Author: Badalian Vardan

SAHAKYAN: KARABAKH CONFLICT MAY ONLY BE SETTLED THROUGH LEGAL RECOGNITION OF NKR

PanARMENIAN.Net
June 14, 2011 – 18:37 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Azeri politicians’ statements suggesting readiness
to provide Karabakh autonomy while a part of Azerbaijan are a mere
speculation, according to Artsakh Republic President.

“Clearly, there’s no return to past,” Bako Sahakyan told Military
Diplomat magazine. “Karabakh had autonomy during 70 years of Soviet
rule, still, everyone’s aware how that ended,” he said.

Artsakh President ruled out the autonomy scenario, stressing,
“the conflict with Azerbaijan may only be settled through legal
acknowledgement of independent Nagorno Karabakh Republic on
international scale. This is the will of our people, as well as
Karabakh authorities,” Artsakh President stressed.

NKR LEADER: KARABAKH CONFLICT SETTLEMENT IMPOSSIBLE WITHOUT ARTSAKH’S INVOLVEMENT

PanARMENIAN.Net
June 14, 2011 – 18:57 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – . Peacekeeping was the main achievement in Karabakh
conflict settlement talks, according to Artsakh Republic President.

In an interview with Military Diplomat magazine Bako Sahakyan stressed
the necessity of restoring the valid format of conflict settlement
talks though including Artsakh in negotiations. “It’s impossible to
finalize Karabakh conflict settlement without Artsakh’s involvement,”
he stressed.

“We, for our part, are ready for direct talks with Azerbaijan, which
we repeatedly stated. I believe the restoration of valid negotiation
format is only a matter of time,” he said.

As the President further noted, there are no serious differences
in Stepanakert and Yerevan’s negotiations tactics, specifically,
considering a number of unsettled issues between Armenia and
Azerbaijan.

RICHARD GIRAGOSIAN: “THE MISTAKES TURKEY MADE DURING THE “FOOTBALL DIPLOMACY” STRENGTHENED ARMENIA’S POSITION”

ARMENPRESS
June 14, 2011
YEREVAN

Turkey now emphasizes the resumption of the process of establishing
relations with Armenia: the fact that during the pre-election campaign
no any political force touched upon Armenia, as well as the Nagorno
Karabakh issue, proves this, according to Richard Giragosian, analyst,
director of Regional Studies Center.

Richard Giragosian said today at a news conference that both the
ruling the Justice and Development Party and other main political
parties refused to touch Armenia during the campaign not to enter
into a conflict with the public opinion.

“It is evident that the Turkish society has an approach other than that
of the Armenian society. People in Turkey understand the signing of
the protocols and the steps following discredited Turkey’s foreign
policy completely. Common Turks perceive Armenia as an enemy,
and official Turkey’s approach was the strategy of negotiating
with preconditions, which was unacceptable both for Armenia and
the international community,” the analyst said. He added that now
the deepening of the influence in Syria, Lebanon, Jordan is among
Turkey’s foreign policy priorities.

CENTRAL BANK TO MAINTAIN FLOATING RATE OF DRAM

Tert.am
14.06.11

The Central Bank maintains the floating rate of the Armenian Dram,
making interventions in the foreign currency market to prevent sharp
fluctuations, the CBA president has said.

“We become more conservative as the value of the Dram goes up” Artur
Javadyan told a news conference at the Central Bank on Tuesday.

He said the negative foreign balance does not make the valuation of
the local currency a desirable phenomenon.

Javadyan noted further the local currency pressures in the past
10-15 days are characteristic of summer months. “If the fluctuations
reinforce [the Dram], we will have to buy foreign currency to prevent
further valuation,” he said.

DEBATE TOMORROW: $1 MILLION IN DAMAGES TO LAKE SEVAN

hetq
13:39, June 14, 2011

A civic group going by the name “Legal Government” will be organizing
a panel discussion on the corruption risks related to the activities
of the Armenian Ministry of the Environment.

