Author: Kanayan Tamar

AUTHORITIES LEADING ARMENIA INTO ISOLATION – AZERBAIJANI VICE-SPEAKER

news.az
Aug 23, 2011
Azerbaijan

The Armenian leadership is leading the country into isolation,
a senior Azerbaijani MP has said.

Bahar Muradova, deputy speaker of the Milli Majlis and deputy
executive secretary of the ruling New Azerbaijan Party, described as
“ridiculous” recent comments by President Serzh Sargsyan that Baku
should acknowledge that Karabakh is “Armenian land”.

“The current authorities in Armenia, in the face of Serzh Sargsyan,
are leading the country into regional and international isolation
and degradation,” Muradova told journalists in Baku on Tuesday.

She said that the international community knew Armenia was behaving
badly in the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process.

“Of course, we and international structures want to settle this
situation [resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict]. But every people
must settle their own problems independently. I think if the Armenian
people want to settle their problem, they should react negatively to
the incumbent powers,” Muradova said.

Interfax-Azerbaijan

ARMENIAN ACCORDS ‘UNLIKELY’ TO RETURN TO TURKISH PARLIAMENT’S AGENDA

news.az
Aug 23, 2011
Azerbaijan

Armenia should declare the Turkish protocols invalid in response
to their removal from the Turkish parliament’s agenda, an Armenian
academic has said.

“We should have done this earlier,” Prof. Ruben Safrastyan, director
of the Armenian Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Oriental Studies,
told PanARMENIAN.Net.

“Although the withdrawal of any bill from parliament is a procedural
issue following the election of the new parliament, it’s obvious
that the current Turkish authorities have no intention of normalizing
relations with Armenia,” the professor continued.

“The protocols are unlikely to return to the Turkish parliament’s
agenda. Turkey is not interested in the normalization of relations
with Armenia. It’s entered a big game in the Middle East.”

Prof. Safrastyan said that Armenia should take Turkey’s approach into
account when devising its policy towards Ankara.

The two protocols on rapprochement between Armenia and Turkey are
among 898 pieces of legislation that have fallen off the Turkish
parliament’s agenda.

Legislation which has not been approved during the term of the National
Assembly automatically expires. The new parliament, which took office
last month, has not placed a vote on the protocols on its agenda.

Turkey and Armenia signed the two protocols on normalizing relations
in October 2009, but rapprochement stalled in 2010 when both the
Turkish and Armenian parliaments refused to ratify the protocols.

On 22 April 2010 Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan suspended the
ratification process, accusing Turkey of placing conditions on
ratification.

The Turkish leadership has said several times that ratification is
possible only when Armenia withdraws its troops from the occupied
Azerbaijani land of Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding districts.

PROTOCOLS SIGNED WITH ARMENIA WITHDREW FROM TURKISH PARLIAMENT’S AGENDA

APA
Aug 23, 2011
Azerbaijan

Turkey’s newly elected Parliament withdrew from the agenda the draft
laws, including Turkey-Armenia protocols which had not been ratified
by the previous parliament’s composition

Baku – APA. Turkey’s newly elected Parliament annulled 898 draft laws
and proposal which had not been ratified by the previous parliament
during 4 years. Therefore, they were withdrawn from the agenda. APA
reports quoting “Anadolu” news agency that the protocols signed
between Turkey and Armenia are among the documents which withdrew
from the agenda.

The draft law on ratification of “Protocol on the establishment
of diplomatic relations between Republic of Armenia and Republic
of Turkey” and “Protocol on development of relations between the
Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Turkey” were not ratified
and withdrew from the parliament’s agenda. According to the law,
legislation not approved during the term of the national assembly
automatically expires. The new parliament, which took office last month
has not placed a vote on the protocols on its agenda. Turkish law,
however, provides the possibility of restoring the bill on the agenda
on behalf of the government or per the request of parliament members.

The parliamentary elections were held in Turkey on June 12, 2011 and
the new composition of the Turkish Parliament was formed.

