Author: Kajoyan Gevork

Vestnik Kavkaza: Azerbaijan and the United States a major diplomatic row erupted

17:42 18/10/2013 » REGION

A serious diplomatic scandal arises between Baku and Washington.
Criticism of the presidential elections in Azerbaijan by U.S.
Department of State and the fact that Barack Obama hasn’t
congratulated Ilham Aliyev on his third presidential term yet worsened
already less than perfect Azerbaijani-American relations, Orhan
Sattarov, the head of the head of the European bureau of Vestnik
Kavkaza writes.

The author notes that the head of the presidential administration
Ramiz Mehtiyev who usually prefers not to communicate with the mass
media has met journalists from leading Azerbaijani periodicals. At the
meeting the top official who is thought to be one of key figures in
the country expressed his disappointment and indignation on the
estimation of the presidential elections in the country by the
observing mission of OSCE/ODIHR and U.S. Department of State.

Criticizing the Americans for double standards and insincerity in
partnership with Azerbaijan, Mehtiyev doubted the adequateness of the
report by OSCE/ODIHR – the organization which works watching at the
U.S. According to Mehtiyev, Azerbaijan had doubts about inviting
observers from the ODIHR, but made the step on the recommendation of
the U.S.

`However, the most interesting thing in the interview was inside
information from Mekhtiyev that American officials `recommended’ the
Azerbaijani government to falsify results of voting for the opposition
candidate Jamil Hasanly, as if he got 25% of votes,’ the author
writes.

As the article notes, the U.S. Department of State quickly responded
to the interview by the head of the presidential administration and
stated that his statements on `recommended’ results of the elections
were a lie. `The diplomatic fight could come to an end without serious
consequences for bilateral relations. However, tension seems to reach
the highest level. The Azerbaijani side didn’t ignore the disproof of
the Americans and decided to state certain names,’ the author writes
and notes that the authorities focused on the American ambassador in
Azerbaijan, Richard Morningstar.

`The figures mentioned by Ramiz Mekhtiyev were voiced by the U.S.
ambassador at meetings with the government of Azerbaijan,’ Elnur
Aslanov, the head of the political analysis and information support of
the presidential administration of Azerbaijan, confirmed in an
interview to 1news.az.

Author reminds that a few days ahead of the incident, there was
another unpleasant moment which involved Morningstar. According to the
press service of the Defense Minister of Azerbaijan, the American
ambassador stated at the meeting with the minister that `the elections
have passed, and the winner is Ilham Aliyev’ and actually he shut down
all political speculations on recognition or non-recognition of the
Azerbaijani elections by the U.S.

`However, the U.S. embassy decided to make a statement that the words
by the ambassador were misinterpreted. This time the Azerbaijani side
also resisted America and stated that it had an audio record of the
talk and the press service of the ministry didn’t misinterpret the
message,’ the material says.

According to the author, the current anti-American rhetoric can be
compared with the sharp reaction by Baku on active American lobbying
of the Armenian-Turkish peacemaking in 2008 without consideration of
the Nagorno-Karabakh topic.

`It is notable that in the context of worsened relations between Baku
and Washington the mass media is again discussing the topic of whether
Azerbaijan should take the European and Western course or the Eurasian
course, i.e. a radical turn toward Russia,’ the author says and notes
that Vladimir Putin’s summer visit to Azerbaijan, Azerbaijani’s energy
policy which prefers to prevent development of the project of Nabucco
to avoid competition with the Russian pipeline of South Stream,
deliberation of the question on association with the EU – all these
factors give an opportunity for Baku to turn north.

Source: Panorama.am

Conscript `Inflicts Himself with Fatal Gunshot Wound’: Defense Ministry

10.18.2013 18:02 epress.am

Military conscript Ruben Davtyan at around 1:30 pm on Oct. 18
`inflicted himself with a fatal gunshot wound’ from the weapon he was
carrying, reports the RA Ministry of Defense, stressing that this is
preliminary information.

Davtyan died on the way to hospital. A criminal case on charges of RA
Criminal Code Article 110 Section 1 (`causing someone to commit
suicde’) has been launched.

Le Parisien, France
Vendredi 18 Octobre 2013

La ville commémore les résistants du groupe Manouchian

HAUTS-DE-SEINE; Montrouge Seconde Guerre mondiale

C’était il y a 70 ans. Le 18 octobre 1943, la rue qui accueille
l’actuel restaurant Jean Bart fut le thétre d’une des nombreux actes
du groupe Manouchian, du nom de son leader, un résistant d’origine
arménienne, contre l’armée allemande. A l’époque, Montrouge
accueillait un centre de commandement des nazis et un centre de dépôt
de la SNCF, régulièrement viser par la résistance de Montrouge.

