Author: Badalian Vardan

KAREL DE GUCHT: THE PERSPECTIVES OF THE KARABAKH ISSUE ARE MUCH BETTER

ArmRadio.am
19.12.2006 12:10

In 2006 the parties to the Karabakh conflict have approached the
settlement of the issue on the basis of fundamental principles. OSCE
Chairman-in-Office, Belgian Foreign Minister Karel de Gucht said in
an exclusive interview with " Armenpress." "The latest fundamental
principles are reasonable and are a good basis for further progress. I
do believe in the opportunity of coming to an agreement," he noted.

Under the authority of Karel de Gucht, positive progress was registered
last year. Particularly, the perspectives of the Karabakh issue
are much better than a year ago. The negotiations in 2006 brought
the parties closer to reaching an agreement based on fundamental
principles. He expressed hoe that next year the two Presidents will
double their efforts to synthesize the basic principles as soon
as possible.

Karel de Gucht considered the efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group extremely
valuable, particularly their activity in the direction of elaborating
a document of "fundamental principles."

Let us remind that starting January 1, 2007 Spain will assume OSCE
Chairmanship.

NATIONAL PECULIARITIES OF SECURITY
Hakob Badalyan

Lragir, Armenia
Dec 19 2006

Although Robert Kocharyan’s interview on TV cannot be considered as
a masterpiece of this genre, ideas were expressed which can make the
process move. In addition, this process can be rather dangerous for
the society. Robert Kocharyan stated openly that the seminars held
in Armenia on Western grants threaten the national security. This
approach could be expected, it was even belated, considering that
several months ago Vladimir Vladimirovich Brezhnev, like most Russian
media already refer to Putin, who has become the model of an "ideal"
leader for Robert Kocharyan, declared the NGOs financed with Western
money "persona non grata". Hence, Robert Kocharyan was even late.

This delay has a reason, however. First, Armenia is a small country
and cannot afford to declare that the Western grants are a threat,
especially when these grants sustain the government as well. Besides,
if they immediately did in Armenia what they did in Russia, it would be
evident that Robert Kocharyan is imitating Putin. Now it is the best
time for such a statement. Even Putin has forgotten that he rejected
the NGOs, and now these NGOs are operating in Russia, though sometimes
they face problems. And the most important thing that makes the moment
convenient is the National Security Strategy that is being worked
out and will soon appear on the desk of the president. The taskforce
on the strategy led by the pillar of the security of Armenia Serge
Sargsyan, adopted the final draft unanimously in the morning of the
same day when Robert Kocharyan answered the so-called questions of
news reporters. The threat followed the strategy.

What threat is it? Where does it come from? It is amazing but
the threat comes from the place where Robert Kocharyan, Vardan
Oskanyan and Serge Sargsyan were and will be often and with smiles
on their faces. These "threatening" grants are the money of the EU,
the governments of the United States, the U.K., Germany and other
countries of Europe, which comes to Armenia via the NGOs. This money
or the announced purpose does not differ from the Japanese, Chinese,
Indian, American grants the government gets to develop agriculture,
or the Norwegian grants for building houses for refugees. In both
cases the grants are intended to sustain development in Armenia.

Simply in one case the focus is on the spheres of economy, in the
other case the development of the non-governmental sector. In addition,
it is highly disputable which one is more important for the country,
a developed economy or a developed non-governmental sector, which is
an alternative to the system of governance and, in fact, it acts as
a restraint on the arbitrariness of the government. In this respect,
the threat is evident. And when the president of Armenia, the foreign
minister or the pillar of the national security go abroad and meet
the governments and organizations threatening our security with happy
and satisfied faces, ostensibly they carry out an intelligence mission.

However, we must be grateful that the president of Armenia did not
ban the NGOs. He even said they cannot ban them but it is necessary
to explain to the public to help them detect the lure. They will ban
when the public will not understand the explanation, and the strategy
will have been adopted. Besides, if they start banning everything now,
what are they going to ban in the pre-election period?

SIMON MAGHAQIAN’S ‘NEW TEARS OF ARAX’ TELLS ABOUT JUGHA KHACHKARS
By Aghavni Haroutiunian

AZG Armenian Daily
19/12/2006

These days mark one year of destruction of the Armenian khachkars
and tombstones in Jugha. A 5-minute film about this barbaric act is
available now at , Simon
Maghaqian informs.

