Author: Badalian Vardan

Anniversaire
Le Jour où Soghomon Tehlirian exécuta Talaat Pacha (+ vidéo Mayrig)

Il y a 93 ans aujourd’hui, Soghomon Tehlirian tua Talaat Pacha d’une
balle de révolver, Ã Berlin, en plein jour et en présence de nombreux
témoins. Cet assassinat est une vengeance contre Talaat Pacha, le
principal organisateur du génocide arménien à qui est attribué l’ordre
de « tuer tous les hommes, femmes et enfants arméniens sans exception
»

Jugé pour assassinat, il est finalement acquitté par le tribunal
allemand, défendu par trois avocats, dont Theodor Niemeyer, professeur
de droit à l’Université de Kiel.

L’assassinat est inclus dans l’opération Némésis organisée par la
Fédération révolutionnaire arménienne afin d’exécuter les sentences
des tribunaux lorsque ceux-ci les ont prononcées par contumace le 5
Juillet 1919 par une cour martiale de Constantinople,

Contrairement aux massacres hamidiens de 1894-1896 où le Sultan
laissait ses délégués régler les détails, le génocide de 1915 fut
parfaitement organisé. Aidé d’Enver Pacha, qui avait habité quelques
années à Berlin, et de conseillers coutumiers des administrations
européennes, Talaat fit des massacres une véritable organisation
étatique. Durant les déportations d’Arméniens depuis les provinces de
l’Est vers le désert de Mésopotamie, il donne l’ordre de massacrer la
plupart des colonnes de déportés à Kémagh-Boghaz, sur l’Euphrate, et
compte sur la fatigue, l’épuisement, la faim et la soif pour
l’extermination de celles qui arrivèrent jusqu’en Syrie.

Enterré au cimetière turc de Berlin, ses restes sont transférés en
1943 à Istanbul et inhumés à Å?iÅ?li. Ses mémoires de guerre furent
publiés après sa mort.

Aujourd’hui encore, un mausolée lui est dédié Ã Istanbul ainsi qu’un
important quartier. De même, un des principaux boulevards d’Ankara, un
grand boulevard d’Ä°zmir et une avenue à Edirne, l’ex-Andrinople
portent son nom. C’est par cette avenue qu’on entre en Turquie, en
provenance de Bulgarie.

Soghomon Tehlirian est décédé le 23 Mai 1960 à San-Fransisco à l’ge de 63 ans.

samedi 15 mars 2014,
Jean Eckian ©armenews.com

AZERBAIJANI TOP OFFICIAL REACTS ON CATHERINE ASHTON’S VISIT TO ARMENIAN CHURCH IN IRAN

Trend, Azerbaijan
March 13 2014

Baku, Azerbaijan, March 14

By Sabina Ahmadova – Trend:

The EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy,
Catherine Ashton during her visit to Iran on March 8, visited the
Vank Cathedral in Armenian-populated New Julfa neighbourhood of
Isfahan province.

One of the top officials of Azerbaijan’s presidential administration
expressed his view on this visit.

“Madam Ashton paid a historic visit to Armenian Church in New
Julfa while being in Iran. This is completely understandable,”
deputy head of Azerbaijani Presidential Administration, head of the
administration’s Foreign Relations Department, Novruz Mammadov wrote
on his Twitter page.

Mammadov also said that “Madam Ashton may have pledged to visit an
Armenian Church in any part of the world”.

It should be noted that Azerbaijan has repeatedly presented evidence
that Armenia, after occupying Azerbaijani territories, has been
destroying historical and cultural monuments.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian
armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan since 1992,
including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

Azerbaijan and Armenia 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.

Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council’s four
resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the
surrounding regions.

TURKEY PREPARED TO PROTECT ITS TERRITORY IN SYRIA

Anadolu Agency, Turkey
March 14 2014

Friday, March 14, 2014

Turkey is prepared to take measures to assure the security and the
stability of the tomb of Suleyman Shah in the Syrian city of Aleppo,
the Turkish foreign minister has said.

VAN – Turkey’s Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has said that Turkey
has the right to take measures to assure the security and stability of
the tomb of Suleyman Shah in the Syrian city of Aleppo as according
to international law the tomb is Turkish territory, while referring
to the intensified clashes between the Syrian opposition and the
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in the region.

