Author: Kalantarian Kevo

GORAN LENMARKER: “IT IS EASY TO START A WAR, BUT IT IS DIFFICULT TO END ONE”

AZG DAILY
03-09-2011

APA’s interview with former president of the OSCE Parliamentary
Assembly and chairman of the Jarl Hjalmarsson Foundation Goran
Lenmarker

– Do you share the view that present status quo might result a new
war in the South Caucasus?

– I don’t think there will be a new war in South Caucasus. It is easy
to start a war, but it is difficult to end one. Since most war plans
go wrong it is certainly difficult to predict the outcome. For example
air superiority is crucial in modern warfare and it depends on skills,
morale, strategy and tactics that are all difficult to assess.

Since war means that many, both young men and civilians, will be
killed and many more wounded and severely handicapped and the public
finances ruined, I am quite convinced that the responsible leaders
I have met from both countries will not take such a fateful decision.

– What steps should be taken immediately – by Minsk Group of the OSCE
and the conflict sides- in order to rule out the deadlock?

– The public opinion of both countries has to realize that a peaceful
solution must be a compromise. No side will get hundred percent of
its demands. But there will be substantial gains for both sides with
the solution that the Minsk group envisages. For example: hundreds of
thousands of IDPs and refugees would be able to retake possession of
their land and some even of their houses. The possibility to visit
family graves is also important. These are the wishes I have been
told about during my many visits to refugee camps.

– For instant, Moscow is an actual and active mediator in the
negotiations, while the EU and the USA are staying aside, commenting
only on the ongoing developments. Why do you believe is the EU acting
passively in the issue?

– It is good that Russia is an active mediator and I agree that EU
is too passive. Europe has a unique experience of building its own
peace, prosperity and democracy after a long history of wars and
aggression between nations that now are member states. EU is also
actively working on a peace-building process after the Yugoslav wars.

I think that EU should offer its most powerful support which is
membership perspective to the three countries of South Caucasus.

Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia are sovereign countries and if they
wish to be part of the European integration, and if they fulfill the
qualifications, this option should be open to them. I am convinced
that that would bring a lasting peaceful stability to the region.

TURKEY SEVERS TIES WITH ISRAEL TO BOOST AUTHORITY IN ARAB WORLD, EXPERT SAYS

PanARMENIAN.Net
September 2, 2011 – 20:57 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Turkey’s decision to downscale diplomatic ties with
Israel and suspend military agreements is a serious step, which may
cause a crucial change in regional situation, a Turkologist said.

As Ruben Melkonyan told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter, “no one expected
once serious Turkey-Israel strategic cooperation to come to such
an end.”

Melkonyan explained Ankara’s actions by a wish to increase its presence
in Arab world.

Commenting on the way the situation will influence Armenia’s foreign
policy, the expert noted, “Yerevan won’t benefit much from severed
Israel-Turkey ties.”

“To spite Turkey, Knesset may recognise the Armenian Genocide,”
the expert noted, however, characterising Genocide recognition as
Jerusalem’s internal business.

The expulsion of Israel’s ambassador over an Israel Defense Forces raid
of a Turkish aid flotilla is just one step in many possible measures
taken against Israel if it persists in its refusal to apologize for the
incident, Turkish President Abduallah Gul said on Friday, September 2.

Gul’s comments came just hours after Turkish Foreign Minister announced
the downscale of diplomatic relations with Jerusalem, saying the move
was a direct response to Israel’s refusal to apologize for the deaths
of nine Turkish nationals in the May 2010 raid.

WHO WERE KOCHARYAN’S INNER CIRCLE? – WIKILEAKS

Tert.am
21:56 02.09.11

A US diplomatic cable dated to 2004 and recently leaked by the
whistleblower WikiLeaks website refers to a text sent by Ambassador
John Ordway over the inner circle of the then Armenian President
Kocharyan.

