Author: Badalian Vardan

EUROPEAN EXPERT: IN BRUSSELS THEY WILL BE HAPPY TO SEE A BUSINESSMEN REPLACING THE STRANGE AND UNPREDICTABLE GEORGIAN LEADER

arminfo
Wednesday, October 3, 13:25

Washington very easily finds common language with new political
leaders in many countries, and Mubarak and other victims to the
so-called Arab spring are best evidence of that. In addition, U.S.

Ambassador to Tbilisi Richard Norland was among the first diplomats
to recognize the parliamentary elections in Georgia. Director of the
European Center on the Geopolitical Analysis Matteus Piskorski made
such statement in an interview with ArmInfo.

“USA’s role in Georgia will not change at least because Georgia is
still an important transport route of energy products. Now Mikheil
Saakashvili’s supports will surely try to persuade the U.S. that the
winner in the parliamentary elections is not a reliable partner.

However, everything depends on Washington’s plans,” the expert said.

As for the perspectives of Georgia’s European integration after
change of power in hat country, Piskorski said he see no chance for
Georgia to be involved in the European integration process due to
some reasons. Georgia, he said, may hope just for some insignificant
funds as part of the Eastern Partnership Project and implementation
of some infrastructure projects. Ivanishvili’s coming to power will
hardly change much in that area. “Georgia is not a priority for the
EU. After the information campaign about violation of human rights
by the Georgian authorities, in Brussels they will be happy to see a
businessman replacing the strange and unpredictable Geporgian leader,”
the expert said for conclusion.

To recall, Bidzina Ivanishvili’s coalition Georgian Dream that
won the parliamentary elections in Armenia on October 1 will start
consultations for the candidature of the new parliament speaker and the
Cabinet. The bloc received 55% of total votes on party tickets, while
Saakashvili’s party received 40.27%. Ivanishvili’s bloc received 38
single-mandate seats in the parliament, Saakashvili’s party – 35 seats.

EU TO ANNOUNCE ITS OPINION ON STEPANAKERT AIRPORT EXPLOITATION

ARMENPRESS
3 October, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 3, ARMENPRESS: The European Union keeps in the center
of attention the opening issue of the Stepanakert Airport. As reported
by Armenpress, it was announced by the EU Special Representative
for the South Caucasus and Georgia Crisis Philippe Lefort in the
response to the Azerbaijani mass media questions. According to him,
the United Union studied the issue and would announce about its
opinion on the matter.

“Nevertheless, our stand remains the assistance to the OSCE Minsk
Group. Besides, we make an appeal to the both sides not to commit
actions, which would deepen the available problems around the Karabakh
conflict issue”, – said the EU Special Representative for the South
Caucasus and Georgia Crisis Philippe Lefort.

The Airport of Stepanakert was built in 1974 and received flights
mainly from Yerevan and Baku. From 1992 the Airport was idle. In 2008
the construction of the new main building of the Airport was launched,
which is analogous to an eagle with opened wings. Within this period
of time the runway as well has been widened and the peaks of some
hills adjacent to the runway have been evened, so that the reception
of the modern large aircrafts has become possible.

>From the very beginning of the reconstruction and re-equipment works of
the Airport of Stepanakert the Azerbaijani authorities have threatened
that in case of the Airport’s functioning, they would shoot down the
civil airplanes. These announcements made by Azerbaijanis have been
condemned as well by the international community. On October 1 the
Stepanakert Airport got an official operation certificate.

SERZH SARGSYAN HAD NO OTHER WAY
Siranuysh Papyan

Story from Lragir.am News:

Published: 10:24:36 – 03/10/2012

Interview with Stepan Danielyan, chairperson of the Collaboration
for Democracy Centre NGO

Stepan, the parliament approved the motion of the prosecutor general to
strip Vartan Oskanian of immunity which was followed by a statement of
the U.S. embassy expressing concerns over this. Is this a miscalculated
political game?

I think Serzh Sargsyan had no other way. The government~Rs propaganda
machine wanted to instill several ideas in the public. The first is
that they are pro-Western, while Prosperous Armenia is pro-Russian. As
soon as Serzh Sargsyan is not the president, Kocharyan will be one,
which means Sargsyan is the lesser of two evils. But if Oskanian
represented Prosperous Armenia in the presidential elections, these
theses would collapse.

