Author: Babajanian Karo

ARIF YUNUSOV: SAFAROV FACTOR ALLOWED AZERBAIJANI AUTHORITIES TO ENGINEER A CAMPAIGN OF SPREAD-EAGLE SPEECHES AND GAIN POLITICAL DIVIDENDS

arminfo
Tuesday, September 18, 12:27

One should not exaggerate the impact of Ramil Safarov’s pardon on
the Armenian-Azerbaijani relations given that there was no serious
political dialogue between the two countries. Consequently, it is
senseless speaking of its continuation or suspension. Arif Yunusov,
Head of the Conflict Studies and Migration Department of the Institute
for Peace and Democracy, made such statement to ArmInfo when commenting
on the possible consequences of Ramnil Safarov’s pardon.

“One can speak of certain dialogue of the civil societies, which is
fading away year by year. The negotiations for resolution of the
Karabakh conflict faced deadlock yet long ago. There is imitation
of negotiations and the parties to the conflict do not really want
to resolve the conflict. It is obvious that the parties must go on
a compromise to resolve the conflict, while neither of the parties
wants to do it. Sometimes, they speak of a desire to achieve fair
pace, but each of them means peace in its favor. Each party is
sure that time works in its favor. Armenians think that the world
and Azerbaijan, first of all, will sooner or later resign mind to
the fact that Karabakh is outside Azerbaijan. The later, in turn,
is sure that Armenia’s economy is becoming weaker and weaker and
it is necessary to wait for the right time and keep arming,” the
Azerbaijani political expert.

Therefore, he said, the authorities of both the countries have been
imitating negotiations over the last years as the superpowers wanted
so in order to prevent resumption of military actions. The OSCE
Minsk Group co-chairs are well aware that there is no progress in the
negotiations, but they still visit the region for the sake of decency,
promise something to Armenians and Azerbaijanis, though they do not
believe in their own promises. They have become like political tourists
rather than mediators. In such situation, Yunusov said, Safarov case
has played its role inside Azerbaijan and Armenia, putting aside the
morality. Safarov factor allowed Azerbaijani authorities and political
forces to engineer a campaign of spread-eagle speeches and gain
political dividends. In Armenia the authorities and political forces
also tried to use Safarov factor to gain political dividends. This
factor will be used in both the countries for a long time, he said.

Yunusov believes that exchange of fire in the conflict zone will become
more frequent and intensive, but they will not spiral into something
more serious, for both the parties are well aware that they are not
key players in this issue.

“Hence, the parties to the Karabakh conflict have nothing to do but
make propaganda campaigns inside their countries, in the region and
at international structures. Nothing else. The negotiations will fade
away for some months, indeed. Afterwards, the political tourists from
the Minsk Group will again visit the region. Another matter that civil
societies of both the countries should not yield to the spread eagle
speeches and should keep working on establishment of dialogue. The
only alternative is war,” Yunusov said.

Earlier on August 31 the Armenian authorities adopted a decision to
suspend diplomatic relations and official contacts with Hungary.

President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan made public the decision at a
special meeting with the heads of diplomatic missions on Friday after
the Hungarian authorities extradited Azeri officer Ramil Safarov,
who was sentenced by a Hungarian court to life in jail for killing
sleeping Armenian officer Gurgen Margaryan with an axe in Budapest
in 2004. Both the officers were undergoing an English language course
under the NATO PfP program. The same day after Safarov’s extradition,
Azeri President Ilham Aliyev decreed to pardon the criminal. According
to Hungarian Mass Media, Azerbaijan pledged to purchase Hungarian
government bonds in the amount of 2-3 billion EUR.

ARMENIAN DM MET WITH MEMBERS OF DEFENSE AND SECURITY COMMITTEES OF CSTO MEMBER STATES

armradio.am
18.09.2012 17:14

Armenian Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan had a meeting with
representatives of the Defense and Security Committees of CSTO
member states adjunct to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Collective
Security Treaty Organization. CSTO Secretary General Nikolay Bordyuzha
participated in the meeting.

Issues related to the Interaction-2012 joint military exercises of
the CSTO Collective Rapid Reaction Forces and the future cooperation
were discussed.

Addressing the meeting, Armenian Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan said
he was glad to host such a representative delegation of MPs at the
Ministry of Defense.

