CSTO DEFENSE MINISTERS TO MEET IN YEREVAN NOVEMBER 28
PanARMENIAN.Net
19.11.2008 13:39 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ A regular meeting of Defense Ministers of the
Collective Security Treaty Organization will take place in Yerevan on
November 28. The Ministers are expected to consider force development
in the CSTO member states.
They will also discuss the list of joint events to be held in
2010-2014, the CSTO press office reports.
LEADER OF ARMENIAN OPPOSITION MEETS ACTIVISTS OF PARTIES ENTERING ARMENIAN NATIONAL CONGRESS
ArmInfo
2008-11-18 10:45:00
ArmInfo. The leader of the Armenian National Congress, the first
president of Armenia Levon Ter-Petrosyan met up activists of Liberal
Party of Armenia, Liberty Party and Conservative Party yesterday.
As Armenian National Congress [ANC] told ArmInfo, participants in the
meeting discussed the events around the Karabakh conflict settlement,
domestic political situation and future plans of the ANC.
At the same day Ter-Petrosyan met representatives of youth. They
touched on the same problems mentioned above as well as involvement
of young people in the political processes, in particular in the work
of the ANC.
FORGETTING ABOUT THE BLIND?
A1+
[12:46 pm] 18 November, 2008
Nearly 650 citizens are registered in the Union for Blinds of the
Shirak Marz. The union has production units where visually impaired
people prepare folders, electric switches and other accessories.
During the past year the state has added the number of requests for
folders, but the production unit can’t work with other clients. New
production units are needed in order to solve this problem, yet
that imposes many difficulties. Besides that, the building is
still in bad condition. A couple of years ago, the government had
promised to concede money to renovate the building and it had even
included the renovation in certain projects, but the promises remained
unfulfilled. As a result, more than 99% of the members are unemployed
and adapt to the conditions with difficulty.
The Culture Home is also in bad condition and has a problem with
heating. The municipality has promised to provide gas and the blinds
are ready to create a music group if the building is heated.
BAKO SAHAKYAN: ARTSAKH HAS ITS OWNSTANCE
Lragir.am
15:04:47 – 17/11/2008
On November 15 the NKR President Bako Sahakyan met with the OSCE Minsk
Group co-chairs Matthew Bryza, Yuri Merzlyakov, Bernard Fassier and
the persons accompanying them. During the meeting they discussed a
wide range of issues concerning the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict. The recent declaration signed by the presidents of Armenia,
Azerbaijan and Russia on November 2 was underscored.
Bako Sahakyan underlined that in Artsakh they appreciate every
document which may have a positive role in establishing a civilized
dialogue in the process of settlement. He also said that the process
of settlement cannot be complete unless Nagorno-Karabakh Republic
participates, especially considering that Artsakh has its own stance
on the settlement of the conflict.
For their part, the co-chairs reasserted that it is impossible to
resolve the conflict without the agreement and participation of
Nagorno-Karabakh and its public.
The NKR foreign minister Georgy Petrosyan and the personal
representative of the OSCE CiO Andrzej Kasprzyk were also present at
the meeting.
AZERBAIJAN WITHDRAWS FROM IRAQ
By John C. K. Daly
Eurasia Daily Monitor
Nov 14 2008
DC
Five years after a U.S.-led coalition entered Iraq as peacekeepers
after the overthrow of President Saddam Hussein, Azerbaijan has
withdrawn its 151 troops stationed there. Azerbaijan’s troops served
under U.S. command and were deployed to guard a water storage facility
and hydroelectric dam near Haditha in Anbar Province, which supplies
30 percent of Iraq’s electricity production.
The Iraqi embassy in Baku released a statement saying:
"The Azeri peacekeeping contingent was one of the first to help the
Iraqi people and has protected the Haditha hydroelectric plant since
August 15, 2003. Taking into account Azeri peacekeepers’ duties,
it should be noted that their mission was of great importance and an
example of discipline and bravery. The Iraqi people and government
will never forget this noble action. The Iraqi government welcomes
the high-level Azeri military and parliamentary delegation that
has come to attend the solemn departure ceremony held for the Azeri
peacekeepers’ bravery and courage[; it] wishes success to every Azeri
peacekeeper. Let the Azeri peacekeepers who died in Iraq, rest in
peace" (Analiticheskoe i Informatsionnoe Agentsvtvo Finenko i abc.az,
November 12).