Serzh Sargsyan would be unable to compete with a political figure
like Oskanian. It is also important to understand that the government
has always attached an importance to sham oppositional candidates
but this possibility has expired too. Only force remains, or Serzh
Sargsyan had to retreat prior to the elections because I think the
government can~Rt be removed through elections.

May the upcoming election in Armenia have an unexpected turn, like
the Georgian elections?

There is no similarity with Georgia. With time the society will
appreciate Saakashvili more and he may return one day. It wouldn~Rt be
a surprise to me if Ivanishvili and Saakashvili had some agreement. If
it is true, Georgia has made a leap toward the change of government
through elections. This is a huge progress. You see no similarity
with Armenia. If Kocharyan returns, we should thank Serzh and Tigran
Sargsyans. Under such irresponsible and perhaps even criminal policy,
the only issue of the society is salvation and not development. The
savior can be only the one who would be able to control by force the
state machine which has grown into a criminal gang, as well as the
monopolies. Sargsyans has freed us from the possibility to choose and I
think they will be caught in the trap into which they want to lure us.

So do we replace one brutal system with another?

We don’t change any brutal system, we are in the same system. The
issue of change of system should be discussed thoroughly. This
has nothing in common with the change of government. Those who are
trying to persuade us that there is a fight between the pro-Western
and pro-Russian forces want to deceive us. The fight in Armenia is
among clans, not among different values.

BIDZINA IVANICHVILI, LE MILLIARDAIRE QUI A REALISE SON REVE POLITIQUE
Stephane

armenews.com
mercredi 3 octobre 2012

Fils de mineur devenu milliardaire, l’opposant et probable futur
Premier ministre Bidzina Ivanichvili, 56 ans, qui a remporte les
legislatives en Georgie, a mis sa fortune au service de ses ambitions
politiques et bouleverse la donne politique dans ce petit pays
du Caucase.

En moins d’un an, cet homme reserve et de petite corpulence est parvenu
a federer derrière lui une opposition jusqu’alors très divisee et a
la mener a la victoire : le president Mikheïl Saakchvili a reconnu
mardi sa defaite aux legislatives de la veille.

Classe au 153e rang dans le classement 2012 des milliardaires du
magazine Forbes, avec une fortune estimee a 6,4 milliards de dollars
(cinq milliards d’euros), Bidzina Ivanichvili est l’homme d’affaires
le plus riche de Georgie.

Pendant la campagne, il a annonce qu’il entendait, en cas de victoire
de sa coalition, devenir Premier ministre, une fonction qui va dès
l’an prochain jouir de pouvoirs accrus en raison de changements dans
la Constitution qui reduisent les prerogatives du president.

Mais il a aussi promis qu’il quitterait ce poste au bout de deux ans et
laisserait le gouvernement aux mains de ses allies de la coalition,
suscitant quelques inquietudes sur la stabilite politique a long
terme du pays.

Marie et père de quatre enfants, M. Ivanichvili a bâti sa fortune
en Russie dans le chaos des annees 1990, qui a permis a certains de
s’enrichir grâce aux privatisations de fleurons de l’epoque sovietique,
souvent realisees dans des circonstances opaques.

Avec un partenaire russe, Vitali Malkine, il a commence a vendre des
ordinateurs puis a fonde la Banque de credit russe, tout en achetant
des parts dans des entreprises minières et metallurgiques, qu’il a
revendues ensuite. Aujourd’hui, il investit en Bourse en Europe et
aux Etats-Unis.

Philanthrope, il a depense des centaines de millions de dollars pour
faire restaurer son village natal et plusieurs monuments, theâtres,
musees et ecoles en Georgie. Il a fait construire la plus grande eglise
orthodoxe du pays et a meme achete de nouveaux uniformes pour l’armee.

Cet amateur d’art s’est par ailleurs fait bâtir une immense
residence futuriste a Tbilissi, un bâtiment de verre concu par
l’architecte japonais Shin Takamatsu, qu’il a decore d’oeuvres
d’artistes contemporains tels que Lucian Freud, Damien Hirst ou Roy
Liechtenstein. En 2006, il a achete la toile “Dora Maar au chat”
de Pablo Picasso pour 95 millions de dollars.

Malgre ces largesses, le milliardaire etait relativement inconnu
du grand public avant de faire son entree dans le paysage politique
georgien.

