Author: Kalantarian Kevo

Activist says Defense Ministry unable to control situation in army (video)

23:11 – 29.07.11

A rights activist has slammed the Defense Ministry, accusing it of
inaptitude to keep the situation in the army under control.

Speaking to journalists on Friday Arthur Sakunts, the head of the
Vanadzor Office of the Helsinki Associations, said that accounts of
intentional killings, humiliation and degrading treatment in the army
are covered up and the perpetrators are not revealed to be held
accountable.

`Our Defense Ministry is unable to take the situation under control,’
said Sakunts.

Anahit Lazarian, the mother of a killed conscript Araik Avetisyan,
also present at the press conference said that she has already lodged
a file at the European Court of Human Rights and will wait for the
results as long as necessary.

Lazarian said that her son was killed in the room of Never Stepanyan,
the head of staff of the battalion where Araik Avetisyan used to
serve.

According to her, the head of staff had arranged for him a leave of
absence in return for $100. But when Araik Lazarian had gone back
without the money, Stepanyan started yelling at him, then took out his
Makarov pistol and hit on his head twice.

A criminal case was lodged, Anahit Lazarian went on to say, and
Stepanyan was sentenced for four and half year in prison for
unintended murder. But after constant complaints by Lazarian the case
was reviewed and the forensic examination found out the traces of
beats by a blunt instrument on the skull of Araik Avetisyan.

Following two year of his conviction Stepanyan was released and is now
occupying the same position at the same military unit.

Tert.am

Trend, Azerbaijan
July 30 2011

Azerbaijani Community of Nagorno-Karabakh: Armenian president’s speech
shows Armenia’s terrorist position
[30.07.2011 12:14]
Azerbaijan, Baku, July 30 / Trend /

Azerbaijani Community of Nagorno-Karabakh called Serzh Sargsyan’s
speech about Azerbaijan and Turkey as demonstration of the terrorist
position.

“By his last statements the Armenian president demonstrates his
country’s position to the world. This position is aggressive policy,
terrorism and killing of civilians,” the head of the Azerbaijani
Community of Nagorno-Karabakh region Bayram Safarov said in an
interview with the official website of the Azerbaijani ruling party
“New Azerbaijan”.

A few days ago, speaking to the Armenian youth, Sargsyan said, “We
liberated Nagorno-Karabakh from enemies, let the new generation to
conquer Agri Dagh”.

Sargsyan shows the real Armenian essence by this statement, Safarov
said. He underlined that such upbringing of the Armenian youth against
the background of the entire international community’s initiatives to
ensure peace and security fully contradicts today’s calls.

“In fact, Sargsyan understands well that his recommendations will
never be realized, as Armenia itself needs rescuing, it is choking
with own problems,” he said. In this case, it will never be able to
keep Karabakh under the occupation and will not be able to make claims
against Turkey,” Safarov added.

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.

news.am, Armenia
July 30 2011

Amorphism of international community does not inspire optimism for
Karabakh conflict resolution – MP

July 30, 2011 | 20:39

YEREVAN. – The estimations of Assistant Secretary of Defense for
International Security Affairs of Pentagon Alexander Vershbow on
Nagorno-Karabakh fully reflect the objective reality and state the
fact that not only there was no positive shift after the Kazan meeting
of Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents but there is even a registered
recession, said the Chairman of the Parliament Standing Committee on
EU Integration Naira Zohrabyan to Armenian News-NEWS.am.

However, she found it strange that the amorphous statements by senior
Western officials were post factum fixing the existing realities and
de facto not bringing any benefit to the settlement of Karabakh
conflict.

“These kind of non-specific statements provoke Baku’s insolence,” said
the MP, reminding that Kazan meeting was unsuccessful because of
non-constructive position of Baku.

Zohrabyan stressed that such an amorphous response of international
community to the situation in the conflict zone does not inspire
optimism in the settlement of the problem in near future.

President Sargsyan goes on holiday

12:37, 30 July, 2011

YEREVAN, JULY 30, ARMENPRESS:

President Serzh Sargsyan has gone on holiday, part of which he will
spend abroad. President’s press office reported that August 11
President Sargsyan will participate in the ceremony dedicated to the
end of the world voyage of “Armenia” vessel in the Cyprian town of
Limassol. August 12 the president will depart for Astana to attend the
non-official summit of leaders of the CSTO member-states.

