Author: Badalian Vardan

Armenian elite made a blunder in Karabakh issue

03:32 PM | JUNE 08, 2013 | POLITICS

Political thought in Armenia has appeared in a deplorable situation,
especially in foreign policy issues, says Larisa Alaverdyan, Executive
Director of “Against Legal Arbitrariness” NGO.

Alaverdyan said this in view of Azerbaijan’s policy in the settlement
of the Karabakh conflict.
“The notorious Madrid Principles stipulate that Armenia should
withdraw its troops from the liberated territories. With our passive
and retrieving steps we are thwarting our foreign policy. In the
meantime, Azerbaijan with its aggressive policy is putting into
circulation documents like the Madrid Principle. We should not take
this seriously but we should fight against it,” she said.

Larisa Alaverdyan thinks that Armenia should raise the Karabakh issue
in all international structures as Azerbaijan seizes every opportunity
to receive the required votes in every voting.

“The Karabakh conflict is in an asymmetric state today. As for the
format of the OCSE Minsk Group I have always said that we already have
a great achievement as we have been able to retain peace, even bad
peace, for 15 years. The mediators ascribe the achievement to them;
this is their primary goal,” she said.
Speaking about the policy of Armenia’s three presidents in the
Karabakh issue, Mrs Alaverdyan stressed that during his tenure Robert
Kocharyan extruded Karabakh from the negotiations as a third side.

“He considered himself to be a Karabakh citizen and acted as
Karabakh’s representative in the talks. Without understanding the
seriousness of the matter the Armenian elite made huge blunders in the
process of conflict settlement,” she concluded.

USA
Kerry : La situation au Nagorno-Karabakh est « critique »

Le secrétaire d’Etat américaine John Kerry a accueilli le ministre
arménien des Affaires Etrangères Edouard Nalbandian pour des
entretiens centrés sur l’impasse au sujet du Haut-Karabagh.

Avant leur réunion du 4 Juin, John Kerry a déclaré qu’il était «
essentiel » que toutes les parties redoublent d’efforts pour résoudre
le conflit.

« L’une des questions les plus importantes, évidemment, que nous avons
tous vraiment envie d’essayer de voir résolu un jour est le conflit
gelé du Haut-Karabagh » a déclaré John Kerry.

« Il est essentiel que toutes les parties – et quand je dis« toutes
les parties », je veux dire, évidemment, les Azerbaïdjanais, mais
aussi la Turquie, la Russie, l’Iran et d’autres – d’essayer de trouver
un moyen pour aider à briser l’impasse ».

Edouard Nalbandian a déclaré que les relations entre Erevan et
Washington étaient « aujourd’hui en leur point le plus élevé » et que
les deux parties partagent une vision commune afin de trouver une
solution pacifique au conflit.

« Nous partageons la vision, la même vision, qu’il est important de
poursuivre les efforts pour trouver, en exclusivité, une solution
pacifique au conflit du Haut-Karabagh, fondée sur les principes et
normes du droit international, en particulier le non-usage de la
force, l’autodétermination et l’intégrité territoriale » a déclaré
Edouard Nalbandian.

John Kerry s’était réuni le 3 Juin avec son homologue azerbaïdjanais
Elmar Mammadyarov, où il a cité une possible « voie à suivre » sur le
conflit.

Le leader de l’opposition arménienne Raffi Hovannisian était à
Washington le 3 Juin, où il a dit qu’il a demandé au Département
d’Etat de prendre un rôle plus actif dans la promotion de la
démocratie arménienne.

dimanche 9 juin 2013,
Stéphane ©armenews.com

A defining moment for Turkey as it straddles East and West

editorial

June 07, 2013

SINCE THE Arab Spring revolutions broke out two and half years ago,
many Westerners have held up Turkey as the model for a modern Muslim
nation. But images from Istanbul’s Taksim Square of brutal police
attacks against peaceful demonstrators over the past week are now
threatening to shatter that image.

Hundreds of thousands of people across Turkey took to the streets in
outrage, only to be met by security forces using tear gas, batons, and
water cannons. At least two people have died, and unconfirmed reports
put the injury toll at over 2,000. Physicians on the ground are
accusing police of deliberately harming protesters. Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has largely shrugged off the situation, must
step in to end any continuing violence.

Moreover, the unrest should serve as a wake-up call to Erdogan and his
government, which has been in power since 2003. They must listen
seriously to the demands of the protesters. What began as a small
sit-in to save a city park from being demolished to make room for a
shopping mall has become an eruption of popular discontent – including
from some Erdogan supporters – toward an elected but increasingly
uncompromising leader who has sponsored runaway development,
discouraged political opposition, jailed journalists on questionable
grounds, and attempted to impose a conservative lifestyle on one of
the Muslim world’s more secular societies, including recent
restrictions on alcohol sales and proposed curbs on abortion.

With good reason, the White House has stressed the need to uphold `the
fundamental freedoms of expression, assembly, and association.’ US
Ambassador Francis Ricciardone has emerged as an important advocate
for press freedom in Turkey. But as one of the country’s strongest
allies, the United States should also play a larger role in pressuring
the Erdogan government to respect those democratic values in practice.

