Author: Baghdasarian Karlen

HUMAN RIGHTS WORLD ORGANIZATION CRITICIZED ELECTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDER IN TURKEY

18:06, 10 December, 2012

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 10, ARMENPRESS. Turkish researcher of Human Rights
Watch Organization Emma Sinclair-Webb has criticized the appointment
of Nihat Omeroglu on the position of human rights defender.

“Armenpress” reports that this information is provided by Turkish
“Hurriyet” daily.

As opposed to the decision made by the European Court of Human
Rights, Sinclair-Webb has criticized such a choice of the Turkish
authorities referring to Nihat Omeroghlu’s decision regarding Hrant
Dink’s conviction. The representative of the organization of Human
Rights Research announced: “If the Turkish Government takes the issue
of foundation of human rights defense organization seriously, it has
to reconsider such a step.”

The vice-president of the Democratic-Republican Party Sezgin Tanrikulu,
other party members, journalists, as well as Hrant Dink’s brother
Orhan Dink had earlier demanded that the newly elected human rights
defender to resign.

From: Baghdasarian

UPPER LARS CHECK POINT IS OPEN FOR TRUCKS AND SMALL BUSES

YEREVAN, December 10./ARKA/. Stepantsminda-Lars highway through the
Upper Lars check point, the Russian-Georgian border, is now open
for trucks and 30-seat buses only, Armenia’s Ministry of Emergency
Situations reports on Monday.

As of 14:00, Monday, all roads in Armenia are open for traffic. Some
segments of roads in Armenia are covered with glaze. Communal services
of the republic continue cleaning the highways.

Upper Lars is the only land border crossing that does not go through
Georgia’s Russian-backed breakaway regions of South Ossetia and
Abkhazia. It serves as Armenia’s sole overland route to the former
Soviet states and Europe. -0-

From: Baghdasarian

ABU DHABI HOSTS FUNDRAISER FOR SYRIAN ARMENIANS

December 10, 2012 – 19:07 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Abu Dhabi’s Yas Island Crowne Plaza hotel hosted a
fundraiser Dec 6 as contribution to Outreach to Syrian Armenians fund,
with representatives of RA embassy in UAE present.

In his speech Armenian envoy to UAE Gegham Gharibjanyan briefed
on Armenian authorities’ efforts to lend a helping hand to Syrian
Armenians. In this context, Ambassador Gharibjanyan expressed Armenia’s
concerns over Syria tensions, RA MFA press service reported.

The proceeds from the event were directed to the Outreach to Syrian
Armenians fund.

From: Baghdasarian

AZERBAIJAN AND IRAN PLAN TO CREATE A COMMON ECONOMIC AREA BETWEEN TWO STATES

Azerbaijani ambassador to Iran Javanshir Akhundov and East Azerbaijan
province head Ahmad Alireza Beigi discussed implementing joint
agriculture and animal husbandry projects on the border of two
countries. Azerbaijani media inform about this referring to the
official website of Iran’s interior ministry.

According to the information, the sides also discussed other issues,
such as establishing of a draft plan on joint economic projects.

The plan would be prepared by the Aras Free Zone commission, and will
be signed by the sides in the near future.

By establishing this project, Azerbaijan and Iran plan to create a
common economic area between the two states.

Another theme of talks between the sides was the relations of two
countries in the field of ruban management.

10.12.12, 16:03

From: Baghdasarian

ARMENIA’S UNRESOLVED ISSUES BETTER SEEN FROM OUTSIDE – PM

December 10, 2012 – 16:18 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan met December 8 with
representatives of the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA)
and its sister organizations.

“A number of unsolved problems in Armenia are better seen from aside.

Though people urge for rapid solution to the existing problems,
public discontent points to the vast potential for tangible changes
and progress,” Prime Minister Sargsyan said.

He further briefed those present on the works carried out by RA
government, the reform implementation process and the planned projects.

Prime Minister Sargsyan further answered questions related to
healthcare sector, anti-corruption programs, Nagorno Karabakh conflict
settlement and Syrian Armenians, government’s press service reported.

From: Baghdasarian

KUWAITI AMBASSADOR SUGGESTS OPENING YEREVAN-KUWAIT CITY FLIGHT

arminfo
Monday, December 10, 16:15

During a meeting with Armenia’s Diaspora Minister Hranush Hakobyan
on Monday Ambassador of Kuwait to Armenia Bassam Mohammed Al Qabandi
suggested opening a Yerevan-Kuwait City flight.

He said that the flight would stimulate Armenian-Kuwaiti relations and
would foster tourism. He explained that much fewer Kuwaiti tourists
visited Armenia this year as they prefer going to Lebanon than to
fly for as long as 7-8 hours to Yerevan.

