Author: Badalian Vardan

RUSSIA WELCOMES RESUMPTION OF DIRECT CONTACTS BETWEEN ARMENIAN AND AZERBAIJANI LEADERSHIP

APA, Azerbaijan
Dec 2 2013

[ 02 December 2013 23:10 ]

Baku-APA. Russia welcomes restoration of direct contacts between the
leadership of Armenia and Azerbaijan, Vladimir Putin said in Yerevan,
APA reports quoting news.am.

The Russian leader said Karabakh issue was touched upon during the
negotiations with the Armenian leadership, in the context of the
discussion of regional and international challenges.

“You know that I have recently been on a visit to Baku. We also had an
in-depth conversation with Azerbaijani President about the prospects
of the settlement. I am very pleased to note that the meeting, which
was held on November 19 in Vienna, was clearly positive. We hope for
common sense and aspiration for the settlement from both sides. We
will do everything to promote it within the framework of the OSCE
Minsk Group,” Putin added.

GROUP STAGES PROTEST OUTSIDE Ä°STANBUL COURT HEARING DINK CASE

Today’s Zaman, Turkey
Dec 3 2013

3 December 2013 /TODAY’S ZAMAN, Ä°STANBUL

A group of people staged a protest outside an Ä°stanbul court on
Tuesday demanding justice for the 2007 killing of Hrant Dink, the
late editor-in-chief of the Turkish-Armenian weekly Agos.

The protest took place outside the Ä°stanbul Courthouse in Caglayan
while the court was holding a hearing for the Dink trial on Tuesday
afternoon. The group, led by Turkish-Armenian actor and director
Sermiyan Midyat, carried placards that read, “For justice, for Hrant”
and “Murderous state will give an account.”

Speaking to members of press outside the courthouse, Midyat said that
there have been no legal cases trying the public personnel allegedly
involved in Dink’s murder during the whole seven years of the trial.

“Some of those [public personnel] have even been promoted at their
jobs. Those judges who found ‘criminal elements’ in one of Dink’s
articles have all been promoted. And in this trial, which has started
from the beginning for a second time, the guy who pulled the trigger
will probably get punished, but those people who did not prevent him
from murdering Dink will get away,” Midyat said.

He continued, criticizing the ruling government for insisting that
it cannot interfere in the legal case. “However, we all know that
if the ruling government wants to, it can clear all the roadblocks
preventing the case from being brought to justice,” he added.

Erhan Tuncel, who was previously acquitted of all charges related to
the Dink murder, was again arrested in connection with the case last
week. He first held gendarmes responsible for the murder; however,
he changed his testimony at Tuesday’s hearing, claiming that some
people within the police department were responsible for the murder.

Dink was shot and killed in broad daylight on Jan. 19, 2007, by an
ultranationalist teenager outside the offices of his newspaper in
Ä°stanbul. Evidence discovered since then has led to claims that the
murder was linked to the “deep state,” a term used in reference to
a shady group of military and civilian bureaucrats believed to have
links to criminal elements.

The Ä°stanbul court launched the new trial after the Supreme Court
of Appeals in May overturned the court’s Jan. 17, 2012 ruling in
which it dismissed the involvement of an organized criminal network
in the murder.

The prosecutor of the first trial said that the murder was planned
and carried out by the Ergenekon terrorist organization, but the court
denied the existence of organized criminal activity in the murder.

The prosecutor of the Supreme Court of Appeals later said that there
was a terrorist organization involved and that the state should
investigate it.

The 9th Chamber of the Supreme Court of Appeals in May ruled that there
was an organization involved, but said that it was a simple crime ring,
effectively denying that Ergenekon played any role in the murder.

PUTIN IN ARMENIA: A VIEW FROM YEREVAN

Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
Dec 3 2013

3 December 2013 – 10:46am

Susanna Petrosyan, Yerevan. Exclusively to Vestnik Kavkaza

Yesterday’s visit by Vladimir Putin to Armenia resembled an inspection
of the Russian military base in Gyumri, rather than a state visit.

Putin began with a visit to the base, even though previously Russian
top leaders had never left Yerevan during their official visits
to Armenia.

The Armenian experts saw a deep subtext in this – a demonstration of
Russian influence and presence in the Caucasus to the South Caucasus
countries, regional and non-regional states, and leading international
power centers. Probably the visit to the base was a response to all
processes which preceded the Eastern Partnership summit in Vilnius and
a part of the geopolitical competition for influence in the post-Soviet
space. “Russia has never planned to leave the Transcaucasia; we want
to improve our positions in the Transcaucasia, relying of the best
heritage from our ancestors and warm relations with all countries of
the region, including Armenia,” Putin stated during the visit.

