Author: Kajoyan Gevork

GEORGIE-TOURISME
1 046 606 touristes d’Arménie se sont rendus en Géorgie entre janvier et octobre

Le nombre de touristes Arméniens visitant la Géorgie a connu une très
forte croissance sur les 10 premiers mois de l’année avec 1 046 606
citoyens d’Arménie qui se sont rendus en Géorgie, soit une hausse de
41% par rapport à la même période de 2012. Le nombre des touristes
Ukrainiens est passé de 70 000 à 120 000 avec une croissance de près
de 67%. Les Géorgiens escomptaient sur un doublement du nombre des
touristes cette année… Les autorités géorgiennes mènent une campagne
énergique dans de nombreux pays tels que l’Ukraine pour ramener des
flots de touristes l’été comme l’hiver dans les stations de ski.
Tandis que l’Arménie qui n’a plus de compagnie aérienne nationale va
se contenter d’atteindre le million de touristes…dont une majeure
partie d’origine arménienne…Il est vrai que la situation
géographique de la Géorgie avec ses stations balnéaires et ses
stations de ski sont des atouts non négligeables dans le domaine du
tourisme.

Krikor Amirzayan

samedi 14 décembre 2013,
Krikor Amirzayan ©armenews.com

ARMENIE-AZERBAÏDJAN
Depuis plus d’un mois la route Voskepar-Baghanis soumise à des tirs
azéris reste fermée

Depuis plus d’un mois la route Voskepar-Baghanis dans la région
frontalière de Tavouche (nord-est de l’Arménie) est fermée suite aux
tirs azéris qui mettent en danger la vie des automobilistes. Nareg
Sahakian le maire du village de Baghanis a informé la presse que cette
route prise sous les tirs des positions azéries stationnées non loin
de l’axe était devenue très dangereuse, obligeant les automobilistes à
ne plus l’emprunter. Cette route permettant de relier l’Arménie à la
Géorgie. N. Sahakian a toutefois affirmé que le calme était revenu et
que de nouveaux tirs azéris n’étaient pas enregistrés depuis quelques
temps. Néanmoins il n’a pas su donner la date de la réouverture de
cette route Voskepar-Baghanis. En attendant, les automobilistes
empruntent une route bis plus sécurisée.

Krikor Amirzayan

samedi 14 décembre 2013,
Krikor Amirzayan ©armenews.com

TURKISH FM: OUR PRIMARY AIM IS COMPREHENSIVE PEACE IN THE REGION

Trend, Azerbaijan
Dec 13 2013

Our primary is a comprehensive peace in the region Foreign Minister
Ahmet Davutoglu said yesterday as he made a landmark visit to the
country’s long-time foe, Armenia, Hurriyet Daily News reported.

Accompanied by Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Feridun Sinirlioglu,
Davutoglu visited Yerevan for the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC)
group meeting. The top diplomat met with his Armenian counterpart,
Edward Nalbandian, on the sidelines of the summit.

“We are very pleased with the meeting with Nalbandian; it was candid.

The primary aim is to build an environment of dialogue on a strong
basis,” Davutoglu said after the meeting, while dismissing claims
that he suggested to Armenia that it withdraw from two regions in
Nagorno-Karabakh.

Davutoglu expressed his hope that a collective consciousness between
the two countries could be created with a “just memory.”

“We say ‘just memory.’ What I mean with that is we should know the
facts. Then we see that Turkish-Armenian relations do not date back
like German-Jewish ties. In every street, there is a common sign.

Yerevan wants Ankara to recognize the mass killings of Armenians
during the forced deportation in World War I as genocide, but Turkey
has steadfastly refused to do so.

Primary aim not to open border

“Our primary aim is not open only the Turkish-Armenian border but to
form a foundation that will pave the way for a comprehensive peace,”
Davutoglu said. “It has three pillars. The first one is relations
between Turkey and Armenia. The second one is Azerbaijani-Armenian
relations. This also includes Georgian-Abkhaz ties. The third one is
relations between Turks and Armenians,” he said.

Turkey and Armenia signed protocols in 2009 to establish diplomatic
relations and open their sealed borders, but neither succeeded in
completing the process for different reasons.