HEAD OF ARMENIAN CEC DOUBLED SALARY

news.am
Aug 23, 2011
Armenia

YEREVAN. – Additional AMD 14.5 million ($40,000) will be allocated
from the state budget to increase the salary of Central Election
Committee (CEC) members. According to the government website, the
issue is included in the agenda of the Thursday session.

According to the amendments made in the Election Code in June, the
salary of the head of CEC increased from AMD 300,000 ($820) to AMD
600,000 ($1640), which is equal to the salary of the judge of the
Constitutional Court. Members of the Central Election Committee (CEC)
will get AMD 450,000 ($600) instead of former AMD 220,000 ($1225).

Head of controlling and auditing service of CEC will also get high
salary amounting to AMD 337,000 ($900). However, the rest of the
employees will get controversially low salaries. Chief specialist
will get AMD 97,200 ($266), and first class specialist will receive
AMD 53,700 ($150) salary.

FRANCE RESPONDS TO AZERBAIJAN’S PROTEST NOTE

Panorama
Aug 23, 2011
Armenia

The French parliamentarians’ visit to Nagorno-Karabakh was unofficial
and was initiated by a group of MPs, France said in response to the
protest note from the Embassy of Azerbaijan in Paris, Trend reported.

The Embassy of Azerbaijan in Paris had sent a note of protest to the
French MFA over the French parliamentarians’ trip to Artsakh.

The Azerbaijani MFA had launched an investigation into the French
parliamentarians’ two-day informative visit to Artsakh.

ARMENIAN, AZERBAIJANI GOVERNMENTS ‘PRISONERS OF OWN RHETORIC’

news.az
Aug 23,2011
Azerbaijan

News.Az interviews Jeff Sahadeo, research fellow at the Institute
for European & Russian Studies at Canada’s Carleton University.

How did the Russo-Georgian war in August 2008 change the situation in
the South Caucasus and the attitude of the Western community towards
the region?

Russia established its military superiority and Georgia now knows it
cannot count on direct Western support to reclaim Abkhazia and South
Ossetia. Georgian President Saakashvili continues to consider the
reincorporation of these regions a priority, but most Georgians now
have accepted them as lost, and are far more interested in economic
progress. Anti-Russian attitudes have actually calmed in Georgia as
they are seen as a potential economic partner, but these have not
penetrated the higher administration. In terms of the attitude in the
West, Georgia is viewed with some suspicion by the Obama administration
and its efforts to join NATO now have receded significantly, especially
as European nations need Russian energy and with the reports that
Georgia played a significant role in initiating the 2008 conflict.

How would you estimate the current situation in the South Caucasus?

How real is the threat of a new war here?

The Nagorno-Karakbakh situation is increasingly tense, as both Armenia
and Azerbaijan (especially Azerbaijan) increase military budgets and
have made no meaningful moves to compromise. Indeed, both governments
make quite bellicose public statements to increase their popularity,
exploiting nationalist tendencies. Continued violent incidents
around the region make it possible that this could turn again into a
larger conflict. Armenia’s continued difficult economic situation as
Azerbaijan becomes wealthier adds another element of unpredictability.

Have relations between Russia and the West normalized since the
Russo-Georgian war?

I think relations did normalize with the Obama “reset” policy and with
the international reports that pinned a significant portion of the
blame for starting the war on Georgia. Russia’s geopolitical position
and energy reserves make it an important global player and the US
would rather keep them close when dealing with more immediate threats
like Iran and North Korea and perhaps even China in the longer run.

Given that, the Russians are wary of becoming too close to the US,
especially as there remains some post Cold War distrust, stoked by
the authoritarian tendencies of the Putin/Medvedev tandem.

Is it good for Azerbaijan and the Karabakh settlement to keep good
relations with Russia to prevent a new Russian military invasion in
the region?

Certainly the Georgian conflict proved that Russia is the one country
that would intervene militarily in the region and therefore it would
be important for Azerbaijan to do everything possible to keep good
relations, so that if there is a conflict Russia would stay neutral
and not assist Armenia directly or indirectly.

