Author: Badalian Vardan

LOW BLOW?: ARMENIAN SPORTING COMMUNITY RAPS PRO-GOVERNMENT MP OVER “DISRESPECTFUL” COMMENTS
By Suren Musayelyan

ArmeniaNow
08.10.12 | 10:20

Some of what MP Levon Martirosyan (L) said during a Q&A with Minister
of Sports Hrachya Rostomyan was taken as “disrespectful” attitude by
outstanding representatives of the Armenian sports.

Criticism of the current sports affairs from the mouth of a
pro-government lawmaker in parliament last week did not go down well
with the nation’s famous athletes of the past and present believed to
be patronized by a millionaire businessman whose opposition-leaning
party has been increasingly at odds with the political majority
of late.

During a question-and-answer session with government officials last
Wednesday Levon Martirosyan, an MP with the ruling Republican Party
of Armenia (RPA), spoke about the lack of progress in the sphere
of sports where despite the presence of a nominally non-partisan
minister the major role appears to be still played by the leader of
the Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP), Gagik Tsarukyan, who is also the
head of the National Olympic Committee of Armenia (NOCA).

The PAP has criticized the government in recent months after refusing
to form a new coalition with the RPA and withdrawing its ministers
from the government following the May parliamentary elections.

Tsarukyan, however, did not resign as the NOCA president. The former
world arm-wrestling champion instead personally promised hefty bonuses
to athletes who would win gold medals at last summer’s Olympic Games
in London. Contrary to expectations, most Armenian athletes performed
below average, with Team Armenia earning only one silver and two
bronze medals.

More than three dozen current and former athletes, including Olympic
champions Albert Azaryan, Oksen Mirzoyan, Israel Militosyan, Arsen
Nazaryan and others signed an open letter late last week protesting
the criticism from MP Martirosyan and taking it as a “disrespectful
ridicule” of the sporting community.

“Sportsmen and sportswomen are members of one large sporting family
and they uphold the honor of Armenia in the world. It is due to these
sportsmen and sportswomen that the national anthem of our Homeland
has repeatedly been played on foreign soil and it is due to their
merits that the national flag of Armenia has been raised even in
such hostile countries as Turkey and Azerbaijan,” said the letter,
in turn, calling MP Martirosyan’s “only merit” his being a brother
of popular entertainer Garik Martirosyan, who has made a name for
himself on Russian television in recent years.

“It is outrageous that a person who has absolutely nothing to do
with sports raises questions about sports,” the authors of the letter
concluded.

Meanwhile, in an interview with Aravot daily Martirosyan defended his
integrity and right of being critical, while denying any disrespectful
attitude towards the community of athletes.

“Kudos to the athletes who have won medals. But this is a different
matter… I was simply reacting to the answer of the minister, because
he insisted on progress being made in the sphere he is in charge of.

As a member of parliament and a huge sport fan myself I couldn’t
but disagree with it and this is my opinion,” explained Martirosyan,
voicing doubts that those who had signed the letter even heard his
speech in the National Assembly.

“Otherwise, they wouldn’t have written such a thing,” he added.

PAP and RPA representatives have not yet made public comments on the
matter that some view as another dimension of growing differences
in the relations between the two former allies that are increasingly
positioning themselves on the opposing sides of the political fence
ahead of next year’s presidential ballot.

PAP lawmakers did not attend the Q&A session in question after
deciding to boycott the rest of last week’s four-day proceedings
of the legislature following a controversial vote in the National
Assembly on Tuesday that lifted the parliamentary immunity of PAP
member and former Minister of Foreign Affairs Vartan Oskanian, who
currently faces prosecution on embezzlement charges.

GENS DU VOYAGE : UN SIECLE DE DISCRIMINATIONS 1912-2012

Publie le : 08-10-2012

Info Collectif VAN – – Le Collectif VAN vous
invite a lire cette information publiee sur le site Voyageurs-citoyens.

Voyageurs-citoyens

En 2012 des centaines de milliers de Francais enfermes dans la
categorie des ” gens du voyage ” figurent parmi les citoyens les plus
discrimines de notre pays : ils restent soumis a un statut d’exception,
derogatoire au droit commun et a l’unicite de notre Republique.