Il a ete l’objet de multiples attaques, ses concurrents l’accusant
notamment d’etre proche du Kremlin. M. Ivanichvili dement et insiste
sur sa volonte de voir la Georgie rejoindre l’Otan et l’Union
europeenne. Il a meme recemment vendu tous ses interets en Russie.

En octobre 2011, il s’est vu retirer la citoyennete georgienne au
motif qu’il ne pouvait pas avoir la double nationalite après avoir
obtenu un passeport francais. M. Ivanichvili, marie a une Francaise,
a vecu en France.

Toutefois, face aux critiques provoquees par cette decision,
le Parlement georgien a adopte une loi autorisant les citoyens de
l’Union Europeenne ayant reside en Georgie a titre permanent durant
les cinq dernières annees a se presenter aux elections.

M. Ivanichvili a ete aussi condamne a des amendes de plusieurs millions
de dollars pour avoir enfreint la loi electorale.

mercredi 3 octobre 2012, Stephane ©armenews.com

FOREIGN MINISTRY DISCUSSES COOPERATION WITH ARMENIA

WAM – Emirates News Agency, UAE
Oct 2 2012

WAM Abu Dhabi, Oct 2nd, 2012 (WAM) — Juma Mubarak Al Junaibi,
Undersecretary Ministry of Foreign Affairs received today here
at his office Gegham GHARIBJANIAN, Ambassador Extraordinary and
Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Armenia to the United Arab Emirates.

The meeting discussed bilateral relations and ways of enhancing
them in various fields for the mutual benefit of the two friendly
countries. They also discussed important issues of common interest.

WAM/ES/AM

ARMENIA IS GOING TO CONTEST THE PARDONING OF A KILLER OFFICER BY AZERBAIJAN IN THE COURT

DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
October 1, 2012 Monday

Source: Nezavisimaya Gazeta, September 27, 2012, p. 6

Yerevan is going to contest the verdict of President of Azerbaijan
Ilham Aliyev about pardoning of officer Ramil Safarov extradited
from Budapest and sentenced to lifelong imprisonment in Hungary for
murder of an Armenian serviceman in the court. This was announced
at a press conference in Yerevan. According to participants of the
press conference, the matters of the format of the lawsuit are being
discussed now (will it be filed by Aik Makuchyan who nearly became
the second victim of Safarov and whom the Hungarian court recognized
as a victim), as well as the court to which it would be filed.

[Translated from Russian]

THREE ARMENIANS ELECTED TO GEORGIAN PARLIAMENT

NEWS.AM
October 02, 2012 | 22:08

YEREVAN.- Three Armenians have been elected to the Georgian parliament,
member of Multinational Georgia public movement Arnold Stepanyan
told Armenian News-NEWS.am. Henzel Mgoyan and Samvel Petrosyan
were elected from the United National Movement in single-member
constituencies. Ruslan Poghosyan was elected by the proportional list
of Ivanishvili-led Georgian Dream opposition bloc.

Henrikh Muradyan, included in the proportional list of the United
National Movement, may also enter the parliament, though he has little
chance. This year’s elections were the most transparent and democratic
elections after 2003, Stepanyan added.

POLICYMIC DAILY ABOUT ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

ARMENPRESS
1 October, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 1, ARMENPRESS: Haykaram Nahapetian referred to the
list of USA president candidates’ promises on Armenian Genocide.

Armenpress reports the original reference

“Ninety-seven years ago, when the wholesale massacre of Armenians was
taking place in Ottoman Turkey, the United States turned to be the
most active supporter of suffering Armenians. Over 130,000 Armenian
orphans were sheltered in American orphanages that were established
in Armenia, Greece, Cyprus and elsewhere. President Woodrow Wilson and
the U.S. Ambassador to Ottoman Turkey Henry Morgenthau were personally
involved in coordinating the aid activities.

The New York Times alone published 145 articles in 1915, describing
the horrors Armenians went through.

Ninety-seven years later, the U.S. Armenian community supported by
the Congressional Armenian Caucus, its friends in various states are
still struggling to finalize the recognition of the Armenian Genocide
by the U.S. government. Contemporary Turkey is a NATO ally, although
some annalists like Daniel Pipes of Middle East Forum or Ariel Cohen
of Heritage Foundation would often claim Turkey is not truly the same
ally anymore. Ankara skillfully uses its geopolitical importance
and various connections in order to resist any attempt of Genocide
recognition by America, Europe or elsewhere. However, 21 countries,
including Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Russia, Switzerland, Sweden,
and others have adopted resolutions labeling the events of 1915 as
Genocide and calling on Turkey to do the same.

