“ARMENIA IS NOT EUROPE AND DOES NOT WANT TO BE ONE”: ARMENIAN PRESS DIGEST
Hayk Janpoladyan
10: 00 03/07/2006
Haykakan Zhamanak daily gives the results of the survey held by
Ukrainskaya Pravda daily among 1,600 Russians. 36% of them say that
the most friendly to Russia is Belarus, with 49% being friendly
to Belarus. Each 5th Russian is sure of Germany’s benevolence, 15%
say that Russia has no allies at all and only 5% say that Russia’s
friend is Armenia.
Lragir daily reports Russian MP, leader of Rodina parliamentary faction
Dmitry Rogozin as saying in an interview to Nezavisimaya Gazeta that
Russia should regulate the mechanism of fuel supply subsidizing
to Armenia and Belarus as well as to unrecognized Abkhazia, South
Ossetia and Transdnestr. Rogozin says that Russia has special foreign
political instruments that will allow it to influence its export
costs without damaging the interests of its commercial and non-profit
organizations. Rogozin suggests creating by 2007 “an energy security
fund” to directly and transparently subsidize fuel for Russia’s special
political and economic partners (Armenia, Belarus, the unrecognized
republics of Abkhazia, South Ossetia and Transdnestr).
Commenting on Russia’s policy on Iran’s nuclear program Zhamanak
e-daily says: “Now that the tensions over the Iranian nuclear program
are seemingly heading for war, Russia is the only international actor
that can prevent it.” Russia’s offer to concentrate uranium in its
territory allows “Iran to freely develop its nuclear energy, and
Europe and the US — to no longer fear that Iran may get a nuclear
weapon.” This brilliant idea is preventing or, at least, delaying
the probability of war. “This idea will bring peace and prosperity
to the whole world as Russia will bring the US and Iran out of their
combative deadlock. This mediation will give Russia a lead in the
geopolitical mainstream.
Russia will get the whole of Iran’s peaceful nuclear energy and will
set them in Europe, Israel and America at peace by guaranteeing no
nuclear bomb in Iran.”
But there is one “if.” “All this will happen if America and Iran
actually want no more deadlocks and no war. But if the US is not
afraid of Iran and is firmly resolved to war, Russia will turn from a
reliable anti-terror partner into a traitor, who has given Iran time
for creating a nuclear bomb. If Iran is not afraid of war with the US
and hopes to win, as did Vietnam, Russia will turn from a geopolitical
partner into a deserter.” There is one thing Russia should know: do
the US and Iran want peace? “If yes, Russia’s diplomacy is brilliant,
if no – unthinkably stupid: Russia will get in a situation: ‘when
the masters fall out, their men get the clout.'”
Armenia-Turkey
Turkey is going to give the Armenians back the Maqaravanq monastery
(V AC) in the territory of the unrecognized Turkish Republic of
Northern Cyprus, PanARMENIAN.Net reports, with reference to Akos
daily. In 1997 the Cyprian Department of Historical Values and Museums
let the monastery to Turkish businessman Dervis Ulus Syonmezler for
49 years. Syonmezler says: “The department has voided the deal. I
guess Maqaravanq is in the list of the monuments to be given back to
Southern Cyprus. Of course, I have appealed to court, but even if I
win the case, I will hardly get it back. The Turkish government of
Northern Cyprus must have decided to give the monastery back to its
original owners – the Armenians of Southern Cyprus.”
Referring to Anadolu news agency (Turkey) Azg reports that the
Ankara Municipality Council has decided to erect a monument to the
Turkish foreign ministry employees “martyrized by Armenian terrorist
organizations, particularly, by ASALA (Armenian Secret Army for
Liberation of Armenia, whose key goal is to restore the historical
territory of Armenia, which is now eastern Turkey, northern Iran and
present-day Armenia, and whose activities include terrorist acts
to force Turkey to recognize the Armenian Genocide of 1915. The
first terrorist act was committed in Jan 1975, when ASALA fighters
blew up the building of the World Council of Churches in Beirut —
REGNUM).” “Even if not enough for paying the tribute to the martyrs
who have given their lives for their national duty, we believe that
the monument will give peace to their families and the whole nation,”
says Anadolu.
Aravot daily reports the Turkish Court of Cassation to have overruled
the court verdict to sentence the editor of Istanbul Armenian daily
Akos Hrant Dink to 6 months in jail for “insulting the national
identity of the Turks.” In his article Dink wrote: “The Turk has
become such a source of pain that it “poisons the Armenian blood,”
which gave the court a ground for concluding that Dink meant that
“the Turkish blood is poisonous.” Now the Court of Cassation says
that Dink’s words were based on “misjudgement.”