Ce regime discriminatoire prend sa source dans la loi promulguee en
1912 sur ” l’exercice des professions ambulantes et la circulation des
nomades “. Cette logique administrative, impulsee par la loi de 1912,
entraînera notamment un episode sombre de notre histoire contemporaine
avec l’internement des nomades et des Tsiganes par l’administration
francaise de 1940 a 1946.

Confinees dans un statut qui n’evoluera que timidement en 1969,
ces populations, aujourd’hui identifiees comme ” gens du voyage “,
une appellation qui n’a d’ailleurs pas de singulier, subissent depuis
cent ans un traitement discriminatoire dans le droit et les politiques
publiques. Les carnets anthropometriques instaures en 1912 ont ete
remplaces par les carnets et livrets de circulations institues par la
loi de 1969. A travers ces documents, differents de ceux qui servent a
identifier les autres citoyens francais, les ” voyageurs ” doivent se
plier a un contrôle assimilable a un regime de ” liberte surveillee “.

La confusion entretenue a tous niveaux entre categorie administrative
et communaute est aujourd’hui encore l’une des principales causes de
la mise a l’ecart des ” gens du voyage ” du debat public. C’est bien la
construction, l’utilisation selective de la categorie ” gens du voyage
“, et en particulier l’entretien d’un flou semantique sur la nature
de cette categorie, qui contribuent a renforcer des representations
stereotypees, disqualifiant continuellement les ” gens du voyage ”
dans les sphères publiques, privees et mediatiques. Rien de surprenant
alors qu’une majorite de Francais considère que les ” gens du voyage
” constituent un groupe a part dans la societe et continue a les
traiter avec mefiance.

Un siècle après la loi de 1912 et plus de 40 ans après celle de 1969,
il est temps de reinterroger en profondeur les fondements et les
consequences actuelles d’une legislation d’exception. Le collectif
d’associations, d’historiens et de citoyens, constitue en 2010, pour la
commemoration de l’internement des Tsiganes pendant la Seconde Guerre
mondiale mène aujourd’hui une campagne d’information sur le statut
discriminatoire des ” gens du voyage ” toujours en vigueur aujourd’hui.

Plus de 40 ans après la promulgation de la loi de 1969, les
associations representatives des Voyageurs et les associations de
defense de leurs droits restent fermement determinees a lutter pour
un plein accès au droit commun et a une citoyennete a part entière.

CONTACT : [email protected]

Lire aussi :

Paris : Une Roma Pride 2012 engagee et festive

Retour a la rubrique

Source/Lien : Voyageurs-citoyens

TURQUIE : LES REBELLES KURDES DEFIENT ANKARA AVEC UNE STRATEGIE DE CHOC
Stephane

armenews.com
lundi 8 octobre 2012

Dans le sud-est de la Turquie, les rebelles kurdes defient Ankara
depuis deux mois avec une nouvelle strategie de choc : l’occupation
et la defense de “zones libres”. La victoire militaire est improbable
mais l’impact psychologique important, estiment les analystes.

Le 23 juillet, le Parti des travailleurs du Kurdistan (PKK), qui
lutte depuis 1984 pour l’independance du sud-est anatolien peuple
en majorite de Kurdes, a annonce une vaste operation de “maîtrise du
terrain” dans les zones montagneuses entourant la localite de Semdinli,
aux confins de l’Irak et de l’Iran.

“L’objectif n’est plus seulement de frapper la partie adverse, c’est
de realiser l’autonomie democratique, de construire l’administration
autonome democratique du peuple kurde”, a declare un des cadres du
PKK, Duran Kalkan, cite par l’agence de presse Firat News, proche
des rebelles.

Depuis, le PKK a revendique la “maîtrise” de trois autres reduits
montagneux, tous situes le long de la frontière avec l’Irak, un pays
dans le nord duquel les rebelles disposent de bases.

Concrètement, la “maîtrise du terrain”, “cela ne veut pas dire que
ces zones sont sous le contrôle total des guerilleros et que les
troupes ont ete chassees”, affirme a l’AFP la deputee Gulten Kisanak,
du Parti pour la paix et la democratie (BDP), pro-kurde.

“Cela veut dire que les troupes sont cantonnes dans leurs casernes et
ne sortent pas pour des operations, parce que la guerilla est la. Ils
(les rebelles) ont le contrôle des routes, effectuent des contrôles
d’identite a des barrages routiers, plantent parfois des drapeaux”,
poursuit-elle.