Terry Davidson, head of the public relations department of the
U.S. embassy in Baku was similarly fulsome, commenting:
"The U.S.A. highly appreciates Azerbaijan’s contribution to the efforts
to support stability and democratic development in Iraq. Fortunately,
Iraq is now a more peaceful and stable state, and the democratic
leaders of the country understand [their] responsibility for security
issues. This will allow members of the international coalition to
relocate their units to other places. Azerbaijan has been a valuable
member of the coalition and the American people hail the contribution
by your troops. We look forward to them being welcomed at home"
(Informatsionnoe Agentsvtvo Turan, November 10).
The action comes in the wake of President Ilham Aliyev’s submission
of a bill to the Milli Mejlis (Azerbaijan’s parliament) last month
to withdraw the Azeri peacekeepers. The withdrawal was subsequently
approved on November 10 by the parliamentary committee on security
and was forwarded to the plenary meeting of the Milli Mejlis.
The basis for Aliyev’s action was a strict legal interpretation of the
December 18, 2007, UN Security Council Resolution 1790, which extended
the Multi-National Force –Iraq (MNF-I) mandate until December 31
().
The Azeri deployment to Iraq was a highly symbolic display of
Baku’s support for U.S. peacekeeping initiatives. After a five-year
deployment, the Azeri peacekeeping contingent suffered its first
casualty on June 27, with the death of Rafael Seyidbala Agaye
(Informatsionnoe Agentsvtvo Trend, June 28).
The deployment in Iraq was only one of a number of low-key Azeri
contributions to peacekeeping operations worldwide since 1997 when
the Azeri Army established a peacekeeping detachment. For example,
Azeri troops have served in Afghanistan since November 2002; and
400 Azeri peacekeepers rotated through Kosovo from 1999 until they
were withdrawn earlier this year after the province unilaterally
declared its independence in February (Kavkazskii uzel, November 12;
Informatsionnoe Agentsvtvo Trend, October 2). Two months ago Azerbaijan
agreed to increase the size of its contingent in Afghanistan (EDM,
September 19).
Baku’s decision to withdraw its peacekeepers from Kosovo underlines a
common theme with its more recent decision about its forces in Iraq–a
scrupulous and precise respect for the letter of international law. It
is an open secret that there have been substantial disagreements
between Baghdad and Washington about a continuing American military
presence beyond the expiration of the UN mandate, and particularly
about the terms of the Status of Armed Forces (SOFA) agreement
currently under negotiation between Iraq and the United States. This
may well have influenced Baku’s decision.
While MNF-I is multinational, its current commander is General
Raymond T. Odierno, who assumed command on September 16 when General
David H. Petraeus took over the United States Central Command
(USCENTCOM). Given that around 93 percent of the MNF-I troops are
from the United States, Washington speaks with the loudest voice
among the coalition forces. Odierno has minced no words regarding
Washington’s unhappiness about the Iraqi government’s foot-dragging
on approving a SOFA draft, saying last week, "We’re working with the
government of Iraq on this, and the bottom line is, if we don’t have
a legal framework, we’re going to have to take a look at what happens"
(UPI, November 4).
The other unspoken concern in Azerbaijan is the new geo-strategic
landscape in the Caucasus after the August military confrontation
between Russia and Georgia. The conflict proved, as if any reminder
were needed, that Moscow retains a keen interest in the issues of
Caspian energy and its transport through the Caucasus. During a recent
interview, when asked whether Russia had influenced Baku’s decision to
withdraw troops from Iraq, Zahid Oruc, a member of the Milli Mejlis’s
standing commission on security and defense, took pains to dismiss
the notion, saying,
"The term of the mandate is finishing, Azerbaijan’s position was clear,
and I think there are no problems here. Moreover, it is unfounded to
suggest that this decision was taken, like some do in their analysis,
in regard to the recent events in the Caucasus, Russia’s new role
in the resolution of regional conflicts. This decision cannot be
considered a rejection of cooperation with the international coalition
and no new trends in U.S.-Azerbaijani relations should be sought"
(, November 11).
