Author: Kanayan Tamar

LE PRESIDENT ARMENIEN DEMANDE D’ARRETER DE BROLER DES DRAPEAUX HONGROIS
Stephane

armenews.com
mercredi 5 septembre 2012

Le president armenien a demande mardi aux citoyens de son pays
de cesser de brûler des drapeaux hongrois pour protester contre
l’extradition de l’assassin azeri d’un soldat armenien.

” Je tiens a m’adresser a notre societe, en particulier aux jeunes,
et leur demande de s’abstenir de brûler des drapeaux hongrois, parce
que le drapeau de la Hongrie n’est pas le drapeau du parti au pouvoir,
et non pas le symbole du premier ministre ” a declare le president
Serge Sarkissian.

” Une personne ou un parti ne doivent pas devenir un motif de
l’hostilite envers tous les Hongrois. Bien sûr, nous devons exprimer
notre protestation, mais cela ne doit pas nous amener a nous trahir
nous-memes et nos valeurs ” a-t-il ajoute.

L’UE PREOCCUPEE PAR LES TENSIONS EN GEORGIE AVANT LES ELECTIONS
Stephane

armenews.com
mercredi 5 septembre 2012

L’Union europeenne a exprime lundi sa preoccupation face a la montee
des tensions en Georgie a l’approche des elections legislatives du
1er octobre, une echeance qu’elle considère comme une etape cruciale
dans l’evolution democratique du jeune Etat.

La chef de la diplomatie europeenne, Catherine Ashton, et le
commissaire charge de l’elargissement, Stefan Fule, appellent “a
la fois le gouvernement et l’opposition a assurer l’emergence d’un
environnement pacifique et propice” pour la campagne electorale. “Nous
sommes preoccupes par la montee de la polarisation et de la tension
dans ce contexte – les elections doivent etre consacrees aux programmes
politiques et aux idees”, precisent-ils dans un communique.

“La loi electorale doit etre respectee, et appliquee dans un sens
qui conforte la confiance dans l’equite du processus electoral et du
respect de la loi”, ajoutent-ils.

Les elections du 1er octobre vont principalement opposer le parti
au pouvoir, le Mouvement national unifie du president Mikheïl
Saakachvili, et la coalition d’opposition “Reve georgien” dirigee
par le milliardaire Bidzina Ivanichvili.

Les tensions ont notamment ete exacerbees par la condamnation debut
août de M. Ivaichvili, l’homme le plus riche du pays, a une amende
de 12,3 millions de dollars (10 millions d’euros) pour infraction a
la loi electorale.

Dans leur communique, Mme Ashton et M. Fule soulignent que “ces
elections seront cruciales quant a la poursuite de l’evolution
democratique de la Georgie” et qu’elles “fixeront la base de la
qualite et de l’intensite de nos relations a l’avenir”.

“La Georgie est un partenaire important pour l’Union europeenne”,
indiquent-ils, en reaffirmant leur determination “a renforcer les
relations très dynamiques” entre Tbilissi et Bruxelles.

Les deux dirigeants reitèrent par ailleurs “le fort soutien de l’UE
a l’integrite territoriale de la Georgie”, quelques jours après des
affrontements entre la police et un groupe arme venu de Russie qui
ont fait 14 morts.

Les legislatives seront suivies par une election presidentielle en
2013, soit une decennie après l’arrivee au pouvoir du pro-occidental
Mikheïl Saakachvili, reelu en janvier 2008.

ARMAVIA ANNULE SES VOLS VERS LA SYRIE
Stephane

armenews.com
mercredi 5 septembre 2012

Citant des menaces de la part des rebelles syriens, la compagnie
aerienne Armavia a suspendu lundi ses vols reguliers entre Erevan et
Alep qui ont permis a des centaines d’armeniens de fuir la Syrie ces
recentes semaines.

La porte-parole d’Armavia, Nana Avetisova, a dit au service armenien
de RFE/RL (Azatutyun.am) que la compagnie prend très au serieux les
menaces de l’opposition l’Armee Libre de Syrie d’abattre les avions
entrant dans le pays.

Nana Avetisova a dit qu’Armavia a ete incapable d’entrer en contact
avec les autorites de l’aviation du côte syrien pour evaluer les
risques sur la securite. Elle a dit qu’elle espère maintenant recevoir
des informations appropriees et le conseil du Ministère armenine des
Affaires Etrangères.