BBC Turkish service has held a discussion on the Armenian Genocide,
attending which were Mete Tuncay, representing Turkey’s unofficial
point of view, Turkish political scientist Baskin Oran, British
historian Ara Safaryan and Director of the Institute of History and
representative of Turkey’s official stance Yusuf Halacoglu. Oran says
that the conference on the Armenian Genocide in Bilgi University,
irrespective of the opinions voiced there and the related lawsuits,
has broken the taboo of the Armenian Cause in Turkey. Tuncay says that
it is for historians rather than courts to decide if the Genocide is
true — but not only historians – the politics have yet to pave the
way for historical studies.
Halacoglu says that despite the taboo “a number of historians say
that what happened in 1915 was a genocide.” Safaryan says that he has
studied the Turkish archives and has found no reports by the Young
Turks there. The reports have been left unpublished to date.
But despite censorship and filtration, the archives are still very
important. (PanARMENIAN.Net)
The decision to create a national air defense system and to modernize
the anti-missile arsenal is the prerogative of the Turkish Government,
Lragir daily reports the chief of the general staff of the Armenian
army Mikayel Haroutyunyan as saying. He says that the decision “comes
from their plans” and it would be wrong to assess it today. “We
want Turkey to open the border and to allow us to use the Turkish
infrastructure jointly with other European and world countries,”
says Haroutyunyan.
Armenia-West
PanARMENIAN reports that the Europe Department of the Armenian
Foreign Ministry and the European Integration Department of the
Georgian Foreign Ministry met in Tbilisi Feb 24 on the initiative
of the Georgian side. Given the importance of the South Caucasus’
involvement in the European neighborhood policy, the sides exchanged
opinions regarding the relevant plan of action, particularly, the
possibilities of bilateral and the prospects of regional cooperation.
Approving of the results, the sides agreed to continue contacting
over Euro-integration.
Armenia’s admission into the EU is a matter of “political ambitions,”
the head (already former – REGNUM) of the Armenian president’s staff
Artashes Tumanyan said at a roundtable on Armenia’s European prospects
in Yerevan Feb 22. He says that Armenia should seek to join the EU
in the coming 10-15 years.
“Our European integration policy will cost nothing unless it ends in
our membership to the EU.”
“This goal should be one of our key state priorities,” Tumanian
said. In his turn, the advisor of the Armenian foreign minister Ashot
Voskanyan said that “Armenia is not Europe and does not want to be
one.” He noted that “taken as a system Armenia needs updating with the
European norms – exactly what we are doing now.” At the same time,
in daily life Armenia is very much unlike Europe. “By saying daily
life I mean cultural traditions, social order and individuality –
in all these components Armenia is seriously different from Europe.”
(PanARMENIAN.Net)
The former head of the Armenian president’s staff Artashes Tumanyan
says that one should not think that nobody is waiting for Armenia in
Europe, reports Hayots Ashkharh daily. He says that irrespective of
“our present level of compliance with the European standards,” we
should be ready for joining the EU.
“Europe is not a private club” and if “we put our ‘nitty-gritty’
in order, the Europeans will not be able to refuse to admit us by
just saying that we are not like them.”
Iravunk daily says that after the fruitless Armenian-Azeri meeting in
Rambouillet, almost all the geopolitical centers of the world have got
convinced that all the promises of the Armenian and Azeri leaders were
just a trick to gain time and — have renewed their contacts with the
non-parliamentary opposition. Referring to reliable diplomatic sources,
the daily reports some US and other diplomats to be actively consulting
with some opposition leaders in some picturesque Armenian regions.
The daily cannot say for sure if such consultations may lead to
active “color” processes, but the very fact of such consultations has
seriously alarmed the authorities. Again in touch with the Armenian
opposition are also some official and unofficial representatives of
Russia. What is important is that both the “Russian” and “American”
meetings are discussing the same issues.
Concept of national security
Does the Republic of Armenia need a concept of national security?
87.8% of Lragir readers say “yes” – it is time for Armenia to specify
its security priorities. 12.2% say it’s not time yet.
The attempts to develop a national security concept have a long
history, says Lragir. The first such attempt was made in 1994-1995
— a governmental commission led by Prime Minister Vazgen Sargsyan
worked on a military doctrine and a mobilization program. Later the
Defense Ministry and the Foreign Ministry formed a working group who
developed relevant programs and drafted necessary documents. But
the project was not approved for several reasons: in 1997 it was
yet unclear who should approve a military doctrine in the first
place. “Coming up with a national security concept in 1998 was also
Vardan Oskanyan. We in the Defense Ministry got the draft but it was
never discussed. Why? You better ask the President and the Security
Council,” ex Infrastructure Coordination Minister, ex Deputy Defense
Minister Vahan Shirkhanyan says in a talk with Lragir.
The leader of the Fatherland and Honor party Garnik Margaryan says that
“a state that has no national security strategy cannot speak about
the existence of its nation. But to speak about national security
concept today is absurd.”
