Author: Kajoyan Gevork

URUGUAY WILL SPARE NO EFFORT TO PUSH THROUGH THE RIGHT OF NATIONS’ SELF-DETERMINATION. JORGE ORRICO

19:22, 15 November, 2012

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 15, ARMENPRESS: Armenian Foreign Minister Edward
Nalbandian had a meeting with delegation of Uruguay House of
Representatives headed by its Chairman Jorge Orrico on November
15. As Armenpress was informed from Armenian MFA, after greeting
the guests Minister Nalbandian has expressed satisfaction over the
fact that though Armenia and Uruguay are separated by thousands of
miles, they are united by their strong friendship and commitment to
universal values.

“Armenian nation has the warmest feelings to Uruguay, which first
recognized Armenian Genocide in 1965. And today You are one of the
first foreign high rank figures to visit Artsakh. We especially
evaluate your steps which deserves the highest valuation” Armenian
Foreign Minister stated.

President of Uruguay House of Representatives expressed gratitude
for warm reception and stressed that Uruguay really appreciated the
friendly ties with Armenia. He noted “Armenian community in Uruguay
has made an important investment in the development of our country
and is of crucial importance for us”.

“We are a small country and protect the principals of international
right. Uruguay will spare no effort to keep international peace and
push through the right of nations’ self-determination” Jorge Orrico
underlined.

Interlocutors stressed the importance of not only bilateral political
and cultural cooperation, but also the establishment of economic
cooperation. Armenian Prime Minister highlighted that it was important
to make some efforts to discover areas of mutual economic interest.

Sides have considered the cooperation in banking, information
technology, goldsmithery, tourism and other sectors to be promising.

YOUNG MAN WHO IS SUPPOSEDLY ARMENIAN INJURED IN NICOSIA

NEWS.AM
November 15, 2012 | 17:24

A 30-year old man, supposedly Armenian, was injured in the reported
incident near Eleftheria square in central Nicosia on Wednesday,Cyprus
Mailreported.

The man was taken to hospital in a critical condition. He had injury
to one of his kidneys and a partially ruptured spleen. He was also
wounded in the shoulder blade.

The young man is a Greek citizen, believed to be of Armenian descent,
the daily says. The victim has so far been unable to give police a
clear account of what happened.

THE JUDGE, WHO CONVICTED HRANT DINK, IS AMONG THE CANDIDATES OF HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDER OF TURKEY

15:33, 15 November, 2012

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 15, ARMENPRESS. The judge, who convicted the
editor-in-chief of the bilingual Turkish-Armenian newspaper Agos
Hrant Dink, is among the candidates for the position of the Human
Rights Defender of Turkey. Nihat Omeroglu is a former Supreme Court of
Appeals judge, who approved the penalty provisioned by the infamous
article 301 for Hrant Dink’s case. The elections of the Human Rights
Defender of Turkey will be held on November 29. The winner will be
determined via voting by secret ballot.

As reports “Armenpress” citing Turkish “Taraf” newspaper, Mehmet Nihat
Omeroglu, a former Supreme Court of Appeals judge, stands out as the
most likely candidate to be elected as Chief Ombudsman.

The appeal against the aforementioned conviction had been put forward
in the European Court of Human Rights and Hrant Dink was discharged.

The Turkish government was compelled to pay compensation to Dink’s
family.

ARMENIAN DELEGATION TO NATO RAISES QUESTION OF SYRIAN ARMENIANS

NEWS.AM
November 15, 2012 | 15:27

YEREVAN.- Armenian delegation participated in the annual session of
NATO Parliamentary Assembly held in Prague on November 9-12.

The meetings of committees on civil dimension, defense and security,
economics and security were held during three days, member of the
Armenian delegation Koryun Nahapetyan told reporters on Thursday.

Nahapetyan said he touched upon the issue of Syrian Armenians
during the discussion of report “The Arab Spring: Implications for
Euro-Atlantic Security”.

“In my speech I informed about the Armenian community of Syria
which was formed after the 1915 Armenian Genocide. Nowadays they are
compelled to leave Syria. Nearly 3,000 Syrian Armenians are in the
territory of Armenia. Forty-six people were killed. There are also
Armenians among the hostages. The reporter said he was not aware of
the fact and would take it into account,” Nahapetyan said.

“I DON’T THINK THAT REINSTATING THE HALF-DEAD PROTOCOLS IS IN OUR INTEREST,” ARA PAPYAN SAYS

NOVEMBER 14, 2012 17:49

Talking about the US-Turkey-Armenia relations and responding to a
question whether Armenia had to show prudence with regard to the
expected developments after the US election or not, Ara Papyan,
a former Armenian Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to
Canada and the director of the Modus Vivendi center, said during a
conversation with “I don’t think there will be any
need for prudence, it is just that there will be some changes in the
relations between America and Turkey, since Turkey gradually becomes
more independent, willful, which isn’t in line with the traditional
policy of America and it tries to gain new leverage or use the existing
one to influence Turkey. Therefore, it is not a matter of prudence,
but rather the fact that new opportunities may be offered to us;
the Armenian, as well as the Kurdish, Question may be that leverage.”

