Author: Jalatian Sonya

                                        Monday, 
Sarkisian's Continued Rule `Unacceptable' To Opposition Bloc
 . Nane Sahakian
Armenia - Leaders of the opposition Yelk alliance hold an
anti-government rally in Yerevan, 19Jan2018.
Leaders of the opposition Yelk alliance denounced at the weekend
President Serzh Sarkisian's perceived plans to extend his decade-long
rule by becoming prime minister after Armenia is transformed into a
parliamentary republic in April.
They declined to specify just how they will be trying to prevent such
a scenario which looks increasingly likely.
"For the Yelk alliance, Serzh Sarkisian's third term is unacceptable,"
said Edmon Marukian, who heads one of the three parties making up the
bloc. "As regards other, technical, tactical and strategic issues, we
will discuss them."
Another Yelk leader, Nikol Pashinian, said the bloc's key objective
now is to prevent Sarkisian from holding on to power after his second
and final presidential term expires on April 9. "This is one of the
most important issues on which we need to adopt a common position," he
said. "No one within the alliance disputes that."
Pashinian already warned on February 9 that the outgoing president
"could drastically escalate the political situation in Armenia" if he
takes over as prime minister later in April. But he did not say
whether Yelk will stage street protests in that case.
Aram Sarkisian (no relation), whose Hanrapetutyun party is also part
of Yelk, admitted on Friday that the bloc's leaders disagree on how to
fight against Serzh Sarkisian's continued rule. He declined to refute
media reports that Marukian believes the Armenian opposition missed
its chance to oust the president during the April 2017 parliamentary
elections won by the ruling Republican Party (HHK).
Both Marukian and Pashinian denied on Saturday any differences within
the Yelk leadership, however.
Although Serzh Sarkisian has still not publicly clarified his
political plans there are growing indications that he is planning to
become prime minister. A deputy chairman of the HHK hinted a week ago
that this scenario is a forgone conclusion.
Russian Intelligence Chief Visits Armenia
Armenia - President Serzh Sarkisian (R) meets with Sergei Naryshkin,
the head of Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service, in Yerevan, 19
February 2018.
The influential head of Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR),
Sergei Naryshkin, reportedly praised close ties between Russian and
Armenian security services during a visit to Yerevan on Monday.
Naryshkin held separate meetings with President Serzh Sarkisian and
the chief of Armenia's National Security Service (NSS), Georgi
Kutoyan.
An NSS statement said he discussed with Kutoyan "issues related to the
fight against international terrorism and other manifestations of
transnational crime." It gave no details.
Sarkisian, who ran the NSS in the 1990s, said Russian-Armenian
relations are "developing dynamically" in "all areas" when he received
Naryshkin later in the day. It is only natural for the security
services of the two allied nations to cooperate closely through
"intelligence sharing, assessment of the situation and constant active
interaction," he was quoted by the presidential press office as
saying.
According to a statement released by the office, Naryshkin noted the
SVR's "close links" with Armenia's NSS and "the proper level" of their
cooperation." He briefed the Armenian leader on their ongoing joint
activities and "further plans," the statement added without
elaborating.
Naryshkin is a longtime associate of Russian President Vladimir Putin
who managed the Kremlin staff before serving as speaker of the lower
house of Russia's parliament from 2011-2016. He repeatedly visited
Armenia in his capacity as State Duma speaker. Putin appointed
Naryshkin as head of the Russian spy agency in September 2016.
Naryshkin made international headlines recently after it emerged that
he secretly visited Washington and met top U.S. intelligence officials
in January. According to the Russian ambassador to the United States,
they discussed "the joint struggle against terrorism."
It was not clear whether political developments in Armenia were also
on the agenda of Naryshkin's trip to Yerevan. Sarkisian will serve out
his final presidential term on April 9. He is widely expected to
remain in power as prime minister. Russian officials have not publicly
commented on the outgoing president's political future.
Criminal Inquiry Launched Into Yerevan Council Brawl
 . Ruzanna Stepanian
Armenia - Marina Khachatrian of the opposition Yerkir Tsirani party is
confronted by pro-government members of Yerevan's municipal assembly,
13 February 2018.
Armenian law-enforcement authorities have formally launched a criminal
investigation into last week's violent clash between opposition and
pro-government members of Yerevan's municipal council.
