Author: Badalian Vardan

LE HAK ESPIRE TOUJOURS UN DIALOGUE AVEC LE GOUVERNEMENT
Marion

armenews.com
mercredi 29 juin 2011

Stepan Demirchian, l’un des principaux leaders du Congrès national
armenien (HAK), a declare mardi 28 juin, que le HAK espère toujours
s’engager dans un dialogue constructif avec le gouvernement.

” Nous ne considerons pas ce processus comme un echec complet. Les
autorites ont encore le temps de tirer des conclusions “, a-t-il
affirme aux journalistes.

Le president Serge Sarkissian a ouvert la voie a un dialogue avec
l’opposition le mois dernier en realisant d’importantes concessions au
HAK, dont la liberation de tous les militants d’opposition emprisones.

Aucune reunion en face-a-face n’a pour le moment ete tenue sur les
moyens d’apaiser les tensions politiques en Armenie.

Le HAK insiste sur le fait que le dialogue devrait prendre la
forme de negociations entre des delegations speciales formees par
l’administration Sarkissian et l’alliance d’opposition. Le president et
son Parti republicain (HHK) ont categoriquement rejete cette formule
jusqu’a recemment.

Dans une declaration du 17 juin, S. Sarkissian a fait preuve d’une plus
grande souplesse sur la question, en declarant que les deux partis
rivaux pourraient discuter des defis auxquels fait face l’Armenie
” par le biais de personnes specialement designees “. Il a declare
que les representants du HHK et de deux autres partis representes
au sein de la coalition gouvernementale pourraient ” s’asseoir a la
table des negociations ” avec une delegation du HAK.

Le HAK et son leader, l’ancien president Levon Ter-Petrossian,
devraient reagir a cette declaration lors du prochain rassemblement
d’opposition a Erevan prevu, jeudi 30 juin.

Vartan Bostanjian, depute de l’un de ces partis, Armenie prospère
(BHK), a insiste, mardi 28 juin, sur le fait que la coalition au
pouvoir n’a pas encore discute du dialogue avec le HAK.

” Lorsque cette question sera examinee au sein de la coalition, quand
Armenie prospère en parlera franchement… nous debuterons un dialogue
“, a declare V. Bostanjian lors d’une conference de presse.

” Ce que je sais c’est que tous les partis ont une idee claire du
contenu global du dialogue “, a-t-il ajoute.

V. Bostanjian a egalement souligne que le dialogue portera
essentiellement sur l’alliance presidentielle du HHK et du HAK.

Autre pierre d’achoppement, la demande du HAK d’organiser des
elections presidentielles et legislatives anticipees. S. Sarkissian
et sa coalition ont a maintes reprises rejete cette eventualite.

S. Demirchian, ancien candidat a la presidence en 2003, a reconnu que
les autorites sont peu susceptibles d’avancer le calendrier electoral.

” Je pense que les autorites ne prendraient des mesures que sous
la pression populaire “, a-t-il avance. ” Les elections anticipees
doivent etre imposees par la societe, par nous tous. ”

S. Demirchian a aussi averti : ” Je dis que nous donnons encore du
temps [au dialogue] pas que nous allons attendre indefiniment. Tout
a une limite. ”

SERZH SARGSYAN: US INVOLVEMENT REINFORCES STABILITY IN THE REGION

armradio.am
28.06.2011

President Serzh Sargsyan received Celeste Wallander, US Deputy
Assistant Secretary of Defense for Russia, Eurasia and the Ukraine.

The President attached importance to the reinforcement of relations
between Armenia and the United States, highly appreciating the balanced
approaches and policy of the US in our region.

“The involvement of the United States in our region is a factor that
reinforces stability. We appreciate the progress in our bilateral
relations in a number of spheres and wish to register greater progress
in trade and economic relations,” President Sargsyan said.

Noting that she’s paying her third visit to Armenia, the US Deputy
Assistant Secretary of Defense underlined that she has had excellent
meetings in Armenia and has presented the results to the US President.