What the August Russian-Georgian military confrontation brought home
to Azerbaijan was the necessity to bear in mind Moscow’s concerns
over its future energy projects. Baku has great hopes of developing
new energy export products, particularly the Nabucco natural gas
pipeline, whose funding and construction could be put at risk
by adopting a confrontational stance toward Moscow. Furthermore,
Aliyev’s government has witnessed a diplomatic effort by Moscow to
resolve its difficulties with Armenia, a diplomatic Gordian knot that
has stymied Western efforts for more than a decade.
In the choice between confrontation and commerce, the Azeri government
has clearly chosen the latter. U.S. Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman
is heading a delegation to Azerbaijan for the 2008 Energy Summit,
which opens on November 14. Neither the Russian ambassador nor other
Russian officials attended the ministerial conference on November 11
that drew up the agenda and documents to be signed at the gathering
(Farsuna Hidmet Portali, November 13).
If, as Bodman stated before leaving Washington, the U.S. government
is interested in pipelines for "the transport of competitive energy
resources from the Caspian region to meet the needs of markets east,
west, north, and south," then Aliyev might use his diplomatic skills
to remind his guest that those markets include both Russia to the north
and Iran to the south, where Azerbaijan increased its energy shipments
when conflict three months ago blocked its western export options.
ARMENIAN FINANCES MINISTER: WORLD FINANCIAL CRISIS HAS NOT YET AFFECTED ARMENIA
ArmInfo
2008-11-12 15:47:00
ArmInfo. ‘Armenian government has the relevant reforms and programmes
to respond to the challenges of the world financial crisis if needed’,
– Armenian Finances Minister Tigran Davtyan said when replying to
ArmInfo correspondent’s question. He also added at present there is not
such a necessity in the financial and banking system of Armenia. ‘The
world financial crisis has not yet affected Armenia regarding finances
as the banking system as well as the state budget are in their natural
state’, – Davtyan said.
PROSECUTOR GENERAL OF ARMENIA: PROTECTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS BY STATE IS A TASK OF GREAT POLITICAL AND SOCIAL IMPORTANCE
ArmInfo
2008-11-12 10:52:00
ArmInfo. ‘Protection of human rights and freedoms by state is a task
of great political and social importance. Its fulfillment requires
serious efforts by the state and coordination of interaction with
civil society’, Prosecutor General of Armenia Aghvan Hovsepyan said
at the regional conference of prosecutors general in Lvov, Ukraine.
‘The key activity guidelines of the Prosecutor General’s Office of
Armenia are the Basic values proclaimed by our Constitution i.e. human
being, his rights and freedoms’, A. Hovsepyan said. Unfortunately
the Prosecutor’s Office in Armenia has not powers outside the
criminal and legal sphere except the function of the Prosecutor
on control over execution of criminal punishments. ‘Any crime
violates human rights, indeed. However, very often preliminary
investigation or justice violate human rights. It is the very
sphere that needs procuracy supervision and restoration of social
justice>, A. Hovsepyan said. Such violations are often displayed
through crimes against a person, property, in transport sector
and corruption. ‘Surveys showed that crimes in transport sector
are often result for wrong engineering and technical solutions and
omissions in construction of definite road sections. All this often
results in casualties. To liquidate the conditions contributing to
road accidents, the Prosecutor made relevant petitions to the Head
of the Armenian Police and the transport minister. The president of
Armenia was informed as well. All the measures taken have reduced
the general number of accidents in the country’, the Prosecutor
General said. He highlighted the role of procuracy and ombudsman in
the sphere and the real and effective mechanisms of cooperation of
these institutions. In addition, Regulations have been drafted to
boost the cooperation of procuracy and public organizations. ‘I’d
like to mention that Armenia has ratified majority of international
human rights protection acts that have become a component of our
legal system in compliance with our Constitution. CIS Coordination
Council of Prosecutors General also adopted a series of documents
ensuring protection of human right and interests through procuracy,
including by proposal of Armenian Prosecutor’s Office’, A. Hovsepyan
said. He also added that the Prosecutor General’s Office of Armenia
pays special attention to training of employees and strengthening
of international and legal ties with procuracies of other states to
fight crime and protect human rights and public interests.