“If one of the pillars is crippled, it will create distress. Let’s
say we opened the Armenian border gate. If a war breaks out between
Armenia and Azerbaijan, then we would be forced to close it again. The
hardest thing is to defrost the iceberg of the status quo. You could
start a war when you trying to defrost it,” he said.

NEWS ANALYSIS: TURKEY, ARMENIA TEND TO MEND BILATERAL TIES

Xinhua, China
Dec 13 2013

English.news.cn 2013-12-12 23:55:13
Xinhua Weibo

ANKARA, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) — Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu
traveled to Armenia on Thursday in his first diplomatic visit to the
country since normalization talks between the two countries failed
in 2009, though analysts doubt the meeting will improve relations.

At the invitation of his counterpart Eduard Nalbandyan, Davutoglu
visited Yerevan to attend Organization of the Black Sea Economic
Cooperation (BSEC) meeting.

BSEC is a regional organization with headquarters based in the Turkish
coastal city of Istanbul. It was started in 1992 as a Turkish-led
initiative to promote economic and political cooperation in the Black
Sea region.

“There are outstanding issues between Turkey and Armenia that are
not resolved at all and this makes it difficult to move for the
normalization of ties between the two countries,” Mesut Cevikalp,
foreign policy analyst based in the Turkish capital of Ankara, told
Xinhua. He added the visit may provide an opportunity for Turkey to
do a public relations campaign while forcing Armenia to reciprocate
Ankara’s overtures.

Turkey closed its border with Armenia in 1993 as a reaction
to Armenia’s occupation of some 20 percent of its territory in
Nagorno-Karabakh region a year earlier.

A reconciliation process was started between Turkey and Armenia in
2009, when the two sides signed in Zurich protocols to normalize
diplomatic relations.

However, the ratification of the protocols was shelved after they
were unable to settle the Nagorno-Karabakh issue.

Davutoglu and Nalbandyan held an hour and a half private meeting on
the sidelines of BSEC meeting.

Speaking at the BSEC meeting, Nalbandyan ruled out any precondition for
the resumption of Turkish-Armenian ties, stressing that there should
not be any linkage between other issues and the normalization process.

Turkey said it would only open its border when Armenia withdraws from
the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven adjacent territories.

Yasar Yakis, a former Turkish foreign minister, says that Turkey and
Armenia need to do everything in their power to find a solution to
the disputes while paying attention to sensitivities of third parties.

“Previously, due to Azerbaijan’s opposition, their reconciliation
couldn’t be realized. Now the sides should take lessons from the past.

And if they act according to these lessons, the chances for peace
will be higher,” he said.

However, the situation remains thorny. Turkey partially depends on
Azerbaijan for natural gas and oil supplies. Azerbaijan is also a major
investor in Turkey and maintains a strong pro-Azeri lobby in Turkey.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said last month that
Ankara is committed to a settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute
between Azerbaijan and Armenia, saying that “Karabakh is not just
Azerbaijan’s problem, but also Turkey’s problem.”

Nagorno-Karabakh dispute was also discussed on the sidelines
of Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe’s (OSCE)
ministerial council in Kiev last week.

During the OSCE meeting in Kiev, Davutoglu met with Azeri counterpart
Elmar Mammadyarov and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov for the
talks on the Nagorno-Karabakh issue. Although, Davutoglu did not hold
a bilateral meeting with Armenian foreign minister in Kiev reportedly
due to his busy schedule.

The Turkish foreign minister’s visit came at a time in which Turkey
has accelerated its efforts to find a path to permanent peace in the
Caucasus. He said that he hopes his visit to Yerevan will contribute
to efforts for comprehensive peace and economic stability in BSEC
region, and especially in the Caucasus.

If Armenia reads this visit positively, a new process may start between
the two countries,” Mehmet Fatih Oztarsu, an expert on Armenia,
said. Although this development is unlikely as Armenia signaled it
will not be revisiting Davutoglu’s stand on issues concerning Turkey.

Speaking to the Turkish press, Armenian Foreign Ministry spokesperson
Tigran Balayan said Yerevan sent invitations to the ministers of all
BSEC member states and signaled that nothing more than should be read
about Davutoglu’s visit. “In terms of Armenian-Turkish relations,
we have signed protocols; the only (further) move could be the
ratification and implementation of those protocols,” he said.

