Author: Hambik Zargarian

LES QUOTIDIENS S’INTERESSENT À LA VISITE DU PM TURC ERDOGAN À BAKOU
par Stephane

armenews
vendredi21 mai 2010
AZERBAIDJAN

Les quotidiens s’interessent a la visite du PM turc Erdogan a Bakou
et a une publication du quotidien Hurriyet, qui, citant ses sources,
a ecrit que le PM turc allait essayer de " convaincre " l’Azerbaïdjan
d’accepter que l’Armenie ne restitue que 2 districts dans un
premier temps, au lieu des cinq demandes initialement. Les quotidiens
supposent qu’il s’agit des rayons de Kelbadjar et Fizuli. Les sources
turques notent qu’un tel accord aurait ete obtenu d’une part lors des
rencontres du President americain avec les autorites armeniennes et
turques et d’autre part lors de la visite du President Medvedev en
Turquie. D’après Hurriyet, Erdogan aurait amene a Bakou un " nouveau
plan " de règlement du conflit Haykakan Jamanak cite a la " une " les
propos d’Ilham Aliev lors d’une conference de presse avec R. Erdogan
selon lesquels, Bakou a agree, a quelques exceptions minimes près,
la version actualisee des principes de Madrid et si l’Armenie faisait
de meme et entamait le processus de retrait de ses forces armees,
l’Azerbaïdjan ouvrirait toutes les frontières avec elle. Depuis six
mois Erevan ne donne aucune reponse a la proposition du Groupe de
Minsk, a-t-il dit, accusant l’Armenie de prendre des mesures visant
a faire echouer le processus chaque fois que le conflit se rapproche
d’un règlement. " Soit l’Armenie doit donner une reponse positive a la
proposition du Groupe de Minsk et l’on se rapprochera du règlement du
conflit, soit le processus de negociation aura echoue et une nouvelle
etape sera cree dans les relations entre l’Armenie et l’Azerbaïdjan ".

" Nouveau projet ? ", " Kelbadjar et Fizouli "- 168 Jam

" Restituer d’abord deux regions ? "- Aravot

" Le nouveau plan de la Turquie et de l’Azerbaïdjan relatif au HK
"- Azg

" La tension monte crescendo dans la region "- Hayots Achkhar

" Soit, soit "- Haykakan Jamanak

Ambassade de France en Armenie

Service de presse

HUMAN RIGHTS ANALYSIS: PUBLIC OPINION IN ‘PARTLY FREE’ ARMENIA BECOMING MORE INFLUENTIAL
Naira Hayrumyan

ArmeniaNow correspondent
04.05.10

In the latest edition of the Freedom in the World report, Freedom
House again gives Armenia a ‘Partly Free’ status. The global rights
watchdog’s Freedom of the Press report, meanwhile, ranks Armenia among
countries where media are ‘Not Free’. (Both reports are available on
the organization’s website ).

The last time Freedom House ranked Armenia among countries with
‘Partly Free’ media was in 2002, the year when independent TV station
A1+ was controversially taken off the air.

As it was before, experts note a low level of the influence of public
opinion on the policies of the government, but say that public opinion
in Armenia is now expressed more freely and assertively.

The 2008 presidential election marred by violence and force used
to quell the street protests of the opposition were followed by a
public wave, especially noticeable in the human rights protection
field. The events of recent months provide many facts on how under
the influence of public opinion the authorities had to abandon their
earlier decisions, and authoritarian methods of government.

The opposition in Armenia had focused its efforts in the human rights
sphere on getting jailed oppositionists released from prison. And
under public pressure the authorities released more than 130 people.

The opposition still continues to struggle for the release of another
14 of its members and supporters who, it says, remain in prison for
their political views.

Social networks play a special role in raising public awareness.

Despite the apparent lack of organized social structures, raising
a wave of protest may be a matter of hours thanks to the Internet
and social networks online. The human rights website
has also played its part. The internet community appears to be the
vanguard of the human rights movement. Discussions unfold in blogs,
in e-newspapers and social networks and this debate results in human
rights initiatives.

