Author: Kanayan Tamar

DEBAT ” LES VINGT ANS D’INDEPENDANCE EN ARMENIE ET DANS LA REGION ”
Stephane

armenews.com
mercredi 5 octobre 2011

L’ensemble de la presse couvre le debat ” les vingt ans d’independance
en Armenie et dans la region ” a la fondation Civilitas auquel ont pris
part l’Ambassadeur d’Allemagne, Hans-Johan Schmidt et l’ex-Ambassadeur
americain en Armenie, John Evans [qui avait ete rappele par Washington
en 2006 pour avoir reconnu le genocide armenien]. L’ancien Ambassadeur
americain a fait l’eloge de son president pour avoir reconnu en tant
que senateur le genocide de 1915.

Selon M. Evans, le president Obama a fait une declaration en 2009
qui pourrait conduire vers une pleine reconnaissance de ce qui
s’est reellement passe en 1915. M. Evans poursuit que dans cette
declaration [où l’appellation armenienne du genocide ” Medz Yeghern
” avait ete utilisee] Obama est alle beaucoup plus loin que n’importe
quel President des Etats-Unis en affirmant clairement son propre point
de vue. M. Evans estime que le futur Ambassadeur americain a Erevan,
John Heffern dont la candidature a ete approuvee par le senat, la
veille, devrait aussi considerer que la position du President Obama
sur les evenements de 1915 est beaucoup plus sincère que celles des
Presidents anterieurs.

Les quotidiens rapportent egalement les propos de l’Ambassadeur
allemand, sur la situation actuelle difficile a laquelle fait face
l’Armenie, imputable a l’heritage laisse par l’ancien President
Ter-Petrossian.

D’après l’Ambassadeur allemand, ” il ne faut pas que les
ex-presidents oublient le passe ” et a rappele que les ” oligopoles,
que Ter-Petrossian critique actuellement, ont ete creees sous sa
presidence “. ” J’entends souvent le premier President denoncer
les elections lors des rassemblements d’opposition. J’ai demande a
un de ses conseillers ce qu’il pensait des elections des annees de
1994 a 1997 [les elections presidentielles de 1996 ont ete largement
contestees par l’opposition d’alors]. Le conseiller m’a repondu que
je disposais d’informations erronees. Quoi qu’il en soit, on doit
admettre la critique “, a conclu l’Ambassadeur.

Haykakan Jamanak affirme avoir demande des commentaires au porte-parole
de Levon Ter-Petrossian s’agissant des declarations de l’Ambassadeur
allemand. Il a deplore ces declarations qui sont ” le resultat d’un
manque d’information “.

Ambassade de France en Armenie

Service de presse

GENOCIDE ARMENIEN – LA TURQUIE AVERTIT FRANCOIS HOLLANDE
Stephane

armenews.com
mercredi 5 octobre 2011

L’ambassadeur turc en France Tahsin Burcuoglu a envoye une lettre
a Francois Hollande par rapport a sa position envers le genocide
armenien. Selon l’agence de presse Turque Anadolu, dans sa lettre
Burcuoglu a averti Fracois Hollande que si le Senat adopte le projet de
loi penalisant la negation du genocide armenien cela nuira serieusement
aux relations entre la Turquie et la France.

PUTIN REVEALS PLAN FOR ‘NEW SOVIET UNION’
by Tony Halpin

The Times
Oct 4 2011
UK

Vladimir Putin revealed his grand vision today of creating a new
superpower out of the countries of the former Soviet Union when he
returns to the Kremlin.

The Russian Prime Minister said that he wanted to form a “Eurasian
Union” in his first major announcement since declaring that he would
resume the presidency of Russia next year for up to 12 more years. The
body, which would inevitably be dominated by Moscow, would gather
the former Soviet republics into a “full-fledged economic union”
capable of rivalling the European Union and China.

He presented the goal as a way to lift the region out of the global
economic crisis, but it will stir alarm in the West that Mr Putin aims
to snuff out the independence of neighbouring states and rebuild the
Soviet Union. He once described the Soviet collapse in 1991 as the
“greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the 20th century”.

Mr Putin set out his “new integration project” in an article in
Izvestia, calling it “the future that is being born today”. It would
build upon a Customs Union established by Russia and the former
Soviet republics of Kazakhstan and Belarus that will turn into a
single market in trade, capital and labour in January.

