Author: Kalantarian Kevo

WE SAY FSS AND MEAN A LOT MORE

Igor Muradyan
Monday, 04 February 2013, 10:49

A friend of mine from Moscow, a Russian expert on Caucasus issues,
made a small remark regarding my article entitled “Sarajevo” in
Armenia” published in Lragir.am. “Hello Igor and thanks for the link.

Just a small remark: the Russian Institute of Strategic Studies has no
relation to the Federal Security Service. The RISS has been and is
affiliated with the Foreign Intelligence Service. The FSS and FIS, as
we know, are at sword’s points. The presidential administration, to a
greater extent (at the CIS front) is linked to the FIS though
tendencies of tug of war can be felt there. Actually, this attempt is
not Moscow’s handwriting. Best regards”. I gladly accept this remark
as this expert has always acted bravely in the most difficult
situations relating to the events in the Caucasus and has always had a
critical attitude towards the Russian intelligence services and
specialists. I don’t doubt his sincerely patriotic position. Along
with this, it turns out that not only FSS but also FIS is related to
lobby of Azerbaijan’s interests. Why not? In the mid 2000s in regard
to Ara Abrahamyan’s initiative to set up the World Armenian
Association, this issue was elaborated in certain countries of the
Diaspora by FIS while the position of this organization appeared
strange. Now, one “Armenian project” has ended since Ara Abrahamyan
has managed quite delicately to “pull out” the idea of establishment
of a center of governance of the Armenian Diaspora in Moscow. Earlier,
FIS had worked out for the political leadership of Moscow the
“pattern” and the solution of the Karabakh issue. Interestingly, in a
number of phases of development of Russian plans on the Karabakh issue
a lot of Russian “civil” experts didn’t want to exchange themselves
for conjuncture-related problems, and offered help which did not leave
a high degree of freedom to the civilized development of unrealistic
plans to return Karabakh under Azerbaijan’s control. Due to such
behavior of a lot of Russian experts the institutions charged with
these developments had to resort to the services of profanes and
villains. We should say that the activities of the Russian institutes
and certain experts in regard to problems dealing with national
security of Armenia (even in a remote context) during many years have
been tracked and now those activities are perceived well. In this
regard the Armenian “experts” had better understand that their work
for undermining Armenian national interests is studied very well.

Isn’t it time to consider Russian citizenship? So, we say FSS and mean
a lot of other things.

EURASIANET: AZERBAIJAN BACKING OFF THREATS TO KARABAKH FLIGHTS

February 4, 2013 – 2:54pm, by Joshua Kucera

Nagorno Karabakh

Azerbaijan never had any intention of shooting down flights to
Karabakh, the country’s deputy foreign minister has said, in what
appears to be an effort to back away from previous statements
threatening to do just that. From AZE.az:

[Deputy Foreign Minister Araz] Azimov said that Azerbaijan was not
ready to shoot down civilian airplanes, as Armenians and their
supporters are constantly crying.

“In accordance with the Chicago convention, specific rules exist which
are recognized by the Azerbaijani side, which provide for the
prevention of illegal flights and forcing them to land in specific
airports. So it is not true, when someone earlier tried to speculate
that ‘Azerbaijan will shoot down civilian flights,” Azimov reported.

“The Armenian side, speculating on these questions, attempts to put
pressure on Azerbaijan by conducting these flights to the Khojaly
airport. Recall that these territories are occupied and opening an
illegal air corridor means an occupation of airspace,” he said.

A number of Azerbaijani officials have threatened to shoot down
flights landing in Karabakh, from the military to the civil aviation
authority to the cabinet of ministers. While they may not have
specified that they would shoot down civilian flights, given that the
primary purpose of the Karabakh airport is for civilian use, the
message Azerbaijan was attempting to send was clear.

Anyway, it appears that Azerbaijan either has changed its mind about
the usefulness of shooting down civilian flights or, as is more
likely, never intended to do so but thought there may be something to
gain by making such threats. So it’s basically the same thing that
happened two years ago.

The whole episode (assuming this is in fact the end of it) looks like
a net negative for Azerbaijan, though, as it’s taken attention away
from the fact that most of the international community, including the
OSCE and the U.S., have opposed the opening of the airport. Now, if
the airport does in fact open, the story will be Azerbaijan’s threat
to shoot down planes rather than the Armenians’ unproductive actions.

Seems like an own goal for Azerbaijani diplomacy.