Celeste Wallander expressed gratitude for Armenia’s participation in
international peacekeeping activities, welcoming the increase of the
number of Armenian peacekeepers in Afghanistan.

INCOMPATIBILITY OF POSITIONS HINDERS KARABAKH SETTLEMENT – EXPERT

PanARMENIAN.Net
June 28, 2011

PanARMENIAN.Net – The main obstacle for resolution of the Nagorno
Karabakh conflict is the incompatibility of positions of Armenia and
Azerbaijan, a Russian political analyst said.

“This is why the mediators hit against a wall of incomprehension,”
director of the Institute of Caspian Cooperation Sergei Mikheev said
during Yerevan-Moscow TV space bridge.

He also noted that third countries, specifically the United States
will try to take advantage of the situation.

Despite optimistic forecasts and encouragement, the anticipated June
24 meeting ended in a statement saying that the heads of state “noted
the reaching of mutual understanding on a number of questions, whose
resolution helps create conditions to approve the basic principles.”

The leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan praised the OSCE Minsk Group
co-chair countries for their continuous attention to the problem and
once again thanked Russian President for his personal endeavors to
bring the positions of the conflicting sides closer.

ARMENIA~RS EX-PREZ REMAINS ON MAJOR RUSSIAN CORPORATION~RS BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Photolure

28.06.11

Armenia~Rs former President Robert Kocharyan has been reelected
member of the Board of Directors of the Russian Joint-Stock Financial
Corporation Sistema, reports Mediamax news agency, quoting the press
service of the Russian conglomerate company.

Kocharyan was first elected independent Director of JSFC Sistema in
June 2009.

JSFC Sistema has its headquarters in Moscow, and operates a number
of consumer service businesses in the areas of IT and telecoms,
microelectronics, insurance, banking, house-building, retail, media,
oil businesses, etc..

Among JSFC Sistema~Rs Armenian assets are the K-Telecom mobile operator
(VivaCell-MTS brand), the WiMax operator Cornet AM, the ~SMars~T
factory and three scientific-research institutes.

INCREASE TROLLEY BUSES. THEY’RE BETTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT: YEREVAN CONSUMERS ASSOCIATION

epress.am
06.28.2011

Armen Poghosyan, head of a local consumers association, has issued an
open letter to RA Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan and Yerevan mayor
Karen Karapetyan in which he states that the public transportation
system in Yerevan does not meet the basic needs of its residents.

Poghosyan notes that it is minibuses (commonly referred to as
“marshrutkas”) that are the primary form of public transport, followed
by buses.

“It is clear that minibuses, according to their technical
characteristics, are not designed for transporting passengers of a
city of millions, particularly in their current packed and worn state.

However, increasing the fleet of buses we consider to be only a partial
solution since even if we consider that buses with their background
noise and comfort don’t yield to trolley buses, all the same, they
bring about economic and environmental issues,” reads the letter,
in part.

As a solution, Poghosyan suggests increasing the fleet of trolley
buses, believing that consumption of imported fuel will be replaced
by an increase in using electricity produced in Armenia. The head
of the consumers’ association believes that this will decrease the
country’s dependence on imported fuel, as well as diversifying the
public transportation system.

Furthermore, making electric transport the pillar of the capital’s
transport system will significantly reduce air pollution, Poghosyan
adds.

