Author: Madatian Greg

PanARMENIAN.Net

Eduard Abrahamyan:
Armenia could play more important role in the region

Election of new Presidents in Armenian and Russia,
upcoming presidential election in Azerbaijan and shift
of leader in the White House will inevitably influence
on foreign policy of many states. It’s especially
vivid in the South Caucasus. Armenia’s relations with
neighbors and world powers depend on the republic’s
foreign policy. Chairman of Mitq analytical center,
historian Eduard Abrahamyan comments to
PanARMENIAN.Net on his vision of the situation.
07.05.2008 GMT+04:00

What should be the priorities of Armenia’s foreign
policy?

One of the priority tasks for Armenia’s should be
settlement of liberated territories in Nagorno
Karabakh and support to NKR’s foreign policy. The
Armenian-Azeri so-called consultations produced no
effect. With creation of the Kosovo precedent,
official Yerevan should recognize both Kosovo and
Nagorno Karabakh. With densely populated NKR, it will
be possible to prevent a new war between Karabakh and
Azerbaijan.

Another key task is cooperation with NATO and Shanghai
Cooperation Organization (SCO), which claims to become
the major military-political bloc and a counterbalance
to the Alliance. Besides, our neighbor Iran has
already announced intention to join the SCO.

Yerevan’s joining the Organization will open new
horizons and possibilities to participate in global
economic projects. Moreover, contrary to pro-western
Azerbaijan, Armenia can become an alternative for many
Asian gas exporters and act as transit country.

However, it doesn’t mean that we should stand up
against NATO. What we should do is to assess the
situation and decide on the benefits we can gain from
cooperating with the blocs.

Strengthening of ties with states which are not
Armenia’s military and strategic partners is also
important. To be self-sufficient we should get rid of
the complex of `a helpless nation’ and develop viable
projects for consolidation of Armenian state system in
the South Caucasus.

How real is the end of Russia’s presence in the South
Caucasus?

Presently, the Russia is not deciding `to be or not to
be’ in the South Caucasus. Moscow has been trying to
strengthen its influence in the region so far. The
point is that Russia has two tools of pressure in
Georgia and none in Azerbaijan. It’s quite obvious
that the Kremlin has for a long time Karabakh as a
pressing factor. Now, due to Artsakh’s complete
isolation from Azerbaijan, the situation has changed.

Possibly, national tensions in north of Azerbaijan and
Baku’s aggressive policy toward Dagestani-speaking
population can offer Moscow a chance for creating an
alternative factor.
However, Russia’s unawareness of mentality and
capabilities of North Caucasus nations often resulted
in paralyzing of ethnic problems. This problem may be
viewed as omission by Armenia, which in the course of
15 years made no effort to convince Moscow of its
determination to finally resolve the `Azeri issue’.
Today, in the light of the U.S.-Turkey tensions, some
Russian forces speak out for stabilization of
relations with Ankara.

What’s Armenia’s actual role in the region?

In my opinion, Armenia could play a more important
role in the region, irrelative of the NKR issue or
blockade imposed by Turkey. The role of our state is
badly demanded over the lack of flexibility in the
foreign policy. Armenia proves unable to suppress the
growing anti-Armenian moods in Georgia. But as a
matter of fact, our republic could be an unofficial
guarantor of sustainable development of
Armenian-inhabited Samtskhe Javakheti and strengthen
Armenian economic and political influence on Ajaria
via promoting political and territorial autonomization
of Samtskhe Javakheti. It would force Georgia to
consider Yerevan’s opinion. Ajaria and Samtskhe
Javakheti make the outlet toward to the Black Sea
which is the solution to the problem of blockade.

Let’s look how Baku pursues its policy in Kvemo
Kartli, where plants and enterprises are established
with the Azerbaijani capital. Furthermore, political
consolidation of Azeri population in Georgia has
started with formation of regional political bodies
like the Azeri national assembly and the Party of
Azerbaijanis of Georgia.

To avoid a calamity, the new leadership of Armenia
should prevent Georgian assimilation and outflow of
Armenians from Samtskhe Javakheti via direct
investments in its economy and its transformation into
a political entity.

Is normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations
possible in the foreseeable future?

I wouldn’t say. The fact is that Turkic solidarity is
gaining weight. Turkey is not interested in
independence and uncontrollable Armenia. During the
soviet era, Ankara was trying to weaken Russia’s
influence and cement the Turkic bloc and Islamic
fundamentalism.

As to Georgia, it has to put up with the economic
expansion of Turkey, which under supervision of its
Western allies keeps on developing various scenarios
of so-called Turkish projects where Armenia is
perceived as a temporal political entity, completely
yielding to Azerbaijan.

