Author: Badalian Vardan

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT PARTICIPATES IN EPP SUMMIT IN VIENNA

17:42 ~U 20.06.13

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan has gone on a working visit to Vienna
to participate in the summit of the European People’s Party (EPP).

The summit is discussing a wide range of issues of political and
economic developments in the European Union (EU) and international
problems.

Economic growth, creation of jobs, economic competition, development
of the EU economic and monetary union and other issues are on the
summit agenda.

The participants will exchange views on structural reforms at the
national level, as well as on the issues related to the EU Eastern
Partnership project.

Armenian News – Tert.am

NAGORNO-KARABAKH FM GIVES INTERVIEW TO FRANCE-24 TV CHANNEL (VIDEO)

20:41 ~U 14.06.13

Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic Karen
Mirzoyan, who was on a visit to France from 10 to 12 June, gave an
interview to France-24 TV channel.

The NKR Foreign Minister answered a range of issues related to the
history of the Karabakh conflict, its current stage and prospects of
settlement, humanitarian issues, the economic situation in Artsakh,
etc.

Introducing the history of the conflict between Azerbaijan and Nagorno
Karabakh, Karen Mirzoyan noted that the movement of 1988 had been a
struggle not only for reunification with Armenia, but also for human
rights, social and economic equality and a secure life. However,
as the Minister noted, the peaceful rallies of the youth, students
and workers were responded by Azerbaijan with Armenian massacres in
Sumgait, Baku, Kirovabad, and other Azerbaijani towns, which were
followed by aggression against proper Nagorno Karabakh.

“Azerbaijan must, first of all, change its stance – it is a country,
which constantly enhances its xenophobia and hatred against everything
Armenian,” Karen Mirzoyan said.

He emphasized that the conflict could not be resolved by force,
as a war would have disastrous consequences for the entire region.

The NKR Foreign Minister also dwelt on the economic situation
in Artsakh, the achievements and prospects of development of the
priority spheres.

Touching upon the humanitarian issues, Minister Mirzoyan focused on
the problem of the Armenian refugees living in Artsakh, who, unlike
the Azerbaijani ones, are deprived of international assistance.

Karen Mirzoyan expressed confidence that sooner or later a peaceful
settlement of the conflict would be reached, which would ensure
the safe development and prosperity of the two independent states –
Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan.

According to the Foreign Minister, the final settlement of the conflict
with Azerbaijan is possible only under the full-fledged participation
of the NKR in the negotiations.

Armenian News – Tert.am

INTERNATIONAL DAY OF REFUGEES: THOUSANDS WHO FLED AZERBAIJAN STILL ENDURE REFUGEE STATUS/CONDITIONS IN ARMENIA

SOCIETY | 20.06.13 | 17:38

Photolure

By Gohar Abrahamian
ArmeniaNow reporter

Hundreds of thousands of refugees displaced from Azerbaijan during the
ethnic purges there in late 1980s-early 1990s and settled in Armenia
still face multiple challenges hindering their full integration
in Armenia.

Refugee Grigory Ayvazyan, leading the Assembly of Azerbaijani Armenians
NGO, told the press on Thursday, International Day of Refugees, that
so far as the Karabakh issue remains unresolved, the refugee issues
cannot be solved either.

“In the logics of the negotiation process there is the provision on
return of refugees, like it or not, however the Azeri side is trying to
push the return of the Azeri refugees only, while the issue has to be
of mutual character, either all can go back, or none,” says Ayvazyan,
adding that they are ready to return to their former settlements,
even to Baku and Sumgait (where the bloodiest pogroms occurred),
if given respective safety guarantees.

During 1988-1991, by various sources, around 450,000-700,000 people
were displaced, the majority of whom lost their property and almost
all belongings.

According to Ayvazyan, today the refugees from Azerbaijan make ten
percent of Armenia’s population, and reside mostly in Ararat, Armavir
and Gegharkunk provinces, in the settlements formerly occupied by
Azerbaijani residents of Armenia. However, he says, they mostly live
in hostel-type buildings void of basic living conditions.

Ayvazyan also says that the refugees are not at all integrated in
the Armenian society, great majority does not have citizenship of
Armenia, only residency permits. But, he believes, they should not
become citizens, in which case they would become the internal matter
of the Republic of Armenia and stop being part of the negotiations
process (the fact that they are is in Armenia’s interest).

Although the refugees have been offered settlement in the disputed
regions of Nagorno Karabakh, Ayvazyan says those lands cannot be
offered as compensation to the Armenian refugees, because they demand
compensation from the Republic of Azerbaijan.