Novoye Vremya daily says that the concept development has a point that
has got not very adequate response from journalists. The point is that,
according to National Security Council Secretary Serzh Sarkisyan,
at a certain stage, before public discussion, the draft will be sent
for examination to Russian Civil Service Academy and US National
Defense University.
“No single country in the world has ‘a shadow strategy,'” says
Sarkisyan. “Simply, our national security strategy will lay the basis
for a defense doctrine and some departments will be able, within their
competence, to make secret some of its provisions, particularly, those
concerning economic secrets.” “There is nothing strange in the fact
that the draft will be sent for examination to the US and Russia,”
says MP Hamayak Hovhannissyan. “The US and Russia are our political
allies and, naturally, should be informed of our strategic plans.”
The point is that Armenia cannot ensure its security all alone, with
no support of international organizations and allies. Unable to do
this alone are even far bigger and richer countries. Each country,
however self-sufficient it might be, should look to its allies in
security issues.” Hovhannissyan does not agree with those saying that
the document is sent somewhere for approval. “Our allies should inform
us of their views. Armenia’s security system is based on its alliance
with Russia and the US, their commitment to develop relations with
their ally and to promote its security,” says Hovhannissyan.
Economy
Armenian Finance and Economy Minister Vardan Khachatryan and British
Ambassador to Armenia Anthony Cantor discussed Feb 24 the UK’s
initiative concerning Armenia’s foreign debt. Great Britain has
offered to provide Armenia with grants in 2005-2015 in an amount
equivalent to 10% of the servicing of the country’s Dec 31 2003 debt
to IDA. The grants will be given for programs to reduce poverty and
to improve the social sector. Jan 11 the British Government made the
first allocation worth $826,400. The press service of the Armenian
Finance and Economy Ministry informs Noyan Tapan news agency that the
almost $1 mln earmarked for 2006 will be provided throughout the year.
In 2005 the commodity turnover between Moscow and Armenia totaled
$100 mln, the head of the foreign economic activity department of
the Moscow government Georgy Muradov said during Bridge-2006, the
3rd international business-forum held in Tsaghkadzor. This is 1/3
of the total Armenian-Russian commodity turnover. Muradov said that
Armenian companies have made a substantial contribution to Moscow’s
construction industry: ongoing projects of Yerevan Plaza hotel complex
and a 79,000 sq m retail market in Scherbinka. (Delovoy Ekspress)
One of the shareholders of Armenian Areximbank, Moscow Impexbank
has sold 100% of its shares to Austrian Raiffeisen Iternational
Bank-Holding AG, which includes Reiffeisen Bank. Till 2007 Impexbank
and Reiffesein will act separately to probably merge afterwards.
Armenian-Russian Areximbank was founded in 1998 with a view to
support business and to serve financial flows between Armenian and
Russia. (Noyan Tapan)
The Armenian Government is negotiating with the World Bank to get
$8 mln for developing renewable energy. The director of the Armenian
Renewable Energy Foundation Tamara Babayan says that the WB is ready
to provide $5 mln in soft loans for the construction of small water
and wind power plants and $3 mln in grants for the formation of a
favorable investment climate and the preparation of business plans.
Babayan says that her foundation was set up in Apr 2005 and start up
Nov 21 2005.
The foundation has already applied for a total for $15 mln crediting.
Babayan hopes that the first credit will be received in Apr 2006
– though it has yet to be approved by the WB and ratified by the
Armenian Parliament. The foundation provides credits on a revolver
basis, with the beneficiaries having 30% therein. Babayan says that
other financial organizations are also interested in the program.
EBRD is ready to provide $7 mln, Gafesjyan Foundation $3 mln.
(Delovoy Ekspress)
Society
According to the most modest estimates, the fortune of the Armenian
Diaspora amounts to $100 bln, that is 100 times the Armenian budget,
168 Zham daily reports Forbes experts as saying. Quite interesting in
this context are the annual turnovers of Armenian businessmen. The
annual turnover of Khachatur Sukyasyan’s SIL is $100 mln, Gagik
Tsarukyan’s Multi Group — $150 mln, Mikhail Bagdassarov’s Mika Limited
(less ArmSavingsBank) — $200 mln. 168 says that Forbes got these
figures from the businessmen themselves.
According to the last registration in 1997, there were 311,000
refugees in Armenia. This year the Armenian authorities are planning
a new registration. The head of the department on migration and
refugees of the Armenian Territorial Administration Ministry Araik
Haroutyunyan says that 78,000 refuges have got Armenian citizenship
to date. Some 500,000 Armenians from Azerbaijan became refugees in
1988-1991 — 360,000 of them came to Armenia, the rest went to the
CIS countries. (PanARMENIAN.Net)
www.regnum.ru/english/599967.html