Author: Kanayan Tamar

US NEEDS KARABAKH IN ORDER TO ATTACK IRAN – ANALYST

Tert.am
28.06.11

The United States needs Nagorno Karabakh in order to attack Iran,
according a Russian analyst.

“The United States has not yet given up the idea of launching a war
against Iran. That war is planned for 2012. As the time is drawing
near, it is becoming more and more obvious that the Americans need a
territory near Iran to make their planes’ takeoff possible,” Vladimir
Zakharov, the Director of the Institute of Political Studies of the
Black Sea and Caspian Region, said during a Yerevan-Moscow space
bridge-discussion devoted the outcomes of the recent trilateral
presidential summit in Kazan, Russia.

The expert noted that the territory of the Nagorno Karabakh may be
used as a temporary zone for launching military operations.

Speaking of the Kazan summit, he added: “A document was likely to be
signed before the meeting, but Azerbaijan proposed ten amendments. I
am sure the context is clear. [Some powers], probably the West, had
been negotiating with [Azeri President] Ilham Aliyev to talk him out
of signing anything,” he said.

Zakharov said it the United States might have desired such scenario to
be able to circulate the idea of a possible war.

General Director of the Caspian cooperation institute Sergey Mikheev
disagreed to Zakharov’s position.

“There might have been an agreement, but the main problem is the total
incompatibility between the Armeniam and Azerbaijani positions. How
can one persuade two people to come to an agreement when each of them
considers the other a fool?” he asked.

Speaking further on the issue, Karen Bekaryan, the head of the
European Integration NGO considered the ambiguity of Aliyev’s strategy
misleading. He said the negotiations had not followed the right
methodology, with Karabakh not being involved in the process. The
expert noted that no document on Karabakh can have legal grounds
unless the country itself is a party to the current peace talks.

Alexander Markarov, the director of the Armenian branch of the
Institute of CIS Countries, said the scenario of a war is impossible,
as all parties realize that Baku is isolated from reality. He said the
Helsinki principles on self-determination will eventually serve as
basis for conflict settlement.

“What matters is where the co-chairs spoke, and not just what they
said. They spoke in Karabakh,” he added.

TURKEY SOURCE FOR TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS, U.S. SAYS

PanARMENIAN.Net
June 28, 2011

PanARMENIAN.Net – In its annual Trafficking in Persons report, the
State Department said Turkey is a source, destination, and transit
country for women, men, and children subjected to sex trafficking
and forced labor, accusing the government of not fully complying with
the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking.

The report analyzed conditions in 184 nations, including the United
States, and ranked them in terms of their effectiveness in fighting
what many have termed modern-day slavery. The State Department
estimates that as many as 27 million men, women and children are
living in such bondage around the world, Today’s Zaman says.

According to the report, women and child sex trafficking victims
found in Turkey originate predominately from the former Soviet Union
and Eastern Europe but Turkish women are also subjected to forced
prostitution within the country.

The report criticized Turkey for not fully complying with the minimum
standards for the elimination of trafficking, but it said Turkey
is making significant efforts to do so. “The government improved
its recognition of forced labor and domestic trafficking during the
reporting period,” the report reads.

Among the countries on the blacklist are Cuba, Iran, Myanmar, North
Korea and Sudan along with Eritrea, Libya and Zimbabwe. Others are
US allies in the Middle East like Kuwait and Saudi Arabia while
Papua New Guinea was cited as a repeat offender. Only one country,
the Dominican Republic, was removed from the list.

The 11 new countries on the blacklist are Algeria, the Central African
Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Lebanon, Libya, Madagascar,
Micronesia, Turkmenistan, Venezuela and Yemen.

COLLABORATION WITH ANC IS OUT OF THE QUESTION – STEPAN SAFARYAN

Tert.am
28.06.11

Heritage party rules out any possibility of collaboration with
the opposition alliance Armenian National Congress (ANC), a top
representative of the party has said.