Under the pressure of public opinion, a resident in the village of
Katnaghbyur in Armenia’s Tavush province Sasha Davtyan was cleared of
charges in a controversial case in which police alleged he had raped
his own daughter. His daughter stated in court that police officers
had used violence against her and forced her to slander her father.

Now human rights activists are advocating for the policemen responsible
for that to be brought to justice.

The protest against the demolition of the open-air theater of Moscow
Cinema and construction of a church in its place has also become
a major public action. Recently, the President-affiliated Public
Council told the government to reconsider the decision.

Students have been noticeably more active and have attempted to defend
their interests by staging protest actions. Upon the initiative of the
movement "We Are the Owners of this City" students are now pursuing the
collection of signatures against construction in Student Park, which
is located between the National Library and the Agrarian University.

It was also under public opinion pressure that Chief of Police
Alik Sargsyan last week apologized for misleading the public on the
circumstances of the death of 24-year-old Vahan Khalafyan in police
custody. A police officer in Charentsavan was arrested in connection
with that case and charged with torture after information of human
rights activists was published in the press.

It remains to hope that public activity will lead to a greater
influence of society on decision-making, as according to classical
rules, democracy is based on rule by the people.

DEPUTY OF AZERBAIJANI PARLIAMENT: ARMENIAN SIDE MAKES STATEMENTS THAT NULLIFY ALL PREVIOUS AGREEMENTS

Today
s/64585.html
March 22 2010
Azerbaijan

This was said by the Deputy of Milli Mejlis Dunyamin Khalilov, when
commenting on the question of the causes of delays in the approval of
updated Armenia Madrid principles, to which Azerbaijan has expressed
its consent.

"Updated Madrid principles include those clauses that have already been
discussed earlier. The principles are based on a phased solution to
the conflict, which includes the release of the Armenian-occupied
territories of Azerbaijan, the return of refugees there, the
restoration of communications, the deployment of international
peacekeeping forces, as well as other issues. In general, these
principles include the potential for a just solution to the Karabakh
conflict ", – said Khalilov.

"Unfortunately, whenever the parties get closer to a possible
breakthrough in talks on Karabakh, the Armenian side takes actions
or making statements that nullify all previous agreements. This is
not the first time. People in Yerevan, is well aware that justice
emanating from the norms of international law, is on the side of Baku
", – concluded D. Khalilov.

HOUSE, NOT HISTORIAN

Indiana Daily Student
74407
March 11 2010

The House Foreign Relations Committee’s recent vote to approve a
resolution recognizing the systematic slaughter of 1.5 million ethnic
Armenians at the hands of Ottoman Turks between 1915 and 1923 was
inappropriate and unproductive.

Although few Western historians dispute the fact that this slaughter
constituted genocide, we disagree with the notion that the United
States House of Representatives should be the final arbiter of
historical fact.

Not only is doing so obviously outside the scope of Congress’ duties,
but it is also both a distraction from the tangible actions Congress
can and should take to combat genocide and a detriment to U.S. efforts
in the Middle East and Afghanistan.

Instead of issuing non-binding resolutions defining historical events
that happened more than 90 years ago, the House (and the federal
government as a whole) would do better to take concrete actions toward
stopping ongoing events of this kind and adopting policies that would
better prevent such events from happening in the future.

Regarding concerns about this resolution’s effects on U.S.-Turkey
relations, fortunately prospects for the resolution’s passage in the
House as a whole appear dim. If that were not the case, U.S. diplomats
would have even more of a problem on their hands.

Given that Turkey has already recalled its ambassador from Washington,
we can only hope that the House realizes the folly of passing such
an ineffectual resolution.

If it does not, it risks jeopardizing one of the United States’
most important relationships in the region.

Turkey allows the United States to operate air bases essential to
ongoing efforts in Iraq and is leading operations in Kabul in its
capacity as one of the few members of the North Atlantic Treaty
Organization to provide meaningful support to operations there.