Le porte-parole du Ministère des Affaires Etrangères, Tigran Balayan, a
dit au service armenien de RFE/RL (Azatutyun.am) que les fonctionnaires
du ministère examinent maintenant la question.

Armavia figure jusqu’a present parmi les rares compagnies aeriennes
etrangères survolant la Syrie.

En attendant, le nombre de morts parmi les armeniens de syrie a
continue a monter. Selon le Diocèse de Syrie de l’Eglise Apostolique
Armenienne, une femme, Lusaber Yakubian, a ete tue et trois autres
armeniens blesses dans l’explosion d’une bombe a Damas.

Une douzaine d’armeniens de syrie ont ete tues dans le pays depuis
le debut du soulèvement contre le President Bashar Al-Assad il y a
17 mois.

EURONEST PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY: DISCUSSION AROUND RAMIL SAFAROV AIMS TO JUSTIFY OCCUPATION OF AZERBAIJANI TERRITORIES BY ARMENIA

Azerbaijan Business Center
Sept 6 2012

Baku, Fineko/abc.az. The head of Azerbaijani representation in Euronest
Parliamentary Assembly, Elhan Suleymanov, applied to the leaders of the
Assembly with expression of the position of the Azerbaijani delegation
to the Euronest-PA, with regard to the issue of Ramil Safarov.

“Firstly, whereas this case may have raised some emotional reactions,
it is obvious that from a legal point of view – being confirmed by
all international authorities – the transfer of Ramil Safarov by
Hungary to Azerbaijan was carried out under the “European Convention
on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons”, to which both countries are
signatories.

Secondly, Article 12 of the above-mentioned European Convention
allows explicitly any member country to grant pardon, amnesty or
commutation of the sentence in accordance with its Constitution or
national legislation (in casu, the Constitution of the Republic of
Azerbaijan, Article 109.22).

Thus, the transfer procedure as well as the subsequent pardon is in
full conformity with the European Convention and all international
legal standards,” Suleymanov writes.

He also emphasized that whereas the Azerbaijani lieutenant Ramil
Safarov spent eight years in prison, not one single Armenian was
ever prosecuted for killing thousands of Azerbaijani civilians since
twenty years.

“The international community never condemned this Armenian violence
and even remained totally indifferent to any Azerbaijani complaint
in this regard.

The debate on the Ramil Safarov case launched currently by Armenia in
the international area has the only goal to consolidate the illegal
Armenian presence in the occupied territories and to reject the demand
of international organizations (UN, PACE, EP, OSCE, etc) to withdraw
their armed forces unconditionally from these territories. We note with
regret that the incident of Ramil Safarov and the continuous killing
of Azerbaijani civilians by Armenians are the results of the non-
implementation by Armenia of the resolutions of the above mentioned
international organizations,” Suleymanov stated.

DECISION TO SUSPEND RELATIONS WITH HUNGARY NOT TO AFFECT ARMENIA-EU TALKS

Trend
Sept 6 2012
Azerbaijan

The decision to suspend diplomatic relations with Hungary will not
affect the negotiations of Armenia with the European Union over the
Association Agreement, Anca Paduraru – spokesman of the EU Commissioner
for Enlargement and Neighbourhood Policy Stefan Fule told Mediamax.

On August 31, Armenia ceased diplomatic relations with Hungary, after
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev pardoned Ramil Safarov extradited
to Azerbaijan.

Ramil Safarov was convicted in Hungary to life imprisonment for the
murder in 2004 of an Armenian officer, with whom he underwent in
Budapest training of the NATO “Partnership for Peace” program.

Azerbaijani officer Ramil Safarov, who was convicted in Hungary,
returned on Friday to Azerbaijan. The same day, under an order of
the head of state, he was pardoned.

Ramil Safarov was born on August 25, 1977 in the Jabrail region
of Azerbaijan. Safarov 34, who participated in NATO exercises in
2004 in Hungary, was charged with the murder of Armenian officer
Gurgen Margaryan, who insulted the Azerbaijani flag. As the result
of the verdict by the Budapest court, Safarov was sentenced to life
imprisonment without the right of pardon during 30 years.

