Author: Kanayan Tamar

ARMENIAN PARLIAMENTARIAN BEWILDERED AT ACTIVITY OF HEADS OF ARMENIAN REPRESENTATIONS ABROAD

arminfo
Wednesday, September 5, 15:22

The Government of Hungary represented by Prime Minister Viktor
Orban with his eccentric behavior has already annoyed the European
community, Vahan Hovhannisyan, MP representing ARFD Party, said at
the extraordinary session of the Armenian Parliament on Wednesday,
when commenting on ARFD’s stance on the draft statement of the Armenian
National Assembly on Ramil Safarov’s case.

Both the attempts to make amendments not meeting European values to
the Constitution and the migration processes are in question, he said.

Hungary’s neighbors, Serbia and Slovakia, have already got tired
of the constant protests to European structures against Budapest’s
actions. Even Prime Minister Orban is qualified in Europe as a
dictator. Naturally, by his methods of governance and actions Viktor
Orban is quite similar to President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev,
which should not be surprising for Yerevan. It is noteworthy that
the so-called reform conducted in Hungary led to EU sanctions against
Budapest, which, in turn, resulted in a financial crisis. To overcome
it, Hungary needed Azerbaijan’s assistance. Nevertheless, even the
countries that have got boredwith the Government of Hungary failed to
support Armenia. Romania, Slovakia and Serbia are in question, he said.

The parliamentarian explained that Armenia as a subject is not
interesting to any country. Only the U.S. President expressed
discontent at the incident. Official Yerevan should learn something
from all this and be cautious. For instance, Hovhannisyan said, the
German press has misinterpreted the Armenian president’s statement
and arrived at a conclusion that Armenia threatens Azerbaijan with war.

All this means that Yerevan must tackle the work with the European and
other press. In this light, the parliamentarian expressed bewilderment
at activity of the heads of Armenians representations in abroad,
who must work not only with the press but also with parliamentarians,
including the German parliamentarians.

He is concerned over the stance of many countries and international
structures that again placed Armenia and Azerbaijan on the same shelf
and called them to stop militarist statements and not aggravate the
situation. It is very important to mention that fact in the text of
the statement, Vahan Hovhannisyan said. “I do not mean Aliyev, who we
must speak with in quite different field. I mean European structures,”
the parliamentarian said. The text of the statement must contain also
a provision on the stance of the OSCE MG, he said.

Earlier on August 31 the Armenian authorities adopted a decision to
suspend diplomatic relations and official contacts with Hungary.

President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan made public the decision at a
special meeting with the heads of diplomatic missions on Friday after
the Hungarian authorities extradited Azeri officer Ramil Safarov,
who was sentenced by a Hungarian court to life in jail for killing
sleeping Armenian officer Gurgen Margaryan with an axe in Budapest
in 2004. Both the officers were undergoing an English language course
under the NATO PfP program. The same day after Safarov’s extradition,
Azeri President Ilham Aliyev decreed to pardon the criminal.

AZERI WOMAN AXES A MAN

2012-09-04 18:11:36

Brutal murder occurred in Azerbaijan, reports Vesti.az making reference
to Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs.

Resident of Yevlakhi Kenul Mamedova which was a guest at Jabrail
Ahmedov axed the man as a result of an argument.

The woman is currently under arrest.

Criminal case has been launched, investigation is underway.

SAFAROV’S THOUSAND DEATHS
YEGHISHE METSARENTS

Story from Lragir.am News:

Published: 12:13:42 – 05/09/2012

The society of Armenia, as well as the larger part of the international
community is angry with the Azeri murderer’s freedom, glorification
and promotion in military rank in the result of the deal between
Hungary and Azerbaijan.

Looking at the events from another angle, we can say that the freedom
is a worse punishment for Safarov against the background of the
current events and in the geopolitical and political context.

There was information that the authorities of Azerbaijan take up
security measures for Safarov. His house is patrolled, his guests
are controlled.

We can only imagine how Safarov sleeps at night. Perhaps, he dreams
of the tranquil nights in the Budapest jail, waiting when he will be
killed. Ramil Safarov does not doubt that his life had a big political
value before his freedom, while after, it lost meaning. Let it not
sound cynical, but his death is gaining value.

