Author: Kalantarian Kevo

GEORGIAN EXPERT: NEW GEORGIAN PRESIDENT WILL CONTINUE INTEGRATING WITH THE EU AND NATO AND AT THE SAME TIME IMPROVING RELATIONS WITH RUSSIA

by David Stepanyan

ARMINFO
Friday, October 25, 17:42

I don’t expert any drastic changes. The country will continue to
integrate with the European Union and NATO and at the same time to
improve its relations with Russia, Director of the Caucasus Research
Resource Centers-Georgia Office Koba Turmanidze said in an interview
to ArmInfo, when asked what changes he expects in Georgia’s foreign
policy as soon as a new president comes into power.

“We should wait and see if we can combine these two policies. It
is good but not always possible to have friendly relations with
neighbors. The unfriendly relations with Russia are not Georgia’s
choice. They came from the threat to our sovereignty, the support
of separatists in our territory and the ban on our goods in Russia,”
Turmanidze said.

He said that Turkey is Georgia’s key trade partner and a supporter of
its territorial integrity. Turmanidze does not agree with the opinion
that close ties with Turkey may cause demographic problems in Georgia.

“For obvious reasons, Georgia is the only way for both Azerbaijan and
Armenia to Turkey and I don’t see why it should not make best of it,”
the Georgian expert said.

Joint online press conference of experts from various countries for
Armenian, Azerbaijani and Georgian mass media on the relevant problems
are organized within the project “Expansion of knowledge of Armenians
and Azerbaijanis about each other and confidence building through
first-hand information”. The project of the “Region” Research Center
(Armenia) and Peace and Democracy Institute (Azerbaijan) is supported
by the British Embassies in Armenia and Azerbaijan.

SERZH SARGSYAN REQUESTED EXPEDITED MEMBERSHIP TO CUSTOMS UNION

The Russian first deputy prime minister Igor Shuvalov has informed
that the roadmap of membership of Armenia to the Customs Union and
the Common Economic Area must be ready by the summit of the Eurasian
Economic Council in Moscow in December.

Shuvalov said Armenia has committed to ensuring the legislative basis
ahead of membership to the Customs Union within a few months.

Shuvalov says Serzh Sargsyan has requested the heads of Customs
Union member states to expedite the process of ratification of all
the agreements. He added that Armenia is ready to harmonize the
legislative basis in full scope and without limitations.

The deputy prime minister said the process will not be expedited not
to produce an impression that someone is pushing Armenia into the
Customs Union.

16:48 25/10/2013 Story from Lragir.am News:

NKR PRESIDENT VISITS AVETARANOTS VILLAGE

Friday,
October
25

President of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic Bako Sahakian went today to
the village of Avetaranots to attend the opening ceremony of a memorial
complex to the soldiers who lost their lives during the Artsakh war.

The president said we should remember the feats and heroism of the
fallen soldiers and do our best so as to fulfill their wishes and
aspirations, the most cherished of which is a free and independent
state and its dynamic development.

Bako Sahakian then presented state awards to a group of
soldiers-liberators of the village. Among those present were Primate
of Artsakh Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church Archbishop Pargev
Martirosian, and officials.

TODAY, 17:20

Aysor.am

RUSSIAN OFFICIAL: ARMENIA READY TO JOIN CUSTOMS UNION IN SEVERAL MONTHS

October 25, 2013 – 15:20 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Armenia seeks expedite the Customs Union accession
procedure, having expressed readiness to complete the process within
several months, Russia’s First Deputy Prime Minister said, according
to RBC.

As Igor Shuvalov told journalists after the Minsk-hosted Supreme
Eurasian Economic Council meeting, “Armenian President requested
the leader of the CU member states to speed up ratification of the
agreements.”

According to the official, a decision on forming a work group to draw
a roadmap and assess the situation was passed upon Armenia’s accession
to the CU. The work group will announce the results of its activity
at the next Supreme Eurasian Economic Council meeting in Moscow.

As Shuvalov noted, the CU accession talks with Yerevan are completely
different from similar negotiations with Kirghizstan which keeps
disagreeing on key issues and complicating the process.

“Armenia, on the other hand agrees to ratify the agreements which have
already been analyzed, with prior work launched a while ago. Yerevan
said it’s ready to join the Union’s legal base and adhere to norms
stipulated,” he said.

