Author: Kanayan Tamar

ALI HUSEYNOV: "STATEMENT BY ANY EMBASSY OR REPRESENTATIVE OF FOREIGN MINISTRY ON ARREST OF BLOGGERS IS THE INTERFERENCE IN DOMESTIC AFFAIRS OF AZERBAIJAN"- INTERVIEW

APA
Nov 19 2009
Azerbaijan

Baku. Elbrus Seyfullayev – APA. APA’s interview with chairman of
parliament’s committee for legal policy and statehood Ali Huseynov

-The Monitoring Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council
of Europe appointed new rapporteur for Azerbaijan yesterday. We would
like to know opinion.

-The rapporteurs for Azerbaijan should be unbiased, properly assess
the ongoing processes in the country and describe it in their reports.

We are observing the ongoing processes, tension, civil confrontation in
Armenia. But the rapporteurs for this country shut their eyes to this,
always try to introduce the country in positive aspect. We do not need
someone to demonstrate different opinion on the democratic reforms in
Azerbaijan, our commitments vis-a-vis the Council of Europe. We want
the ongoing processes in Azerbaijan to be reported objectively. So,
we want the new rapporteur to be unbiased. We have witnessed biased
attitude much. We hope the new rapporteur will be unbiased and we
will establish effective relations.

-When will the appointment of the rapporteurs for Azerbaijan finish?

-Azerbaijan is a country under monitoring. By the way, we always raise
the issue to stop the monitoring process. There will be rapporteur
for the country, as the monitoring process exists.

-Secretary General of the Council of Europe and embassies of several
countries in Azerbaijan expressed severe reaction to the court ruling
on the bloggers. What is your attitude toward it?

-First of all, we should differentiate among the position of
international organizations, embassies and foreign ministries.

Azerbaijan is the member of the Council of Europe. We have chosen
the way of integration into Europe. We have a number of commitments
vis-a-vis this organization. They are connected both with legislation
and human rights. So, it is normal hat the Secretary General of the
Council of Europe expresses his view on the above-mentioned case. They
express their views on the election process, state of human rights. It
is quite another matter whether this view is negative or positive. It
is generally acceptable that the Secretary General of the Council
of Europe expresses view on any problem. But I do not agree to the
severity of this view. There is some contradiction here. The Secretary
General expresses his concern over the strictness of the court ruling.

Then it is noted that this ruling is connected with the expression of
speech, not with hooliganism. If the question is the strictness of the
punishment, it means that the essence of the ruling, i.e. accusation
is accepted. It turns out that they principally admit the accusation
on hooliganism. But they are concerned that the punishment is strict.

So, there is contradiction in the statement.

I think they should take more gentle position on this issue. They had
to learn the essence of issue and then to express opinion. This idea
should be more balanced.

– How do you characterize the reaction of embassies?

– Regarding embassies of some countries, it is other question. First of
all, it is not understandable how the embassy or foreign ministry
official of some countries could issue such statement. It is
interference in our domestic affairs. Officer of Azerbaijani Army
Ramil Safarov was arrested in Hungary and was sentenced very hardly.

Do we put the Hungarian court system under the question? We search for
legal ways to assist him. As a lawyer, I think that Ramil Safarov’s
conviction was very hard. It should be not a life sentence, but other
sanction. But our embassy and Ministry of Foreign Affairs didn’t
give a note. It means that statement of one country about the legal
system, human rights and other domestic issues of another country
is confronting with the international law. It was correct that the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan expressed its opinion.

Generally Norway takes biased position on the processes in Azerbaijan.

Non-governmental organizations established and funded by Norway
are also meddling in the election and other processes. But I have
different opinion about Germany. We have very close relations
with Germany. It has unbiased position on many issues, including
Nagorno Karabakh conflict. But there was hasty decision as a result
of relations created by different correspondences. It is abnormal
case when the government agencies show such position and it should
be ended. The situation is clear and legal ways should be found
in this condition. Some people say that there is an experience of
arrest of bloggers in other countries. But there is concrete charge
on hooliganism. People can not be arrested for freedom of expression
in all countries, including Azerbaijan. There are not such cases
in our countries. Therefore I am against such parallels. The charge
is concrete and it is an element of hooliganism. If someone doesn’t
accept it, he must prove its opposition. The approach should be so.

– When will the parliament approve new Human Rights Commissioner?

– First of all, I have to say that amendments to the Constitutional law
on this issue should be put to vote six months later. The six-month
term has not expired yet. The parliament didn’t receive any proposal
or candidacy for the new Human Rights Commissioner.