Entitled “Corruption is an Enemy of Our Nation”, the debate will take
place at the Congress Hotel in downtown Yerevan. Organizers will pay
particular attention to what is taking place on the shores of Lake
Sevan, where they claim $1million in damages has been inflicted on
this national treasure that belongs to all the people.

PASTOR GETS TRIP OF DREAMS

Bronislaus B. Kush TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF
06-12-2011

On a recent Sunday, Linda Bogosian and her husband, the Rev. Gary
Shahinian, the pastor of Park Congregational Church, were looking
through the newspaper when they came upon a column about “bucket
lists,” wish lists of things that people would like to do before
“kicking the bucket.”

“I asked him (Rev. Shahinian) what he would put on a list and he said
that he’d like to travel some day to Armenia, where our families are
originally from,” said Ms. Bogosian. “But as much as he wanted to go
there, he said his dream was to visit Jerusalem.”

Yesterday, during the Sunday worship service at Park Congregational,
a very surprised Rev. Shahinian learned that he would very shortly
be visiting the holy city.

And he had the children who attend the church’s Sunday School and
members of the Youth Group to thank for the trip.

Over the past two years, the children and teens had been squirreling
money from bake sales and other fundraising events to send their
pastor to the Middle East.

Besides the kids, only a small circle of folks, including the three
Sunday School teachers, Holly Proulx, Lisa Lindquist and Aldea Dorsey,
knew that the money was being collected.

Ms. Bogosian learned of the secret only recently.

“This is really something. It’s amazing because this congregation is
made up of families of modest means,” Ms. Bogosian said.

Park Congregational’s roots go back to the 1880s when the City
Missionary Society recommended that a Congregational church be built
to serve people living near Park Avenue and neighborhoods to the west.

However, the church fell upon hard financial times over the past couple
of decades as its membership aged and as its resources began to dry up.

In the summer of 2007, the congregation voted to sell its church
property on Russell Street, near Elm Park.

Over the past three years, it has been worshipping at Davis Chapel
at First Baptist Church, which is at Park Avenue and Salisbury Street.

Members credit Rev. Shahinian, who was born in New York City and
who was raised in New Jersey, with keeping the congregation together
through tough times.

They believe the church will grow under his continuing tutelage and,
some say, will once again have its own house of worship.

About 50 people now attend the 10 a.m. Sunday services.

“Gary has done so much for the church and its youth,” said
Ms. Proulx. “Many ministers just get up on the pulpit and talk at
you. They’re unapproachable. Gary’s different. He listens to you and
cracks jokes. The kids, especially, love him.”

Ms. Dorsey, the Sunday school teacher, came up with the idea for
the trip.

The congregation had sent its former pastor to Jerusalem as a gift
in recognition of his 10 years of service to the church.

Yesterday, like every other second Sunday in June, was Children’s
Day at Park Congregational, with the kids offering the readings and
invocation, passing the collection baskets, and serving as acolytes.

During the service, they presented Rev. Shahinian, who has served at
Park Congregational for about 11 years and who previously ministered
at the Armenian Church of the Martyrs, with a $2,500 check, along
with a wallet-like cover to store his passport.

They even chipped in another $150 to cover the cost of the passport.

© 2011 The Associated Press.

KARABAKH STATUS QUO ‘A DANGER TO ARMENIA’

news.az
June 13 2011
Azerbaijan

News.Az interviews Sahib Aliyev, a non-partisan member of Azerbaijan’s
parliament, the Milli Majlis.

Are the international atmosphere and current relations between the
leading powers conducive to progress on a Karabakh conflict settlement
at the upcoming Kazan meeting of the Azerbaijani, Russian and Armenian
presidents?