Pour ne jamais oublier ces hommes, le Front de Gauche poursuit ses
commémorations et organise ce soir, à 18 heures, au Jean-Bart, une
conférence, en présence d’Arsène Tchakarian, le dernier survivant du
groupe Manoukian. Au programme : Débat, récits historiques, documents
d’époque et présentation du dernier livre d’Arsène Tchakarian.

Aujourd’hui à partir de 18 heures, au Jean-Bart, 134, avenue de la
République 92120 Montrouge.

Haykakan Zhamanak: Yerevan Municipality owes 3 months wages to bus drivers

11:35 19/10/2013 » DAILY PRESS

Yerevan Municipality owes 3 months wages to drivers of several bus
routes, Haykakan Zhamanak reports. According to head of Municipality’s
Transport Department Henrik Navasardyan, the problem will be solved in
the coming days. The reason of wage delays is that the passenger flows
have decreased in the recent months, which caused financial problems.

Source: Panorama.am

Moscow enlists volunteer militia to clear city of illegal migrants

Every Friday, authorities plan to raid apartment buildings and workplaces

Maxim Tucker

Friday 18 October 2013

Moscow police will enlist the help of a volunteer militia to sweep the
streets for illegal migrants, police chief Anatoly Yakunin said today,
following the worst race riots in the city in years.

The riots were sparked when a man of Azerbaijani appearance stabbed to
death ethnic Russian Yegor Shcherbakov in the Biryulyovo district of
Moscow last Thursday as he was out walking with his girlfriend.

Russian authorities plan to hold operation ‘Signal’ every Friday,
raiding apartment buildings and workplaces known to be frequented by
immigrants across the city, particularly those from Azerbaijan and the
Caucasus region.

The enormous nature of the task will require “the entire apparatus of
the Central Office of Main Control, the office of Internal Control of
Administrative Districts, private security companies and voluntary
civil guards” Mr Yakunin said.

Azerbaijani nationalist group the “Karabakh Liberation Organisation’
have threatened retaliation against ethnic Russians living in
Azerbaijan.

According to Azerbaijani news portal “Haqqin.az”, the group wrote to
the Russian Embassy in Baku stating that “If attacks on Azerbaijanis”
in Russia do not end, then “adequate measures” will be taken against
Russians living in Azerbaijan.

Their statement followed the release of footage which appears to show
handcuffed Azerbaijani citizen Orkhan Zeynalov being assaulted by
police officers before being transferred to pre-trial detention face
down in a police helicopter with a bag over his head.

Police appear to punch, kick and strike a bruised and bloody Mr
Zeynalov with police batons in full view of the camera crew, who are
allowed to accompany the suspect as he travels under an officer’s feet
lying in the bottom of a police van, then in a police helicopter with
a bag over his head.

Mr Zeynalov was arrested on Tuesday, accused of Yegor Shcherbakov’s
murder. In the video police appear to try to force Mr Zeynalov into
confessing to the camera as he lies in the grass. At a Moscow court
hearing on Thursday he told a judge police had arrested the wrong man.
Police later justified their actions by saying he had resisted arrest.

Yegor Shcherbakov’s murder caused mass protests against non-Slavic
immigrants in Biryulyovo district, which quickly turned violent.
Participants broke into a local vegetable warehouse where many
immigrants work, trashing produce and brawling with police on the
streets outside.

Protesters blame immigrants for crime in the area and believe they
undercut the pay of Russian employees by working illegally.

Moscow based Azerbaijani film-maker and one time Presidential hopeful
Rustam Ibragimbekov said immigrants were in a “difficult situation”.

“They [Russian authorities] carry this [immigration policy] out in
such a way that those coming to the country looking for work are
placed in a difficult situation. They have no opportunities, they live
in bad conditions and as a result crimes like this occur”.

Rioting continued last Sunday, with angry protesters attempting to set
fire to a shopping mall and smashing windows. Some 380 people were
detained in relation to the disturbances as police battled to restore
order in the district.

Russian authorities seem eager to placate nationalist groups,
arresting over a thousand illegal immigrants in night-time raids on
Monday evening, and taking the unusual step of allowing national TV to
film and broadcast ill-treatment of Orkhan Zeynalov.

