Author: Kajoyan Gevork

ARMENIA LAUNCHES PROTEST OVER KEEPER’S RED CARD

AZG DAILY
14-10-2011

The Armenian Football Federation has filed an official protest to
UEFA over the goalkeeper’s sending off against Ireland last Tuesday.

Reuters reports that AFF believes replays proved the Armenia keeper,
Roman Berezovsky, chested rather than handled the ball and the AFF
asked for the red card to be rescinded.

There was also further complaints that Simon Cox appeared to handle
the ball in the lead-up to the sending off.

However, AFF chief Ruben Hairapetyan dismissed Armenian fans’
speculation that they were the victims of a UEFA conspiracy implemented
to make up for the infamous Thierry Henry handball incident, which all
but ended Ireland’s World Cup qualifying hopes two years ago. He said:
“Trust me, I would never think or believe that it would be possible
for UEFA to give such instructions to the referee.”

TURKISH DEFENSE MINISTER CONFIRMS SUPPORT TO BAKU IN KARABAKH SETTLEMENT

PanARMENIAN.Net
October 13, 2011 – 19:56 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Karabakh issue poses great obstacle to the security,
stability and development of the region, Turkey’s Defense Minister
said.

According to Ismet Yilmaz, the settlement of the conflict on the basis
of international law and decisions of the international organizations
will ensure peace in the region.

“One of Turkey’s main goals is a sustainable peace in the region and
promotion of trust between the people. Turkey’s position on peaceful
settlement of Nagorno Karabakh conflict remains active, with Ankara
rendering every diplomatic and political support to Azerbaijan in the
international organizations. Turkey takes every effort to support
Azerbaijan on Nagorno Karabakh conflict. Our President and Prime
Minister also stated it during their visits. We closely watch the
activity of the OSCE Minsk Group. We hope that the activity of the
co-chairing countries – US, France and Russia – will be intensified in
the near future. Closely following the peace process and observing time
limits is crucial to both Azerbaijan and Armenia, as they’re the only
ones to put an end to the conflict,” APA quoted the Minister as saying.

BAGHDASARYAN, SEMERIKOV DISCUSS ARMENIA-RUSSIA MILITARY COOPERATION

PanARMENIAN.Net
October 13, 2011 – 17:55 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Armenian National Security Council Secretary (NSC)
Artur Baghdasaryan met with the Collective Security Treaty Organization
(CSTO) Deputy Secretary General Valery Semerikov.

At the meeting, the parties focused on organisation of 2012 CSTO
manoeuvres in Armenia, with Mr. Semerikov expressing readiness to
offer both practical and expert assistance to Armenia in the process.

Armenia will host an exercise of the Rapid Reaction Force of the
Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO RRF) in 2012 dated to
the 20th anniversary of the organization.

Implementation of agreements the leaders of CSTO states reached at
Astana-hosted meeting in August, military and technical cooperation
was also discussed. In conclusion, the officials agreed to organize a
conference in Yerevan to promote Armenia-Russia military cooperation,
NSC press service reported.

AZERIS BUILD WALL BEHIND THEIR ARMY LINES, RATHER THAN AT CONTACT LINE – NKR OFFICIAL

PanARMENIAN.Net
October 13, 2011 – 19:21 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Artsakh is taking Azeri decision to build a wall
along the line of contact with Nagorno Karabakh Republic in its stride,
according to the head of NKR Defense Ministry press service.

In a conversation with a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter, Senor Asratyan
slammed Baku’s insinuating that the wall is being built to protect
peaceful Azeri population from Artsakh army. “NKR defense army never
did and never will shoot at peaceful population,” he stressed.

“However, Azerbaijan is building the wall behind its army lines,
rather than contact line,” the official concluded.

Azerbaijan is planning on construction of a protective wall at the
line of contact with NKR. According to Azeri media, a wall, 700 meters
long and 3 meters tall, was already built near the village of Chyragly,
bordering with Martakert Province.

Azerbaijan has been considering construction of a wall “to protect
itself from Armenian snipers” since 2006.

AZERI OFFICIAL: STATUS QUO PRESERVATION MAY TRIGGER NEW WAR IN KARABAKH

PanARMENIAN.Net
October 13, 2011 – 20:02 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Maintaining status quo in Nagorno Karabakh conflict
may cause a new war in the region, according to the head of Social
and Political Department at Azerbaijan’s Presidential Administration.

“International community makes every effort to prevent Azerbaijan
from renewal of war,” he said. “However, Azerbaijani President has
repeatedly stated that Baku can lose all patience. Azerbaijan can
not wait for eternal maintenance of the status quo in the conflict.

Azerbaijan uses legal and other means to ensure territorial integrity,”
Ali Hasanov said.

As he noted, the international community, especially the OSCE Minsk
Group co-chairs, insistently call for changing current situation,
considering its preservation unacceptable.

“Azerbaijan is being prevented from using other means,” he said.

“Azerbaijan is not a militarist country. It does not lay claims on
anybody’s land,” Trend News quoted him as saying.