Also, he added, Armenia expressed readiness to bring its domestic
legislation in compliance with the Customs Union demands.

A draft resolution on Armenia’s accession to the Customs Union and
unified economic zone was approved at the Minsk-hosted Eurasian
Economic Council meeting.

Also submitted and confirmed were applications on Armenia’s
participation in Eurasian integration and cooperation memorandum with
Eurasian Economic Commission.

Armenia completed technical talks on a ‘deep and comprehensive
free-trade agreement’ (DCFTA) with the EU in July and it was set
to be signed at a summit with the EU in late November. In addition
to a free-trade deal, Armenia has been working towards the signing
of an association agreement with the EU, a framework agreement on
co-operation that is seen as a first step towards political integration
with the EU.

However, during a Sept 3 meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin,
Armenian leader Sargsyan said Armenia is ready to join Customs Union,
with further plans to be involved in formation of the Eurasian Economic
Union. Mr. Putin supported the initiative, vowing procedural assistance
to Armenia.

Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt described Armenia’s intention as
a U-turn in relations with the European Union. “Seems as if Armenia
will break talks on free trade agreement with EU and integrate with
Russia instead,” he said.

Linas Linkevicius, the Foreign Minister of Lithuania, which holds
the rotating EU presidency, said Armenia “has blocked its chances of
signing a free trade deal with the European Union by choosing to join
the Russia-led union.” “We respect any choice of countries but they
cannot enter both organizations at the same time because of different
tariff requirements,” he said.

However, Armenian leadership continues expression intention to expand
ties with the EU, which won’t contradict Armenia’s CU membership.

“Armenia will take part in the upcoming Eastern Partnership Summit
in Vilnius and is ready to sign the Association Agreement,” President
Serzh Sargsyan said at the October 2 PACE session.

“No Armenia-EU document is being readied to be signed at a Vilnius
summit,” the spokesperson of the EU Commissioner Stefan Fule said.

“We’re trying to find routes for further cooperation with Armenia,
based on the existing achievements,” Peter Stano said.

BELARUS LEADER’S “GAME OF THRONES” AGAINST ARMENIA INEFFECTIVE

October 25, 2013 – 17:13 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Belarus President’s strange statements may take
some getting used to, with Alexander Lukashenko’s remarks being more
in the vein of what Russian leader Vladimir Putin could say.

A while ago, Azerbaijan’s Ilham Aliyev gave Lukashenko $200 million
for gas payments. Seems like Lukashenko decided it’s time to pay his
dues by speaking against Armenia.

As Lukashenko recently told CIS media leaders, Azerbaijan’s opinion
needs to be considered in admitting Armenia to the Russia-led Customs
Union. “Armenia has an unresolved territorial issue with Azerbaijan,
so we have to consider the latter’s opinion,” he said.

Lukashenko must be confusing things: first, it’s Russia, not Azerbaijan
who decides the CU accession issues; second, the CU is not NATO which
does not admit countries with unresolved conflicts. And finally:
trying to play the first violin in all of the CIS organizations may
turn out badly for Belarus.

Lukashenko’s long-term presidency seems to be affecting his sense
of reality. After all, his policy of pressuring Moscow and trying to
gain leadership in CSTO and CU to demonstrate his irreplaceability may
fall through. However, Belarus may prove to be not-so-irreplaceable:
it’s even possible for Armenia to take its place in the CU hierarchy,
being of more strategic importance to Moscow in the latter’s attempt
to reaffirm its presence in the Caucasus and Near East.

Lukashenko might have wanted to make some eccentric statement at
a summit of CIS leaders in Moscow, but it’s unlikely he will. The
summit is headed by Putin who cannot stand any statements aimed to
undermine his leadership in the CIS.

And once again: it’s not Baku’s business to decide on Armenia-related
issues. Azerbaijan had better take care of its rigged elections and
“caviar diplomacy” everyone is sick and tired of.

Karine Ter-Sahakian/ PanARMENIAN.Net

SALARY OF ARMENIAN JUDGES IS 2-3 TIMES HIGHER THAN THAT OF PRESIDENT – SOCIOLOGIST

15:44 25/10/2013 ” ECONOMY

Head of Sociometer sociological center, sociologist Aharon Adibekyan
commented on the proposal to raise state officials’ salaries at a
meeting with reporters today.