Interestingly, the United States, a country that was extremely active
in helping Armenians almost a century ago, today is somehow uncertain.

Ankara and its lobby groups have consequently placed an incredible
pressure on the Administration.

The paradox is that countries like Slovakia, which did not even exist
in 1915, or like Venezuela, widely seen as much less democratic
nowadays, were able to stand up to Turkish pressures and adopt
relevant resolutions about these horrible events and gross violation
of human rights.

A lesser-known fact is that America has in fact recognized the Armenian
Genocide. Forty-three out of 50 states of America at various times
adopted commemorative resolutions on this subject. The House of
Representatives twice (1975 and 1984) adopted genocide resolutions
and President Ronald Reagan qualified the events as genocide in April
1981. However, later on, U.S. policy on this issue became more evasive
resulting in calling back the U.S. ambassador John Evans from Yerevan
for calling the events as genocide in May of 2006. This harsh action
was taken by the administration of Bush junior (although, Bush himself
had promised to recognize the genocide while he was a presidential
candidate in 2000).

The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA), an Armenian lobby
group in Washington, DC, issued a statement calling on presidential
candidates Barack Obama and Mitt Romney to make their position clear
on this and other issues.

Harut Sassounian, President of the United Armenian Fund and a newspaper
publisher from California, a state which hosts the majority of over
one million Armenian Americans, stated: “Pres. Obama has about 30
days to make good on his pledge to recognize the Armenian Genocide.

Otherwise, Armenian Americans will not vote for him for a second term.”

President Obama, as a senator, qualified the events of 1915 as
genocide. As president, he stated, “he hadn’t changed his views.”

“My interest remains the achievement of a full, frank and just
acknowledgment of the facts”, Obama said. However, he did not use the
G–word while in the Oval room, but qualified the events of 1915 as
“Medz Yeghern.” The president has skillful advisers: “Meds Yeghern”
is the Armenian equivalent of genocide, the same way Shoah in Hebrew
stands for the Jewish Holocaust. Barack Obama got pretty close to
doing what in fact already another U.S. president had done about
three decades ago.

 However, the community is waiting for clarifications from the
President. At the end of the day, “Meds Yeghern” is meaningless for
most Americans, and does not have a judicial meaning”.

PROSPEROUS ARMENIA TO INVOLVE PACE MEMBERS IN CIVILITAS CASE

tert.am
02.10.12

Spokesman for the Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP) Tigran Urikhanyan
has clarified the party’s further steps and activities of the PAP
delegation to the CE Parliamentary Assembly (PACE).

With respect to the PAP delegation to PACE, Urikhanyan said that,
according to Secretary of the PAP parliamentary group Naira Zohrabyan,
“no step will ever be made that would affect our country’s reputation.

Our domestic problems must be resolved inside the country.”

The documents concerning Vartan Oskanian and the Civilitas Foundation
the PAP distributed among Armenian MPs will also be distributed
among PACE members for them to consider the issue in its purely
legal aspects.

The PAP Political Council has qualified prosecution of Vartan Oskanian
and the prosecutor general’s petition as completely groundless.

LE VICE PRESIDENT DU BUNDESTAG : IL EST NECESSAIRE QUE LA TURQUIE RECONNAISSE LE GENOCIDE ARMENIEN
Jean Eckian

armenews.com
jeudi 4 octobre 2012

Erevan, 3 octobre, Armenpress : l’Allemagne developpe des relations
avec l’Armenie depuis environ 20 ans. Les relations, qui sont
normales et non problematiques, pourraient etre stimulees dans tous
les domaines. Une contribution plus soutenue des gouvernements dans les
domaines de l’economie et de la sociologie devraient etre envisagee.

C’est ce dont nous avons besoin pout atteindre les objectifs mentionnes
plus haut.

Voila ce qui a ete declare au cours de l’entrevue donnee a Armenpress
par Wolfgang Thierse, le Vice President du Bundestag allemand,

Quelles sont vos impressions après votre visite en Armenie ?

C’est ma première visite en Armenie. C’est un très beau et interessant
pays. Nous avons eu diverses reunions avec le President de la
Republique d’Armenie, les membres du Parlement et du Gouvernement,
ainsi que les chefs de divers partis politiques. C’est une visite
très instructive. Il est tout a fait important que les responsables
politiques de la partie armenienne viennent plus souvent en Allemagne.

