Author: Badalian Vardan

Karabakh residents to Warlick: Agression continues, and Safarov case
is another proof – Video

May 17, 2014 | 23:01

The Co-Chair of OSCE Minsk Group James Warlick was asked how he
imagines return of the refugees to Nagorno-Karabakh.

The question came from the residents of Kashatag region of the
Nagorno-Karabakh Republic who gathered near the administrative center
of Berdzor.

`Safarov was also so-called refugee from Nagorno-Karabakh. How do you
imagine their return? Agression continues, and Safarov case is another
proof,’ one of the residents told Warlick.

In response the OSCE diplomat recalled his statement, underscoring
that `all six elements are necessary for peace’ and none of them can
be taken out.

The residents asked whether the position of Minsk Group will change.
The American Co-Chair, for his part, said in the statement issued on
the twentieth anniversary of the ceasefire agreement, the mediators
spoke `with a common agenda and with a common mind’, and they `will
continue to work on this issue as co-chairs’.

The locals reminded the Co-Chairs that, according to international
right, every nation has a right to self-defense.

`We used our right to self-defense to stop Azerbaijan’s aggression,’
one of the residents said.

WARLICK’S SPEECH SETS OUT VERY WELL U.S. POLICY REGARDING NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT

Trend, Azerbaijan
May 16 2014

Baku, Azerbaijan, May 16
By Sabina Ahmadova – Trend:

Richard Morningstar, the U.S. Ambassador to Azerbaijan, has commented
on the speech made by the OSCE Minsk Group’s U.S. Co-chair, James
Warlick at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

Speaking to journalists on Friday, May 16 the ambassador said he
believes that Warlick’s speech is very important.

“I think that the speech James Warlick made is a very important
speech,” Ambassador Morningstar said. “I think the speech sets out very
well American policy with respect to Nagorno-Karabakh. It certainly
encourages both Armenia and Azerbaijan to take the steps necessary
the reach the resolution.”

The ambassador went on to add that Warlick’s speech outlines six
points that are necessary to reach a settlement to the conflict.

“Ambassador Warlick stated very clearly that the seven occupied
territories surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh should be returned to
Azerbaijan. And also the need to determine the final status of
Nagorno-Karabakh based on self-determination, territorial integrity
and non-use of force,” he stressed.

Morningstar also said the negotiations have been going on for twenty
years, adding that this is very frustrating.

“And hopefully we will see actions from both sides,” the ambassador
stressed.

Earlier, on May 7, OSCE Minsk Group’s U.S. Co-chair James Warlick
presented a speech on the keys to settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict.

During his speech at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace,
James Warlick presented a report titled ‘Nagorno-Karabakh: The Keys to
a Settlement’ in which he outlined six main elements that he believes
any peace agreement must be based on.

James Warlick’s report outlined the following elements:

– First, in light of Nagorno-Karabakh’s complex history, the sides
should commit to determining its final legal status through a mutually
agreed and legally binding expression of will in the future. This is
not optional. Interim status will be temporary.

– Second, the area within the boundaries of the former Nagorno-Karabakh
Autonomous Region that is not controlled by Baku should be granted an
interim status that, at a minimum, provides guarantees for security
and self-governance.

– Third, the occupied territories surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh should
be returned to Azerbaijani control. There can be no settlement without
respect for Azerbaijan’s sovereignty, and the recognition that its
sovereignty over these territories must be restored.

– Fourth, there should be a corridor linking Armenia to
Nagorno-Karabakh. It must be wide enough to provide secure passage,
but it cannot encompass the whole of Lachin district.

– Fifth, an enduring settlement will have to recognize the right of
all IDPs and refugees to return to their former places of residence.

– Sixth and finally, a settlement must include international security
guarantees that would include a peacekeeping operation. There is
no scenario in which peace can be assured without a well-designed
peacekeeping operation that enjoys the confidence of all sides.