KAREN MIRZOYAN NKR FOREIGN MINISTER

Story from Lragir.am News:

Published: 13:38:22 – 18/09/2012

According to Yerkir Media TV news , Karen Mirzoyan will head the
foreign ministry of Nagorno Karabakh. This office has been vacant
for over a year.

Karen Mirzoyan, Turkish studies, was NKR representative to Armenia
and held different diplomatic posts abroad. He was Armenia~Rs
representative to the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization. He
worked in Istanbul when Hrant Dink was killed. Karen Mirzoyan is said
to be a hard-working, educated and proactive individual, says Yerkir
Media news.

Recall NKR foreign minister~Rs office remained vacant after former
foreign minister Georgi Petrosyan had been elected ARFD Bureau member
hence leaving office.

LONDON MAKES DISTINCTIONS BETWEEN KARABAKH, KOSOVO SELF-DETERMINATION

PanARMENIAN.Net
September 18, 2012 – 15:26 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Nagorno Karabakh’s right for self-determination is
important not only from the viewpoint of international law, but also
with regard to its safety, Armenian Foreign Minister said.

As Edward Nalbandian stated at a joint briefing with UK Minister for
Europe David Lidington, “Karabakh people won’t be feeling safe while
Azeri snipers are using targets saying “an Armenian” during military
trainings or extolling the likes of axe-killer Safarov.”

The UK official, in turn, was asked to comment whether the Great
Britain sets peoples’ right for self-determination as a priority only
in cases benefiting London, with Kosovo example cited.

As the Minister noted in reply, Kosovo’s future was outlined in UN
resolution, while Karabakh’s right for self-determination is specified
by OSCE Minsk Group principles.

However, he said, Karabakh issue can only be solved through a
comprehensive approach by taking into consideration other principles
as well.

TOP OFFICIAL: RESOLUTION OF NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT TO BE PRIORITY ISSUE DURING AZERBAIJANI AND FRENCH PRESIDENTS’ MEETING

Trend
Sept 18 2012
Azerbaijan

The resolution of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict will be a priority issue at
the upcoming meeting of Azerbaijani and French presidents, Azerbaijani
Presidential Administration Social and Political Department Head Ali
Hasanov said, commenting on the current visit of Azerbaijani President
to France.

Hasanov noted that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict remains a priority
during all the visits and meetings of Azerbaijani President with
other countries’ presidents.

“France is a co-chair country of the OSCE Minsk Group, and during the
meeting with this country’s president, the Nagorno-Karabakh problem,
as well as situation and prospects of conflict regulation, processes
happening around the conflict, Azerbaijan’s position and OSCE Minsk
group’s activity and future steps will be discussed,” Hasanov said.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev is on a working visit in France
since Monday.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan.

Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 per cent of Azerbaijan since
1992, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding
districts.

Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The
co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group – Russia, France and the U.S. –
are currently holding peace negotiations.

Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council’s four
resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the
surrounding regions.

AZERBAIJANI DIASPORA HELD AN ACTION IN FRONT OF THE EMBASSY OF ARMENIA IN FRANCE

APA
Sept 19 2012
Azerbaijan

Baku. Fuad Gulubeyli-APA. Yesterday at 21:00 by Baku time action was
held in front of the Embassy of Armenia in France, APA reports.

The event was organized by the Community of Azerbaijanis in France,
members of the Azerbaijani and Turkish Diaspora in Europe, Azerbaijani
students studying in Europe.

The rally was organized to protest against the Armenians support
international terrorism, crimes against humanity committed in Karabakh.

During the rally was protesting against anti-Azerbaijani propaganda
Armenians in Europe, which takes place through disinformation.

The action was made public declarations about the occupation policy of
Armenia, the Armenian leadership support of international terrorism,
the policy aimed at killing civilians.

At the end, the resolution was read by the action. The resolution
noted the decisions of international organizations on the Karabakh
conflict. It was emphasized that Armenia ignores international law.

ELMAYAN STILL GOING STRONG AT AGE 95

Reuters
Sept 18 2012

By Rex Gowar | Reuters

BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) – Artin Elmayan is hard to keep pace with as
he heads for the locker rooms at River Plate.

“I’ve got to get my rackets,” he says under the shadow of the
Monumental, the giant stadium which is home to one of the world’s
great soccer clubs where members enjoy a variety of sports.

Armenian-born Elmayan’s choice is tennis, a sport he took up at the
age of 39. Now, aged 95, he is the world’s oldest-ranked player.