The second aspect of the Russian leader’s visit to Armenia was the
question of Armenia joining the Customs Union. The fact that the
Kremlin pays significant attention to the question is confirmed by the
high level of participants of the third Armenian-Russian International
Forum ‘Russia. Armenia. The Customs Union’ which was opened in Gyumri
on December 2nd and continued its work in Yerevan on the next day.

President Putin mostly spoke about Armenia’s accession to the CU. At
the same time, Putin noted that considered the question an independent
choice of the Armenian people, and Russia would do its best to support
the choice.

>From this point of view, two important aspects should be
distinguished: Serge Sargsyan’s statement on Armenia’s desire to join
the CU and implementation of the idea. It is necessary to prepare,
sign, and ratify a lot of documents within the process of joining the
CU. The Armenian parliament has to adopt about 50 laws. Meanwhile,
Armenia’s accession to the CU has no economic effect for Moscow. 40%
foreign investments came to Armenia from Russia. The volume of Russian
investments accumulated in the Armenian economy surpasses $3 billion
today. In 2012 turnover between two countries was only $1.2 billion;
Armenia’s share in Russian foreign turnover is 0.1%. The geopolitical
component plays a leading role again, for example improvement of
Russia’s south direction.

Putin’s visit, which was designed to show friendly and warm relations
between the countries, was spoiled by protests against Armenia’s
membership in the CU, in which several hundred people took part. The
only parliamentary party which stands against Armenia’s accession to
the CU is still Heritage.

SUCCESS OF KARABAKH TALKS DEPENDS ON PARTIES’ RHETORIC – PRESIDENT OF ARMENIA

Interfax, Russia
Dec 2 2013

YEREVAN. Dec 2

The success of the negotiations on Karabakh depends on the reduction
of the level of tension on the line of contact of the Armenian and
Azeri troops, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan said.

“I think it is necessary to reiterate that the success of the
negotiations essentially depends on how we will prepare our peoples
for peace, how we will be able to stop the negative rhetoric and
reduce the tensions on the line of contact,” Sargsyan said at the
Vilnius summit on Friday.

Sargsyan said Armenia and Nagorny Karabakh now refrain from statements
and steps that may destabilize the situation, the Armenian presidential
press service told Interfax.

The president of Armenia also gave positive marks to his meeting with
his Azeri counterpart Ilhom Aliyev in Vienna on November 19.

“Although it is too early to speak about the results, the fact of
the meeting is a positive thing in itself,” Sargsyan said.

ARMENIAN DIASPORA SEEKING RECOGNITION FROM TURKEY

Today’s Zaman (Turkey)
December 1, 2013 Sunday

The head of an Armenian diaspora organization based in France is
seeking recognition from Turkish civil society to overcome problems
between Turkey and Armenia. Speaking to Sunday’s Zaman, Garen
Mikaelyan, the deputy chairperson of the National Congress of Western
Armenians (NCWA), says the main purpose of their organization is to
represent and defend the rights and interests of Western Armenians,
the descendants of citizens of the Ottoman Empire of Armenian origin.

The NCWA, an international nongovernmental organization which was
established during the third Western Armenian Congress, held in Paris
in 2011, is subjected to French laws.

Mikaelyan believes that the role of Turkish civil society as a mediator
is essential to “re-establishing the rights of Western Armenians”
and the organization is trying to initiate continuous dialogue
with different institutions in Turkey. According to him, the ongoing
democratization reforms in Turkey “would create an atmosphere of mutual
understanding as well as the establishment of trust and justice.”

In response to a question about their expectations from Turkey,
Mikaelyan says the Armenian question has three focuses as far as
Turkey is concerned: The establishment of diplomatic relations between
Armenia and Turkey and the opening of borders without preconditions;
the elimination of all forms of discrimination of both Christian
and Muslim Armenian citizens in the Republic of Turkey; and the
recognition by Turkey of the rights of the descendants of Armenians
from the Ottoman Empire currently living outside Turkey and the
restitution of these rights by the Turkish authorities.

In addition to these extensive demands, Mikaelyan is also seeking to
officially register the NCWA as a civil society NGO in Turkey.

“Turkish society must rid itself of the long-lasting prejudice
introduced and encouraged by ultra-nationalist Turkish circles,”
Mikaelyan said, adding that Armenians are portrayed as “enemies of
the Turkish state who allegedly betrayed their country.”