Do you expect progress from the Russian mediation on a Karabakh
settlement?

No, I do not expect much progress for the reasons stated above –
that both governments have presented uncompromising positions to
their own public and pledged to win whatever settlement comes about
— so that precludes any give and take that would expose them to
potentially significant nationalist opposition. So the governments
have become prisoners of their own bellicose rhetoric, even if they
wanted to make compromises.

ANGER AS TRADERS CLEARED FROM YEREVAN STREETS
Naira Melkumyan

IWPR
August 23, 2011
UK

Authorities accused of victimising small businesses while leaving
large ones untouched.

The authorities in the Armenian capital Yerevan have begun demolishing
street stalls and kiosks, in what opposition politicians allege is
a step designed to protect large supermarkets from competition.

Workers backed up by police units dismantled several stalls in the
city’s Central and Arabkir districts last week, without even giving
owners a chance to remove goods from display.

Leva Hakobyan said he was ruined after losing the kiosk where he sold
souvenirs and cosmetics in Arabkir district.

“I took out a bank loan until 2015 to start a business. I’ve paid
all my taxes and kept up with the repayments all this time, but how
am I going to pay the bank now?” he asked. “This stall supports two
families. I have all the requisite documents and a license. How can
they just take our property and destroy it?”

The city authorities say they are not going to extend current
stallholder licenses, except for newspaper sellers. They argue that the
stalls and kiosks break planning rules and make the capital look ugly.

“If there’s an order to remove stalls on these streets, then that order
will be carried out,” city hall spokesperson Shushan Sardaryan said.

The campaign to clear street traders off the streets has been going on
since the beginning of the year, under mayor Karen Karapetian. (See
Yerevan Street Sellers Protest Trading Ban.) So far over 900 of the
nearly 4,000 stalls and kiosks have gone.

The issue has become politicised as opposition parties take up
the stallholders’ cause. The city authorities are dominated by the
governing Republican Party. (See Armenian Opposition Seizes on Street
Traders’ Anger.)

Opposition politicians say Karapetian’s predecessor as mayor gave
stallholders permission to remain until next year, so the current
administration cannot simply cancel that arrangement.

“They cannot deem that a document saying stalls in Arabkir district
can remain until 2010 is illegal. If the mayor says they were built
illegally, then everyone must answer for it, from the former mayor
downwards,” Stepa Safaryan of the Heritage party said.

Arevik Ghazaryan, who owns a flower stand on Mashtots Avenue, said
she had been assured she would have a guaranteed pitch until 2015
and had made her plans accordingly.

“We are asking them not to take our work away from us, not to create
unemployment, and not to bankrupt us,” she said. “Is the aesthetic
improvement for which the mayor has decided to destroy these stalls
worth depriving people of work and reducing their circumstances?”

Safaryan accused city officials of lulling stallholders into a false
sense of security by suggesting their premises would not be removed
immediately. They deny this, insisting they kept traders informed of
their plans.

The opposition Armenian National Congress, ANC, has accused the
government of eliminating competition on behalf of its allies in
big business.

A statement from the ANC said that there was a policy to “concentrate
trading in the supermarkets and large shops belonging to oligarchs”,
and that the authorities were ignoring the social consequences –
“the future of thousands of people, an increase in social tensions,
and extra impetus for emigration”.

The city authorities have insisted they are not against small
businesses. Mayor Karapetian told a government meeting that stalls
would only disappear from central streets where they blocked pedestrian
traffic or looked unsightly.

“I don’t think the owners of kiosks on central streets are
impoverished, so the mayor’s office has no obligations to them,”
he said. “There was a deadline… We don’t have to offer them an
alternative [site] or compensation.”

The mayor added that in cases where traders needed help, local
officials were under instructions to provide financial compensation,
job offers, or alternative sites.

At a recent meeting with stallholders, Arabkir district government
chief Edgar Musheghyan offered them new sites, but they dismissed this,
saying they would have to pay for the relocation out of their own
pockets, and the sites on offer would not attract any passing trade.

