Author: Kalantarian Kevo

LONDON: THE PRINCIPLE OF PEOPLE’S RIGHT FOR SELF-DETERMINATION IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT ONES IN KARABAKH CONFLICT SETTLEMENT

arminfo
Tuesday, September 18, 19:23

The Great Britain is for peaceful settlement of Nagornyy Karabakh
conflict within the frames of the OSCE Minsk Group, Minister of State
for Europe of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland,
David Lidington, said over the joint press-conference with Armenia’s
Foreign Minister, Edward Nalbandyan, in Yerevan, 18 September.

He said that peaceful settlement of the Karabakh conflict is stemming
from the interests of the region and Europe, as it will make it
possible to preserve stability in the South Caucasus which is a part
of Europe.

Asked why the Great Britain uses the principle of the peoples’ right
for self-determination only if it is stemming from its own interests,
for instance in case of Kosovo and Falkland islands, but ignores it
in other case, the minister replied that the Kosovo issue was revised
according to UN resolution 1244. The self-determination principle is
also one of the most important ones fixed by the OSCE MG co-chairmen
for peaceful settlement of the Karabakh conflict, and it should
be revised along with other principles fixed by the co-chairmen,
Lidington said.

For his part, Nalbandyan said that the right of peoples for
self-determination is stemming from the principles of the documents
adopted by UN, and is one of the most important conditions for
settlement of conflicts. He also added that security factor is also
priority. “The people of Nagornyy Karabakh cannot feel secure in
the country where soldiers fire at the target with an inscription
“Armenian””, – Nalbandyan said and added that the people of Karabakh
can’t be secure when Azerbaijani policemen set free such criminals
like Ramil Safarov and turn him into an example to follow.

WE PIN HOPES ON COLLECTIVE RAPID REACTION FORCE – CSTO SEC. GEN.

news.am
September 18, 2012 | 16:59

YEREVAN.- CSTO’s Collective Rapid Reaction Force (CRRF) include the
best units of the forces of the bloc’s member states, organization’s
Secretary General Nikolay Borduyuha told reporters on Tuesday.

CSTO Secretary General recalled that when the agreement was reached
on the establishment of CRRF, the presidents decided to include the
elite units, the best troops of the member states.

“In addition, CRRF include the best units of special services and
law enforcement agencies. This is the reason we pin all our hopes on
these forces,” said Bordyuzha.

As Armenian News-NEWS.am informed earlier, CSTO Secretary General
arrived in Armenia to follow CRRF “Cooperation 2012” military exercise
which will last till Sept 19. About 2,000 servicemen from Armenia and
other CSTO states are participating in the maneuvers. Representatives
of the International Committee of the Red Cross are also taking part
in the maneuvers. About 500 pieces of military equipment are used.

YEREVAN MAN IS FOUND HUNG

news.am
September 18, 2012 | 11:52

YEREVAN. – The dead body of a man was found hanging Monday in a
suburban district of the Armenian capital city Yerevan.

According to the information which Armenian News-NEWS.am ascertained,
the man was a 45-year-old resident of this district. Those who knew
him told us that this could be a murder, albeit a suicide theory is
being circulated, too.

In line with preliminary information, the man had serious problems
in recent periods.

The Police provided no details to Armenian News-NEWS.am, and solely
informed that the dead body of a man is found and an investigation
is launched into this incident.

FRENCH ARMENIAN COMMUNITY NOT HAPPY WITH HOLLANDE’S POLICY

16:39 | 2012-09-18 | Opinions | Regional Opinions |

“First News and Analyses” conducted an interview with the chief
editor of “Nouvelles d’Armenie” journal which is based in France. In
the interview Ara Toranyan discussed Ilham Alliyev’s official visit
to France.

Toranyan mentioned that he is a little bit angry at the French
authorities as the president Francois Hollande have given lots of
promises to the French-Armenian community but now it seems that he is
not a man of his word and right the opposite; it looks like Hollande
tries to have friendly relations with Turkey and Alliyev. Talking
about Hollane-Alliyev official meeting, Toranyan expressed hope that
Hollande will be strict in his own views. “as France is a Minsk
group co-chairing country and he can’t be ignorant, especially as
Turkey and Azerbaijan are doing to everything to kill Minsk group
negotiation process”.

“We realize that it is hard for France to have a definite position,
but we need to protect our right and we will”.