The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict broke out in 1988 when Armenia made
territorial claims against Azerbaijan.

As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied
20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and
seven surrounding districts.

The two countries signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs
of the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia, France and the U.S. are currently
holding peace negotiations.

The UN Security Council adopted four resolutions on liberation of
the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions; however Armenia is
still not complying with any of these resolutions.

OSCE MG MAKES NO PROGRESS – AZERBAIJANI VICE PM

Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
May 16 2014

16 May 2014 – 11:28am

Ali Gasanov, Azerbaijani vice prime minister and the head of
the State Committee for Refugees and Forced Migrants, marking
the 22nd anniversary of the occupation of the Lachi District of
Nagorno-Karabakh, said that the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group had
been visiting the region for 3-4 years and getting paid for their work,
yet they had achieved no progress, Trend reports.

The official pointed out the indifference of the world community to
the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Ali Gasanov, Azerbaijani vice prime minister and the head of
the State Committee for Refugees and Forced Migrants, marking
the 22nd anniversary of the occupation of the Lachi District of
Nagorno-Karabakh, said that the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group had
been visiting the region for 3-4 years and getting paid for their work,
yet they had achieved no progress, Trend reports.

The official pointed out the indifference of the world community to
the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

ARMENIA’S GENERAL CONSUL TO ALEPPO PARTICIPATES IN MEETING OF RENOVATION COMMISSION

May 16, 2014 | 17:40

Armenia’s General Consul to Aleppo Tigran Gevorgyan was present at the
meeting of Syria’s commission on renovation and quick-reaction body.

The meeting brought together spiritual leaders of the community,
representatives of traditional parties and charitable organizations.

During the meeting, the problems of Armenian community of Aleppo and
possible cooperation between general consulate and quick-reaction
body were discussed.

On May 16 Tigran Gevorgyan met with spiritual leader of Armenian
Catholic community, Archbishop Petros Mirathyan.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

HUNGARY READY TO RESTORE DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS WITH ARMENIA ANYTIME: AMBASSADOR

12:32 16.05.2014

Armenia, Gurgen Margaryan, Hungary, Ramil Safarov

Gita Elibekyan, Siranush Ghazanchyan
Public Radio of Armenia
Tbilisi-Yerevan

Hungary is ready to restore relations with Armenia anytime, Hungary’s
Ambassador to Georgia Sandor Szabo said in an exclusive interview
with Public Radio of Armenia.

Armenia suspended the diplomatic relations with Hungary in August
2012 after the extradition of Azerbaijani Ramil Safarov, who axed
Armenian Officer Gurgen Margaryan during NATO courses in Budapest.

The Ambassador noted that immediately after the suspension,
his government took steps on the level of the Foreign Minister to
reestablish diplomatic relations. “Unfortunately, these steps were not
successful, but we should never give up,” the Ambassador said. He’s
hopeful the issue will be solved very soon through diplomatic channels,
through negotiations.

Mr. Szabo said both sides should take steps to mend ties, because
the solution of the issue is the task of the two parties.

Armenian Foreign Minister said recently that Armenia is ready to
restore diplomatic relations with Hungary, but expects Budapest to
make the first step.

“He’s right that the Armenian side is waiting for Hungary’s steps,
but as I told you, the Hungarian side has taken those steps, and not
only once. Hungarian Foreign Minister János Martonyi sent a letter
to his Armenian counterpart soon after the known events. Besides,
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Hungary sent a note verbale to the
Armenian Foreign Ministry to express our willingness to reestablish
diplomatic relations. But unfortunately, there has been no progress
so far.”

“We think these steps on the Foreign Minister’s level should find a
positive response from your country,” the Ambassador said.

Asked whether it’s possible for Hungary to recognize the Nagorno
Karabakh Republic, Mr. Szabo said the issue is not on the agenda,
not only in Hungary, but also in many other countries. “Hungary is
not late, as Armenia has not recognized the independence of Nagorno
Karabakh yet,” he said.