“As of now, there is no violation towards our territory and the
Turkish troops there providing security. However, in case of any
threat, we (Turkey) are prepared to take measures of all sorts,”
Davutoglu told a press conference on Friday in the eastern Turkish
province of Van following a trilateral meeting with his Iranian and
Azerbaijani counterparts.

Davutoglu said the authority gap caused by the Syrian regime has
created a great security crisis, paving the way for radical groups
to fill this gap in northern Syria.

“What is interesting is the cooperation between these groups staging
terror attacks and the regime,” he added.

When asked about the Iraqi Kurdish Regional Government Prime Minister
Nechirvan Barzani’s upcomming visit to Turkey, Davutoglu said Barzani
would meet the Turkish prime minister in Ankara and he would also meet
Barzani in Van on Saturday to discuss enhancing economic relations
and easing customs rules.

– Turkey-Iran-Azerbaijan trilateral meeting

The Turkish, Iranian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers have gathered
for the third annual tripartite meeting in eastern Turkey to exchange
views on enhancing regional cooperation on issues of common interest.

The first meeting took place in Iran in 2011 and the second was held
in Azerbaijan in 2012.

A three-year action plan on transport, energy, trade, the easing of
customs rules, and cultural and political relations was agreed by
the three countries.

The action plan includes a railroad project between Azerbaijan,
Turkey and Iran, Davutoglu said.

The minister also extended his condolences to the families of the two
people killed during Wednesday’s nationwide protests which followed
the burial of a teenager who died after being injured in the Gezi
protest last year.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif for his part expressed
hope that the agreed action plan would help provide peace, security
and economic development in the region.

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Memmedyarov, touching on the 20
year-old conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia over the disputed
territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, said “Armenian troops must leave
Azerbaijan’s territories.”

ALSTOM COMPLETES ARMENIAN GRID SECURITY ENHANCEMENT PROJECT

Energy Business Review
March 14 2014

EBR Staff Writer

Alstom has handed over upgraded complex air-insulated substations to
Armenia’s state-owned company CJSC High Voltage Electrical Networks
(CJSC HVEN) and the Ministry of Energy & Natural Resources in Gyumri,
northwest of Armenia.

The company secured a complete rehabilitation turnkey project in
2011, covering the engineering, design, production and delivery,
construction, assembly and commissioning of the three modules of 220
kV, 110 kV and 10 kV open-air substations furnished in the 1970s.

Apart from interconnecting Armenia’s existing 220 kV stations, the
220kV facility also through another substation is directly connected to
the 400MW nuclear power plant in Metsamor, which covers approximately
40% of the country’s energy demand.

Alstom Grid Dresden project manager Artur Chamyan said, “The project
execution lasted 28 months, with tight scheduling given the prevailing
weather conditions in winter – the city of Gyumri is at an altitude
of 1,600 metres above sea level.”

The new 220kV facility establishes a connection to the neighbouring
countries for the exchange of electrical energy, while the 110kV
substation supplies energy to the Schirak province, and the 10kV
facility is furthermore of significance for the energy supply Gyumri
and the surrounding towns and villages.

Funded by KFW, the EURO 12m project aims to improve national grid
stability, as well as the economic and secure supply of power, and
was managed by Alstom Grid in Dresden, Germany.

Photo: ALSTOM.

AZERI OPPOSITION BACKS KIEV PROTESTS, CAN’T REPLICATE THEM

Institute for War and Peace Reporting, UK
IWPR Caucasus Reporting #727
March 14 2014

Sustained, regime-shaking demonstrations seem out of the question
in Azerbaijan.

By Shahla Sultanova – Caucasus CRS Issue 727,

An Azerbaijani opposition leader has told IWPR that Ukrainians’
struggle for democracy is a test case for other Soviet nations seeking
freedom from autocratic rule. Analysts note, however, that Azerbaijan
is in a different position, as the opposition is much weaker than
Ukraine and protests are put down ruthlessly before they gain momentum.

Isa Gambar, head of the Musavat party, said events in Ukraine would
decide the future of all the countries in the former Soviet Union. If
Ukraine became a democracy, then liberal activists everywhere would
gain confidence in their own effort to create more open societies.

“It is a good lesson for the Azerbaijan government to realise that
regimes which ignore the will of the people cannot stay in power for
long,” he told IWPR.