“The Prime Minister of Singapore is the highest paid state official
in the world – his salary amounts to USD 1 million. The U.S. President
receives about USD 400,000 in salary. The lowest presidential salaries
are in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Armenia,” he said.

The sociologist noted that Armenia has no right to economize on
salaries because productivity of work is dependent on salaries.

“Judicial workers are the highest paid in our country – the salary of
Armenian judges is about 2-3 times higher than that of the President,”
he concluded.

Source: Panorama.am

REGULAR OSCE MONITORING ON BORDER BETWEEN THE NAGORNO-KARABAKH REPUBLIC AND AZERBAIJAN HELD WITHOUT INCIDENTS

YEREVAN, October 25. /ARKA/. A regular OSCE monitoring on the border
between the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic and Azerbaijan, near Levonarkh
village, Mardakert province, has been held without any incident and
in conformity with schedule, the Nagorno-Karabakh foreign ministry’s
press office reported today.

“No violence of cease-fire agreement has been recorded,” the report
says.

Monitoring in Nagorno Karabakh’s side was held by Andrzej Kasprzyk,
Personal Representative of OSCE CiO, and his field assistants,
and monitoring on the opposite side was conducted by Evgeny Sharov
(Ukraine), Personal Representative of OSCE CiO, and other OSCE
officials.

Representatives of Nagorno-Karabakh foreign and defense ministries
were present at the monitoring process. .—-0—

– See more at:

AZERBAIJAN ACCUSES EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT IN AN ATTEMPT TO ORGANIZE RIOT IN COUNTRY

14:40 25/10/2013 ” REGION

The Azerbaijani delegation at the Parliamentary Assembly of the
“EuroNest” will suspend its activities in the organization, the head
of the Azerbaijani delegation to the PA “EuroNest” Elkhan Suleymanov
said in a statement, as the Azerbaijani news agency “Trend” reports.

This decision is due to the adoption of the 32nd point of the European
Parliament Resolution of 23 October 2013, where it is said that the
elections in Azerbaijan did not meet international standards and
concern is expressed about human rights violations in the country.

Suleymanov’s appeal reads that this paragraph “is a serious blow to the
reputation of the European Parliament on monitoring the presidential
elections in Azerbaijan.” The appeal is addressed to the President
of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz, the OSCE chairman Leonid
Kozhara, the president of the Council of Europe Jean-Claude Mignon,
President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Ranko KrivokapiÄ~G and
all members of the European Parliament.

“At the beginning of July this year, Azerbaijan was not included
in the list of the countries observing the presidential elections,
and such a decision of European Parliament was regarded by us as a
result of absence of serious problems in our country,” Suleiman said.

However, as stated in the appeal of the head of the Azerbaijani
delegation, “today it becomes clear already that behind the decision
of the European Parliament in early July, of not sending election
observation mission to Azerbaijan, plans for organizing riots and
sabotage in our country were hiding.”

By not including Azerbaijan into the list of countries where it
was decided to send election observation missions, the European
Parliament, according to Suleimanov, “tried to discredit and undermine
the political authority of Azerbaijan in the international arena.”

“For some reason, later, in early September, the European Parliament
changed his mind and decided to send an election observation mission
to Azerbaijan,” he said.

As stated in the document “the positive assessments of the observation
mission enraged the leadership of the House of freedom and Unity,
which decided bring the 32nd paragraph as an amendment into the draft
of the European Parliament Resolution, according to which the election
failed to meet the standards and requirements of the OSCE.” According
to the Azerbaijani delegate, “The European Parliament should take
into consideration that the ODIHR is one of the many organizations
of the OSCE.”

The statement also read that the delegation of the European Parliament,
PACE and OSCE PA gave a positive assessment to the elections, and
the European Parliament adopted the resolution basing on the “biased”
resolution of the OSCE / ODIHR observing mission.

This, according to Sulymanov, causes a serious blow to the image of
the House of Human Rights, which is composed of Members of European
Parliament as well as PACE and OSCE.

According to the head of the Azerbaijani delegation the OSCE /
ODIHR report “was aimed at follow the orders of higher officials,
securing interests of powerful countries in Azerbaijan, formation of
a negative image of Azerbaijan in the international arena.” However,
as stated in the appeal, Baku will continue its policy.

