BY BAKU ACCUSATIONS – AMERICAN EXPERT

news.am
October 18, 2012 | 22:03

he U.S.-Armenia memorandum on cooperation in energy will be followed
by rhetoric statements of the Azerbaijani side, American political
scientist, associate professor at North Dakota State University Thomas
Ambrosio told Armenia News-NEWS.am.

“It is quite possible that this would be the case given the poor
relations between Baku and Yerevan,” said Ambrosio, answering the
question on whether the memorandum, which includes an option of
the U.S. technical assistance for the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant,
will provoke negative statements in Baku.

According to him, one needs to consider that exchange of critical
statements has been a common practice for the conflict sides:
everything that is seen as beneficial by one side is criticized by
the other. To remind, public speakers of Azerbaijan have been for
long time accusing Yerevan for operating a nuclear plant, calling it
highly outdated and hazardous for the region’s environment.

Nevertheless, the agreement is purely technical, rather than one with
real political or geopolitical effects.

“Therefore it is unlikely that Azerbaijan will react in more than a
rhetorical or diplomatic sense,” Ambrosio said in an emailed comment.

To remind, the memorandum was signed at the session of Armenian-U.S.

joint economic task force, held in Yerevan.

OSCE TO MONITOR ARTSAKH-AZERBAIJAN LINE OF CONTACT

news.am
October 18, 2012 | 19:20

STEPANAKERT. – The OSCE mission will hold a monitoring on Oct. 23
at the line of the contact between the armed forces of Artsakh
[Nagorno-Karabakh] and Azerbaijan.

The monitoring will be conducted in the framework of agreements
achieved earlier with the Artsakh authorities, Artsakh MFA press
service informed Armenian News-NEWS.am.

>From the Karabakh side, the monitoring will be carried out
under the guidance of the Personal Representative of the OSCE
Chairperson-in-Office, Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk. At the same time,
the Artsakh authorities expressed readiness to cooperate in holding
the monitoring and ensure security of the OSCE mission members.

AZERBAIJAN IS IN THE TOP 5 MOST DANGEROUS COUNTRIES TO VISIT. TRAVELVIVI ONLINE TRAVEL GUIDE WARNS

18:13, 18 October, 2012

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 18, ARMENPRESS: TravelVivi online travel guide
included Azerbaijan in the top 5 countries one should avoid visiting.

As reports Armenpress, it is mainly noted in the website “Traveling is
an activity that is enjoyed by tens of millions of people all over the
world and all year round. And while there are many tourist-friendly
destinations, in Europe, Australia, Southeast Asia, Canada and the
United States that have much to offer in terms of attractions,
activities, hotels and dining options, there are still places,
where there is always a threatening risk – risk of getting robbed,
kidnapped, caught in a tourism scam, or be at the wrong place at the
wrong time. To avoid visiting such places in today’s somehow dangerous
world, TravelVivi.com has chosen 5 destinations, excluding those that
are more or less obvious, where there are currently military conflicts
or are terrorist or are so much politically isolated like North Korea,
Belarus. We are presenting you the countries we consider you should
remove from your lists”. Azerbaijan gets the 3rd place in this list,
following Papua New Guinea and Haiti.

“Azerbaijan is known as the ‘Land of Fires’ and is in the list of 5
dangerous places tourists avoid visiting; and not for nothing. Though
blessed with spectacularly beautiful nature and a wealth of
attractions, including a great many UNESCO World Heritage Sites,
which azeris claim to be their heritage, Azerbaijan, rich with oil and
gas, still remains one of those countries, where there are concerns
regarding freedom of expression and freedom of the media, as well
as worries of being mugged or robbed, attacked or being insulted,
and be a subject to a physical attack because of your skin color,
ethnic origin or religion. Azerbaijan recently came into light of
international media after releasing, pardoning and giving a national
hero status to a convicted axe murderer Ramil Safarov. Azerbaijan
has seen a downward trend in the number of crimes committed against
foreigners. Foreigners are at a great risk in areas attracting large
crowds or in every isolated area. There have been several reports from
individuals who have been victims of crimes occurring late at night
in bars frequented by Westerners. There have also been reports from
a number of women complaining of unwanted male attention, including
groping and other offensive behavior, as well as reports of vehicle
break-ins at regional tourist sites and more, much more” it is noted
in the article.