The Azerbaijani government has refrained from saying much about
the demonstrations in Kiev that led to President Viktor Yanukovich
fleeing his post, followed by Moscow’s military occupation of Crimea
and sabre-rattling along Ukraine’s eastern border.

But while officials in Baku may have been dismayed at the speed and
ignominy with which the once-powerful Yanukovich fell, they have
taken a different line from Moscow on the future of Ukraine.

Speaking after talks in eastern Turkey on March 14, Foreign Minister
Elmar Mammadyarov called for negotiations and the restoration of
stability in Ukraine.

“Unfortunately, the situation in that country remains tense, and
Baku is calling for stabilisation. The situation cannot be allowed to
escalate,” he said, in remarks quoted by Turkish TRT Haber television.

On March 16, a referendum will be held in Crimea to decide whether it
should join Russia or become a quasi-independent state. Maintaining
Crimea’s current status is not offered as an option.

The significance of a post-Soviet state having part of its territory
sliced off is not lost on Azerbaijan, which still holds out hope of
regaining control of Nagorny Karabakh, which has operated as a de
facto independent entity since war in the early 1990s left it under
Armenian rule.

Mammadyarov said the principle of territorial integrity was of great
importance to Baku, whose position he re-stated.

“Azerbaijan supports the preservation of Ukraine’s territorial
integrity,” he said.

The Ukrainian protests have been an inspiration to pro-democracy
groups in Azerbaijan and elsewhere. Gambar himself appeared on stage
in the Maidan on December 15, with a message of solidarity from the
“democratic forces of Azerbaijan”.

“We are cheering you on. We understand that today is not only crucial
for the future of Ukraine, but also for the future of all post-Soviet
countries,” he told the crowd. “In Azerbaijan we are now protesting
against the authoritarian Aliyev regime, against corruption and
against violations of human rights. Azerbaijanis, too, are demanding
European integration.”

He was followed the next day by Rasul Jafarov, head of the Human Rights
Club of Azerbaijan, who said he was also speaking on behalf of Ilgar
Mammadov, head of the Republican Alternative political movement,
and of Anar Mammadli, head of the Election Monitoring Centre, both
of whom are under arrest in Azerbaijan.

“They fight for democracy and human rights in their country, just as
you are doing today on the Maidan, and as many others are doing in
cities in Ukraine,” Jafarov said.

The possibility that Kiev-style demonstrations could be replayed
in Baku appears remote. There have been mass protests in the past,
particularly against the presidential election result in 2003, in
which the incumbent Ilham Aliyev defeated Gambar, and again in 2005.

But opposition groups have never managed to sustain the kind of
prolonged demonstrations that brought down Yanukovich.

As Gambar pointed out, “The Ukrainian government started dispersing
protesters long after they had organised themselves on the Maidan
[central square]. In Azerbaijan, it’s impossible to hold any action
in downtown Baku. The government deals too aggressively with any kind
of protest. Sustained mass protests like those in Ukraine are out of
the question in Azerbaijan.”

Farid Guliev, a PhD student specialising in Azerbaijani politics at
Jacobs University in Bremen, agrees that there is little prospect of
the Ukrainian protests being repeated in his country.

He said the government’s silence on the Ukrainian protests probably
indicated that it was sure they would not inspire copycat demonstration
s in Azerbaijan.

“It seems plausible that the government has been watching events on the
Maidan closely but has not been alarmed by them, because these events
aren’t really spreading to Ukraine’s immediate neighbours like Belarus
and don’t pose an imminent threat,” he said. “Given their limited
organisational resources and the general state of public apathy, the
opposition parties would have a hard time mobilising the population
to a Euromaidan-type protest if they decided to do so,” he told IWPR.

Guliev also noted that in contrast to Ukraine’s Orange revolution of
2004, the unrest of recent weeks had been marred by violence. As a
result, he said, “The participation of extreme radical groups has made
the ‘Euromaidan model’ culturally and symbolically less attractive
for framing protests in other post-Soviet regimes.”

Students interviewed by IWPR in Baku said they feared the turbulence
seen in Ukraine more than the prospect of Azerbaijan remaining as
it was.

“It seems to me that those events were organised by Nazi-like groups.

They are struggling against a Russia, a great power, and want to be
part of a rival power, Europe,” said Mahir Dashdemirov, a first year
student at Baku State University. “I am glad Azerbaijan’s government
supports a balanced policy in dealing with these powers.”