In a sign that Armenia will not alter its position, Yerevan officials
have challenged Davutoglu on the eve of his visit.

Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Shavarsh Kocharyan said over the
weekend that Davutoglu should visit the Armenian Genocide Memorial
in Yerevan instead of making provocative statements.

Turkey denies that the killings of Armenians during World War I
amounted to genocide, saying that both sides have suffered causalities
in the war and there were no deliberate policies targeting Armenians.

Genocide claims are very sensitive issue in Turkey and no government
has dared to address the claims raised by Armenia for events in 1915.

EU HAS NO INTENTION TO CLOSE DOOR FOR ARMENIA – TRAIAN HRISTEA

December 13, 2013 | 16:55

YEREVAN. – The European Union decided to continue deepening of
relations with Armenia and we have no intention to close the door,
head of EU delegation Traian Hristea said during international
conference in Yerevan.

Hristea noted that Armenia confirmed that it is a part of Eastern
Partnership dialogue during the Vilnius summit, and reforms are on
bilateral agenda. He recalled that immediately after the summit,
EU-Armenia cooperation council decided to provide assistance to
reforms based on EU values as a part of main provisions of bilateral
interaction.

In the future EU is ready to hear from the Armenian authorities
the areas of cooperation where the parties can achieve closer and
deeper cooperation that are compatible with new political obligations
of Armenia.

“European Integration 2013: EU-Armenia Relations Perspective after the
EaP Vilnius Summit” conference was held in Yerevan on December 12-13.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

PROTESTERS MEET AHMET DAVUTOGLU IN YEREVAN

APA, Azerbaijan
Dec 12 2013

PHOTOSESSION

[ 12 December 2013 12:19 ]

Baku. Anakhanum Hidayatova – APA. Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet
Davutoglu arrived in Armenia to attend the meeting of the Black Sea
Economic Cooperation Organization.

APA reports quoting Armenian media that a group of Turkish journalists
are accompanying the Minister in Yerevan.

The Nikol Aghbalyan Student and Youth Unions, Armenian Revolutionary
Federation Dashnaktsutyun have staged a protest action against Ahmet
Davutoglu outside the hotel hosting the meeting. The unions express
their protest saying Stop genocide, Stop denying, Stop injustice.

Head of Foreign Ministry’s department Shovgi Mehdizadeh is representing
Azerbaijan at the meeting.

FM DAVUTOGLU MEETS WITH NALBANDIAN IN SIGN OF THAW WITH ARMENIA

Today’s Zaman, Turkey
Dec 12 2013

Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has met with his Armenian counterpart,
Eduard Nalbandian, in the first high-level visit from Turkey to Yerevan
in five years, on the sidelines of a meeting of the Organization of
the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC).

During his one-day visit to Yerevan, where he arrived to attend the
BSEC’s 29th assembly of foreign ministers, Davutoglu had a meeting with
Nalbandian, a move that can be seen as significant for the restoration
of diplomatic ties between Ankara and Yerevan — who have been at
odds over allegations of genocide and the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Davutoglu visited Yerevan for the purpose of joining the BSEC meeting;
however, his trip can be read as an important step regarding relations
that have been stalled since 2009 over the Nagorno-Karabakh issue
between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

An Armenian diplomat who wished to remain anonymous said that the
two-hour meeting between the two foreign ministers took place in
the afternoon.

At the BSEC meeting, Foreign Minister Davutoglu called for the
strengthening of trade cooperation between countries in the Black Sea
region. He said that as a key solution for economic problems in the
world, regional cooperation will pave the way for better opportunities
in the region.

Speaking before the meeting with Davutoglu, Nalbandian told the
reporters that relations between Turkey and Armenia should be
normalized without any preconditions.

He said the stance of Armenia and the international community on the
normalization of relations is obvious. “Turkey linking normalization
with other issues makes no sense and won’t yield any results,” he said.

Nalbandian also said that Armenian officials are supposed to hold
meetings with all the member states’ delegation heads, including the
Turkish delegation.

