Author: Badalian Vardan

KARABAGH
Le PIB du Karabagh en forte progression

Le PIB du Nagorno-Karabakh est en hausse de 8,4 % dans le premier
quart de cette année comparé à 2011 à 27,4 milliards de drams, selon
une déclaration sur le site officiel du Service National Statistique
de la République du Nagorno-Karabakh (NKR).

Entre janvier et mars 2012 par personne le produit intérieur brut
était de 188 700 drams (474 $). La croissance du PIB a été garantie
par le secteur financier avec une croissance de 5,1%, par le secteur
de communications (+1,2%), par l’administration et les secteurs de la
défense (+0,7%) et par le secteur de la construction (+1,4%).

Selon des données statistiques, le revenu de la population s’est élevé
à 24,5 milliards de drams en hausse de 16,3 % et des dépenses à 23,8
milliards de drams en augmentation de 10,9 % comparé à 2011.

jeudi 23 août 2012,
Stéphane ©armenews.com

L’Orient-Le Jour, Liban
23 aout 2012

Des milliers de Syro-Arméniens se réfugient sur leur terre ancestrale

Selon certaines évaluations, de 60 000 à 100 000 chrétiens originaires
d’Arménie sont établis en Syrie.

« On entendait des tirs et des bombardements toute la nuit », raconte
Yenok Soulahian, qui a fui les combats en Syrie pour se réfugier en
Arménie, la terre de ses ancêtres, comme l’ont fait aussi des milliers
d’autres Syro-Arméniens depuis le début du conflit. « Dieu merci, vous
êtes arrivés sains et saufs ! » disent en larmes des Arméniens venus
accueillir à l’aéroport d’Erevan des proches syro-arméniens en
provenance d’Alep, capitale économique et enjeu crucial du conflit en
Syrie. Les combats s’étant intensifiés ces dernières semaines, les
chrétiens d’origine arménienne ont de plus en plus peur en Syrie : «
Les autorités nous mettaient en garde tout le temps et nous
conseillaient de ne pas quitter nos maisons pour ne pas être tués »,
raconte M. Soulahian.

Plus de 3 000 Syro-Arméniens sont arrivés en Arménie, une ancienne
république soviétique, depuis le début du conflit en Syrie en mars
2011. Cependant, de nombreux réfugiés, comme M. Soulahian, comptent
bien retourner chez eux en Syrie dès que la paix aura été rétablie
dans ce pays. « Fin août, si tout va bien, nous prévoyons de retourner
à Alep pour la rentrée des classes », dit-il, faisant preuve d’un
optimisme qui ne semble pourtant pas de mise.

Selon certaines évaluations, de 60 000 à 100 000 chrétiens originaires
d’Arménie sont établis en Syrie. Il s’agit de descendants de ceux qui
ont fui les massacres d’Arméniens dans l’Empire ottoman au cours de la
Première Guerre mondiale.

Certains réfugiés redoutent des problèmes en Syrie si le président
Bachar el-Assad, dont le gouvernement entretient des relations
amicales avec l’Arménie, est renversé et remplacé par un régime
islamiste. « Cette incertitude nous fait bien sûr très peur. Comment
tout cela va-t-il finir et que va-t-il se passer pour la minorité
chrétienne si Assad s’en va ? » se demande à l’aéroport d’Erevan une
vieille femme en provenance d’Alep, qui refuse de décliner son
identité. D’autres Syro-Arméniens arrivés d’Alep se disent inquiets
pour leurs proches et leurs amis restés sur place. « Nous sommes très
inquiets pour nos proches et pas seulement pour eux, nous sommes aussi
inquiets pour la sécurité de nos voisins arabes. Nous avons vécu
pacifiquement à leurs côtés depuis notre naissance », dit Vrej
Kyurmlian, un bijoutier syro-arménien. « Nous n’avons jamais eu de
problèmes » en Syrie, dit-il.

