Author: Kalantarian Kevo

U.S. Envoy Concerned About Civilitas

Story from Lragir.am News:

Published: 10:15:16 – 15/06/2012

U.S. Ambassador John Heffern on Thursday expressed concern at criminal
proceedings launched against Vartan Oskanian and the Civilitas
Foundation.

`The timing of it is troubling. The fact that this would happen at
this time in the political calendar is troubling,’ Heffern told
RFE/RL’s Armenian service, referring to the money laundering case
brought by Armenia’s National Security Service. The Civilitas is a
very important partner for us, and we think it’s really important for
Armenia politically and for the media,’ he said. `So we are very
interested in the case and we are following it very carefully.

`I don’t know the facts about who did what to whom and who is accused
of doing what, which money went where,’ Heffern said. `So I can’t
comment on the substance of it.’

The U.S. envoy added that he hopes to hear more details of the case
when he visits Civilitas and meets with its management later in the
day.

RPA members, including Shushan Petrosyan, given guidance – paper

June 15, 2012 – 12:58 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – According to Yerkir daily, members of the ruling
Republican Party of Armenia resolved to have a good rest in summer, in
view of hard work they’ll have to face at parliament upon their
return.

According to Yerkir, the MPs are seriously concerned. `The MPs realize
that despite being in parliamentary majority, serious issues may occur
during enactment of bills. After internal calculations at RPA, it
became clear that 39% of the party members are in the habit of
shirking parliamentary sittings.

At present, RPA leadership is developing mechanisms to force MPs into
attending the sittings. `A separate conversation was held with singer
Shushan Petrosyan, who was instructed to forget about lengthy tours,
which the songstress clearly didn’t like,’ the daily said.

Criminal case aims to prevent Civilitas mission – Armenian foundation

news.am
June 14, 2012 | 19:23

YEREVAN. – Armenian Civilitas Foundation made a statement concerning
the criminal case filed in the Armenian National Security Service
against the foundation.

`For already two weeks the attention and efforts of Civilitas
Foundation and CivilNet news agency have deviated from their main
mission. Instead of focusing on our mission of strengthening civil
society and providing alternative and unbiased news for the public, we
are busy answering groundless questions about `money laundering and
tax evasion’ which resulted due to the criminal case filed against us.

It is evident that all this is being done for the purpose of diverting
the attention of Civilitas and CivilNet from their main mission.

It is unacceptable that a benefactor like Jon Huntsman, who has been
making great charity works in Armenia since its independence, is
involved in all this. Do the Armenian authorities want to alienate all
the people who want to contribute to the development of Armenia?

The large public support which Civilitas receives these days shows
that we are going to fight together to continue our mission of
defending human rights,’ the statement of the foundation reads.

Focus News, Bulgaria
June 15 2012

Bulgarian culture minister meets with Yerevan mayor

15 June 2012 | 08:00 | FOCUS News Agency
Bulgaria

Yerevan. Bulgarian Minister of Culture Vezhdir Rashidov met with Taron
Margaryan, Mayor of Armenia’s capital city Yerevan, FOCUS News Agency
reported informs.

The mayor greeted Rashidov for the gold medal for contribution in the
field of culture, which he was awarded by Armenian Minister of Culture
Hasmik Poghosyan at the decision of the Armenian government.

Taron Margaryan thanked the Bulgarian minister for the help to the
Armenian nation after the 1988 earthquake.

Trend, Azerbaijan
June 14 2012

Armenia to be put on war footing

Following the meeting of the Armenian government on Thursday, Minister
of Defense Seiran Ohanyan said that in late June special military
exercise will be held in the country to check how national system of
Armenia will act during the war, Radio Azatutyun (Liberty) said.

The Minister stressed that during the exercise “the Republic of
Armenia will be put on high combat readiness.”