Mr. Papyan stated with regard to the tensions in relations between
the US and Turkey that one could notice it already, for example,
in the relations between Turkey and Israel, or Turkey’s not giving
a permission to use its territory to attack Iraq a few years
ago. The tensions continue: “The problem is the following – there
is a substantial change in Turkey’s policy, i.e. the traditional,
pro-Western direction gives way to the Eastern direction. So as it
was in the Ottoman Empire, when there was a Sultan Caliph, Turkey
attempts to restore its leading position now too. On the one hand,
this offers Turkey opportunities, but on the other hand, it clashes
with the West and starts to pose a threat, because more religious
Turkey is not desirable for the West.”

In response to a question whether the US would try to revive the
Turkey-Armenia negotiation process or not, Ara Papyan said the
following: “I think some steps will have been taken by 2015 not only by
the US, but also by Turkey. Turkey will make some formal concessions,
which are noticeable already, for example a church is being renovated
in Diyarbakir etc., in order to prevent the condemning surge of public
opinion, which is growing in the West. Turkey will do that, but I don’t
think that reinstating those half-dead protocols is in our interest. I
am sure that one should start new negotiations even mediated by the
US on a new foundation and discuss a new range of issues.”

As for what attitude the US will take toward the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict settlement, Papyan thinks that everything will remain
the same. First of all, in terms of the West’s interests, it is
maintenance of peace in the region. And it is also in the interest
of the US and the EU: “First of all, it is important that the South
Caucasus doesn’t pose any serious threat, since it may spread. It is
clear for everyone that the Karabakh war constitutes great danger of
involving other countries.

“Secondly, it is the issue of fuel – oil and gas. Basically the current
state of the Karabakh issue is in everybody’s interest, because they
get what they want and the war will destroy oil and gas infrastructure,
those huge investments that the West has made.”

Talking about Turkey’s policy of interfering in the developments
in Syria, which aimed at expelling Armenians from the Middle East
and responding to a question whether, at the end of the day, this
“project” would be successful or not, Papyan said: “A policy of
expelling Armenians is pursued, using the current situation. However,
I don’t think that they will succeed in emptying Syria of Armenian
Syrians, because a big part of those people just don’t have money to
leave. However, the community will not be like before; it will shrink.”

Eva HAKOBYAN

WHO WILL RECOGNIZE KARVACHAR HOSPITAL FIRST?
Hakob Badalyan

Society – Thursday, 15 November 2012, 13:07

It was reported that the Karvachar hospital lacks basic equipment.

Sure, it is good there is at least a hospital in Karvachar. It’s ok
if the hospital does not have the elementary equipments. Instead,
now Gyumri has ten tractors thanks to Gagik Tsarukyan’s “words and
actions”.

Sure, Tsarukyan is not obligated to buy equipments for the Karvachar
hospital, but one of his famous party fellows, Harutyun Kushkyan,
has been Armenia’s minister of health for many years and could have
done something to ensure the Karvachar hospital is well-equipped.

But Harutyun Kushkyan was apparently very busy thinking about his
profitable hospital business in Yerevan. If Samvel Balasanyan didn’t
become the Mayor of Gyumri, but of Karvachar, the Karvachar hospital
would be filled with ambulance tractors.

Serzh Sargsyan, during the “anti-kickback” meeting, instructed the
minister of health Derenik Dumanyan to establish order in the sphere.

The strategic threats coming from the disorder in the health sphere
of Armenia and the lack of equipments in the Karvachar hospital are
equal, but in the second case, the psychological attack against the
national interests is huge.

The authorities of NKR with satisfied smiles on their faces took
pictures with the Speaker of Uruguayan parliament who arrived in
Karabakh. If the Armenian diplomacy lessens its modesty, we could state
that Uruguay established diplomacy in order to recognize Karabakh,
like it did with the Armenian genocide.

Has anyone studied how the genocide recognition by Uruguay impacted
the international process of the recognition? Only after this, we could
compare the moral-political effect of Uruguay’s “half-recognition” and
the “defect” of the lack of basic equipments in the Karvachar hospital.

If Uruguay’s “effect” is bigger, then we could calmly close down the
Karvachar hospital and open the first museum of the NKR history after
Enzo Francescolini or Diego Forlan.

Sure, maybe there is now need to view two different things at the
same plane but if it is about recognition, then, maybe it would be
right to follow Uruguay’s example, at least partially, and recognize
the Karvachar hospital.

