Author: Kajoyan Gevork

AZERBAÏDJAN
Mariage princier pour la fille d’Aliev le dictateur de Bakou

Bakou a célébré hier avec faste le mariage d’Arzou (22 ans), la fille
cadette du président Ilham Aliev avec Semet Gourbanov, le fils d’Ayden
Gourbanov un riche homme d’affaires azéri de Russie, disparu en 2003.
Alors que la manne pétrolière profite à une poignée de membres du clan
Aliev et que la population reste pauvre dans son ensemble, pour ce «
mariage princier » arrachera des caisses de l’Etat quelques millions
de dollars. Des voitures de luxe de marque « Rolls Royce » importées
de Russie pour l’occasion coûtèrent plus d’un million de dollars.
Despote éclairé, l’un des derniers dictateurs de la planète, le
président Aliev continue d’alimenter la saga de la famille Aliev alors
que le pays souffre du manque de démocratie, une presse muselée et une
opposition écrasée et emprisonnée. Selon les médias russes le
président russe Dimitri Medvedev a envoyé à son homologue azéri Ilham
Aliev un message de félicitations.

Krikor Amirzayan

dimanche 4 septembre 2011,
Krikor [email protected]

National Post (Canada)
August 25, 2011 Thursday
National Edition

Cuba investigates dealings of Canadian trading firm; Tri-star Caribbean

by Marc Frank, Reuters

HAVANA . Cuban authorities are investigating the business dealings of
Canadian firm Tri-Star Caribbean Inc., one of the best-known trading
companies on the island, foreign business and diplomatic sources said
this week.

The cause of the investigation was not clear, but it appeared to be
the latest looking into kickbacks involving Cuban imports, sources
said.

Company president Sarkis Yacoubian was questiond in mid-July, they
said, and since then as many as 50 to 60 people, mainly company sales
personnel, state purchasers and functionaries, have been questioned
and in some cases imprisoned.

Cuban President Raul Castro has made fighting corruption a top
priority since taking over for his ailing brother, Fidel, in 2008, and
in the past year a number of Cuban officials and foreign businessmen
have been charged in graft cases.

Tri-Star Caribbean does business with a broad assortment of ministries
and state-run businesses – from tourism, transportation and
construction to the nickel and oil industries, communications and
public health.

The company has one of the largest foreign trading offices in Havana
and has sold hundreds of millions of dollars worth of transportation,
construction and other equipment and machinery to the communist-run
country since 1996.

Mr. Yacoubian, an Armenian-born Canadian citizen, has always gotten a
tip of the hat from other foreign traders for his deftness at
navigating the turbulent and murky waters of Cuba’s export-import
businesses.

“Due to the U.S. embargo and our close links to the United States,
most companies are loath to do business directly with Cuba,” said a
Canadian businessman who asked not to be named.

“So the Cubans turn to the trading companies which do the purchasing
and delivery for a high margin and inevitably run into Cuba’s security
apparatus, which is tasked in part with circumventing U.S. sanctions,”
he said.

Tri-Star has gained a high profile in Cuba by involving itself in
civic causes and throwing lavish year-end parties for prominent local
and foreign businessmen.

Now those same circles are rife with rumours about who has been
questioned, what might be behind the investigation and Mr. Yacoubian’s
whereabouts.

An employee at Tri-Star’s headquarters in Novia Scotia said he was not
there and his brother, Greg, reached at a Toronto phone number, said,
“I can’t make any comment right now.”

A Western diplomat said the investigation was unusual because it is
being carried out by state security services, not the
Attorney-General’s office.

news.az, Azerbaijan
Sept 3 2011

PACE committee chairman: `Azerbaijan will become one of the most
democratic countries in the near future’

[ 03 Sep 2011 14:48 ]

Baku – APA. Chairperson of PACE Committee on Legal Affairs and Human
Rights Christos Pourgourides, who is on a visit to Azerbaijan, held a
briefing for journalists at the Azerbaijani parliament, press service
of the parliament told APA.

Pourgourides shared his ideas about the meetings and monitoring he
conducted during the visit. He said he visited Azerbaijan for the
first time five yeas ago and now he saw completely different country.
The guest repeated the idea he expressed during the meeting with
President Ilham Aliyev: `A much work has been done in Azerbaijan in
the field of democracy and there is much progress. Azerbaijan will
become one of the most democratic countries in the near future and it
makes us very happy’.