À Erevan, les autorités ont pris des mesures pour faciliter le retour
des Syro-Arméniens sur leur terre ancestrale, en simplifiant le
processus d’obtention de visa et en leur permettant d’obtenir un
passeport au consulat d’Arménie à Alep. « Jusqu’ici, nous ne pouvons
pas appeler cela un processus de migration de masse. Nombre
d’Arméniens ne veulent pas quitter leurs maisons et leurs entreprises
», assure cependant Firdus Zakarian, un responsable de la commission
du ministère de la Diaspora arménienne, chargée, entre autres, des
Syro-Arméniens. Plus de 3 000 Syro-Arméniens ont déposé une demande
pour obtenir la citoyenneté arménienne au cours des six derniers mois,
signe de l’incertitude grandissante concernant leur avenir en Syrie.
Le ministère de la Diaspora insiste sur le fait que la situation n’est
pas encore critique et qu’aucune évacuation de masse n’est prévue.

« Il n’y a aujourd’hui en Syrie ni hystérie antiarménienne ni réelle
menace pour l’existence à long terme de l’ancienne communauté
arménienne », dit M. Zakarian. Mais « si la situation devient
critique, l’Arménie est prête à assister tous nos compatriotes »,
ajoute-t-il.

(Source : AFP)

Seven Days, Vermont
Aug 22 2012

Cross Cultural: Eyewitness: Philip Hagopian

By Amy Rahn

Philip Hagopian creates paintings that seem like glimpses of a
beautiful, vanished world. His lavish works currently on view at
Salaam on Burlington’s Church Street are painted in bold, unctuous
oils, their settings festooned with woven rugs and patterned draperies
that cascade around exotic women. Hagopian evokes an atmosphere of
mystery and sensuality so palpable that you can almost smell perfume
wafting from censers and hear the rustle of silk. This fluent
brushwork flows from an artist who is passionate about history, family
and painting itself.

Born to an Armenian father and American mother in East Longmeadow,
Mass., Hagopian, now 53, manages to straddle the two lands and
cultures. Accordingly, his paintings combine classical Western
techniques honed at the Art Institute of Boston with the rich
patterns, landscapes and traditions of Armenia.

Hagopian’s exhibit includes figurative works, still lifes, pastoral
scenes set around the high-altitude Lake Sevan in central Armenia and
examples of `multi-dimensionalism,’ a term the artist coined to
describe a mixture of painting and assemblage. Hagopian’s wife, Naira,
often appears in his paintings. In `Above Sevan,’ she stands holding
mounds of blossoms on a grassy hillside dotted with pink, purple and
white flowers. She is also in the works `A Change of Mood’ and
`Gathering Flowers,’ among others.

While Hagopian is primarily a visual artist, he is also an avid
musician who plays the Armenian doumbek (an ancient drum) and guitar.
In 2006, Philip Hagopian made his first trip to Armenia to seek out
other Middle Eastern musicians. While on that trip, he met Naira, who
was working as a translator. The couple moved to Vermont, where
Hagopian has lived on and off for 27 years total, since his parents
brought the family there in the late 1970s.

When Hagopian talks about his life as a painter, his story is marked
by the births of his three children and the choices he has made to
support them, including moving the family to Armenia for the past four
years and taking a businesslike approach to his art making. Each step
of his life seems to pivot on his concern for his parents, wife and
kids.

Hagopian, who recently returned to Morrisville, Vt., admits the
Armenian culture he paints is more traditional than contemporary. His
expansive grasp of the country’s history helps fuel his desire to
celebrate and preserve its unique culture, even as Armenia has
incorporated some of the traditions of bordering nations. Hagopian
calls Armenia the `epicentral crossroads of very ancient trade routes
between far Eastern Asia, India, Africa, the Mediterranean cultures
and, of course, the Middle Eastern neighbors.’ In Hagopian’s
paintings, the sumptuous patterns and colors of the region sweep
across the canvas.