– Can the incumbent Human Rights Commissioner be elected for the
next term?

– It will be decided by the parliament vote. I have to say that the
law allows that.

SWINE FLU CARRIERS’ NUMBER REACHES 21 IN ARMENIA

PanARMENIAN.Net
18.11.2009 19:00 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ A/H1N1 virus swine flu carriers’ number reached
21 in Armenia, RA Healthcare Ministry press service reports. 6 new
swine flew cases were registered over the past 24 hours.

12 patients have been discharged from Nork’s infectious diseases
hospital. The remaining patients are placed under special care of
RA leading infectiologist Ara Asoyan. The expert gave satisfactory
assessment to patients’ current state of health.

At present laboratory research is conducted in London’s reference
laboratory, based on 5 patients’ laboratory analysis results. The
final conclusion will be provided in a month.

AMERICAN-TURKISH COUNCIL: ARMENIAN-TURKISH PROTOCOLS IMPORTANT FOR REGIONAL PEACE

news.am
Nov 17 2009
Armenia

Brent Scowcroft, Chairman of the American-Turkish Council, has arrived
in Ankara. He is visiting Turkey on the threshold of Turkish Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s visit to the United States, which
is scheduled for December 7. At his news conference, Brent Scowcroft
made his appraisal of Turkey’s domestic and foreign policy.

The Chairman of the American-Turkish Council welcomed the
democratic reforms in Turkey. He pointed out the importance of the
Armenian-Turkish protocols for establishing peace in the region.

The Council members discussed the Cypriot problem. They pointed out
that the resolution of the problem is of high importance for Turkey’s
admission to the European Union and expressed their support for Turkey.

Richard Armitage, Brent Scowcroft’s successor, made an appraisal of
the Turkish-Israel relations, pointing our temporary tension.

Scowcroft stressed Turkey’s important role in the region due to its
policy in the Near East. The Council members will meet with Turkish
President Abdullah Gul, State Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Ali
Babacan, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, Defense Minister Vecdi
Gonul, and Energy Minister Taner Yildiz.

RA NSC SECRETARY ARTUR BAGHDASARIAN RECEIVES AMBASSADOR OF SWEDEN HANS-GUNNAR ADEN

NOYAN TAPAN
NOVEMBER 17, 2009
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 17, NOYAN TAPAN. Issues related to Armenia-Sweden
partnership were discussed at a November 17 meeting between RA
National Security Council Secretary Artur Baghdasarian and Ambassador
Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Sweden to RA Hans-Gunnar Aden.

A. Baghdasarian emphasized the importance of development of
Armenian-Swedish cooperation in the bilateral format, as well as
within the framework of international structures. Issues of Armenia’s
cooperation with international structures were also discussed. A.

Baghdasarian attached importance to the signing of the associated
agreement with the European Union in the context of further deepening
of RA-EU relations.

According to the RA NSC Secretary Press Service, the interlocutors
exchanged thoughts over regional problems, in particular,
Armenian-Turkish relations and Nagorno Karabakh problem.

PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V.Rev.Fr.Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Director
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: [email protected]
Web:

PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon

THE ARMENIAN CHURCH PARTICIPATES IN THE ANNUAL MEETING OF THE SECRETARIES OF
CHRISTIAN WORLD COMMUNIONS

11-15 November 2009, the Secretaries of Christian World Communions (CWCs)
met at Canterbury, London. Around thirty persons representing the major
Christian families attended the meeting. His Grace Bishop Nareg Alamezian
the Ecumenical Officer represented the Armenian Church.

In his report to the meeting, Bishop Nareg informed the participants of the
ecumenical and interreligious work of the Catholicosate, and the theological
dialogue between the three Oriental churches under the auspices of the
Meeting of the Heads of the Oriental Orthodox Churches.

While in Canterbury he met with the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan
Williams and transmitted the greetings of His Holiness Aram I. He also met
with Revd. Alyson Barnett Cowan Director of Ecumenical Relations of the
Anglican Consultative Council, and exchanged views on ecumenical relations.

##
The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the Ecumenical
activities of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer to the web page of
the Catholicosate, The Cilician
Catholicosate, the administrative center of the church is located in
Antelias, Lebanon.

