Author: Kajoyan Gevork

BY THE TIME OF SERZH SARGSYAN’S ELECTION MUCH OF ARMENIA WAS ALREADY SOLD – CHATHAM HOUSE

tert.am
21.06.12

Home of the Royal Institute of International Affairs, Chatham House
has published its 2012 report – The Long Goodbye: Waning Russian
Influence in the South Caucasus and Central Asia.

In his report, the author, James Nixey, states that Russian influence
in the independent states of the South Caucasus and Central Asia
is weakening; the drift is inexorable but Russia employs multiple
instruments to counter this. “In the South Caucasus, Armenia has
already succumbed to Russia economically, with ramifications for
its sovereignty. But Azerbaijan and Georgia, via different paths,
have moved away from Russia’s embrace,” the report states.

“The levers of Russian influence here vary. They are economic and
military in Armenia, scarcely present in Azerbaijan, and essentially
related to negative publicity as well as economics with regard
to Georgia. Russian influence in Armenia is so great that lack of
sovereignty should be Armenia’s number one concern,” the author says.

According to the report, Russian influence in South Ossetia and
Abkhazia has increased. The costs and problems associated with these
dependencies suggest to some that Abkhazia and South Ossetia are
millstones around Russia’s neck. However, the Rs7.7 billion ($250
million) Russia spends on them each year is a trivial sum.

Referring to Nagorno Karabakh, the report says Russia’s support of
Armenia in the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute has been based on several
interests: limiting Turkish influence, countering a Russophobic
Azerbaijan in the early years of independence, and long-standing
cultural ties reflected in the large Armenian diaspora in Russia.

“Russia’s positioning has given it a powerful lever of influence
over Armenia and Azerbaijan, as well as external parties. However,
its backing of Armenia’s stance has changed in recent years: during
his presidency, Medvedev invested more effort in mediation than his
predecessors and the Azerbaijani first family has strong interests
in Russia,” the report continues.

The author writes that a full-blown renewal of the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict would jeopardize Russia’s position in Azerbaijan and Turkey,
particularly if the Armenians required military assistance.

Pipeline security would also be affected, and Russia prioritizes
energy security and financial profit over conflict manipulation.

“In 2003, the CEO of United Energy Systems (UES), Anatoliy Chubais,
outlined plans to integrate the South Caucasus into a Russia-led
energy-supply network through ten former Soviet republics, as well
as plans to ensure electricity outflows from Armenia to Turkey and
Azerbaijan. Chubais denied that UES sought political gains but he has
been a leading proponent of the concept of a Eurasian ‘liberal empire’
and his actions gave Russia almost total control of Armenia’s energy
market. It was Robert Kocharian, Armenia’s president from 1998 to
2008, who effectively sold off Armenia to Chubais and other Russian
commercial and political interests.

Through Gazprom’s ownership of its Armenian subsidiary, ArmRosGazprom,
80% of Armenia’s energy structure is Russian-controlled, including
the majority of the Iran-Armenia gas pipeline, thus ensuring that
Armenia cannot become an independent transit country should Iranian
gas ever reach European markets.

Russia has also bought up all but two of Armenia’s hydroelectric and
nuclear power stations, in exchange for writing off Armenian debt.

The extent to which Russia has acquired concrete political gains from
energy and infrastructure ownership is a source of debate within
Armenia. Kocharian’s successor, Serzh Sargsyan, is ostensibly less
pro-Russian but by the time of his election in 2008 much of his
country had already been sold,” the report states.

According to it, in the non-energy commercial sectors, the
Russian airline Sibir owns 70% of the Armenian airline Armavia. The
state-controlled Russian bank Vneshtorgbank owns 70% of the Armenian
Saving Bank. “Russia has effectively bought up Armenia’s national
railway network with a $570 million investment. Russia’s greatest
economic lever with Azerbaijan and Armenia is in the form of migrant
workers and their remittances,” the report states.