After years of negotiating the Association Agreement with the European
Union, Armenia declared on September 3, 2013 about the intention to
join the Customs Union of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan.

“It was not easy for my country, as the supporter of the Eastern
Partnership Project, to absorb this information, because we had
supported Armenia, Georgia and Moldova on this path,” the Ambassador
said.

“After the Vilnius Summit and after the Ukraine events, Armenia and
the EU started some consultations to find a way out of this situation,
to save the Association Agreement, but as far as I know, there have
been no concrete results so far,” Amb. Szabo said.

“Armenia and EU have done a lot of work in the recent years,” he said,
voicing hope that the sides will find a way to save this value. “It
is a question of the future,” he added.

Sandor Szabo hopes to visit Armenia one day not only as a Hungarian
citizen, but also in his capacity as a Hungarian Ambassador to meet
people and to start the cooperation planned two years ago, when he
presented his credentials to the Armenian President. “It is my wish,”
he concluded.

ARMENIAN GENOCIDE COMMEMORATED IN GREAT BRITAIN

18:10 â~@¢ 16.05.14

The unveiling ceremony of a plaque commemorating Armenian Genocide
victims took place in Gwynedd, an area in north-west Wales, on
Thursday, the press service of Armenia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs
reports.

Chairman of the Gwynedd County Council Dewi Owen made a welcoming
speech at the ceremony. Armenian Ambassador to Great Britain Armen
Sargsyan’s message was read out as well.

In 2004, the Gwynedd County Council unanimously recognized the Armenian
Genocide. Due to the local Armenian community’s efforts, an agreement
on a plaque commemorating Armenian Genocide victims was reached.

The same day, a Spring Remembrance Concert was performed at the
Purcell Room, part of the Southbank Centre, one of central London’s
leading cultural complexes.

SOCHI REMAINS A LOW-BUDGET RESORT

Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
May 15 2014

15 May 2014 – 11:41am
By Vestnik Kavkaza

When the Olympics were over, Sochi began to prepare for the resort
season. Mayor of the city Anatoly Pakhomov decided to get involved in
attracting tourists: “Sochi is a city for everybody; it is affordable.

Sometimes people say: “Everything is expensive there; the resort is
for wealthy people.” No, it is not. This is a family resort. There
are the lowest prices on the Black Sea Shore, including Crimea. Last
year I was in Lazarevka at the central beach. There was barely room to
move. Now suburban trains are running, and we will construct stations
in hard-to-get-to beaches to redistribute tourist flows.”

Pakhomov admits that the main resort of the country has had a lot of
disadvantages for years. “But today this is a new city. The city has
wonderful seafronts, beaches, three Five-Star Radisson Blu Hotels,
a Marriott Hotel; there are various brands and management companies
in Sochi. The beautiful Olympic Park is situated in the Adler region,
as well as a magnificent seafront. I am sure people will fall in
love with the scenery. The water is pure; there are unique five-star
hotels with vast recreational territories, spas, restaurants, and cafes
nearby. 25 thousand additional rooms were built for the Olympic Games.”

According to the mayor, “the Olympics gave a powerful impetus to the
development of the resort. In five years the only subtropical resort
of the Russian Black Sea Shore became a symbol of revival and the
unique capacities of new Russia… Today we will probably get into
the top 10 of the world’s best cities, and we should think not only
about hotels and commercial facilities, but also about preservation
of the historic heritage.”

Pakhomov told Vestnik Kavkaza that Sochi is a multinational city:
“Representatives of 124 nations live in our city. I can say that
traditionally these people live in peace and friendship. We pay great
attention to work with our ethnic communities. There are only two
differences between us – our language and our culture. At the same
time, all our ethnic groups and communities have an opportunity to
give concerts, speak about their culture and history. These things
improve our relations, which have always been warm. Yesterday we held
a football championship among teams of our communities. The Armenian
community won. The Greeks took second place, while the Russians took
third place. We give an opportunity to compete in sporting and cultural
festivals. We are really an example of life in peace and friendship.