Hakobyan promised to do her best for the flight to be opened soon.

She said that Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan welcomes such
proposals. “Quite recently he agreed with his Turkmen counterpart
to open a flight between Yerevan and Ashgabat. There can be problems
everywhere but there are no problems that cannot be resolved if there
is strong will and persistency,” Hakobyan said.

From: Baghdasarian

ARMENIAN OPPOSITION HOLDS MARCH TO COUNCIL OF EUROPE OFFICE

news.am
December 10, 2012 | 14:00

YEREVAN.- The opposition Armenian National Congress (ANC) bloc is
holding a rally on Monday, Human Rights Day.

Opening the rally, ANC MPs Aram Manukyan and Levon Zurabyan delivered
short speeches.

In his speech, Levon Zurabyan pointed out four crucial problems:
conviction of ANC activist Tigran Arakelyan, government~Rs control over
television broadcasting, lack of investigation into March 1 events,
election bribes and rigging.

The opposition bloc will present the mentioned problems in a written
address to the Council of Europe, he noted.

The demonstrators marched to the Council of Europe office in Yerevan.

ANC leader Levon Ter-Petrosyan is not participating in the rally.

From: Baghdasarian

“VESTI” REFERRED TO ARMAN SAGHATELYAN’S MOVIE ABOUT SYRIAN-ARMENIANS

14:54, 10 December, 2012

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 10, ARMENPRESS. Deputy Director of “PanArmenian Media
Group” Arman Saghatelyan’s movie titled “Syrian Autumn of Arab Spring”
is based upon actual events, which took place in Syria. The movie has
been shot in Syria, the Syrian-Armenians themselves speak about their
feelings and emotions. As reports “Armenpress” the movie is about the
Armenian aid to Aleppo, Armenian districts, Armenian constructions,
which has been ruined during the military hostilities, lifestyle of
people, and all those difficulties they have to face with. At the same
time the heroes of the movie are rather optimistic and keep believing
in their future. They are hopeful that all difficulties will end and
peace will be in Aleppo.

The movie has already been shown on “Armenia” TV Company.

Notwithstanding, Russian “Vesti” also referred to Arman Saghatelyan’s
movie about Syrian Armenians while summing up the events of the week
on December 9. The video material tells about the current situation
in Syria. There were 100 thousands Armenian families living in Syria,
but presently that number has decreased twice. In the video material
“Vesti” shows frames from Arman Saghatelyan’s “Syrian Autumn of Arab
Spring”, where the author tells about the people trying to protect
themselves from snipers and all other difficulties the Syrian-Armenians
are facing with.

From: Baghdasarian

THE MEDIATORS SHOULD HAVE THE COURAGE TO OFFER A NEW APPROACH

DECEMBER 8, 2012 13:13

According to Masis Mayilyan, instead of interpreting the UN Security
Council resolutions with regard to Armenia, Azerbaijan had better
meet the obligations mentioned in the resolutions regarding it.

During a meeting of the OSCE Council of Foreign Ministers that took
place in Dublin on December 6-7, representatives of the OSCE Minsk
Group co-chair countries – Sergey Lavrov, the Minister of Foreign
Affairs, Russian Federation, Hillary Clinton, the US Secretary of
State, and Bernard Cazeneuve, the French Junior Minister for Foreign
Affairs, made a joint statement, which read: “We call upon the parties
to demonstrate a greater sense of urgency in the peace process and
to work with the Co-Chairs to give full and careful consideration
to ideas presented by the Co-Chairs during their trip to the region
in November.”

Aravot asked Masis Mayilyan, the chairman of the Nagorno-Karabakh
Republic public council on foreign policy and security and a former
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, what
new ideas they were talking about, whether the Madrid principles
had been revised and there were new or completed proposals on the
negotiating table today. “On the one hand, the text of the statement
testifies to the fact that the mediators haven’t given up on the
Madrid principles and their elements completely. On the other hand,
representatives of the Minsk Group co-chair countries called on the
parties to consider the ideas presented by the Co-Chairs during their
trip to the region recently,” he noted.

Then our interlocutor added: “It is interesting to know what new
proposals the Co-Chairs presented, in order to be able to understand in
what direction the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs are going to continue
their mission. It is obvious that it is impossible to establish
long-lasting peace in the region on the basis of an obsolete approach.

The mediators should have the courage to offer a new approach, taking
into account the current realities of the international law and the
decisions based on precedent, which will impede the possibilities of
solving the conflict militarily.”