N.K.R. BREAKS THE SILENCE AT THE RIGHT MOMENT
Vardan Grigoryan
Hayots Ashkhar Daily
12 Nov 08
Armenia
The rapid processes observed in the Karabakh settlement process
following the signature of the Moscow Declaration make the issue of
the clarification of Nagorno Karabakh’s political stance inevitable.
As shown by the one-year discussions over the Madrid Principles
(introduced by the mediators on November 29, 2007) and the fact of
achieving an agreement over them, even the signature of the document
cannot remove from the agenda the issue of Karabakh’s participation
in the talks. It isn’t as though the negotiations were devoted to
the discussion of such issues as the NKR status, the future of the
territories controlled by the Defense Army etc. Whereas the Nagorno
Karabakh Republic, which was recognized as a party to the talks back
in 1994 following the Budapest Summit, is deprived of the opportunity
of supporting its own stance on those issues.
So, the moment of Karabakh’s making a choice between reinstating its
rights as a full party to the talks and having to declare that it
doesn’t recognize their outcome is drawing near. In the latter case,
the efforts that the mediators, as well as Armenia and Azerbaijan
have been making for so many years will fall flat.
Any document to be adopted without the participation of the Nagorno
Karabakh Republic will put an end to the aspirations of its own
people. So, as long as the negotiation process hasn’t reached its
final stage, the Nagorno Karabakh Republic has no serious grounds
for being concerned. But not being a party to the Moscow Declaration,
it can no longer tolerate the existing situation.
But it isn’t as though the issue of Nagorno Karabakh’s participation in
the talks had existed at least since 1998, and every time its solution
was delayed due to the persistent efforts of Azerbaijan. So, are there
any chances that this time Baku will retreat from its previous stance
which distorted the essence and contents of the Karabakh conflict and
changed it into "territorial demands" allegedly imposed on Azerbaijan
by Armenia?
The whole problem is that after the signature of the Moscow
Declaration, each of the superpowers is attempting to speed up the
Karabakh settlement process, and the sharp conflict of their interests
again leads the Armenian-Azerbaijani negotiations to a deadlock. While
the mediators themselves are making haste, the new document may serve
as a ground for using the scenario that stands in stark contrast to
the "imposition of peace".
The first among them is the Western scenario that threatens to
make Karabakh a reservation controlled by the international forces,
thus securing the availability of the oil and gas of the neighboring
Azerbaijan and Middle Asia. Whereas the negotiations over the issue
of accelerating the NABUKKO program (conducted with Turkey, Azerbaijan
and Turkmenistan by EU Commissioner for Energy Issues Andris Piebalts)
have reached the crucial moment when Russia can no longer "twiddle its
thumbs". In conditions of the fall of the international oil prices,
the attempts of broadening the European gas market may undermine
Moscow’s positions on the international energy market.
In such conditions, Moscow has but 2 scenarios. The first is the
implementation of the program "Gas in Return for Karabakh" (which
requires that Azerbaijan make self-sacrifice and become Turkey’s
strategic ally) and the neutralization of the Armenian factor. However,
it’s obvious that sacrificing the Armenian party in return for the
temporary neutralization of the NABUKKO program (already included in
the agenda by the European Union) will sooner or later oust Russia
from the "big game" and lead to the continuation of the previous
program with new efforts.
Therefore, there’s only one scenario left. Its implementation
demands that Russia assume its traditional role of the defender of
the interests of Nagorno Karabakh (the main subject of the Karabakh
conflict) and hence, the guarantor of peace and stability in Eastern
Transcaucasia.
Thus, the rapid processes taking place in the region give Armenia
and the Armenian diplomacy a unique opportunity for advancing and
substantiating the issue of NKR’s right to self-determination, because
both for Russia and the West, Karabakh is the only counter-balance
that may impede or contribute to the implementation of the programs
aimed at building a South Caucasian energy corridor.
STARTING UP IN TURKEY: COMMON SUPERSTITIONS IN TURKEY
Today’s Zaman
Nov 12 2008
Turkey
"Pardon, what did you say? Yesterday night you were cutting your
nails? And you were looking at the mirror while doing that?
Don’t tell me that you were also whistling at the same time! Oh dear,
don’t you know that all this brings evil? Come on! We’ll go and buy
you an evil eye!"