Maintaining amicable relations with Turkey is thus vital to U.S.

military goals in the Middle East and Afghanistan.

For the House to tell the world something it already knows at the price
of harming our relationship with a major ally strikes us as foolish.

DISSENT The House Foreign Affairs Committee was right to recognize
genocide.

Language is key in the way history is recorded and sets a precedent
for what will be tolerated. For this reason, the House Foreign Affairs
Committee’s recognition of the Armenian Genocide at the hands of
Ottoman Turks during World War I is a vital factor in the way we deal
with genocide.

Some argue that because Congress never declared the Holocaust to be
genocide, the Armenian Genocide does not need recognition either.

While Congress has never passed a resolution labeling the Holocaust
as genocide, the United Nations has designated Jan. 27 to be the
International Day of Commemoration in memory of the victims of the
Holocaust. There are also 25 Holocaust memorial centers across the
United States, but there is only one Armenian Genocide museum, which
is not yet completed.

Others argue that the committee’s resolution will strain our relations
with Turkey and damage our ability to retain our military presence
there. In reality, U.S.-Turkey relations will not be significantly
damaged unless the resolution is passed by the full House, which is
deemed unlikely by analysts.

Twenty nations have already declared the Armenian Genocide as such.

The U.S. has already forgone several opportunities to stop genocide
throughout the past century — so they should do what they can now. .

— Pooja Kansal

PFA RELEASED A REPORT

s16998.html
17:30:20 – 01/03/2010

Consistent with our mission and operational objectives, and responding
to events unfolding in Armenia, PFA published two special reports,
which were very well received by a broad range of stakeholders. The
first report, entitled "2008 Armenia’s Presidential Election: Select
Issues and Analysis," provided a thorough and multi-disciplinary
analysis of events surrounding the February 19, 2008 Presidential
Election in Armenia. The Report provided analysis of the February
election and the civil and political disturbances that ensued. The key
issues analyzed in the Report included the election irregularities
and human rights abuses observed before and on February 19 as well
as the events of March 1-2 that followed; the role of civil society
in the aftermath of the election; and the political developments that
were critical for understanding the way forward. The Report provides a
detailed statistical analysis of the election outcome and illustrates
the massive deviations from the norm through identifiable forms of
election fraud, including ballot stuffing and vote steeling.

Responding to the growing concerns about the potential implications
of the world’s financial crisis on Armenia’s fragile economy, PFA
produced its second report on "Implications of the World Financial
Crisis for Armenia’s Economy." The Report begins with a sobering
discussion of global economic conditions and their causes. It predicts
that the existing adverse conditions in the world’s financial markets
and real economies will have a strong impact on Armenia’s economy
regardless of how isolated its relevant sectors are from the rest
of the world. The Report offers a detailed account of Armenia’s
vulnerabilities to the world’s crisis by focusing on the flow of
remittances, trade- and investment-related factors, financial sector,
and official financial assistance. In conclusion, the Report offers a
set of specific recommendations that are likely to reduce the impact
of the adverse global conditions on the Armenia’s economy.

To build on the analytical work laid out in the 2008 Election Report,
PFA embarked on an analysis on the Yerevan municipal election held
on May 31, 2009. The objective of the report was to examine the
statistical properties of the data-including by comparison with
2008 and 2007 election data, where relevant-to reveal election
irregularities. Similar to PFA’s assessment of the 2008 presidential
election, we found that the outcome of the May 31, 2009 municipal
election in Yerevan did not produce any surprises. As in the previous
report, the focus here was on indications of fraud that can be
detected by statistical inference: ballot stuffing and artificial
augmentation of vote counts. All four empirical tests utilized in
the analysis offered evidence of fraud and irregularities, including
but not limited to ballot stuffing and stealing of opponents’ votes
during the vote count, all of which should be taken into serious
consideration by all stakeholders involved.