Pace President Meets With Heads Of Azerbaijani And Armenian Delegations In Paris

APA
Nov 14 2012
Azerbaijan

Baku – APA. On November 13, President of the Parliamentary Assembly
of the Council of Europe Jean-Claude Mignon received the heads of
Azerbaijani and Armenian delegations visiting Paris to attend the
meeting of the Monitoring Committee.

APA reports quoting AzerTAc state agency that the sides exchanged
views on Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict over Nagorno Karabakh.

Jean-Claude Mignon said PACE hopes that the conflict will be solved
soon. He said PACE supports OSCE Minsk Group’s efforts towards the
resolution of the conflict and is ready to help the Group.

PACE President and heads of the delegations underlined the importance
of such meetings for the resolution of the conflict.

REPRESENTATIVE OF YEDINAYA ROSSIYA: THERE ARE NO POLITICAL OBSTACLES IN THE WAY OF ARMENIA’S ACCESSION TO EURASIAN ECONOMIC UNION

arminfo
Wednesday, November 14, 14:25

There are no political obstacles in the way of Armenia’s accession to
the Eurasian Economic Union, the existing complexities are actually
technical problems, Andrey Klimov, representative of the Yedinaya
Rossiya Party, member of the Federation Council, Coordinator of the
Eurasian Dialogue, told ArmInfo.

Though the stance of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan is that the future
Eurasian Economic Union should not be expanded abruptly, nevertheless,
the given project is aimed at stimulating the integration processes
not only in the post-Soviet, but also Eurasian space. “As regards
Armenia’s accession to this organization, there is only one technical
problem – the lack of common borders with the member countries of this
structure. Numerous technical problems arise amid the lack of common
borders; for instance, the goods are declared in one place and go
via a transit territory. I do not want to say that it is an insoluble
problem, but obviously it is not a political problem”, he said.

He pointed out the example of Great Britain, which is a member of the
European Union but has no common land borders with the EU. “Another
example is the Kaliningrad region, which has no common borders with
Russia, but it is a part of our country. So, the precedents exist,
and the given topic needs professional debates”, he said.

In November 2011 the Presidents of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan
signed a declaration on Eurasian economic integration aimed at creation
of the Eurasian Economic Union.

In early October 2011 Vladimir Putin said that the Eurasian Economic
Union will be neither a new USSR, nor a new CIS, it will effectively
link Europe and the Asia-Pacific region and will coordinate the
economic and currency policies.

PRESIDENT SARGSYAN MET WITH THE PRESIDENT OF THE FRENCH SENATE JEAN-PIERRE BEL

13.11.2012

Today, President Serzh Sargsyan met with the President of the French
Senate Jean-Pierre Bel.

At the meeting, the parties underscored that friendship of the
Armenian and French peoples, which goes back centuries, since
Armenia’s independence has translated into a mutually beneficial
close cooperation of the two states and high-level relations, notable
for their dynamic dialogue. According to President Serzh Sargsyan
and President of the French Senate Jean-Pierre Bel, exceptionally
warm interparliamentary relations and efficient cooperation play an
important and great role. Particularly stressed were the activities
of the France-Armenia interparliamentary friendship group.

The interlocutors highlighted the importance of the decentralized
cooperation in the interaction of the two countries and noted with
satisfaction progress registered in that area. They also said that over
60 sister towns and regions of Armenia and France have established
friendly ties and in the framework of these relations each year they
realize numerous programs in the areas of culture, education, health
care, tourism, etc.

The President of Armenia and President of the French Senate highlighted
also the importance of the mutually beneficial cooperation on the
international arena.

At the meeting, President Serzh Sargsyan on behalf of the Armenian
people and his own behalf expressed gratitude to the friendly people
of France and its authorities, including Senate, for the adoption of
the law on the recognition of the Armenian Genocide.

Concluding his official meetings in Paris, President Serzh Sargsyan
today left for Lyon, where he met with the Mayor of Lyon, Senator
Gerard Collomb.

Tonight in Lyon, President Serzh Sargsyan will also meet with the
representatives of the French business community.

TURKEY MAY REDUCE WATER FLOW IN AKHURYAN AND ARAKS RIVERS – ARMENIAN MP

news.am
November 13, 2012 | 19:30

YEREVAN. – Turkey may reduce the flow of water in Akhuryan and Araks
Rivers, Armenian MP from Orinats Yerkir party Khachik Harutyunyan
said speaking in the parliament on Tuesday.

The demand for water in the next 15-20 years can be satisfied only
by half due to climate and the growth of industrial and domestic
water use.

The MP said Armenia may face serious problems because of Turkey’s
self-centered policy. Ankara will try to influence the regional
processes by means of water.

Harutyunyan offered to develop a network of reservoirs in Armenia
and switch to moderate water consumption. The flow amounts to about
3.7 billion cubic meters per year of which 1 billion can be stored
to gain benefits, including political ones, in the future.