Armenia’s human rights ombudsman has stepped into the fray, saying
the demolitions were unlawful and marred by violations of human rights.

Among the concerns raised by the ombudsman’s office were the failure
to notify stallholders of demolitions in advance, and the use of
force by police drafted in to help.

The ombudsman urged the mayor’s office to remember that Yerevan
belonged to everyone, not just to the wealthy.

“Several recent urban renewal initiatives have had a negative effect
on disadvantaged sections of the population, and benefited only those
with a medium to high standard of living,” the watchdog concluded.

The Heritage party and the stallholders say they are considering
what to do next. This may include protests outside the offices of the
president and the city mayor. Heritage has also urged the speaker of
parliament to recall legislators from their summer break to debate
the issue.

Hovsep Khurshudyan, an analyst with the Armenian Centre for National
and Strategic Studies, says targeting street traders is manifestly
unfair.

“Of course the city should be beautiful and construction standards
adhered to,” Khurshudyan said. “But is it really only stalls that
affect this? What about big shops on the streets, or cafes in green
areas? Nothing gets done about them, and that’s because there are
big businessmen behind them. That’s double standards.”

Naira Melkumyan is a freelance journalist in Yerevan.

RUSSIAN CEMETERY VANDALISED IN AZERI CAPITAL
Seymur Kazimov

IWPR
August 23, 2011
UK

No suggestion that race or religion is involved, just neglect of the
Russian minority’s graveyards.

Police in the Azerbaijani capital Baku are investigating the
desecration of Russian graves in a case that has highlighted the poor
state of the dwindling minority’s cemeteries.

Natalya Narizhnaya visited the cemetery in Surakhani district on July
18 to lay flowers on the graves of her relatives, only to find that
several had been damaged and the headstones smashed.

She says that while initially reluctant to take up the case, police
eventually took the complaint seriously.

The incident caused a storm on the internet after the Russian website
carried a story headlined “Orthodox graves destroyed
in Azerbaijan”, hinting that the vandalism might be the work of ethnic
or anti-Christian bigots in this predominantly Muslim country.

Hajibala Eyvazov, speaking for the Surakhani district authorities,
denied such suggestions, saying that the falling numbers of ethnic
Russians had left cemeteries abandoned and neglected.

“We don’t have the people or the money to guard the cemetery,” he
said. “The graves there are mainly very old. The surviving relatives
left the country long ago, so the cemetery gets very few visitors and
is left unattended. We’ve frequently urged the Russian community to
care for the cemetery, but they haven’t responded.”

Svetlana Ivanova, head of the Russian community in Surakhani, said
the Azerbaijani government needed to step in as local people were
unable to keep the cemetery in good shape.

An IWPR journalist who visited the cemetery noted that Orthodox crosses
on graves had not been destroyed, making this unlikely to be the work
of religious extremists, but confirmed that the Russian section of
the cemetery looked unkempt and derelict, particularly when compared
with the area where ethnic Tatars – a Muslim group from Russia –
were buried.

Elkhan Shahinoglu, head of the Atlas think tank, agreed that the
damage looked more like the handiwork of vandals than of bigots.

“I don’t think the destruction of graves in the old cemetery was some
sort of planned, deliberate act…. This dreadful act was probably
carried out by a bunch of hooligans,” he said. “In Azerbaijan –
particularly Baku, which prides itself on its international character –
there’s never been animosity towards Russians. The Russian language
is still very important in Baku, and every second person speaks
it beautifully.

“So it wouldn’t be right to ascribe the destruction of graves to
ethnic animosity. But there is a need to find and punish the culprits
as quickly as possible, otherwise common hooliganism carried out by
people who hold nothing sacred could take on a political aspect.”

Before 1991, when Azerbaijan was still part of the Soviet Union,
cemeteries were maintained by local government, but funding has
declined since then and many graveyards have fallen into disrepair.

This applies particularly to Russian graveyards, because large numbers
of this community have emigrated to Russia itself. The 2009 census
showed that around 120,000 remained in Azerbaijan, compared with around
half a million – a tenth of the republic’s population – in the 1970s.