La plupart des analystes doutent toutefois de la capacite -et de
la volonte- du PKK a defendre durablement ces positions face a la
deuxième armee la plus puissante de l’Otan.

“Pour un groupe comme le PKK, qui dispose d’un nombre limite de
militants armes, il n’est pas possible de defendre physiquement un
territoire, c’est contre nature et contre toute logique”, estime
Nihat Ali Ozcan, specialiste des questions de securite a l’institut
de recherches TEPAV.

Avantage psychologique

——————————————————————————–

Le Premier ministre Recep Tayyip Erdogan a d’ailleurs deja annonce
la defaite du PKK a Semdinli, après le lancement en septembre dans
la region d’une operation impliquant quelque 5.000 militaires.

“La lecon qu’ils ont recue la-bas a ete très lourde”, a declare M.

Erdogan le 26 septembre, evoquant un bilan de 239 rebelles et 144
membres des forces de securite tues depuis le debut de l’annee.

Pour Irfan Aktan, journaliste specialiste de la question kurde, les
operations de l’armee n’ont cependant pas mis fin a la presence du
PKK dans ces zones. “D’après nos informations, ce sont quelque 1.000
militants (du PKK) qui sont arrives dans les campagnes de Semdinli,
Daglica, Cukurca et Yuksekova (province de Hakkari, sud-est). Meme
si 200 ont ete tues, il en reste encore 80%”, affirme M. Aktan.

Surtout, le PKK, en depit des pertes, a marque des points sur le
plan psychologique, ajoute le journaliste : “Il a demontre que s’il
le voulait, il pouvait organiser de très grosses operations”.

Des operations qui ne sont pas restees sans effet sur l’opinion
publique, ce qui etait sans doute l’objectif recherche par les
rebelles, complète M. Ozcan.

“Quand le nombre des pertes s’accroît, ca influe sur l’opinion publique
qui exerce des pressions sur le gouvernement”, affirme l’analyste,
rappelant que dans son discours du 26 septembre, le Premier ministre,
après avoir constate l’echec suppose du PKK, n’en avait pas moins
evoque la possibilite de negociations avec les rebelles.

“Si (des) discussions nous permettent de regler quelque chose,
faisons-le”, avait declare M. Erdogan.

lundi 8 octobre 2012, Stephane ©armenews.com

UN OFFICIER DE L’ARMEE LIBRE MALGRE UNE MENACE D’ATTENTAT A LA BOMBE
Stephane

armenews.com
mardi 9 octobre 2012

Un officier de l’armee, qui avait menace de faire sauter un restaurant
d’Erevan où un de ses collègues avait ete battu a mort, a ete condamne
jeudi a une sentence de prison de quatre mois signifiant qu’il sera
remis en liberte dans moins d’un mois.

Le lieutenant colonel Vartan Samvelian, vice-commandant d’un regiment
de l’armee, avait fait irruption dans le restaurant Harsnakar avec
une grenade a main, un detonateur de bombe et une grande quantite
d’explosifs le 1er juillet. Il a menace de tout faire exploser pour
venger la mort de Vahe Avetian, un medecin de l’armee attaque par le
personnel du restaurant le 17 juin. Avetian est mort a l’hôpital le
29 juin.

Samvelian, 39 ans, s’est livre a la police après des negociations
ayant durees trois heures avec des officiers de la police. Il a ete
par la suite accuse de possession illegale d’armes et de trafic. Les
procureurs n’ont fait aucune mention de la tentative d’attentat a la
bombe pendant son procès devant une cour generale d’Erevan.

Samvelian n’a de meme pas explique pourquoi il est alle au restaurant
cette nuit la. Il a seulement plaide coupable face aux accusations.

” Avec ces munitions je n’ai cause aucun mal a quiconque ou
construction ” a dit Samvelian devant la cour dans ses remarques de
conclusion. ” S’il y a eu des degâts, ils ont ete cause a ma famille
et moi-meme. J’ai perdu ma liberte et mon travail aime “.

Le juge, Armen Vartapetian, a repondu en condamnant l’accuse a quatre
mois dans la prison. Samvelian sera libre le 1er novembre.