“The liberated lands are not the property of Azerbaijan and
belong to Nagorno Karabakh and its people, that is why we cannot
demand compensation from Nagorno Karabakh for the damage caused by
Azerbaijan,” he says.

ONE MORE SCANDAL: WHERE WAS IRANIAN GAS LOST?

The Iranian Fars agency dwelt on the export of Iranian gas to Armenia.

The agency wrote that around 1.558 billion cubic meters of gas has been
supplied to Armenia which was used to generate and export electricity
to Iran between 2007 and 2012, the National Iranian Gas Company (NIGC)
reported. Note that the rate is 1 cubic meter gas for 3kWh electricity.

But the most interesting thing is the information that Iran exported
a total of 481 million cubic meters of gas to Armenia in 2012.

It was stated during the June 8 discussion on gas price that Armenia
received only 350 million cubic meters of gas from Iran. Discrepancy
is 130 million cubic meters between the Armenian and Iranian data.

The Iranian agency reports that according to the deal with the Armenian
government in 2004, Iran is supposed to export to Armenia 36 billion
cubic meters of gas in 2007-2027. 1/3 of this period has passed but
Armenia received only a small part of the aforementioned amount.

The contract supposes extension of supply period up to five years. In
this case the amount of gas to be imported reached 47 billion cubic
meters.

Pastinfo 14:43 20/06/2013 Story from Lragir.am News:

RUBEN SAFRASTYAN: THE FACT THAT PROTESTORS IN TURKEY ARE NOT AFRAID OF REPRESSIONS MAY TRANSFER TO AZERBAIJAN

Interview of Director of Oriental Studies Institute under Armenian
National Academy of Science Ruben Safrastyan with Arminfo news agency

by David Stepanyan

Thursday, June 20, 14:56

What are the main reasons of unrest in Turkey?

Certainly, the direct reason of unrest in Turkey was a decision
about liquidation of the Gesi Park in the center of Istanbul. The
decision to name the third bridge on Bosporus after Yavuz Sultan
Selim known for suppression of all Shiits and Turkish Alevits, in
particular, also had a certain effect. Prerequisites for the last
unrest in Turkey were accumulating for a long period of time. First
of all, one should separate the displeasure of certain layers of the
Turkish society with the policy conducted by Erdogan’s government in
the sphere of human rights, in particular, freedom of speech. About
100 Turkish journalists are either in prisons or are persecuted. Of
course, this causes displeasure of the society. Another reason of
unrest is displeasure of certain circles of the Istanbul and Ankara
society with the authoritarian person and the ruling ways of Erdogan,
he said and added that the Turkish premier is known for his inability
to listen to advices, and for doing what he wants. I don’t want to give
higher priority to that, however, there is also certain displeasure
with the policy of Turkey’s islamization.

Does it mean that islamization is not the key reason of unrest
in Turkey?

No, it does not. Nevertheless, it would be incorrect to say that
islamization was the main reason of unrest in Turkey, though it
plays some part. One should revise the reasons of unrest only in a
body. The key reason of unrest in all over the country was using of a
huge force by policemen against a small crowd of peaceful ecological
activists at Taksim. The unrest spread in all over the country since
the beginning of June.

Don’t you see tendencies for transferring of the unrest into “the
Turkish spring” similar to the “Arab spring”?

The ongoing unrest in Turkey is not ‘a Turkish spring,’ as Erdogan and
his government came to power in a legal and civilized way all the three
terms. The most organized forces among the Arab spring protesters were
Islamists. Therefore, Islamists have largely come to power as a result
of those protests. In Turkey, the situation is different. Nevertheless,
there is something that connects it with the Arab spring. I mean social
media, social networks, flash mobs that are organized to awaken certain
groups of the population and consolidate them around activists. .

It is not for nothing that Recep Erdogan called Twitter and Facebook
the key enemies of the Turkish public. By data of 2012, 32 out of
36 million Turkish users have Facebook accounts. In this context,
Twitter and Facebook – all that connects the Arab revolutions and
the unrest in Turkey.

By the way, what Turkey does the West need today? And does Erdogan’s
government suit the USA?

The availability of Erdogan’s government in Turkey suits the USA,
first of all, which own any levers of influence at the situation.

Washington is behind Erdogan, as just the AKP (Justice and Development
Party) was ensuring Turkey’s stability. Just Erdogan is, in general,
conducting the policy in the course of the American policy in the
Middle East. I think that just for this reason the USA has already
used its levers with a purpose of localization of the protesting
movement in Turkey. By the way, this a difference of the situation
between Turkey and the “Arab spring.