Medvedev: Russia ready to take responsibility within OSCE MG

July 30, 2011 – 17:16 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev considers moral
debt of his country to continue supporting talks on Nagorno Karabakh
conflict settlement.

In an interview to The Business Year, an edition of which is dedicated
to Azerbaijan, Dmitry Medvedev said that Russia and Azerbaijan are
bound with strong ties of cooperation in various fields. The Russian
President also paid peculiar attention to preserving stability in the
Caucasus region.

For Russia it is very important, and when building relations with
Azerbaijan Russia adheres to the concept of preserving safety and
peace in the region, according to Medvedev.

The Russian President stressed that prolongation of Russian military
base deployment term in Armenia is caused by necessity to secure peace
and stability as well.

Speaking about the role of Russia as a mediator in Nagorno Karabakh
conflict, Medvedev underscored that after his engagement the number of
meetings between President of Armenia and Azerbaijan increased and
reached historical maximum.

`I am not ashamed for what we have already done, those meetings and
discussions were very important,’ he said adding that efforts bring
results, negotiations are continuing.

The Russian President underlined that Russia is ready to take
responsibility within OSCE Minsk Group adding that Russia’s moral debt
is to continue supporting talks on Karabakh conflict settlement.

Rhode Island capital to mark 20th anniversary of Armenia’s independence

July 30, 2011 – 13:05 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – On September 10, 2011, the Cathedral of Saints Peter
& Paul in Providence, RI will host a special program celebrating the
20th anniversary of Armenia’s Independence.

The program will feature the Rhode Island symphonic orchestra, Rhode
Island and Massachusetts choirs, famous soloists from Metropolitan
Opera, New York, Boston and other cities. Works of Armenian composers
will be performed during the concert to be attended by the city
governor, senators, congressmen, mayors and many other guests.

Admission to the concert is free to all interested in Armenian
culture. Armenian Ambassador to UN, the governor and other notable
politicians will speak at the event.

Upon completion of the concert, a reception will be organized to
celebrate Armenia’s independence.

Gagik Makaryan becomes new chairman of Union of Industrialists and
Entrepreneurs of Armenia

arminfo
Saturday, July 30, 14:19

During the extraordinary congress of the Union of Industrialists and
Entrepreneurs (Employers) of Armenia, Gagik Makaryan has been elected
the new chairman of the Union. The congress also covered the
semi-annual reports of the executive director and audit committee of
the Union. The former chairman of the Union Arsen Ghazaryan was absent
from the session.

“As you know, Ghazaryan has violated the regulations and organized not
a single meeting over the past 7 months. We informed him of this
congress, but he preferred having vacation in Cyprus and demonstrated
his indifference to our meetings”, said Makaryan.

He added that 37 out of 48 members of the Union attended the congress,
the rest of the members were absent for valid reasons. In his speech,
the newly-elected chairman of the Union of Industrialists and
Entrepreneurs (Employers) of Armenia stressed that he considered the
signing of a memorandum with Jelgava, Lithuania, to be especially
important, as the Union is going to borrow Jelgava’s experience in
creation of a technopark.

Yerkir: Need prepare for undesired developments becomes realistic?

11:44 – 30.07.11

The statements of Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents have a moral,
rather than a political pretext, the editor of the newspaper says,
referring to the recent statements by the two countries’ leaders.

If the parties were close to the coordination of the Basic Principles
none of them would naturarally create additional diplomatic obstacles
and. what’s even more, violate its people’s rights as did Azerbaijan,
says the paper.

“Aliyev’s statements give way to serious concerns in terms of
believing in the possibility of further talks and making political
calculations on their basis. The imperative of being prepared for the
most undesired developments is becoming more realistic and urgent,”
the paper comments.