VARTAN OSKANIAN OFFICIELLEMENT ACCUSE DE BLANCHIMENT D’ARGENT ET DETOURNEMENT DE FONDS
Gari

armenews.com
mardi 9 octobre 2012

L’ancien ministre armenien des affaires etrangères Vartan Oskanian,
resolument hostile au pouvoir en place a Erevan depuis qu’il a pris
la tete de l’aile dure du Parti Armenie prospère (BHK), anciennement
partenaire du Parti republicain (HHK) du president Serge Sarkissian,
a ete officiellement accuse lundi 8 octobre par le Service de Sûrete
nationale (NSSA) d’Armenie de blanchiment d’argent.

Ce chef d’accusation est tombe après des mois d’une enquete
controversee, qui a attise sur les autorites armeniennes les soupcons
d’arrière-pensees politiques, certains n’hesitant pas a evoquer la
” chasse aux sorcières ” dont serait victime l’ancien chef de la
diplomatie d’Armenie.

Le 6 octobre, V. Oskanian avait ete convoque pour interrogatoire par
le NSSA. Après plusieurs heures d’audition le 8 octobre, il s’est vu
notifier l’acte d’accusation, portant sur des faits de blanchiment
d’argent et de detournements de fonds, concernant notamment un don
d’un montant de 1,4 million de dollars verse en 2010 a son organisation
caritative, la Civilitas Foundation, par l’homme d’affaires americain
Jon Huntsman Sr.

Selon l’avocat de M. Oskanian, Tigrane Atanesian, l’ancien ministre des
affaires etrangères aurait ete accuse d’une part de “malversations et
detournement de fonds” et d’autre part de ” legalisation de revenus
percus de facon delicteueuse “, selon le Code penal armenien. S’il
est reconnu coupable des faits qui lui sont reproches, il encourt des
sanctions graves, pouvant aller jusqu’a 12 annees d’emprisonnement et
de très fortes amendes. “J’ai ete convoque dans les bureau du service
de la Sûrete nationale pour y etre accuse de blanchiment d’argent et
de detournement de fonds. A ce stade, l’opinion publique comme les
protagonistes de cette affaire savent pertinemment que l’accusation
d’appropriation illegale de ces fonds qui est portee contre moi est
absurde. Je repondrai au NSSA pour la seule raison que la loi l’exige
; neanmoins, je ne ferai aucun temoignage” et encore moins d’aveux,
avait declare M. Oskanian avant de penetrer dans l’immeuble abritant
le siège du NSS a Erevan.

Il avait par ailleurs exprime sa reconnaissance a ses partisans qui
ont lance une campagne de petitions en sa faveur. M.Oskanian avait ete
appele a temoigne au titre de suspect dans cette affaire, mais il a
refuse de repondre aux questions des enqueteurs. M. Oskanian avait fait
son entree au Parlement a la faveur des elections legislatives de mai,
auxquelles il se presentait en deuxième position sur les listes du BHK.

La semaine dernière, le Parlement, domine par le HHK, avait vote
la levee de son immunite parlementaire, ouvrant ainsi la voie a la
procedure judiciaire intentee contre lui. Il n’a cesse de clamer
que l’enquete diligentee contre lui etait politiquement motive et
s’inscrivait dans le cadre des efforts de l’appareil executif dirige
par le president Sarkissian en vue de faire taire ses critiques
devenues trop insistantes a l’encontre du pouvoir en place. Le NSSS
n’a toutefois pas pris de disposition en vue de limiter la liberte
de mouvement et d’expression de M. Oskanian.

La semaine dernière, l’ancien president Robert Kotcharian, dont M.

Oskanian avait ete le loyal ministre des affaires etrangères, avait
ouvertement critique les procedures engagees contre lui. Depuis plus
d’un an, le divorce entre le BHK et le HHK ; consomme au lendemain
des legislatives et dont M. Oskanian, qui avait rallie peu avant le
parti de l’homme d’affaires Gaguik Tsaghoiukian, avait ete l’un des
plus ardents avocats, avait aliemnte les speculations dans les media
armeniens concernant un pacte scelle entre le BHK et R. Kotcharian,
qui pourrait briguer un troisième mandat lors des presidentielles
de fevrier 2013. Les demelees de V. Oskanian prennent l’allure d’une
affaire d’Etat bien embarassante pour les autorites armeniennes, après
l’episode fort prejudiciable pour leur image des procès politiques
consecutifs aux elections de 2008, et considere comme clos après
l’amnistie de 2011.

