Author: Baghdasarian Karlen

ARMENIA TO JOIN EAEU WITHOUT KARABAKH: BUT PREZ SARGSYAN EMPHASIZES “SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP”

ANALYSIS | 19.06.14 | 10:13

By SARA KHOJOYAN
ArmeniaNow reporter

The latest of the rare interviews by Armenia’s president, which he
gave to the Public Television on Tuesday, gave rise to fresh criticism
regarding his domestic and foreign policies.

Even though Serzh Sargsyan apparently gave that interview for the
purpose of dispelling some of the concerns lingering in society
by presenting a government viewpoint on a wide range of issues,
it seemed to have raised more questions than provided answers.

One of the main messages of the interview concerned the process of
Armenia’s accession to the Russian-led Customs Union and relations with
the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR) after that. Reaffirming Armenia’s
commitment to joining the Customs Union, the Armenian president
emphasized that he disagrees with the opinion that “the Customs Union
member countries do not want Armenia to join the Customs Union.”

“The Republic of Armenia will be joining the Customs Union within
the borders recognized by itself, just like the Republic of Armenia
acceded to all other international structures for the past 22-23
years,” the Armenian head of state emphasized.

Politician analyst Edward Antinyan says that while the president
continues to insist that Armenia will join the Customs Union, in
reality it is going to join directly the Eurasian Economic Union (EaEU)
in order to avoid the issues that will arise over the fate of the NKR.

“It is another economic union where he will also have to say something
about the borders,” said the analyst, according to zham.am, adding
that now that President Sargsyan says that Nagorno-Karabakh is an
independent state, tomorrow Armenia, as part of the new economic union,
will have to deal with this state in that very format.

“It would be naive to think that we’ll ask for an exception and
they will allow us to have the organic connection that we have had
with Karabakh so far. To put it bluntly, it’s like we have another
guest from the godfather’s side,” said the analyst, stressing that
in that case Kazakhstan and Russia will say that organically they
are connected to some of their neighbors.

“It is not serious, it will become the Eurasian Economic kindergarten,”
Antinyan said.

When in September 2013 Armenia made a decision, which was a surprise
at least to its own people, to change its policy toward European
association and start moving towards the Eurasian Union of Russia,
Belarus and Kazakhstan, some pro-government forces in Yerevan
said that Brussels was not giving any guarantees in connection with
Nagorno-Karabakh, while Russia, a key member in the emerging Eurasian
Union, will support Armenia as a member of the Collective Security
Treaty Organization (CSTO).

The CSTO ideology implies that in the event of a threat to the
security of any of its member country the other countries must show
military support. Clearly, the defense pact also implies some allied
political relations.

But already in late May during a Customs Union summit in Astana,
Kazakhstan’s President Nursultan Nazarbayev cited a letter from
Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev, calling for the admission
of Armenia to the Eurasian Economic Union only within its “United
Nations-recognized borders”, i.e. without Nagorno-Karabakh.

What Sargsyan said on Tuesday, in fact, was in line with the demands
made by President Aliyev and voiced by Nazarbayev. In doing so, though,
the Armenian president stressed the “special relationship” between
the Republic of Armenia and the “second Armenian republic – the NKR”.

From: Baghdasarian

ARMENIA PRESIDENT MEETS WITH GEORGIAN PARLIAMENT SPEAKER

June 18, 2014 | 19:20

YEREVAN. – President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan on Wednesday met with
Speaker of the Georgian Parliament David Usupashvili.

During the meeting a wide range of issues related to cooperation
between the Armenian and Georgian parliaments was discussed. The
parties underscored importance of inter-parliamentary ties for further
development of mutually beneficial cooperation.

Noting importance of the visits, the parties spoke for intensification
of contacts at different levels.

From: Baghdasarian

BBC MAKES FILM ABOUT ARMENIAN DANCER (VIDEO)

20:00 | June 18,2014 | Social

Hayk Hobosyan, the participant and trainer of the unique project
Unlimited implemented by the British Council Armenia was featured in
a film made by BBC. The film was made while Hayk Hobosyan and other
trainers were in London for training within Unlimited project. Hayk
Hobosyan became the winner of Armenia’s version of the ‘So You Think
You Can Dance’ TV show.