However, despite political confrontation, I can’t rule
out official economic ties between the two states,
especially because informal economic contacts has
existed and developed since Armenia proclaimed
independence

How do you assess Azerbaijan’s policy toward Iran?

Azerbaijan is becoming a state which develops aims and
objectives for strengthening its influence in entire
Middle East. It has always pursued a balanced and
cautious policy toward Iran. Exploiting the factor of
Southern Azerbaijan, Baku is aspired to cause a split
in the Iranian society, thus playing in Washington’s
hands, which views the situation as a good platform to
be used against Tehran.

However, Baku also tries to cooperate with Iran in
energy and commutation fields in order to isolate
Armenia fro regional projects.

Can Baku manipulate energy sources?

Baku has always viewed the energy and communication
resources as an extra political tool for gaining
maximal political concessions from its economic
companions. It specifically refers to the Karabakh
issue and Azerbaijan’s influence in the region.
Nevertheless, many European states eye Azerbaijan as a
country which supplies energy sources bypassing Russia
and often satisfy its whims despite obvious
unwillingness to do so. Presently, Azerbaijan is by
all means trying to gain maximal benefits from Nabucco
project which will offer a possibility to leave
Armenia behind.
«PanARMENIAN.Net», 07.05.2008

TV REPORTS ON AIR DEFENCE EXERCISE AT RUSSIAN AIR BASE IN ARMENIA

Zvezda TV, Russia, Ministry of Defense
May 4 2008

[Presenter] The country’s southern shield is being tested for
robustness: alert signals were sounded again at the Russian air base
in Armenia. Fighter aircraft are scrambled into the air. A few minutes
into the flight it becomes clear that it was a practice alert.

The air defence forces on the ground also tested their readiness to
repel attacks. Our special correspondent Andrey Kovtunenko followed
the military exercise in Armenia’s peaceful skies.

[Correspondent] [Passage omitted] It is battle quarters at the Russian
air base of Erebuni. [Passage omitted] While the pilot is getting
ready for the flight, the technicians, having run 100 metres [to the
aircraft], are removing covers from a MiG-29. A few minutes later,
the pilot jumps into the cockpit and is ready to take off. [Passage
omitted]

The border with Turkey is only 14 km away – for a MiG, it is just
a couple of minutes. Therefore, depending on the combat mission,
[the pilot] has to turn one way or the other and fly back.

In 1998, the air group revamped its fleet: MiG-29s went on combat
training duty at the CIS combined air defence system. It is now 10
years since the MiG-29 started protecting the skies over Armenia. The
aircraft has acquitted itself well in hot conditions and in the
mountains. Experienced pilots treat this aircraft with respect:
it is easy to run and reliable in combat.

One can only speak to the pilot after he has accomplished his combat
mission: traditionally, they do not give interviews before the flight.

[Yevgeniy Yakimov, captioned as an aviation regiment commander; in the
cockpit after landing] We perform air defence tasks in the CIS combined
air defence system. We are performing our tasks successfully. On 22
[presumably April] there was a major large-scale exercise at the CIS
combined air defence system. We achieved our objective in full.

[Correspondent] Only a few years ago, Turkish pilots often staged
aerial tests for ours. Nowadays, this is a rare occurrence.

[Pavel Maratkanov, captioned as deputy commander of the air base for
educational work] It is not often that we are scrambled into action
but it happens. Sometimes they make sorties to test us – but not
often. The most recent incident was last year.

[Correspondent] While pilots polish their aerial skills, the missile
defence system is on permanent combat duty. Russian and Armenian
officers track all aerial targets together.

At the air defence base near Gyumri [also in Armenia], meanwhile,
the S-300 and Kub-3M missile defence systems are on alert. Servicemen
from this regiment recently took part in an exercise in Ashuluk
[in southern Russia]. Their performance was marked as excellent.

[Aleksandr Surinkin, captioned as anti-aircraft regiment commander]
At the 2008 tactical exercise with live firing, the regiment fired
on evading low-flying aerial target. The target was destroyed at the
maximum range. The mark was excellent.

[Correspondent] It is no secret to anyone here that Armenia regards the
102nd Russian military base deployed in the republic as an element of
it national security. In this country, they value friendly relations.

THE WASHINGTON POST: AKP MUSTN’T BE BANNED

PanARMENIAN.Net
05.05.2008 14:05 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Washington Post called on the Bush administration
to prevent banning of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).