ARMENIANS LIKE BAHRAINIS ARE PEACE-LOVING PEOPLE AND WISH TO HAVE GOOD RELATIONS WITH NEIGHBORING COUNTRIES. ARTAK ZAKARYAN

18:12, 4 February, 2013

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 4, ARMENPRESS: Chairman of the Armenian NA Standing
Committee on Foreign Relations Artak Zakaryan, Deputy Chairman
Alexander Arzumanyan, members of the committee Tevan Poghosyan and
Edmon Marukyan met with Bahrain-Armenia Friendship Group Delegation
of the Parliament of the Kingdom of Bahrain on February 4.

As Armenpress was informed from public relations and media department
of NA, welcoming the guests, Committee Chairman highlighted the
parliamentarians~R role in the development and reinforcement of the
relations between the two countries and peoples.

In the course of the meeting, touching upon the processes going on in
the Near East and the Armenian-Turkish relations the sides highlighted
their striving to regional peace. Artak Zakaryan has noted that the
Armenians like Bahrainis are peace-loving people, and they wish to
have good relations with the neighboring countries.

Thanking for the warm reception Hassan Eyad Bu Khamas, Head of the
Bahraini Parliamentary Delegation, has noted that Bahrain wishes
to strengthen the relations established with Armenia. The Head of
the delegation has said that Bahrain is a small island; however it
has registered serious development in several spheres. Hassan Eyad
Bu Khamas highlighted the development and deepening of economic and
trade relations between the two countries.

In the reinforcement of bilateral relations the sides emphasized the
mutual visits and contacts.

During the meeting interlocutors also touched upon the RA
presidential elections, the Nagorno- Karabakh conflict and the
world financial-economic crisis. According to the Committee Deputy
Chairman, the fact of touching upon the NK issue frequently within
the framework of the League of Arab States and Islamic Conference by
Azerbaijan cannot only impede the peaceful settlement of the problem,
but also transmit a dangerous coloration to the conflict. Alexander
Arzumanyan has assured the guests that the issue does not contain
any religious hint.

At the meeting both sides also touched upon other issues of bilateral
interest.

PARUYR HAYRIKYAN INTENDS NOT TO POSTPONE ELECTION IN ORDER NOT TO PLAY INTO HANDS OF HOSTILE FORCES

18:07, 4 February, 2013

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 4, ARMENPRESS: Presidential candidate Paruyr
Hayrikyan intends not to play into hands of hostile forces by
postponing elections after assassination attempt and surgery. This
was noted by Hayrikyan during the interview with journalists in “St.

Grigor Lusavorich” medical center on February 4. “I don’t want to
play into hands of those people who are hostile towards our nation and
democracy; initially I intended not to postpone elections,” Armenpress
quoted Paruyr Hayrikyan, adding his lawyer and representatives would
present his position over the issue of delay at 12:00, February 5.

Presidential candidate, leader of union for “National
Self-Determination” Paruyr Hayrikyan was shot around 11:30 PM, January
31 in Tpagrichner Street, Kentron district of Yerevan. Hayrikyan got
a gunshot wound to shoulders’ area and was operated on in “St. Grigor
Lusavorich” medical center.

Criminal case under article 34-305 of Armenian Criminal Code has
been already initiated over the assassination attempt against
presidential candidate Paruyr Hayrikyan. Preliminary investigation
of the criminal case is implemented by joint investigation group of
National Security Service and Armenian Police, led by head of the
investigation department of NSS, Colonel Mnatsakan Marukyan. Operative
investigation group has developed several versions of the criminal
case which are being checked.

EU TWINNING PROJECT ON INTEGRATED POLLUTION PREVENTION AND CONTROL TO LAUNCH IN ARMENIA

18:17, 4 February, 2013

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 4, ARMENPRESS: EU Twinning Project on Integrated
Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC) is launching in Armenia.

According to Aram Harutyunyan, Minister of Nature Protection of
Armenia, this is a rather serous project and will bring to some
legislative changes. “We should exploit all our tools and see what
changes are needed,” Minister noted, adding that program would
facilitate burden of the economic entity.

In words of Armenian Minister of Economy Tigran Davtyan, issues of
nature protection are at the center of government’s attention and
“we need knowledge existing in European Union”. “I evaluate the
fact that the project is being implemented with joint efforts, with
participation of our European partners,” Davtyan said.

Nature protection program is implemented in frames of EU-Armenia
European Neighborhood Policy.

Budget of the program lasting 2 years is 1 million euro.

ARMENIAN PRIME GOT ACQUAINTED WITH NEW PROJECTS OF “YEREVAN BEER” COMPANY

18:33, 4 February, 2013

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 4, ARMENPRESS: Prime Minister of Armenian Republic
Tigran Sargsyan visited “Yerevan beer” company, got acquainted
with production processes and new investment projects. As reports
Armenpress, deputy executive director of the company Aren Hairyan noted
in the interview that export volume of the company had increased for
2.3 times during last 3 years thanks to implementation of number of
investment projects. “Export volume of 2012 reaches USD 2.2 million,”
Hairyan said.