HIS HOLINESS KAREKIN II HAS PRIVATE MEETING WITH POPE

Panorama.am
18/09/2012

His Holiness Karekin II, the Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All
Armenians, met with Pope Benedict XVI in Vatican on September 12,
priest Vahram Melikyan, head of Information Services of the Mother See
of Holy Etchmiadzin, confirmed to Panorama.am. His Holiness Karekin
II paid a private visit to Vatican, he stressed and therefore refused
to give further details.

An official report said His Holiness Karekin II, the Supreme Patriarch
and Catholicos of All Armenians, paid a pontifical visit to the
Armenian Diocese of Romania on September 10.

SURVEY: 74 PERCENT OF HUNGARIANS BELIEVE SAFAROV CASE IS TOO IMPORTANT FOR HUNGARY

Panorama.am
18/09/2012

94 percent of Hungarians are familiar with Ramil Safarov case; 74
percent believe the case is too important for Hungary, Hungarian
news agency MTI reported, citing the results of a survey ordered by
Hungarian ruling party Fidesz, according to Armenpress news agency.

The phone survey, on September 7-12, shows that the Hungarian society
is well aware of the issue.

59 percent of respondents blame Azerbaijani government for the
situation, 32 percent think that Hungarian government is to blame,
while 9 percent refrained from answering any questions, the source
said.

PLEDGE OF LOYALTY TO MINSK GROUP
Igor Muradyan

Story from Lragir.am News:

Published: 16:17:56 – 18/09/2012

New Time paper of Yerevan, being afraid to be preceded by someone
else to pledge loyalty to Russia and the Minsk Group, decided to make
a long statement with pretensions to analyze, referring to Regnum
agency as the leading ally and advocate of the Minsk Group.

The Russian Regnum agency thinks what is happening (no matter
how illogical it may seem) has a rational explanation. Having the
extradition and publicly pardoning of the killer done, the Azerbaijani
president achieved what he had been long striving for – suspension
of the negotiations within the Minsk Group”.

The actual collapse of the format of the Minsk group is one of the
most important conditions for the realization of the true goal to
which Baku is headed: to end the status quo in the Karabakh conflict
zone. According to Russian experts, the recent statement by the U.S.

State Dept. about lack of confidence in Washington “whether further
events within the peace settlement of the Karabakh issue should be
organized” fits this line perfectly.

Getting acquainted with the whole published material, the impression is
that it is a “Manifesto of Yerevan inhabitants and petty bourgeoisie”
which contains the pledge of loyalty not only and not mainly to the
Minsk group but also and particularly to Russia. In short, “it’s not
the moment” and the usual Yerevan logic engulfing whatever is called
“moderate patriotism within the Constitution” with capitulantism. It
is the right moment to build a monument to the Minsk Group listing
all the representatives of the three powers, not only in Yerevan but
also in Stepanakert. It’s also possible to create a museum of the
Minsk Group, and make mention of it in the Constitution. The logic of
“it is not the moment” has always been there also before the start of
the Karabakh movement in 1988, and whenever it was necessary to make
decisions. Finally, the Armenian community came together after the
noisy street and political battles, under the ideological and political
leadership of the Minsk group. It would not be this bad if all kind
of insinuations were continued, I mean, what’s next? Let’s assume we
keep the Minsk group. So what? Will this prevent the resumption of
hostilities? Will this lead to the recognition of NKR?

Who gets stronger or weaker in the result of the Minsk group
existence? Will this ensure foreign support for different political
groups? Will this make it possible to deceive the time?

It is interesting whether they will remember the names and the
addresses of all sympathizers of the Minsk group or they will forget
as usual. When the state and the people do everything to avoid the war,
it will surely come, but will it be possible to avoid catastrophe?

EXPERT: ARMENIAN PRESIDENT’S PASSING JUDGEMENT UPON THE GOVERNMENT WAS OF A DECLARATIVE NATURE

arminfo
Tuesday, September 18, 15:18

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan’s passing judgement upon the
government was more of the declarative nature, political expert,
Richard Giragossian, told journalists today, when asked if the
president’s criticism may be followed by the premier’s resignation.

He also added that one should not look for any political context
in the president’s speech, as it is not for the first time that the
president sharply criticized the government, but it was not followed
by any specific action. “I think that this time as well the situation
is similar. One may make prediction, if specific steps follow the
president’s criticism, as it is simply impossible to change the
situation only by words”, – the expert said.

