Author: Kalantarian Kevo

ELECTORAL FRAUDS DEPRIVED ARMENIA FROM $2BN IN EU AID, ANC REP. SAYS

PanARMENIAN.Net
June 29, 2012 – 17:05 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Electoral frauds at May 6 parliamentary polls
discouraged the EU from organizing a donor conference for Armenia,
which could bring the country $2 bn in donations, Armenian National
Congress (ANC) opposition bloc coordinator, MP Levon Zurabyan said.

As he told a news conference in Yerevan, OSCE observer mission report
qualified parliamentary elections in Armenia as running counter to
the obligations the country assumed.

Also, he noted, EU vice-president and high representative for foreign
affairs and security policy Catherine Ashton linked the results of
polls with Karabakh issue.

“The authorities faked poll results at the expense of Nagorno
Karabakh and Armenia’s development programs, and they’ll have to bear
responsibility for it,” the stressed.

Zurabyan further dismissed the idea that the postponement of donor
conference in Armenia might be linked to eurozone crisis.

SYRIA WOULD HARDLY SHOOT DOWN TURKISH PLANE WITHOUT RUSSIA’S PERMISSION – ARMENIAN EXPERT

news.am
June 29, 2012 | 15:42

YEREVAN.- Syria would not have shot down a Turkish airplane without
Russia’s permission, expert in Arabic studies Suren Manukyan believes.

Manukyan, deputy director of Armenia-based Genocide Museum-institute,
commented on the incident with F-4 Phantom jet downed by the Syrian
forces.

According to him, Syria would hardly act without Russia’s support
which was also reflected in the statement of Foreign Minister Sergey
Lavrov. Russian FM said military interference in Syria’s internal
police is unacceptable.

“Syria showed its determined stance, while the West is not ready to
use the incident as a trigger for a military campaign,” he said.

Manukyan considers that western states are not ready to fund a new
war against Syria and their goal is to create difficult economic
situation in the country.

“Economic situation in Syria is deteriorating,” he concluded.

COMMANDER TO STAND TRIAL OVER ARMENIAN-TURKISH SOLDIER DEATH

PanARMENIAN.Net
June 29, 2012 – 16:50 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – A military court in the southeastern province
of Diyarbakır, Turkey, has agreed to try the commander of a
Turkish-Armenian soldier who was killed under suspicious circumstances
while performing his military service in 2011, Hurriyet Daily News
reported.

Non-commissioned officer Sabrettin Ersöz will stand trial as part
of a case into the killing of Sevag Å~^ahin Balıkcı on charges of
“abuse of office through negligence.”

Balıkcı was shot in a gendarmerie station of Batman province by
another soldier, Kıvanc Agaoglu.

The incident took place on April 24, the Armenian Genocide Remembrance
Day.

2013 A CHALLENGING YEAR FOR KARABAKH SETTLEMENT – RUSSIAN EXPERT

PanARMENIAN.Net
June 29, 2012 – 15:56 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – 2013 will be a challenging year for Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict settlement, according to the editor-in-chief of the Vestnik
Kavkaza news and analytical agency, deputy dean of the History
Department at Moscow State University Alexei Vlasov.

“Recent developments at contact line of Azerbaijani and Armenian troops
prove that the peace is threatened,” he said at Baku news conference on
“Current Azerbaijani-Russian Cooperation and Situation in the Region”

The expert pointed out Russia as one of the most important mediators
in the resolution of the conflict. “However Baku and Yerevan should
demonstrate their political will in the settlement of the conflict,”
the expert said.

“Beside Russia, the OSCE Minsk Group includes other states which
failed to achieve progress. Despite Russian president’s political will,
his efforts turned out to be a waste of time,” Vlasov said.

“Neither did U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton make any distinct
strategic proposal to address the conflict during her recent visit
to the region and the mediators have problems,” Trend News quoted
him as saying.

PLANE CONNECTING ARMENIA WITH ARTSAKH IS READY FOR FLIGHT

ARMENPRESS
29 June, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, JUNE 29, ARMENPRESS: The airport of Stepanakert is technically
ready for operation. Armenpress was informed from the head NKR
civil aviation department Dmitry Adbashyan that issues relating to
certification of the staff had also been solved.

“The committee from General Civil Aviation Department of Armenia
conducted inspections to find out the correspondence of the airport
to ICAO demands” he said. Adbashyan also informed that though the
act has not been signed yet but it can be stated that the inspections
were successful. The acts will be received some days later, defects
will be corrected and they will have the right to operate the airport.

Adbashyan could not answer when they would receive the act and what
kind of defects and demands would be in it.