Tert.am

OSCE MUST BE INVOLVED IN CONFLICT SETTLEMENT IN POST-SOVIET AREA – US ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE

Tert.am
29.07.11

The Obama Administration is for the OSCE to be immediately involved in
settling “frozen” conflicts in the post-Soviet area, Philip Gordon,
US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs,
said at a hearing held by the Commission on Security and Cooperation
in Europe (CSCE) or the US Helsinki Commission.

The hearing was also attended by Alexander Vershbow, Assistant
Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs, and Michael
Posner, Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights,
and Labor, the Azerbaijani news agency 1news.az reported.

The OSCE must be directly involved in settling the protracted conflicts
in Georgia, Moldova and Nagorno-Karabakh, Gordon said.

According to him, the conflicts have a destructive potential capable
of destabilizing the security in the OSCE area. The US Administration
believes the task of resolving the conflicts must remain a top priority
for the OSCE and all member-states, Gordon said.

In commenting on the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process, Alexander Vershbow
mentioned a step forward in the peacemaking efforts.

An attempt to ensure a breakthrough in the negotiations at the Kazan
meting failed, while tension on the line of contact is increasing,
Vershbow said.

According to him, Armenia and Azerbaijan are still unable to agree
on the Basic Principles, and the dangerous stalemate as not yet
been broken.

MESSAGE TO TURKEY
Naira Hayrumyan

Lragir.am

29/07/2011

New notes and even trends have appeared in the political rhetoric of
Armenia. Probably, it is early to talk about change of foreign policy
priorities but tougher rhetoric and rising of the foreign policy bar
is evident.

During the recent week, Serzh Sargsyan outlined not only Armenia’s
tough position on the Karabakh issue but also on its relations with
Turkey. In particular, he blamed the leadership of Azerbaijan for the
failure of negotiations, causing lack of confidence in the result
of Baku’s anti-democracy. In this way, Serzh Sargsyan acknowledged
that the initiative of the Russian president to get the positions of
Yerevan and Baku closer failed. This means that the current stage of
settlement of the Karabakh issue can be considered over, even though,
according to non-official information, the next three-party meeting
is scheduled in Sochi. And this means that the next proposals of
the mediators can’t set forth recommendations of a lower level of
“autonomy” and status for Karabakh.

Interesting notes appeared in Serzh Sargsyan’s rhetoric on Turkey. His
statement that the current generation of Armenians freed Karabakh and
the next generation may free Western Armenia caused a real shock in
Turkey. Even though Armenia does not recognize the current borders
of Turkey and advocates the international recognition of the genocide
and does not remove the image of Ararat from its Coat of Arms, Armenia
has never officially voiced territorial claims to Turkey. It is most
likely that this was a written or unwritten condition for Turkey to
enter negotiations with Armenia. Erdogan’s reaction and his demand
that Sargsyan should apologize means that Serzh Sargsyan touched the
most sensitive issue for the Turks.

The Turks know the legitimacy of Armenia’s territorial claims as
compensation for the genocide, they understand that this factor can
be used by the “malevolent” if not for the fragmentation, at least
for weakening Turkey, so this seemingly ordinary statement by Serzh
Sargsyan has caused a real shock in Turkey. Erdogan even spoke of
a war.

It is not known whether Serzh Sargsyan’s statement was a deliberate
message, use of a forceful argument against Turkey by the West,
or Serzh Sargsyan was simply “obsessed” with the conversation with a
Diaspora youth. Obviously, however, Turkey reacted as if it felt great
danger. Same panicky shock is also observed in Azerbaijan where Aliyev
again stated that they will free-Karabakh – through peace or war.

Another interesting feature was revealed in the political rhetoric.

During his visit to Armenia, the president of Poland Komorowski
suddenly announced that his country will contribute to Armenia’s
accession to the EU. Until now, Armenia has declared partnership with
both the EU and NATO. But there has been no word on entry into these
two structures, either by Armenia or by the West. But Komarowski’s
statement suggests that this prospect is real, and it can change the
political orientation of Armenia and the balance of power radically.

These are just a few facts that may be associated with foreign
policy transformations, constraint of Turkish expansion by the West,
as well as the forthcoming elections in Armenia. It is likely that
Serzh Sargsyan, in anticipation of elections, decided to put a full
stop in his foreign policy, and he did it by raising the bar of
Armenia’s claims.