FRENCH STUDENTS IN ARTSAKH

Karabakh-open.com
Wednesday, 20 June 2012 16:27

A number of French students having paid a four-day visit to Karabakh
met with journalists and young people of Artsakh at the Artsakh Youth
Development Centre on June 15. During the meeting the guests introduced
their programmes and addressed questions to the journalists and the
youth of Artsakh.

MA second-year 12 students of the faculty of “Management and
International Relations” of Kretel University, Paris, visited Artsakh
and Armenia on an educational programme with their supervisor.

It is five years the students of our University, assisted by the
Armenian community of France and the SPFA organization, have visited
Yerevan and Gyumri in Armenia, Stepanakert, Shoushi as well as Khachen
village of Askeran region in Artsakh within the framework of an
educational programme. Armenia is the best variant for our students
to choose for working on their postgraduate theses on such topics
as state government and its problems and natural disasters. Here our
students can study the topics they have chosen in quiet and peaceful
conditions,” Bernard Haqour, supervisor of the group, said in his
interview to Karabakh-open.info.

The French students were received by NKR Foreign Minister Vasili
Atajanyan, Leader of the Artsakh Diocese Pargev Archbishop Martirosyan,
they had a meeting with the school headmaster and the inhabitants of
Khachen village.

The supervisor of the group confesses that this is his first visit
to Armenia and Artsakh but before it he carefully studied the reports
prepared after the previous visits.

“Coming to Artsakh I realized that part of what I read in the reports
conforms to reality, the other part does not. The impact of the war is
hardly noticeable here. In the course of time Artsakh has developed
greatly. But I found out that here only the past and the present of
Artsakh can be definitely studied, as for the future of the country
only wishes and goals are spoken of whereas the ways and methods of
their realization are not specified yet,’ said my interlocutor.

Funny Roubeque, a student, states that she is studying the Karabakh
conflict and before her visit to Armenia and Karabakh she familiarized
herself with the conflict materials published by different Armenian
and Azerbaijani sources. “Here I realized that neither source reflects
the reality. The Azerbaijani sources speak of the danger of war,
while nothing like this is felt here, people walking around are
smiling and show no sign of fear. Only when I spoke to them I felt
the inner fear of war,” said Funny and added that whatever conflict
settlement variants are suggested the outer world can never feel the
same as the Artsakh people do.

RUSSIA TO DOUBLE TROOPS IN ARMENIA

EurasiaNet.org
June 20 2012
NY

Following a pick-up in fatal gunfire exchanges along the
Nagorno-Karabakh frontline, Moscow has announced plans to double its
troop strength in ally Armenia by the end of the year. The upshot
of the message was clear: Azerbaijan could face Russian guns if it
attempts to push Armenian forces out of long-occupied Azerbaijani
lands.

The new arrivals will be temporary — the “permanent” troop presence
at Gyumri, the northern Armenian site of Russia’s 102nd Military Base,
will stay at 5,000, according to Colonel Igor Gorbul, a spokesperson
for Russia’s Southern Military District, RIA Novosti reported —
and will receive a higher salary and undefined benefits to whet their
interest in sticking around.

They’ll arrive at a base that’s been a bit on the bustling side of
late. Russian jets have been busy drilling in Armenian airspace, and,
in March, Moscow held war games in Gyumri. Earlier on, the head of
the Collective Security Treaty Organization — a Russian response to
NATO — said that the Moscow-led alliance will protect Armenia from
enemy attacks. “If unfriendly actions are taken against Armenia,
all member states will provide relevant assistance to Armenia,”
pledged CSTO Secretary-General Nikolai Bordyuzha.

Officials in Baku countered that not all CSTO members would be willing
to take on Azerbaijan. “The CSTO and Russia, in particular, should
not help the occupant [Armenia], if Azerbaijan decides to free its
lands,” said Faraj Guliyev, a member of the Azerbaijani parliament’s
Committee for Defense and Security.

But as the 2008 war with Georgia showed, if Russia wants to get
involved, it will — and the results can be disastrous.

As is its wont in the South Caucasus’ separatist struggles, Moscow,
though, wears two hats in the 24-year-long Nagorno-Karabakh conflict —
that of Armenia’s longtime military ally and that of mediator (along
with the US and France) between Armenia and Azerbaijan. While, like
its fellow go-betweens, it espouses belief in a peaceful resolution,
its buildup in Armenia suggests another belief as well — speak softly,
but carry a big stick.

DEMOCRATIC PARTY ESTABLISHING AN ALTERNATIVE PUBLIC PARLIAMENT
Lena Badeyan

“Radiolur”
20.06.2012 16:09

Having failed to succeed in the parliamentary elections, the Democratic
Party of Armenia is now creating an alternative Public Parliament. In
the future the structure will suggest cooperation to all political
forces. Before that the Public Parliament has already worked out
two packages, which it’s going to submit to the Government and the
National Assembly.

According to Aram Sargsyan, founder of the Public Parliament and leader
of the Democratic Party of Armenia, the first issue the newly formed
structure will address is the Karabakh conflict. He says they have
created a new document on the basis of the existing legal documents.

Aram Sargsyan believes the document will allow Nagorno Karabakh to
present the problems it faces at the negotiating table.

First of all, it is the issue of refugees that should be brought to
the negotiating table, as 500 thousand Armenian refugees are neglected
today, leader of the Democratic Party told reporters today.

The Public Parliament has developed a special program, which it is
going to submit to the government. Of course, there are no guarantees
that they it be adopted and immediately implemented, Aram Sargsyan
said, adding that he suggests creating a special state fund to raise
money to solve the problems of refugees.

IF WE HAVE POLITICAL WILL, LARGE BUSINESS WILL WORK TRANSPARENTLY – ARMENIAN PM

news.am
June 20, 2012 | 13:01

YEREVAN.- Large business will work transparently in case there is
political will, Armenian PM Tigran Sargsyan said addressing the MPs
on Wednesday.

In response to a question by Prosperous Armenia Party MP Vartan
Oskanian, Premier said lack of equal opportunities for business is
a serious problem for economy development. It depends on success or
failure of government’s economic program, he believes.

“If we do not manage to create competitive environment for large
business, our programs will be ruined,” he added.

As to necessary mechanisms, Sargsyan stressed that the public must
be provided detailed information about large businesses dominating
the market.

“The first steps aimed to increase transparency have been made.

Reports of large companies, auditor’s report must be available.

Another step is to restrict the volume of cash transactions so that
business could not hide the real income through front companies. If
have political will, we will achieve success,” he said.

ARMENIAN PARLIAMENT APPROVES BILL ON INCREASED WATER RELEASE FROM LAKE SEVAN

news.am
June 20, 2012 | 19:05

YEREVAN. – Standing Committee on Agriculture and Environment of the
Armenian parliament discussed on Wednesday’s session the bills on
making amendments in the laws on Lake Sevan, and the Lake ecosystem
restoration, preservation, reproduction and use of annual events and
complex of programs.

Those bills were submitted by the head of the State Committee of
Water System at the Ministry of Territorial Administration Andranik
Andreasyan. The Government with these bills offers to set 320 million
cubic meters as the maximum limit of releasing water from the lake,
which means increase of the volumes by 150 million cubic meters set
by the law. The initiative is based on the lack of irrigation water,
as well as lack of water resources in Aparan, Azati ponds and Hrazdan
River. As a result, the deficit may make 150 million cubic meters.

Parliamentary committee approved the amendments.

PSYCHIATRIST’S SON JUMPS OFF BRIDGE IN ARMENIA

news.am
June 20, 2012 | 18:16

YEREVAN. – The identity of the young man who jumped off Kievyan bridge
in Yerevan on Tuesday has been revealed.