The incident occurred during a session of the council chaired by Mayor
Taron Markarian on February 13. Two female councilors affiliated with
the opposition Yerkir Tsirani party were confronted by their
pro-government colleagues when they tried to hand Markarian glass
containers filled with sewage collected from a damaged sewer pipe in
the city's Nubarashen district. They called the foul-smelling
substance a "gift" from Nubarashen residents.
The two sides scuffled and shouted insults at each other. Yerkir
Tsirani's Marina Khachatrian, slapped a male councilor representing
the ruling Republican Party (HHK) after being jostled by him. The
latter slapped her in response. Khachatrian and two other Yerkir
Tsirani members, including the party leader Zaruhi Postanjian, were
then physically forced to leave the council auditorium.
Postanjian sent a "crime report" to the Armenian police. The police
also received a separate complaint from the municipal administration
which blames the outspoken oppositionists for the violence.
A police spokesman, Ashot Aharonian, told RFE/RL's Armenian service
(Azatutyun.am) on Monday that a criminal case has been opened in
connection with the incident under Criminal Code articles dealing with
hooliganism and assault. He said the police have sent the case to
another law-enforcement body, the Investigative Committee, for further
investigation.
It was not immediately clear which side is risking prosecution for the
high-profile incident which was witnessed and filmed by many
reporters.
In what appears to be a related development, officials from the
Mayor's Office on Monday stopped Postanjian from showing a group of
journalists around the municipality building and an adjacent parking
lot reserved for Yerevan officials and council members.
Postanjian and the two other councilors affiliated with her party have
been unable to park their car there since the February 13
violence. The Yerkir Tsirani leader also said that the municipal
administration is refusing to clean up their room. She further
demonstrated purported evidence of staffers playing cards in another
room during their working ours.
Moments later, the head of Mayor Markarian's press service, Artur
Gevorgian, told the reporters, among them an RFE/RL correspondent, to
leave the building. "No journalist has the right to enter the
municipality building and move around it without our special
permission, even if Mrs. Postanjian can escort you to the room
allocated to her faction," he said before telling police officers to
usher them out.
Postanjian as well as Arayik Harutiunian of the Yelk alliance, a more
moderate opposition group represented in the Yerevan council, accused
Markarian of arbitrarily restricting media coverage of the municipal
authorities.
"This is illegal because they thereby restrict the work of the city
council," Harutiunian told RFE/RL's Armenian service
(Azatutyun.am). He said Yelk has repeatedly appealed to the
Markarian's staff but has still not received any written rules of
conduct for journalists or other citizens visiting the building.
The mayor, meanwhile, met with municipality lawyers and press officers
later in the day to instruct them to propose ways of "regulating the
work of media" in the building. It was not immediately clear what kind
of restrictions he is planning to impose.
Press Review
Armenia -- Newspapers for press review illustration, Yerevan,
12Jul2016
(Saturday, February 17)
"Zhamanak" speaks of a "large scale intra-governmental regrouping"
unfolding in Armenia in a commentary on the official confirmation that
Armen Sarkissian will become the next president of the republic. "This
raises one very important question," writes the paper. "If Serzh
Sarkisian is not going to be replaced, will the other changes [in the
state hierarchy] really matter? The composition of the government and
the choice of [three] deputy prime ministers will be very
important. But will that matter if Serzh Sarkisian is not replaced?"
It says that while Sarkisian's continued rule will preclude any
"fundamental change" in the country some state officials could be able
to push through certain reforms.
"Zhoghovurd" claims that the new constitutional provisions on the role
and authority of the Armenian president will come into force one month
after Armen Sarkissian will be chosen by the parliament as the new
head of state in early March. The paper says that up until April
popular vote will remain the only legal way of electing the
president. "Armen Sarkissian will thus become yet another president
whose legitimacy cane be called into question," it says.
"The history of presidential elections in Armenia shows that if they
decide in the upper echelons that in this particular situation the
aspirant to the top post is more important than the constitution then
they can easily circumvent requirements of the basic law without any
qualms," writes "Hraparak." "Especially given that there is such a
precedent. When Robert Kocharian was seeking the post of Armenia's
president in 1998 he had to have permanently resided in Armenia for
the past 10 years. Nevertheless, the Central Election Commission
registered Kocharian, who was brought in from Karabakh, [as a
presidential candidate] without any fuss." The paper says that Armen
Sarkissian's ascent to the presidency will follow a similar pattern.
"Haykakan Zhamanak" reacts to the shocking suicide of an Armenian
woman and her 9-year-old daughter, who jumped to their death from a
bridge in Yerevan last week. Citing official statistics, the paper
says that last year 562 people in Armenia tried to kill themselves and
157 of them died as a result. Nearly two-thirds of them were
unemployed. "This is terrible statistics," comments the paper. "It
leaves us with no room four doubting that the socioeconomic plight [of
people] is the main cause of suicides committed in Armenia."
(Tigran Avetisian)
Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2018 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.
www.rferl.org

National News Agency Lebanon (NNA)
 Friday
Aoun receives invitation from his Armenian counterpart to attend
Francophone Summit
NNA - President of the Republic, Michel Aoun, on Friday received an
official invitation from his Armenian counterpart, Serzh Sarkisian, to
attend the 17th Francophone Summit set to take place in Yerevan
upcoming October.
Armenian Ambassador to Lebanon, Samvel Mkrtchian, handed the
invitation letter to President Aoun during a visit to the Baabda
palace today.
The letter indicated that Armenia has suggested that the Summit takes
place under the title of "Living together" given the current
challenges facing the Francophone family and the international
community.
"This title, derived from the core of universal human values, gives us
the opportunity to address the role of Francophone in laying the
foundations for peace, solidarity and growth.. and in working
together," the letter said.
On the other hand, President Aoun welcomed this morning at the Baabda
palace a huge delegation of Mtein- Msheekha in the district of Metn,
who thanked the President for the State Shura Council's issued
decision to restore their outlying lands after being annexed for forty
years to another town.
Aoun underlined his determination to build a free homeland and free
citizens who can unreservedly express their opinions and will, notably
during election of their representatives at the Parliament.

Please find the attached press release of the Ministry of Diaspora.
Sincerely,
Media and PR Department:
( 374 10) 585601, internal 805
----------------------
Sincerely
Department of Press and Public Relations
( 374 10) 585601, extension 805

21. Video conference dedicated to the Fourth Pan-Armenian Conference of Architects and Engineers.docx
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                                        Thursday, February 1, 2017
Armenian Cabinet To Meet Only In Closed Session
 . Hovannes Movsisian
Armenia - Prime Minister Karen Karapetian holds a cabinet meeting in
Yerevan, 18Jan2018.
Journalists will no longer be able to watch cabinet meetings in
Yerevan live, under a new bill approved by the Armenian government on
Thursday.
The bill drafted by the Justice Ministry specifies the structure and
powers of governments to be formed after Armenia becomes a
parliamentary republic in April. It also stipulates that cabinet
meetings must be held behind the closed doors. The prime minister
could only make "a part of a meeting" open to the press, it says.
The draft also bars government members from publicizing details of any
issue discussed by the government without the premier's permission.
Armenian reporters have for years been able to watch weekly cabinet
sessions through monitors placed in a press room of the prime
minister's office. Justice Minister Davit Harutiunian claimed that
this has deterred ministers from voicing critical opinions about
decisions or policies proposed by their colleagues.
"It's one thing when you argue with your wife within your family," he
told reporters. "But if a third person watches you, your dispute will
have a different nature."
Harutiunian said he does not know of any other country where cabinet
meetings are open to the media. He argued that even in established
Western democracies governments meet in closed session.
Accordingly, the minister insisted that the new rules planned by the
government are not undemocratic.
Varuzhan Hoktanian, the director of programs at the Armenian branch of
Transparency International, disagreed, calling the bill a step
backwards. "There could be more such steps that would eliminate the
culture of transparency," he told RFE/RL's Armenian service
(Azatutyun.am).
Armenian Presidential Frontrunner Visits Moscow
Armenia - Former Prime Minister Armen Sarkissian visits the TUMO
Center for Creative Technologies in Yerevan, .
