Author: Badalian Vardan

‘MEETING IN KAZAN SHOWED ARMENIA’S INTEREST IN PROTRACTING CONFLICT SETTLEMENT’

news.az
July 1 2011
Azerbaijan

‘A serious situation has established inside Armenia today.

Lack of results by the outcome of the meeting on the high level in
Kazan has again demonstrated the interest of the Armenian leadership in
protracting the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict over Nagorno Karabakh’.

The statement came from MP Aytan Mustafayeva, while commenting on
results of the meeting of the presidents of Azerbaijan, Armenia and
Russia in Tatarstan’s capital last week, as part of the negotiation
process on the peaceful settlement of the Karabakh conflict.

‘Though some hopes were laid on the Kazan meeting of the three
presidents, it just become one more stage in protracting the Karabakh
conflict settlement. Heads of the Minsk Group co-chairing countries
also voiced their concern about the lack of results since they could
see how difficult it is to talk to the Armenian leadership and how
dangerous and unpromising it is to rely on their words’, she said.

She noted that protraction of Karabakh issue deals the first blow on
Armenia’s interest since it becomes caught in an unfavorable condition,
away from regional projects and ‘is becoming a burden.

‘Additionally, a serious situation has established inside Armenia
today. A big group of constructive, reasonable persons have left the
country, while those who stayed in Armenia are in a poor socioeconomic
state and are outraged with the country’s leadership’.

She said Armenia’s isolation from the events in the region and its
heavy inner political and inner economic situation will lead to
country’s collapse.

OFFICIAL MEETING CEREMONY OF PRESIDENTS OF UKRAINE AND ARMENIA TOOK PLACE IN KYIV

UNIAN News Agency

July 1 2011
Ukraine

An official meeting ceremony of President of Ukraine Victor Yanukovych
and Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan, who stays on official visit
in Ukraine, took place in Kyiv.

According to the press service of the head of the state, national
anthems of Ukraine and Armenia sounded. The heads of the both countries
reviewed the guard of honour.

According to the program of the visit, a “tete-a-tete” meeting of V.

Yanukovych and S. Sargsyan and the Ukrainian – Armenian negotiations
in a broadened staff under chairmanship of the Presidents of Ukraine
and Armenia will take place. After that it is planned to sign bilateral
documents.

The President of Ukraine and President of Armenia will take part in
a work of the Ukrainian-Armenian business forum.

SARGSYAN IS A RANDOM PERSON IN POLITICS – ALI HASANOV

news.az
July 1 2011
Azerbaijan

Armenian president’s speech once again showed that this person is a
random person in politics.

The recent address of Armenian President to PACE once again showed his
lack of professionalism and how this person is far from the political
thinking, international legal and socio-political norms.

The statement came from head of the public and political department at
the Presidential Administration of Azerbaijan Ali Hasanov commenting
on Serzh Sargsyan’s accusations during his speech to PACE session
that there is ‘armeniaphobia’ in Azerbaijan.

Hasanov said he would not go into details of the Armenian President’s
speech noting that, the Azerbaijani media have rather sharp criticism
and debates over these remarks.

Armenian president’s speech once again showed that this person is a
random person in politics, the Ali Hasanov added.

Hasanov also said that Sargsyan came to politics from the battle
field and has a militaristic mindset.

SERZH SARGSYAN: KARABAKH CONFLICT MAY BE SETTLED BY MEANS OF RIGHT TO SELF-DETERMINATION ONLY

arminfo
Friday, July 1, 23:15

Armenia is loyal to its principles and statements in the Karabakh
peace process, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan said at a joint
press conference with his Ukrainian counterpart Viktor Yanukovich.

According to him, the conflict may be settled in the peaceful way only,
with the help of the international law standards.

Sargsyan also pointed out that the OSCE MG co-chairmen have a key role
in the Karabakh conflict settlement. He agrees that their approaches
should become a basis for any statement.

“The Karabakh conflict may be settled by implementing the principle
of people’s right to self-determination only”, said Sargsyan.

To recall, the Armenian president is in Ukraine on an official visit.

ARMENIA IS AGAINST RESOLUTIONS

06:35 pm | July 01, 2011 | Politics

The draft resolution on Nagorno Karabakh has not been included on the
UN agenda, according to Armenia’s Permanent Representative at the UN
Karen Nazaryan.

“The Resolution on “Protracted conflicts in the GUAM area and their
implications for international peace, security and development”
and “The situation in the territories of Azerbaijan” were put on UN
agenda in 2006. Armenia and other UN member countries were against
the inclusion of the issues in the agenda from the very beginning,”
said Nazaryan.

“Our position on the issue remains unchanged. Negotiation processes are
underway within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group, and inclusion
of the issues in the UN General Assembly agenda can in no way promote
the process. On the contrary, it will hamper the negotiations between
the parties and the mediators,” said the Armenian Ambassador.

“We are against the resolutions. That’s why yesterday Armenia voted
against the resolution on the refugees and internally displaced
persons of Abkhazia and South Ossetia proposed by Georgia,” he said.