Appreciating the developing relations of Azerbaijan with the Council
of Europe, Pourgourides said an important work has been done in the
field of protection of human rights and freedoms. He also expressed
his opinion about the ways of solution to the Armenian-Azerbaijani
conflict. `Armenia’s pressure on Azerbaijan, occupation of Nagorno
Karabakh and seven nearby regions is against the norms and principles
of both local and international laws. These lands must be immediately
liberated and returned to Azerbaijan. Not only members of the Council
of Europe, but all democratic countries must condemn Armenia and send
messages demanding withdrawal of Armenian troops from the Azerbaijani
territories. Peace and stability in the region can be ensured only by
these means’.

The guest thanked Elkhan Suleymanov, Azerbaijani MP and member of PACE
Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights, for inviting him to
Azerbaijan where he saw successful realities.

Voice of Russia
Sept 3 2011

CIS indispensable – Medvedev

Svetlana Kalmykova

Twenty years ago, the Soviet Union was replaced by the Commonwealth of
Independent States, which currently includes all post-Soviet nations
except the three Baltics and Georgia. Although cumbersome and poorly
governable in a number of instances and sometimes also criticized for
failing to enforce compliance with agreements within it, the new
entity has successfully taken its members through hard times and
hammered out what is now seen as an appropriate cooperation format.

President Dmitry Medvedev was speaking about this in the Tajik capital
Dushanbe on Saturday after emerging from a summit with his
counterparts in the CIS:

“We share heritage and history, including common participation in the
Great Patriotic War against Nazi Germany. This is a fundamental truth,
which makes for closeness in the CIS. Questioning it is absolutely
inadmissible. One more important unity factor is a common language of
international communication in the CIS, which is Russian. Promoting
Russian is a common task, which cannot be separated from developing
all other CIS languages. Our Commonwealth is also indispensable for
building all-round bilateral and multilateral cooperation among
members. The Russian Federation will never step back from this view.”

The summit chamber saw a heated dispute between the President of
Armenia and the Prime Minister of Azerbaijan about the future of
Nagorny Karabakh, a breakaway Armenian-populated entity inside Azeri
territory. The Armenian side argued for Karabakh sovereignty, while
the Azeri one raised strong objections to this. At the same time, both
thanked Russia for constructive mediation in their dispute.

The summit agreed with Dmitry Medvedev that the CIS works as an
important integration instrument and a customs union and a single
economic area within it would only make it stronger.

The Russian President also spoke about the role of the CIS as a
monitor of electoral processes in its area:

“Leaving this role entirely to the democracy and human rights office
of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe would be
unwise, because this office is known for political bias and double
standards in its work. Indeed, whereas a country outside the CIS, even
a problem one, usually attracts no more than 15 OSCE monitors, a
country within the CIS attracts anything up to 500. The CIS does not
need such monitoring, because it has monitoring organizations of its
own. They are the Electoral Monitoring Mission of the CIS and the
Monitoring Group of the Inter-Parliamentary Assembly of the CIS.
Already backed by appropriate legislation, they must sharply intensify
their work in the CIS area. This will make for speedier progress
towards modern democracy and modern political systems in the CIS
states.”
Medvedev thanked the current CIS chair nation Tajikistan for hosting
the Dushanbe summit. He also invited his CIS colleagues to Moscow to
attend an informal summit on the Commonwealth’s 20th anniversary at
the end of this year.

Medvedev’s initiatives in Dushanbe became part of the closing
declaration of the latest CIS summit.

news.am, Armenia
Sept 3 2011

Azerbaijan tries to express its discontent selectively – Armenian expert

September 03, 2011 | 22:34

YEREVAN. – Azerbaijani leadership pursue the policy of selective
contacts with the Armenian side for quite a time, Deputy Director of
Caucasus Institute Sergey Minasyan told Armenian News-NEWS.am.

In this context Minasyan highlighted the fact that Azerbaijan did not
refuse the Eastern Partnership program, despite Armenia’s involvement
in it. It follows that Azerbaijan is selective in demonstrating its
positions on the international level.

`And that’s understandable: they do not have other means of expressing
their discontent safe,’ he added.

Asked whether this discontent is targeted at internal or external
audiences, Minasyan replied, both directions.

`To inner audience they convey that they are resolute in their
positions on Karabakh conflict, to external audience they suggest that
Azerbaijani side did not come to terms with the fact of losing
Karabakh.