In `Hayuhi Girl,’ a painting displayed in the front window of Salaam,
a woman tilts her face upward, partially obscured by the shadow of a
teal and purple curtain. Her full, red lips and long neck seem
spotlighted in a beam of daylight that illuminates the scene. Golden
coins from a traditional Armenian headdress tumble to her shoulders.
The shimmering discs recall the gilded ornamentation of 20th-century
Austrian painter Gustav Klimt, whom Hagopian cites as an influence on
his work. In another Klimt-like touch of ornate decoration, he has
given the woman several richly beaded necklaces, one with a heavy,
red, rectangular medallion. Swirls and arabesques crisscross her
beaded gown, continuing the dance of line, pattern and color that
animates the work and conjures the richness of Armenian culture.

Hagopian’s `multi-dimensional’ works combine disparate elements such
as intricately carved wooden frames, superbly painted surfaces and
almost dollhouse-like niches, which are recessed several inches into
the paintings and hold objects ranging from talismanic artifacts to
action figures. In these works, illusionistic fragments of ancient
Assyrian reliefs, small replicas of famous paintings and a demure
brass Buddha jostle one another.

In `Cecropia,’ one small niche brings together a green, plastic alien
toy, a nun figurine and a toy monkey. A circular magnifying lens
covers another niche, simultaneously enlarging and distorting its
contents. Foreign coins seem to levitate in yet another niche, while,
near the artwork’s center, an old-fashioned brass lock serves as a
metal frame for – or a doorway into – the small `room’ of the niche.

Hagopian’s heady blend of references deepens the enigma of his works,
though his convoluted musings on history, culture, politics and
religion can sometimes be confounding to the viewer.

After creating art for more than 30 years, Hagopian speaks humbly
about the talent and tenacity required to make a life as an artist. He
compares selling his paintings with a street performer juggling for
coins, yet he also seems proud to have used his considerable skills to
provide for his family.

Inside the colorful quarters of the Salaam store, Hagopian’s bold hues
and mesmerizing patterns are simpatico with the similarly vibrant
clothes. Likewise, his passion for a faraway country seems right at
home in Vermont.

Philip Hagopian’s exhibit remains at Salaam and the Men’s Store in
Burlington through September. philiphagopianarts.com

Examiner.com
Aug 22 2012

New comedy trailer for ‘My Uncle Rafael’ invents more Armenian reality TV stars

There might be enough reality TV shows starring Armenians. In fact,
one could argue that the Kardashians alone have given us one too many.
The new comedy My Uncle Rafael doesn’t seem to think so, as it
revolves around another Armenian clan that decide to have their lives
constantly taped. A trailer for the film has just recently been
released.

In the film, a desperate producer meets a charming, old Armenian uncle
and decides that his old-world, folksy viewpoint is the perfect thing
to connect with viewers and save her career. He is given a chance at
being a kind of live-in Dr. Phil to a white suburban family that’s
falling apart.

View slideshow: My Uncle Rafael poster & recent John Michael Higgins photos

The trailer gives off mixed signals. It makes the film seem like it
could be amusing and enduring, but then it changes from one kind of
comedy to another when the voiceover kicks in. Then it just seems too
quirky for its own good. Check out the trailer and proceed with
caution.

.
My Uncle Rafael opens in D.C. theaters on September 21 in a limited
release. Given that it’s a limited release, E Street Cinema might
house it locally if it opens here at all. The film stars Vahik
Pirhamaei, Anthony Clark, Rachel Blanchard, Joe Lo Truglio, Missi Pyle
and John Michael Higgins.

Hranush Hakobyan: Do not start working with wrong people in order not
to complain later

19:16 22/08/2012 » Society

You shouldn’t work with wrong people or strangers, told the Syrian –
Armenians minister of Armenian Diaspora Hranush Hakobyan during the
meeting over the issues of the Syrian – Armenians in Armenia.

`We have a group of lawyers for those who want to start a business
here. Get advice from them, get acquainted with the tax policy of
Armenia in order not to face problems and not to complain later,’ she
said.

The minister also mentioned that according to the law the companies
which should undergo tax inspections are being aware of it one year
ahead.