The International Tennis Federation (ITF) ranks Elmayan 26th among
men over 85, a list headed by Italian Angelo Sala who will be 86
in December.

There are only 39 men in the ITF’s over-85 ranking, three of them
Argentines, and Elmayan is the only one born before 1920.

The next oldest are Eugeniusz Czerepaniak of Poland who is 91 and
ranked one place above Elmayan, and 90-year-old Australian Neville
Halligan, the number eight.

Elmayan does not compete internationally so he is likely to meet only
fellow-Argentines Guillermo Garcia or Jose Otero, both in their 80s,
in competitions.

“Eighty-five plus, because there isn’t anyone who’s 90, much less 95.

So I have to play against 85-year-olds,” Elmayan told Reuters in
an interview.

“I do all right, sometimes I take second place. Last year I won
second place twice. It depends on the state of my opponent, and my
own. There are no enigmas here,” he said after a 20-minute knockup
with one of the club’s coaches.

The sprightly Elmayan enjoys a routine that keeps him slim and happy,
travelling by train into the capital to River Plate from the suburbs
three times a week.

“If my body and feet allow it, I’m not going to sit still. As far as
stretching, I take the train and walk from the station to here. When
I get here I’ve already loosened up,” he said.

Elmayan said that if he had to play three sets, he was able to cope
and recalled having recently played and lost against Garcia, seven
years younger than him, and then suggesting they go for a run.

“Are you crazy, now you want to run?” Elmayan, laughing, recalled
Garcia as saying.

ARMENIAN IMMIGRANT

Elmayan, who emigrated to Argentina from Europe when it was on the
verge of war in 1938 at the age of 21, said he took up tennis as a
hobby and has never looked back.

He is part of a large Armenian community in Argentina that includes
leading professional and former world number three David Nalbandian.

Elmayan said he had never had a tennis lesson, taking his cue from
playing “paleta”, a sport with a wooden paddle-like racket and rubber
ball that he played when he was younger.

“No one told me how to hold a racket, I copied it from paleta and
went on from there,” he said.

Elmayan’s whole family plays or played tennis, his wife now 88,
daughter, son-in-law and two grandchildren.

He lost a grandson, who represented the club at tennis, at the age of
21 from cancer, a shock that may have added to his fierce grip on life.

“First there is eating and then comes tennis. It is part of my life to
stay in shape in every way,” said Elmayan from behind his goggle-like
sunglasses on a bright late winter’s day in Buenos Aires.

“Tennis makes you breathe oxygen, keeps your body in shape, keeps
you from getting a belly, or getting fat, helps fight cholesterol
problems and everything,” he said.

“Now, if you stop coming, if I go two months without playing, I’ll
get a belly.”

(Editing by John Mehaffey)

OAP, 95, IS WORLD’S OLDEST RANKED PROFESSIONAL TENNIS PLAYER

Metro
Sepy 18 2012
UK

Creaky joints haven’t stopped a 95-year-old from playing the sport
he loves as the world’s oldest ranked professional tennis player.

Armenian-born Artin Elmayan lives and breathes tennis, playing the
sport three times a week to stay fit and healthy.

The sports fan is the oldest of a group of 39 men in the ITF’s over-85
ranking, however Elmayan is the only player born before 1920.

‘Eighty-five plus, because there isn’t anyone who’s 90, much less 95.

So I have to play against 85-year-olds,’ explained the pensioner,
who trains in River Plate, Argentina.

‘I do all right, sometimes I take second place. Last year I won second
place twice. It depends on the state of my opponent, and my own. There
are no enigmas here.’

Elmayan, who emigrated to Argentina in 1938, travels from the suburbs
to the Argentinian capital of Buenos Aires three times a week to
practice the hobby he has played almost all his life.

‘If my body and feet allow it, I’m not going to sit still. As far as
stretching, I take the train and walk from the station to here. When
I get here I’ve already loosened up,’ said the track suited OAP.

‘First there is eating and then comes tennis,’ he adds. ‘It is part
of my life to stay in shape in every way.

‘Tennis makes you breathe oxygen, keeps your body in shape, keeps
you from getting a belly, or getting fat, helps fight cholesterol
problems and everything,” he said.

‘Now, if you stop coming, if I go two months without playing, I’ll
get a belly.’

AZERI PRESIDENT TO BEGIN WORKING VISIT TO FRANCE

ITAR-TASS
September 17, 2012 Monday 11:47 AM GMT+4
Russia

Development of bilateral relations and regional security will be in
the focus of discussions of a two-day working visit of President
Ilkham Aaliyev of Azerbaijan to France which begins on Monday.

