Author: Karakhanian Suren

ARMENIAN POLITICIANS HAVE GREAT EXPECTATIONS FROM US ELECTIONS
Anna Nazaryan

"Radiolur"
05.11.2008 14:51

With Barack Obama’s election as US President the foreign policy of the
US, including that towards Armenia, will be continuous, US Ambassador
Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Armenia Marie Yovanovitch
said during today’s reception. "There are more similarities than
differences between approaches of the Democrats and the Republicans
with regard to the foreign policy of the United States. Both Democrats
and Republicans stably support the democratic development of Armenia
and the economic reforms.

Representatives of both forces support the Karabakh conflict settlement
within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group. Both Republicans
and Democrats back the reconciliation between Armenia and Turkey,
the opening of the border, establishment of diplomatic relations,"
Marie Yovanovitch said.

Asked about the change in US policy regarding the recognition of the
Armenian Genocide, the Ambassador said we should wait and see what
the new President and his team will do.

The president elect will assume office in January 2009. Marie
Yovanovitch said the elections were historic for the US. She noted
that the contradiction of the whites and the black can be considered
overcome.

"This means that irrespective of the fact whether the person was born
and lived in the US or is a child of migrant parents can become US
President," she noted.

"We are satisfied with the Armenian-American relations, which are
currently on a high institutional level. We hope that we will work
together with the new Administration to strengthen and develop those
relations," Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Arman Kirakosyan said. In
his words, the United States plays an important role in providing
technical assistance to Armenia. The US assistance to Armenia currently
measures over $1 billion 800 million. Armenia will uphold the relations
with the US on all levels: political dialogue and economic relations.

According to the Deputy Foreign Minister, the election results were a
brilliant victory for Americans, since Obama’s principles and novelties
of domestic policy will have a great influence on the development
of the country and the prosperity of people. The foreign policy
will also be based on new principles: there will be a "new breath,"
which will contribute to ensuring peace and stability in the world,
peaceful settlement of different conflicts and wars.

Head of the ARF Dashnaktsutyun faction Vahan Hovhannisyan connects
great hopes with the broad outlook of the Democrats. He is assured
that we should make greater efforts to present Armenia and interests
of the Armenians to the new US Administration.

Member of the Prosperous Armenia Party Naira Zohrabyan also has great
expectations from the president elect.

Republican MP Armen Ashotyan is optimistic about the development of
Armenian-American relations.

Representative of the Armenian National Congress David Shahnazaryan
also considers that Obama’s victory will bring about a positive
breakthrough in the region, but he is not sure that the United States
will recognize the Armenian Genocide.

PERHAPS SERGE SARGSYAN WILL BE GIVEN NO TIME TO RESIGN
Hakob Badalyan

Lragir.am
12:39:34 – 05/11/2008

Now when considerable foreign political developments have taken
place which related one way or another to Armenia, and Armenia has
one way or another participated in them, including the meeting and
declaration on the settlement of the Karabakh conflict, it is evident
what the foreign policy of initiative means about which the president
of Armenia Serge Sargsyan had stated. This initiative is in reality a
synonym to despair. In other words, having no resource for resistance,
even pause and neutrality, the government has to agree to any process
that will happen, the author of which will demand participation from
Armenia. In other words, the foreign policy of initiative which was
declared by the new government of Armenia means that whatever we
are told to do, we must do without thinking and having them repeat,
otherwise we may get to have serious problems.

Naturally, the government will have these problems because it is the
government that has no resource to avoid undesirable processes. It is
clear that in the case when you have to become an actor in the scripts
of others, the best and perhaps the optimal way out is to relax and get
pleasure, producing the impression that what you do is voluntary and
even at your own initiative. Like when, for instance, Serge Sargsyan
invited Abdullah Gul to Armenia, allegedly on his initiative. Then Gul
came and left, made statements, and Serge Sargsyan had nothing else
to do but to "clean up" the "mess" that Gul had made. In addition,
Gul still seems to be "making a mess". Serge Sargsyan who had come
up with such an initiative seems to be doing nothing else, perhaps
because he does not know what he should do. It turns out that either
the initiative stopped halfway or the other half of the script has
not been handed over to Serge Sargsyan.

Otherwise, it is difficult to explain why the Armenian side got stuck
in its field and cannot continue the initiative which was logically
expected to follow Gul’s visit. Moreover, the Armenian side even
seems to have realized that in reality everything was much of a trap,
therefore the foreign minister Nalbandyan states that if there must
be a process for the sake of the process, Armenia does not need that.