Azerbaijan had expressed a special opinion about the Program of
Cooperation among the CIS Member States in Combating Illegal Migration
for 2012-2014, approved by Council of CIS Foreign Ministers in
Dushanbe on September 2.

Baku stated that Azerbaijan will not comply with any provisions of the
program related to Armenia, until `liberation of all occupied
territories and complete elimination of the consequences of the
aggression’.

news.am, Armenia
Sept 3 2011

CIS partnership to have apparent privileges for Armenia – ruling party MP

September 04, 2011 | 00:42

YEREVAN. – After the Soviet Union collapsed, CIS was the institution
to provide discussions for the most serious issues of the regional
importance for 20 years, Armenian ruling Republican Party MP Artak
Zakaryan told Armenian News-NEWS.am.

`After the collapse, the institution could provide the proportional
relations between former Soviet states for cooperation. It was
realized in the form of securing internal and external stability,
establishing democratic system and elaborating various projects for
mutual economic assistance,’ the MP stated.

CIS is an institution with apparent privileges for Armenia. This is a
partnership that does not limit the formation of direct talks and
developing relations with the EU, NATO, and the U.S.

Azerbaijan is the only state that may wish CIS to collapse.

Dushanbe hosted on Saturday the CIS states for the 20th anniversary
summit. Presidents of Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan and Belarus do not
participate in the summit. Armenian president arrived in the capital
city of Tajikistan in previous day.

news.am, Armenia
Sept 3 2011

Conflicts should be solved peacefully – CIS final statement

September 03, 2011 | 15:15

The statement issued within the framework of CIS summit on Saturday
highlights the need for peaceful resolution of conflicts in CIS area.

`An important basis for successful development of the CIS will be a
peaceful settlement of existing conflicts in CIS territory, based on
mutual confidence-building measures, principles and norms of
international law,’ reads the statement.

Dushanbe hosts the anniversary summit of CIS today. In December 2011
the Commonwealth will mark 20th anniversary of its creation.

The leaders are considering the issues of future development of CIS
and are discussing topical international problems.

President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan arrived in Dushanbe on Friday. The
leaders of Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan and Belarus have not arrived for the
meeting.

Newser.com
Sept 3 2011

Post-Soviet leaders gather for 20th anniversary summit, but acrimony
spoils mood

Post-Soviet leaders’ summit soured by disputes
By OLGA TUTUBALINA | Associated Press | 15 hours, 41 minutes ago in World

Leaders from eight former Soviet states gathered Saturday to celebrate
enduring cooperation over the two decades since their nations
collectively gained independence, but mutual acrimony and
recriminations cast a shadow over the event.

The heads of state from the Commonwealth of Independent States, a
loose association of ex-Soviet republics, ended the summit in the
capital of Tajikistan by signing a declaration calling for peaceful
conflict resolution among member states and the creation of a free
trade zone.

The summit took place against the backdrop of a simmering row over
natural gas prices between Russia and Ukraine. The Armenian and
Azerbaijani delegations also exchanged frosty remarks about their
long-running dispute over the contested Nagorno-Karabakh region.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, an authoritarian whose
government is also at odds with Moscow over gas prices, did not turn
up at all. Other no-shows included the presidents of Azerbaijan and
Uzbekistan.

Attendees included Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, Kazakhstan’s
President Nursultan Nazarbayev and Krgyz President Roza Otunbayeva.

A lackluster summit will likely only serve to deepen misgivings over
future of the 11-nation CIS, an organization created in the dying days
of the Soviet Union as a forum for dialogue. The Tajikistan summit
appeared more than anything to act as a venue for airing mutual
grievances and frustration with the West.

Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych tried Saturday to quash
suggestions that Russian gas monopoly Gazprom might be allowed to take
over Ukraine’s pipeline network in exchange for a deal on lower gas
prices.

Ukraine is piling pressure on Russia to reduce prices for its gas,
saying that an 2009 import contract contradicts an earlier deal and
must be revised.

Russian news agency Interfax cited Yanukovych as saying settling the
gas price issue will have to become before any other commercial
negotiations can take place.

The prospect of another standoff over gas prices causes alarm in
Western Europe, which relies on Russia for a quarter of its gas needs.
Some 80 percent of the gas bound for Western Europe is carried through
Ukrainian pipelines.