The film titled "New Tears of Arax" tells about the shameful
destruction of Armenian monuments by Azerbaijani soldiers and cries
out for justice.

HAYRIKYAN WILL PARTICIPATE IN THE ELECTIONS IN AN ALLIANCE

A1+
[07:40 pm] 18 December, 2006

Lead of Union for National Self-Determination Paruyr Hayrikyan
announced in "Urbat" club that he will participate in the elections
in an alliance.

Nevertheless, he has not yet decided which force he will join.

According to the leader of the UNSD, the worst thing is that
after 15 years of independence we are going farther and farther
from democracy. "The authorities have not been formed by the true
democratic way. I was the leader of the true democratic powers, and
I was banished. I was not someone extraordinary, but they realized
that they had to get rid of the leader", he said.

He noted that the history repeats itself. "Shamiram created that
Armenian Pan-National Movements, and Robert Kocharyan is creating
‘Prosperous Armenia’.

Parallels are not by chance. Today parties are not formed on the
ideological ground", Hayrikyan said.

Paruyr Hayrikyan mentioned that in any case the elections cannot be
considered fair as before the elections parties often give people
money. "Those who say the elections are fair, are eight accomplices
of those who fabricate them, or frauds".

TURKISH MFA DISSATISFIED WITH THE ARGENTINEAN LAW ON THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

ArmRadio.am
18.12.2006 14:00

Turkish MFA has issued a statement, in which it condemns the adoption
of the law on Armenian Genocide during December 13th sitting in
the Argentinean Senate. The statement notes that Turkey condemns
and denies all the groundless accusations from legal and historical
perspectives, Azeri "Trend" agency informs. It is noted that this
decision will damage the bilateral relations and hope is voiced that
the President of Argentina will be reasonable enough not to ratify
the Senate’s decision.

Let us remind that according to the decision of the Argentinean
Parliament, April 24 has been declared "The day for tolerance and
respect between peoples" and a day off for Armenian students and
workers.

WORKING GROUP FORMED BY INSTRUCTION OF ARMENIAN OMBUDSMAN VISITS
ARRESTED ZHIRAYR SEFILYAN AND HIS ASSISTANT

Yerevan, December 16. ArmInfo. A working group that was formed by the
instruction of Armenian Ombudsman Armen Haroutunyan visited Zhirayr
Sefilyan and his assistant Vardan Malkhasyan at the penitentiary
Yerevan-Kentron, Friday. To recap, Sefilyan and Malkhasyan have been
arrested for public calls for force change of power in
Armenia. Zhirayr Sefilyan (a citizen of Lebanon) occupies the post of
the Coordinator of "Union of Armenian Volunteers" public and patriotic
initiative, Head of the public and patriotic organization "For
protection of liberated territories."

Armenian Ombudsman press-service reports the working group took first
hand view of the conditions the arrested are kept in. Zhirayr Sefilyan
and his assistant were not dissatisfied with the treatment of the
penitentiary officers.

However, they were dissatisfied that the court chose the arrest as a
measure of restraint. They think they will not affect the
investigation process if left at large. They called the arrest
groundless. Zhirayr Sefilyan said all the speeches made at the meeting
of the organization "For protection of liberated territories" were
recorded and are kept by the National Security Council.

PanARMENIAN.Net

Caucasus Has Always Been Tasty Morsel for Western Europe
15.12.2006 15:38 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Caucasus has always been a tasty morsel for many
West European states which have never bordered with the region, head
of the center of Caucasian Studies at the Moscow State Institute of
International Relations (MGIMO) Vladimir Zakharov said in an interview
with PanARMENIAN.Net. In his words, everyone is aware of the
significant geopolitical location of the Caucasus not only for the
states bordering with it but also for the powers which currently
assumed the rights to act the Justice of the Peace, to share and
rule. `Some analysts voice opinion that the Caucasus attracts the
United States only by prospects of wide energy corridor. If we analyze
the U.S. external political activity it will coincide with the
functioning or planned routes of hydrocarbon transportation,’ he said.