On the BSEC, Davutoglu underlined that it is an organization
in a highly strategic region and it will play an important role
regarding the bridge to be built between Asia and Europe. He noted
that connecting the Balkans and the Caucasus via transportation and
trade projects will turn the Black Sea into a basin of peace.

A reconciliation process was launched between Turkey and Armenia in
2009, when the two sides signed twin protocols to normalize diplomatic
relations, but the move was not well received by Azerbaijan. The
protocols, signed in Zurich, shook Turkish-Azerbaijani relations,
as the Nagorno-Karabakh territorial conflict between Armenia and
Azerbaijan has yet to be resolved.

Foreign Minister Davutoglu had a tete-a-tete with his Bulgarian
counterpart Kristian Vigenin and congratulated him on Bulgaria taking
the BSEC’s presidency for the next term. According to news agency
reports, Davutoglu said Turkey and Bulgaria can work together much
more closely under Bulgaria’s BSEC presidency. Vigenin also reportedly
underlined that Bulgaria placed importance on cooperation with Turkey.

Reports said that Davutoglu and Vigenin mainly discussed bilateral
ties between their two countries. They revised the preparations of a
joint commission that will be made in Sofia under the presidencies
of the undersecretaries of their ministries. The situation in the
Balkans and the Syrian crisis were also discussed during the foreign
ministers’ meeting.

During the BSEC meeting, Davutoglu posted on Twitter that Turkey will
continue to be active on resolving the problems that surround it,
as it did in the past. He said he hopes that his visit to Yerevan
will contribute to peace and economic stability in the Black Sea and
the Caucasus.

The foreign minister was greeted by protests from several groups
upon his arrival on Thursday morning. Early in the day, protesters
gathered in front of the hotel where Davutoglu was set to attend the
BSEC meeting of foreign ministers. Protesters shouted slogans and held
placards in English and Armenian condemning Turkey for its stance
against the 1915 incidents. Security forces clashed with protesters
when they insisted on moving toward the building. Davutoglu entered
the hotel through the backdoor.

Speaking to the Cihan news agency, a protester who identified
himself as Gerafin Vartanyan said that Turkey should accept the
“Armenian genocide.” “Even though Turkey doesn’t accept [that it
carried out genocide], other countries have agreed on this. Besides
we want our territories back,” he said. He stressed that Turkey’s
“policy of creating problems” has affected Armenia negatively,
referring to Turkey closing its border with Armenia and taking sides
with Azerbaijan on the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute.

A socialist party member also told Cihan that they are protesting
Turkey’s policy of creating problems. He reportedly said Turkey isn’t
taking any steps forward for better ties, but Armenia wants to get
along with its neighbors. “Turkey doesn’t want to accept ‘genocide’.

It gives support to Azerbaijan and prevents our borders from being
open and this affects us negatively,” Cihan reported him as saying.

Turkey closed its borders with Armenia in a display of solidarity
with Azerbaijan on the issue of the Nagorno-Karabakh region — an
Azerbaijani territory occupied by Armenian troops in 1991.

US welcomes Davutoglu’s Yerevan visit

The US Department of State spokeswoman Jen Psaki said the US welcomed
Davutoglu’s visit to Armenia, which has come after a long time
without contact.

Speaking at daily press briefings on Wednesday, Psaki said that the US
hopes the Turkish foreign minister’s visit will provide an opportunity
for dialogue between regional leaders.

“We continue to urge both Turkey and Armenia to ratify the
normalization protocols and to pursue tangible steps, such as opening
the border that can help strengthen ties between neighbors and create
jobs and opportunity for the people of both countries. So we certainly
support the visit, and we’re hopeful they’ll be able to move the
process forward,” she said.

Davutoglu’s visit to Yerevan was the first high-level diplomatic
visit from Turkey since 2009. Deputy Prime Minister Ali Babacan,
then-foreign minister also visited Armenia in 2009 on the sidelines of
the BSEC. The normalization protocols followed Babacan’s Armenia visit.

Two Turkish journalists of Armenian origin, columnist Markar Esayan
and Rober KoptaÅ~_, the editor-in-chief of the Armenian weekly Agos,
accompanied Davutoglu during his trip to the capital city.