From: Baghdasarian

ISRAELI FOREIGN MINISTRY’S DELEGATION VISITS ARMENIAN GENOCIDE MEMORIAL – PHOTOS

June 18, 2014 | 17:23

YEREVAN. – An Israeli foreign ministry’s delegation headed by deputy
director general for Eurasia Anna Azari visited the Armenian Genocide
Memorial.

The Israeli delegation, the part of which were also Ambassador
Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Israel to Armenia Mr. Shmuel
Meirom and Director Iran-Iraq Department, Center for Policy Research
Mr Nissan Amdur, put flowers at the Eternal Fire and honored the
memory of the innocent victims with a minute of silence.

Guests also visited the temporary exhibition of Armenian Genocide
Museum-Institute (AGMI) and got acquainted with the exhibition which
represents the story of the Armenian Genocide, AGMI reported.

From: Baghdasarian

AZERBAIJAN IS WAITING FOR FRENCH PRESIDENT’S FEEDBACK FOR ALIYEV-SARGSYAN MEETING

Lragir.am
Politics – Wednesday, 18 June 2014, 15:36

The Azerbaijani mass media informed that after the meeting with his
Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov in Baku the Azerbaijani foreign
minister Elmar Mammedyarov told reporters that besides bilateral issues
they also dwelt on the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh. In particular,
Mammedyarov spoke about a possible meeting of the presidents of
Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Earlier the meeting was said to be organized by France in Paris.

“The French president Francois Hollande suggested a meeting of the
presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan. we are waiting for an answer
from France on how to organize this meeting,” Mammedyarov said.

– See more at:

From: Baghdasarian

ARMENIAN, GEORGIAN PRESIDENTS TALK BILATERAL, REGIONAL ISSUES

18:52 18.06.2014

The consistent reinforcement of Armenian-Georgian relations is among
the priorities of Armenia’s foreign policy, Armenian President Serzh
Sargsyan said at a joint press conference with his Georgian counterpart
Giorgi Margvelashvili after their meeting in Tbilisi.

“The fragile peace and stability in the South Caucasus is maintained
largely due to the effective and strong cooperation between Armenia and
Georgia. We have always respected each other’s decisions aware that
the primary goal of any of us is the strengthening of the state, and
have rejoiced over this, as Armenia and Georgia are strong together,”
President Sargsyan said.

“The political dialogue is the best impetus for boosting the economic
cooperation. Concrete directions have already been outlined in the
trade relations between the two counties, which include the energy
sector, tourism, manufacturing of agricultural products and others. We
have registered growth in the commodity turnover and I’m sure we have
large unused reserves,” the President added.

During the meeting in Tbilisi, the leaders of the two countries
referred to Armenia’s participation in Eurasian integration processes,
particularly the perspectives of mutually beneficial cooperation with
Georgia in that context.

“I’m confident that by signing the Association Agreement with the EU
on June 27 and becoming part of the Free Trade Agreement, Georgia
will create opportunities for Armenian businessmen, who see their
participation on the European market, to make investments in Georgia,”
he said, adding that in the other hand, Armenia’s accession to the
Customs Union will open perspectives for Georgian partners in the
markets of the CU member states.

As for regional security, the Presidents of the two countries
agree that the comprehensive settlement of conflicts is possible
exceptionally in a peaceful way in line with the principles of
international law.

From: Baghdasarian

ARFD MEMBER CONCERNED OVER THE FACT COUNCIL OF EUROPE IS INDIFFERENCE TO PROBLEM OF PROTECTION OF ARTSAKH PEOPLE’S ELEMENTARY RIGHTS

Wednesday, June 18, 09:12

Head of the ARF Dashnaktsutyun Faction Armen Rustamyan has told the
media about some details of his meeting with PACE Co-Rapporteurs
Axel Fischer and Alan Meale. Rustamyan says that they discussed
the non-coalition parliamentary forces’ demands addressed to the
Government, as well as the constitutional reforms initiated by the
authorities.

“We have pointed out that no reform will be effective without real
changes in the political system. We have substantiated the need
to switch to the parliamentary regime. We have also expressed our
indignation at the fact that the Council of Europe does not support
our demand, i.e. publishing the lists of the citizens who have already
voted”, he says.