Elshan Nasibov, studying for a PhD in politics at Azerbaijan’s National
Academy of Sciences, said there were no lessons to be learned from
Ukraine.

“We don’t want chaos here. We don’t need revolution. Democratic
elections are the best way to build the system,” he said. “As the
economy grows, Azerbaijan will become more democratic, society will
become more liberal, and gradually the liberals will take over the
government.”

Shahla Sultanova is a freelance journalist in Azerbaijan.

‘CRIMEA IS ABOUT THE SURVIVAL OF PUTIN’S SYSTEM’

Deutsche Welle, Germany
March 14 2014

Russian President Vladimir Putin is currently flexing his muscles in
the Crimea crisis. But what are his long-term goals, and who could
still have the power to influence him?

There is only one explanation for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s
behavior on the Crimean peninsula, according to Stefan Meister,
a Russia expert at the European Council on Foreign Relations.

“This is about the survival of Putin’s system,” he told DW. “For
him, foreign policy has become a central instrument for internal
legitimization.”

Meister said Putin’s strong stance is intended to increase the
president’s dwindling popularity among the Russian population.

Since the fall of the Soviet Union, Putin has been Russia’s dominant
political force. In 1999, Boris Yeltsin made him prime minister. When
Yeltsin himself resigned several months later, he made Putin president
of the Russian Federation. In March 2000, the Russian people confirmed
their support of Yeltsin’s choice in a presidential election. Ever
since, Vladimir Putin has been at the helm of the huge country –
even when he did not officially hold the country’s highest office.

Russia Expert Stefan Meister thinks that Putin is using foreign policy
to garner domestic support

In May 2012, Putin began his third term as president. From 2008 to
2012 he swapped roles with his close confidant Dmitry Medvedev and
was Russia’s prime minister for one legislative period, since the
Russian constitution only allows two successive presidential terms.

Putin wants to show strength

“Putin is a politician who knows how to cleverly wield political
power,” said Meister. “But if he is put under pressure, he sometimes
reacts in impulsive ways,” he said, adding that for Putin, key is to
show strength.

This can also be seen in the image of himself he presents to the
public. He has shown a foible for portraying himself as a tough
outdoorsman, riding bare-chested through the endless Siberian steppe
and catching huge fish. It is a public image that large segments of
the Russian population approve of thoroughly.

Putin likes to present himself as one with Russian nature

Asked in a 2012 interview for German television what the source of
negative Western attitudes towards him could be, Putin responded:
“It mainly stems from a fear of Russia – of our scale, our nuclear
weapons, our potential in various other spheres. But that is an old
way of thinking.”

Vision of a Eurasian Union

Russia too, is trying to find its geopolitical role. One important
strategy for that is the Eurasian Union. According to Putin’s plans,
Russia, Belarus, Armenia and Kazakhstan will be joining to form this
customs union in the near future. Later on, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan
might become members. Ukraine, which Putin considered a particularly
important player due to its size and geographical position, was also
supposed to join. But with the upheaval that has taken place in Kyiv,
whether Ukraine looks towards the EU, Russia or some mix of the two
is impossible to predict.

“Ukraine is the most important country for Russia, for Putin to
fulfill his dream of Russia as a powerful state based on orthodox
values, values which are distinct from Western values,” said Pavol
Demes, a Transatlantic Fellow at the Bratislava office of the German
Marshall Fund, a US think tank that aims to strengthen transatlantic
cooperation.

Putin and Germany

Pavol Demes thinks that Germany could be the key to negotiations
with Putin

Both Demes and Meister said Germany is the most important Western
partner for Putin. Since being stationed in East Germany as a Russian
KGB agent from 1985 to 1990, Putin has had special relationship to
Germany. He speaks fluent German and his second daughter was born in
Dresden in 1986.

After he took office as president in 2001, Putin gave a speech to
the German Bundestag in German. The move was unusual for a foreign
guest of the German state and it sent a clear message. In his speech,
Putin supported the eastward expansion of the EU and pleaded for
strong ties between Russia and Europe.

The idea has hardly come to fruition. The political unity of Germany,
France and Russia in opposition to the US-led “coalition of the
willing” that attacked Iraq in 2003 was short-lived, for example, even
as some EU members supported then-US President George W. Bush’s war.