Vowing to move forward with the demolition of the park, Erdogan has
unhelpfully blamed the demonstrations on extremists. He has noted that
his party took nearly 50 percent of the vote in the last elections, as
if that statistic validated every policy decision he might make. He
has railed against social media, calling it `the worst menace to
society,’ and clamped down on conventional media more conspicuously
than ever. As the world watched clashes between police and protesters
last weekend, CNN Turk, a leading news network, aired a cooking show
and nature documentaries. On Wednesday, 25 protesters were arrested
for supposedly `spreading untrue information’ on Twitter.

Yet, unlike in Egypt or Tunisia, where long-serving strongmen governed
with little regard to public sentiment, Erdogan can’t just ignore the
message that he’s overreached. Turkey has a history of free elections
going back to 1950. Erdogan cannot run for a third term as premier but
is believed to be staging instead a run for president in 2014. The
current protests show a significant undercurrent of dissent, and
unhappy Turks must be sure their voices are heard at the ballot box.

Colin Jenkins approved as Head of Dilijan International School

11:06 03/06/2013 » EDUCATION

The Board of Trustees of Dilijan International School (DIS) met in
Dilijan on June 3rd, 2013. Before the meeting, members of the Board
visited the building site where the construction of the campus is in
full swing. The author of the architectural project of the school,
British architect and DIS Board of Trustees Member, Tim Flynn (head of
Tim Flynn Architects) gave the Board a tour of the construction site.

Two new members of the Board of Trustees were introduced at the
session – the Chairman of Board of the RD Group, Gagik Adibekyan, and
the Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of the European Bank
for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), Manfred Schepers.

The DIS Board of Trustees approved Colin Jenkins as Head of college.
Previously Jenkins held the headship of UWC Atlantic College in Wales
(Great Britain) and took an active part in the development of UWC
colleges in Maastricht, Singapore and Costa Rica.

Colin Jenkins presented the strategy of teacher and student
recruitment for DIS. The school will open its doors to its first
students in September 2014 and, at full capacity, will be able to
admit 650 students from at least 60 countries. The student admission
process will be organized through the UWC International Office with
its network of over 140 national committees worldwide.

`This June, we hope to pass the next phase of the process of joining
the United World Colleges movement and subsequently become UWC Dilijan
by the end of 2013′, said Veronica Zonabend, cofounder of the project,
and wife of the Russian investment banker Ruben Vardanyan.

DIS’s membership in the United World Colleges (UWC) organisation will
ensure an international student body composition: becoming a full
member of the UWC, the school will be able to admit students from many
countries around the world through the network of UWC national
committees, press service of Dilijan International School reported.

Source: Panorama.am

Governor Will Find Out Why People Emigrate

It is necessary to work towards reducing dissatisfaction of people,
especially in Gyumri where people manifested their dissatisfaction in
latest presidential elections by not voting for Serzh Sargsyan,
Governor of Shirak Felix Tsolakyan told Lragir.am.

He added that he cannot understand why dissatisfaction is linked to the
elections. According to the governor of Shirak, it is a fact that their
region has always had social issues which were aggravated by the 1988
earthquake.

According to Felix Tsolakyan, people will continue to live in wagons in
Gyumri as the number of homeless people is increasing. `Because homeless
people are not only those who lost their houses during the earthquake but
also young families which have no place to live. As to those whose houses
were destroyed by the earthquake, their needs will be met this year,’ said
the governor.

Asked about the rate of emigration from Gyumri which increased during the
past year, Tsolakyan said that he he is going to study and find out why
people emigrate.

17:21 07/06/2013 Story from Lragir.am News:

Interfax, Russia
June 6 2013

Azerbaijani authorities declare Montserrat Caballe persona non grata

BAKU. June 6

World famous opera singer Montserrat Caballe has been declared persona
non grata in Azerbaijan due to the visit to the occupied Azerbaijani
territories.

“We have sent a note of protest to the Spanish side, having explained
the situation, and demanded explanations amid M.Caballe’s visit to the
occupied territories of Azerbaijan. It was stated in the note that
M.Caballe will not get an Azerbaijani visa because she becomes persona
non grata,” the Azerbaijani embassy in Spain told Interfax.

The embassy said that its employees got in touch with Caballe’s
managers in May and informed them of possible consequences of her
visit to Nagorny Karabakh.

“The singer’s managers were informed that it was illegal to visit the
occupied territories of Azerbaijan without Baku’s permission,” the
embassy said. Managers assured that there would not be a concert in
Nagorny Karabakh, the embassy said.
The French embassy in Azerbaijan commented on the fact the French
deputies visited the occupied territories of Azerbaijan last week.
“These are people opposed to the French government. Their actions do
not reflect the official stance of Paris,” the French embassy in Baku
told Interfax.
ez mk

APA, Azerbaijan
June 8 2013

Draft resolution on so-called `Armenian genocide’ registered at
Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada

[ 08 Juny 2013 10:59 ]
Baku. Anakhanum Hidayatova – APA. The draft resolution on the
co-called `Armenian genocide’ has been submitted to the Verkhovna Rada
of Ukraine, says its official website, APA reports.