"In many countries where elections and Islam overlap, religious
political parties are suspected – often rightly – of trying to
use the democratic system to advance an illiberal agenda. Turkey,
the most advanced democracy in the Muslim world, has the opposite
problem. Its mildly religious ruling party has led the way in
introducing progressive political and economic reforms and preparing
the country for membership in the European Union. Its secular
opposition, meanwhile, has repeatedly resorted to antidemocratic
tactics," the editorial says.

"The administration ought to make it plain that banning the AKP
would cause serious damage to U.S.-Turkish relations. The United
States has a vital interest in the success of Turkish democracy –
and of the moderate Islamic party that now leads it."

In March 2008, the Turkish Constitutional Court said it will consider
a request to ban the ruling political party of Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip Erdogan.

The chief prosecutor for the Turkish Court of Appeals, Abdurrahman
Yalcinkaya, handed the court an indictment charging the ruling
Justice and Development Party, known by its Turkish initials AKP,
with stoking an "Islamist-inspired" system of government.

Yalcinkaya called for a total ban on AKP, which has roots in the
religious community, and a five year political ban on Erdogan,
President Abdullah Gul and former parliamentary speaker Bulent Arinc.

Erdogan countered the charges, suggesting the allegations were meant to
"create social unrest."

CANAR MEETING IN MONTREAL AND PRELACY 50TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS

armradio.am
02.05.2008 11:07

This year’s annual CANAR (Canadian Armenian National Assembly
Representatives) meeting will be marked with the celebration of the
50th anniversary of North America Prelacies over a period of four days,
beginning on Thursday, May 8, 2008.

The celebratory weekend will begin with the official opening of the
CANAR meeting, which will be followed with a special presentation
by Vazken Terzian dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the Armenian
Prelacy in North America at 7pm at the Sourp Hagop Armenian Apostolic
Church.

On the same night, an art exhibit and sale, featuring the works of
artists from Armenia and local artist Vatche Arakelian, will take
place at the Montreal Armenian Community Centre’s Aharonian hall.

In honour of the 40th anniversary of the ordination as a celibate
priest of His Eminence, Archbishop Khajag Hagopian, Prelate of the
Armenian Prelacy of Canada, a night of liturgical hymns will be held
at the Sourp Hagop Armenian Apostolic Church on Friday, May 9, 2008.

The celebratory banquet for the 50th anniversary of the Armenian
Prelacy in North America will be held in the HMEM GAMK gymnasium on
the evening of Saturday, May 10.

His Eminence, Archbishop Hagopian will preside over Divine Liturgy
and will read the encyclical sent by His Holiness Aram I Catholicos
of the Armenian Catholicosate in dedication to the 50th anniversary
of the Prelacy.

ALI AHMEDOV: "WE SHOULD NOT PAY ATTENTION TO THE RECENT REPORT OF FREEDOM HOUSE ON FREEDOM OF MASS MEDIA"

Today.Az
30 April 2008 [15:55]

"The fact that the report of Freedom House on freedom of press
places Azerbaijan behind Armenia says that this document should not
be trusted, as it is biased".

The due announcement was made by Ali Ahmedov, deputy chairman and
executive secretary of the Yeni Azerbaijan party, according to APA.

He said the most important is the assessment of the country residents.

"The assessments made by any public international organizations differ
from each others so much and are so discrepant and it is difficult
to trust them.

To place Azerbaijan behind Armenia after all the events, which occurred
in this country in connection with the presidential elections, is
another demonstration of the policy of double standards.

We should not pay attention to such groundless and biased reports. The
document is based on principles which are far from justice".

Ahmedov said Armenia has many supporters and development of such a
report pursues the goal of concealing its shame from the world.

It should be noted that in the report, Azerbaijan occupies the 168th
place by freedom of press and Armenia 144th.

ARMENIAN OFFICERS HELD IN AZERBAIJAN MAKING CONFESSIONS – BAKU

Interfax News Agency, Russia
April 29 2008

Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry has confirmed the information about
a foiled attempt by a group of Armenian special forces’ officers to
stage a provocation act in Azerbaijan.

"A group of Armenian military officers who attempted to stage a
provocation in Azerbaijan’s territory, were detained by military
servicemen from the country’s Defense Ministry," chief spokesman for
Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry Eldar Sabiroglu told Interfax-Azerbaijan.

The neutralized group consisted of four officers from the Armenian
Army’s special forces, he said.

The investigation into the incident has begun, and "the detained
persons have already made several confessions," Sabiroglu said.

JURY ISSUES GUILTY VERDICT TO SUSPECTS IN 2006 MARKET EXPLOSION

Interfax News Agency
April 30 2008
Russia

The Moscow City Court jury has issued a guilty verdict in the trial
over the explosion at the Cherkizovo market in summer 2006.