Armen Sarkissian, a former prime minister widely expected to be
Armenia's next president, flew to Moscow on Thursday for a visit
during which he will meet with representatives of Russia's large
Armenian community.
"In the coming days he will also hold meetings in other Armenian
communities," his press office said in a short statement.
The statement did not name any Armenian Diaspora leaders in Moscow or
elsewhere who are due to meet with Sarkissian. It was also not clear
whether the latter will meet with Russian government officials or
politicians during the trip.
Official Moscow has not publicly commented on the outgoing President
Serzh Sarkisian's offer to nominate the former premier for the post of
president which will become vacant on April 9. The next head of state
will be elected by the Armenian parliament and have few executive
powers.
Armenia - Former Prime Minister Armen Sarkissian visits the TUMO
Center for Creative Technologies in Yerevan, .
Sarkissian, who currently serves as Armenia's ambassador to Britain,
said on January 19 he will decide whether to accept the nomination
after holding consultations with representatives of major political
groups, civic and intellectual circles as well as Diaspora
communities. He has already held a series of meetings in Yerevan.
A leading member of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia (HHK)
expressed confidence on Tuesday that he will agree to run for
president. The HHK, which is headed by Serzh Sarkisian, holds a
majority of seats in the parliament.
On Wednesday, Armen Sarkissian was received by Catholicos Garegin II,
the supreme head of the Armenian Apostolic Church. According to a
statement by the church's Mother See in Echmiazdin, Garegin said he
hopes that the 64-year-old former Cambridge University scholar will
accept the nomination and use his executive experience and "ties with
the Diaspora" to the benefit of Armenia. He described Sarkissian as a
"beloved son of the Armenian Church."
Yerevan Downplays Armenian Names In U.S. `Kremlin Report'
 . Astghik Bedevian
Armenia - President Serzh Sarkisian (R) and Russian-Armenian
businessman Samvel Karapetian inaugurate a new shopping mall in
Yerevan, 13Nov2017.
A senior Armenian lawmaker downplayed on Thursday potential
consequences for Armenia of a new U.S. government list of Russian
officials and wealthy businesspeople who might risk U.S. sanctions.
The so-called Kremlin Report released by the U.S. Treasury Department
on Tuesday names 114 senior Russian political figures and 96
"oligarchs" who U.S. authorities say have gained wealth or power
through association with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Although the list itself does not impose sanctions, its creation was
mandated by the U.S. Congress in a law aimed to increase pressure on
Russia in response to Moscow's alleged meddling in the 2016
U.S. presidential election, its military intervention in Ukraine, and
other actions that have caused U.S. concern.
The list includes ethnic Armenian businessmen Samvel Karapetian, Danil
Khachaturov and Sergei Galitsky. Karapetian, who was born and raised
in Armenia, has extensive business interests in the South Caucasus
country and has pledged further large-scale investments in its
economy. Some commentators in Yerevan have suggested that possible
U.S. sanctions against the tycoon would put his business projects at
serious risk.
Armen Ashotian, the chairman of the Armenian parliament committee on
foreign relations, sought to allay these fears. "I don't think that we
should view the inclusion of our compatriots on that list as a great
tragedy, especially given that it's not known and clear what
consequences the inclusion on that list will have," he told reporters.
Armenia - Armen Ashotian speaks to reporters in Yerevan, 1 February
2018.
"The list does not mean that all those individuals are guilty or
subject to sanctions," said Ashotian, who is also a deputy chairman of
the ruling Republican Party of Armenia (HHK).
U.S. President Donald Trump's administration earlier notified Congress
that it will not impose new sanctions on Russia at this time. However,
U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said on Tuesday that "in the
near future, you'll see additional sanctions." Mnuchin dismissed
criticism that the list was haphazardly assembled on the basis of
media reports,
Putin was quick to condemn the report, calling it an "unfriendly act"
that will "complicate the already grave situation that
Russian-American relations are in and inflict damage, no doubt, on
international relations as a whole." But he signaled that Moscow's
response would be muted.
Ashotian acknowledged that Armenia will not benefit from U.S.-Russian
"political and economic clashes." "Armenia should continue to stay
away from confrontational agendas," he said. "Thank God, America's and
Russia's interests converge with regard to the resolution of the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict."