Stating that the contributions of Armenians to the Ottoman Empire are a
“historical fact,” Mikaelyan says the involvement of a few Armenian
organizations in “anti-Ottoman activities does not justify the mass
annihilation and deportation of Armenians.” Mikaelyan believes that
Turkish civil society is ahead of the authorities as far as the
acknowledgment of the “truth” is concerned.

Responding to a question about how they define themselves, Mikaelyan
says, “We consider ourselves the descendants of the people subjected to
annihilation,” noting that the population of Western Armenians around
the world is around 7 million. He says that the grandparents of these
people were admitted as refugees in the Middle East, the Americas,
Europe, Russia and the Republic of Armenia.

Asking Turkey to accept ‘crimes of Young Turks’

When asked about their demands, Mikaelyan says the “issue of
compensation can be raised once the damages caused as a result of
‘Medz Yeghern’ [ ‘Great Tragedy,’ in reference to 1915] have been
identified and quantified.” He adds that NCWA specialists are trying
to gather the necessary data based on political, historical and
judiciary documentation and present quantifiable demands to the
Turkish authorities.

Expecting the Turkish public and the authorities to accept the
“criminal acts of the Young Turks leading to the annihilation of
Armenian Ottomans,” Mikaelyan is also seeking the necessary legislative
changes to “re-establish the loss of rights of their descendants,”
including the rights of citizenship, the right to restitution and/or
compensation for confiscated property and other losses, the cancelation
of laws and decrees referring to “abandoned property” and the right
to return and live in peace and security in their historic homeland
if they so desire.

According to Mikaelyan, after the Hrant Dink murder in 2007, the
democratization process in Turkey created “conditions conducive to
an improved pragmatic and true understanding of 1915.”

As far as the Armenian perceptions of Turks are concerned, Mikaelyan
says “Armenians cannot understand the reasons for the Turkish
authorities not having the courage to condemn the crimes of the
Young Turks.” However, he notes that some Armenians are developing a
“pragmatic and optimistic approach” toward Turkish people. “There
is a slowly emerging belief that the time will come when hate and
animosity will be replaced by mutual tolerance and understanding,”
the president of the NCWA stated, underlining the importance of
dialogue with Turkish civil society.

TURKEY CONNECTS NAKHCHIVAN TO AZERBAIJAN WITH RAILWAY, NATURAL GAS PROJECTS

Today’s Zaman (Turkey)
December 1, 2013 Sunday

Stuck between Iran and Armenia and located far from its national
homeland of Azerbaijan, the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic will be
better connected to Baku thanks to the Turkish rail line that will be
built between Igdir and Nakhchivan and natural gas transfer projects
announced by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

During a joint press conference with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev
in Ankara in November, Erdogan underlined Nakhchivan’s importance to
Turkey and said Ankara will work to improve the country’s difficult
position. He explained about natural gas and railway projects involving
Nakhchivan that are about to commence, stressing that Turkey is
dedicated to the continuation of its plans for the isolated region.

“Nakhchivan is of considerable importance to Turkey. … Natural
gas [transfer] from Igdir to Nakhchivan and constructing a rail
line between Igdir and Nakhchivan [that will be connected to the
Kars-Tbilisi-Baku railway] were also discussed. The research on these
[projects] is beginning,” he said. Erdogan also underlined Turkey’s
commitment to the projects, stating, “We are taking these steps
determinedly.”

One of the projects to improve the autonomous Nakhchivan’s connection
with Azerbaijan is the Kars-Tbilisi-Baku railway, expected to be
completed in 2014. When operational, the railroad will unite the rail
networks of Central Asia, the Caucasus and China with those of Turkey
and Europe, facilitating the movement of cargo between the Asian and
European continents. With an additional rail line from between Igdir
to Nakhchivan, an eastern Turkish city bordering Nakhchivan, the
land-locked region will benefit from the increased economic activity
through Turkey, Georgia and Azerbaijan after the completion of the
main railroad.

The Center for Middle Eastern Studies’ (ORSAM) Eurasia advisor,
Sureyya Yigit, told Sunday’s Zaman that Turkey seemed to display the
importance it places on the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan at
the same press conference.