Source: Panorama.am

Hurriyet, Turkey
Aug 22 2012

Armenian Americans reach out to parties

ANKARA – Hürriyet Daily News
by Ümit Enginsoy

The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) has called on both
Democratic President Barack Obama and Republican candidate Governor
Mitt Romney to outline their views on issues of special concern to
Armenian American voters, and to hold a formal meeting with the
community’s leadership prior to the November elections, the group has
said.

In a letter sent last week to Obama, ANCA Chairman Ken Hachikian said
the president’s `failure to consult personally’ with representatives
of his Armenian American constituents in addition to breaching a
previous campaign pledge to recognize the `Armenian genocide’ was
`unhealthy for both American democracy and U.S. diplomacy.’

The ANCA’s letter to governor Romney, similarly, called upon the
Republican nominee to spell out his views on Armenian American issues
and to meet personally with the leadership of the Armenian American
community. The ANCA also asked Armenian voters to send their views on
Obama and Romney in e-mails messages.

Obama angered the Armenian American community when he broke his
promise to recognize the `Armenian genocide.’ Romney has not openly
announced his views on the matter, but Paul Ryan, his
vice-presidential candidate, has supported pro-Armenian moves in the
House of Representatives over the past couple of years.

Armenian Americans call the deaths of their kinsmen in the Ottoman
Empire at the end of World War I `genocide,’ while Turkey claims the
number of Armenian deaths is much smaller, with victims including many
Turks and Muslims as well.

August/22/2012

Hurriyet, Turkey
Aug 21 2012

Not that ready for int’l land buyers

ISTANBUL- Hürriyet Daily News
by Servet YeÅ?ilyurt

Real estate firms, along with construction companies, should get ready
to meet varying demands from buyers from 183 countries, who are
declared eligible to acquire land or house in the country, says a
sector professional

Rerecent law easing property sales to foreigners has created much
enthusiasm in the local real estate industry, but buyers may fall out
of love with Turkey if the diversity of foreign demand is not studied.

`[The new property law] is a factor that will seriously contribute to
all of Turkey, particularly the Mediterranean and the Aegean coastal
band. But are we real estate firms ready, and in terms projects
offered?’ said Gürkan AkkuÅ?, a manager at Realty World Turkey, in an
email reply to Hürriyet Daily News questions.

The Turkish real estate sector should cater to the varying demands
from different countries, he said, adding that the sector should
produce appropriate real estate that meets the varying demands of
different cultures.

Language skills not enough
`Are [real estate firms] adequately prepared for what kind of a
residence, say, an Iranian or a Kuwaiti citizen would want? Have we
produced property that suits the citizens of every country? Or have
real estate firms put together portfolios meeting demand? Real estate
firms that are ready to serve such needs and promote themselves in the
countries [where demand comes from] will be the winners,’ he said.

Foreign language skills are not enough to meet the needs of foreign
buyers in Turkey, according to AkkuÅ?. Firms should study the culture
of buyers and sellers and should know how to behave to different
buyers from different cultures and have a good idea of the type of
residence they want.

AkkuÅ? said, however, that construction firms should also ask
themselves the same questions.

A decree listing the countries whose citizens are eligible to acquire
property in Turkey was released on Aug. 6. Citizens of 183 countries
are allowed to acquire fixed property, buildings and land in Turkey,
with the exclusion of some countries such as Armenia.

`The important thing is how quickly the sale process, that is the
[receipt of the] deed and permission process, will be. This not clear
yet. It especially confuses real estate firms,’ AkkuÅ? said.

He said some activity in real estate transactions has been witnessed
in Istanbul and the in the southern provinces, particularly Antalya,
MuÄ?la and Mersin, but those might be transactions that had begun
before and were finalized right after the law was enacted.

