Author: Harutyunian Christine

TIPTOEING THE TURKISH TIGHTROPE: SARGSYAN SEES MIXED REACTION AT HOME AFTER MOSCOW STATEMENTS
Aris Ghazinyan

ArmeniaNow.com
Armenia
01 July, 2008

President Serzh Sargsyan’s statements on Armenia’s relations with
Turkey made while on a recent official visit to Russia elicited a
negative reaction from the opposition and at least one pro-government
party at home.

Meeting representatives of the Armenian Diaspora in Moscow early last
week, Sargsyan, in particular, unveiled his plans to invite Turkish
President Abdullah Gul to Yerevan in September to watch together an
upcoming World Cup qualifier between the two countries’ national teams.

The move was received enthusiastically by U.S. Deputy Assistant
Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Matthew Bryza,
who is the American co-chair of the Minsk Group of the Organization
for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), an international format
seeking a negotiated peace in Nagorno-Karabakh. The proposal was also
positively assessed by Bryza’s wife, Zeyno Baran, a Turkish-American
scholar who currently heads the Center for Eurasian Policy at the
Hudson Institute.

The top-selling Turkish daily Hurriyet wrote about "a positive raction
in Ankara" but reported that no official invitiation had been received
in Turkey yet.

However, it is Sargsyan’s statement in which he in principle accepted
Turkey’s proposal on forming a panel of historians to review the
events of early last century that raised most disgruntled voices.

"We are not against the establishment of such a commission, but only
when the border between our states is opened," Sargsyan said.

The Turkish government’s proposal in 2005 to form a joint commisison
of historians to review the correspondence of the early 20th century
events in Ottoman Turkey to the notion "genocide" was rejected as
unacceptable by Armenia’s then president Robert Kocharyan.

And now Armenia’s main opposition groups accuse the head of state
of questioning the very fact of genocide by accepting the Turkish
proposal in principle.

The Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF), a coalition partner with
Sargsyan’s Republican Party, also expressed its position on Sargsyan’s
statements, reiterating its hard line on relations with Turkey.

"I think that if the president of Turkey visits Yerevan, at least one
part of our society will express its attitude," ARF Bureau spokesman
Giro Manoyan said in an interview with RFE/RL Monday.

Manoyan also said that they had received "the necessary explanation
and clarification" from the president regarding his statement on the
possibility of establishing an Armenian-Turkish commission.

"But in any case, our approach is that there was no need to make such
statements and create this confusion in the first place," Manoyan said.

Earlier, Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandyan said that Sargsyan’s
statement "does not mean that Armenia renounces former president
Robert Kocharyan’s step on including the Genocide issue on the foreign
policy agenda."

And Sargsyan’s press secretary Samvel Farmanyan argued that the
president’s words were clear and left no room for misunderstanding:
"There was a proposal from Turkey to set up an expert commission to
study historical facts concerning the genocide. We are not against
any studies, even studies of patently obvious and widely recognized
realities. However, the formation of such a commission would be logical
only after establishing diplomatic relations and opening borders."

WITH THE NAKED SUFI

Hindustan Times
June 27, 2008
India

NEW DELHI, India

The sufi shrine of Hazrat Sarmad Shaheed in Old Delhi, shaded by a
large neem tree and lying opposite the eastern gate of Jama Masjid,
is a bubble of serenity in the otherwise chaotic district. The noisy
biryani sellers and quarrelsome Bangladeshi beggars in the alley
outside are unable to disturb the quiet that reigns inside the shrine.

Cross the entrance and you are in a chamber that has been distilled
of all the turbulence of the worldly world. Here you can be as
calm as the Buddha and as cosy as when you were in your mother’s
womb. Nothing stirs the senses. Not even the flaming red walls of
the dargah. Everything – the tomb, the tiny courtyard, the sunlight,
the occasional pilgrim – conspires to make you lose the concerns of
the day. The weary body starts surrendering itself and the worried
mind starts forgetting its burdens. The heavy weight of one’s being
becomes as light as a mynah’s feather.