“Turkey wants Azerbaijan to regain the territories it lost and
re-establish its territorial integrity. And Nakhchivan is a part
of Azerbaijan. The Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway has the potential to
increase economic development in the region. If the railway project is
finalized [with an additional rail line between Igdir and Nakhchivan],
Nakhchivan’s economy will improve considerably. The region will
provide more employment for its citizens and enjoy the increasing
trade activity in the region,” Yigit said.

The territory linking Nakhchivan and Azerbaijan became part of Armenia
under the Soviet leadership of the early 1920s, thus separating
the autonomous region from the rest of Azerbaijan. All railways and
highways connecting the two regions were closed after Azerbaijan and
Armenia fought over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region. Since then,
air travel has been the most frequently used form of transport between
Azerbaijan proper and Nakhchivan.

A land connection between Azerbaijan and Nakhchivan is important
for both sides, as apart from 15-kilometer border with Turkey,
Azerbaijan’s decades-old enemy Armenia and Yerevan’s close ally Iran
enclose most of the autonomous region. Relations between Azerbaijan
and Armenia suffered greatly when they experienced a crisis over the
Nagorno-Karabakh region in the early 1990s, and Nakhchivan is still
affected by the conflict as Karki, an exclave of the autonomous region,
is still under Armenian occupation. Although Baku uses Iran to access
its province, Iran’s stance, which changes according to Tehran’s
interests, jeopardize a strong connection between Baku and Nakhchivan.

Kamer Kasim, vice president of the Ankara-based International
Strategic Research Organization (USAK), said that as Nakhchivan’s
economy is dependent on Turkey, the trilateral connection between
Turkey, Azerbaijan and Nakhchivan will help to decrease the autonomous
region’s isolation.

“The only way out for Nakhchivan is Turkey, in terms of its connection
with Azerbaijan. With the help of Turkey, it will be more connected
to its home country,” he told Sunday’s Zaman, referring to the fact
that among the neighboring countries, Turkey is the only door that
is open to the autonomous region.

Among the topics discussed between Erdogan and Aliyev were steps on
transferring gas from Igdir to Nakhchivan, another project that will
help strengthen the connection between Azerbaijan and its region. In
a display of solidarity with Azerbaijan on the Nakhchivan issue,
Turkey announced in 2010 that it would transport Azerbaijani gas to
Nakhchivan without asking any payment in return.

PUTIN ARRIVES IN ARMENIA TO DISCUSS TRADE, ECONOMY, CULTURE AND HUMANITARIAN AID WITH ARMENIAN PRESIDENT

Voice of Russia
Dec 2 2013

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday is arriving in Armenia on
a state visit. Central streets and squares of the country’s capital
Yerevan are decorated with state tricoloured flags of the two countries
that maintain allied relations.

Russia and Armenia are currently tied by close co-operation in the
political, economic, military and humanitarian spheres.

“The volume, depth and level of allied strategic interaction between
Armenia and Russia speak for themselves, but we can and should achieve
more,” Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian said.

According to him, “such an intensive political dialogue is natural
between countries-allies.”

“Armenia and Russia have signed more than 200 treaties and agreements,
the bilateral regulatory framework is being permanently improved,”
the minister said. “In terms of the trade-economic relations Russia
is our number one partner, half of the total foreign investment in
Armenia is made by Russia.”

“More than 1,300 enterprises with Russian capital work in our country,”
Nalbandian said. “Economic relations in such spheres as communications,
transport, energy, including nuclear energy, information technology,
the mining industry, agriculture are successfully developing.”

“The intergovernmental commission for economic co-operation, the
military-technical co-operation commission, inter-parliamentary
commission are working effectively,” the minister said.

“We pay considerable attention to the development of interregional
contacts: all Armenian regions and more than 70 subjects of the
Russian Federation are involved in this work,” Nalbandian stressed.

The humanitarian relations are on the rise.

“We intend to continue to exert efforts aimed at further raising
efficiency of foreign political coordination,” Nalbandian said. “We
seek to continue fruitful cooperation within the framework of
international organisations based on respect for mutual interests.”

Yerevan has great expectations of the country’s participation in
Eurasian integration. “Armenia is linked with the Customs Union
countries by thousands of threads, one-third of our exports go to
Russia,” Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan said at a plenary meeting
on the parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) in
Strasbourg on October 2.

Putin to pay State visit to Armenia

Russian President Vladimir Putin will pay a State visit to Armenia
on Monday, the Kremlin press service reported.

“The tour will begin with the city of Gyumri where Putin together
with Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan will visit Russian Military
Base 102, and attend a 3rd Russo-Armenian interregional forum,”
a press service official pointed out.