TravelVivi warns, If you ever happen to visit Azerbaijan, be sure
to follow the following tips: do not walk alone at night in dark and
unlit streets; try to arrange to be picked up or dropped off as close
to your hotel as possible by a taxi accredited to the hotel you are
staying in, and avoid showing large sums of money in public or taking
your valuables with you.

Egypt has been also included in the list of most dangerous country
to visit.

It is also highlighted in that the article is not politically motivated
and is just Travelvivi’s opinion.

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NEWLY CONSTRUCTED LIBRARY OPENS AT THE MOTHER SEE OF HOLY ETCHMIADZIN

armradio.am
18:33 18.10.2012

President Serzh Sargsyan and Mrs. Rita Sargsyan participated today
in the opening of the newly constructed “Vache and Tamar Manukyan”
Library at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.

The library has been built at the initiative of His Holiness Karekin
II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians and was financed
by benefactors Vache and Tamar Manukyan.

It will bring together the collections of the three libraries of the
Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, thus allowing the readers and scholars
to use the rich religious literature kept in the Mother See.

WILL THEY DIVIDE POWER?
HAKOB BADALYAN

Story from Lragir.am News:

Published: 17:24:56 – 18/10/2012

A new formula has been circulated in domestic affairs which had been
set down during the parliamentary election – forming political balance
to replace political monopoly. What does this mean and what does this
have to do with the problems of Armenia?

To understand the political balance, one needs to understand the
political monopoly. It must be viewed on the example of Armenia.

Political monopoly means a political force, in this case the Republican
Party with the Republican parliamentary majority, president and
government.

Who has given this right to the RPA? The constitution does not prohibit
this. However, according to the Constitution, a force will come to
government upon the decision of people through election. It is clear
that the RPA has come to government through circumstances among which
the will of people is not found.

What is political balance then? It is a proposal to the RPA to share
the government formed despite the will of people. In fact, this has
nothing to do with elimination of political monopoly or is relevant
to the extent that the government is offered to restructure itself
from an LLC to a JSC. This looks like democracy but it is democracy
to the extent Armenia was democratic between 2003 and 2008.

In those years the joint-stock model of government was established in
Armenia. The government was formed by the OYP, ARF and RPA. However,
it would be exaggerated to say that this model was close to democracy
and government was not monopolized because the government was formed in
the result of a rigged election which went on to falsify the next two
national elections in 2007 and 2008, as well as the local elections
in between.

The government was a joint-stock company because its stockholders
accepted the rules of the game established by the government, i.e. the
criminal and oligarchic system based on quotas and clans.

The rules of the game were nevertheless crucial. The question is who
drafts those rules and where they are set down. In Armenia the rule
that has been set down is the Constitution. The Constitution does
not prohibit one force from holding all the three institutions. The
Constitution demands that this force should be elected through
people’s vote.

Hence, Armenia needs to establish Constitutional order and free,
fair and transparent electoral mechanism rather than replace the
political monopoly by political balance. One is embarrassed to hear
that establishment of constitutional order is replaced by a declaration
on political balance when Armenia has already passed this way which
has led Armenia to absolute rule of the RPA.

Now a call is made to return to the past mechanism. It is good but
in this case the issue of a public discussion of gaps, mistakes,
weaknesses arises to ensure that this time the society will be put
on the right path.

When it is proposed to return to square one, the activities of not
only the present government but also the past rulers and decision
makers is worth discussion. Not only the present but also the past
decision makers should be called for an account.

In terms of establishment of constitutional order it is important
that another viable and powerful force oppose to the ruling political
party which will push it to make reforms and compromise. However,
everything ends up in a banal proposal of dividing power if the
slogan of proposed competitiveness is the political balance rather
than Constitutional order.