The opposition blames Erdogan for the attempts to Islamize Turkey
even more. There is a viewpoint according to which today the USA is
also interested in islamization of Turkey…

I would not sex up the interest of the USA in islamization of Turkey
and strengthening of the Sunit vector, taking into consideration
the fact that the USA does not own the levers which would allow
it to seriously promote enhancing of sunizm like a contradiction
to shiizm in Iran. The USA is simply interested in Erdogan like a
geo-political player, which in general is playing according to their
rules. As for Erdogan, he is directly interested in islamization of
Turkey. In fact, a new elite group has come to the power, in which
AKP is just a visible political part. Different muslims groups have
been functioning within the party, which were removed from the power
for a long period of time during the regime of Ataturkists in Turkey.

You said about the role of servicemen…

I think that in the political sense today’s role of servicemen is
nullified. And Erdogan’s policy directed at isolation of servicemen
from policy has brought its fruits.

The participation of Turkey in the events in Syria is considered to
be one of the main reasons of displeasure in the Turkish society. What
do you think?

As for Turkey’s participation in the events in Syria, we can notice
a certain link, but in this context, the displeasure of the Turkish
society finds room in the general displeasure with foreign policy
conducted by Erdogan. We were witnesses of demonstrations against
direct or even indirect participation of Turkey in the civil war in
Syria, in Istanbul and other Turkish towns especially the bordering
ones.

The official Baku has not yet reacted at the processes in Turkey. What
are the reasons of that?

The reason of the close-mouth approach of official Baku towards the
last domestic political processes in Turkey is the fear that Turkish
unrest may transfer to Azerbaijan especially on the threshold of
the presidential election in October. I think that one may expect
such impulses in the domestic political life of Azerbaijan. The
demonstrators in Turkey overcame the most important – the fear of state
and force using. This is for the first time that in Turkey the crowd
did not step back because of force using. And despite everything, the
people are at Taksim. And the absence of fear of force and repressions
may transfer to Azerbaijan and become a serious problem for its
authorities. And the authorities of Baku understand it very well.

Aliyev is again going to run for president and his wife has become
a deputy chairperson of “Ani Azerbaijan” party. This is evidence of
endlessness of the political course of the Aliyevs and Pashayevs…

Actually, there are no signs of changing and everything will
develop the way it used to develop for many years. It is obvious that
everything will develop according to the known scenario drawn out for
many years. And aggressive rhetoric of Baku’s leadership, which is
an indivisible part of their policy, will also continue the same way.

There are just several months before the election. Anyway, the
authorities will still hold out thanks to these slogans for that
period of time.

What are the most possible option of the scenario of further
development of events in Turkey?

I thought that immediately after returning from Africa, Erdogan will
call on his supporters to come to the square, but this did not happen
although there were all the signs for that. It is very much possible
that somebody managed to beguile him out of this spontaneous step,
as in case of an open confrontation between Erdogan’s supporters and
opponents, it will be hard to avoid split of Turkey. Nevertheless,
demonstrations will be held though not so much organized to avoid
clashes. The majority in Turkey are Erdogan’s supporters. For this
reason, he said he can easily gather a million of protestors. For
this reason, I think that the protest movement in Turkey will come
to nothing.

More or less progressive part of the Turkish society gathered at
Taksim. May a problem of the Armenian genocide recognition get a new
impulse at least in these layers of the Turkish society?

It is not ruled out. But stemming from a bitter historical experience,
the Armenians must not forget that the entire history of the Ottoman
empire and Turkey has taught the Armenian people that usually similar
events end in pogroms of the Armenians. At present, a known historian
Taner Akcham and other Turks have arrived from Europe and the USA to
Istanbul to take part in the last events. Akcham together with his
likeminded people have initiated to build a temporary monument to
the victims of the Armenian genocide at Taksim.

But other groups of the protesting movement were “against” it, saying
this may damage the whole movement.

REMNANT OF SAINT STEPHEN TO BE TAKEN TO NAMESAKE CHURCH IN ARMENIAN VILLAGE

June 20, 2013 | 12:49

Sunday is day of pilgrimage to Surb Stepanos (Saint Stephen) Church
of Chknagh village in Armenia’s Aragatsotn Region.

On this occasion, the remnant of Saint Stephen the Protomartyr,
which is kept at the museum of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin,
will be taken to Surb Stepanos Church.

During the Holy Liturgy at the church, the faithful will get an
opportunity to connect with the remnant of the saint and to receive
a blessing.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

WILL ARMENIAN PEACEKEEPERS BE SENT TO MALI?