However, ethnic tensions continue to build in Biryulyovo, with Reuters
reporting Wednesday that police had found the body of an ethnic Uzbek
there, apparently killed in a race-related attack.

Moscow authorities have consequently banned a nationalist rally
planned for October 19 on the other side of Moscow, telling organisers
that under the circumstances police would not be able to guarantee the
safety of participants. The rally’s organizer, Dmitry Dyomushkin, is
the former head of the ‘Slavic Union’ far-right group, banned in 2010
as an extremist organization.

The Azerbaijani government has yet to comment on Mr. Zeynalov’s arrest
and treatment.

France 3
20 oct 2013

Un centre national de la mémoire arménienne à Décines

Ce CNMA, lieu pédagogique ouvert à tous, a été inauguré ce dimanche
dans le Rhône, en présence de la ministre de la Culture Aurélie
Filippetti. La communauté arménienne est marquée dans sa culture par
le génocide de 1915-1917, à l’origine d’une diaspora de plus de 7
millions de personnes.

Environ 12.000 ouvrages et 110.000 documents composent la base
documentaire du CNMA, dont une partie est traitée et numérisée. Ils
concernent l’histoire, les mémoires, la langue, la culture, les arts
et les migrations arméniennes ainsi que la vie des communautés en
France et en Europe.

Une équipe d’universitaires, qui pourront accompagner des étudiants
pour des travaux et des thèses, doit être progressivement constituée.
Onze conférences-débats ou événements culturels devraient être
proposées dans l’année au centre, qui accueillera également des
groupes scolaires.

Dimanche, deux expositions en visite libre ont ouvert les festivités:
“Se reconstruire en exil. L’arrivée des réfugiés arméniens en France”
et “Le livre arménien de la renaissance à la Lumière: une culture en
Diaspora”.

Pour sa construction, débutée en 2010, le CNMA a bénéficié pour moitié
d’un financement public-privé et pour l’autre de dons. Il fonctionne
avec trois salariés et une trentaine de bénévoles, selon la directrice
Katia Boudoyan.

La reconnaissance du génocide

Lors de l’inauguration la ministre de la Culture Aurélie Filippetti a
déclaré : “N’oublions jamais ce qui s’est produit en 1915. Rappelons
aux enfants d’Arménie, de la France et du monde où mène cet oubli par
l’homme de son humanité, dont le siècle passé nous a donné tant de
sinistres exemples”.

“Le travail historique doit se poursuivre (…) Mais les faits sont
établis, et le génocide arménien a été reconnu par une loi de la
République”, a poursuivi la ministre pour qui “la propagande de sa
négation ne peut être admise”.

“C’est pourquoi, conformément à l’engagement du Chef de l’Etat, le
gouvernement examine les moyens juridiques permettant d’assurer cette
vigilance dans le respect des principes fixés par notre Constitution
et de nos obligations internationales et européennes”, a-t-elle
ajouté.

Tigran Sargsyan: The world in crisis creates additional difficulties
for economists

14:52 19.10.2013

The annual meeting of the Armenian Economic Association kicked off at
the Yerevan State University today. The event was attended by Armenian
Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan, Head of the Government Staff, Minister
Vache Gabrielyan, Minister of Economy Vahram Avanesyan, economists,
students.

The Prime Minister said in his opening remarks that such meetings
should contribute to the development of the economic mind and create
interest in economic research among the youth.

`We have to create an atmosphere in the Yerevan State University to
motivate people to do research,’ Tigran Sargsyan said.

The Prime Minister said the contemporary word in crisis creates
additional difficulties for economists, at the same time making their
work more interesting.

`If we follow the Nobel Prize winners in Economics, we’ll see the
modern topics economists are interested in,’ he added.

Looking back at the complex socio-economic and financial processes
that have been taking place in Armenia over the past 20 years, we are
trying to understand what new challenges we may face in the future,
the Prime Minister said.

3rd media forum `At the Foot of Ararat’ held in Armenia

The 3rd media forum entitled `At the Foot of Ararat’ began in Armenia.
Among the participants are representatives of Armenian, Russian and
European mass media outlets.

In the words of Head of the Information and PR Center of the
Presidential Staff Ara Saghatelian, the forum aims to make Armenia
more recognizable and understandable to the world. `Our purpose is to
present Armenia not only as a bearer of cultural and historical
values, but also as a sovereign country that has its own programs and
constantly develops,’ he noted.

He said the two previous forums were successful, but the format of the
current one has been extended. According to A. Saghatelian, the
reporters who attended the previous forums have published articles
about Armenia in their media outlets, ensuring audiences of millions.
`Thus they shape a particular attitude towards present-day Armenia and
its residents,’ Saghatelian said.