Armenia - Top executives of The Robbins Company and Debed Hydro sign a
memorandum of understanding in Yerevan, 25Oct2017.
One of Karapetian's new business projects calls for the construction
of a major hydroelectric plant in northern Armenia.The
Russian-Armenian tycoon has pledged to invest at least $22.5 million
in the $150 million project strongly backed by the Armenian
government. He hopes to attract the rest of the required funding from
other private investors as well as international lending institutions.
The U.S. Robbins Company, which manufactures giant tunnel-boring
machines, has expressed readiness to participate in the project. It
signed a relevant memorandum of understanding with a Karapetian-owned
firm in October.
Armenian Energy Minister Ashot Manukian and U.S. Ambassador to Armenia
Richard Mills attended the signing ceremony in Yerevan. Mills also
spoke at the event, reportedly calling the preliminary deal a major
"achievement" of U.S.-Armenian relations.
Press Review
"Aravot" believes that in his likely capacity as president of Armenia
Armen Sarkissian could be more powerful than many people think. "In
Armenia, a minister's driver can sometimes solve more issues than the
minister," writes the paper. "The scope of [officials'] powers and
responsibilities is drawn not only by their official job description
but also the existing correlation of forces. Therefore, Armen
Sarkissian is faced with a difficult task: to gain the kind of powers
that would enable him to realize his good intentions, the existence of
which does not seem to be questioned by anyone."
"Right from the beginning Serzh Sarkisian built the government pyramid
in a way that made everyone understand their place," writes
"Hraparak." "This also explains why they have not allowed to the
[next] Armenian president to sit [at the presidential palace in
Yerevan] on 26 Bagramian Avenue and decided not move Karen Karapetian
from the [current] government building." The paper also thinks that
the authority and influence of Armenian officials depend in large
measure on their personal traits. Turning to Armen Sarkissian, it
claims that he is "quite unaware of the Armenian reality and lacks a
political support base and a large entourage" and that the
pro-government majority in the Armenian parliament will do everything
to turn him into a "queen of England without real power and levers."
"Zhoghovurd" dismisses as nave Armen Sarkissian's assertion that the
next president of the republic will play a more than ceremonial
role. "You could not expect a different answer from Armen Sarkissian,"
writes the paper. "By acknowledging the reality Mr. Sarkissian would
have put himself in an awkward position."
"Haykakan Zhamanak" says that the National Statistical Service (NSS)
reported on Tuesday a nearly 10 percent drop in the number of children
born in Armenia last year. The paper says this is further proof that
Sarkisian's calls for increasing the country's population to 4 million
by 2040 are unserious.
(Tigran Avetisian)
Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2018 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.
www.rferl.org

                                        Thursday, January 25, 2017
Next Armenian PM To Run National Security Body
 . Sargis Harutyunyan
Armenia - President Serzh Sarkisian holds a meeting with Prime
Minister Karen Karapetian (L) and other state officials in Yerevan,
27Oct2017.
The next Armenian prime minister will head a Security Council tasked
with formulating the country's policy on national defense, according
to a government bill approved on Thursday.
The bill drafted by the Justice Ministry stems from Armenia's
transformation into a parliamentary republic which will be completed
when President Serzh Sarkisian serves out his final term on April
9. The parliamentary system of government will make the prime
minister, not the president of the republic, the commander-in-chief of
the Armenian Armed Forces.
The bill approved by Prime Minister Karen Karapetian's cabinet
underlines the next premier's status as the country's most powerful
official. The Security Council to be chaired by them will be more
powerful than a similar presidential body currently advising Sarkisian
on national security.
It will comprise the deputy prime ministers, the ministers of defense
and foreign affairs, the heads of Armenia's police and National
Security Service and the chief of the Armenian army's General
Staff. Significantly, Armenia's next president as well the parliament
speaker and the Constitutional Court chairman will not sit on the
council.
Under the bill, the council will be empowered to determine "the main
directions of defense policy." It will act in a more advisory capacity
on broader security matters.
The Armenian parliament, which is controlled by the ruling Republican
Party (HHK), will almost certainly pass the bill before the end of
Sarkisian's decade-long presidency.