Speaking at a news conference on Tuesday, Stepan Safaryan, the leader
of the opposition Heritage party faction in parliament said the two
political forces have conflicting approaches to the Nagorno Karabakh
conflict and the Armenia-Turkey rapprochement process.

He noted in the meantime that ANC’s positions on the above issues
coincide mostly with those of the ruling authorities.

“The possibility of establishing an ideological alliance with ANC in
the upcoming election is out of the question,” he said, ruling out
the possibility of any other format of collaboration.

EU ADVISORY GROUP PRESENTS NEEDS ASSESSMENT REPORT AND ANNUAL WORK PLAN

armradio.am
28.06.2011

On 28 June, Ambassador Raul de Luzenberger, Head of the EU Delegation
to Armenia and Mr. Artur Baghdasaryan, Secretary of the National
Security Council, co-chaired the sixth Advisory Board Meeting
convened by the European Union Advisory Group. The Group presented
its Quarterly Report, Needs Assessment Report as well as its Work Plan
for the period of June 2011-May 2012, which were approved by the Board.

The Advisory Board Meeting was opened by the Secretary of the National
Security Council, Arthur Baghdasaryan, who expressed appreciation on
behalf of the government and underlined the importance of contribution
provided by the EU Advisory Group in the reform process within key
areas of economy, rule of law, human rights and institutional issues.

The Head of the EU Delegation, Raul de Luzenberger, underlined
that with the negotiations on an Association Agreement, the EU and
Armenia have entered a new stage in relations. “The EU Advisory Group
will continue to provide tailor-made policy advice to support the
development of this increasingly close relationship. The EU stands
ready to support Armenia in moving forward reforms linked to the
AA negotiations and for the fulfilment of its national priorities,”
he added.

The Board took note of the Needs Assessment Report presenting the
gap analysis between the current and desired situation and providing
rationale for future activities. During the meeting, the importance
to provide in-depth advice by the EU Advisory Group on priority fields
for a Deep and Comprehensive Trade Agreement (DCFTA) was discussed.

The Board welcomed the initiatives taken towards the establishment
of a Mobility Partnership as well as future negotiations on the
EU-Armenia Visa Facilitation and Readmission Agreement. Among other
issues, the work of the EU Advisory Group on the facilitation of the
integration process of the Armenian political parties into the EU
political families, ensuring the stability of the Diplomatic Academy
and recruitment of national expertise was emphasized.

High-ranking officials from the President’s Office, the Government,
and the National Assembly attended the meeting. EU Member States
Embassies and international organisations were also represented,
including UNDP. The EU Advisory Group was represented by Team Leader
Antti Hartikainen and the EU Advisors.

IRAN CONFIRMS PLANS TO SEND MONKEYS INTO SPACE

PanARMENIAN.Net
June 28, 2011

PanARMENIAN.Net – Iran plans to send a new home-made 285-kilogram
satellite carrier capable of carrying a biocapsule of live creatures,
like monkeys, into the orbit late July, Fars semi-official news
agency reported.

Head of Iran Space Agency (ISA) Hamid Fazeli said the country plans to
send a live monkey into space onboard the country’s domestically-made
Kavoshgar 5 (Explorer 5) satellite carrier.

“Kavoshgar 5, with a weight of 285 kg, will blast off into space
with a living creature (a monkey) in the next Iranian calendar month
(that begins on July 23),” Fazeli said on Monday, June 27.

He further explained that Kavoshgar 5 has a structural built similar
to the Omid (Hope) satellite, Iran’s first domestically-produced
satellite which launched into orbit in 2009.

The Omid data-processing satellite was designed to circle the Earth
15 times per day and to transmit data via two frequency bands and
eight antennas to an Iranian space station.

Fazeli also pointed out that five monkeys are currently undergoing
experiments to get ready for the launch. The monkeys are taking
exercises to “withstand physical and orbital pressure, acceleration,
sound [boom], vibrations and other elements during the lift-off.”