“There are very few of us left here here,” Ilya Maximov, 63, said.

“Many Russians left Azerbaijan in the early 1990s. It was a tough time
– the collapse of the Soviet Union was followed by poverty and war
[in Nagorny Karabakh]. Many chose a better life and left their homes.”

But Azerbaijani as well as Russian cemeteries could also do with
better upkeep.

Ilgar Ibrahimoglu, a theologian and head of the DEVAMM organisation,
which campaigns for religious rights, said the government does not
assign enough money to protect graveyards.

“The Alley of Honour and the Alley of Martyrs are exceptions,”
he said, referring to memorial complexes in the centre of Baku. “In
other cemeteries, the relatives of the deceased have to look after the
graves. So old graveyards with few visitors are in disarray. And people
of ill will take advantage of this and do whatever they want there.”

The Tatar section of the Surakhani cemetery is in a better state
because relatives care for it, but is still vulnerable.

“We do it voluntarily,” Maksud Ahmadjanov, appointed to oversee care
of the Tatar graves, said. “But local people throw their rubbish into
the cemetery. We can’t seem to explain to them that this is a very
bad habit. We are left having to clean up as much of the rubbish as
we can.”

Seymur Kazimov is project officer at the Azerbaijan Media Centre.

DECREASE IN BIRTH RATES, RISE IN DEATHS: WHAT’S IN STORE FOR ARMENIA

epress.am
08.23.2011

The time when Armenia will have more deaths than births is not far,
said demographer Ruben Yeganyan at a press conference in the Armenian
capital today.

Yeganyan noted that the total birth rate coefficient in Armenia is
1.7 whereas the standard is 2.1, which shows how many children a
woman has throughout her reproductive age.

“At the international level, there’s a drop in birth rates. The factors
for this drop are mainly the rise in standards of living and increase
in education levels,” he said, noting, however, that the situation
in Armenia is markedly different.

According to the expert, the drop in birth rates in Armenia is due
to the deterioration of socioeconomic standards in the country.

“In the 70s and 80s, the birth rate was almost stable. However,
in the 90s, the situation radically changed, the reasons of which,
unlike internationally, were the socioeconomic conditions and the
huge wave of emigration. If there’s no state intervention, if this
country doesn’t improve in economic, social and moral terms, the
current state policy in the demographic sector will be considered
simply a nervous contraction,” he said.

The demographer expressed his concern for what is in store for Armenia
if such trends continue.

“This process will continue rapidly, the age structure of the
population will change, which, by the way, has already changed:
if we judge by international standards, we are considered to have
an aged population – we have reached a level of nearly 12% of our
pension-age population, which is a very high level. Then, in both
political and economic terms we will weaken, we will dwindle. If
there is no intervention, the processes will carry on irreversibly,”
said a concerned Yeganyan.

ONLY PARK IN ARMAVIR TO BE REPLACED BY A BANK AND CHURCH

epress.am
08.23.2011

Apparently the Armavir Town Park where tree felling and rapid
construction have taken place since May 2011 is not actually a park,
according to official documents, say Armavir Park supporters, reads
a statement by local environmental organization Ecolur.

According to Armavir’s new city plan, the park is a territory that
falls under the jurisdiction of Armavir Municipality and not a park.

Currently, the park has been sold and there are plans to construct
a bank, church and veterinary pharmacy on the land.

Armavir residents are unaware of the public hearings of construction
projects in progress in the park territory, reads the Ecolur
statement. In this regard, EcoLur has contacted Armenia’s Ministry
of Nature Protection with the following questions:

On what grounds has the RA Ministry of Nature Protection permitted
tree felling in the only public park in the town of Armavir and
constructed buildings?

When were the public hearings on building projects held?

Which companies are carrying out the construction?

Has the RA Ministry of Nature Protection given the green light to
these projects? If yes, “please provide us with the copy of these
conclusions and minutes of public hearings.”