The current phase of the settlement of the Karabakh conflict is
also evidence to the desperate initiative of Armenia. It seemed
that Armenia needed that activity least of all, especially when the
Karabakh conflict has become almost a trump card in the struggle for
influence. In that case, the possibility of at least maintaining the
status quo through calm evaluation of the situation and sober decision
making, using the pause, has increases.

In other words, "initiate" as much as needed, but it is not clear
by whom and when it is needed, having a result which is unfortunate
for us.

And can Armenia avoid initiative? The current government cannot. The
point is that the current government lacks not only public, civil
but also government legitimacy. Serge Sargsyan is not only rejected
by the society, despite some primitive propaganda but also does not
control the government.

The deficit of legitimacy of Robert Kocharyan, for instance, was not
less great than Serge Sargsyan’s but since Robert Kocharyan had almost
achieved perfection in control over the government pyramid and the
situation, he was able to resist external recommendations and proposals
and reject invitations for "initiatives". On the other hand, however,
there was no Popular Movement led by Levon Ter-Petrosyan during the
presidency of Robert Kocharyan, and the opposition was in a fruitless
quest for glory and money, which Kocharyan used, regularly helping
the opposition to get the glory or money, mostly money. In all the
other cases, the fact is that Serge Sargsyan does not control not
only the public but also the government pyramid. Maybe the dynamics
of foreign developments hindered his success, which did not give him
enough time to focus on internal problems, and using that zeitnot,
they push Serge Sargsyan to cross-initiatives in foreign policies.

One way or another, it is obvious that Serge Sargsyan has appeared in
a difficult situation. And the problem is not only that they demand
Karabakh from him. Moreover, he seems unable to meet that demand, which
aggravates his situation. The problem is that they seem to demand the
whole at once from Serge Sargsyan. In addition, they demand the whole,
using his vulnerability in all aspects. Finally, besides demanding they
do not let him take his time to become stronger and create resource
for avoiding those demands, at least through so-called democratic
reforms. Unfortunately, it seems possible that soon Serge Sargsyan
will not be given time for resignation when resignation seems to be
the only way out for both him and the state.

TURKEY SUPPORTS AZERBAIJAN-ARMENIA TALKS INITIATED IN RUSSIA

Nov 5 2008
Turkey

Gul said that Turkey supports the dialog process that Azerbaijan and
Armenian signed a joint document in Russia recently.

Turkish President Abdullah Gul said Wednesday that "we are dealing
with the problems of Caucasia in a brave manner altogether."

Speaking at a joint press conference with his Azerbaijani counterpart
Ilham Aliyev in Ankara, Gul said that "Caucasian leaders display
the will to resolve problems in various platforms. This is a very
positive development."

Congratulating Aliyev for having been recently re-elected, Gul said
that "the Turkish people have been honored to welcome Aliyev in his
first foreign trip after getting re-elected."

"The presidential election in Azerbaijan was a good model for the whole
region. At a time when the Caucasus is going through an important
phase, we had a chance to discuss the regional problems extensively
with Aliyev on Wednesday," Gul said.

"It is in the interest of all in the Caucasus to develop
cooperation. Within this framework, Turkey proposed the Caucasus
Cooperation and Stability Platform. A climate of understanding via
dialog will help resolve problems in the Caucasus. I can state that
a new process began to solve the Karabagh problem," Gul stressed.

Reminding that Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian
President Serzh Sargsian signed a joint document in Russia recently,
Gul said that Turkey supports the dialog process that began in Moscow.

Gul said that Aliyev and he also discussed energy matters, including
the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline and the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum
natural gas pipeline.

"These great projects are open to the whole region and will bring
peace and stability," Gul said.

"Bilateral relations between Turkey and Azerbaijan continue at the
highest level possible," Gul also said.

CONSTRUCTION INCREASES BY 12.1% IN ARMENIA IN JANUARY-SEPTEMBER 2008 ON SAME PERIOD OF LAST YEAR

Noyan Tapan

Nov 4, 2008

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 4, NOYAN TAPAN. Construction work of 604 bln 295.4
mln drams (about 1 bln 976 mln USD), including building and assembly
work of 545 bln 744 mln drams, was done in Armenia in January-September
2008.

Construction grew by 12.1%, building and assembly work by 17.1%
in comparable prices in the indicated period on January-September 2007.