He informed that they do their best in order to operate the airport
as soon as possible. They try to establish affordable prices for
those who want to leave from Yerevan for Stepanakert. According to
preliminary information the value of the ticket will be around 20
000 AMD, apparently up to 18 000 AMD. The duration of the flight
will be 40 minutes. Periodicity is not yet finally approved. The
head of the department mentioned that there is a wish to implement
one or two flights a day. He is for implementing two flights a day
but some specialists advise to begin from one flight a day. After
the operation of the airport flights to other directions will also
be implemented but it is early o speak about it.

THEODORAKIS : “OUI, JE SUIS ANTISEMITE ET ANTISIONISTE”

Publie le : 29-06-2012

Info Collectif VAN – – Au vu de ce texte que Meïr
Waintrater nous adresse, nous ne pouvons que souscrire aux propos
de l’ancien redacteur en chef de l’Arche concernant l’antisemitisme
regrettable de Mikis Theodorakis, et ce “avec d’autant plus de
tristesse” que nous admirons egalement le compositeur grec et son
passe militant. “Mais le problème ne tient pas a la personne de
Theodorakis, il tient au contenu de ses propos. Si on continue a
pretendre que Theodorakis n’est en rien antisemite, on dit par le fait
meme que ses propos sont inattaquables, et que n’importe qui peut
les reproduire sous sa propre signature. Or si un quidam s’avisait
de publier sous sa propre signature le quart de la moitie de ce que
Theodorakis a dit sur les Juifs, ce quidam serait aussitôt denonce
comme antisemite par tous les democrates – y compris par la plupart
des thuriferaires de Theodorakis”. Si les “defenseurs inconditionnels
de Mikis Theodorakis […] s’obstinent a pretendre que Theodorakis
n’a pas une once d’antisemitisme dans son corps, et que les propos
antisemites qui lui sont attribues ont ete inventes de toutes pièces,
je leur demande une explication de texte. Voici ce qui est ecrit,
en anglais, sur le site de Mikis Theodorakis: “Zionists control 99%
of Global musical life”. Qui sont les “sionistes” qui “contrôlent” la
vie musicale dans le monde entier? Peut-on donner a ces mots un sens
autre qu’antisemite?” Le Collectif VAN vous invite a lire l’article
de Meïr Waintrater publie sur le site de l’Union des Francais juifs
le 28 juin 2012.

Legende photo : Mikis Theodorakis

Union des Francais juifs

Les 99% de Mikis Theodorakis

Le compositeur grec Mikis Theodorakis est-il antisemite? Des
declarations visant les Juifs, qu’il a faites a plusieurs occasions
depuis 2003, font que la question a ete posee. Cette question a
suscite un regain d’interet en France, après que Jean-Luc Melenchon
a relaye des declarations de Theodorakis sur la crise mondiale. Des
declarations où il n’etait pas fait mention des Juifs, mais dont les
porte-parole de l’UMP se sont saisis, en periode electorale, pour
accuser le candidat du Front de Gauche de frayer avec un antisemite.

Dans un texte date du 15 juin 2012, et dont une traduction du grec a
ete publiee le 27 juin 2012 par le quotidien communiste L’Humanite sous
le titre “La replique de Mikis Theodorakis a Jean-Francois Cope”, le
compositeur assure n’avoir jamais ete antisemite. Si des gens ont cru
le contraire, explique-t-il, c’est a la suite d’un lapsus de sa part:
“Il suffit de dire, par erreur manifeste, dans une interview de trois
heures, “antisemite” au lieu d'”antiraciste”, et on s’empare d’une
seule et unique phrase dont on isole un mot, brandi comme un etendard,
tout simplement pour servir l’intention de m’incriminer.”

Dans cette interview, affirme-t-il encore, il a prononce la phrase
suivante: “J’aime le peuple juif avec lequel nous avons vecu et
souffert en Grèce pendant des annees et je hais l’antisemitisme”. S’il
existe d’autres versions de ses propos, elles ont ete fabriquees par
ses “adversaires” en “tronquant” ce qu’il a vraiment dit.

Mais les choses ne sont pas si simples.

Prenons l’interview donnee par Theodorakis le 3 fevrier 2011 a la
chaîne de television grecque HIGH. On entend Theodorakis declarer:
“Laissez-moi clarifier une chose: je suis antisemite”. L’interviewer
ayant suggere, a la place, le mot “antisioniste”, Theodorakis enchaîne:
“Oui, je suis antisemite et antisioniste. J’aime le peuple juif et
j’ai vecu avec lui, mais les Americains juifs se cachent derrière tout,
les attentats en Irak, les attaques economiques en Europe, en Amerique,
en Asie, les Juifs americains sont derrière Bush, Clinton et derrière
les banques.” Dans la suite, Theodorakis precise que “tout ce qui
arrive aujourd’hui dans le monde a un rapport avec les sionistes” et
que “les Juifs americains sont derrière la crise economique mondiale
qui a aussi touche la Grèce” [1].