LE SOMMET DE KAZAN CONSTITUE LE PRINCIPAL SUJET D’ACTUALITE DE LA PRESSE DU WEEK-END
Stephane

armenews.com
mardi 28 juin 2011

Le sommet de Kazan constitue le principal sujet d’actualite de
la presse du week-end. Les quotidiens constatent avec regret le
manque de progrès a l’issue de ce sommet, qui a dure plus de trois
heures. Les quotidiens annoncent que les ministres des affaires
etrangères d’Armenie, de Russie et d’Azerbaïdjan ainsi que les
adjoints des presidents participaient egalement a la reunion. En
depit des attentes, les Presidents n’ont signe aucun document,
mais ont diffuse une courte declaration qui indique que ” les chefs
d’Etat sont parvenus a un accord mutuel sur un certain nombre de
questions dont la resolution contribuera a creer les conditions pour
l’approbation des principes de base “. Les Presidents ont en outre
exprime leur gratitude aux dirigeants russes, francais et americains,
aux copresidents du groupe de Minsk de l’OSCE, pour ” leur attention
constante aux problèmes du Haut-Karabakh ” et ont hautement salue
les efforts personnels du President russe pour sa mediation.

Les agences de presse rapportent les commentaires du chef de la
diplomatie armenienne, suite a la rencontre de Kazan, qui a rappele
que le chef de l’Etat avait declare a Strasbourg qu’il serait possible
de s’attendre a des resultats positifs si l’Azerbaïdjan ne proposait
pas de nouveaux amendements. Pourtant, le sommet de Kazan n’est
pas parvenu a une percee, parce que l’Azerbaïdjan n’etait pas pret
a accepter la version finale des principes de base proposee par les
trois copresidents, selon lui. ” A Deauville les pays copresidents ont
exhorte les deux chefs d’Etat a atteindre une entente a Kazan. Le
President Obama, dans ses conversations telephoniques avec les
presidents, avaient fait le meme appel. Le President Sarkozy
avait envoye des messages aux Presidents. Malgre cela, la partie
azerbaïdjanaise a propose environ une douzaine d’amendements, et c’est
la raison pour laquelle la reunion de Kazan ne s’est pas revelee etre
une percee “, a affirme le Ministre. ” En tout cas, je pense que la
reunion a ete utile dans le sens que les discussions detaillees ont
continue. Le point important est que le President Medvedev, qui s’est
très engage dans ce processus au cours des trois dernières annees, a
exprime sa volonte de poursuivre ses efforts en direction des principes
et pour la realisation d’un accord definitif. C’etait deja la 12ème
reunion entre les parties au cours des trois dernières annees. Mais
durant cette dernière annee l’Azerbaïdjan a, en effet, repete ce
scenario de venir avec de nouveaux amendements et des propositions
au moins quatre fois. Telle est la realite. Neanmoins, nous allons
poursuivre les negociations, car il n’y a pas d’autre moyen pour un
règlement. Il est possible de resoudre le conflit uniquement par des
moyens pacifiques et des negociations “, a conclu le Ministre.

De son côte, Bakou n’a pas explicitement nie ces allegations :
le Ministre des AE, Elmar Mammediarov, a indique qu’Erevan avait
egalement rejete une precedente version des principes de base presentee
officiellement aux deux parties a Madrid en novembre 2007. ” Pour une
raison quelconque, la partie armenienne est restee silencieuse quand
l’Azerbaïdjan a accepte une version actualisee du document de Madrid,
presentee officiellement par les copresidents du Groupe de Minsk en
2009 a Athènes. Nous parlons maintenant d’une des nombreuses versions
du document de travail, basee sur la première proposition faite a
Madrid “, a-t-il dit. Il a affirme que la reunion de Kazan n’avait
pas repondu aux attentes de Bakou parce que ” la partie armenienne
exige des concessions maximalistes a l’Azerbaïdjan “. Neanmoins,
il a ajoute avoir eu l’impression que les deux presidents avaient
l’intention de continuer a travailler intensement en vue de trouver
une solution definitive.

Les chaînes de television et les agences de presse annoncent que
le lendemain de la reunion trilaterale, le President Sarkissian a
eu un dejeuner de travail avec le president du Tatarstan, Roustam
Minnikhanov, puis a rencontre les copresidents du Groupe de Minsk de
l’OSCE et le representant personnel du President de l’OSCE en exercice,
Andrzej Kasprzyk.