The draft resolution has already been registered by the Verkhovna Rada.

The report says that the draft resolution was initiated by MPs Arsen
Avakov (Yulia Tymoshenko’s Batkivshchyna (Fatherland) party) and Vilen
Shatvoryan (the ruling Party of Regions).

The draft resolution notes that the Verkhovna Rada recognizes the mass
killing of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire in 1915-1922 as genocide of
the Armenian people and April 24 as a remembrance day of the genocide
victims.

It is still unknown when the draft resolution will be submitted for discussion.

Hurriyet Daily News, Turkey
June 8 2013

Pope’s remarks on mass killings of Armenians could damage ties with
Vatican: Foreign Ministry

ANKARA

Photo: Pope Francis arrives to lead a special audience with students
of Jesuit schools in Paul VI hall at the Vatican June 7. REUTERS photo

The Turkish Foreign Ministry has reacted in a written statement June 8
to Pope Francis’ remarks describing the mass killings of Armenians
during World War I as `the first genocide of the 20th century,’
warning that his stance could damage ties between the two countries.

`What is expected from the Papacy, under the responsibility of its
spiritual office, is to contribute to world peace instead of raising
animosity over historical events,’ the statement read. `The Vatican’s
ambassador was called on June 7, 2013, to the Foreign Ministry and was
told that Pope Francis’ remarks were unacceptable.’

`We have emphasized that Vatican should avoid making steps that could
have irreparable consequences on our ties,’ the statement also said.

Pope Francis described the mass killings of Armenians during World War
I as `the first genocide of the 20th century’ during a meeting with a
delegation led by Patriarch of Cilicia of Armenian Catholics on June
3.

The pope met with members of the delegation and when one of them said
that she was a descendant of genocide victims, he replied, `The first
genocide of the 20th century was that of the Armenians,’ reiterating
his earlier recognition of the mass killings as the `Armenian
Genocide’ while he was the head of the Catholic Church in Buenos Aires
as a cardinal.

In 2006, during events marking the 91st anniversary of the killings in
Buenos Aires, he urged Turkey to recognize `the genocide’ as the
`gravest crime of Ottoman Turkey against the Armenian people and all
of humanity.’

June/08/2013

Interfax, Russia
June 7, 2013 Friday 12:22 PM MSK

Armenian-Turkish relations to improve after Karabakh conflict
settlement – U.S. expert

BAKU. June 7

The European Union and United States made a mistake when, during the
active rapprochement of the Armenian-Turkish relations in 2009, they
took this process out of the Nagorny Karabakh conflict context, former
U.S. Ambassador to Azerbaijan Matthew Brize said.

Settling the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict and mending the
Armenian-Turkish relations are interrelated, Brize said on Friday at
“EU-Azerbaijan: Security and Integration” international conference in
Baku.

Brize said that having progress in one direction would bring progress
in the other and that everything was interrelated.

Armenian-Turkish relations to improve after Karabakh conflict
settlement – U.S. expert (Part 2)

The European Union and United States made a mistake when, during the
active rapprochement of the Armenian-Turkish relations in 2009, they
took this process out of the Nagorny Karabakh conflict context, former
U.S. Ambassador to Azerbaijan Matthew Bryza said.

Settling the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict and mending the
Armenian-Turkish relations are interrelated, Bryza said on Friday at
“EU-Azerbaijan: Security and Integration” international conference in
Baku.

Bryza said that having progress in one direction would bring progress
in the other and that everything was interrelated.

Armenia and Turkey still have no diplomatic ties. The 1915 events in
the Ottoman Empire remain the stumbling block in the Armenian-Turkish
relations. A number of counties have recognized the genocide of
Armenians in Ottoman Turkey in 1915 as a result of which, according to
various data, over 1.5 million people were killed. Armenia wants
Turkey to acknowledge the genocide and Turkey refuses to do so.

Official Ankara demands that the Karabakh conflict is resolved on the
basis of the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.

Defense Minister Ohanyan: “Culture of Impunity has Decreased to a Minimum”

Sona Avagyan
10:16, June 8, 2013

Referring to the recent shooting in the town of Goris, RA Defense
Minister Seyran Ohanyan told reporters yesterday during a trip to the
Armenian border region of Tavoush that there was no `culture of
impunity’ in the country.

`I believe that continuous work has been done in recent years also by
law enforcement at the strict instructions of the president, resulting
in the decrease of such a culture of impunity to minimal levels,’ DM
Ohanyan said.

The minister has condemned the shooting in which RA Military Unit
Commander Artak Boudaghyan was shot and his brother Avetik, a former
candidate for Goris mayor, killed.

Ohanyan visited Boudaghyan in hospital where they had a short
conversation about the incident.