The cable says that “President Kocharian has a small inner circle with
direct access to him and the potential to influence his thinking on
foreign policy matters. Within this inner circle are Foreign Minister
Oskanian, Minister of Defense Sargsian, Head of State TV [Aleksan]
Harutyunian, Presidential Chief of Staff Tumanyan, and First Assistant
to the President Gevorkian”.

In this cable Ordway says that while these advisors all have
essentially unfettered access to the President, it is doubtful that any
of them is in a position to influence his decisions: on the contrary,
their positions either coincide with his or are derived from his.

Further, he says that Armen Gevorgian, First Assistant to the
President, is essentially always at Kocharian’s side. “While his
access is unparalleled and some in Yerevan refer to him as an
“eminence grise,” he does not appear to influence the President so
much as serve as a foil for him,” reads the cable.

Ordway goes to say that Minister of Defense Serzh Sargsyan, long-time
confidant and Presidential ally, has close economic ties with many
of President Kocharyan’s interests. “Born in 1954 in Stepanakert,
Sargsian shares with Kocharian and his closest confidants the deep
conviction that N-K must be protected at all costs. His ties to
the military are crucial to Kocharian’s power base, and his and the
President’s beliefs are most likely to coincide,” read the cable.

Later on the list is Head of State TV (and former Presidential Chief
of Staff) Aleksan Harutyunyan is an intensely loyal, long-time friend
of Kocharian. “Born in 1965 in Karabakh, his family moved to Yerevan in
the early 1970s. Active in Armenia’s independence movement, Harutyunian
briefly worked in the Presidential Administration in 1992 before
being assigned to the Armenian Embassy in Paris,” says the cable.

Ordway further mentions Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian, who he
says although appears to have “limited influence on the President’s
thinking, at least can generally be counted on to accurately relay
both the content and tone of foreign governments’ messages”.

“A former Tufts professor and former U.S. citizen, Oskanian is a
savvy interlocutor, with good access to the President, but with only
limited influence. Oskanian is fully capable of thinking “outside
the box,” but cannot always deliver the President when it comes time
for a decision. Oskanian, however, has been given more running room
on improving relations with Turkey–despite the fact that Kocharian
when speaking to us on the subject is decidedly more pessimistic,”
read the cable.

CAR REPAIR AND LOCOMOTIVE SHED OPEN AT SOUTH CAUCASUS RAILWAY IN YEREVAN

arminfo
Friday, September 2, 13:17

According to the order of Director General of South Caucasus Railway,
Shevket Shaydullin, a car repair and locomotive shed has been opened
in Yerevan.

As press-service of the SCR reported, the new structure was created
through joining of the Yerevan locomotive shed and Yerevan car repair
shed to improve the organizational structure of the SCR. The employees,
which were dismissed as a result of reorganization of the two sheds,
will be given job in other sectors of the SCR.

As Shevket Shaydullin said, the company gains rather successful
results thanks to the conducted policy on raising the quality of the
infra-structures and motive power on the basis of the complex measures
which provide safety of railway operation.

“The year of 2011 will become for us the year of the SCR entering
the loss-free level. This is our prior task”, – he said and added
“for this reason at present we have been resolving the whole complex
of problems including the one, which will take our infrastructure
and motive power in line with international standards”.

PUBLIC ORGANIZATION CALL ON PRESIDENT OF ARMENIA TO TAKE RESOLUTE MEASURES ON IRRADIATION OF TRAGIC INCIDENTS IN THE ARMY

arminfo
Friday, September 2, 15:42

The Armenian Bar Association addressed an open letter to Armenian
President Serzh Sargsyan. The letter reads:

“As members of the Armenian Bar Association, which is comprised
worldwide of thousands of lawyers, jurists, prosecutors and members
of academia, we must express our deep concern regarding the latest
non-combat death of a member of the Armenian Military Forces,
Aghasi Abramian , an 18-year-old army conscript. The reports of the
rising number of suspicious deaths of military personnel occurring in
non-combat conditions is alarming, as are the reported acts of cruel,
abusive and harmful acts committed against members of the military
against their own.