Middle Eastern demand
Foreign interest in the Turkish real estate market comes primarily
from Middle Eastern and Turkic countries, said Vehbi Hariri, senior
executive director at CBRE Commercial Real Estate Services Turkey, in
recent phone interview. Russia, Britain and France lead European
countries in terms of real estate demand in Turkey, he added. The
demand is mainly focused in the southern provinces of Turkey, he said.

It is hard to determine how the instability in the Middle East has
affected the Turkish real estate sector due to the summer season and
Ramadan, Gürkan AkkuÅ? said, noting that initial data show that
citizens of Iran, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Azerbaijan have shown more
interest in the local property sector as the code has taken effect.
Property purchases spurred by the new code will be seen in the second
half of the year and in 2013, according to him.

`The situation will be clear starting from September. Actually people
do not want spend their money right now. Both sellers and buyers have
been on hold.’

Commercial market vibrant
As for foreign demand in Turkey’s commercial property market, several
multinationals, mainly from the insurance and banking sectors, are set
to relocate and expand into the Istanbul market over the next 12
months, according to a recent CBRE report.

`Even with the implementation of new projects, supply is unlikely to
meet the projected demand any time soon,’ the report said.

There is interest from all sorts of investors, including sovereign
wealth funds, investment funds and private equity funds in the Turkish
real estate market, according to a report published by Jones Lang
LaSalle, a leading commercial property advisory firm, in July. Retail
remains the priority market for investors, the report, which covered
the first half of the year, said.

MILITARY OK TO BE EASED

ISTANBUL / Hürriyet

Turkey is preparing to lift a procedure that requires the approval of
the General Staff for every land sale to foreigners.

All the military and security zones in the country will be determined
and registered at deed offices as part of a recent joint project by
the General Directorate of Land Registers and the General Staff. This
will allow a quicker sale process as it would remove the red tape of
military permission, which extends the sales period by nearly 15 days.

The project is expected to be finalized in two or three months as a
joint study on mapping land continues, according to officials.

August/21/2012

Today’s Zaman, Turkey
Aug 21 2012

Armenian terrorist group threatens Turkey over Syria

21 August 2012 / TODAY’S ZAMAN, ISTANBUL

The Armenian Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia (ASALA), a
terrorist group that has been largely inactive for the past decades,
has threatened Turkey with unspecified measures over its Syria policy.

`Any military adventurism or any direct or indirect violation of the
security and the social cohesion of the Armenian community of Syria on
the part of Turkey will be met by similar counter-measures,’ the group
said in a statement on Monday.

ASALA is known for terrorist attacks against Turkish targets in Turkey
and a number of countries throughout the 1970s and 1980s. The leftist
group is responsible for the deaths of more than 40 Turkish diplomats
abroad and has been mostly inactive since 1985.

The ASALA statement did not elaborate on measures against Turkey,
which it said has turned into a `threat’ for the stability in the
region.

`The aggressive policy against Iraq’s integrity, the direct military
intervention in the bloody crisis of Syria, the continuation for more
than 20 years of the blockade imposed on Armenia, the conspiratorial
and double-faced policy towards Iran, the non-stopping threats against
the territorial integrity of Greece and Cyprus and the augmenting
coercive measures against the Kurdish people have transformed Turkey
into a center of danger for the stability of the region,’ it said.
`The conspiratorial and hostile policy of the Turkish state against
the neighboring countries reached its peak and has led Turkey in a
total isolation in the whole region.’

Turkey, once a close ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, is now
one of his staunchest critics. Turkey has also been hosting the
opposition Free Syrian Army (FSA) that is seeking to topple the Assad
regime and the political wing of the opposition, the Syrian National
Council.

About 2,000 Syrian Armenians have reportedly fled to Armenia to escape
from the violence besetting Syria since the opposition groups began
the revolt to topple Assad 17 months ago. Syria’s Armenian community,
estimated to number 60,000, is apprehensive about the collapse of the
regime, due to uncertainties as to how the opposition will treat the
issue of the rights of minorities and given their loyalty to the
current secular regime.