I do not see any significant difference between the current situation
in international relations and the situation that existed in the
world and the region six months or a year ago. In other words, the
international state of affairs has experienced some changes in recent
years. Of course, this may prompt the question on what grounds the
international mediators and the conflict parties hope to achieve
progress on the Karabakh conflict settlement at the presidents’
meeting in Kazan. There are two factors that give hope of progress
in the upcoming negotiations.

The first of these is the fact that Azerbaijan is constantly developing
and has announced that it will not tolerate the continued occupation of
its lands for another 20 years. Naturally, on their part, international
centres of power also see the increasing role of Azerbaijan, and
this forces the countries co-chairing the OSCE Minsk Group to take
concrete steps.

The second factor is the presidential elections to be held in Russia
in 2012. Western countries have indirect support for Dmitry Medvedev’s
candidacy. And this is reflected in support from the US and Europe
for Medvedev’s mediation efforts in the Karabakh talks.

Which side, Azerbaijan or Armenia, has the stronger position prior
to the Kazan talks?

Naturally, Azerbaijan’s position is stronger. Azerbaijan’s state
budget is several times bigger than the state budget of Armenia.

Azerbaijan’s military expenditure is 10 times greater than Armenia’s.

In addition, alongside the economic indicators Azerbaijan has a more
stable political situation. This situation is also reflected in the
negotiation process. In the light of the above factors, the Armenian
side is disowning the results achieved in past negotiations.

Psychological superiority at the presidential level is definitely
on the side of Azerbaijan. Psychological superiority at the social
level is also on the side of Azerbaijan. While in the recent past the
Armenian side threatened to occupy another part of Azerbaijan in the
event of the resumption of war, the situation has now changed.

Now those in Armenia fear that Azerbaijan may start fighting to
liberate its occupied territories. This kind of psychological advantage
is very important. Maintaining the status quo in the Karabakh conflict
represents a danger for Armenia first and foremost.

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov recently spoke
about the possibility of deploying on the frontline international
peacekeeping forces from countries that are not neighbours of Armenia
and Azerbaijan, as well as from the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairing
countries. May the countries involved in resolution of the Karabakh
conflict agree with this formation of a peacekeeping force?

As you know, the issue of deployment of international peacekeepers
in the conflict zone was first discussed at the OSCE Budapest summit
in 1994. Back then Moscow insisted that the Russian army should make
up the vast majority of the peacekeeping contingent. However, the
OSCE opposed this. Instead, the OSCE suggested that Russia should
account for 30% of the peacekeeping force. True, the parties agreed
that the countries neighbouring on Azerbaijan and Armenia, as well
as the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairing countries, cannot be included in
the peacekeeping force.

Azerbaijan is not a supporter of placing peacekeepers in the
conflict zone and does not advocate this initiative. The ceasefire
in the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict is continuing, even without the
presence of peacekeepers in the region. Moreover, if Armenia initially
withdraws from the occupied Azerbaijani lands, the incidents on the
frontline separating troops in Karabakh will end. In other words,
Azerbaijan and Armenia can maintain the ceasefire without the presence
of peacekeepers.

NALBANDIAN: NEXT STAGE OF TALKS IMPOSSIBLE WITHOUT NKR CONSENT

PanARMENIAN.Net
June 14, 2011 – 13:18 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – The next stage of talks on the Nagorno Karabakh
conflict settlement is impossible unless NKR itself gives consent to
the basic principles, Armenia’s top diplomat said.

“The second stage of the process envisages development of a peace
agreement and Artsakh should be a party to negotiations,” Foreign
Minister Edward Nalbandian said during a joint press conference with
his Swedish counterpart Carl Bildt.

“The people of Nagorno Karabakh are the masters of their fate,”
the Armenian Minister emphasized.