Do situations like this one have a familiar ring for you? Well, then
you have probably already realized that people in Turkey seemingly
believe in a lot of superstitions. Indeed, having thousands of
explanations for bad luck and good luck, Turks can be obsessed by
auspicious and inauspicious happenings. You find that funny? But if
you’re aiming to really get acquainted with Turkey’s culture and
society, you shouldn’t miss out on its superstitions. This week,
Today’s Zaman explains what is behind the traditions.
One thing you have probably stumbled upon with your first step into
Turkey is the "evil eye" (nazar boncugu). This small, eye-shaped blue,
white and yellow amulet decorates nearly every vehicle, from cars
and cabs to buses and even airplanes. It is pinned to the clothes
of babies, built into the foundation of modern office buildings,
put in the doorways of houses, shops and offices, and can either be
worn as a bracelet, earring or necklace. Sure, you know what we are
talking about.
But do you know also what is behind this Turkish superstition? Well,
Turkish people believe that the evil eye amulet will protect you from
bad energy, especially from the envious glares that are believed to
cause one harm. Nothing can harm you as long as you are protected
with the nazar boncugu because it will absorb the bad energy. However,
if this amulet cracks, this means it has probably done a good job of
protecting you and you should immediately replace it with a new one.
So, have you just had a new child? Got a new job? Bought a new
car? Built a new house? Then use an evil eye to protect yourself,
your house, your office or your loved ones.
Make a wish
What else can you do to give your luck a boost? Keep your eyes open for
"wish trees." Wherever you see trees with small ribbons or colored
clothes tied to their branches, don’t hesitate to make a wish and
do the same. These are "wish trees," which means that you can expect
your wish to come true.
To ensure, for instance, that the new year is prosperous and peaceful,
you may open the padlocks at midnight and sprinkle salt at the
thresholds of your house. Similarly, Armenians open their shops and
workplaces for at least one or two hours on Jan. 1 and sprinkle the
kernels from pomegranates around. If you enjoy traveling, you should
go out for a short walk at midnight. This will lead you to travel a
lot in the new year.
Speaking of traveling: Never forget to pour a glass of water after
someone goes on a trip to ensure his journey will be "as smooth
as water."
A couple of superstitions are linked to eating habits: For example,
if you found a new job, with the first salary you should quickly buy
sweets and candy for your colleagues. "Let’s eat sweets so we can talk
sweet" is the saying. Moreover, you should never miss out on the chance
to have a cup of Turkish coffee with a friend. It will reward both of
you with — as a saying goes — "40 years of friendship." After you
have finished, you may also make use of the common Turkish practice
of having your coffee cups read. "Don’t believe fortune telling,
but don’t be left without fortune telling," it is said here.
Better to be prepared
You see, Turkish people have a lot of superstitions concerning good
and bad luck. Let’s prepare you with the most important dos and don’ts.
It could be good to keep in mind that in Turkey the right side is the
"right" side in the truest sense of the word. To start your day well,
you should always get out of bed from the right side. A shop owner
probably enters his establishment with his right foot to guarantee
good business. Generally, it could be better to enter your own house
(especially after moving in) with your right foot so you will have
happiness in your house. Some say the right side rule is for stepping
inside as well as outside. In short: To prevent yourself from any
bad luck, you should simply concentrate on your right side whatever
you do and where ever and whenever you go.
While you’re outside, you should watch out as well. You ran into a
black cat this morning? You definitely have to change your route to
prevent bad luck. Just the opposite — if a snake crosses your way,
it’s a sign of good luck.
Things you should never do include walking under a ladder. And never
break a mirror. This could give you seven years of bad luck — unless
you bury the pieces of the broken mirror immediately. And never hand
over a cutting utensil, like a knife or scissors, directly to someone;
this could provoke a fight. In case it is unavoidable to do so, it is
better to spit on it while giving — or at least to pretend to do that.
Nights are another quite complicated topic in Turkey. You should
not cut your nails at night. Turkish people believe that you will
shorten your life for that. You shouldn’t whistle at night because it
brings evil; sweeping your house at night brings poverty. If a dog
howls at night, it could also be sign of an upcoming catastrophe,
but you avoid it if you immediately reverse your slippers. If an
owl hoots on the roof of a house at night, some regions see this
as a signal of bad luck or even death. But different regions have
different superstitions, and some believe the hooting owl is a sign
that the family will receive a message.