“We are confident that your are committed to fairness, justice and
equity for all soldiers regardless of rank and background. As a
military commander of the armed forces who defended the fatherland
and registered historic victories in the struggle for Artsakh’s
freedom, you know better than others how important it is to have unit
cohesion, the spirit of teamwork and a mutual respect among senior
and subordinate personnel. In such a military structure, here cannot
be any tolerance towards human rights abuses. While we all understand
that military discipline is crucial, it must be founded on respect for
properly-constituted and lawful military authority. That can b best
achieved when everyone is treated with dignity and respect promoting
an environment of physical and psychological fitness.

“We are encouraged by your remarks at the recently-held First Army
Conference of Young Officers on July 9, 2011, when you asked the young
officer corps to rid Armenian society of certain rude and boorish
tendencies in the military. We also welcome the recent actions of your
Defense Minister Seyran Ohanian, who is leading the investigation into
the death of Mr. Abrahamian and has already announced the arrests
of several suspects. We request that you take personal charge and
hold accountable all who abuse official authority and ensure fair
and transparent enforcement of the law against the perpetrators”.

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT VISITS STEPANAKERT MEMORIAL COMPLEX (PHOTOS)

Tert.am
02.09.11

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan, who has left for the Nagorno
Karaabakh Republic (NKR) to attend celebrations dedicated to the 20th
anniversary of the country’s independence, visited a memorial complex
in capital Stepanakert on Wednesday.

According to a press release by the presidential office, Sargsyan
was accompanied by his NKR counterpart, Bako Sahakyan, a former
president of Armenia, and Nagorno Karabakh, Robert Kocharyan, the
second president of Karabakh, Arkadi Ghukasyan, Catholicos of All
Armenians Garegin II, guests from Armenia and foreign countries and
people from the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic.

The crowd headed towards the memorial complex from the city’s
Renaissance Square.

The Armenian leader paid tribute to the heroes of Karabakh liberation
war. He also laid flowers on the memorial to Artur Lazarian, the
first speaker of the NKR Supreme Council.

HERITAGE: MOST ARMENIANS DON’T COMPREHEND NKR INDEPENDENCE SIGNIFICANCE

PanARMENIAN.Net
September 2, 2011 – 13:54 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Majority of Armenians do not comprehend the
significance of Artsakh independence, a Heritage party member said.

“Proclamation of independence of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic has
historical, moral and legal importance,” Larisa Alaverdyan told a
news conference on September 2.

For his part, historian Edik Minasyan remarked that Armenians fought
for independence of Artsakh. “Today, there is a free Artsakh, which
has built its statehood, as it’s proved by the republic’s economic
development index,” he said.

Artsakh Republic is celebrating the 20th anniversary of independence
today. Guests from Armenia and abroad are expected to arrive in
Stepanakert to take part in the festivities that will be crowned with
a concert in the NKR capital.

On September 2, 1991, the joint session of the Nagorno Karabakh
regional council and the council of people’s deputies of Shahumyan
region proclaimed the Nagorno Karabakh Republic, adopting the
Declaration of Independence.

The declaration reads that the Nagorno Karabakh Republic exercises
the authority envisaged by the USSR constitution and legislation and
is entitled to decide on its legal status.

EMBASSY: GERMANY RECOGNIZES NEITHER NAGORNO-KARABAKH REGIME NOR ITS REPRESENTATIONS

Trend
Sept 1 2011
Azerbaijan

Germany does not recognize the Nagorno-Karabakh regime or its
representations, the German Embassy in Azerbaijan stated.

“Germany has not changed its position,” the embassy’s statement reads.

“The country recognizes the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan
and does not recognize the regime of Nagorno-Karabakh, or its
representations.”

The Azerbaijani embassy in Berlin has recently sent a note to the
German Foreign Ministry demanding to prevent holding of a concert
dedicated to the Nagorno-Karabakh separatist regime in the German city
of Stuttgart. The concert “20th anniversary of Artsakh” dedicated to
the so-called “20th anniversary of independence” of the puppet regime
in Nagorno-Karabakh is scheduled for Sept.16-22.