ARMENTEL LAUNCHES "HI LINE WITHOUT BORDERS" CAMPAIGN WITH FREE CONNECTION TO INTERNET AND LOW PRICES OF MODEMS

ArmInfo
2009-11-17 15:17:00

ArmInfo. ArmenTel announces the launch of "Hi Line without borders"
campaign that will last till 31 December 2009. Within the frames
of the campaign, the connection to internet via ADSL-service Hi
Line will be free. As regards the modem prices, the modem will be
provided free of charge in case of connection to the tariff plan Hi
Line Unlimited 1024. The modem will cost 4800 AMD in case of connection
to the tariff plan Hi Line Unlimited 512; and it will cost 7200 AMD in
case of connection to Hi line Unlimited 256. After activation of the
service within the next 3 months, it will be possible to change the
tariff plan only in case of transition to a higher speed tariff. To
connect to the campaign it is necessary to fill in an application
at

To recall, ArmenTel (Beeline trademark) started providing Hi Line
service by ADSL technology since 2007. The service has been available
in the regions of Armenia since the beginning of 2009.

NAGORNO-KARABAKH MUST BE RESOLVED IN OLD FORMAT: RUSSIAN FM

armradio.am
17.11.2009 17:12

Conflicts addressed by the OSCE should be resolved in the previously
agreed upon format, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told
Trend News.

"Conflicts, such as Nagorno-Karabakh, Transnistria and Kosovo should
be resolved in the previously adopted format," he said.

‘DISAGREEMENTS OUTWEIGH AGREEMENTS IN US-TURKISH TIES,’ SAYS DIPLOMAT

Hurriyet Daily News
Nov 15 2009

Philip Gordon, assistant secretary for the U.S. State Department’s
Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs

The growing number of disagreements over global and regional
affairs between Turkey and the United States signals a "bumpy road"
to Washington, D.C., for Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan
in early December.

The deterioration in ties between the two allies was obvious during
Philip Gordon’s trip to Ankara last week. At a press conference held
here, the assistant secretary for the Bureau of European and Eurasian
Affairs hinted that "there were more points of disagreement than of
agreement with Turkey."

As Gordon put it, the diplomatic agenda shared by the two NATO allies
is "vast," ranging from Iran’s nuclear program to the Nagorno-Karabakh
settlement and from Sudan to energy-security projects. Erdogan and
U.S. President Barack Obama will review all of these issues during
their December meeting, Gordon said. The positions of the two countries
on some important international issues can be summarized as follows:

Iran

Iran is the issue on which the two countries’ views differ most.

Underestimating the concerns of the West over Iran’s controversial
nuclear program, Erdogan has argued that these concerns were just
"gossip." He also declared that as a non-permanent member of the U.N.

Security Council, Turkey would not endorse potential sanctions
against Iran.

In his very diplomatic answer on this topic, Gordon tried to emphasize
that the two countries were still working on the issue and seeking
ways to move forward. But, he said, in an indirect message to the
Turkish leadership: "It’s not a good thing to make business at the
moment with Iran. Iran needs to be assured that it has to cooperate
with the international community; otherwise it will face consequences."

Turkey and Iran signed multibillion-dollar energy agreements last week
despite strong opposition from Washington. Gordon said Thursday that
"Turkey’s engagement with its neighbors was neither surprising nor
concerning," but also noted Washington’s expectation that Turkey
would share U.S. concerns over Iran’s nuclear program.

On the very recent idea of storing Iran’s enriched uranium in Turkey,
Gordon said "it was a good one to explore," adding that Turkey would
be a safe and secure location for such a purpose.

Sudan

Although Turkey avoided a visit to Istanbul from indicted Sudanese
President Omar al-Bashir through a last-minute interruption, Erdogan’s
denial of Darfur atrocities by saying "a Muslim can never commit
genocide" caused international reaction. When asked his thoughts
on Erdogan’s statement, Gordon, in another diplomatic twist, said,
"We have been clear with what’s going on out there" and called on
the international community to act together.

Karabakh pre-conditionality

It was the United States that most supported the reconciliation process
between Turkey and Armenia. Reiterating Washington’s backing of the
process, Gordon said: "We’d like to see the move forward for the
ratification of the protocols and implementation… and the opening
of the border."

But for Gordon, Turkey’s move to put the settlement of the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict before the ratification of the protocols
is not correct. "We do not link the two issues," he said. "Turkey and
Armenia moving forward is a very positive development and should not
be linked with anything else."

Turkey-Israel

The cooling in ties between Turkey and Israel is another concern for
the United States. "Americans watch closely Turkey’s relations with
its neighbors," Gordon said, adding that the U.S. believes that the
Turkish government’s zero-problems-with-neighbors policy should also
include Israel.

Energy security

Turkey’s recent deals with Russia, facilitating Moscow’s target of
realizing the South Stream project to block the U.S.-backed Nabucco
natural-gas pipeline, are seen with concern in the West.