Les agences rapportent des commentaires d’experts, dont celui de Karen
Bekarian, directeur de l’ONG ” Integration europeenne “, selon lequel
l’Armenie n’a aucune raison de paniquer, mais doit toutefois rester
vigilante. Il a egalement note que l’Armenie doit travailler sur les
questions concernant l’engagement du HK comme partie prenante dans les
negociations, ainsi que sur sa reconnaissance internationale. Selon
Bekarian, l’une des raisons de l’echec de la reunion de Kazan est
la difference entre la politique exterieure de l’Azerbaïdjan et sa
politique interieure. Ainsi, le contenu de sa propagande interieure
ne correspond pas aux propos tenus lors de sa participation aux
pourparlers. Si Aliev avait signe les principes de base, cela aurait
signifie que les autorites azerbaïdjanaises avaient trompe leur propre
peuple. En fait, si l’on regarde bien, ce n’est pas la population
azerbaïdjanaise, mais Aliev qui refuse de ceder, selon lui.

Pour le porte-parole du Parti Republicain, Edouard Charmazanov,
le HK n’a jamais fait partie de l’Azerbaïdjan independant. Le
conflit du Karabakh n’est pas un conflit territorial, c’est une
question d’autodetermination, un droit qui a ete legalement exerce
par le peuple du HK. La reunion de Kazan a de nouveau prouve que
l’Azerbaïdjan, en ignorant complètement les declarations faites
par les copresidents du Groupe de Minsk de l’OSCE et la logique du
règlement, a mene les pourparlers dans une impasse. Ce n’est pas
nouveau que l’Azerbaïdjan fait semblant de negocier, car negocier
signifie faire des compromis. En attendant, l’Armenie ne sera jamais
d’accord de faire des concessions unilaterales. Quoi qu’il en soit,
la poursuite des negociations est mieux que rien.

Le dachnak Armen Roustamian estime dans Haykakan Jamanak, que la
declaration des deux chefs d’Etat est revelatrice du manque de tout
progrès. Il est evident que l’Azerbaïdjan n’a accepte et n’est pret
a aucune concession. Le parti Dachnak, rappelle-t-il, a exprime son
objection quant aux principes de Madrid, et, si le President Sarkissian
accepte ces principes, le parti Dachnak reclamera sa demission. A
ce moment la, le changement de pouvoir s’avèrera indispensable. Le
parti dachnak sera alors pret a constituer un front avec toute force
politique, y compris avec le CNA, soucieux de l’avenir du pays.

Les quotidiens notent que les attentes, quelque peu exagerees, de ce
sommet ne se sont pas justifiees. Au contraire, la courte declaration
des presidents traduit l’ambiance tendue dans laquelle se sommet se
serait tenu. Cette declaration a ete une tentative, selon 168 Jam,
de ne pas permettre un echec des negociations.

Titres

” Les principes de base sont restes en suspens a Kazan “- Hayots
Achkhar

” Rien n’est ne a Kazan “- Azg

” Les principes ne sont pas acceptes, mais un progrès a ete obtenu
lors du sommet “- Hayastani Hanrapetoutioun

” Les attentes des pessimistes se sont justifiees “- Aravot

” Les attentes d’une percee se sont scindees “, ” Kazan a renforce
l’incertitude “- 168 Jam

” On n’a pas pu franchir le Rubicon de Kazan “- Novoye Vremia

Ambassade de France en Armenie

Service de presse

KAZAN SWING: BAKU AND YEREVAN ACCUSE EACH OTHER OF STYMIEING THE SIGNING OF AN AGREEMENT
By Sokhbet Mamedov, Viktoriya Panfilova

Nezavisimaya Gazeta
June 27 2011
Russia

[translated from Russian]

A road map in a Nagorno-Karabakh settlement will be the subject of
future meetings of the presidents of Armenia, Russia, and Azerbaijan

Baku–The meeting of the presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia, Ilham
Aliyev and Serzh Sargsyan, with the mediation of Dmitriy Medvedev,
leader of Russia, in Kazan was not, contrary to expectations,
crowned with the signing of the basic principles of a settlement of
the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict. The parties confined themselves to a
joint statement, which affirmed the achievement of mutual understanding
on a number of issues, a settlement of which would contribute to the
creation of the conditions for approval of the basic principles of
a settlement of the conflict.