Merkel’s role

Merkel speaks Russian, Putin speaks German – but they still can’t
seem to come to an understanding

Russia is now largely isolated, when it comes to many aspects of
foreign policy. In Syria, Moscow supports Syrian President Bashar
al-Assad, Russia is supplying Iran with nuclear technology, and in
Ukraine, Moscow is at loggerheads with the EU and the US.

Some observers have called on Germany to play more influential role
in attempts to restart dialogue with Russia. “It hurts Putin to be
criticized in Germany or to be perceived in a negative way in Germany,”
said Meister. “That plays an important role for him.”

That is also why Demes said he has a clear demand for the German
chancellor: “Germany, and Angela Merkel in particular, has an enormous
responsibility and chance to modulate this conflict situation, more
properly than anybody else.”

Still, as Meister said, Germany’s influence on Putin will only become
noticeable in incremental steps, and he said the country’s leverage
is limited, “German politicians won’t be able to stop him annexing
Crimea.”

WHAT DOES THE NEW GLOBAL FOREST WATCH WEBSITE SAY ABOUT ARMENIA?

Friday, March 14th, 2014

The new Global Forest Watch website shines a spotlight on global tree
loss (screengrab from )

BY JASON SOHIGIAN

Last month’s launch of the Global Forest Watch website was big news.

Google, World Resources Institute, and a few dozen other partners are
part of the effort. The site allows users to monitor deforestation in
“near real time.” The big takeaway: global tree cover loss far exceeds
tree cover gain. Data shows that the world lost 2,300,000 square
kilometers of tree cover between 2000 and 2012, or the equivalent of
losing 50 soccer fields’ worth of forests every minute of every day
for the past 13 years. By contrast, only 800,000 square kilometers
have regrown, been planted, or restored during the same period.

We welcome initiatives like GFW, which use cutting edge technology to
make forestry data available to the public. This kind of transparency
is essential to shine a spotlight on forest loss and to show areas
where natural regeneration or reforestation has been successful. This
information empowers citizens and is even valued by corporations that
want to use sustainably harvested wood.

Now, what does the site show for Armenia? GFW shows that there was
forest loss in Armenia over an area of 2,089 hectares and a gain
of 1,276 over the period of 2000 to 2011. It’s interesting to note
that the data relies on Landsat satellite imagery which has become
an accepted source to measure forest cover globally. According to
this data, Armenia has seen a loss of approximately 813 hectares of
forest over this 12 year timeframe. For reference, a hectare is 2.47
acres or an area the size of a soccer field.

Armenia Tree Project has been planting in urban areas and towns since
1994 and launched its forestry program in 2004. ATP has planted a
total of 4,455,869 trees to date at more than 925 sites in all regions
of Armenia. Most of our forestry has been focused around 30 sites in
Northern Armenia. Our forestry department has planted approximately
3,500,000 tree seedlings over an area of 850 hectares.

However, our seedlings have not even formed into forests with a canopy
that would be recognized by satellite data at this resolution. There is
no question we are losing forest cover and ATP is trying to turn the
tide along with other partners. It’s also worth noting that Armenia’s
Hayantar forestry department has been planting during this timeframe.

A new tree seedling sprouting up at a site planted by ATP in Northern
Armenia (Photo by Jason Sohigian)

There have been other efforts to monitor forest cover in Armenia
and the general conclusion was that that there has been a net gain
in forest cover, consistent with what we have seen in other parts
of Europe. However some experts in the environmental community have
pointed out that the regrowth of forest has been a lower quality
“coppice” tree which is almost like a shrub that has grown out of
tree stumps. Setting the statistics aside, there is a consensus that
Armenia needs to curb forest loss and that reforestation should be
accelerated in order to restore our historic tree cover.

Some of the drivers of forest loss have been industrial logging,
unsustainable livestock grazing, and the use of wood for cooking
and heating fuel. Of course we recognize that people in rural areas
rely on wood. At the same time forests are a renewable resource when
they are sustainably managed and not overexploited. In addition to
planting there are other strategies that may be deployed in order
to reduce the pressure on forests. These include subsidizing the
cost of natural gas for households, enforcing a ban on wood exports,
and reducing tax on imported wood.