Then Russia-Armenia talks at summit level will be held in Yerevan.

The agenda includes key items concerning bilateral cooperation,
including that in trade-and-economic, cultural-and-humanitarian fields.

“The sides are expected to exchange views on the implementation of
accords reached as a result of Sargsyan’s visit to Moscow on September
3, as well as discuss further steps towards Armenia’s accession to the
Customs Union and the Common Economic Space of Belarus, Kazakhstan,
and Russia,” a Kremlin source pointed out.

A number of joint documents are to be signed as a result of the talks.

PARTICIPANTS OF ANTI-RUSSIAN MARCH IN YEREVAN MARCH UNDER UKRAINIAN FLAGS

Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
Dec 2 2013

2 December 2013 – 4:56pm

Participants of a march against the visit of Russian President
Vladimir Putin to Armenia, opposed to Armenia joining the Customs
Union, marched under Ukrainian flags.

At the moment, the march consists of about 200 people.

The initiative group Arzhanapativ Hayastan (“Honorable Armenia”)
has organized the rally.

Turan Information Agency, Azrbaijan
November 29, 2013 Friday

US company to become owner of biggest cascade of hydraulic power
station in Armenia

Baku/28.11.13/Turan:

Yesterday the Commission for Public Services Regulation approved the
deal to sell state-run closed-type joint stock company (JSC) Vorotan
Cascade hydraulic power station to the daughter company of US Contour
Global, Contour Global Hydro cascade JSC.

The Commission reported that Spandarian hydraulic power station (two
blocs 76 MWt each), Shamb (two blocs 171 Mwt each) and Tatev (three
blocs 157.2 Mwt each) with all infrastructure, which are a part of the
cascade, will be expropriated.

Even with the worn out equipment the cascade generates about 1 billion
KWh of power a year. This makes about 15% of power generated in the
country every year – about 6 billion kwh.

The cascade was the state property, but since 2003 it was removed from
the list of the objects liable to privatization. Once in several years
the Commission has increased cost of power generated by the stations
up to the current 6.8 dram per 1 KWh.

Big power consumers, such as mining enterprises, are located near the
Vorotan cascade and they are isolated from the centre of the republic
by the difficult relief. Being located close to the Iranian border,
the cascade plays a significant role in mutual overflow of power
between Armenia and Iran.

According to the Armenian Ministry of Energy, cost of construction of
1 MWt capacity in Armenia costs $1-1.5 million. Considering this fact,
cost of Vorotan cascade must total as minimum $400 million, which is a
very good source of replenishment of state budget.

Contour Global Hydro cascade company has expressed readiness to invest
$180 million into the cascade. – 0 –

Interfax, Russia
Nov 29 2013

Armenia refuses to initial EU-Armenia Association Agreement due to new
int’l obligations – declaration

YEREVAN. Nov 29

Yerevan considers the Eastern Partnership summit in Vilnius as an
important stage to develop relations with the European Union at more
informed and realistic grounds, Armenian President Serzh Sargsian
said.

“The expectations of this summit are great. We consider it as an
important stage in developing the relations with the EU at more
informed and realistic grounds. Namely in this context we consider the
final document of the summit and the declaration being signed between
Armenia and the EU,” Sargsian said when speaking at the Vilnius summit
on Friday.

The declaration confirms the readiness to give new impetus to reforms
being held in the country, Sargsian’s press office said citing the
president.

“Armenia is decisive regarding continuing institutional reforms, which
are the basis of the relations with the EU. Building Armenia’s
nationhood and enhancing it under the European model is our willful
choice and this process is irreversible. Our main goal is to form
efficient mechanisms with the EU, which, on the one hand, reflect the
deep character of our social, political and economic relations and, on
the other hand, match other cooperation formats,” Sargsian said.

The declaration, signed between Armenia and the EU in Vilnius on
Friday, stipulates that the parties have completed talks on the
Association Agreement and Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area,
however will not initial the document because Armenia has new
international obligations, the Armenian Foreign Ministry press office
told Interfax.

The parties agree that it is necessary to modernize the European
Neighborhood Policy Action Plan between the EU and Armenia, the
declaration said.

At the same time, Armenia and the EU have confirmed obligations to
develop cooperation in improving the court system and democratic
institutions, in stimulating human rights and supremacy of the law,
effective management, enhancing the civil society and refining
investment environment.

The EU and Armenia have emphasized the common aspiration to turn to
bilateral relations on the grounds of existing cooperation frames, the
declaration said.

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