The tranquility of the dargah is misleading, though. Its patron
saint, Sufi Sarmad, lived a controversial life and died a violent
death. People say Sarmad was an Armenian Jew from Iran who converted
to Islam, came to Sindh, fell in love with a Hindu boy, grew oblivious
to society’s conventions, discarded clothes, became a naked fakeer,
and arrived in Delhi.

The Sarmad legend

The Mughal prince Dara Shikoh, the heir anointed, took to the
naked sufi and became his disciple. But history strummed its own
tune. Aurangzeb, Dara’s younger brother, rebelled against his father
Shahjahan, killed Dara, and was crowned as Hindustan’s emperor. Not
long after, Sarmad was martyred by Aurangzeb’s executioners and soon
he came to be known as Sarmad Shaheed.

This verse is displayed outside the dargah: And call not those who
are slain

Dead Nay, they are living Only ye perceive not

However, all the ishq, junoon and khoon that defined Sarmad’s life
seems to be forgotten within the blood-red walls of his dargah. That
Sarmad is a sufi saint is perhaps enough in itself. Who cares for
his story? Devotees come, pray, make wishes, sit, doze off, wake up,
go away, and come back again. The legend lives on.

NAGORNO-KARABAKH MFA RECOMMENDS THAT COUNCIL OF EUROPE SHOULD MORE SERIOUSLY CONSIDER STATE OF DEMOCRACY IN AZERBAIJAN

DeFacto Agency
June 26 2008
Armenia

On June 27 the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic FM Georgy Petrossian made
comments concerning the adoption of PACE Resolution ¹ 1614 "On
Functioning of Democratic Institutes in Azerbaijan".

The comment of the NKR FM runs, in part,

"Steady democratic development is achieved only when a country
chooses its way taking into consideration its system of values and
does not seek pretexts to justify the fact that it does not meet
its international and legal engagements before the international
structures. At the same time strengthening of democracy and respect
for human rights can become prerequisites for peaceful and just
settlement of Azerbaijani-Karabakh conflict.

Without going into details concerning allegedly violation of
Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity we will only note that in modern
international practice one can observe cases when a country, being at a
war with other state or having numerous conflicts with its neighbors,
at the same time can claim the title of one of the most democratic
states. There are a lot of examples – Israel, India, etc.

Let’s ask a question – is the presence of prisoners of state in a
country a consequence of territorial integrity’s violation? Are mass
media suppressed and journalists beaten for the same reason? Judging
from appearances, the questions are rhetorical.

As a whole, Europe’s stand on maintaining a balanced attitude to the
South Caucasus countries is understandable. At the same time it arouses
perplexity that adherence to the approach presented by Azerbaijan
passes by the line of the Council of Europe’s basic priorities the
whole European architecture is guided by – democracy, supremacy of
law. While democracy in the NKR is a choice of the Nagorno-Karabakh
people, though it is not properly estimated by Europe, in Azerbaijan
we witness its spasmodic imitation. In this context we would advise
that the Council of Europe more seriously consider the state of
democracy in Azerbaijan and more responsibly approach democratic
processes taking place in the region as a whole. We are convinced that
only democratic Azerbaijan can become the neighbor Nagorno-Karabakh
Republic can speak common language with".

As for the fact that the formulation, according to which PACE takes
into consideration the U. N. General Assembly Resolution adopted
on March 14, 2008, found its reflection in the Resolution Georgy
Petrosian noted, "A day before the Chairman of the Council of Europe’s
Committee of Ministers justly stated that the Azerbaijani-Karabakh
conflict’s settlement was outside the Council of Europe’s competence;
the OSCE Minsk group deals with it. In this context the fact that the
Council of Europe quotes a document, which has not been supported by
the Minsk group Co-chair countries, at least arouses regret.