“We are not going to stop there and are setting ourselves an ambitious
goal: to move to the next, even higher level of integration – to a
Eurasian Union,” wrote Mr Putin. The customs union already planned
to expand to the Central Asian republics of Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan.

Mr Putin insisted that the project was not “about recreating the
USSR”. He went on: “It would be naive to try to reconstruct or copy
something that is already in the past, but close integration based
on new political and economic values is the imperative of our time.

“We are proposing a model of a powerful supranational association
that is capable of becoming one of the poles of the modern world and,
within that, to play an effective linking role between Europe and
the dynamic Asia-Pacific region.

“This means that there is a need to switch to closer coordination in
economic and currency policies and to create a full-fledged economic
union.”

Mr Putin formed the customs union with Belarus and Kazakhstan from
his current position as Prime Minister. He has put intense pressure
on Ukraine to join, but President Yanukovych is resisting on the
grounds that it would harm the republic’s goal of EU membership.

Mr Putin insisted that this was a false choice, arguing that the
Eurasian Union would grow to become a partner for the EU under the
“unified values of freedom, democracy and market rules”.

“Membership in the Eurasian Union, apart from direct economic benefits,
will enable its members to integrate into Europe faster and from a
much stronger position,” Mr Putin said.

Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan have suffered civil unrest and economic
hardship since the Soviet collapse and have sought financial aid
from the Kremlin. Armenia is also highly dependent on Moscow after
selling key elements of its economy to Russian companies and would
find it hard to resist a call to join the new union.

Moscow may pressure oil-rich Azerbaijan through its unresolved conflict
with Armenia over the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, both rich in minerals and energy reserves,
are also likely to face attempts to pull them into the Eurasian Union
and away from China.

Only Georgia, under the pro-West President Saakashvili, is likely
to reject any offer outright, having fought a war with Russia in
2008 over its breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. The
Baltic republics of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, which regained
their independence during the Soviet collapse, are now EU members.

Mr Putin intends to replace Dmitri Medvedev as President in
elections next March that are already a foregone conclusion. With
two presidential terms that would allow him to rule until 2024,
he will have plenty of time to bring his project to fruition.

He wrote that the global economic crisis had exposed “imbalances”
that required greater regional integration through bodies such as
the EU, the North America Free Trade Agreement and the Asia-Pacific
Economic Cooperation.

“From such building blocks can be formed a more stable world economy,”
he said. “I am convinced that the creation of the Eurasian Union…is
the way to allow its members to occupy a worthy place in the complex
world of the 21st Century. Only together can our countries enter the
ranks of leaders in global development and civilisational progress,
to attain success and prosperity.”

OSCE SECRETARY GENERAL POINTS OUT RUSSIAN PRESIDENT’S PERSONAL INVOLVEMENT IN THE PROCESS OF KARABAKH SETTLEMENT

Mediamax
Oct 4 2011
Armenia

Yerevan/Mediamax/. OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier stated
that the positions of Russia and OSCE key members on the Karabakh
settlement coincide.

Lamberto Zannier who paid a visit to Moscow writes this in the article
published in “Kommersant” newspaper today, Mediamax reports.

“Assistance to settlement of Nagorno Karabakh conflict with
simultaneous banning of escalation of tension in the locations is
another priority area of activity where the positions of the Russian
Federation and OSCE other key communities coincide. Russia’s active
participation in the activity of the OSCE Minsk Group and Russian
President’s personal involvement in assisting high-level negotiations
between Azerbaijan and Armenia are important elements in the process
of seeking a solution”, the Secretary General noted.

IRAN CANNOT BE MEDIATOR IN KARABAKH PEACE PROCESS – US ENVOY

news.am
Oct 4 2011
Armenia

Iran cannot be a mediator in the Karabakh peace process, U.S.
Ambassador to Azerbaijan Matthew Bryza said in an interview with
SalamNews.

He stressed that Armenia and Azerbaijan support resolution of the
conflict under the mediation of the OSCE Minsk Group.

“We welcome efforts of Armenia and Azerbaijan. I think the conflict
should be solved peacefully,” he said adding that resolution by
military means is impossible.

The Iranian side repeatedly expressed readiness to be a mediator in
the Karabakh peace process.