TURKISH FM FACES PROTESTS IN LANDMARK YEREVAN VISIT

Hurriyet Daily News, Turkey
dec 12 2013

YEREVAN

A group of people protested Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu
in the Armenian capital Yerevan on Dec. 12, according to Dogan
News Agency.

The group had gathered to demand that Turkey officially recognize
the mass killings of Armenians in 1915 as a genocide.

Davutoglu is paying a one-day visit to Yerevan today to attend the
Organization of Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) meeting, making
him the highest-level Turkish official to visit Armenia since 2009.

Davutoglu described the BSEC as an organization which performs for
peace, prosperity and economic prosperity in the region.

“I hope that my visit to Yerevan will contribute to comprehensive
peace and stability efforts in the BSEC region and the Caucasus,”
Davutoglu wrote on his Twitter account. “As Turkey, we will continue
to make efforts to solve conflicts in the periphery.”

Turkish FM protested in Yerevan

Turkish diplomats underlined that they would have no hesitation in
holding talks with their host if they received an invitation from
Armenia.

“Former Foreign Minister Ali Babacan visited Yerevan in 2009 to attend
the BSEC summit. And he held a meeting with his Armenian counterpart
then,” Turkish diplomats recalled.

At the time, Turkey and Armenia signed two protocols to normalize
their relations and open the sealed borders, but neither succeeded
in accomplishing the process for different reasons. Turkey’s current
position vis-a-vis Armenia is to wait for its eastern neighbor to
resolve its problems with Azerbaijan over the Nagorno-Karabakh region.

Armenia’s potential and partial withdrawal from occupied
Nagorno-Karabakh would accelerate the normalization process of Armenia
with both Turkey and Azerbaijan.

Meetings between Azeri and Armenian officials over the last two
months boosted hopes for a meaningful negotiation process to restart
between the two countries. This latest set of Azeri-Armenian talks
made Davutoglu more willing to attend the BSEC meeting in Yerevan.

The Turkish foreign minister’s decision to go to Yerevan was welcomed
by the United States and leading European countries. According to
information gathered by the Hurriyet Daily News, European and American
diplomats deemed Davutoglu’s visit and potential bilateral meeting
a very promising move. They also advised Armenia “not to miss the
opportunity” created by the visit.

However, Turkish diplomats did note that this visit should not be
regarded as a new opening toward Armenia.

“We are emphasizing and reiterating our call for a stable, prosperous
South Caucasus. We always underline that we have no prejudices towards
Armenia,” the diplomats said.

They underlined that Davutoglu’s attendence at the BSEC meeting was
another indication of Turkey’s intention to build regional cooperation,
and Armenia was certainly a part of this sphere.

December/12/2013

TURKEY WANTS NORMALIZATION OF AZERBAIJANI-ARMENIAN RELATIONS

Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
Dec 12 2013

12 December 2013 – 12:53pm

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said that Ankara wanted
Azerbaijan and Armenia to normalize relations, Trend reports.

He noted that Armenia’s withdrawal from the occupied territories of
Azerbaijan was the main condition for the normalization process to
begin.Yerevan is hosting a session of the BSEC attended by Davutoglu.

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said that Ankara wanted
Azerbaijan and Armenia to normalize relations, Trend reports.

He noted that Armenia’s withdrawal from the occupied territories
of Azerbaijan was the main condition for the normalization process
to begin.

Yerevan is hosting a session of the BSEC attended by Davutoglu.

ARMENIA: YEREVAN COLD-SHOULDERS IRAN AS GAS SUITOR

EurasiaNet.org
Dec 12 2013

December 11, 2013 – 4:07pm, by Marianna Grigoryan

Armenia is the most gas-hungry country in the South Caucasus, and
already is in a committed energy relationship with Russia. But many
Armenians, tired of being taken for granted by the Kremlin, want their
government to start flirting with another natural-gas suitor: Iran.

Just days after a December 2 visit to Armenia by Russian President
Vladimir Putin, Iran put out a feeler to Armenian officials about
potential gas sales. So far, Yerevan hasn’t shown interest in talking.