The minister said that the following will be added to this annual
exercise this year: “On June 25, 26, 27 there will be the
military-political stage on “Deployment of the military and state
system in the wartime and the organization of major events to repel
aggression.” I would ask all governing bodies to give instructions for
preparing responsible persons, because the Republic of Armenia will be
put on high combat readiness at that time and we will prepare decrees
on transition to martial law, holding the military meetings,
opposition to aggression, as well as address of the Armenian president
to leaders of the Collective Security Treaty Organization for
support”.

Ohanyan also said Armenia will host joint exercise of the Collective
Rapid Reaction Force (RRF) of the CSTO “Cooperation 2012” in
September. In anticipation of this exercise the Armenian Armed Forces
are currently holding held command and staff exercises with the
participation of representatives of all state agencies.

Journal of Turkish Weekly
June 14 2012

The Nagorno-Karabakh Resolution Process at the Glance

Thursday, 14 June 2012

by Nasrin Suleymanli, Contributor

2012 will be symbolized by the electoral process of the co-chairs of
the Minsk Group, which is involved in the resolution process of the
Nagorno-Karabakh problem. Thus, the problem in the region has been
frozen for a while. France and Russia have elected their presidents.
According to one analytical calculation, the U.S. electoral process
will result in Obama’s victory. The expert also predicted a more
decisive Obama victory if he can thoroughly alleviate fears regarding
Iran. However, Obama’s policy toward the South Caucasus will not
differ from Bush’s politics. Currently, the Middle East and Pacific
regions are more important for the U.S. than the South Caucasus.

Over the past few years, when Obama and Medvedev had been elected,
there was hope that the intentions of leaders related to the
resolution of the conflict in the region would not just be in their
areas of curiosity but also within areas of international concern. It
was thought that their approaches to the conflict could be in a
different format. Within the strong cooperation of France and the
U.S., during his period in the Russian presidency, Medvedev organized
nine official trilateral visits with Armenian and Azerbaijani leaders.
As we remember, after August 2008 Russia tried to play the main role
as a stabilizer in the region. Despite that, nothing happened.

The recent visit of U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to the
South Caucasus promised to apply pressure on the Minsk Group in the
resolution process of the NK conflict in the coming June 18 Paris
visit of the conflicting sides’ leaders. Additionally, Clinton was
intent on Russia’s immediate withdrawal of armed troops from the
territory of the South Caucasus. Russia did not remain silent and
reacted immediately. A confrontation on the border of Armenia and
Azerbaijan erupted again. Almost ten soldiers from both sides were
killed, and some hospitalized. Russia even began to test its missiles
.Let us note that Russia withdrew its 25,000 armed troops from
Chechnya to Dagestan, closer to the border of the South Caucasus.
Despite this, it has large amounts of military equipment and troops in
Armenia. Even the military spokesman, Col. Igor Gorbul, told that
Russian fighter jets stationed at a base in Armenia have conducted
about 300 training flights since the beginning of 2012, and right now
have increased the number of flying hours by more than 20 percent from
last year.

Next year, Armenia and Azerbaijan’s presidential elections will start
their electoral process and distract from the conflict resolution
process. But the main maneuver will be in 2014 with the new active
co-chairs of the Minsk Group and newly-elected presidents of the
conflicting sides. It will be up to them to draw a roadmap to further
the resolution process. And taking into consideration the Iran-Israel
confrontation in the region, it is possible to predict a surprise
change in the NK conflict resolution process within the Caucasus
context. The third decade of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict promises an
altering of the status of quo.

Thursday, 14 June 2012

Journal of Turkish Weekly

Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
June 14 2012

Azerbaijan agrees to introduce incident investigation mechanism in Karabakh

Azerbaijan has agreed to introduce an incident investigation mechanism
in Nagorno-Karabakh, Trend reports on Thursday.

First of all, it is necessary for Armenia to withdraw its troops from
Azerbaijani territory to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,
Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov said at a press
conference with OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Eamon Gilmore in Baku
today.

“Azerbaijan has agreed to introduce an incident investigation
mechanism,” the minister said. “However, after the troops are
withdrawn, this mechanism will not be required.”

He said that introducing a mechanism in the current situation means
even more strengthening of the status quo.

“After the troops are withdrawn, snipers on the border will not be
required,” Mammadyarov said.

