Author: Badalian Vardan

NONE OF ARMENIAN PRESIDENTS ADOPTED MILITARIST POSITIONS – ARMENIAN MP

news.am
June 21 2011
Armenia

YEREVAN. – Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s “murderous” policy
leaves no doubt that Azerbaijan is intended to continue to violate
ceasefire and recourse to various subversive acts, said Armenian
opposition Heritage party MP Larisa Alaverdyan to a press conference
on Tuesday.

President Aliyev constantly comes up with belligerent statements while
international community shows remarkable tolerance towards this policy
of Baku, she added. The MP also noted that Azerbaijan is threatening
to start a war, while it had not even stopped the war. Azerbaijan
plays a positional warfare game, trying to put pressure on Armenia
by the blockade.

At the same time, the MP stressed that none of Armenian presidents
took militaristic stance and that is a positive fact.

According to Alaverdyan, in the sensitive region of the South Caucasus
shattering of the status quo is dangerous not only for the region
but also for the West, which attributes to itself an active policy
and may lose respect due to its short-sighted actions.

NO HOPE OF ISRAELI RECOGNITION OF ARMENIAN ‘GENOCIDE’

news.az
June 21 2011
Azerbaijan

News.Az interviews Araz Alizade, co-chairman of the Social Democratic
Party of Azerbaijan.

How would you comment on Armenian media reports that an Israeli
legislative committee has declined to accept a bill by Knesset
member Aryeh Eldad to institute a day of remembrance of the so-called
“Armenian genocide”?

There is nothing surprising about the efforts of Armenian ideologists
worldwide to seek their main goal – recognition of the mythical
“Armenian genocide” in the Ottoman Empire – through political forces
in different countries.

Similarly, it is not surprising that an attempt by Armenians of the
world failed in Israel. After all, historical truth suggests that
there was no genocide of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire and there
are no documents, based on which the Armenians could prove their
mythical claim. And people in Israel are well aware of this.

But there was a risk that Israel could take steps to recognize the
so-called “Armenian genocide” against the backdrop of a sharp cooling
in Turkish-Israeli relations?

I am convinced that the cooling in Turkish-Israeli relations will
not go too far despite the current difficult period. Turkey is a NATO
member and Israel considers NATO its strategic partner.

My words are confirmed by remarks from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu that Israel will always try to fix what is broken and put
an end to the deterioration of relations with Turkey. Deputy Foreign
Minister Danny Ayalon has also expressed similar concerns, stating that
the results of the Turkish elections “represent a new opportunity for
rapprochement between Jerusalem and Ankara”. In these circumstances,
hopes of Armenians worldwide for Israel’s recognition of the mythical
“Armenian genocide” are doomed to failure.

Some Israeli experts have described as strange the Azerbaijani
diaspora’s efforts to prevent Knesset discussion of the 1915 events
in the Ottoman Empire. How would you comment on this?

Admittedly, there are different experts, politicians, diplomats and
journalists. There are, for example, those who are competent and
principled and those who are illiterate and unprincipled. The latter
say what they are told to, but not the truth.I especially reiterate
for them that Azerbaijan supports Turkey in counteracting recognition
of the mythical “Armenian genocide”, in the first place because it
never happened.

That is, Azerbaijan favours historical truth. If any expert has a
habit of being against historical truth, or is surprised that someone
is true to it, that is their problem. I just add that the official
position of the State of Israel is that there was no genocide in the
world, but the Holocaust.

A strategic, even military and political, Israel-Turkey-Azerbaijan
triangle was greatly talked about at one time. What are the prospects
for this idea at the moment?

This is a purely theoretical idea that will never be realized in
practice. The fact is that creation of such a triangle can cause
a mixed reaction from Muslim states, which meets the interests of
neither Turkey nor Azerbaijan. At the same time, it is possible
that Azerbaijani-Israeli and Turkish-Israeli relations will develop
successfully.

And, in particular, both Israel and Turkey will render moral support
to Azerbaijan in case of the resumption of the military phase of the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. I am sure that Azerbaijan does not need
anything but moral support in this matter. We have the strength to
liberate the Armenian-occupied territory of our country.

ARMENIA AND IRAN CONSTRUCT OIL DISTRIBUTION CENTER NEAR YEREVAN

The Messenger
June 21 2011
Georgia

Iran and Armenia are carrying out negotiations to construct storage
facilities and a distribution center for oil products near Yerevan.