Elmar Mamedyarov, the Azerbaijani Minister of Foreign Affairs,
published an article in The Wall Street Journal the day before the
session of the OSCE Council of Foreign Ministers, claiming that the
Dublin meeting was a peace opportunity, which should be seized. He
reminded about 4 resolutions adopted by the UN Security Council calling
for an immediate withdrawal of Armenian forces from the Azerbaijani
territory. “The Armenian military withdrawal must be comprehensive,
and it needs to take place now. Beyond these two conditions, we are
flexible and willing to support any peace process.

We will back it up with a real economic development plan for
Nagorno-Karabakh, including serious investments,” Mamedyarov wrote and
added: “We can resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh problem only if there is
political will on all sides, there is such will in Azerbaijan, and I
suggest we achieve progress in Dublin and draft a comprehensive peace
agreement within a fixed time frame after which the Minsk Group should
agree on a new meeting to be attended by all parties. Dublin is our
peace opportunity and I urge our Armenian counterparts to seize it,
together with us.”

In response to a question whether Baku was ready to go for resolution
in the short run or putting forward its well-known preconditions,
it used a tactic of getting desirable concessions from the Armenian
side, Aravot’s interlocutor noted that the article published the day
before the meeting of the OSCE Council of Foreign Ministers took place
in Dublin aimed at showing the “positive” approach and “goodwill” of
the Azerbaijani side to the world. “The fact of the matter is that
there are definitions in the article unacceptable for the Armenian
side accepting and implementing which will lead to losing Artsakh. As
for the famous resolutions of the UN Security Council on the Karabakh
issue, one must say that those are of consultative nature. Instead of
interpreting the resolutions with regard to Armenia, Azerbaijan, being
a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, had better meet
the obligations in the above-mentioned resolutions regarding it,” M.

Mayilyan said.

A set of high-ranking officials made statements on the Karabakh
conflict settlement within the framework of the 19th session of the
Council of the OSCE Foreign Ministers. Sergey Lavrov, the Russian
Foreign Minister, stated: “Russia, along with the other OSCE Minsk
Group co-chair countries, will continue to support harmonizing the
positions of the parties to the Karabakh conflict.” Catherine Ashton,
the head of the EU diplomacy, in her turn, stated that the conflicts
that existed between the OSCE member states prevented the region’s
economic development. Ashton added that the EU showed necessary
support for resolving those problems. Eamon Gilmore, the current
Chair of the OSCE and the Irish minister for

Foreign Affairs and Trade, noted: “The escalation of confrontation
on the Armenia-Azerbaijan border since April testifies to the need
for a quick settlement to the Karabakh conflict.”

Aravot asked Masis Mayilyan whether one could expect any progress in
the Karabakh conflict settlement after the 2013 presidential election,
after the election processes, whether these were standard statements
again, which aimed at easing possible tension on the contact line
and escalation in hostilities. In our interlocutor’s opinion,
after election processes, the mediators and the three conflicting
parties will take new measures to settle the conflict. “Success can be
achieved, if the mediators offer a realistic approach, and the parties
are ready to sign a peace agreement. At this stage, it is important
for the mediators to maintain the fragile peace and work on easing
tensions between the parties. Along with the negotiating process,
Yerevan and Stepanakert should work on the international recognition
of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic supported by the Diaspora. The
recognition will offer new opportunities of strengthening the security
of Artsakh and the Republic of Armenia, will contribute to regional
stability, which is in the interest of not only the Armenian side,
but also different power centers,” the former Deputy Foreign Minister
of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic stated.

EMMA GABRIELYAN

From: Baghdasarian

TURKISH OMBUDSMAN CLAIMS TO HAVE WRONGFULLY RULED AGAINST HRANT DINK

news.am
December 10, 2012 | 12:30

Nihat Omeroglu, who was recently elected to the position of Turkey~Rs
Human Rights Defender by the country~Rs parliament~Wand who was one of
the eighteen judges at the Turkish Court of Appeals panel that upheld
a shameful sentence that was handed down against Hrant Dink, the
founder and chief editor of Istanbul~Rs Agos Armenian bilingual weekly,
who was gunned down in 2007 in front of his office building~W, claims
that he is not saying that his ruling against Dink was correct.

Omeroglu argued that he upheld the verdict against Dink because that
was what the law at the time required, T24.com website of Turkey
reports. ~SThe law changed in 2008. I~Rm not saying that I did what was
correct by upholding Hrant Dink~Rs ruling, but that was what the law
required at the time,~T he stated.

To note, Nihat Omeroglu~Rs election as Turkey~Rs ombudsman caused a huge
reaction among the country~Rs progressive society. Also, Turkish main
opposition Republican People~Rs Party (CHP) and pro-Kurdish Peace and
Democracy Party (BDP) MPs protested at the parliament while Omeroglu
took his oath of office there.

From: Baghdasarian