ITAR-TASS, Russia
June 13, 2012 Wednesday 03:23 AM GMT+4

No military solution to Karabakh conflict – OSCE chairman-in-office

YEREVAN June 13

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) thinks
there is no military solution to the Karabakh conflict and rejects the
use of force and the threats to use force, OSCE Chairman-in-Office,
Irish Foreign Minister Eamon Gilmore told Armenian President Serzh
Sargsyan on Tuesday.

Gilmore expressed concern over the latest incidents along the
Armenian-Azerbaijani border, in which servicemen died on both sides.

The OSCE supports efforts towards the prevention of such incidents and
the elaboration of mechanisms of their investigation, he said. The
organization supports the right of nations to self-determination,
territorial integrity and non-use of force, as well as the work of the
OSCE Minsk Group assisting the Karabakh peace process, he said.

The Armenian president thanked Gilmore and the OSCE mission in Armenia
for their constant assistance and effective cooperation with the
republic. The Armenian visit of the OSCE chairman-in-office is a good
opportunity to familiarize with the regional situation and challenges,
Sargsyan said.

In turn, Armenian Parliament Speaker Ovik Abramian told Gilmore that
the OSCE played a big role in the development of democratic
institutions in Armenia and called for further interaction.

He also thanked the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly and the ODIHR for
sending an observation mission to the latest parliamentary election in
Armenia. “The Armenian authorities did their best to hold democratic,
free and transparent elections on May 6,” Abramian said.

ITAR-TASS, Russia
June 13, 2012 Wednesday 03:31 AM GMT+4

All parties to Karabakh conflict should abstain from using force –
OSCE chairman-in-office

YEREVAN June 13

All parties to the Karabakh conflict should abstain from using force,
OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Irish Foreign Minister Eamon Gilmore said in
Yerevan on Tuesday. Yerevan is a leg of his regional tour.

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) thinks
there is no military solution to the Karabakh conflict and rejects the
use of force and the threats to use force, he said.

Gilmore expressed concern over the latest incidents along the
Armenian-Azerbaijani border, in which servicemen died on both sides.
He said he condemned the latest armed incidents and believed it was
time to stop the period of violence. Gilmore said he had made a
similar appeal in Azerbaijan on Thursday.

He said it was time to create an atmosphere of trust. That will
require will and determination to ensure peace, he added.

Ireland knows well how harmful conflicts are and how difficult it is
to find solutions, and it also knows that it is important to elaborate
a clear and adamant course for avoiding violence or revenge, he said.

Gilmore confirmed support to the OSCE Minsk Group, which mediates the
settlement of the Karabakh conflict. The OSCE may help states and
peoples; it may provide a floor for the dialog and assist the
strengthening of ceasefire and search for solutions at negotiations,
he said.

However, in order to make progress in the settlement of the protracted
crisis the sides must do more in their work on the general settlement
principles, agree to mechanisms of the investigation of incidents
along the contact line and find ways to implement the agreements of
the Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents on the promotion of
humanitarian contacts, he said.

The organization supports the right of nations to self-determination,
territorial integrity and non-use of force, as well as the work of the
OSCE Minsk Group assisting the Karabakh peace process, he said.

ARMENIANS ARE MOST ENTREPRENEURIAL STRATA IN ALL COUNTRIES – US AMBASSADOR

news.am
June 14, 2012 | 15:26

YEREVAN. – The Armenians who are scattered all over the world are the
most entrepreneurial strata in all the countries they have settled in,
including the United States, US Ambassador to Armenia John Heffern
stated Thursday addressing a conference entitled “Competition,
Restrictions and Solutions.”

In the Ambassador’s words, there is no cultural obstruction before
the Armenians in order to have business success likewise in Armenia.

He also informed that they are conducting a dialogue with the
Government and the Armenian State Commission for the Protection of
Economic Competition (ASCPEC), in terms of raising the competition
issues and providing technical support.

“The ASCPEC is our important partner, [and] I am glad we can assist
the Commission,” said the US Ambassador.