Ukraine wants to reduce the amount of gas it buys from Russian by
one-third to 27 billion cubic meters annually. The current contract
requires Ukraine to pay for at least 33 billion cubic meters of gas
per year, regardless of the quantity it actually imports.

During the plenary session, Medvedev sharply criticized the election
monitoring body of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in
Europe, a trans-Atlantic rights group. Virtually all elections held in
the CIS since the fall of the Soviet Union have been deemed unfair by
the OSCE, fostering much resentment among the former Soviet nations.

“All of us try to hold free and democratic elections. But this does
not give a free hand to any outside force to form the domestic
situation in our countries,” Medvedev said.

Azerbaijan’s Prime Minster Artur Rasizade reacted angrily to an
address in which Armenian president Serge Sarkisian praised the people
of Nagorno-Karabakh for what he described as their struggle for
self-determination.

Armenia gained effective control over most of the breakaway territory
that lies within the territory of Azerbaijan after a bitter war
between the countries that ended in 1994, leaving 30,000 dead and more
than 1 million displaced.

“Once again, there has been another demonstration of Armenia’s
unconstructive position in the settlement of this difficult and
protracted conflict,” Rasizade said.

In the spirit of the uneasy mood that appears to have prevailed at the
summit, Rasizade also tartly admonished Tajik President Emomali
Rakhmon’s repeated references to the “Republic of Azerbaijan.”

“We’re not the Republic of Azerbaijan, we’re the Azerbaijani Republic,
by the way,” he said.

___

Associated Press reporter Peter Leonard in Moscow contributed to this report.

news.am, Armenia
Sept 3 2011

US Embassy – Yerevan paid memory tribute to airplane victims of Sasnashen

September 02, 2011 | 22:28

YEREVAN. – Head of U.S. third Air Forces and office of U.S. military
cooperation from the United States, deputy of Armenian MOD Davit
Tonoyan from Armenian side, local community leader of Sasnashen and
its residents participated in the event on Friday devoted to the
memory of C-130 aircraft pilots crashed in the Armenian land during
Soviet times.

The event was held near the monument built for their memory, press
service of the embassy informs Armenian News-NEWS.am.

`I was touched upon learning that the residents of Sasnashen still
remember that accident, and pay a memory tribute every year since
1958. It proves how strong the Sasnashen community is,’ told the head
of third Air Forces of U.S.

news.am, Armenia
Sept 3 2011

What will Turkey return to Armenians?

September 03, 2011 | 04:38

Property confiscated by the Turkish state from 1936 to 1974, which
once belonged to Armenian, Greek, and Jewish charitable foundations,
will be returned.

The Armenian Weekly presented a partial list of the Armenian
charitable foundation assets to be returned by the government:

1. Gedikpasha Armenian Protestant primary school – the building
is already demolished, at present used as a park

2. Gedikpasha Armenian Protestant Church – one apartment
building in Kumkapi, a restaurant, a playground

3. Surp Harutyun Armenian Church – several flats in Beyoglu

4. Ferikoy Surp Vartanants Church – an apartment building and a
vacant lot in Sisli

5. Kurucheshme Surp Khatch Yerevman Church – one building in Arnavutkoy

6. Kumkapi Surp Harutyun School – a store in Kumkapi and a store
in Kadikoy

7. Kumkapi Mayr Asdvadzadzin Church – a flat in Eminonu

8. Yenikoy Surp Asdvadzadzin Church – a vacant lot in Istinye

9. Bomonti Mkhitaryan Armenian Catholic School – school
buildings, two shops and a flat in Sisli

10. Yedikule Surp Prgitch (Holy Saviour) Armenian Hospital – a
total of 19 properties, including one building lot, a house and four
shared lots in Sariyer, a residential building in Moda, 2 residential
buildings in Sisli, one flat in Beyoglu, one store in Kapalicarsi
Covered Bazaar, a house in Uskudar, one apartment building, one flat
and a warehouse in Kurtulus, a four storey hotel in Taksim, a retail
and office commercial building in Beyoglu, a flat in Chamlica, a
47,500 sq. m. vacant lot in Beykoz, and a 44,000 sq. m. land adjacent
to the Hospital, formerly the gardens of the Hospital, presently used
as Zeytinburnu Soccer Stadium, a sports building, a parking lot and a
tea garden, and last but not least, the valuable office building
called Selamet Han in Eminonu, Istanbul.