There are already opinions that Azerbaijan may kill Safarov to put
the blame on Armenia especially after Serzh Sargsyan’s words on the
“special assignment” to the head of the security service. Russia is
also possible to kill Safarov to disperse the “shadow” of Putin’s
classmate. Turkey may kill Safarov too before Russia does. Whoever
may kill Safarov, since no one needs him anymore. Instead, many need
his death to solve new political issues and to clear off the traces
of the old solutions.

Safarov understands this very well. He is perhaps waiting for his
killer every moment unlike his victim Gurgen Margaryan, who was not
waiting for the killer and was peacefully sleeping. Safarov can’t
sleep peacefully; his tranquil days ended in the plane to Baku. All
this is not a word picture; this is the reality in which the Azeri
murderer is living. He will consider any stranger he meets his killer;
he may even suspect whom he knows.

This is the reality and this is a human tragedy. But at the same time,
Safarov himself chose this way, taking the axe in his hand.

ARMENIAN DEPUTY FM WELCOMES THE INTERNATIONAL ASSESSMENT OF THE DISGRACEFUL AZERBAIJANI-HUNGARIAN DEAL

armradio.am
05.09.2012 12:11

Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Shavarsh Kocharyan welcomes the
international community’s negative assessment of the disgraceful
Azerbaijani-Hungarian deal.

“We welcome the international community’s targeted negative assessment
of the disgraceful Azerbaijani-Hungarian deal, since those who make
incoherent “balanced” statements addressed to both sides should
realize their responsibility for the continuation of crimes committed
on the ethnic basis and the creation of an atmosphere of intolerance,”
Shavarsh Kocharyan told Novosti Armenia.

REP. ANNA G. ESHOO CONCERNED ABOUT THE RELEASE OF RAMIL SAFAROV

armradio.am
05.09.2012 12:00

Rep. Anna G. Eshoo (D-Palo Alto), Co-chair and Co-founder of the
Religious Minorities in the Middle East Caucus, released the following
statement regarding Azerbaijan’s freeing of Ramil Safarov:

“I’m deeply concerned about the release of Ramil Safarov by the
Hungarian Government. Safarov, a former Azerbaijani military officer,
was sentenced to life in prison by a Hungarian court for the murder of
Armenian Gurgen Margaryan. This brutal hate crime took place during
a 2004 NATO program and was motivated by the worst kind of ignorance
and prejudice. Safarov’s release dangerously undermines the rule
of law and peace throughout the region. The Azerbaijani government
should immediately reverse its decision to pardon Safarov.”

LE PRESIDENT DE L’APCE EXPRIME SON INQUIETUDE AU SUJET DE LA DETERIORATION SERIEUSE DES RELATIONS ENTRE L’ARMENIE ET L’AZERBAIDJAN
Stephane

armenews.com
mercredi 5 septembre 2012

” Je me joins a la condamnation internationale de cette ‘glorification’
du crime terrible que M. Safarov a commis et pour lequel il a ete
condamne par un tribunal d’un Etat membre du Conseil de l’Europe “,
a declare mercredi 5 septembre Jean-Claude Mignon, le President de
l’Assemblee parlementaire du Conseil de l’Europe (APCE).

” Sa liberation est inacceptable, et je suis extremement decu par
l’utilisation abusive d’un instrument juridique du Conseil de l’Europe
dans cette affaire “.

” Cette liberation scandaleuse a des consequence très negatives sur
les relations, deja très tendues, entre l’Armenie et l’Azerbaïdjan
et risque de destabiliser davantage la situation dans la region.

J’appelle donc les autorites azerbaïdjanaises a reconsiderer leur
position en conformite avec les standards et l’esprit du Conseil de
l’Europe “, a conclu M. Mignon.

KAREN HILLIARD SWORN IN AS MISSION DIRECTOR TO ARMENIA

The FINANCIAL

Sept 5 2012
Georgia

The FINANCIAL — Dr. Karen Hilliard was sworn in today as the
new Mission Director for Armenia for the United States Agency for
International Development. Deputy Administrator Donald Steinberg
administered the oath of office.

As Director of the Mission, Dr. Hilliard will have the primary
responsibility for overseeing programs that aim to increase
development, strengthen democratic institutions, governance, and
civil society, and improve the quality of health and social services.

A 24-year veteran of the Foreign Service, Dr. Hilliard holds the rank
of Counselor. From January through June 2012, she served as Acting
USAID Representative to Mongolia and, from 2007-2011, as Mission
Director to Jamaica. She also served as Director of the Office of
Strategic Planning and Budgeting for the Agency’s Bureau for Global
Health in Washington from 2006-2007, and Deputy Regional Director
for Ukraine , Moldova and Belarus from 2003-2006. In addition, she
served at posts in Haiti, Malawi, Nicaragua, Oman and Egypt.