Zakharov considers that the peculiarities of geopolitical and
geostrategic situation of the South Caucasus states played an
important role during the recent period. `They offer the U.S. and
other leading Western European states various possibilities to realize
their interests not only in economic but also in political and
especially military sectors. Multivectoral competition and sometimes
opposition between the states bordering with the region (Iran, Turkey)
and the states situated far away from the region is observed,’
Zakharov said.

AZG Armenian Daily #241, 16/12/2006

Concern

VANDALS PAINT MEMORIAL PLAQUE TO VICTIMS OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE IN BLUE
IN POLAND

Unknown vandals painted the memorial plaque to the victims of the
Armenian Genocide in blue in city of Lyublin, Poland. The memorial
plaque is placed on the monument to the victims of the Armenian
genocide erected near the church of Pope of Rome John-Paul II. It’s
worth mentioning that in 2005, in Warsaw the vandals painted the
plaque on the wall of the Armenian Embassy to Poland. Till now, the
police haven’t found the guilty.

By Aghavni Harutyunian

NKR MFA SURPRISED AT THE REACTION OF EUROPEAN STRUCTURES

ArmRadio.am
14.12.2006 12:40

In a message disseminated yesterday NKR MFA expressed surprise at the
reaction of the European international structures to the Constitutional
referendum in Nagorno Karabakh and the attempts to question the
possibility of Nagorno Karabakh people’s being in the legal field.

The Ministry notes that the mentioned referendum is a new phase on
the way to consolidation of democratic principles and legislative
development, in general. It pursues the aim of formation and
development of new liberal principles, as well as development of
civil society. In this regard, it is at least strange that European
structures are trying to ignore and deny the democratic and legislative
processes in Nagorno Karabakh. At the same time, the Ministry expresses
confidence that the adoption of the Constitution cannot deter the
constructive efforts of the international mediators to resolve the
Karabakh conflict in a peaceful way. If we follow the logic of the
recent statements, which say the NKR Constitution will obstruct
the talks, we can conclude that by adopting the Constitution of the
Republic of Azerbaijan in 1995 and its amendment in 2002, official
Baku was also intending to damage the negotiations.

Then why didn’t the European structures criticize the policy
of Azerbaijan? The fact that in 1991 the international community
unilaterally recognized the results of the referendum on independence
in Azerbaijan, it only encouraged Azerbaijan’s claims on Nagorno
Karabakh and served as a reason for aggression against Nagorno
Karabakh. NKR MFA expresses hope that guided by their fundamental
principles, the European structures will reconsider their prejudiced
approach to democratic procedures in Nagorno Karabakh," authors of
the statement consider.

ASHOT HOVAKIMIAN HANDS HIS CREDENTIALS TO PRESIDENT OF SLOVAKIA

Noyan Tapan
Dec 14 2006

BRATISLAVA, DECEMBER 14, NOYAN TAPAN. Ashot Hovakimian handed
Ivan Gasparovic, the President of the Republic of Slovakia, his
credentials of the RA Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to
Slovakia on December 11. During the conversation taken place between
the President of Slovakia and the Ambassador of Armenia, sides,
estimating as positive the friendly relations established between the
two countries and peoples, at the same time attached importance to the
necessity of stimulating political, economic, cultural cooperation in
marzes (regions). The interlocutors touched upon the issue of future
development and deepening of the bilateral and many-sided cooperation
within the limits of possibilities given by the Armenia-EU Actions
Plan within the framework of the EU New Neighbourhooh Policy. As Noyan
Tapan was informed by the RA Foreign Ministry’s Press and Information
Department, the issue of Gasparovic’s possible visit of return to be
paid to Armenia during 2007 was touched upon during the meeting. Early
on the same day, Ambassador Hovakimian had meetings at the Ministry
of Foreign Affairs of Slovakia with State Secretary Olga Algayerova
to who he handed the copy of his credentials. He had meetings with a
number of other high-ranking officials of the Foreign Ministry as well.

Ambassador Hovakimian had meetings with compatriots living in Slovakia
as well, laid a wreath to the khachkar (cross stone)-monument to
memory of the Armenian Genocide victims, placed in 2005 in the region
of Petrzalka, Bratislava.