In any event, Tehran could face some hard bargaining; Russia seems
determined to maintain its dominant energy position in Armenia. Alexei
Miller, the chief executive officer of Russian energy giant Gazprom,
has stated that Armenia, as a member of Moscow’s planned Customs
Union, could obtain gas at Russian “domestic prices.” Specifics about
gas-pricing plans remain sketchy.

Russia currently exports roughly 1.9 billion cubic meters of gas per
year to Armenia. According to Energy and Natural Resources Minister
Armen Movsisian, the gas sells at the border for $189 per thousand
cubic meters (tcm), but markups mean that the price that consumers pay
is about $391/tcm. The high cost puts the squeeze on many Armenians,
about one-third of whom are estimated to live in poverty.

Iran, which has the world’s second-largest gas reserves after Russia,
clearly wants to grab a share of the Armenian market. But Armenian
officials contend that Iranian gas — which, in sales to other
countries is priced in the $400/tcm range — is too expensive to be
a viable alternative.

Despite the apparent lack of interest on Yerevan’s part, Iran seems
persistent. On December 6, Iran’s ambassador to Armenia, Mohammad
Rajesi, convened a rare news conference in Yerevan to declare that
Tehran is ready to supply Armenia with gas on more favorable terms
than Russia, if need be.

“We have to sit down and negotiate,” Rajesi asserted.

The only negotiations to date, he claimed, concern an electricity-gas
barter, in which Armenia receives one cubic meter of gas from Iran
for every three kilowatts of exported electricity. Under the terms
of that deal, the gas price for Armenia works out to be $181.7/tcm.

Armenia is no stranger to energy cooperation with Iran – the two are
working on a 365-kilometer oil pipeline, scheduled for completion
in 2014. Yet, Armenian officials seem to be keeping the Iranian gas
offer at arm’s length out of concern about upsetting Russia, whose
Customs-Union trade bloc Yerevan intends to join. Russia also wields
vast influence over Armenia’s energy infrastructure.

The looming prospect of Armenian membership in the Customs Union
may be a motivating factor for Iran, some observers believe. “Iran
understands that if the Customs Union’s border is situated in the
southern part of Armenia [which borders on Iran], its own interests
will be at risk, too,” said Stepan Safarian, a senior member of the
opposition Heritage Party.

“This is actually an anti-Russian move, which also gives Armenia a
chance for independence as well,” he added, referring to Rajesi’s
offer.

Some Armenians, remembering Iran’s help during the grim fuel and
food shortages that followed the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union,
don’t think Yerevan should be so dismissive at the Iranian gas offer.

“We were able to survive in those years of cold and lack of electricity
because Iran helped us,” recollected 40-year-old Yerevan physicist
Armen Babaian. “They supplied us with food and even oil cooking
stoves. Now they are making a friendly move, but the Armenian
authorities cannot accept it because their hands are tied.”

Others advocate caution. While supporting the notion of diversifying
Armenia’s gas supplies, Iranian affairs expert Gohar Iskandarian,
a research associate at the National Academy of Sciences’ Oriental
Studies Institute, said “Iran is in an unsteady situation now”
and can’t be counted upon to be an alternative to Russia. “Let us
not forget that Armenia imports not only gas from Russia, but other
strategic goods as well,” Iskandarian added.

Concern about US sanctions against Iran – still in force despite a
recent nuclear deal- plays no role at all in the Armenian domestic
debate. The United States generally has not raised a public fuss over
Iran’s energy ties with landlocked Armenia, blockaded by Azerbaijan
and Turkey over the 1988-1994 Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Safarian, the opposition politician, expressed doubt that the Kremlin
would “allow” Yerevan to talk gas sales with Iran. “Political forces
and society would have to play a great role here by increasing the
pressure,” he said, hinting that mass protests, on a scale similar
to those now occurring in Ukraine, would have to occur before the
Armenian government would feel a need to parley with Tehran.

Although there was a small public protest December 2 in Yerevan
opposing the country’s pending move into the Russia-led Customs Union,
there is no evidence to suggest a large-scale show of civil opposition
to the government’s current political course is in the offing. The
mere hint of cheap gas supplies from Moscow seems sufficient to keep
the Armenian government from exploring other options.

Editor’s note: Marianna Grigoryan is a freelance reporter based in
Yerevan and editor of MediaLab.am.