TURKEY NOT INVOLVED IN ANY PHASE OF AZERBAIJAN-ARMENIA TENSION

Anadolu Agency (AA)
September 5, 2012 Wednesday
Turkey

Turkish spokesman has said that efforts to make Turkey a target in
a recent tension between Azerbaijan and Armenia was a new defamation
campaign against Turkey.

ANKARA

Turkish spokesman has said that efforts to make Turkey a target in
a recent tension between Azerbaijan and Armenia was a new defamation
campaign against Turkey.

Turkey was not involved in any phase of recent tension between
Azerbaijan and Armenia, Foreign Ministry spokesman Selcuk Unal said
on Wednesday.

Ramil Safarov who killed Armenian soldier Gurgen Markarian at a
military academy in Budapest in 2004 was sentenced to life imprisonment
and then he was transferred from Hungary to Azerbaijan.

Later he was given an official pardon by President Ilham Aliyev after
returning to his country.

Unal said that reactions by Armenian diaspora in the United States
over the issue were directed towards Turkey, stating that Turkey was
not involved in any phase of it. Some malicious circles tried to make
Turkey a target and it was another defamation campaign against Turkey,
he added.

AZERBAIJAN DELIVERS NOTE TO HUNGARY

Journal of Turkish Weekly
Sept 6 2012

Azerbaijan has delivered to Hungary a note which stated that Ramil
Safarov was released in accordance with Azerbaijani legislation and
international norms, Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry spokesman Elman
Abdullayev said at a briefing on Thursday.

The note, according to the spokesman, also noted that the country’s
constitution gives the president of Azerbaijan exclusive right
to pardon.

“Procedure for transfer and pardon of Safarov was made in accordance
with Azerbaijani and international law,” Abdullayev said.

He said Safarov’s matter should be considered in the context of the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, as Safarov witnessed ethnic cleansing by
Armenia against the Azerbaijani population.

Azerbaijani officer Ramil Safarov, who was convicted in Hungary,
returned to Azerbaijan on Aug. 31. The same day, under an order of
the head of state, he was pardoned.

Ramil Safarov was born on August 25, 1977 in the Jabrail region
of Azerbaijan. Safarov 34, who participated in NATO exercises in
2004 in Hungary, was charged with the murder of Armenian officer
Gurgen Margaryan, who insulted the Azerbaijani flag. As the result
of the verdict by the Budapest court, Safarov was sentenced to life
imprisonment without the right of pardon during 30 years.

Immediately after the Azerbaijani officer’s release, Armenian President
Serzh Sargsyan announced that Armenia suspends diplomatic relations
and all official contacts with Hungary.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian
armed forces have occupied 20 per cent of Azerbaijan since 1992,
including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The
co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group – Russia, France and the U.S. –
are currently holding peace negotiations.

Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council’s four
resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the
surrounding regions.

Thursday, 6 September 2012 Source: Trend AZ

OPENING REMARKS BY NATO SECRETARY GENERAL ANDERS FOGH RASMUSSEN AT THE JOINT PRESS CONFERENCE WITH THE PRESIDENT OF ARMENIA, MR. SERZH SARGSYAN

NATO

Sept 6 2012

My visit to Armenia shows that NATO is and will remain committed to
the South Caucasus region. And we highly value the relationship we
have developed with Armenia over the years.

We appreciate your constant support for our mission in Afghanistan.

Last year, you have more than doubled your contribution to ISAF. And
recently you have once again joined our operation in Kosovo. Your
troops and your trainers are doing a great job, and you can be proud
of their professionalism.

Your country’s contributions to NATO-led operations mean that Armenian
personnel have received valuable training and peacekeeping experience.

This is important in developing your own peacekeeping capabilities,
an effort in which NATO is providing significant support.

An important priority in our partnership has been civil defence and
disaster response.

We have also established good cooperation and dialogue on defence
reform, and we encourage you to stay the course. NATO is ready to
continue to assist.

NATO and Armenia share many political priorities and security
interests. We have achieved a great deal together, in Afghanistan
and in Kosovo. This is the time to build on our success. To deepen
the practical experience that our military forces have gained in the
years of cooperation. And to explore what more we can do together to
face the security challenges of the 21st century.