According to the RA National Statistical Service, 7.2% of construction
was carried out at the expense of the state budget, 0.1% – community
funds, 0.6% – World Bank’s credits, 1.7% – humanitarian aid, 17%
– private organizations’ resources, and 73.4% – resources of the
population.

BRYZA: ARMENIAN, AZERI PRESIDENTS SEEM COMMITTED TO TRY TO REACH A FRAMEWORK AGREEMENT

PanARMENIAN.Net
04.11.2008 16:03 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ A U.S. official said there is progress in the
efforts to resolve the long-standing Nagorno Karabakh conflict but
refrained from declaring an end to tensions in the Caucasus.

"There is a lot progress in the Nagorno Karabakh issue. There is a
lot happening. I can’t predict if or when we will succeed. But the
presidents of both Armenia and Azerbaijan seem committed to try to
reach a framework agreement now," said Matt Bryza, Deputy Assistant
Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs.

Bryza, who is the American co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group that acts
as a mediator between Armenia and Azerbaijan to resolve the conflict,
also said Turkey can play a huge role in facilitating a resolution,
helping the mediation role by maintaining strong relations with
Azerbaijan and normalizing relations with Armenia.

Although Bryza sounded optimistic on the resolution of Nagorno Karabakh
conflict, he cautioned that the tension in the Caucasus is far from
being over, Hurriyet daily reports.

A LEADING FOREIGN POLICY RESEARCHER IN "NORAVANK" FOUNDATION

"Noravank" Foundation
03 November 2008

On October 30 "Noravank" Foundation hosted the director of Foreign
Policy Institute of Diplomatic Academy of the Ukrainian Foreign
Ministry, Doctor of Political Science Grigori Perepelitsa and the
first secretary of Ukraine’s embassy to Armenia Igor Skvortsov.

The meeting participants exchanged opinions about the situation and
dynamics in South Ossetia after the Georgian-Russian war. G.Pereplitsa
presented its forecasts relating to regional conflicts, particularly
accentuating new developments in the Karabakh conflict regulating
process.

In course of the discussion the guests gave detailed description of
up-to-date home- and foreign-political developments in Ukraine and gave
their estimations to Kiev’s internal and foreign political strategies.

IS GUUAM DEAD?

cafebabel.com Nov 3 2008 France

By AriRusila on Monday, November 3 2008, 09:34 – Caucasus –
Permalink After "Cold War" US has all the while expanded its
influence post-Soviet territory with aim to guide those region’s
natural resources under US companies. As stakes have been control
over the oil and gas of the Caspian Sea/Black Sea/Caucasus basin,
and the control of multiple key energy pipelines criss-crossing
the region. Economical interests have been linked to political game
e.g. Nato enlargement. While EU has been more bystander Russia has
during last couple of years weight down the scale in favour of its
own interests by series of successful operations.

GUUAM & SRS

GUUAM (Georgia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan and Moldova) Group was
founded 1999 with help of US to foster favourable conditions conducive
to economic growth through development of an Europe-Caucasus-Asia
transport corridor. GUUAM was dominated by Anglo-American oil
interests, ultimately purports to exclude Russia from oil and gas
deposits in the Caspian area, as well as isolating Moscow politically.

>From its part GUUAM was designed to support sc. Silk Road Strategy
Act – adopted by US Cogress March 1999 – which defined America’s
broad economic and strategic interests in a region extending from the
Mediterranean to Central Asia. The Silk Road Strategy (SRS) outlines
a framework for the development of America’s business empire through
development of an Europe-Caucasus-Asia transport corridor. (More
about this in my previous article "War on Pipes" Sep. 2008, in my
Archive:Blog )

Cracks

Now GUUAM is coming to end of its short road. Already earlier
Uzbekistan withdraw from it leaving behind a stump GUAM. Then Georgia
started its aggressions with false idea of western support leading
today’s situation and possibility to escalate to "small intensity war"
between present Georgian leadership and separatist regions Abkhazia
and South-Ossetia.

Moldova was aiming towards Nato and EU but after conflict in Georgia
it started to look other alternatives. Russia has offered its help
to solve Moldova’s long term problem with Transdnistria and if a
federation model will be accepted by local stakeholders it probably
neutralizes Moldova’s position between US/EU and Russia.