Germany still pursues the policy of non- recognizing the so-called
“Nagorno Karabakh Republic” and its institutions. The German state
agencies do not have any links with the organization Friends of
Artsakh and similar structures, the embassy reported.

The organization Friends of Artsakh is one of the organizers of the
event in Stuttgart.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian
armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan since 1992,
including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and 7 surrounding districts.

Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The
co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group – Russia, France, and the U.S. –
are currently holding the peace negotiations.

Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council’s four
resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the
surrounding regions.

NAGORNO-KARABAKH ISSUE TO BE DISCUSSED AT UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

news.az
Sept 1 2011
Azerbaijan

Experts and political analysts forecast there is a great chance that
the 66th session will bring a significant progress to the issues.

The reports on the “Situation in the occupied territories of
Azerbaijan” and on “Protracted conflicts in GUAM area” are to be
submitted for the discussion at the 66th session of the UN General
Assembly on December 12, according to the Assembly`s draft program.

Both issues were put on the UN agenda.

Experts and political analysts forecast there is a great chance that
the 66th session will bring a significant progress to the issues.

KARABAKH ONE OF RUSSIA’S ‘FEW DIPLOMATIC TOOLS OF INFLUENCE’ IN CAUCASUS

news.az
Sept 1 2011
Azerbaijan

News.Az interviews Dr Neil Melvin, programme director at the Stockholm
International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).

How do you assess the security situation in the South Caucasus,
especially over the past three years since the five-day war between
Russia and Georgia?

The war between Russia and Georgia marked a shift in relations between
the West and Russia, although the roots of the shift predated the war
itself. Nonetheless the war made clear to many in Europe and North
America that any further enlargement east of the Western model of
relations would be met with all instruments by Russia, including
force. This has been a key element that has informed the US reset
policy with Russia and the EU’s own efforts to promote a modernization
partnership with Moscow.

The conflict also marked a further weakening of the OSCE as a security
framework and laid bare the incompatibility of Russian-led security
and political aims and those of the EU and USA in much of the region.

The war also brought into focus the shift of the Russian Federation on
policies of sovereignty, which in the case of Kosovo it had trumpeted
on the international stage, to embrace redrawing borders ~V the
effective annexation of South Ossetia and to a lesser degree Abkhazia.

This is clearly alarming for many of Russia’s neighbours.

How did this war affect the resolution of the conflict between the
two other Caucasian states – Azerbaijan and Armenia?

The conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh has not been directly affected
by the Russia-Georgia war, except in two main dimensions. The war
highlighted the fragility of the Caucasus region as a whole with
conflict raging in the North Caucasus, the situation in Georgia and
the tension between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh.

Second, the Russia-Georgia war made apparent the weakening role of
Russia in the region – short of the exercise of absolute force – and
the growing instability over great power relations in the region –
the US, EU, Turkey, Russia and to a much lesser degree Iran.

It is this difficult position for Russia that has in large part lain
behind the efforts of President Medvedev to position Russia as the key
mediator of the NK conflict – so far unsuccessfully. This role is one
of the few diplomatic tools of influence left to Russia in the region.

The United States have seemingly taken a lesson from the August war.

Do you share the view that Russia’s tough action weakened US activeness
in the region? What can the Americans do today to offset Russian
influence in this region?

The Russia-Georgia war and the election of President Obama have seen
a shift in US policy in Eurasia and globally. President Obama drew
the lessons from the war of the risks that would be involved in a
further deterioration of relations with Putin’s Russia.

Moreover, Eurasia – or indeed Europe – is not a priority region for
the US as its strategic interests have shifted to the Middle East,
Afghanistan and Asia – except where the countries of the region can
assist Washington in achieving its aims in other parts of the world.

This is the essence of the reset policy; the US seeks Russian
cooperation on the Iranian nuclear issues, Afghanistan and so forth.

The US will likely seek to balance Russian policy in the South Caucasus
but will not aim to challenge directly Moscow’s position.