ARMENIAN FM DISCUSSES KARABAKH CONFLICT WITH US DEFENSE OFFICIAL

Tert.am
27.06.11

Armenia’s Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandyan discussed the settlement
of the Karabakh conflict with the US Deputy Defense Secretary Celeste
Wallander on Monday.

According to a Foreign Ministry press release, Nalbandyan briefed
Wallander on the recent developments on the Karabakh settlement,
particularly the recent Russia-mediated meeting of the Armenian and
Azerbaijani presidents in Kazan.

In this context, Nalbandyan said that there was no breakthrough
at the Kazan meeting because “Azerbaijan, despite the calls by the
mediating countries, was not ready to accept the final version of the
Basic Principles proposed by the co-chairs, pushing forward a dozen
of amendments,” to those principles.

Nalbandyan further highly appreciated the Armenia-US partnership,
expressing confidence that the cooperation between the two countries
will expand further.

Celeste Wallander, in turn, expressed satisfaction over the
“dynamically developing Armenian-American mutual relations” and
stressed that the US will continue to back Armenia’s efforts in the
sphere of peacekeeping, military education and reforms in defense
system.

The parties also spoke about the assistance Armenia receives from
the US, Armenia-NATO cooperation and international peacekeeping
mission and Armenia’s participation in it. IN this context, Wallander
highly appreciated Armenia’s tripling of its peacekeeping mission
in Afghanistan.

Nalbandyan and Wallander discussed also other regional issues.

Rencontre a Kazan : pas d’accord

Source/Lien : Armenian Weekly
28-06-2011

Info Collectif VAN – – Les pourparlers qui ont
eu lieu a Kazan, capitale de la Republique du Tatarstan, avec pour
mediateur le president russe Dmitry Medvedev, n’ont pas debouche sur
un accord. Les trois presidents ont fait une declaration conjointe a
l’issue de la rencontre. Le Collectif VAN vous livre la traduction d’un
article paru en anglais sur le site Armenian Weekly le 24 juin 2011.

Legende photo : les trois dirigeants a Kazan.

Sarkisian, Aliyev ne sont pas parvenus a un accord a Kazan

Le president armenien Serge Sarkisian et le president azerbaidjanais
Ilham Aliyev se sont rencontres lors d’un sommet organise en Russie,
en vue de parvenir a un accord sur le Nagorno Karabagh. Les deux
etats avaient subi des pressions de la Russie et des Etats-Unis pour
trouver une solution concrète.

Les pourparlers qui ont eu lieu a Kazan, capitale de la Republique du
Tatarstan, avec pour mediateur le president russe Dimitry Medvedev,
n’ont pas debouche sur un accord.

Les trois presidents ont fait une declaration conjointe a l’issue de
la rencontre.

La declaration indiquait que les presidents de l’Armenie, de
l’Azerbaïdjan et de la Federation de Russie “ont reexamine la
progression du travail pour coordonner les principes de base du
projet de règlement du conflit du Nagorno-Karabagh”, a annonce le site
officiel du Kremlin. “Les presidents ont reconnu qu’un accord mutuel
a ete atteint sur un certain nombre de problèmes dont la resolution
contribuera a creer les conditions necessaires a l’approbation des
principes de bases.”

Le 26 mai, lors du sommet du G8 a Deauville, le president Medvedev,
le president des Etats-Unis Barack Obama et le president francais
Nicolas Sarkozy avait fait une declaration conjointe exhortant
l’Armenie et l’Azerbaïdjan a parvenir a un accord.

“Nous, presidents des pays co-presidents du Groupe de Minsk- la France,
la Federation de Russie et les Etats-Unis d’Amerique – somme convaincus
que le temps est venu pour les parties impliquees dans le conflit du
Nagorno Karabagh de prendre des mesures significatives en vue d’un
règlement pacifique”, avaient-ils declares. “Nous exhortons fortement
les dirigeants des deux parties a preparer leur peuple a la paix et
non a la guerre… Par consequent, nous appelons les presidents de
l’Armenie et de l’Azerbaïdjan a demontrer leur volonte politique en
finalisant les principes de base lors du sommet qui aura lieu en juin.