As ambassador of France in Baku Pascal Monye told local journalists,
the Azerbaijanian head of state is expected to meet with his French
counterpart Francois Hollande and other leaders of the country.

According to him, one of the key issues at the talks will be the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the situation developed in the
negotiation process on its settlement. “France is concerned about
tension in the region and wants its easing. That’s why the Karabakh
issue will be in the focus of the two leaders’ talks,” the diplomat
said. Baku, for its part, also hopes for intensification of Paris’
efforts in resolving the conflict, taking into account that France is
one of three co-chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group fulfilling the role
of an international mediator in settling this problem of many years.

Experts also name energy cooperation, which has been actively
developing of late, among important topics of the Azerbaijanian-French
summit talks. In particular, the French energy giant Total owns a
10-percent share of participation in the project of development of one
of the biggest gas fields on the Caspian shelf Shah Deniz the reserves
of which amount to 1.2 trillion cubic meters. Besides, Total and Gaz
de France Company Dossierare the main shareholders of the project of
development of one of the rather perspective field Absheron in
Azerbaijan’s Caspian sector, the proved reserves of which amount to
400 billion cubic meters. Recently Total also said about its intention
to become one of the shareholders of the Trans-Atlantic Pipeline, the
construction of which Azerbaijan and Turkey plan to begin next year.

This 2,000-kilometer long pipeline will be an important segment of
transportation of Azerbaijanian gas to Europe. The State Oil Company
of Azerbaijan doesn’t conceal its plans to sell a part of its 80
percent of shares in this project, retaining the controlling block of
shares. As Monye stressed, during Aliyev’s visit to Paris, he is to
meet with leaders of a number of French big companies and
entrepreneurs.

Some analysts don’t rule out that international problems, including
those around Iran, as well as issues of deepening the two countries’
cultural cooperation, will be discussed at the talks between Aliyev
and Hollande. The visit program includes the Azerabijanian president’s
participation in the opening of a pavilion of Islamic culture in
Louvre.

RACISME ” SCIENTIFIQUE ” EN TURQUIE
Stephane

armenews.com
mardi 18 septembre 2012

Un article intitule ” le Caractère Juif ” et qui est apparu dans un
magazine publie par la Faculte de Theologie a l’universite Uludag
dans la province nord-ouest de Bursa s’engage a faire du racisme sous
l’apparence ” de la science ” selon Roni Marguiles, un ecrivain turc
d’origine juive dont l’article est paru dans le quotidien Taraf.

Roni Marguiles a pointe le rôle que la fausse science a joue dans
l’histoire du racisme.

” A la lecture de l’article a la fois le doyen de l’universite et
un lecteur ordinaire se demanderaient ” et alors ? ” le racisme
[Populaire] en Turquie coure exactement dans cette veine ; [c’est]
un racisme qui n’est pas conscient d’etre raciste. C’est ce qui me
derange le plus. Le racisme du MHP (le parti du Mouvement Nationaliste)
ne me derange pas autant, par exemple, il s’engage dans un racisme
de facon consciente. Le racisme qui va autour sous l’apparence ”
de la science ” est beaucoup plus grave ” a dit Roni Marguiles.

Roni Marguiles a aussi note que l’article cite les Protocoles de Zion
parmi ses sources.

” On reconnaît dans le monde entier que c’est un document fabrique ; en
fait, meme son auteur est evident. Tous les documents anti-semitiques
se refèrent a cette source ” a-t-il dit.

L’article ecrit par l’assistant du professeur Suleyman Sayar en 2000
demarre avec cet intro : ” Les juifs ont toujours ete une question
contemporaine partout dans leur longue histoire a tous egards. Le
problème Juif constitue aussi peut-etre la question principale a
l’ordre du jour du monde contemporain. Cela doit etre une question
d’interet pour aborder la mentalite et le caractère de tels gens et
la dynamique sociale, culturelle et psychologique qui ont apporte ce
caractère et cette mentalite, dans un contexte historique et par une
approche socio psychologique “.

Suleyman Sayar a aussi ecrit sa thèse de diplôme a propos ” des Juifs
et de leurs attitudes envers leur religion selon le Quoran “.

Il a publie quelques autres articles incluant ” le Problème armenien
et l’Eglise armenienne “.