Rustamyan adds that the meeting also covered issues related to
Armenia’s decision to join the Eurasian Economic Union, which he says
is explained by the need to ensure Armenia’s security. “We have also
expressed our concern over the fact that the Council of Europe is
indifferent to protection of the elementary rights of Artsakh people.

First and foremost, the matter concerns the problem of communication.

The people visiting Artsakh are inevitably included in Baku’s black
list. The international community should clearly respond to this
policy of Azerbaijan”, says Rustamyan.

The meeting did not cover the tragic March 2008 developments in
Yerevan. The co-rapporteurs discussed the problem of political
prisoners in Armenia. In this context, the PACE representatives said
that according to their information, there are 15 political prisoners
in Armenia.

From: Baghdasarian

PRESIDENT SARGSYAN VISIT PUBLIC TV COMPANY

18:55 17.06.2014

Today, President Serzh Sargsyan visited the Public TV Company of
Armenia, President’s Press Office reported.

The president took a tour of the TV Company, familiarized with the
changes aimed at improving the broadcasting content and raising its
technical quality, the new broadcasting policy, the company’s upcoming
plans and the existing problems.

The Armenian President accompanied by the Chairman of the Council
of Public TV and Radio Company and the Managing Director of the TV
Company toured the broadcasting pavilions, talked to the staff and
familiarized with their working conditions.

At the end of the tour, Serzh Sargsyan held a consultation with
the leadership of the Public TV Company and the representatives
of the creative group. The president praised the Company’s reform
implementation efforts, encouraged the staff and wished the Public
TV Company further successes in carrying out subsequent projects. In
order to reach the expected level, the president stressed the role of
the TV Company in educating a devoted young generation, as well as
the activities targeted at showing educational, cultural, patriotic
and other instructive and useful programs propagating national and
universal values among the public.

The president was also hosted by Arajin Lratvakan electronic
periodical. Serzh Sargsyan familiarized with the working conditions of
the periodical’s employers in the fully-renovated separate building,
visited studies of journalists and technical staff and talked to them.

Later on, the Armenian President was hosted by the Public TV’s
“Hartsazruyts” (Interview) program.

From: Baghdasarian

UN SECURITY COUNCIL DEMANDS INVESTIGATION OF JOURNALISTS’ DEATH IN UKRAINE

08:37 * 18.06.14

The United Nations Security Council adopted a statement Tuesday calling
for an investigation into the death of journalists in Ukraine, the
Voice of Russia reports.

The text of the statement was read out by Russia’s envoy to UN Vitaly
Churkin. “The members of the Security Council encourage a thorough
investigation of all incidents of violence involving journalists. The
members of the Security Council expressed concern about reported
cases of detention and harassment of journalists covering the crisis
in Ukraine,” Churkin said.

According to the statement, the members of the Security Council
expressed deep concerns over multiple detentions and attacks on
journalist on assignment in Ukraine.

The council also expressed condolences to the families of all the media
workers murdered while covering events in the crisis-hit country,
including two Russian journalists who died June 17 and an Italian
journalist killed May 25 together with his Russian interpreter.

Reporter for the state-run VGTRK Russian State Television and Radio
Broadcasting Company television Igor Kornelyuk died Tuesday from wounds
he sustained during a mortar attack near the eastern Ukrainian city
of Luhansk.

The death of his colleague, video engineer Anton Voloshin, was
confirmed later in the day.

Following the incident Russia’s Investigative Committee launched a
criminal investigation into the deadly attack.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko also ordered a thorough
investigation into the death of the Russian reporters.

Armenian News – Tert.am

From: Baghdasarian

SERGE SARGSYAN TO VISIT GEORGIA

Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
June 17 2014

17 June 2014 – 10:20am

President of Armenia Serge Sargsyan is going to officially visit
Georgia on June 18-19th.

After being welcomed at the Presidential Palace, Sargsyan will meet
Georgian President Georgy Margvelashvili and later they will make a
common statement for journalists.

In the evening Sargsyan will meet the chairman of the Georgian
parliament, David Usupashvili. On June 19th the Armenian leader will
talk to Georgian Prime Minister Irakly Garibashvili. Cooperation
between the two countries will be discussed.

From: Baghdasarian