Consolidation of the formulation in the international organization’s
document can have only negative influence on the course of the
Azerbaijani-Karabakh conflict settlement and cannot contribute to the
creation of a positive negotiation climate via a dialogue declared
by the Council of Europe".

–Boundary_(ID_W0tyiZCSj9xpxcNJGutP Ng)–

RA FOREIGN MINISTER TO VISIT BERLIN AND HELSINKI

PanARMENIAN.Net
27.06.2008 17:53 GMT+04:00

On June 30 Armenia’s Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian will depart for
Berlin on a 2-day formal visit on invitation of his German counterpart
Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the RA MFA press office reported.

The Armenian Minister will also meet with Chancellor Merkel’s foreign
policy adviser Christoph Heusgen, head of the German Evangelistic
Church, professor Wolfgang Huber and representatives of the Armenian
diaspora.

On July 2, Minister Nalbandian will pay a visit to Helsinki to meet
with his Finnish counterpart Alexander Stubb, special representative
of the OSCE CiO for South Caucasus Heikki Talvitie and other officials

ROBERT NAZARIAN REAPPOINTED AS CHAIRMAN OF RA PUBLIC SERVICES REGULATORY COMMISSION

NOYAN TAPAN

Ju ne 27

By the June 27 decree of Serge Sargsian, the President of the Republic
of Armenia, Robert Nazarian has been appointed Chairman of the RA
Public Services Regulatory Commission for a five-year term.

According to the information provided to Noyan Tapan by the RA
President’s Press Office, the decree will come into force since July
1, 2008.

ARMENIA RETAINS VOTING RIGHTS IN COUNCIL OF EUROPE’S PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY
Gayane Abrahamyan

EurasiaNet
June 26 2008
NY

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe has voted
to give Armenia another six months to comply with its demands
for liberalization following the March 1 crackdown on opposition
protestors. The June 25 decision could have resulted in suspension
of Armenia’s voting rights in the body – a move that many opposition
members and human rights activists within Armenia argue is still
warranted.

In a report released on the day of the vote, the Assembly expressed
disappointment with "the delay in implementing the concrete measures
to comply with its demands," but opted to give the Armenian government
the benefit of the doubt. "[T]he Assembly acknowledges that the time
given to the Armenian authorities was short," the report reads.

Armenia has been given until January 2009 to comply with the
resolution’s terms or face a possible suspension of its PACE voting
rights.

In its Resolution 1609, issued on April 17, PACE called on the
Armenian government to lift restrictions on public rallies, to launch
an independent inquiry into the March 1 crackdown on opposition
protestors, to set up a dialogue with opposition parties, and to
release those individuals imprisoned "on seemingly artificial and
politically motivated charges."

Two PACE co-rapporteurs recently evaluated as "unsatisfactory"
the progress made to date in meeting those demands. [For details,
see the Eurasia Insight archive].

The government counters that it has already met PACE’s main demands
by relaxing some restrictions on public demonstrations – a June 20
rally held by ex-President Levon Ter-Petrosian is cited as a case
in point – and by setting up a temporary parliamentary commission to
look into the events of March 1.

"Granting extra time for further implementation of the resolution shows
that PACE appreciates the government’s steps, so we will continue to
do our best to return Armenia to a normal political life," ruling
Republican Party of Armenia spokesperson Eduard Sharmazanov told
EurasiaNet.

Despite Sharmazanov’s optimism, however, the report indicated that
strong concerns persist about Armenia’s response to the resolution.

While Ter-Petrosian’s rally was viewed as a key test of the
government’s willingness to allow opposition demonstrations after the
violence of March 1, the Assembly, the report states, "insists that
the Armenian authorities should now allow rallies to be organized by
the opposition without placing undue restrictions on them."

As expected, the body also urged that prosecutors drop charges against
those imprisoned after March 1 for reasons other than violence or
"other criminal offenses."

In line with that demand, the Assembly has called for the Armenian
parliament to "adopt a general amnesty law" or for President Serzh
Sarkisian to pardon all those who are not connected to the ten
fatalities that resulted from the March 1 clash.