L’ambassade des Etats-Unis a Erevan n’est pas restee indifferente
face a une affaire qui met en cause un ancien ministre issu de la
communaute armenienne des Etats-Unis. Elle a adresse une mise en
garde la semaine dernière aux autorites armeniennes, en exprimant
“l’espoir que cette affaire ne cache pas des motivations politiques
et n’illustre pas une interpretation selective de la legislation
armenienne, ce qui contrarierait les efforts visant a promouvoir
une plus grande transparence et une reforme de la sphère juridique,
judiciaire et legislative en Armenie”…

The Budapest Times, Hungaria
Oct 7 2012

PM defends transfer of axe murderer

Ombudsman renews request for documents on repatriation of Ramir Safarov

Posted on 07 October 2012

The decision to repatriate the convicted murderer of an Armenian
soldier to Azerbaijan was the correct one, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán
told Parliament on Monday. The handover of Ramir Safarov ` who was
pardoned and feted as a national hero upon his return to Baku `
sparked an international diplomatic incident at the end of August and
prompted Armenia to sever ties with Hungary.

Safarov had been serving a 30-year jail term for using an axe to slay
the soldier in his bed while both were attending a UN-sponsored
language course in Budapest in 2004.
Socialist MP and former foreign minister László Kovács had asked
Orbán to explain why the government had been satisfied with a pledge
by Azerbaijan not to commute Safarov’s sentence, when the country made
no specific pledge not to pardon him.

Hungary’s interest:?PM

Orbán reiterated the government’s position that it acted in line with
international law. `We would have done the same if an Armenian had
killed an Azerbaijani,’ he was quoted as saying by state news agency
MTI. `Hungary should follow its own interests rather than those of
Armenia or Azerbaijan.’

He repeated the government’s denial that any kind of backroom deal
was struck with Baku. The transfer of Safarov meant the tension
between Azerbaijan and Armenia over the disputed territory of
Nagorno-Karabakh was no longer a domestic problem, Orbán said.
`Hungary has got out of it by transferring the Azeri convict. As long
as he was here he caused plenty of conflicts and difficulties, and the
situation would not have changed in the future either.’

Ombudsman wants answers

In related news, the office of Fundamental Rights Ombudsman Máté Szabó
said on Tuesday that the Justice Ministry had not responded within 15
days to a request for information regarding Safarov’s repatriation.
The ministry responded by saying that Justice Minister Tibor
Navracsics had replied promptly to Szabó’s letter of 19 September,
asking the ombudsman to submit an official request for access to
classified documents.

Szabó had noted in his letter that Hungarian law prevents the
repatriation of a convicted criminal in the absence of assurances that
he will serve out the remainder of his sentence. The documents
released by the government as the scandal broke in the days following
Safarov’s release contained no assurances from the Azeri side that the
murderer would not be pardoned, referring only to a clause in the
relevant treaty that prevents the alteration of the sentence.

GPB News
Oct 7 2012

Stateless And Stranded On American Samoa

By NPR Staff

For many of us, no matter where we go, we’ll always have a home. We’ll
always be from somewhere. But what if that somewhere no longer
existed?

That is the strange position in which Mikhail Sebastian finds himself.
Officially, he is from nowhere and has nowhere to go. The 39-year-old
is stateless and stranded on American Samoa, a U.S. territory in the
South Pacific.

Sebastian is an ethnic Armenian born in what is now Azerbaijan, but
back then was part of the Soviet Union. When war broke out in the late
1980s, Sebastian says his aunt was stoned to death and he fled.

He tried to take refuge in Armenia, but couldn’t stay. “Armenia was
overloaded with all the Armenian refugees coming from Azerbaijan,” he
tells weekends on All Things Considered host Guy Raz. “Basically, they
did not recognize you as Armenian if you don’t speak Armenian and you
don’t know your culture.”

He wound up in Turkmenistan, but not for long. Male homosexuality is
outlawed there, and Sebastian is gay.

He made it to the United States in 1995 on a work visa and applied for
political asylum. It was denied, and Sebastian was ordered to leave.
With a Soviet passport that was invalid by then, Mikhail says he had
nowhere to go. So he stayed and eventually was arrested and jailed for
six months.

“When they released me in February 2003, they told me that ‘We know
you are stateless and there is no country in the world that will be
able to take you.'” Sebastian was given a work permit and he built a
life here in the U.S. He took courses in business administration and
travel management, and found a job that he loved, working as a barista
in Los Angeles.