The ASALA statement accused the Turkish government of `cherishing
dreams of a revival of the bloodthirsty Ottoman regime’ and said: `We
express our solidarity to all the peoples of the area and we declare
that the Arab people will decide its destiny and shape its future all
alone without the crocodilian tears and hypocritical care of the
Turkish ruling circles.’

Turkey and Armenia have no diplomatic ties and their mutual border has
been closed since 1993. Turkey closed the border in protest of the
Armenian occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh, an Armenian enclave within
Azerbaijan. An initiative in 2009 to normalize bilateral relations
failed after Turkey said normalization depends on resolution of the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

The two countries are also at loggerheads due to a dispute over
history. Armenia claims 1.5 million Armenians were killed in a
systematic genocide campaign in eastern Anatolia during the final
years of the Ottoman Empire, a claim Turkey categorically denies.

Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
Aug 21 2012

Armenian democrat says Russia is sole investor

Russia is the only real investor in Armenia, leader of the Democratic
Party of Armenia Aram Sarkisyan said on August 21, NEWS.am reports.

The official said that any international partnership with Moscow,
including cooperation within the framework of the Eurasian Economic
Community, should be welcome. He added that the US did not bring real
investments to Armenia.

Sarkisyan believes that the industrial potential of Charentsavan
should be restored. Monopolization and corruption are the main threats
to socio-economic improvements, the democrat emphasizes.

The Day Weekly Digest, Ukraine
Aug 21 2012

Iran’s base ingratitude

Moscow threatens to stop supporting Tehran

By Yurii RAIKHEL

Relations between Russia and Iran are strained after Tehran lawsuit
over Moscow’s refusal to deliver S-300 long-range surface-to-air
missile systems.

Under a contract made toward the end of 2007, Russia was to deliver to
Iran five S-300 PMU-1 battalions worth some 800 million dollars. On
September 22, 2010, President Dmitry Medvedev signed the edict `On
Measures to Implement UN Security Council Resolution No. 1929, of June
9, 2010.’ This resolution imposes a `ban on all countries providing
military vehicles, aircraft or warships and missiles or missile
systems and related materiel to Iran.’ Russia returned the
167-million-dollar advance to Iran, but this did not satisfy Tehran.
The Iranian defense ministry and [the state-run company] Aerospace
Industries Organization filed a lawsuit with the International Court
of Arbitration, claiming 4 billion dollars in damages.

In court, Russia will reiterate that it simply had to comply with the
UN SC resolution enforcing sanctions on Iran. When proved that the UN
ban extends to the kind of weapons systems Russia was to deliver to
Iran, its Rusoboronexport government-run arms-dealing company’s
refusal to deliver would be recognized as legally valid, contract
notwithstanding.

Iran wants to argue precisely this clause in court, saying Dmitry
Medvedev’s edict inflicted more rigid sanctions on that country than
those provided for by the UN resolution.

Legally speaking, neither side argues a clear-cut case. Russia is
doing its utmost to persuade Iran to retract the lawsuit, as evidenced
by the talks in Tehran and Moscow, exchanges of views, and careful
pressure being applied on all levels.

Four billion isn’t the point, of course. Although a hefty sum, Moscow
can afford it. The conflict would have been settled somehow or other,
had money been the only point at issue. There are politics, status,
and reputation involved. According to Rajab Safarov, director of the
Center for Modern Iranian Studies (Moscow), what Tehran wants from
Moscow is not money but a renewal of arms exports: `Iran claims the
status of a regional superpower; Russia’s refusal to deliver the SAM
systems, so badly needed by Iran, was regarded as a slap in the face,
in full public view.’

Dr. Vladimir Sazhin, senior research fellow with the Russian Academy
of Sciences’ Institute of Oriental Studies, believes that Russia is
interested in Geneva arbitration hearings: `What we have now is talks
being held between Moscow and Tehran, kept away from the public eye as
much as reasonably possible, aimed at convincing Iran to retract the
lawsuit. One can also hear about Moscow counting on this arbitration
to make the S-300 deliveries to Iran possible afterward, quiet and
effective.’