PFA’s first State of the Nation Report focused on the relations between
Armenia and its worldwide Diaspora. As part of the series that intends
to take assessments of developmental and national security issues
of importance for Armenia and the Diaspora, the report produced an
evaluation of the engagement between the two halves of the nation
following the inception Armenia’s independence movement in 1988. It
offers a comprehensive review of Diaspora’s engagement in Armenia
on three critical dimensions: economic development, governance
and public sector reform, and civil society strengthening. While
acknowledging the enormous effort required and the sacrifices made
to support Armenia during early years of independence, the review is
critical to what has been achieved on these important dimensions and
provides reasons behind these outcomes. Finally, the report makes the
case for a collective action, which-if calibrated properly and with
the focus on right values and objectives-could help better address
the developmental and geopolitical challenges faced by the nation.

ARMENIAN PRIME MINISTER: WE WILL BE CONSISTENT IN INVOLVING BUSINESS IN THE TAX FIELD

ArmInfo
2010-02-25 09:56:00

ArmInfo. The Armenian government will be consistent in involving
business in the tax field, Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan
said in parliament, Wednesday.

Commenting on the demonstrations of employees of the Yerevan jewelry
market "World of Gold" in front of the government building, the
prime minister pointed out the impossibility of any deviations from
the law requirements. "Unfortunately, we should mention that there
are private entrepreneurs which are not ready to work in the legal
field yet. This can’t help creating difficulties. However, we will
be consistent in our work",- he said.

To recall, the employees of the Yerevan jewelry markets, including
the "World of Gold" in the center of Yerevan have been holding
demonstrations in front of the government building since February 18.

The protest is expressed against excessive measures of tax
administration, particularly, application of cash registers.

RUSSIA KEY PLAYER ON KARABAKH – US ANALYST
Aliyah Fridman

news.az
Feb 18 2010
Azerbaijan

Ronald Grigor Suny News.Az interviews Ronald Grigor Suny, Charles
Tilly collegiate professor of social and political history at the
University of Michigan.

Will Kazakhstan’s chairmanship of the OSCE help to bring about a
Karabakh settlement?

The intractable Karabakh problem cannot be solved without comprise
between Armenia (and Karabakh) and Azerbaijan. Neither side is really
able to make concessions, given public opinion and the limited
legitimacy of the two governments. Therefore, outside powers will
decide ultimately, as in the conflict between the Israelis and
Palestinians, whether there will be a resolution of the conflict.

Kazakhstan might play a positive role as a mediator, but in the final
analysis Russia is the key player.

What do you think of Russia’s activity on a Karabakh settlement? How
sincere are Russia’s efforts?

Russia is the most important power, but the question is, does it have
positive incentives to settle the issue at this time.

Do you think that the US really is interested in stability in the
South Caucasus and a Karabakh settlement?

The United States has been weakened in the region after the
Russo-Georgian War; Turkey has more pressing issues, as does Iran.

Could Azerbaijan’s membership of NATO help to enhance stability in
the South Caucasus?

Any move of any South Caucasian state toward NATO will be looked
upon negatively by Russia and would jeopardize its position in the
final resolution of the Karabakh conflict. Russia should consider
that settling this issue through compromise (de facto Armenian rule
with de jure Azerbaijani sovereignty) would put the issue of NATO on
the back burner.

Ronald Grigor Suny is director of the Eisenberg Institute for
Historical Studies and Charles Tilly collegiate professor of social
and political history at the University of Michigan; he is also
emeritus professor of political science and history at the University
of Chicago.

SERZH SARGSYAN: ARMENIA WILL RATIFY PROTOCOLS AS SOON AS TURKEY DOES

news.am
Feb 10 2010
Armenia

Armenia did not hurry to launch the Armenia-Turkey reconciliation
process and id ready to continue it, "and if the clock of history
could be turned back, I would have initiated the process again,"
RA President Serzh Sargsyan stated at his meeting with journalists
at the Royal Institute of International Affairs "Chatham House"
in London, on February 10, NEWS.am correspondent reported.