Ainsi, les sujets essentiels et la situation du pays deviendront pour
nous plus comprehensibles.

Monsieur Thierse, l’Allemagne a-t-elle l’intention de penaliser la
negation du Genocide armenien comme la France essaie de le faire ?

La position de l’Allemagne est tout a fait claire. Nous condamnons tous
les crimes de ce genre. Dans le cas de l’Armenie, nous avons adopte
une resolution specifique qui doit etre presentee. La condamnation
de tels crimes par l’Allemagne tient un rôle important dans notre
pays. Nous mettons en ~uvre les mesures necessaires pour rappeler
tous les crimes du vingtième siècle. Et ces crimes ont commence avec
les massacres sur les Armeniens.

Pensez-vous que la Turquie devrait suivre l’Allemagne, qui a reconnu
l’Holocauste et reconnu sa propre responsabilite dans le Genocide ?

Certainement, je pense que la Turquie devrait le faire, mais nous ne
pouvons le contrôler ou l’imposer depuis l’exterieur. Il s’agit d’un
processus qui demande de serieux efforts. La connaissance autocritique
|de son passe] devrait s’instaurer dans la societe turque.

L’Allemagne a deja reconnu l’independance du Sud-Soudan et du Kosovo.

Une telle intention existe-t-elle vis-a-vis de l’independance du
Haut-Karabagh ?

Non, il n’y a aucune intention dans ce sens, la solution du conflit
du Haut-Karabagh entre l’Armenie et l’Azerbaïdjan ne peut etre donnee
depuis la lointaine Allemagne. Faire de tels actes ne serait pas
correct de notre part, ce serait surestimer notre pouvoir. L’Europe
s’efforce de resoudre ce conflit avec le soutien du Groupe de Minsk
de l’OSCE. L’Allemagne pourrait peut-etre prendre part a ces efforts
mais je ne pense pas que nous jouions un rôle considerable dans le
processus de cette affaire.

Le monde entier, dont diverses organisations europeennes, condamne
les actes de l’Azerbaïdjan relâchant et traitant en heros national
l’assassin Ramil Safarov. Ne pensez-vous pas qu’il soit necessaire
de passer de la condamnation a des sanctions concrètes comme par
exemple exclure l’Azerbaïdjan des negociations d’Association avec
l’Union Europeenne ?

Je ne pense pas que l’Armenie soit interessee par la deterioration de
ses relations avec l’Azerbaïdjan. Je pense au contraire que l’Armenie
a pour objectif d’etablir la paix. L’attitude envers Ramil Safarov
est scandaleuse. Le monde entier est unanime sur ce point. Il nous
faut realiser que c’est une manifestation de la faiblesse, et non de
la force, du regime azerbaïdjanais. Et l’Armenie devrait elle aussi
comprendre cela.

Mais ne croyez-vous pas que si des sanctions etaient prises, ce
serait une facon d’eviter que tout acte similaire soit commis par
l’Azerbaïdjan ?

Je ne pense pas qu’il soit possible, avec l’adoption de telle ou telle
resolution, d’empecher quiconque de commettre quoi que ce soit s’il
veut le faire.

Après les nombreuses visites en Armenie, avez-vous pu ebaucher des
nouveaux programmes de cooperation economique avec l’Armenie ?

En 2012, les discussions economiques entre l’Armenie et l’Allemagne
seront tenues a Francfort. La clarification des possibilites
d’investissement fait partie du programme de ces discussions ainsi
que les conditions qui devrait etre remplies par l’Armenie pour y
investir, afin de permettre un grand afflux des capitaux allemands.

Nous devrions discuter quels secteurs de l’economie armenienne sont
les plus attractifs pour plus d’investissements. Mais il y a un gros
problème ici, c’est la faiblesse des volumes du marche armenien et
les frontières fermees. La condition la plus grande est pour l’Armenie
un meilleur climat pour les investissements.

Le Vice President du Bundestag allemand, qui se trouve pour la première
fois en Armenie, a visite le Musee-Institut du Genocide armenien,
a pris connaissance des documents et des documentaires prouvant le
Genocide armenien et a signe le livre des invites de marque, declarant
” Nous condamnons le Genocide et exigeons que soit etablie la paix
et la proteges les droits de l’homme “.

jeudi 4 octobre 2012, Jean Eckian ©armenews.com