Chairman of the Council of Media Congress of Journalists of Europe and
Asia Ashot Jazoyan said for his part that unlike the previous events,
this forum brought together about 40 reporters from Ukraine, Spain,
France, Moldova, and Russia.

934,2 thousand Armenians visited Georgia in 9 months

14:13, 18 October, 2013

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 18, ARMENPRESS. 934,2 thousand Armenian citizens
visited Georgia at the course of the nine months of 2013. As reports
“Armenpress”, the National Tourism Administration of Georgia informed
“Novosti Gruzia” about this.

Among other things it was stated that according to the number of
visitors to Georgia the Republic of Armenia occupies the second place.
Turkey tops the list with 1,24 million people. Azerbaijan (786,3
thousand people) and Russia (595,8 thousand people) occupy the third
and fourth places respectively.

© 2009 ARMENPRESS.am

Yeni Musavat, Azerbaijan
Oct 17 2013

Scary message from Russia: Retreating may cost Azerbaijan its independence

by Elcin Xalidbayli

The dust flies everywhere. A merciless battle is under way for the
South Caucasus. It is the major powers that are vying for control over
the region. However, it is small regional countries that suffer the
blows because the major powers are not fighting directly, but through
proxies. This is a new and seemingly the decisive stage. The winner
will breathe more easily in the South Caucasus.

Each super power has its own way of fighting. When the USA and West
oppose somebody they resort to political factors to exploit the small
countries. Russia is more brutal and there are no game rules for the
Kremlin. It is ready to ride roughshod over anyone and anybody who
obstructs the way to its objectives.

We saw this clearly in the latest events in Moscow. Of course, we do
not have the intention of defending somebody who was marred by a
crime. Those who commit crimes must be punished.

However, the developments are so ruthless and scary that there is need
to question the link between the event and what is happening. The way
the event was presented to Russia and the CIS make it plausible that
the event was orchestrated in advance.

Unusual aspects

First, there is as yet no evidence to prove that the Azerbaijani who
is said to be guilty committed the crime [referring to Azerbaijani
national Orxan Zeynalov, who is charged with killing Muscovite Yegor
Shcherbakov in a Moscow suburb]. There is after all the notion known
as the “presumption of innocence”. It is unacceptable to denounce
anybody as a criminal before proving their guilt and before a court
ruling. By not reacting to this matter the Russian and Azerbaijani
law-enforcement bodies “failed the class”.

Second, a great wave of fear has been directed at this man. It is said
that he has admitted his guilt. It is possible that in the face of
such pressure any person would admit to committing the crime. In
addition, it is also said that he was beaten and tortured. Even some
Russian mass media began to write about this.

Finally, the exaggeration of a crime that undoubtedly had mundane
reasons to the level of inciting ethnic hatred is also a questionable
aspect. Hundreds of similar crimes occur in Russia every day. However,
there is no such strange response to any of them. Nor is the Russian
interior minister personally questioning the culprits of hundreds of
such crimes. That this case is an exception signals of a planned
process.

Otherwise, this would not be so blown out and “angry skinheads” would
not storm the market where Azerbaijanis work. Because everybody knows
that the “skinheads” only get “angry” when the Kremlin wants them to.
This means that the Kremlin has planned to shift the blame for this
event on the Azerbaijani, to “make skinheads angry” to create ethnic
strife and send a message to Azerbaijan.

Kremlin’s messages

The Kremlin has already sent similar messages. For Armenia’s daring to
glance towards Europe, Russia brought an Armenian criminal to the
courtroom in a female robe. This was a warning message for Armenia.
The Kremlin wanted to say that Armenia is its property. Yerevan cannot
look anywhere but at Russia unless the Kremlin wants it to do
otherwise. As a result, Armenia has already officially announced its
membership in the Customs Union.

And now they are messaging Azerbaijan. They wish to say that
Azerbaijan too must come into the Customs Union and Eurasian Union.
Otherwise, the “anger of skinheads” against the Azerbaijanis, whom the
Kremlin has turned into hostages in Russia, will not subside. A mass
outflow of Azerbaijan fearing for their lives can create a political
and economic crisis in Azerbaijan.

This is a true blackmail message. But turning back can turn into a
tragedy for Azerbaijan because the Kremlin is targeting Azerbaijan’s
independence. Hence, much now depends on Baku’s means for resistance.

[Translated from Azeri]