As USAID reported, prior to joining the Foreign Service, Dr. Hilliard
was Assistant Professor of Public Administration at Florida
State University. She has published numerous articles on public
administration and international development.

Dr. Hilliard holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Northern Illinois
University as well as Master’s degrees in Public Administration and
Latin American Studies and a Ph.D. in Political Science from the
University of New Mexico. She is a former Fulbright Scholar.

FRANCE CONCERNED AS ARMENIAN-AZERBAIJANI TENSIONS RISE

Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)
September 4, 2012 Tuesday

PARIS, Sept 4 (KUNA) — The French government expressed concern
over the impact of the official pardon of an Azeri national after he
murdered an Armenian officer eight years ago, a crime for which he
was convicted in 2006.

The Azeri authorities announced August 31 that they were releasing
the individual who was initially tried and convicted in Hungary before
being extradited to Azerbaijan.

Armenia has vociferously protested the pardon and said “it is ready
to go to war” over the case.

The latest tensions follow on months of serious incidents on the
Azerbaijan-Armenian border, with violent clashes leaving a number of
dead, mainly among the Armenian armed forces.

France and the other co-presidents of the Minsk Group, which also
includes Russia and the United States, have undertaken active diplomacy
to try to defuse the crisis and brought Foreign Ministers from both
countries to Paris in July.

“France, which is strongly committed in favour of a peaceful solution
to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, as are the other co-presidents of
the Minsk group, considers that this (pardon) decision risk gravely
damaging the negotiations and the establishment of a climate of
confidence between the two parties,” a statement said late Monday.

Armenia and Azerbaijan both claim the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave and
clash regularly in this dispute and have once gone to all-out war
over the territory. (end) jk.hb KUNA 040915 Sep 12NNNN

YEREVAN RULES OUT ANKARA’S MEDIATION OF KARABAKH CONFLICT

Interfax
Sept 4 2012
Russia

Turkey cannot act as a mediator in the Armenia-Azerbaijan talks over
resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh crisis, Armenian Foreign Minister
Eduard Nalbandian said.

“Any mediation or attempts to mediate by Turkey in this issue is ruled
out,” Nalbandian told a press conference held jointly with Argentine
Foreign Minister Hector Timerman in Yerevan on Tuesday.

In late August Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmed Davutoglu expressed
Turkey’s wish to host talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan in Istanbul.

“What does this proposal mean? That the numerous meetings held over
Nagorno-Karabakh in various countries and more recently in a number
of Russian cities failed to lead to the expected result just because
they were not held in Istanbul?” Nalbandian said.

Turkish mediation or attempts to mediate issues concerning its
neighbors “have never produced a positive result, but rather the
opposite,” he said.

“It was stated on many occasions, including by our country, that
on this issue Turkey does not have a mediating role,” the Armenian
foreign minister said.

OSCE MINSK GROUP CO-CHAIRS MEET ARMENIAN, AZERBAIJANI FOREIGN MINISTERS

ITAR-TASS
September 3, 2012 Monday 10:18 PM GMT+4
Russia

The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group (Ambassadors Robert Bradtke of
the United States of America, Igor Popov of the Russian Federation,
and Jacques Faure of France) and the Personal Representative of
the OSCE Chairperson-in-office, Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk, met on
September 2 with the Foreign Minister of Armenia, Edward Nalbandian,
and on September 3 with the Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan, Elmar
Mammadyarov, to address recent events in the region and efforts to
peacefully resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the Organisation
for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) said in a press release
on Monday, September 3.

“The Co-Chairs discussed with the two Ministers the August 31 decision
of the Government of Azerbaijan to pardon Ramil Safarov, an Azerbaijani
army officer who had been serving a life sentence in Hungary for the
brutal 2004 murder of an Armenian officer in Budapest.

They expressed their deep concern and regret for the damage the pardon
and any attempts to glorify the crime have done to the peace process
and trust between the sides,” the press release said.

The Co-Chairs reiterated to both Ministers that, as their Presidents
stated in Los Cabos on June 19, there is no alternative to a peaceful
settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. They will continue to
maintain contacts with the sides to reduce tensions and advance the
peace process.