Trend Daily News (Azerbaijan)
June 10, 2011 Friday 8:16 PM GMT +4

MP: Vladimir Zhirinovsky’s appeal to Russian Foreign Ministry is
interference in affairs of Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan, Baku, June 10 /Trend, M.Aliyev/

Appeal of deputy chairman of Russian State Duma, the LDPR leader
Vladimir Zhirinovsky to the Russian Foreign Ministry is a call by
certain circles who want to intervene in the internal affairs of
Azerbaijan, MP Aydin Mirzazade told Trend.

“If this would happen with regards to Zhirinovsky’s country, he would
accept it emotionally, urge the media to be active in this issue,” he
said.

Zhirinovsky appealed with an official letter to Russian Foreign
Minister Sergei Lavrov, the official website of LDPR reported.

“Zhirinovsky considers unacceptable the reaction of the Russian
ambassador to Azerbaijan Vladimir Dorokhin in connection with the
incident involving a journalist of “Echo of Moscow” Sergei Buntman,”
said the letter.

At a press conference on June 8, Dorokhin touched upon the recent
visit of a reporter of “Echo of Moscow” to separatist Nagorno-Karabakh
without agreement of the Azerbaijani side, which the head of radio
station Alexei Venediktov justifies in his statements.

“One cannot ban Venediktov to make statements, but he should
understand his responsibility,” Dorokhin said. “Azerbaijan’s decision
to restrict this man [journalist Sergei Buntman] – is its right, and
it is not discussed.”

Deputy Chief Editor of the Russian radio station “Echo of Moscow”
Sergei Buntman visited occupied Nagorno-Karabakh without Azerbaijan’s
knowledge in mid-May. Buntman has interviewed the separatist leaders.
The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry included the journalists in the list
of persona-non-grata. Azerbaijan declares foreigners, who visit
Nagorno-Karabakh without notifying Baku, persona-non-grata.

According to the Azerbaijani MP, Buntman visited the occupied
territories without the consent of the authorities of Azerbaijan.

“And rightly Azerbaijan names such persons in the black list – it is
recognized throughout the world. Every foreign citizen who wishes to
visit Nagorno-Karabakh should take into account this fact,” said
Mirzazade.

Azerbaijan’s actions lead to a reduction of Nagorno-Karabakh visits of
those who are fraudulently invited to this territory, and then
apologize to the Government of Azerbaijan, he said.

“I think that in any case, Azerbaijan should not make concessions on
such matters, and Russia, specifically the Russian Foreign Ministry,
understands the position of the Azerbaijani side,” – said the MP.

ANSA
June 10, 2011 Friday 1:09 PM CET

MIDEAST:TURKEY CANCELS ‘3 RELIGIONS’CONCERT’, ISRAEL DISMAYED

(ANSAmed) – TEL AVIV, JUNE 10 – Israel has reacted with disappointment
to the last-minute cancellation of a concert dedicated to
inter-religious tolerance to be held in Istanbul following threats
received from extremist Islamic groups. These groups included –
according to local mass media reports – the Turkish NGO IHH which has
organised the Freedom Flotilla for Gaza due to set sail at the end of
this month.

Organised by such bodies as Istanbul’s city council and the Israeli
consulate, the concert planned to include performances by an Israeli
cantor, a Turkish imam and a soloist from the Armenian Church in
Istanbul. But just as rehearsals were coming to an end yesterday, the
Israeli cantor, Lior Almaliach, learned that the concert had been
cancelled and that he would be well advised to leave Turkey on that
same day. A hard condemnation ensued from Israel’s foreign ministry,
which accused the IHH itself of being behind the pressure to have the
event cancelled. ”It comes as no surprise that this organisation
should attack a cultural event trying to spread tolerance between
religions,” – the ministry’s spokesperson, Igal Palmor, is reported
by military radio to have said, ”Those with a terrorist mentality
reach for their pistols every time they hear the word ‘culture”’.
Last week the Israeli press gave great prominence to the fact that
Israeli cyclists who had been invited to take part in an international
race in Turkey had been forced by the organisers to return home ahead
of schedule due to the unwillingness of Arab competitors to race
against them.