The measure is seen as intended to encourage a broader-based dialogue
between the government and opposition. Ter-Petrosian stated at his
June 20 rally that he will talk with officials only if "political
prisoners" are released.

A call has also gone out for changes to Armenia’s criminal
code. Articles that allowed "[a] significant number of persons" to
be charged with usurpation of power and causing mass disorder "are
problematic as they allow for broad interpretation, leave excessive
discretion to the prosecutor" and "fail to give clear guidance on the
dividing line between legitimate expressions of opinion and incitement
to violence."

The report also cautioned that "a [court] verdict based solely on a
single police testimony without corroborating evidence or independent
witnesses cannot be acceptable."

To date, 53 detainees have received prison sentences and 12 have
received suspended prison sentences. Seventeen individuals are in
jail awaiting trial; 11 others have been charged, but released after
signing a document that forbids them from leaving the country.

Opposition parties, however, have characterized the government’s
measures as superficial at best. Many government critics say that
they are less than pleased with the PACE decision.

"We are concerned with the time PACE has given [for Armenia to comply
with its resolution], as it is too long and means our relatives will
stay in prison for the next six months," Melissa Braun, the American
wife of Ter-Petrosian’s campaign manager, Alexander Arzumanian, one
of the detainees, told EurasiaNet. Braun was taking part in a June
25 protest in front of the Yerevan office of the Council of Europe
organized by wives of the March 1 detainees. "We have passed on a
letter to the president of the PACE, Louis Maria de Pucchi, asking
[him] to be more consistent."

Human rights activist Artur Sakunts, chairman of the Vanadzor office
of the Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly, says that PACE’s decision was
"a political decision that is not the objective evaluation of the
human rights situation in Armenia." Sakunts doubts that the extra
time allotted for compliance with PACE resolution 1609 will lead to
any changes.

"In reality, Armenia has not shown progress and PACE understands it
very well," he said.

One senior opposition politician, though, who was recently released
from prison, argues that the latest resolution is harsher and more
likely to discipline the government.

"The major advantage as compared to resolution 1609 is that the
problems and the requirements here are more exact and the authorities
will have less space to maneuver and override the requirements,"
Suren Surentyants, a member of the Republic Party’s political council,
told EurasiaNet.

One political analyst agrees.

"The pressure is so intense that the authorities will be forced to
take the report into consideration and go for certain concessions
this time," predicted Stepan Danielian, chairman of the Cooperation
for Democracy non-governmental organization.

Meanwhile, Armenians on both sides of the political fence are left
watching and waiting.

ARMENIA AND FRANCE HOPE FOR SIGNING TREATY ON MILITARY COOPERATION IN NEAR FUTURE

DeFacto Agency
June 25 2008
Armenia

The current level and perspectives of Armenian-French military
cooperation were discussed today at the RA Defense Minister Seyran
Ohanian’s meeting with Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
of France to RA Serzh Smesov.

According to the RA MoD Press Office, in the course of the meeting
Seyran Ohanian noted that friendly Armenian-French relations were
unprecedented at present. The Minister voiced assurance that it was
necessary to develop relations in the sphere of peacemaking activity
stating that France’s possible participation in military trainings
to be held in Armenia in September-October could contribute to the
development of cooperation between the two countries’ armed forces.

The parties expressed hope that bilateral contacts, which had been
recently activated, would also contribute to signing a treaty on
military cooperation between Armenia and France in the near future.

Touching on the Karabakh issue the parties underscored the necessity
of the conflict’s peaceful settlement.

"PREVENTION AND CONFRONTATION OF ATTACKS IN CYBER TERRITORY" INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE CONVENES IN YEREVAN

ARMENPRESS
JUNE 24

Three-day international conference on "Prevention and Confrontation
of Attacks in Cyber Territory" kicked off today in Yerevan organized
by the Armenian Foreign Ministry and NATO. More than 80 specialists
from 18 member and partner countries of NATO are participating in
the conference.