Against the background of the highly promising appeals and statements
of the co-chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group, the meeting in Kazan,
despite the active diplomatic pressure and speculative optimistic
expectations, did not produce a tangible result. The tone of
the statements, which were made by the leaders of the parties
to the conflict in an interview for the Euronews television
channel the day before the meeting in Kazan, testified to the
serious contradictions between Baku and Yerevan. Specifically, the
president of Azerbaijan said that “Baku has no intention of offering
anything in exchange for the withdrawal of Armenian troops from the
territories adjacent to Nagornyy Karabakh since Nagornyy Karabakh
has down the ages belonged to Azerbaijan, this is internationally
recognized Azerbaijani territory. Nonetheless, Baku is prepared to
grant Karabakh the broadest autonomy which is alone possible in the
world,” Ilham Aliyev said, noting that there is the positive example
of such autonomies–specifically, Italy and the Tyrol. In turn,
Serzh Sargsyan adduced a number of demands, which Azerbaijan could
not accept in principle. The presidents’ statements were effectually
the precursors of the failure of the Kazan meeting.

As was to have been expected, Eduard Nalbandian and Elmar Mammadyarov,
heads of the foreign ministries of Armenia and Azerbaijan, issued
contrasting statements after the summit, placing the responsibility
for the breakdown of the negotiations on the other side. Nalbandyan
said that Azerbaijan was not prepared to accept the version of the
core principles of a Karabakh settlement presented by the co-chairmen,
offering too many amendments. In response, Mammadyarov counseled his
Armenian counterpart not to “indulge in PR but to work intensively
on changing the current negative status quo, for which the leaders
of the co-chairmen of the Minsk Group are calling.”

This exchange of “courtesies” of the two ministers and also the
strictest confidentiality of the negotiations of the presidents gave
rise to ambiguous expert assessments of the results of the Kazan
summit. For example, the diplomat Vafa Guluzade, who is well versed in
the nuances of the negotiating process, considers the mediators, who
are not demanding that Yerevan withdraw its troops from the occupied
Azerbaijani territories, to blame for the delay in a resolution of
the problem. “Armenia, on the other hand, seeing such tacit support,
is increasingly stiffening its position,” Guluzade said. He called
attention here to the fact that Moscow intends to transfer some of
the arms from the Russian base in Gyumri to Armenia, the second
co-chairman–the United States–continues to fund this republic,
and the third–France–already calls Armenia its sister. All this
is undoubtedly instilling in Armenia confidence. In response to a
question as to whether after this war were possible, Guluzade observed:
“We cannot oppose world powers. We need, therefore, to wait for a
suitable geopolitical situation, and this will necessarily come,
and to continue to arm in parallel.”

Armenia had no particular expectations of the Kazan meeting, as
a matter of fact. The critics of President Serzh Sargsyan and of
his policy were probably the most upset. Even before the meeting
they attacked the Armenian leader and his team in advance for their
willingness to make impermissible concessions. Sargsyan’s speech in
Strasbourg at a regular session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the
Cou ncil of Europe on 21 June, in which he acted the part of a kind of
peacemaker prepared to constructively settle all contradictions–both
domestic, and foreign, policy–lent substance to such criticism to
some extent. But the unprecedentedly vague (even for the traditionally
unproductive Karabakh settlement negotiations) wording deprived the
critics of reasons for an escalation of the attacks on the present
authorities’ foreign policy. Except, perhaps, for the opposition
Armenian National Congress (ANC) led by Levon Ter-Petrosyan, the
Republic of Armenia’s first president, which attempted to voice
unhappiness with the results of the Kazan meeting.