But there was a condition tied to his residency.

“I am a stateless person and I knew I was not allowed to travel
outside the United States,” he says. If he did, he would not be
allowed back in.

Sebastian adores traveling, so he contented himself exploring
far-flung U.S. territories like Guam and Puerto Rico.

Then last December, he decided to take a New Year’s trip.

“I was thinking about other places within the United states that I
never explored before. And it came up to American Samoa,” he says. “I
went to Los Angeles immigration office and I asked them if I will be
able to go to American Samoa, and the guy checked my documents and he
said, ‘You’re okay to go.'”

So Sebastian went and spent a few days sight-seeing and hiking. Then
he says he was advised to see “the other side of Samoa, which is
western Samoa. But at that time I had no idea that western Samoa was
an independent nation.”

Sebastian took a quick flight over and spent a short amount of time
there, then flew back to American Samoa. But when he tried to board a
flight back home to L.A., he was barred. Immigration and Customs
Enforcement said he had self-deported.

“In 2002, an immigration judge with the Department of Justice’s
Executive Office for Immigration Review ordered Sebastian to depart
the United States,” ICE spokeswoman Gillian Christensen said in a
statement. “In December 2011 when Mr. Sebastian traveled to American
Samoa and Samoa, he was prohibited from returning to the United States
due to the immigration judge’s order.”

ICE maintains the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) applies to the
United States and its territories, except for American Samoa, which
has its own immigration system.

So for nearly a year now, Sebastian has been biding his time on an
island that’s about the size of Washington D.C. Local law prevents him
from finding work. He’s staying with a local family and the American
Samoan government gives him $50 a week to get by.

“I come to McDonald’s every day from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. because that is
the only place I can use the wi-fi and to connect to my friends and to
ask for help.”

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has
taken up his case. American Samoa’s delegate to Congress, Eni
Faleomavaega, is asking the Department of Homeland Security to let
Sebastian back into the U.S.

For his part, Sebastian says while it has been tough living in limbo
on the island, he has not given up hope.

“I lived 16 years in the United States and the United States is the
only home and country I know. And I don’t have any other place to go,
I really don’t.”

Navigating the Future: NATO-South Caucasus Partnership September 20, 2012

Valentina M. Gevorgyan:

At the recent Chicago Summit, NATO made sure to prioritize partnerships
on its agenda. The South Caucasus region is one that can greatly benefit
from NATO partnership, especially where security and justice are concerned.
NATO’s efforts in the region should aim at resolving frozen conflicts,
including the Nagorno Karabagh conflict.

In May 2012, more than five dozen delegates gathered in Chicago at the
largest summit in the history of NATO to discuss the challenges of the
transatlantic community. The summit recognized the importance of existing
cooperative frameworks as well as further engagement with multiple
partners. It has become a priority to look at how partner countries
progress in their relationships and deal with significant problems,
especially when they are engaged in conflicts, seemingly unimportant,
irresolvable and thus, frozen.

NATO has been strengthening its partnerships significantly by offering
partner states cooperation in various spheres and providing each with a
range of opportunities corresponding to the countries’ needs. The same
structurehas
been applied to the South Caucasus trio: Armenia, Azerbaijan, and
Georgia, the latter of which remains enthusiastic with aspirations to be
incorporated into the official NATO family. In President Saakashvilli’s
words “there
is no more transformative role [for Georgia] than becoming a member of
NATO.” However, Georgia will need to improve its relations with Russia
first, before it can be considered as transformed and ready for official
membership into the community.

Resolving existing conflicts must be part of world leaders’ agendas,
especially for those who represent military and political alliances and,
more importantly, possess the necessary resources to positively affect
conflicts. The Nagorno Karabagh (NK) conflict is regarded as frozen because
there has been no real resolution progress following the ceasefire of 1994.

Turkey is an important member in NATO; Azerbaijan is an important partner
for Turkey, whereas Armenia’s only true ally in the region is considered to
be Russia, who is engaged in its own misunderstanding with NATO. The chain
of conditions that developed over time hinders the very nature of any
decision making in the region. However, any decision making becomes even
more complicated when one of the parties in a conflict demonstrates open
hatred or zero willingness to negotiate peace and through its actions,
endangers security in the region. The recent deal between Hungary and
Azerbaijan followed by the Azerbaijani president making a national hero out
of a murderer is an example of this
case
.