Last weekend was also highlight of tendency where political attitudes
of Azerbaijan and Russia have approached each other. Russia again took
the initiative acting as a mediator between Armenia and Azerbaijan to
solve long term conflict of Nagorno-Karabakh and a common memorandum
signed 2nd November 2008 is first step of solution.

The last piece of GUUAM is Ukraine, which is deeply divided pro-Russian
East and pro-Nato/EU West. When political struggle now has made
cracks also inside western orientated part also this last fortress
has degenerated to stagnation.

KO

Parallel with Russia’s able foreign policy the US actions have been
short-sighted, weak and fruitless. Waiting for elections and financial
turmoil have took their part but in energy sector also some states
in South-America have now more independent and selfish position than
before. Same time Iraq occupation is coming to end when also Alaska
can keep its energy reserves when new US President takes his office the
perspectives of US energy giants are more foggy than for a long time.

If one would like to see a bright side with this depression – or
even knock out – of US foreign/energy policy it could be the need to
reduce pollutions and to support alternative energy solutions which
at global scale could help to deal with clima change.

Armenian Public TV
Oct 24 2008

Armenian opposition MPs welcome fact-finding group to probe March
riots

[Presenter] The country’s ombudsman and political forces today
welcomed the establishment of a fact-finding group under a decree of
President Serzh Sargsyan with the purpose of helping the temporary
parliamentary commission to study the 1 March [post-election
disturbances] events. Even the opposition is content with the
principle of its establishment and activity. In this regard a
representative of the Heritage [parliamentary faction] noted that it
could be a belated but necessary step.

[Correspondent] The Heritage faction came to briefings today almost in
full representation and each of them stressed that they would put
forward their personal opinions. The assessment of the fact-finding
group established under the president’s decree was the following: the
step was a necessary one and the format a balanced one.

[A member of the Heritage faction, Stepan Safaryan, speaking at a
briefing] It is a praiseworthy step, albeit a belated one.

[A member of the Heritage faction , Armen Martirosyan, speaking at a
briefing] I believe that the format is balanced: two people assigned
by the government, two by the opposition and one by the ombudsman. I
accept that a member [of the group] should by all means be an
experienced person, which is also acceptable.

[Correspondent] MPs from the Heritage faction said today they would
start discussing issues of participation and representation. The
fact-finding group will be established according to the model
suggested both by the parliamentary opposition and the opposition not
represented in the parliament. So, it is unlikely that there will be
any bias, the Prosperous Armenia Party believes.

[MP Naira Zohrabyan of the coalition Prosperous Armenia Party] I am
sure that both the opposition not represented in the parliament and
Heritage will take part in the work of the fact-finding group and
therefore, I believe that the group will significantly help the work
of our commission.

[Correspondent] No format can instil absolute trust, but there will be
much fewer critics, Samvel Nikoyan [the head of the parliamentary
commission] believes. Heghine Bisharyan [of the coalition Orinats
Yerkir (Law-Governed Country) Party] believes that balance has been
maintained.

[Heghine Bisharyan] Two people will represent all the coalition
forces, and two people will represent the opposition – one will be a
representative of the political force of [former President] Levon
Ter-Petrosyan and the other from Heritage. Both will be representing
the opposition, that is balance has been maintained here, and the
ombudsman has the right to appoint one person. The most important
thing is that they will be specialists, lawyers and not party members.

[Correspondent] As a well-informed head of the faction, Heghine
Bisharyan, denied Turkish media reports, which recently appeared in
some local media as well, saying that Armenia had allegedly suggested
in September that Turkey become a mediator in the Karabakh settlement.

[Bisharyan] With regard to this information, I can say that Serzh
Sargsyan simply did not say such a thing.

[Correspondent ] Ara Nranyan from the Armenian Revolutionary
Federation -Dashnaktsutyun advised people not to believe such
propaganda reports. Our official position has been made public on many
occasions. The settlement of [the Karabakh] issue is acceptable only
in the format of the [OSCE] Minsk Group. The most important thing in
this story is the reason this so-called discovery has been put into
circulation, his colleague noted.

[Artashes Shahbazyan of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation –
Dashnaktsutyun] Are there some expectations and hopes that are
failing? And this gives an opportunity for such phenomena. The
mediated outflow of information via the Azerbaijani media gives us
ground for special suspicions.