The outgoing president has still not publicly clarified whether he
will become prime minister in April. He has not ruled out such a
possibility.
Karabakh Reports Azeri Incursion Attempt
 . Naira Bulghadarian
Nagorno-Karabakh - An Armenian soldier shoots during a military
exercise, 20Nov2015.
Nagorno-Karabakh's Armenian-backed military claimed to have thwarted
an Azerbaijani commando raid on its frontline positions early on
Thursday, the first such incident reported by it in the last seven
months.
In a statement, the Defense Army said that shortly after midnight an
Azerbaijani "reconnaissance and sabotage group" was spotted by its
forces while attempting to attack one of its outposts in Karabakh's
southeastern Martuni district.
"As a result of preventive measures, the Azerbaijani special forces
were pushed back," said the statement. "According to preliminary data,
the enemy suffered casualties. Details are being clarified."
A senior aide to Bako Sahakian, the Karabakh president, said no
Karabakh Armenian soldiers were killed or wounded as a result. "No
other extraordinary incident has occurred since then," Davit Babayan
told RFE/RL's Armenian service (Azatutyun.am).
The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry was quick to deny the claim,
however. According to the APA news agency, it said that Azerbaijani
forces observed the ceasefire along the "line of contact" around
Karabakh and did not suffer any casualties there overnight.
The authorities in Stepanakert alleged the attempted Azerbaijani
attack hours before a small team of officials from the Organization
for Security and Cooperation in Europe monitored the ceasefire regime
at another section of the frontline lying just north of Karabakh. No
truce violations were reported from that area.
The longtime head of the OSCE monitoring mission, Andrzej Kasprzyk,
also took part in the regular monitoring. Kasprzyk met with Karabakh
Armenian leaders in Stepanakert earlier this week.
The Karabakh army had previously reported attempted Azerbaijani
incursions in June and February last year. At least five Azerbaijani
soldiers were shot dead in front of a Karabakh Armenian position in
the Martuni district in February 2017. They were detected by
night-vision surveillance devices before crossing the frontline.
Tensions on the frontlines eased considerably in the second half of
2017 amid the resumption of high-level Armenian-Azerbaijani peace
negotiations. Foreign Ministers Edward Nalbandian and Elmar
Mammadyarov of Azerbaijan held fresh talks in Poland as recently as on
January 18. Mammadyarov described them as "positive."
One of Nalbandian's deputies, Shavarsh Kocharian, suggested on
Thursday that the overnight incident reported by Stepanakert may be
connected with the talks. He said Baku is still reluctant to agree to
the expansion of Kasprzyk's team which is strongly advocated by
international mediators and Yerevan.
Russian Official Upbeat On Key Transport Deal With Georgia
Switzerland -- Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin speaks
to journalists in Geneva, 08Jun2010.
A high-ranking Russian diplomat has sounded optimistic about the
opening in the near future of new transport corridors between Georgia
and Russia that would facilitate cargo shipments to and from Armenia.
Most of Russian-Armenian trade is currently carried out through the
sole Russian-Georgian border crossing at Upper Lars. Traffic along
that mountainous road is frequently blocked by blizzards in winter
months.
The two other roads connecting Georgia and Russia pass through the
breakaway Georgian regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. They were
closed even before the 2008 Russian-Georgian war and Moscow's ensuing
recognition of both regions as independent states.
In 2011, Moscow and Tbilisi agreed to hire a Swiss company to operate
special customs checkpoints to be set up on the administrative
boundaries of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Despite their lingering
political disagreements, the two sides seem to have slowly but
steadily made progress towards the implementation of that
agreement. The Georgian government signed a relevant contract with the
Swiss company, SGS, on December 19.
In an interview with the Moscow daily "Kommersant" published on
Thursday, Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin said Moscow
will likely follow suit "in the coming months." "After that the
agreement will work," Karasin said. It will give "powerful impetus" to
regional trade, he said.
Karasin, who is Russia's top negotiator in regular contacts with
Georgian officials, confirmed that Armenia is keenly interested in
such an arrangement and has asked the Russians to work it out with
Georgia. "But in this case, we are talking about a purely bilateral
agreement between Russia and Georgia concluded with Swiss mediation,"
added the diplomat.