"We should ask Turkey if it is ready to continue the process. I am
surprised why Turkey has focused its attention on the verdict of the
Armenian Constitutional Court. It does not contain any preconditions,
only Turkey sees them," the Armenian leader said.

Serzh Sargsyan pointed out that the Armenian Parliament will ratify
the Armenian-Turkish protocols as soon as Turkey does it. "Otherwise,
we can find ourselves in a situation when we ratify, but they do not.

The unpredictability of the Turkish Parliament’s decision is a subject
of continuous talks in Turkey," the Armenian leader stated.

Responding to a remark made by a representative of the Turkish Embassy
in Great Britain that the RA Constitutional Court’s verdict still
contains preconditions that are an obstacle to the process, President
Serzh Sargsyan said: "There are not preconditions. If Turkey thinks
we will give up the Armenian Genocide problem or agree to unacceptable
concessions on Nagorno-Karabakh – we did not promise that."

It is noteworthy that, while introducing the Armenian President at
the Chatham House, the NATO former Secretary General George Robertson
stated that the Armenian leader boosted hopes for peace and stability
in the Caucasus by his football diplomacy. He stressed he is looking
forward to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s participation in the
reopening ceremony of the Armenian-Turkish border, which was promised
by the Armenian President. On behalf of everybody, Robertson voiced
hope for Armenian-Turkish reconciliation.

RA President Serzh Sargsyan arrived for a working visit to Great
Britain on February 9. Speaking at the Royal Institute of International
Affairs "Chatham House" in London, the Armenian leader gave a detailed
account of the Armenia-Turkish reconciliation process.

He pointed out that the RA Constitutional Court’s verdict is presently
at his disposal, and all the relevant documents are ready to be
submitted to Parliament. He stated that, after his meeting at the
Chatham House, he would order the RA presidential staff to send the
documents to the Armenian Parliament for ratification.

Trend, Azerbaijan
Jan 23 2010

American and Turkish officials mull Turkish-Armenian protocols

23.01.2010 14:29
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu mulled the situation over
the Armenian-Turkish protocols with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary
Clinton today. Davutoglu expressed Turkey’s dissatisfaction with the
Armenian Constitutional Court’s amendments to the protocol, Anadolu
reported.

During a telephone conversation with Clinton, Davutoglu discussed the
Ankara-Yerevan protocols signed between the two countries to establish
diplomatic relations and noted that Turkey dissatisfied with the
Armenian Constitutional Court’s intervention to the Turkish-Armenian
protocols.

Jan. 19, the Turkish Foreign Ministry issued a statement which
indicated that the Armenian Constitutional Court’s decision contains
"pre-conditions and restrictive provisions that contrary to the letter
and spirit of the protocols. The Turkish Foreign Ministry also
stressed that "the decision undermines the very motive of negotiations
on the protocols, their fundamental purpose and can not be accepted."

Earlier, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned that the
process of normalizing the Ankara-Yerevan relations can be suspended
if the Armenian Constitutional Court does not reverse its decision on
the protocols.

Diplomatic relations between Armenia and Turkey were broken due to
Armenian claims of an alleged genocide and its occupation of
Azerbaijani lands. Their border closed in 1993.

AZERBAIJANI FM MAMMADYAROV DUE IN TURKEY

Today’s Zaman
Dec 21 2009
Turkey

Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan Elmar Mammadyarov will pay an official
visit to Turkey on December 25 and 26 upon an invitation by his
Turkish counterpart Ahmet Davutoglu.

In a statement issued on Monday, the Turkish Ministry of Foreign
Affairs said that, aside from meeting Davutoglu, Mammadyarov would
be received by Turkish President Abdullah Gul, Parliament Speaker
Mehmet Ali Å~^ahin and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Mammadyarov’s talks with Turkish officials will facilitate exchange
of opinions on Turkish-Azerbaijani relations, the conflict in Karabakh
and regional matters pertaining to the two countries.