On a beau tourner cela en tous sens, il est difficile d’y trouver
le lapsus (l'”erreur manifeste”) qu’invoque Theodorakis dans son
dernier texte, et il est tout aussi difficile de voir comment ses
propos auraient pu etre “tronques”.

D’autant que ce n’etait pas la première intrusion de Theodorakis sur
ce terrain. Le 4 novembre 2003, au cours d’une conference de presse,
il s’en etait deja pris aux Juifs en declarant que “ce petit peuple
est a la racine du mal”. Interpelle a ce sujet, il s’etait longuement
explique dans une interview publiee par le quotidien israelien
Haaretz. On y lisait, aux côtes de protestations d’amitie pour les
Juifs, que ceux-ci “tiennent la finance mondiale entre leurs mains”,
“contrôlent l’essentiel de l’economie et des mass-media”, les “grandes
banques”, “souvent les gouvernements”, ainsi que “la plupart des
grands orchestres symphoniques du monde”.

A tout cela, les defenseurs inconditionnels de Theodorakis repondent
en invoquant des transcriptions inexactes de ses propos, des erreurs
de traduction, voire des deformations volontaires. Il est cependant
un temoignage qu’ils ne pourront nier: celui de Mikis Theodorakis en
personne. Le compositeur a en effet un site Internet officiel, qui
contient des declarations faites en son propre nom et signees par lui.

En grec le plus souvent, et parfois en d’autres langues.

Ainsi ce texte bilingue grec-anglais, toujours en ligne le 28 juin
2012, dont la version anglaise porte le titre “Mikis Theodorakis
answers to the usual circles accusing him of …Anti-Semitism”. On
y trouve, outre des attaques contre “le lobby juif americain”,
cette protestation contre les critiques dont Theodorakis est lui-meme
l’objet: “Mes adversaires ne se contentent pas de mots, ils se livrent
a des actions qui me salissent en tant que personne et en tant que
compositeur. Surtout en tant que compositeur, puisque les sionistes
contrôlent 99 % de la vie musicale a l’echelle mondiale”.

Je relis ces derniers mots, et je m’adresse aux defenseurs
inconditionnels de Mikis Theodorakis. S’ils s’obstinent a pretendre
que Theodorakis n’a pas une once d’antisemitisme dans son corps, et
que les propos antisemites qui lui sont attribues ont ete inventes de
toutes pièces, je leur demande une explication de texte. Voici ce qui
est ecrit, en anglais, sur le site de Mikis Theodorakis: “Zionists
control 99% of Global musical life”. Qui sont les “sionistes” qui
“contrôlent” la vie musicale dans le monde entier? Peut-on donner a
ces mots un sens autre qu’antisemite?

J’ecris tout cela avec d’autant plus de tristesse que j’admire l’~uvre
de Mikis Theodorakis, et que je respecte son passe militant. Mais le
problème ne tient pas a la personne de Theodorakis, il tient au contenu
de ses propos. Si on continue a pretendre que Theodorakis n’est en rien
antisemite, on dit par le fait meme que ses propos sont inattaquables,
et que n’importe qui peut les reproduire sous sa propre signature. Or
si un quidam s’avisait de publier sous sa propre signature le quart
de la moitie de ce que Theodorakis a dit sur les Juifs, ce quidam
serait aussitôt denonce comme antisemite par tous les democrates –
y compris par la plupart des thuriferaires de Theodorakis.

Les dirigeants du Front de Gauche seraient bien avises de se ressaisir,
et de mettre un terme a ces reflexes conditionnes par lesquels ils
defendent l’indefendable, au risque d’etre entraînes eux-memes dans la
reprobation dont des propos comme ceux de Theodorakis sont l’objet. Car
on serait en droit de leur demander, si l’affirmation selon laquelle
“les sionistes contrôlent 99 % de la vie musicale a l’echelle mondiale”
ne suscite pas chez eux un haut-le-c~ur, quelles sont les limites
de leur entendement en matière d’antiracisme.

Meïr Waintrater

NOTES

1. Pour les citations de Theodorakis (et les liens vers
les documents originaux d’où elles sont issues), voir

2. Voir le site officiel de Theodorakis

Retour a la rubrique

Source/Lien : Union des Francais juifs

I DO NOT RECALL A TIME WHEN NAGORNO-KARABAKH PEACE PROCESS’ IMPASSE WAS THIS MUCH PROFOUND – ARMENIA’S FORMER FM

news.am
June 28, 2012 | 15:02

YEREVAN. – The Karabakh peace process is at an impasse, former FM
and Prosperous Armenia Party MP Vartan Oskanian wrote in his Facebook
account.