Armenian leaders have repeatedly expressed hope that the 2011
Russian-Georgian deal will be implemented. President Serzh Sarkisian
most probably discussed the matter with Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi
Kvirikashvili when he visited Tbilisi late last month.
Kvirikashvili said earlier in December that his government is ready to
allow Armenia as well as Turkey and other countries to use, in case of
a "force majeure situation," the road passing through South Ossetia.
European Court Reports Sharp Drop In Appeals From Armenia
FRANCE -- The building of the European Court of Human Rights n
Strasbourg, France, 
The number of appeals filed by Armenians in the European Court of
Human Rights (ECHR) fell by more than half last year, the
Strasbourg-based tribunal said on Thursday.
"For Armenia, 356 new applications were received by the Court, less
than 50 percent as compared to 753 new applications in 2016," the ECHR
said in an annual report presented by its president, Guido Raimondi,
at a news conference.
The sharp drop contrasts with a 19 percent rise in applications
received by the ECHR from citizens of all Council of Europe member
states. They totaled 63,350 in 2017.
Armenia fell under the European court's jurisdiction when it joined
the Council of Europe in 2001. Its government lost the first case in
Strasbourg in 2007.
The ECHR has ruled against various Armenian government, judicial and
law-enforcement bodies on 79 occasions since then, costing them about
1 million euros ($1.2 million) in damages. "The highest number of
violations related to the right to a fair trial, and right to liberty
and security," says its report.
The ECHR handed down 11 rulings against the Armenian state in
2017. "For Armenia, there are 1,819 applications pending # Armenia is
thus within the top-ten states by the number of pending applications,"
it said.
The large number of lawsuits reflects a lack of judicial independence
and widespread corruption among law-enforcement officers and judges in
Armenia. Armenian courts are still mistrusted by many citizens despite
having undergone frequent structural changes in the last two
decades. They rarely acquit criminal suspects and usually allow their
pre-trial arrests sought by prosecutors.
Armenia's former Prosecutor-General Gevorg Kostanian warned last year
that law-enforcement authorities' long-running practice of routinely
keeping suspects in custody may put them at odds with the
ECHR. Kostanian, who now represents Armenia in the ECHR, said that the
Strasbourg-based court has adopted stricter requirements for pre-trial
arrests.
Press Review
Commenting to President Serzh Sarkisian's latest trip to Strasbourg,
"Aravot" says the Council of Europe is not the best place for publicly
discussing the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. "The Council of Europe is
not a platform for resolving conflicts," writes the paper. "The
mission of that organization is to ensure consolidation and
cooperation around European values. That is not quite working out
right now, including due to the organization's internal problems # But
the main reason is that many countries, including Armenia and
Azerbaijan, start settling scores during sessions of its Parliamentary
Assembly (PACE). Of course, that is usually initiated by the
Azerbaijani delegation, which is what happened yesterday."
"Zhamanak" comments on Sarkisian's speech delivered at the PACE. "On
one hand, Sarkisian aimed covert accusations at the PACE, reminding it
of the disgrace of [Azerbaijani] caviar diplomacy and some rulings
handed by the European Courts of Human Rights having to do with the
Karabakh conflict," says the paper. At the same time, it says,
Sarkisian told the PACE that he managed to bring Armenia closer to the
European Union even after Yerevan joined the Russian-led Eurasian
Economic Union (EEU).
"Hraparak" says that Sarkisian's visit to France coincided with Prime
Minister Karen Karapetian's participation in the World Economic Forum
in Davos, Switzerland. Both men have held many meetings in the last
few days. "It's hard to tell what exactly Armenia will gain from those
meetings," comments the paper. "But at any rate, it is nice to see
that we are not a country pushed into a Caucasus impasse and burdened
by the intractable Karabakh conflict and that our leaders meet and
speak to world leaders on equal terms."
"Zhoghovurd" reports that Russia has delivered a fresh batch of
military equipment to Azerbaijan. The paper speculates that
Russian-Azerbaijani military cooperation "gained new momentum" after
Armenia signed the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement
(CEPA) with the EU in November. It calls the latest shipment of
Russian weapons to Baku "yet another indirect reaction to
Armenian-European cooperation" from Moscow.
(Tigran Avetisian)
Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
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