Tout autre retard ne pourra que remettre en question l’engagement
des deux parties a parvenir a un accord.”

©Traduction de l’anglais C.Gardon pour le Collectif VAN – 28 juin
2011 –

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TAUX DE SUICIDE EN HAUSSE EN ARMENIE
Gari

armenews.com
mardi 28 juin 2011

Les statistiques font etat d’une hausse inquietante du nombre des
suicides en Armenie, une tendance d’autant plus preoccupante qu’elle
semble concerner les tranches les plus jeunes de la population. Le
dernier suicide enregistre a Erevan est celui de Norayr Torosyan,
le 8 juin.Selon les chiffres officiels les suicides et tentatives
de suicides releves en 2010 etaient au nombre de 592, soit une
augmentation de 20% par rapport aux 498 cas recenses l’annee
precedente. Les statistiques etablies par le ministère du travail
et des affaires sociales, la moitie des suicides concerne la tranche
d’âge entre 30 et 65 ans, 28 % de suicides et suicidaires se situant
dans la tranche d’âge superieure en Armenie en 2010. Kamo Vardanyan,
un psychologue qui dirige les Services de Psycholoque Ayg, a estime que
” entre les annees 1950 et la fin du 20e siècle, plus de la moitie des
suicides impliquait des personnes âgees de plus de 45 ans, mais depuis
le debut du 21e siècle, la tendance concerne plutôt les personnes
âgees de moins de 45 ans.” Les psychologies designent les groups
suivants comme les plus vulnerable au suicide : les adolescents,
les gays and lesbiennes, les prisonniers, les veterans de guerre
âges et les malades mentaux.”Les adolescents et les personnes âgees
exigent une meme attention”, souligne la psychologue Elda Grin
selon laquelle ” les adolescents etant particulièrement sensibles,
ils sont susceptibles de se couper de la societe et de sombrer dans
le desespoir, qui les conduit au suicide, comme seule issue possible
a leur crise psychique.” Elle estime en outre que les conscrits de
l’armee armenienne sont des candidats au suicide en raison des ”
coutumes barbares et des rituels initiatiques tacites ” qui fait du
service militaire une experience brutale et traumatisante pour les
jeunes en Armenie. Les statistiques montrent que les difficultes
economiques sont un facteur majeur dans les tentatives de suicides.

Plus de 57 % des suicides et tentative de suicides en 2010 concernaient
des chômeurs et 17,7 % des retraites. “Les facteurs les plus frequents
et les plus nets conduisant au suicide sont les problèmes sociaux
auxquels les gens sont confrontes au quotidien”, fait remarquer Karine
Nalchajyan, une Psychologue de l’institut pedagogique de Erevan. Il
existe des recherches montrant que dans les pays connaissant un fort
taux de chômage, le taux de suicide est particulièrement eleve, mais
dans les pays frappes par une grave et profonde crise economique, le
suicide concerne non seulement les categories les plus pauvres mais
aussi les couches sociales plus aisees. ” Le suicide est contagieux,
aussi, pour le prevenir, il serait utile par exemple d’interdire la
diffusion de scènes montrant des scènes de suicide a la television
ou au cinema”, ajoute Mme Vardanyan. Les ministères de la sante et
du travail et des affaires sociales ont precise qu’ils ne disposaient
pas de programmes

BRUITS DE BOTTES A BAKOU APRES L’ECHEC DU SOMMET DE KAZAN
Gari

armenews.com
mardi 28 juin 2011

Après l’echec du sommet a Kazan des presidents armenien Serge
Sarkissian et azeri Ilham Aliev le 25 juin sous l’egide du president
russe Dmitri Medvedev, les declarations belliqueuses ont repris de
plus belle a Bakou, qu’elles emanent des autorites ou des partis
politiques. L’Organisation pour la liberation du Karabagh, un
mouvement ultranationaliste azeri appelant a la reconquete par la
force des territoires contrôles par les Armeniens a ainsi tenu une
reunion extraordinaire de son Conseil Supreme au lendemain de la
rencontre de Kazan. Le Parti d’opposition Musavat, auquel est liee
l’organisation, a precise que la situation incertaine et dangereuse au
Karabagh etait a l’ordre du jour de cette reunion. Les participants
ont fait savoir que les copresidents du Groupe de Minsk de l’OSCE
ne recherchaient pas une solution juste au conflit du Karabagh,
et qu’ils ne souhaitaient que le maintien du “statu quo”, ce qui
rend inutile la poursuite des negociations” sous un format que le
president Aliev a lui-meme regulièrement denonce pour l’absence
de progrès realises durant les discussions. L’organisation pour la
liberation du Karabagh a demande aux autorites de Bakou de reprendre
instamment les operations militaires. En outre, l’organisation a decide
d’entreprendre des actions contre l’Onu pour exiger qu’elle mette
en ~uvre des ” mesures punitives contre l’Armenie”. Le règlement du
conflit du Karabagh par la force des armes semble en tout cas ce qui
unit la classe politique azerie.

AZERBAIJAN WELCOMES RESULTS OF TRILATERAL MEETING ON NAGORNO-KARABAKH

ITAR-TASS
June 25 2011
Russia

BAKU, June 25 (Itar-Tass) — Baku welcomed the results of the latest
trilateral meeting on Nagorno-Karabakh held by the presidents of
Azerbaijan, Armenia and Russia in Tatarstan.

“The results of the meeting can be assessed positively. Despite very
fierce discussions, the positions of the sides are getting closer on
certain questions,” Novruz Mamedov, head of the department of external
relations in the administration of the Azerbaijani president, told
the ANS television channel on Saturday, June 25.

He said, “The heads of state agreed to continue the talks.”

The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry admitted that no compromise was
reached on a number of key issues in Kazan.

Foreign Minister Elmar Mamedyarov stressed that the talks in Kazan were
“the longest in this format”.

The presidents discussed “problematic issues that obstruct progress
in the resolution of the conflict. Unfortunately, we could not reach a
compromise on a number of key issues because the Armenian side demands
maximum concessions from Azerbaijan and distorts the essence of the
negotiations started seven years ago”, the minister said.

At the same time, he said, “The presidents agreed to continue the
search for points of contact” and urged Armenia to “work intensively
in order to change the negative status quo, as the leaders of the
Minsk Group member states have called for.”

“I have the impression…that the presidents are determined to work
towards that goal intensively,” Mamedyarov added.

Azerbaijani President Ilkham Aliyev said earlier that the “status-quo
will be unacceptable in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict” and expressed
hope for “a speediest resolution of the conflict on the basis of the
principle of territorial integrity pf Azerbaijan, which will allow
hundreds of thousands of Azerbaijani refugees to return to their land”.

The meeting in Kazan was organised by Russia as one of the OSCE Minsk
Group members.

Aliyev praised Russia’s role in the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement.

“President Dmitry Medvedev is exerting great effort to help the
parties come to a settlement,” Aliyev said.

Medvedev has initiated several trilateral meetings that are “important
and have produced a positive effect”, he said.

Aliyev regretted that the conflict remains unresolved for years and
expressed hope that progress will be made shortly.

Aliyev said that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict could be resolved only
if the territorial integrity of his country was ensured.

“The conflict can be resolved only with in the framework of the
territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. There is no other solution,
and I have no doubts that Azerbaijan will restore its territorial
integrity,” the head of state said.

He stressed that Azerbaijan was seeking to solve the issue
“peacefully”.