Afghanistan

According to Gordon, the ideal example of Turkey-U.S. cooperation is
seen in Afghanistan. "We value Turkey’s very positive contributions,"
he said. "There are some issues [on which] we have disagreements, but
in Afghanistan we have similar points. It is a global area [where]
we are working very closely." When asked about troop contributions
from Turkey, however, Gordon said, "All countries should do more with
regard to Afghanistan."

Changing axis

Gordon said the current debate about whether or not Turkey’s axis
has been changing from West to East is an "exaggeration." Adding
that Turkey still has significant relations with the West, he said,
"We’re not always saying same things, but that’s why we have an open
dialogue with our Turkish friends."

ARMENIAN LOBBY IN WASHINGTON WILL KEEP TURKEY IN LINE: JEWISH TRIBUNE

news.am
Nov 16 2009
Armenia

Eli Shaked, Israeli Former Ambassador to Turkey, is not alarmed with
"Worrisome trend of Turkey’s souring relationship with Israel,"
Jewish Tribune article as of Nov 12. reads.

According to him, "Turkey’s anger at Israel and its embracing Syria
and Iran is a tactical, not a strategic, move. Nonetheless, on the
very day that Shaked made his observations, a Turkish mob threw eggs
at the present ambassador, Gabi Levy. A few days before, Turkey signed
a US $10 million oil refinement deal with Iran, in defiance of the
US call for sanctions," the source reads.

Shaked explained that Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu is
backing neo-Ottomanism which "favors a common market with its Muslim
neighbors."

The paper quotes Shaked saying that Davutoglu "aspires to transform
Turkey into a superpower and enhance its military and economic
strengths while avoiding conflict with its neighbors."

"Turkey recently restored diplomatic ties with Armenia, its eastern
neighbor and century-old enemy. This in turn upset Turkey’s cordial
relationship with Azerbaijan, which disputes territory occupied by
its Armenian neighbor. In the past, Turkey performed joint military
exercises with the Jewish state. However, Turkey’s Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused Israel of war crimes during its Cast
Lead operations in Gaza. Yet Ankara never condemned Hamas for firing
rockets into Israel’s south," Jewish Tribune says.

Shaked maintained that Turkey’s thrashing over Israel "is merely a
way of expressing its frustration at not being admitted to the EU."

He also underlined that "whether the Turkish PM is an antisemite is
less significant. What is more important is whether Erdogan will
restore its economic and military ties with Israel. Other Turkish
leaders were anti-Semitic but knew how to hide it," the source
quotes Shaked.

The paper concludes saying that "despite Turkey’s dampened relations
with Israel, Shaked feels that Europe’s castigating Turkey for
its human rights violations, along with a strong Armenian lobby in
Washington, will keep Turkey in line."

AZERBAIJAN SHOULD SET TIME LIMIT FOR SETTLEMENT OF KARABAKH CONFLICT: MP

Today
html
Nov 16 2009
Azerbaijan

"Azerbaijan should recover the Armenia-occupied lands as a first step
and then determine status of Karabakh," member of Azerbaijani Milli
Majlis (parliament) Jamil Hasanli said.

Intensification of negotiations is not due to the activities of the
OSCE Minsk Group. The Minks Group aims to maintain status-quo and
make Azerbaijan reconcile with it, the MP said.

"If to look closely at this situation, we can see a purposeful
demonstration Azerbaijan’s will in the Karabakh issue. Turkey has
also recently intensified efforts in the region. Finally, after the
war in Georgia in August 2008, the Western countries understood how
dangerous are the frozen conflicts in the Caucasus. Intensification
of the negotiations on the Karabakh issue is due to these factors,"
Hasanli said.

"The fact that Azerbaijan solves the Karabakh issue through peaceful
means in international organizations does not mean that we accept the
current status-quo forever. The current situation is good for Armenia.

Therefore, Azerbaijan should recover the Armenia-occupied territories
as a first step and then determine the status of Karabakh. Currently,
Armenia is engaged in outrageous policy of bargaining occupied areas
around the former Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region in exchange for
recognition of the status of Karabakh," he added.

Azerbaijani MP also commented on a statement by Special Representative
for the Caucasus Peter Semneby who said that the current status-quo
in the Karabakh issue is not favorable for Armenia.

"Semneby possiblly meant that the Karabakh problem adversely affects
international image of Armenia. I think the main mistake of the West
and MG is that they equalize an occupier country and a country which
is a victim of occupation,’ Hasanli said.