“Catherine Ashton, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs
and Security Policy [and Vice President of the European Commission],
stated that progress in the settlement of the Karabakh conflict is
crucial for Armenia’s political association and economic integration
with the European Union. She called upon Armenia and Azerbaijan to
step up the efforts toward reaching an agreement.

Ashton’s statement preceded the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairing countries’
Los Cabos statement, whose diplomatic formulations were very severe
and substantially differed from the previous statements.

Today it is apparent that the Karabakh peace process is at an impasse.

I do not recall a time when the impasse was this much profound.

[And] There are two reasons for this situation:

First, today there is no document at the [negotiating] table which
all parties will accept as a basis for negotiations. Second, the
unsettled problems have increased.

[And] The mediator’s task today is to see to it that the parties
ultimately accept one of the documents as a basis for negotiations.

In my deep conviction, [US Secretary of State Hilary] Clinton left
Armenia empty-handed, because Armenia could not have added anything
new.

I believe the Armenian side’s shortcoming in the negotiations was
that it agreed to its concessions too soon and more than needed.

Incidentally, the same negotiating mistake was made in the
Armenian-Turkish process, too.

It is clearly Azerbaijan which obstructs the negotiation process and
jeopardizes the delicate peace,” Vartan Oskanian specifically wrote
in his Facebook account.

U.S. ENERGY STRATEGY DETRIMENTAL TO RUSSIA – PAPER

PanARMENIAN.Net
June 28, 2012 – 14:18 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – The United States is going to cut oil imports from
the Middle East twice by 2020 and stop them entirely in future thanks
to growing domestic hydrocarbons production, under a new strategy
which could hit the current global oil export leaders, RBC daily
business newspaper reported on Thursday, June 28, citing analysts.

The U.S. government plans to cut oil imports from the Middle East,
Africa and Europe to 2.5 million barrels per day by 2020 from the
current volume of over four million barrels a day, and stop importing
entirely by 2035. The country is unlocking new sources of oil in
shale-rock formations, oil sands and deep beneath the ocean floor,
strengthening its economy and energy security, The Wall Street Journal
has said.

The new U.S. strategy, which will lead to international oil prices
falling, will have major consequences for leading oil exporting states,
including Russia, Institute for Strategic Studies and Analysis head
Vagif Guseinov told RBC daily.

“A considerable quote decrease may be devastating primarily for …

Iran, Venezuela and Russia as their budgets have been recently formed
on the basis of a $100-120 per barrel price. [The strategy] gives
grounds to the U.S. and its allies to succeed in their new energy
policy not only in the Middle East but also all around the world,”
Guseinov said.

Despite the new energy strategy, the Middle East will continue to be
at the center of Washington’s foreign policy, since the region largely
determines the international price of ‘black gold’, RBC daily said,
according to RIA Novosti.

THREE DIFFERENTIALS OF G20 STATEMENT: MG CO-CHAIRS CRITICIZE AZERBAIJAN AND ARMENIA, PLAN TO GO FROM PERSUASION TO COERCION.
By Aris Ghazinyan

ArmeniaNow reporter
28.06.12

During the G20 Summit in Los Cabos on June 18 leaders of the United
States, France and Russia adopted a joint statement on the Karabakh
conflict.

The leaders emphasized that “The parties to the conflict should not
further delay making the important decisions necessary to reach a
lasting and peaceful settlement.” They also called upon “the leaders of
Armenia and Azerbaijan to fulfill the commitment … to “accelerate”
reaching agreement on the Basic Principles for a Settlement of the
Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict.”

The co-chairs also expressed their “regret that the Presidents of
Azerbaijan and Armenia did not take the decisive steps that our
countries called for”.

Never before had the MG co-chairs’ statement been so condemning and
critical; that’s the first main differential aspect of their statement,
the second being the rather strict warning to leaders of Azerbaijan
and Armenia emphasizing the importance of making mutual concessions.

“As evidence of their political will, they should refrain from
maximalist positions in the negotiations, respect the 1994 ceasefire
agreement, and abstain from hostile rhetoric that increases tension.

We urge the leaders to be guided by the principles of the Helsinki
Final Act – particularly those relating to the non-use of force or
the threat of force, territorial integrity, and equal rights and
self-determination of peoples.”