The sustainable work of the OSCE Minsk Group as a mediator to the NK
conflict has been appreciated in the region. However, the process has led
to what is called “the best way out”, which has since been the proclamation
of the status quo as the best outcome. Today Azerbaijan feels free to show
ignorant hatred toward Armenia and demonstrate zero respect toward all the
parties that have somehow been involved in the age-long NK conflict
resolution process.

The cheap and short-sighted stance of Azerbaijan and the important
involvement of Turkey in NATO should not permit the abovementioned states
to pursue their own policies in their immediate neighbourhood. A powerful
and influential organization should not be about looking at certain
interests of individual states within the alliance but rather subjecting
them to certain pressures if they insist on advocating their own beliefs.

One of the most significant activities that an influential military
organization can partake in is the transformation of the usually long-term
status of a frozen conflict. NATO activities have not been occupied with
mediation but rather with intervention. It is a military and political
organization ready to fight and to defend. But what happens to support and
advocacy in case there are available resources to be enacted for a defined
purpose?

The recent visit of NATO Secretary General to the South Caucasus has
confirmed the importance of partnerships for the Alliance. However, not
addressing an international iniquity will hardly result in advocacy for
better security. Any international error must encounter a greater barrier
of power and influence; most of the time these are important prerequisites
for ensuring security and establishing justice.

It is hard to change history and the geography of countries caught in
potential conflicts, but it is possible to make amendments to the former
and to prioritize the latter, by not renewing conflicts but by generating a
stronger policy that would secure more peace in the region. The determined
involvement of an influential body, for example a transatlantic political
and military alliance, will be essential in contributing to this change and
navigating a better future.

*Valentina M. Gevorgyan holds a master’s degree in Political Science from
the American University of Armenia. She is a member of the Young
Atlanticist Working Group at the Atlantic Council of the United States.
Currently she works at the Turpanjian Center for Policy Analysis as a
researcher.*

**

ANCA-ER EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR VISITS LEGISLATORS IN DC

Armenian Weekly
October 5, 2012

WASHINGTON-On Wednesday, Oct. 3, ANCA Eastern Region Executive
Director Michelle Hagopian communicated the concerns and support of
Eastern Region ANC chapters to legislators on Capitol Hill. She was
in Washington, D.C. all week for ANCA business and meetings with
local community members.

Hagopian with Rep. Jim McGovern “Spending the day on the Hill was a
great way to communicate issues important to Armenian Americans in the
Eastern Region to their legislators. Without these basic connections,
it would be difficult to put faces to names and push forward the Hai
Tahd agenda,” Hagopian said. “The Eastern Region office will schedule
many constituent meetings with legislators in their respective
districts following the November congressional elections.”

ANCA Legislative Affairs Director Raffi Karakashian accompanied
Hagopian on the Hill.

The pair visited the offices of seven Congressional offices in a
day-long session on the Hill, which included five Eastern Region
states: Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Rhode Island.

Offices visited include: Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.), Rep. Nita
Lowey (D-N.Y.-18), Rep. Albio Sires (D-N.J.-13), Rep. Scott Garrett
(R-N.J.-5), Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.-3), Rep. Robert Dold (R-Ill.10),
and Rep. David Cicilline (D-R.I.-1).

Hagopian and Karakashian conveyed the importance of certain issues,
such as Nagorno-Karabagh recognition and Azeri aggression, to
legislators and followed up on action items offices have taken in the
past. They also thanked those members who have cosponsored genocide
or return of churches resolutions.

THEY’RE ALL OSKANIAN

Story from Lragir.am News:

Published: 16:15:08 – 05/10/2012

Head of the Heritage parliamentary group Rubik Hakobyan thinks the
stripping of MPs of immunity has an interesting regularity.

The authorities deprive the oppositional members of parliament of
immunity before or after the presidential elections. As a rule,
exceptionally oppositional members are stripped of immunity, said
Hakobyan during the parliamentary hearings.

Rubik Hakobyan says that it is impossible not to see that Oskanian’s
case was of political nature. If law enforcers could wait for two
years, why they didn’t wait for another five months to launch the
proceedings after the presidential elections, wonders Hakobyan. He
added that what happened is directed only against Vartan Oskanian and
not PAP. Each member of parliament is a potential Vartan Oskanian. We
are all potential Vartan Oskanian.