As the press service of the Armenian Police informs Armenian
News-NEWS.am, he was Nerses Hakobyan, 23. His father, Armen Hakobyan
reported to the police his son’s disappearance.

Armen Hakobyan works at Nork Psychiatric Hospital.

As Armenian News-NEWS.am had reported earlier, the corpse of a young
man was found under Kievyan bridge at 2.16 p.m. on Tuesday.

HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST: A NEW INFLOW OF REFUGEES POSSIBLE BECAUSE OF ESCALATED SITUATION ON THE ARMENIAN-AZERI BORDER

arminfo
Wednesday, June 20, 19:40

Crowds of refugees flew into Armenia in 1918 and 1988, with most of
whom still living in inhuman conditions. Now that the situation on
the Armenian-Azeri border has escalated, we can expect a new inflow
of refugees, President of the Assembly of Azeri Armenians Grigory
Ayvazyan told journalists on Wednesday.

“Today over 10% of Armenia’s population are refugees, and they are
still faced with political, legal and social-economic problems. Over
$50mln are needed for providing them with houses – something our
country cannot afford for the moment,” Ayvazyan said.

He refuted the report that a group of Armenian refugees from Baku are
going to build a town in Zangelan district of Nagorno-Karabakh. “They
don’t have $50mln to build their houses, how come they have $3bln to
build a town?” Ayvazyan said.

He said that new war with Azerbaijan is inevitable. “The best proof is
the falling real estate prices in Baku: the point is that the Azeris
perfectly know that the city will be the key target once the war
begins. The only thing that is keeping them back is Russia’s position.

But once the Russians become neutral, the Azeris will attack us. We
must be ready for a new war and rely on our own resources – for only
we can help ourselves,,” Ayvazyan said.

ARMENIAN YOUTH HAS APPLIED TO UNESCO REGARDING THE CURRENT STATE OF THE ANI RUINS

ARMENPRESS
20 June, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, 20 JUNE, ARMENPRESS: “We will not keep silence” youth
initiative will present the online premiere of documentary film
“Ani, huff the queen of ruins” in Armenian and Russian languages at
its YouTube- channel on June 21. The film was made by the same Youth
initiative. Armenpress reports that the film was shot by the young
representatives of the Youth Initiative entitled “We will not keep
silence”, during the pilgrimage in Western Armenia. It is shown in the
movie, in what kind of deplorable conditions is the Armenian cultural
heritage in the hands of Turks, while the international bodies still
go on keeping silence. The members of the initiative have only today
sent the shot scenes and the cover letter to UNESCO demanding to make
practical steps toward the preservation of Ani ruins. Ani is a ruined
and uninhabited medieval Armenian city-site situated in the Turkish
province of Kars near the border with Armenia.

GOVERNMENT CANNOT INTRODUCE PROFESSIONAL PROGRAM – ARMENIA’S FORMER PM – NEWSPAPER

NEWS.AM
June 20, 2012 | 06:15

YEREVAN. – Following the inaugural session of the National Assembly’s
(NA) Standing Committee on Economic Affairs, Hayots Ashkharh daily
interviewed opposition Armenian National Congress (ANC) MP and former
PM Hrant Bagratyan. Below is an excerpt from the interview.

[NA ANC Faction leader] Levon Zurabyan stated that the ANC will vote
against the Government’s program. Will you likewise be guided by
this logic?

If they introduce a sound, good program, we will discuss [it]. You
just recently saw what plans they brought forward. The shortcomings
were lot more than the positive. In general, we assume they cannot-and
do not even want to-introduce a professional program. If they bring
a professional program, we will vote in [its] favor.

How do you assess the course of the [aforesaid] session?

The problems were introduced at a very low level. They are uninformed
of what is happening in real life, and they are compelled to approve.

Do you see a chance to pursue the matters you have put forward?

I do not know. We still do not have a room, a printer, a computer,
[and] any opportunity to work.