[translated]

AZERBAIJANI GOVERNMENT INVESTIGATES INTERNATIONAL SPORT COMPETITION TAKING PLACE IN NAGORNO KARABAKH

Azeri Press Agency
Oct 30 2008
Azerbaijan

Baku. Agshin Aliyev – APA-SPORT. International table tennis tournament
has started in Khankendi, administrative center of Nagorno Karabakh,
Azerbaijan’s territory occupied by Armenia. APA reports quoting
Novosti-Armenia agency that sportsmen from several countries
-Russia, France, Lebanon, Georgia and Armenia participate in the
tournament. The opening ceremony of the tournament was held in the
presence of Bako Saakyan, head of Nagorno Karabakh separatists. The
tournament will last for three days. The winners will receive money
prize and precious presents.

Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Youth and Sport began investigating the
issue. Deputy Minister Ismayil Ismayilov said the tournament taking
place in Khankendi was illegal.

"This tournament is neither in the schedule of the international,
nor European table tennis federation. Nagorno Karabakh is fictitious
and the tournament taking placing there is also fictitious," he said.

Ismayilov said protest letter would be sent to the countries
participating in the tournament.

"We will send letters to the table tennis federations of these
countries and demand them to punish the sportsmen and trainers
participating in the tournament," he said.

Secretary General of Azerbaijan Table Tennis Federation Ibrahim
Efendiyev said similar competition had also been held in Nagorno
Karabakh a year before and added that the protest letter sent to
European Table Tennis Federation was not answered.

"Though we have very good relations with European Table Tennis
Federation, they could not help us last year. They said Khankendi
tournament was not held through European Table Tennis Federation. More
exactly the table tennis federation of the so-called Nagorno Karabakh
republic was not the member of any organization," he said.

Taking a stance on the participation of foreign sportsmen, as well
as sportsmen of Russia and France, co-chairs of OSCE Minsk Group
dealing with the settlement of Nagorno Karabakh conflict, Spokesman
for Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry Khazar Ibrahim said the issue would
be investigated and relevant measures would be taken.

AGBU Press Office
55 East 59th Street
New York, NY 10022-1112
Phone: 212.319.6383, x118
Fax: 212.319.6507
Email: [email protected]
Website:

PRESS RELEASE

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

2009 AGBU New York Summer Intern Program Applications Now Available

AGBU has begun accepting applications for the 2009 New York Summer
Intern Program (NYSIP). Now entering its 22nd season, NYSIP continues to
attract the best and brightest college students of Armenian descent for
eight action-packed weeks in New York City.

The 38 participants of the 2008 New York Summer Intern Program hailed
from Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Brazil, Canada, England, France,
Lebanon and the United States. Students spent eight weeks together in
the city that never sleeps, working full time at internships related to
their fields of study, and participating in specially tailored
professional networking and cultural events. United by their Armenian
heritage, NYSIP interns shared an unforgettable summer in one of the
most inspiring cities on earth.

"The most important thing I learned during my AGBU New York Summer
Intern Program experience was that there is a whole world of opportunity
out there for me, just as long as I go after it and achieve my goals,"
says 2008 alumna Ximena Kedikian of Buenos Aires, Argentina. "AGBU has
given me wonderful opportunities to explore my horizons and connect with
my culture."

"You come into the Program without a clue," says another NYSIP 2008
alumna, Ani Toumajan of Ann Arbor, Michigan. "And end up with knowledge,
a family, and a support system you never realized you could ever have."

This year, NYSIP participants worked in a broad range of dynamic host
institutions, including Deutsche Bank Securities, Merrill Lynch,
Columbia University Medical Center, Entertainment Weekly, Isaac Mizrahi,
the National Hockey League, the People’s Choice Awards, the New York
bureau of the Daily Telegraph newspaper, and scores of other prestigious
firms.

During evenings and weekends, NYSIP students participate in cultural and
professional events, from a private dinner with the Archbishop of the
Diocese of the Armenian Church (Eastern) to lectures from industry
leaders and Armenian cultural experts.

Currently, the AGBU NYSIP staff has begun accepting applications for the
2009 session. For more information and to download an application,
please email [email protected] or visit

Sponsored by the AGBU President’s Club, the AGBU New York Summer Intern
Program (NYSIP) (agbu.org/nysip) was established in 1987 by Vartkess and
Rita Balian. NYSIP places young, aspiring Armenians in eight-week
internships in leading academic, cultural, financial, governmental,
legal, media and medical institutions in New York, while providing a
well-rounded program of Armenian cultural, educational and
community-service activities.