And never, never talk about bad illnesses, and never mention the
illness by name. If it happens, it is best to knock directly on wood
and pull your ear.
Other beliefs and habits are linked to marriage. If a young girl
tries on a married man’s wedding ring, she will probably have bad
luck in her own marriage. If you are married already: Never knit a
pullover or something else for your own husband to wear. If a woman
eats eggs during her pregnancy, her child will be very naughty. If
she eats liver and the liver falls, touching a part of her body,
the child will have a black mark at that place later. You just had a
baby? Don’t dare to measure its length, or the baby will remain short.
We can expand this list endlessly. Washing clothes on Saturday brings
bad luck, but cleaning the house on Fridays could be unhealthy.
What? You still don’t believe in these things? Sure, we don’t
either! But it’s good to know just in case, isn’t it? I mean, we
don’t want to provoke a disaster …
SWISS MAKE GIFT OF TABLE WHERE IT ALL BEGAN
Hurriyet
Nov 12 2008
Turkey
ANKARA – The first-ever Swiss presidential visit to Turkey saw
an exchange of gestures etched in history yesterday, when the two
countries marked the 80th anniversary of their diplomatic relations.
Swiss President Pascal Couchepin presented Turkey with the historic
table on which the founding treaty of the Republic was concluded in
1923 at Lausanne. "This table, that is large, strong and solid, is a
good symbol of the intense relations between Turkey and Switzerland,"
said the visiting president. "I’d like to touch the table before
I leave."
The historic gift was witness to the creation of the modern Republic,
said Turkish President Abdullah Gul, assuring that it would be
exhibited in Turkey in the best way.
Turkey has been strictly implementing the Lausanne Treaty for
decades that provided it with full sovereign rights over all its
territory. According to an anecdote, the secretary of the Lausanne
Conference extended a feather quill pen to Ä°smet Pasha, chief
negotiator of the Turkish delegation at the time, but Ä°smet Pasha
refused to take it and instead took a golden pen out of his pocket that
he had brought only to put his signature on the landmark agreement.
The treaty also guarantees the rights of minorities. But key European
reports from time to time challenge Turkey’s redlines and opens to
question the definition of minorities in the multi-ethnic country,
given the only recognized minority groups spelled out in the Lausanne
Treaty are Jews, Greeks and Armenians.
"One should not forget the Montreux Convention," said Gul, while
highlighting that the milestone agreements of Turkish history
were concluded in Switzerland. The Montreux Convention of 1936,
which governs the passage of military ships that do not have coastal
access to the Black Sea, occupied Turkey’s agenda in the wake of the
Georgia-Russia war last summer when the U.S. military announced plans
to dispatch huge military ships to Georgia through the Turkish straits.
The dispute over the divided island of Cyprus, of great interest to
Turkey, was also discussed in Switzerland. The final round of Cyprus
talks under the UN auspices was held in the Burgenstock resort,
leading to the twin referenda of a peace plan for reunification of
the island’s Turkish and Greek Cypriots. But the plan was voted down
by Greek Cypriots.
Couchepin said there was close interaction with Turkey in the culture
sphere as well. Turkey is guest of honor at the annual Swiss festival
"CultureScapes" in Basel this year and the country will be promoted
at the International Book Fair of Geneva next year, he noted.
Political disagreements
But despite the historic links between the two countries, political
ties are beyond what is expected. The relations have soured over a
number of disagreements, including a controversial Swiss law on the
alleged genocide of Armenians as well as claims of money laundering
in Swiss banks by members of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party,
or PKK. The recent measures announced by Swiss authorities in the
fight against terrorism have been far from meeting expectations,
Turkish officials earlier said. Switzerland does not blacklist the
PKK as a terrorist group.
On the controversial anti-racism law penalizing denial of the alleged
genocide of Armenians at the hands of the Ottoman Empire, Couchepin
said late Monday it was a legal matter that was up to judges to
interpret.
–Boundary_(ID_8vZ0jOwx8Ial/Xe2DWjh ww)–