It would appear that, as before, it was important for Baku and Yerevan
not so much to achieve a breakthrough in Kazan as to create a platform
for accusing their partners of a lack of constructiveness.

“All this is reminiscent of a swing. At each such meeting one party is
to a greater extent agreeable to the latest updated wording proposed
by the mediators, the other, accordingly, objects. The mediators
will once again sit down to edit with regard to the unhappiness
that was expressed, and the next time the wording will be vouchsafed
objections from the other party. Based on the reactions, it may be
assumed that the involuntary [as published] participant in Kazan was
Azerbaijan, and Armenia had more grounds for accusing its partner of an
unwillingness to compromise. Whether a balance will ever be achieved
is not known but it is hard to expect this in the immediate future,”
Boris Navasardyan, chairman of the Yerevan Press Club, told NG.

Amanda Paul, analyst for the South Caucasus and Turkey and Energy
Security of the European Policy Center, believes that “although the
problem of the security of the Armenia ns of Nagornyy Karabakh is
important, it cannot, nonetheless, be used endlessly to justify the
occupation of seven other areas of Azerbaijan and the continuing
resettlement of the population.” Amanda Paul doubts that the lack
of progress in Kazan will necessarily increase tension on the line
of contact.

WORLD CYBER GAMES ARMENIA 2011 QUALIFYING ROUND FINISHED

news.am
June 27 2011
Armenia

YEREVAN. – Fifth Armenian National Open Computer Games Championship
held in Congress Hotel of Yerevan ended on June 26.

The Championship was organized by Armentel (Beeline trademark) and
National Professional Cybersport League. It has dual characteristics
being both national championship and qualifying round for WCG (World
Cyber Games) major international championship, first opened in 2000.

The participants competed in 4 disciplines, involving individual FIFA
2011 E StarCraft 2 and command games Counter-Strike 1.6 E WarCraft
3 Dota.

Hayk Hakobyan and Edmond Grigoryan, winners of FIFA 2011 and StarCraft
2 disciplines, will represent Armenia at World Cyber Games 2011 in
South Korea on December 8-11.

MILITARY PARADE IN AZERBAIJAN AIMED AT BLACKMAILING ARMENIA – EXPERT

news.am
June 27 2011
Armenia

YEREVAN. – Military parade staged in Azerbaijan immediately after
the Kazan meeting of presidents is not a mere coincidence. Aliyev
had a specific intent to present the armed forces to the world, said
political scientist, chancellor of Yerevan Linguistic University
Suren Zolyan.

“During the parade Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev presented
military budget of his country, openly spoke about possible resumption
of hostilities,” he said.

Speaking about the OSCE Minsk Group, the expert stressed it is a bad
format but there is no better so far.

“In any case the Minsk Group remains the most favorable format
now. At the same time, most probably, the mediators are not needed
in the Karabakh peace process. However, changes should be made both
in Armenia and Azerbaijan to introduce new format,” he concluded.

MEDVEDEV APPROVES RUSSIAN BASE DEPLOYMENT IN ARMENIA TILL 2044

PanARMENIAN.Net
June 28, 2011

PanARMENIAN.Net – Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has signed a
treaty extending the term of 1995 agreement on Russian military base
deployment in Armenia, earlier ratified by the lower house of the
Russian and Armenian parliaments, RIA Novosti reported.

The Protocol on extension of deployment was signed in Yerevan in
August 2010. The protocol signed for the period of 25 years, with
the new protocol extending the term till 2044. According to the new
agreement, the treaty will be automatically extended every five years
if neither of the parties notifies in advance about the termination
of the contract.

The protocol upgraded the base’s role in contributing to Armenia’s
security and committed Moscow to supplying the Armenian military with
modern weaponry.

The Gyumri base numbers some 3,500 troops and is equipped with hundreds
of tanks, armored personnel carriers and artillery systems.