PACE CHAIRPERSON CRITICIZES SARKOZY OVER GENOCIDE COMMENT

Tert.am
18:53 ~U 13.10.11

Mevlut Chavushoglu, Chairperson of the Parliamentary Assembly of the
Council of Europe, has criticized French President Nicolas Sarkozy
for his statement about the Armenian Genocide made during his recent
visit to Armenia.

According to the Turkish news agency Dogan, Chavushoglu who is a
Turkish national, said that Sarkozy’s statement was aimed at domestic
audiences as he realizes he will lose the presidential vote and is
attempting to win points by making such statements about Turkey.

“Last year the US president backed Palestine’s accession to UN. But
this year he has changed his position because of upcoming elections,”
said Chavushoglu.

Nicolas Sarkozy said during his visit to Yerevan recently that Turkey
should recognize the Armenian Genocide perpetrated by the Ottoman
Empire in 1915 or else France will adopt the law criminalizing the
denial of the Armenian Genocide in the country.

SARKOZY’S STATEMENT SHOWS EU POSITION FOR ANKARA – RPA MEMBER

PanARMENIAN.Net
October 13, 2011 – 16:13 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – President Nicolas Sarkozy’s statement urging Turkey
to recognize the Armenian Genocide may be linked to France’s position
on Ankara’s EU bid, according to ex-foreign minister of Nagorno
Karabakh Republic.

As Arman Melikyan told a news conference in Yerevan, “Sarkozy gave
Turkey until yearend to recognize the Genocide. As the French President
said, in case of non-recognition, Genocide denial will be penalized,
with France taking steps to prevent Ankara’s EU accession.

“However, presidential statement may have another explanation: with
Sarkozy trying to secure more Armenian community votes on the threshold
of election, combining that purpose with foiling Ankara’s EU bid, in
an attempt to manipulate the issue seeking concessions from Turkey,”
the ex-FM said.

“It’s not the first time Armenian issue was used to blackmail Turkey,”
he said.

A member of ruling Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) Lernik Aleksanyan,
however, believes the statement to have been an attempt to demonstrate
Europe’s position on Ankara.

RULE OF LAW PARTY ‘POSING OPPOSITION’ – ARMENIAN MP

Tert.am
15:34 ~U 13.10.11

The Heritage party understands the present behavior of the Rule of Law
party – posing an opposition force, but voting similarly to the ruling
coalition, Anahit Bakhshyan, a member of the Heritage parliamentary
group, told journalists.

“As coalition members, the Rule of Law group members make such an
impression by their statements. However, when it comes to voting,
they vote similarly to the coalition,” Bakhshyan said.

She cited the example of discussions of Armenia’s draft budget,
when the difference between the Rule of Law party’s words and deeds
was obvious.

Khachik Harutyunyan, a member of the Rule of Law party, disagreed
with Anahit Bakhshyan.

“What Rule of Law MPs say in Parliament reveals reality. It’s wrong
to accuse us of taking an opposite course. We are following a common
course and have a common program. And we are ready to implement it,”
Harutyunyan said.

As regards the discussions of the draft budget, Harutyunyan said that
90 of the 100 proposals made by the Rule of Law party were accepted.

“So why should our faction vote against it?”

ARMENIA’S EX-PRESIDENT CAN BECOME NAGORNO-KARABAKH PRESIDENT – POLITICIAN

Tert.am
13:38 ~U 13.10.11

Robert Kocharyan has excellent opportunities to become president of
the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR), said Aram Karapetyan, Chairman
of the New Times party.

Speaking of Robert Kocharyan’s possible return to big politics,
he said: “When they said, ‘Robert Kocharyan must not remain a young
pensioner -‘. He has excellent opportunities to become Nagorno-Karabakh
president or, say, do socially useful work. At one time, he and Serzh
Sargsyan transferred plants to Russia. They are not operating now. Let
him operate the plants. I know he has money.”

HERITAGE PARTY LEADER URGES ARMENIA’S POLITICAL FORCES GET RID OF ‘THE ONLY ONE’ COMPLEX

Tert.am
11:12 ~U 13.10.11

The Heritage party is for open communication and cooperation with
everyone, Heritage party Chairman Raffi Hovhannisyan said while hosted
by the Interview program on Armenian Public TV.

“Both in squares and at press conferences we often hear questions
about joining some or others. I think it is a false category. There
must be uniting with people, and it is the people that must tell
political forces how they need to cooperate,” Hovhannisyan said.

As regards his visit to Liberty Square during the rallies held by the
Armenian National Congress (ANC), Hovhannisyan said that, obeying the
ANC leaders, the people had left Liberty Square. It was not their own
will. “I went there because there were people that supported me when
I was on a hunger-strike,” he added.

Hovhannisyan said that he had approached the ANC leader Levon
Ter-Petrosyan and they talked politics for a while.

Normal relations with the public require a change in the upper crust’s
attitude toward the masses.

The Heritage party leader also spoke of the importance of political
parties unanimously raising problems. “I hope that all of them will
accept a new formula, and we will get rid of the complex of being
the only one,” Hovhannisyan said.