WHY DO YOU CALL ROBERT KOCHARYAN NIGHTMARE FOR REPUBLICAN PARTY? – ARMENIAN MP

news.am
Oct 4 2011
Armenia

YEREVAN. – The second President of Armenia, just like every other
citizen, has the right to participate in parliamentary or presidential
elections, said vice-chairman of the ruling Republican Party of
Armenia Galust Sahakyan at a press conference on Tuesday.

Asked whether he sees the second president of Armenia among the
current acting forces, Sahakyan reminded that his party is focused
on the elections to the Parliament.

“We do not speak of presidential elections, we speak about
parliamentary elections. Kocharyan’s activity depends on him and on
his political activities. Today, I do not see him acting. I do not
see second president’s efforts to get active in the parliamentary
elections.”

Referring to dual opinion of the media Sahakyan said that the
Republican Party of Armenia is the force that supported Robert
Kocharyan in his years in office.

“For some reason, there is an opinion that Robert Kocharyan
was nightmare for the party. We played a huge role in reforms he
implemented in over 10 years and we appreciate Kocharyan’s contribution
in the construction of statehood. As of our current position, we
do not know who will stand where tomorrow and have no idea about
Kocharyan’s point of view. I do not think there are Republicans who
have negative attitude towards the second president,” Sahakyan added.

ARMENIAN CATHOLICOS MEETS WITH SYRIAN CHARGE D’AFFAIRES

news.am
Oct 4 2011
Armenia

ETCHMIADZIN. – Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II received, at
the Holy See of St. Etchmiadzin on Monday, Syrian Charge d’Affaires
to Armenia Mamun Hariri, and noted with delight that religions in
Syria coexist in harmony.

During the meeting Karekin II reflected on the warm and close relations
existing between both peoples, but he also expressed a concern over
the current complicated political situation in Syria, hoping that,
with God’s will, the Syrian people would overcome the obstacles they
are facing.

At the end of the meeting, the Catholicos hoped that peace would soon
be restored in Syria, the Holy See informed Armenian News-NEWS.am.

FRENCH PRESIDENT DUE IN ARMENIA OCTOBER 6

armradio.am
04.10.2011 22:37

The President of France, Nicolas Sarkozy, will arrive in Armenia on
October 6 for a two-day state visit.

Within the framework of the visit the French President will have
meetings with Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan and Catholicos of
All Armenian Karekin II.

Nikolas Sarkozy will visit the Tsitsernakaberd memorial to pay tribute
to the memory of the Armenian Genocide victims.

Nicolas Sarkozy and Serzh Sargsyan will participate in the opening
of Charles Aznavour Museum in Yerevan.

TURKISH JOURNALISTS: TURKEY IS WALKING ON THE PODIUM AS A MODEL, BUT FAILS TO WALK PROPERLY ON IT

arminfo
Tuesday, October 4, 16:42

Turkey is walking on the podium as a model, but fails to walk properly
on it, Ozgun Ozcer, the correspondent of the Istanbul-based Taraf
newspaper, said at a Roundtable entitled “Armenian-Turkish Protocols
2 Years After: Mass Media Coverage and Public Perception” that kicked
off in Aghveran resort, Tuesday.

He said that Turkey is perceived as a peculiar eastern democracy
model by the western Mass Media, first of all. In the eyes of the
West, the ruling Party of Justice and Development of Turkey tries
to balance and swim between the Islamists and Kemalists observing
a certain level of democracy more or less admissible to the Turkish
public. However, he said, displaying surplus self-confidence Turkey
has made a radical turn from the policy of “no problems with the
neighbors” to threatening to the neighbors.

The Turkish journalist is sure that the given factor is enough
to deprive Turkey from its role of a model. In this context, he
highlighted Turkey’s threats to at least two neighbors: Cyprus and
Syria. To recall, the roundtable has involved experts and journalists
from Turkey and Armenia.

VENICE HOSTS ARMENIA – VENETO TOURISM DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE

PanARMENIAN.Net
October 4, 2011 – 16:01 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – On October 4, National Competitiveness Foundation
of Armenia (NCFA) organized a Venice-hosted conference for Armenia –
Veneto cooperation in tourism development.

The initiative was supported by Italian region of Veneto, Venice Area
Chamber of Commerce and St. Lazarus’ Mekhitarist Order.

The event hosted representatives of 55 companies; meetings with Veneto
officials, the chairman of Venice Area Chamber of Commerce and local
Armenian community are scheduled.

Yerevan was selected as the next conference venue; the event is due
November, NCFA press service reported.