The third differential is that the co-chairing countries seem to be
laying down their liabilities of warrants guaranteeing non-resumption
of active hostilities: “Military force will not resolve the conflict
…

We call upon them to make full use of the assistance of the Minsk
Group Co-Chairs as mediators. However, peace will depend ultimately
upon the parties’ willingness to seek an agreement based on mutual
understanding, rather than one-sided advantage, and a shared vision
of the benefits that peace will bring to all their peoples and to
future generations.”

Within the framework of Security Days conference held in Vienna,
OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier touched upon the issue on
June 26, expressing his concerns over the lack of progress in the
negotiation process.

“There is an increasing concern there, because the frustration seems to
be increasing.There have been very robust efforts, political efforts
to really try to move things forward. The sides have been very close
to agree to a set of common principles on the basis of which they
could build a solution… But it’s not moving,” he said.

Like the MG co-chairs Zannier, too, criticized the positions of both
presidents – Armenia and Azerbaijan.

“There are reasons for concerns. We tried to apply mechanisms, but for
whatever reasons one of the sides always blocks those initiatives. If
one of the parties agrees, the other regards it as a bad initiative…

It is really one of those issues where you wonder whether it’s
about the [OSCE conflict mediation] mechanism or whether the sides
are not ready to take steps and make decisions that involve certain
compromises,” he said.

In the meantime, (the same day when the OSCE leader voiced his
concerns) the Azeri president made another radical statement in Baku
while addressing the Highest Military College graduates.

“Azerbaijan is ready to liberate its lands from under occupation, and
that’s the main task of our country,” he said. “Over the past few years
our military expenses have increased twenty times, currently totaling
to $3.6 billion, which exceeds all of Armenia’s state expenses by 50
percent. Our lands are under occupation. That occupation is ongoing
and has to be put an end to.”

More than 20 factories and military manufacturing entities have been
founded in Azerbaijan, presently producing 665 types of military items.

“Economically Azerbaijan is ten times stronger than Armenia. Our
state budget is ten times bigger, so are our military expenses. I
am convinced that due to all these factors we will achieve our goal,
right the wrong, and restore Azerbaijan’s sovereignty. Nagorno Karabakh
is Azerbaijan’s inseparable part,” said Aliyev.

On June 27 the Armenian president stated in response: “Azerbaijan’s
policy led over the past one year, militaristic statements and
ungrounded self-confidence create tensions both on the line of contact
and on the Azeri-Armenian border.”

He also reminded that the Los Cabos statement calls to settle the
issue based on three principles:

“Azerbaijan shows maximalist approach and in reality accepts only
one of the three principles, that is of territorial integrity,
excluding equal rights and self-determination of peoples and the
peaceful settlement of the conflict,” said Sargsyan.

All of the recent developments “on the democratic front” indicate
that international structures intend to change their approach to
the settlement process and go from “persuasion” to “coercion” of the
sides to peaceful settlement.

How exactly it might be done is still a question even for the mediators
themselves.

UN PRISONNIER DE GUERRE AZERI ENVOYE DANS UN PAYS TIERS
Stephane

armenews.com
vendredi 29 juin 2012

Un soldat Azeri qui s’etait rendu aux forces armees du Nagorno-Karabakh
en janvier a ete expulse vers ” un pays tiers ” a annonce le Ministère
de la Defense Nationale d’Armenie.

En parlant au service armenien de RFE/RL (Azatutyun.am), un
porte-parole du ministère a refuse de nommer ce pays. Il a dit
seulement que le Sergent Mammadbagir Akhundzade âge de 21 ans n’a
pas voulu retourner en Azerbaïdjan.

Akhundzade a ete arrete par des forces armeniennes du Karabagh le
23 janvier. Les autorites militaires a Stepanakert ont dit qu’il
avait abandonne une unite militaire deployee dans le nord-est et
avait deliberement franchi la ligne de contact pour entrer dans le
territoire contrôle par les Armeniens.

Akhundzade n’est pas le premier prisonnier de guerre azeri expulse
vers un pays tiers de l’Armenie. Quelques soldats azeris captures
par les troupes armeniennes dans le passe ont aussi voulu ne pas
retourner dans leur patrie, apparemment de crainte d’etre poursuivis.

Plus tôt cette annee, l’Azerbaïdjan a de meme expulse trois prisonniers
de guerre armeniens vers pays inconnus. Selon le Ministère azeris de
la Defense Nationale ils s’etaient rendus aux forces d’Azerbaidjan
en fevrier 2009, revendiquant avoir ete maltraite par leurs
commandants. Les conscrits – Hrant Markosian, Artush Sargsian et Alik
Tevosian – ont demande aux autorites azeries de ne pas les rapatrier.