To note, on 16 September President Serzh Sargsyan invited a meeting
at the Government of the Republic of Armenia which was attended by the
leaders of the executive bodies headed by the Prime Minister, with the
participation of the Chiefs of the Presidential and Government Staffs,
RA Prosecutor General, Mayor of Yerevan, Heads of the standing agencies
and the President of the RA National Academy of Sciences.

After the introductory remarks of the President, the Head of the
RA Presidential Oversight Service Hovhannes Hovsepian presented the
main results and conclusions of the investigation conducted by the
Service in the area of government procurement. At the report presented
were in detail structural and administrative problems revealed in the
decentralized process of procurement after the adoption of the RA Law
on Procurement. According to the RA Presidential Oversight Service,
participants to the system of procurement allow some occurrences which
deviate from the requirements and principles of the legislation on
procurement. The authorized structures do not fully carry out their
responsibility while the clients beside the inadequate execution of
their responsibility, using loopholes in the sub-legislation in some
cases act in a deliberate manner, failing to ensure a competitive,
efficient and transparent procurement processes.

On this issue, the President expressed his overt discontent with
the works of all those responsible, underscoring that the mentioned
occurrences were the results of the shortcomings in the works the
responsible officials, who failed to introduce in time efficient
regulations as well as of the unscrupulousness of the customer
agencies in the procurement process. Serzh Sargsyan reminded that the
procurement procedures have been decentralized by the law so that
every given minister or head of the agency assumes responsibility
and so that the state can purchase efficient, i.e. low cost and high
quality goods and services, and not vice verse.

At the conclusion of the meeting, President Serzh Sargsyan directed
the participants in the meeting – each in his own Ministry or agency,
to invite meetings and explain explicitly to the staff that in case
of such failings the whole business will not finish with a reprimand
or discharge. “And I expect initiatives first of all from you,”
President Sargsyan stressed, addressing those present at the meeting.

The President of Armenia noted that in many areas – urban development,
transport and communications, defense, health care and especially
control over the medication market, etc., there are problems related
to the procurement and efficient administration of the state budget.

He gave strict instructions to the RA National Security Service and
Office of the Prosecutor General to seriously look into these issues.

“I want you to become not formal but our true allies in this issue
and display genuine interest in the resolution of the highlighted
problems,” President Serzh Sargsyan told the participants of the
meeting.

TURKEY’S EMBASSY IN SWITZERLAND TO ORGANIZE A LECTURE DENYING ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

11:30 | 2012-09-18 | Region | Politics |

On September 18, French-Armenian “Yaraj” daily writes that the Turkey’s
Embassy, located in Bern city, Switzerland, will organize a lecture
which denies Armenian Genocide.

As reported, not only Switzerland-Turkey friendship group members,
members of parliament will attend the lecture, but also a U.S.

“historiographer” McCartey , who denies Armenian Genocide. The latter
gives false “facts” concerning Armenian Genocide, and tries to prove
that there wasn’t any Genocide at all.

Genocide expert, historian, Hans Lukas Kezer refused to meet McCartey
saying: “I wouldn’t attend such meeting which will be based on “false
facts” and the Embassy is using its power for absurd news. ”

We should recall that in Switzerland, according to the State law, it
is forbidden not to recognize Armenian Genocide, but as we know the
Embassies are not part of the country, they belong to the country,
which represents its Embassy.

RICHARD GIRAGOSIAN: ARMENIA IS THE ONLY STABLE STATE IN THE REGION

Panorama.am
18/09/2012

Arab Spring enters a new phase. We see that governments of a number
of Middle East countries are very weak, political analyst Richard
Giragosian told reporters in Yerevan.

According to him, the situation is getting very unstable in the Middle
East, Iran, Turkey as well as Russia and the South Caucasus.

In this light, the expert believes, Armenia is the only stable state
in the region. To maintain this strategic importance, we need “deep
democracy and wider economic reform,” he stressed.

Regarding the CSTO exercise hosted by Armenia, Mr Giragosian said.

“This exercise is more important to Russia than Armenia. There are
two reasons why the exercise is important for Armenia. Firstly,
the CSTO exercise is a message to Azerbaijan that Armenia is the
strongest military state in the region. Secondly, this exercise
indicates that Armenia is an important country for Russia, Armenia
is the only reliable ally of Russia.”