An option that shouldn’t be shrugged off, even if rated low as
practical. To begin with, Russia is the world’s number-two arms
exporter. Without arbitration hearings, Moscow would sustain a heavy
blow on the international arms market. Both sides know this only too
well. Second, no one in the Kremlin will succumb to psychological
pressure because this is simply impossible, regardless of the source,
be it domestic opposition or foreign forces at play. What causes sour
faces there is the fact that Moscow has always backed up Tehran, using
every opportunity to torpedo international attempts to combat Iran’s
nuclear program. Naturally, the Kremlin regards Tehran’s S-300
delivery lawsuit as base ingratitude.

Kommersant, Russia’s government-run periodical, quotes an
administration source as saying: `We have already made it clear to
Iran that lawsuits are not helping the development of our relations…
but our requests to retract these documents from court went
unnoticed.’ This source also says the Iranian opposition is forcing
the Russian leadership to take countermeasures; that Moscow is
prepared to stop supporting Tehran’s nuclear program: `Prior to the
next session of the six international mediators, we will try to make
our position heard once again by sending a government delegation to
Tehran… And if Iran once again refuses to do so, it will have to sort
out its nuclear issues in the international arena on its own.’
Russia’s Foreign Ministry is said to have instructed the diplomats to
maintain this stand.

In fact, Iran’s leadership appears to have taken a rather strange,
illogical position. Why irritate Moscow, given Iran’s current
diplomatic isolation, with no neutral sides, let alone allies? This
ought to have persuaded Tehran to maintain some relationships with a
powerful Caspian neighbor.

The ayatollahs appear to have their own goals in mind. They seem to
believe that Russia just can’t side with any of Iran’s enemies without
losing face; that Russia’s relationships with the United States, the
West in general, are getting increasingly confrontational, so that, by
confronting Russia, Iran stands a fair chance of emerging as an
independent contestant in this global power play; that Iran will have
to be reckoned with before too long.

There is also the Caspian Sea factor. Moscow and Tehran basically
agree on the Caspian partition idea – and this is rather important for
the Kremlin, considering the area’s strategic significance.

Iran has played into Russia’s hands by supporting Armenia, wrecking
its blockade during the Nagorno-Karabakh war. Something the Kremlin
can’t shrug off.

Tehran is well aware that, if and when Iran joins in the blockade of
Armenia, Moscow will be hard put to support its ally in the South
Caucasus. Should the Moscow-Tehran relationships go from bad to worse,
with the worst consequences surfacing in Armenia, there would be
enough politicians in Yerevan prepared to chart a new political
course, in which case Russia would have no room left in the Caucasus.

The Kremlin is in a very difficult situation, with any rash decision
resulting in disastrous consequences for the kind of policy Moscow has
been waging in regard to this part of the globe. Russia planted the
dragon’s teeth during the armed conflict with Georgia, also during the
Nagorno-Karabakh war.

Both sides are supposed to realize the grim consequences of this
scandal, that they have crossed the line, indeed.

The Iranian Ambassador to Russia told Izvestia that Tehran is looking
to recover 900 million dollars from Russia, not 4 billion dollars as
reported. Ambassador Sajjadi explained the extra 3 billion dollars was
a `punishment for Russia’ that was added by the Geneva Court of
Arbitration `without the knowledge of the Iranian side and against its
will.’ Any lawyer will tell you this could have never happened
legally.

Denis Arkhipov, chief legal consultant with Egorov Puginsky Afanasiev
& Partners, told Kommersant (Moscow) that the judges involved in
arbitration lawsuits are not permitted to make any statements before
the final ruling. Most likely, the Iranian ambassador’s statement was
a kind of diplomatic maneuver, probably the first attempt to find a
way out of what had evolved into as a perfect diplomatic cul-de-sac.

Whatever the outcome of the Moscow-Tehran-S-300-delivery talks, this
will not make the relations between Russia and Iran better.

Who is to blame? The Kremlin, to be sure. They had it coming.