Armenian deputy foreign minister Gegham Gharibjanian greeted the
guests wishing them effective work. "The Individual Partnership Action
Plan program has a central role in Armenia’s relations with NATO. It
is a comprehensive document involving all the possible spheres of
cooperation and registers actions directed towards fighting against
terrorism," he said.

Gharibjanian said that the Armenian Foreign Ministry underscores the
conduction of today’s conference as during the NATO Summit April 2-4
2008 in Bucharest the issue on fighting against cyber terrorism became
an issue of the agenda.

"The effective fight against cyber terrorism will be impossible without
international scientific potential and from this point of view we view
the cooperation in this sphere as a means of scientific cooperation and
development of scientific mind," deputy foreign minister said, adding
that Armenian Foreign Minister underscores the discussions within the
frameworks of the meeting and their results which he said may become
a guideline for establishing the pace of further cooperation.

The head of the NATO Commanding Defense Opportunities Department Claus
Klefner noted that currently this sphere of terrorism is developing
among the terrorists and NATO highly underscores the conduction of
such events and exchange of experience.

"It is difficult now to imagine the existence of humanity without
modern technology. The more Internet expands its sphere of usage,
the more the humanity becomes addict of the world network. Entering
into the all spheres of life, it not only facilitates the solution
of many issues but also creates new threats.

Separate individuals or groups, including the terrorist groups may
use the cyber territory to create danger for not only civilians,
groups of people, but also states and international organizations," C.

Klefner said.

According to him, the frequency of conduction of such events will
increase more and NATO wishes that all the specialists of the sphere
enrich more the baggage of their knowledge.

Deputy director of the Armenian National Security Service,
General-Mayor Romik Harutyunian said that though in Armenia the cases
of cyber terrorism are unique and their volume cannot be compared
with other countries where the phenomenon is widely spread, it does
not mean that in future Armenian’s technology field may not become a
purposeful target for cyber terrorists and that is why measures are
being undertaken in Armenia in that direction.

RUSSIA PREPARED TO ASSIST IN PEACEABLE SOLUTION TO CRISIS SITUATIONS IN S.CAUCASUS: RUSSIAN PRESIDENT

Trend News Agency
June 24 2008
Azerbaijan

Russia supports peaceable settlement of the conflicts in South Caucasus
and is prepared to render relevant assistance.

"Our position is that the crisis in the South Caucasus should be
solved in a peaceable way through the established format and strict
observance of international law," Dmitriy Medvedev, the Russian
President, stated on 24 June after the talks with Serzh Sarqsyan,
the Armenian President, Ð~XТÐ~PР-Ð&#x A2;Ð~PСС reported.

"Our country is prepared to assist in finding solutions, which would
be of interests of all nations existing here," he said.

"It fully concerns the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh, as well,"
Medvedev said.

"We particularly emphasized the mediation of the OSCE Minsk group in
the negotiation process and mulled over new opportunities," Russian
President said. "Both Azerbaijan and Armenia take interests in it,"
he noted.

–Boundary_(ID_S60lLRY/7gF1rNYYItJKLQ)–

KHAZAR IBRAHIM: "IF IRAN SENDS A RIGHT SIGNAL TO ARMENIA, IT WILL BECOME ITS BEST CONTRIBUTION TO RESOLUTION OF THE KARABAKH CONFLICT"

Today.Az
June 23 2008
Azerbaijan

Each party has a right to propose initiatives regarding resolution
of the conflict and Iran has a right to propose initiative as well,
commented spokesman for Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry Khazar Ibrahim
on the initiative of the Iranian Foreign Ministry to become one of
the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmen during a traditional briefing in
the Ministry.

At the same time, Ibrahim noted that the most important in the
resolution process is not a form but an essence.

"Each international community member should contribute to the
resolution of the problem. On the other side, if Iran sends a right
signal to Armenia, it will become the best contribution to the Karabakh
conflict resolution", said Kh.Ibrahim.