NORTH-SOUTH MOTORWAY CONSTRUCTION IN ARMENIA UNDERWAY

The Messenger, Georgia
May 15 2014

By Messenger Staff
Thursday, May 15

Certain segments of the trans-Armenian motorway connecting north
with south will be finished in 2014. The search for investors for
the other segments is underway. The motorway will cross Armenia from
Iran’s border to Georgia’s border. Its length is around 500 kilometers.

The Asian Development Bank is among the major donors of the project.

However, more investors are needed.

ARMENIA’S PENSION OF DISCONTENT

EurasiaNet.org
May 15 2014

May 15, 2014 – 9:04am, by Giorgi Lomsadze

The Armenian government has revised its controversial pension
plan umpteen times, but many Armenians just don’t like it. And the
government just does not give up.

The main problem — mandatory salary deductions for a national
retirement plan — was discarded after a wave of protests, battles
in parliament and a smack-down by the Constitutional Court. In a
rare policy-concession to the opposition, the ruling establishment
gave workers the discretion to opt out of contributing five percent
of their salaries to the pension fund, but now questions are asked
about how optional is optional.

On May 13, Armenia’s parliament reluctantly approved in its first
reading a truncated, deductions-optional version of the original bill.

Some political parties welcomed the “free will” addition to the draft,
but still the ruling Republican Party of Armenia was the bill’s lone
supporter. Others chose to abstain or oppose.

The most ardent critic of the pension scheme, and of the government
in general – the Armenian National Congress (ANC) – maintained that,
despite the compromise, a compulsory savings system has been forced on
Armenia. The government has the means to put pressure on public and
even private companies to force employees to make the transfers to
the pension fund no matter what their individual decisions, asserted
the ANC, RFE/RL reported.

The claim is debatable, but some media reports already alleged that
the government is putting pressure on public servants to keep pitching
into the pension fund.

Labor Minister Artem Asatrian denied these allegations, but skepticism
persists. In a country that has experienced several economic slowdowns,
the pension epic only highlighted the lack of public trust in the
government’s ability to handle both the economy and people’s savings.

15 MILLION EU GRANT FOR IMPROVING WATER SUPPLY SYSTEM IN ARMENIA

May 14, 2014 | 17:35

YEREVAN. – The signature ceremony of the â~B¬15 million grant financing
agreement for the Communal Infrastructure Water Programme, Phase 3,
provided by the EU within the Neighbourhood Investment Facility,
took place at the Ministry of Finance on Wednesday.

The agreement was signed between the Government of the Republic of
Armenia and KfW Development Bank. Authorised representatives from the
Armenian side included the Minister of Finance, Gagik Khachatryan and
the President of the State Committee on Water Supply of the Ministry
of Territorial Administration, Andranik Andreasyan.

On behalf of KfW Development Bank, Regional Manager Lars Oermann and
Head of District Infrastructure Arne Gooss signed the agreement. The
EU was represented by the Head of the EU Delegation in Armenia,
Traian Hristea.

The Communal Infrastructure Programme is aimed at improving water
supply systems in different regions of Armenia. The total budget of
the programme is â~B¬73 million: this is broken down into tranches
of â~B¬30 million provided by KfW Development Bank, a â~B¬2.5
million grant from KfW itself, a loan of â~B¬25.5 million from the
European Investment Bank, and â~B¬15 million from the EU Neighbourhood
Investment Facility. â~B¬10 million from the grant budget will be used
to supply villages with drinking water and improve irrigation systems;
a sewage-cleaning station worth â~B¬2 million will be built in Armavir;
â~B¬3 million will be used to pay for a management agreement with
four water-supply companies – Armenian Water and Sewage, Lori Water
and Sewage, Shirak Water and Sewage, and Nor Akunq.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am