In general, we are in favor of initiatives like GFW that make the
information about our forests transparent and publicly accessible. In
the end we hope this draws attention to the issue of deforestation in
Armenia and globally, and that it shows the importance of investing
resources in protecting and restoring this important part of our
natural infrastructure.

Clearly there’s a lot left to be done in Armenia to reverse
deforestation. One thing we know is that sustainable management of
our natural resources like forests will be more cost-effective than
depleting the reserves and trying to fund environmental restoration
programs. Particularly when some environmental impacts-like
desertification caused by deforestation-are irreversible.

Jason Sohigian is deputy director of the Armenia Tree Project. He
has a master’s degree in Sustainability and Environmental Management
from Harvard University. His research on Payments for Environmental
Services was adapted for a talk at TEDx Yerevan on “Redefining Our
Economic Systems.”

THE SOUTH CAUCASUS: FALLING APART AT THE SEAMS?

March 14, 2014-

By Bulent Aras

Border skirmishes and casualties at the Azerbaijani-Armenian border
have raised fears about the possibility of a new war in the South
Caucasus. The war between Russia and Georgia in August 2008 brought
an end to the extended cold war in the region. No new order has been
established since, and uncertainty prevails.

In the wake of the 2008 war, external and internal actors alike have
been in search of a regional design. Attempts by Russia, the European
Union, and Turkey to establish regional order, together with the
survival strategies pursued by the nation states that comprise the
Caucasus, have shaped the geopolitical landscape of the region since
2008. The United States, unable to reach out to support Georgia,
has remained outside this picture.

Russia’s current policy towards the Caucasus seems similar to the
Soviet nationalities policy, which entailed redrawing maps based on
ethnic relocation and the creation of enclaves within countries. In
2008, Moscow recognized the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia,
positioning them as de facto states in the region. With Karabakh’s
status pending, the South Caucasus has virtually broken up into six
separate states.

Moscow has succeeded in shifting attention away from the North
Caucasus, and the challenge of dealing with fundamentalist terrorism
is now an internal matter for Russia. A “cold peace” was enough
to suspend the Azerbaijan-Armenia conflict at a manageable level
of tension. Russia’s only concern has been the prevention of a hot
conflict between Baku and Yerevan, and it regularly brings the two
heads of state together to sign non-aggression agreements.

Turkey’s policy aims to contain the crises, promote regional
ownership, and find a solution in the spirit of political and
economic integration. Turkish policy in the aftermath of the war
between Russia and Georgia prevented the problem from escalating
into an international crisis. By imposing limits on the passage of
vessels through the Bosphorus strait, Ankara blocked a potential
U.S./NATO-Russia encounter in the Black Sea and curbed U.S.

involvement while bolstering its own regional legitimacy for an
integrationist approach.

Ankara also initiated a Caucasus Cooperation and Stability Platform,
bringing together Russia, Turkey, and the three Caucasian states with
the aim of building up an inclusive order in the region.

The third strand of Turkey’s policy was to attempt to normalize
relations with Armenia and reopen the border, which has been
closed since 1993. This diplomacy was tied to progress in the
Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict, and aimed to achieve simultaneous progress
on both fronts.

The EU’s approach is based on soft-power capabilities and entails a
refined and focused version of its “neighborhood policy” towards the
Caucasus. The 2008 crisis engaged the EU’s interest, causing it to
recognize its lack of presence in the region. During the crisis, the
EU failed to develop a concrete policy initiative. The only exception
was Germany’s failed mediation attempt.

In 2009, the EU launched its Eastern Partnership initiative to improve
EU engagement and support for political and economic stability in
the Caucasus. The EU’s role in promoting rule of law, civil-society
capacity-building, structural reforms, and the regional economy
has increased, though slowly, since the creation of this new policy
framework.

The nation states of the Caucasus also have their own survival
strategies for dealing with the post-2008 situation. Georgia is
trying to reintegrate its de facto separated territories, and is
working towards political and economic stability.

Armenia tied its economic and political future to Russia, but Russian
assistance has fallen short of what Armenia actually needs to address
its problems. The Armenian economy is weakening, and emigration rates
are increasing year on year.

Azerbaijan benefits from oil and gas resources, and utilizes these
riches for economic reform and political stability at home. Azerbaijan
has increased its role in regional energy geopolitics and used this
leverage to rally support for the liberation of the Armenian-occupied
territories.