The Armenian side discussed with Italy the details of the participation
of Armenian peacekeepers in UNIFIL under the Italian command. It
has been stated recently that Armenia agreed to take part in the
operations.

It was also noted that Armenia will send peacekeepers to Africa,
probably to Mali.

Armenian peacekeepers are involved in peacekeeping actions in
Afghanistan, Iraq and Kosovo. As of now, thanks God, we have had no
victims; only an Armenian soldier was injured in Iran. But Mali is
different and Armenia needs to hold public hearings to decide whether
to send our troops to this country.

The violent conflict between the Tuareg and governmental troops
is going on there. The Tuareg fight for autonomy and say they are
discriminated for their white skin. The Islamists are also rampant
in the country, and the French troops are at war with them. France
intends to transfer the peacekeeping functions to the UN. The UN
plans to place in Mali a peacekeeping contingent of 12,000 troops
on the eve of the elections scheduled on July 28. Apparently, the
Armenian peacekeepers will be among them.

11:26 20/06/2013 Story from Lragir.am News:

SYRIAN REBELS REPORTEDLY GET FIRST HEAVY WEAPONS

June 20, 2013 – 13:53 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – The first new heavy weapons have arrived on Syria’s
front lines following President Barack Obama’s decision to put Western
military might behind the official opposition, rebels have told The
Daily Telegraph.

Rebel sources said Russian-made Konkurs anti-tank missiles had been
supplied by America’s key Gulf ally, Saudi Arabia. They have already
been used to destructive effect and may have held up a promised
assault on Aleppo.

A handful of the missiles were already in use and in high demand
after opposition forces looted them from captured bases, The Daily
Telegraph says.

More have now arrived, confirming reports that the White House has
lifted an unofficial embargo on its Gulf allies sending heavy weapons
to the rebels.

Last week, the White House stated it would send military support to
Syria’s opposition after concluding that President Bashar al-Assad’s
forces had used chemical agents against them.

Unlike rocket-propelled grenades, the Konkurs – Contest in English –
can penetrate the Assad’s most advanced tanks, Russian-made T72s.

“We now have supplies from Saudi Arabia,” a rebel source said. “We have
been told more weapons are on their way, even higher-end missiles.”

At the G8 this week Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, condemned
the West’s attempts to send arms to the opposition, even though he
did not rule out fulfilling existing arms contracts with the regime.

Meanwhile, on Syria’s front lines, rebels are already using Russian
missiles to destroy the regime’s Russian tanks.

168 HOURS: FOR NOW, INVESTIGATION SAYS NOTHING ABOUT WHETHER FORMER SYUNIK GOVERNOR’S ARMS ARE LEGAL

11:32 20/06/2013 ” DAILY PRESS

The Investigation Service of Armenian Defense Ministry cannot say
yet whether the arms seized from the home of former Syunik governor
are legal, Mary Sargsyan, senior officer of the Public Relations
Department of the Investigation Service, has told 168 Hours daily.

“An expertise is underway, relevant information is being obtained,
an investigation is being carried out. For this moment, we have
nothing to say,” she added.

Source: Panorama.am

CONFERENCE A L’OCCASION DU 90E ANNIVERSAIRE DU TRAITE DE LAUSANNE

La salle du Conseil communal a Lausanne accueille samedi après-midi
une conference a l’occasion du 90e anniversaire du Traite de Lausanne,
qui scella les frontières de la Turquie moderne. Le depute kurde Altan
Tan et Mithat Sancar, professeur de droit a l’Universite d’Ankara,
seront presents.

Signe le 24 juillet 1923, le Traite de Lausanne a faconne les
frontières du Moyen-Orient. Il a enterre pour longtemps le reve des
Kurdes d’avoir leur propre Etat autonome.

Les intervenants, en provenance de Suisse, de France et de Turquie,
debattront des consequences de ce Traite dans une perspective de
changements en Turquie et au Moyen-Orient. Ils debattront aussi de
l’actualite politique de la Turquie, a annonce l’Association pour le
Fonds Kurde Ismet Cherif Vanly (AFKICV), qui organise la conference.

Ne a Damas, Ismet Cherif Vanly a vecu a Lausanne de 1948 jusqu’a sa
mort en 2011. Il a preside le premier Parlement kurde en exil. Cet
ecrivain, historien et homme d’actions a legue a la Bibliothèque
cantonale et universitaire vaudoise (BCU) un important Fonds – plus
de 3500 documents -, que l’AFKICV entend valoriser.

jeudi 20 juin 2013, Stephane ©armenews.com