So Armenia is a valuable partner for NATO. And NATO is a valuable
partner for Armenia. We now have an opportunity to build an even
stronger partnership for the future. It’s an opportunity we must
seize. Because we all have to gain, and so does the region as a whole.

NATO UPSET BY AZERBAIJAN KILLER’S PARDON

SBS News
Sept 7 2012
Australia

NATO’s head says he is “deeply concerned” about the pardon granted
to an Azerbaijan soldier who hacked an Armenian officer to death.

NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen says he is “deeply
concerned” about the pardoning of a Azerbaijani soldier who axed an
Armenian officer to death during a NATO training course.

“The act he committed in 2004 was a terrible crime and should not be
glorified,” Rasmussen said on Thursday in a speech at Yerevan State
University during a visit to Armenia.

Azerbaijani lieutenant Ramil Safarov was extradited to Baku last week
from Hungary, where he had been serving a life sentence for hacking
the Armenian officer to death.

Safarov was immediately pardoned and promoted to the rank of major
after returning home to a hero’s welcome, in defiance of assurances
from Baku to Budapest that he would serve out his term in Azerbaijan.

The issue has inflamed tensions between ex-Soviet foes Armenia and
Azerbaijan which are locked in an unresolved conflict over the disputed
territory of Nagorny Karabakh where they fought a war in the 1990s.

“The pardon damages trust and doesn’t contribute to the peace process,”
Rasmussen said.

“Tensions must be reduced and concrete steps must be taken to promote
regional co-operation and reconciliation.”

Rasmussen said he would convey the same message to Azerbaijan when
he visits Baku on Friday.

More than 1000 young Armenians demonstrated outside the university
where Rasmussen was speaking, chanting “Shame” and “We demand justice”.

Armenia has broken off diplomatic links with Hungary over the
extradition and subsequent pardon, which has also sparked concern in
Washington, Brussels and Moscow.

At a press conference with Rasmussen later on Thursday, Armenian
President Serzh Sarkisian said: “Azerbaijan’s shameful act seriously
endangers the security of the entire south Caucasus.”

Armenia and Azerbaijan have not signed a peace deal since the 1994
Karabakh ceasefire and there are still frequent gun battles along
the frontline.

ARMENIAN PARLIAMENT BREAKS TIES WITH HUNGARY

Sydney Morning Herald
Sept 7 2012
Australia

Armenia’s Parliament has terminated all ties with Hungary’s legislators
to protest the country’s decision to repatriate an Azerbaijani military
officer who murdered an Armenian soldier in 2004.

The officer, Lt. Ramil Safarov, was sentenced to life for killing the
Armenian while both were attending a NATO course in Hungary. After
being freed, the officer was pardoned upon returning home Friday.

Hours later, Armenia broke diplomatic relations with Hungary.

Armenia’s Parliament voted 96-1 on Wednesday night to end ties with
Hungary’s Parliament, saying in a statement that Hungarian authorities
“are also responsible” for the pardoning.

Tensions are strong between Armenia and Azerbaijan over
Nagorno-Karabakh, a region of Azerbaijan controlled by Armenian troops
and ethnic Armenian forces since 1994. International negotiators said
the pardoning harms peace efforts there.

On Thursday U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon implicitly criticized
Azerbaijan for pardoning and freeing Safarov, despite having promised
Hungary that his life sentence would be enforced. U.N. spokesman
Martin Nesirky expressed Ban’s concern in New York. Nesirky quoted
Ban as saying all U.N. members have a responsibility “to adhere to
international standards and principles of rule of law in criminal
cases in order to ensure accountability and fight impunity.”

The spokesman said the U.N. hopes the incident won’t damage the peace
process regarding Nagorno-Karabakh.

Meanwhile, an Armenian security expert said that Armenia’s government
and media websites were under cyber-attacks Thursday that originated
from thousands of infected computers located outside the country.

Ruben Muradian said the DDoS, or Denial of Service, attacks came from
some 80,000 computers located “in Asia.”

Armenian political analyst Samwel Martirosian claimed that Azeri
authorities “undoubtedly” were behind the attacks conducted by hackers
hired in Turkey, Pakistan, India and Vietnam.

DDoS attacks occur when a website is overwhelmed by malicious messages
carried out by thousands of followers, usually with easily downloadable
software.

___

Edith M. Lederer contributed from the United Nations.