He has informed company plans to double its export volume and increase
its sales volume for 40 percent.

Company is willing to implement a new program for processing
agricultural products.

100TH ANNIVERSARY OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE NOT THE LAST HOPE

NEWS.AM
February 04, 2013 | 16:54

YEREVAN.- The 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide should not
be regarded as the last hope for Turkey to recognize the Genocide,
President Serzh Sargsyan said.

Armenia must continue the campaign even if Ankara does not recognize
the Genocide, Sargsyan said, addressing residents of Masis.

“All the efforts of our diplomatic corpse must be used. Of course, the
100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide is an important milestone.

Turks themselves say that they are waiting for “an Armenian tsunami.”

But this does not mean we must give up, unless Turkey recognizes the
Genocide by the 100th anniversary. If you acknowledge, we will welcome
it, if not – continue unremitting struggle,” Sargsyan emphasized.

“Q’AZADLYG”:AZERBAIJANI MOTHER OF FIVE DISABLED VETERANS OF KARABAKH WAR TRIED TO CROSS NKR BORDER WITH A WHITE FLAG IN HER HAND

16:29 04/02/2013 ” SOCIETY

Azerbaijani police detained 76-year-old Zarifa Safaraliyeva, who tried
to cross the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic border with a white flag in her
hands. According to “Azadlyg”, the woman took up this desperate step
because of the arbitrariness of the authorities towards her five sons
who are disabled veterans of Karabakh war.

The aged woman stated that in the village Guzanly located next the
border there was a wealthy resident there who was haunting her family,
mocked her sons who are with disabilities, while the police blinked at
all these terrible things. Things came to such a pitch that, the man
being drunk caused bodily injuries to Safaraliyeva’s son knocking out
his teeth in front of the police and remained with impunity.

“I sent five of my sons to Karabakh war, and all of them returned
disabled. They have many children. This man does not leave my sons
live in peace, and his money shut the eyes of the police. Therefore I
want to move to the Armenian side. I will gather all my family and
will move on to the Armenians,” the woman stated.

The 76-year-old woman with a white flag in one hand and a combustible
liquid in the other moved in direction of Aghdam, but was stopped by
the police and was sent to Guzanly police station.

Source: Panorama.am

ARMENIA’S DOMESTIC TRADE TURNOVER GROWS 4.8% TO AMD 347.6 BILLION

YEREVAN, February 4. /ARKA/. Armenia’s domestic trade turnover amounted
to AMD 347.6 billion in December 2012 showing 4.8% year-on-year growth,
the National Statistical Service reports.

According to the report, retail turnover amounted to AMD 238.6 billion
and made up 62.8% of the domestic trade turnover in December 2012
after growing 2.5%, compared with December 2011. .

Wholesale trade turnover totaled AMD 97.8 billion and constituted 33.2%
of the country’s domestic trade turnover in December 2012.

Trade outlets accounted for 65.1% (AMD 150.8 billion) of the retail
trade turnover, and markets for 11.1% (AMD 54.2 billion). ($1 –
AMD 406.57). -0-

ALIYEV TO SHOOT DOWN CIVIL PLANE IF NECESSARY, TO KEEP THE POWER, ANALYST

TERT.AM
16:45 ~U 04.02.13

The issue of postponement of flights in Karabakh airport is not just
technical but contains a strategic-political element in it as the
Azerbaijani side has adopted a strict stance voicing readiness to
shoot down civil plains, Ara Papyan head of Modus Vivendi think tank
told the reporters on Monday.

“The most important thing for Aliyev is to keep the power and if
he sees he can do it by shooting down the plane he will do it,”
Papyan said.

The speaker said the situation has entered a deadlock with the Armenian
side claiming that the planes will fly. In the opposite case, Armenia’s
rating will sharply fall.

“Technically Azerbaijan is ready to fire a missile as Russia has sold
such weapon to Azerbaijan. And the international community limits
itself with calls,” Papyan said.

The speaker said if it happens it will cause a war as Armenia should
at least give an adequate response.

“Azerbaijan’s grounding of missile attack with the violation of its air
space is not the reason, the issue here is that Stepanakert will have
an airport. The issue is more psychological than military,” he said.

“If they shoot down one civil plane, we will eliminate ten of theirs.

Azerbaijan must always remember that the co-relation is 1 to 10,”
Papyan said.