Different projects were considered in Armenia including the
construction of an oil refinery. But Armenia’s consumption is 12 000
barrels of oil products daily and this is deemed to be too small an
amount to justify the construction of an oil refinery. Thereafter the
building of a huge storage facility near Yerevan was considered. The
construction of this facility would mean simultaneous construction of
appropriate infrastructure, railway tracks and roads. The possibility
of transporting oil products from this storage facility into European
countries via Georgia has also been mentioned.

ARMENIAN CHURCH SLAMS GEORGIAN PATRIARCH
Karine Simonian

21.06.2011

Armenia – High-level representatives of the Armenian Apostolic Church
hold a news conference in Echmiadzin, 21 Jun 2011.

The Armenian Apostolic Church hit out at Georgia’s Catholicos-Patriarch
Ilia II on Tuesday for making what it called “inappropriate” references
to its supreme head, Catholicos Garegin II, just days after his visit
to Georgia.

Speaking in Tbilisi’s St. Trinity Cathedral on Sunday, Ilia attributed
the failure of the two pontiffs to settle disputes between their
churches to Garegin’s perceived young age.

“Garegin is young and apparently lacks experience,” the 78-year-old
head of the Georgian Orthodox Church was reported to say. “He is
intelligent but wants to do things quickly, which will not work. I
told him that I have a 30-year experience and that staying calm is
the best thing.”

Senior clerics at the Armenian Church’s Mother See in Echmiadzin,
a town 20 kilometers south of Yerevan, denounced these remarks.

“Considering the logic of the ethics of relations between church
heads, it is inappropriate to make such statements,” said Bishop
Arshak Khachatrian, the Mother See chancellor. “I will refrain from
making further comments.”

Georgia — Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II (R) and
Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia Ilia II meet in Tbilisi, 11Jun2011
The bitter exchange highlights lingering tensions between the two
churches that center on ownership of Christian worship sites located
in Georgia and Armenia. Garegin, who has headed the Armenian Church
1999 and will turn 60 in August, hoped to ease those tensions when he
began a weeklong visit to Georgia on June 10. But he and Ilia failed
to reach any concrete agreements.

Ilia insisted last week that the Armenian Church should gain official
recognition in Georgia only if the Georgian Church is granted the same
status in Armenia. He also effectively dismissed Armenian demands
for the unconditional return of six mostly derelict churches in and
outside Tbilisi that used to belong to Echmiadzin. He said they should
be repaired only “in case of the restoration of Georgian churches
in Armenia.”

The Georgian patriarch referred to several medieval and mostly
abandoned churches located in Armenia’s northern Lori province. The
Armenian Church disputes Georgian claims to these churches, saying
that they were built and always used by Armenian adherents of the
Greek Orthodox denomination.

Archbishop Yeznik Petrosian, another senior Echmiadzin cleric, claimed
that the Georgian side is exploiting the uncertain status of the
Lori churches as a bargaining chip in the long-running negotiations
on Armenian religious heritage in Georgia. “This is an artificially
created situation,” he said at a joint news conference with Bishop
Khachatrian.

“My impression is that there is too much intolerance and manifestations
of extremism in the Georgian Church,” Khachatrian charged for his
part. “I cannot explain the reasons for that.”

ARF MEMBERS MET WITH FATAH DELEGATION

Story from Lragir.am News:

Published: 17:21:32 – 21/06/2011

Today the delegation of the Palestinian National Liberation Movement
(Fatah) headed by Fatah’s coordinator of international affairs,
ex-foreign minister of Palestine Nabil Shaasi met with the ARF
Dashnaktsutyun members.

Levon Lazarian, ARFD, dwelt on the Arab-Armenian, as well as
ARFD-Fatah friendly relations. Fatah’s representative presented the
ongoing stage of Israeli-Palestinian conflict and said his country
is going to appeal to the UN in September for its recognition. The
interlocutors dwelt on the ongoing stage of the Karabakh issue
settlement.

HIS HIGHNESS ARMENIAN WEIGHTLIFTING COACH BOOK PRESENTED IN YEREVAN

PanARMENIAN.Net
June 21, 2011 – 18:16 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – On June 21, Yerevan hosted the presentation of
Martin Ulikhanyan’s book His Highness Armenian Weightlifting Coach.

The book highlights the life and work of Ashot Mkhitaryan, the head
coach of Armenian national weightlifting team.

Mkhitaryan had trained the national team since 2006. Under his
guidance, Armenia won 6 bronze medals at Olympic Games in Beijing,
as well as many gold and silver medals at European and World
Championships.

Mkhitaryan, 51, died of a heart attack in Zvartnots International
Airport on May 23, when welcoming the youth weightlifting team
returning from Valencia after the European Championships.

“The book reveals Mkhitaryan’s personality as professional and a
friend. I’m glad to see the book published,” Ulikhanyan said.

“He was a unique coach,” the World and European champion Tigran
Martirosyan, who was trained under Mkhitaryan’s guidance for many
years told a PanARMENIAN.Net “It’s him that I owe all my achievements
to. Mkhitaryan took weightlifting in Armenia to a new level,”
Martirosyan stressed.

ARMENIA AGRICULTURE IN NEED OF INTEGRATED STRATEGY OF GOVERNMENTAL SUPPORT

/ARKA/
June 21, 2011
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, June 21. /ARKA/. An integrated strategy of governmental
support for agriculture is needed in Armenia, Artsvik Minasyan,
an MP from Armenian Revolutionary Federation, Dashnaktsutyun, said
Tuesday at an extraordinary session of the National Assembly.

He finds the current strategy imperfect. He said it provides no
solutions to all problems – even hail protection system is ineffective.

Minasyan pointed out the necessity to provide legal preferences to
the agriculture sector.

He is convinced that isolated solutions would be ineffective without
an integrated strategy.

Armenian authorities have projected at least 10-percent agriculture
growth in 2011 after unprecedented 13.5% fall in 2010.

UNION OF ARMENIANS OF RUSSIA COMMEMORATES WORLD WAR II VICTIMS

PanARMENIAN.Net
June 21, 2011 – 17:43 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – On June 22, a wreath laying ceremony in commemoration
of perished soldiers of World War II will take place at Armenian
cemetery of Moscow.

The ceremony, organized by the Union of Armenians of Russia is timed
to 70th anniversary of the start of World War II.

Representatives of Armenian Embassy to Russia, Armenian Apostolic
Church, Union of Armenians of Russia, veterans’ unions, public and
state institutions will attend the ceremony.

RPA PRESS SECRETARY SCEPTICAL ABOUT EXPERT REMARKS ON KARABAKH ISSUE

PanARMENIAN.Net
June 21, 2011 – 21:44 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – The press secretary of the ruling Republican Party
of Armenia (RPA) Eduard Sharmazanov expressed his view on experts’
remarks regarding the progress of Karabakh talks in a conversation
with a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter.

“Either before, or after Karabakh conflict settlement negotiations,
experts suggest the authorities are making concessions on the issue.

However, the authorities adhere to their position, which was voiced
on many occasions,” he stressed.

“As Edward Nalbandian recently stated, Armenia sees the solution of
the issue in observation of the 3 principles, considering the right
of Karabakh people for self-determination as the most important
one. No progress is possible without taking the view of the people
and authorities of Karabakh into consideration,” Sharmazanov stressed.

“Expert comments are the problem of experts themselves. As Armenian
authorities repeatedly stated, the issue of Karabakh status is
essential. Armenian authorities will never act to the detriment of
Karabakh interests. Such concerns were always voiced, Kazan meeting not
being the first case. Deauville statement mainly corresponds to the
assessment of our authorities. Progress after Kazan meeting depends
on readiness to consider the opinion of Karabakh and Azerbaijan’s
constructive approach,” Sharmazanov noted.

In an interview with RFE/RL, ex-foreign minister of Armenia,
head of Civilitas Foundation Vardan Oskanyan commented on June 25
Armenia-Russia-Azerbaijan presidential meeting on Karabakh issue. As
he noted, on the threshold of the meeting, President Sargsyan
must issue an address to Armenian people, specifically considering
recent statements of Azeri leader on the document which must reflect
both the principle of territorial integrity and people’s right for
self-determination. According to Oskanyan, mention of a document to
be signed suggests one or both sides agreed to concessions.

PRESIDENT SARGSYAN EXTENDS CONDOLENCES TO MEDVEDEV ON PLANE CRASH

armradio.am
22.06.2011 11:41

President Serzh Sargsyan sent a letter of condolences to the President
of the Russian Federation, Dmitry Medvedev, connected with the air
crash near the airport of Petrozavodsk that claimed the lives of
44 people.

The President asked to extend condolences to the relatives of the
victims and wished soon recovery to the injured.

The RusAir Tu-134 jet took off from Moscow and was due to arrive
in Petrozavodsk, the capital of Karelia, at 12:04 a.m. on Tuesday
(20:04 GMT Monday), but crash landed on a nearby highway, which was
shrouded in fog.

The aircraft broke up and burst into flames on impact. Initially eight
of the 52 people on board survived and were taken to local hospitals.