Ultimately, the EU’s initiative was both delayed and slow, Turkey’s
efforts failed to bring real change to the regional landscape, and
Russian policies have aggravated the situation. The status quo in the
Caucasus is unsustainable, and a regional war is a real danger. This
instability could rapidly spread to the North Caucasus, mobilizing
fundamentalist elements.

Russia, the EU, and Turkey should agree on – or at least should
not oppose – measures to eliminate the risk of war between Armenia
and Azerbaijan. Armenia’s withdrawal from occupied regions, for
instance – deferring a decision on the legal status of Karabakh –
would be a positive step, and would pave the way for the opening of
the Turkish-Armenian border. Armenia would consequently be brought
out of its isolation and reap the economic benefits of normalized
relations with Turkey and Azerbaijan. For Georgia, economic incentives
and political targets would help improve stability.

Russia, the EU, and Turkey have the opportunity to implement these
initiatives. Russia would not consider this to be detrimental to
its interests, since even Moscow is not in a position to deal with a
new war in the Caucasus. There is no visible U.S. role, apart from
the region’s energy issues, though U.S. support for constructive
diplomatic attempts would certainly provide a good deal of incentive
for the three Caucasian states.

The situation in the Caucasus needs immediate action. To prevent
another regional war, Russia, the EU, and Turkey must address the
situation as soon as possible.

Bulent Aras is the academic adviser to Ahmet Davutoglu, Minister of
Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkey. He also served as director
at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Center for Strategic Research
(SAM), while also serving as chairman at the Diplomacy Academy,
between 2010 and 2013.

This article first appeared in

ONLY 40-50% OF ARMENIAN CONSUMERS AWARE OF THEIR RIGHTS – CONSUMER WATCHDOG

YEREVAN, March 14. / ARKA /. Only 40%-50% of Armenian consumers are
aware of their rights, according to Armen Poghosyan, head of the
Consumers’ Association of Armenia.

Speaking at a news conference today he said although the awareness
of Armenian consumers about their rights rose sufficiently in recent
years, the current level is not sufficient because normally it should
be 80 percent.

According to him, consumers first need to know their basic rights and
services to which they can turn to for the protection of their rights.

“Basically, consumer complaints are about poor quality food and
clothing. People have problems when wanting to return low quality
goods,” he said.

He explained that consumers can exercise their right to return or
exchange the purchased goods within 14 days and need also to preserve
cash register receipts as evidence.

He said citizens’ complaints are very often disregarded and the
process of responding to these complaints is not monitored properly.

“I believe that all complaints must be systematized, and the most
serious of them be singled out and addressed,” he said.

At the same time, Poghosyan said that over the past 20 years the
quality of food products and services has improved noticeably and
the personnel in supermarkets, stores and service sector has become
more friendly. According to him, the Association receives about 60
complaints a month. -0-

– See more at:

NEW PLANT TO PRODUCE MEDICAL DEVICES IN ARMENIA

18:16 * 14.03.14

Medical devices – syringes, needles, ampoules and other articles –
will from now on be produced in Armenia.

The Mega Med company has opened a new plant of medical articles in
Yerevan on Friday.

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan attended the opening ceremony.

Armenia’s Minister of Health Derenik Dumanyan told reporters it has
always been his dream that medical devices be produced in Armenia.

“The plant will be of great help to our system, first of all, due to
a lower cost of production. It will fully meet Armenia’s demand and
even more. Jobs will be created here for many of our fellow citizens,”
Minister Dumanyan said.

Armenia’s hospitals will use the new plant’s products, as they will
be much cheaper, with their quality not inferior to that of imported
articles.

General Manager of the new plant Zhirair Hepoyan told Tert.am that
the medical articles produced in Armenia will be cheaper, but it is
drugstores that set the market price.

“If a drugstore sets a high price, we cannot do anything. But I
think home-produced articles will be cheaper that their imported
counterparts. Our products meet the GMP standards, which will allow
us to export them,” Hepoyan said.

The new plant will start supplying its products to Armenia’s market
in the first half of April.

“We plan to monthly produce 14 million syringes, 32 million needles,
14 to 16 million ampoules. Before the end of this May, we plan to
create 400 jobs. At the second stage, another 400 people will be
employed. We need production and mechanical engineers,” he said.

Investments totaling $42m have been made in the new plant, and will
reach $47m when full-scale production process is launched.”

Armenian News – Tert.am