UNWTO SECRETARY GENERAL TO VISIT ARMENIA

armradio.am
01.07.2011 22:23

The Secretary General of the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)
Taleb Riafi will visit Armenia July 3 – 6, accompanied by the Executive
Director for Member Relations and Services Zoltan Somogyi.

The delegation will meet with Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan and
Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan. Besides, on July 5, Mr. Rifai will
meet with representatives of Armenia tourism branch and Armenian
offices of international organizations.

During the meetings, they will discuss actual problems of development
of tourism in the world. The parties are expected to sign a Memorandum
of understanding on tourism development initiative in the South
Caucasus between the Armenian Ministry of Economy and the UN World
Tourism Organization.

YEREVAN: KARABAKH ISSUE INCLUSION ON UN GA AGENDA WILL IMPAIR TALKS

PanARMENIAN.Net
July 1, 2011 – 18:46 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Inclusion of Nagorno Karabakh issue into the agenda
of the UN General Assembly (GA) cannot foster the conflict settlement,
vice versa, will impair negotiations, according to Ambassador Karen
Nazaryan, Permanent Representative of Armenia to the UN.

Commenting on media outlets regarding Karabakh issue engagement into
the UN GA, Nazaryan noted that UN has more vital problems now.

“Another case is that Azerbaijan with its bellicose rhetoric and
provoking actions tries to create an impression among international
structures, namely UN, that South Caucasus safety is jeopardized,
thus undermining mediatory efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group,” said
the Ambassador, adding that the Karabakh issue has not been included
into the UN GA agenda yet, and if discussed, Armenia will not join
this decision-making.

Besides, Armenian side is negative about such decisions and therefore
voted against resolution on the status of refugees and internally
displaced persons from Abkhazia and South Ossetia, presented by
Georgia, according to the Armenian MFA press service.

POLITICAL ANALYST: CO-CHAIRS SUPPORT FURTHER TALKS TO PREVENT KARABAKH CONFLICT ESCALATION

PanARMENIAN.Net
July 1, 2011 – 19:41 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – France assumed mediatory initiative in Karabakh
conflict settlement which used to belong to Russia, according to
deputy director of Caucasus Institute.

In a conversation with a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter, political analyst
Sergey Minasyan commented on French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe’s
statement suggesting additional offers to achieve agreement on Karabakh
issue will be submitted to conflicting parties.

“I don’t believe he meant Azeri suggestions advanced by Aliyev in
Kazan, the offers may refer to the next stage in negotiations,”
he said.

Minasyan stressed the importance of continuation of talks, noting
that to prevent conflict escalation, the co-chairs will take their
best efforts for negotiations to go on.

According to the expert, the parties are not ready for concessions;
no progress is possible unless NKR is involved in negotiations.

The summit between Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia in Kazan on June
24 completed without an agreement on basic principles of Nagorno
Karabakh conflict settlement. “The countries’ leaders registered mutual
understanding on a range of problems, the resolution of which boosts
creation of conditions for approving main principles. The meeting
participants considered the course of works carried out with the aim
of coordination of the project with basic principles,” according to
the statement. The Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan expressed
gratitude to the Russian, French and U.S. leaders, the OSCE Minsk
group co-chairs, for ‘their constant attention to Nagorno-Karabakh
problem’ and highly praised personal efforts of the Russian President
in support of agreements.

Later on Minister of Foreign Affairs Edward Nalbandian noted that the
June 24 meeting was not a breakthrough, as Azerbaijan proved unready
to accept the final version of the basic principles suggested by the
OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs. Instead, the Azerbaijani leader attempted
to impose 10 new proposals, thus precluding the possibility of any
agreement on the issue,” he added.

ANOTHER NON-COMBAT DEATH IN ARMENIAN ARMY

epress.am
07.01.2011

There was 5-6 months left for Tigran Hambardzumyan, 20, to complete
his mandatory military service, but on Jun. 29, he was found dead
not far from the army base where he was stationed.

Tigran’s body was handed over to his parents on Jun. 30, reports
local daily Hraparak.

Residents of the village of Norabats in the Ararat region, Tigran’s
hometown, told Hraparak that Tigran had been training with his fellow
conscripts outside the base when “his body, with his throat slit,
was allegedly found in the woods.”

The newspaper’s reporter was unable to confirm details from Armenia’s
defense ministry, since, according to Hraparak, the ministry press
spokesperson was “out.”

ARMENIA, UKRAINE AMEND AIR COMMUNICATION AGREEMENT

PanARMENIAN.Net
July 1, 2011 – 16:27 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Armenia-Ukraine agreements signing ceremony was
held during the visit of Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan to Ukraine.

Among documents signed were a protocol on amendments to 1995
Armenian-Ukrainian agreement on air communication, an agreement on
reception and transfer of persons illegally staying in either of
the countries.

A cooperation agreement between Finance Ministries of Armenia and
Ukraine was also concluded, Ukrinform reported.