As the head of the Azerbaijani delegation to the “EuroNest” thinks,
the European Parliament and other international organizations “continue
to deceive the people of Azerbaijan and the international community”
in the Karabakh conflict too. Thus, Suleymanov called the words of
the President of European Parliament Martin Schulz about “Azerbaijan
and Armenia solving this complex issue (Karabakh conflict.

– Ed.) by themselves” “absurd”.

“The persistent call of the European Parliament to base on the OSCE /
ODIHR resolution, regardless the assessments of the elections observing
mission of the European Parliament, is a part of the plans to organize
provocations and disorders. Presumably, they are very disappointed
because of the failed plans of sabotage after a positive assessment
of the elections, in particular of the attempts to turn Azerbaijan
into Libya or Syria,” the head of the Azerbaijani delegation said in
the statement.

Presidential elections held in Azerbaijan on October 9 did not meet
international standards, reads the resolution adopted on the eve of
the plenary session of the European Parliament. The organization
calls on Azerbaijan to stop harassment of oppositionist activists
as an indispensable condition for any agreement and to review the
strategic partnership with Azerbaijan.

“The European Parliament deplores for the fact that the presidential
elections in Azerbaijan, as the OSCE/ODIHR has concluded, has once
again failed to meet OSCE standards,” the document reads.

Source: Panorama.am

MOHAMMAD REISI, HRANUSH HAKOBYAN DISCUSS SHOOTING ARMENIAN-IRANIAN FILM

14:28 25/10/2013 ” SOCIETY

The Armenian community of Iran plays an important role in Iran-Armenia
relations, Iranian Ambassador to Armenia Mohammad Reisi has said at
a meeting with Armenian Diaspora Minister Hranush Hakobyan, according
to IRIB news agency.

The Iranian envoy noted that Armenian-Iranian ties are constructive
and that they develop in all areas.

The two parties discussed shooting a joint Armenian-Iranian film and
a number of other issues of mutual interest.

Mrs Hakobyan thanked Ambassador Reisi for his activities aimed at
deepening the cooperation between the two countries as well as for
his attention towards the Armenian community of Iran.

Source: Panorama.am

LUKASHENKO TOLD ARMENIA A SECRET

The leaders of the Customs Union member states rushed to accept
Armenia’s application for membership to the Customs Union and the
Common Economic Area, the statement on the participation of the
Republic of Armenia in the process of Eurasian integration and the
Memorandum on Deepening Cooperation between the Republic of Armenia
and the Eurasian Economic Commission. “We agreed to set up a working
group which will prepare the road map within the shortest possible
time,” said the Russian President Putin.

Interestingly, the president of the country which submitted the
application did not show up to the journalists to hail this occasion.

Either he was not happy, or the application has been accepted without
Serzh Sargsyan or yet he was not allowed to show up in public in case
he utters something divergent.

The participants of the Second Eurasian Economic Council confirmed
their intention to sign the agreement on the establishment of
the Eurasian Economic Union which is supposed to be launched on 1
January 2015.

At first sight, everything is going well, especially that quarrels and
objections were expected. Lukashenko even confessed that he did not
expect such success. “I would not say that this is a breakthrough but
this is a leap that we took during our meeting today,” Lukashenko said.

In brief, there is no breakthrough, and some issues are pending. For
example, Nursultan Nazarbayev expressed concerns. He proposed accepting
Turkey to the Customs Union explaining it by concerns which people
often express whether “we are creating a USSR or something else under
Russia”. “Rumors might end if we accept Turkey,” Nazarbayev said.

This means that neither Nazarbayev, nor Lukashenko are going to obey
Russia, and the Customs Union will exist as long as Russia offers
customs preferences to its two big members. Lukashenko, for example,
demanded to exempt petrol from taxes otherwise he will leave the
Customs Union.

In addition, Lukashenko made a sensational statement. He confessed
that on entering the Eurasian Union the countries partly lose
their sovereignty. However, he said there is no need to be afraid of
delegating additional powers to the supranational level. “Sovereignty
is not an icon. Everything has a price, and we need to sacrifice
something to live better,” Lukashenko said.

So what next? Does the parliament, the Constitution empower Serzh
Sargsyan to delegate state powers to a supranational organization? Or
are the Constitutional reforms initiated to this aim?

Naira Hayrumyan 14:09 25/10/2013 Story from Lragir.am News: