Author: Kanayan Tamar

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”.

RUSSIAN PRESIDENT DISAPPOINTED WITH THE RESULTS OF THE KAZAN SUMMIT ON NAGORNO KARABAKH CONFLICT SETTLEMENT

ITAR-TASS
June 27 2011
Russia

MOSCOW, June 27 (Itar-Tass) – Despite expectations the meeting
between Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents Ilkham Aliyev and Serzh
Sargsyan with Russian leader Dmitry Medvedev~Rs mediation ended with
no signatures put under the fundamental principles for the Nagorno
Karabakh conflict settlement.

However, the talks can further take place without Medvedev~Rs
participation, the Kommersant business daily wrote. The Russian
president was so much disappointed with the results of the Kazan
summit that he expressed his readiness to stop his mediatory mission.
He plans to organize the next meeting between Aliyev and Sargsyan only
under the condition that the two countries~R leaders will finally sign
the document on the principles for the Karabakh conflict settlement.

The summit of the Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents in Kazan under
the patronage of Dmitry Medvedev brought about no results for which all
organizers of this high-level meeting hoped. The fundamental principles
for the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement that the OSCE Minsk
Group (Russia, the U.S., France) has been actively preparing since
the beginning of the year should have become a roadmap for settling
one of the most long-simmering conflicts on the post-Soviet space.

On the eve of the summit mediators exerted a strong pressure on
Baku and Yerevan to make them sign a time- and effort-consuming
document, Kommersant reported. However, the roadmap was not signed
in Kazan. After more than an hour-long meeting the negotiators made
a short statement. In fact, they announced that they ~Sreached mutual
understanding on a range of issues which resolution contributes to the
creation of conditions for approving the fundamental principles.~T
The daily quoted a source close to the negotiations as saying that
this wording means that the sides simply ~Sonce again fixed the issues
that remain in dispute.~T

Although Baku and Yerevan express readiness to continue the talks,
the future of the dialogue remains questionable after the failure of
the Kazan summit. According to a diplomatic source engaged in the
negotiating process the Kazan summit disclosed discrepancies that
mediators considered resolved long time ago.

The Kazan summit~Rs failure may have direct consequences for the
peacemaking initiative of Dmitry Medvedev, who had been actively
engaged in the process of reconciliation between Azerbaijan and Armenia
since autumn 2009 and already organized nine tripartite meetings on the
Russian territory. According to a high-ranking official in the Kremlin,
the Russian president was so much disappointed with the summit that
he was ready to abandon his mediation efforts on the Karabakh track.

After the summit Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers Eduard
Nalbandyan and Elmar Mamedyarov made contrast statements resting
responsibility for the talks~R failure on the opposite site, the
Nezavisimaya Gazeta daily wrote. Nalbandyan announced that Azerbaijan
was not ready to recognize the mediators-initiated last variant
of the fundamental principles for the Karabakh conflict settlement
proposing too many amendments. In response Mamedyarov advised his
Armenian counterpart ~Snot to engage in the PR campaign, but to
work intensively to change the negative status quo what leaders of
member-countries of the OSCE Minsk Group call for.~T

All this looks like that it was important for Baku and Yerevan not to
make a breakthrough in Kazan, but to create the platform for accusing
partners of non-constructiveness as before, the daily wrote.

REUNION DE KAZAN AU SUJET DE LA SITUATION AU HAUT-KARABAGH

France diplomatie

27 juin 2011

Les presidents armenien et azerbaïdjanais se sont rencontres a Kazan
a l’invitation du president russe le 24 juin, une rencontre conclue
par une declaration conjointe des trois presidents.

Comme l’indique cette declaration, la reunion de Kazan a permis
d’identifier ou de confirmer plusieurs points de comprehension, ce
qui permet de poursuivre la negociation sur les bases actuelles en
vue de l’adoption ulterieure des principes de règlement proposes par
les mediateurs.

Le resultat n’est pas negligeable, la France, avec ses partenaires
americains et russes dans la co-presidence du groupe de Minsk, ne
menagera pas ses efforts pour assister toutes les parties dans la
poursuite de la negociation.

Le co-president francais et ses collègues americain et russe, qui se
sont deja longuement entretenus avec les presidents de l’Armenie et
de l’Azerbaïdjan a Kazan, se rendront de nouveau a Erevan, a Bakou
et au Haut-Karabagh dans les toutes prochaines semaines pour preparer
la poursuite de la negociation.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIATORS ON KARABAKH TO VISIT REGION

news.am
June 27 2011
Armenia

OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs will soon visit Armenia, Azerbaijan and
Nagorno-Karabakh in to prepare next round of negotiations on Karabakh
conflict resolution, reads the statement released by the Foreign
Ministry of France.

The Kazan talks “identified or confirmed number of points of
understanding that enables continuing negotiations on the present basis
for the consequent adoption of the resolution principles proposed by
the mediators,” reads the statement.

According to Radio Liberty, French MFA stressed in the statement that
the result of Kazan talks is “not insignificant” and that “France
together with its partners, United States and Russia, will spare no
efforts to assist the parties to continue negotiations.”

Earlier, Armenian News-NEWS.am reported that at the end of the
meeting of Armenian, Azerbaijani and Russian Presidents in Kazan
parties released joint statement that said:

“Presidents of Armenia, Azerbaijan and the Russian Federation met
on June 24, 2011 in Kazan and reviewed work carried out under their
instruction to agree on draft basic principles of the Nagorno-Karabakh
settlement. Heads of the states noted the achievement of mutual
understanding on a number of issues. Solution of these issues
contributes to creating conditions for the approval of the basic
principles.

The presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan expressed their gratitude
to the leaders of Russia, the United States and France as the OSCE
Minsk Group Co-Chairing states for their permanent attention to the
problem of Nagorno-Karabakh settlement and valued personal efforts of
President of the Russian Federation to assist reaching an agreement.”

KARABAKH NEGOTIATIONS: IDLE TALK WITH NO ACTION
By Ivan Gharibyan

news.am
June 27 2011
Armenia

The recent days were marked by aggravation of the situation, calls
to necessarily agree on notorious basic principles, phone calls
and obvious failure of the Kazan meeting of Armenian, Russian and
Azerbaijani Presidents. As usual there was a lot of idle talk at the
highest geopolitical level but everything resumed its normal course.

The reason is too obvious. Being too self-confident, Aliyev clan is
simply not ready for a peaceful settlement of the Karabakh conflict
– something that world powers cannot understand, or they pretend
they can’t.

On the eve of the talks President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan said that
Armenia expects for Baku’s constructive proposals. The proposals
were received but they appeared to be more than 10 which is rather
“non-constructive”. Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian
immediately said Azerbaijani side in fact ruined the talks. There is
no reason to doubt Nalbandian’s words not because he is representing
the Armenian side. In fact Baku’s belated accusations did not suggest
any real refutation.

The next proof that Azerbaijani authoritarian dictator is getting
ready for war, not peace, was his speech during the military parade
in Baku following the Kazan meeting. In his address on the occasion
of the Day of Azerbaijani armed forces, Aliyev mentioned the “need
to restore territorial integrity”. In order “to prove” intentions
to continue efforts towards peaceful settlement, it was emphasized
that Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity can be restored by any means,
including military actions.

Aliyev demonstrated his militaristic “optimism” during the parade.

When Azerbaijani flag was carried in the announcer expressed his
confidence that “it will be soon unfurled over Karabakh, over Khankendi
(in Azerbaijanis’ dreams it is the name of Stepanakert, the capital
of Nagorno-Karabakh Republic).

As a result, less than two days after talks in Kazan, which the
mediators have dared to announce as a turning point, Azerbaijani
authorities showed geopolitical actors that they do not care for any
calls to resolve Karabakh conflict peacefully and without delay.

On the contrary – the militarization of the country will continue
and Azerbaijan will remain a real threat to peace and security in
the region.

This is the Gordian Knot of current situation over the Nagorno-Karabakh
settlement. Yerevan is ready to make reasonable concessions, while
Baku is eager to return to 1988, thus disrupting the peace process.

Thus, the regional situation seems to be rather complicated. Moreover,
the Azerbaijani authorities have managed to cheat such geopolitical
antagonists, as the U.S. and Russia.

Washington did not succeed in the Armenian-Turkish process, which,
as the saying goes was failed by Turkey’s “young brother” Azerbaijan.

Then, not even getting sanctions from the West, Baku decided it is
high time to tarnish Moscow’s reputation in the region. The situation
appeared too dull for Moscow. First Aliyev said he appreciated personal
participation of Dmitry Medvedev in negotiations but then disrupts
them in Medvedev’s territory.

As a result, major geopolitical players are faced with a task: what
should they do with rebellious Azerbaijan which is not playing the
game by rules, cheating everyone and is willing to unleash new war
in the region.

The Kazan meeting’s result is obvious: it is impossible to make
Azerbaijan come to senses just by voicing calls and persuasions.

Moscow and Washington must take more serious measures.