The defendants were found guilty by the jury, spokeswoman for the
Moscow City Court Anna Usachyova told Interfax.

The decision making process took three days. The jury retired to
their room on Monday, April 28, however it was not until Wednesday
that they made their final decision. The jury faced 270 questions.

"The jurors made a decision which led to a guilty verdict against
all the defendants. Defendants in the trial over the Cherkizovo
market explosion – Korolyov, Klimuk, Kostarev and Zukovtsev – were
found guilty of committing a terror attack, killing 14 people and
the attempted killing of 61 people," Usachyova said.

When issuing their verdict against these individuals, the jurors said
that they "do not deserve leniency," she said.

Also, the jurors issued a guilty verdict against defendant Nikita
Senyukov who was charged with the murder of the Armenian student at
the Pushkinskaya metro station.

The debates on the jury’s verdict, during which the prosecutor will ask
to determine sentences for the defendants, are scheduled for May 12.

TIGRAN SARGSIAN: POTENTIAL OF ALL ARMENIANS WILL BECOME OUR COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE

Noyan Tapan
April 30, 2008

YEREVAN, APRIL 30, NOYAN TAPAN. "The five bases of world perception of
our program are: we need speed in the quickly changing world, security
in the world becoming small quickly, society and economy based on
knowledge, preservation of spiritual and cultural values, ensurance of
modern man’s freedoms," RA Prime Minister Tigran Sargsian stated at the
RA NA April 29 sitting presenting government’s program. He said that
the program presented should be approved by not only the political
coalition, NA, government, but also the people, "and the way to it
is to involve each citizen in program’s implementation." According to
the Prime Minister, to ensure solidarity, social integration the rich
should change their way of life, adopt behaviour proper to an Armenian.

T. Sargsian also said that government will itself reveal its
shortcomings and faults and will be "strict, daring, and fair." He
said that the government declares the start of five national projects:
to become a center of superiority of business environment, a center of
education, health, organized rest, a financial center. He assured that
the Armenians spread about the world will have a complete possibility
to take part in implementation of these projects. "The potential of all
Armenians will become our competitive advantage," T. Sargsian stated.

MENUHIN COMPETITION

The Guardian
menuhincompetition.org
Wednesday April 16, 2008

Yehudi Menuhin wanted his biennial violin competition to be a
heartwarming and instructive event. This lived up to that vision. It
is in the Menuhin spirit, too, that members of the jury perform during
competition week as well as giving masterclasses, hence the appearance
on this occasion of Maxim Vengerov.

Originally intending to play the Tchaikovsky concerto himself, Vengerov
instead took the podium as conductor with Joshua Bell stepping in
as soloist. It could have been disastrous, with Vengerov apparently
focusing as much energy on driving Bell’s trajectory as that of the
Menuhin Competition Orchestra, and Bell’s body language conveying his
own intentions just as forcefully to both orchestra and Vengerov. In
fact, they proved a high-voltage combination. There was a wonderful
intensity in the first movement and, even if this was not a definitive
performance, their vitality created a genuine excitement.

The courtesy of commissioning new pieces from the host nation was
observed in Mervyn Burtch’s Elegy for King Arthur, for choir, harp and
solo violin, setting words by Mark Morris. The piece was delivered
expressively enough by the Serendipity choir, with harpist Catrin
Finch and the 2000 competition winner Akiko Ono. Yet the piece could
not avoid seeming shoe-horned into the proceedings.

Ono also partnered the 2006 winner, Hrachya Avanesyan, in Bach’s
Concerto for Two Violins in D minor. Avanesyan’s instinct for Bach
was matched by his fiercely dynamic performance of Ravel’s Tzigane,
which marked the Armenian as a special talent and an inspiration for
this year’s young hopefuls.

ENCOURAGEMENT OF COOPERATION OF PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTORS WILL PROMOTE DEVELOPMENT OF SCIENCE, ARMENIAN PRESIDENT SAYS

Noyan Tapan
April 28, 2008

YEREVAN, APRIL 28, NOYAN TAPAN. It is time for the RA National
Academy of Sciences (NAS) to address the problem of introducing the
internationally recognized systems of qualification and objective
assessment of scientists, the Armenian president Serge Sargsian stated
at the April 25 annual meeting of the RA NAS.

Besides, in his opinion, it is necessary to contribute to the
integration of science and education, which also requires more
active work with higher educational institutions. According to
S. Sargsian, one of the government tasks is to promote cooperation
of the public and private sectors. He expressed confidence that it
is the most important direction of science development as well. He
indicated commercialization of scientific product and offering it
both in domestic and international markets as another important
task. "Unless clear and tangible steps are taken in this direction,
the link between science and production will be finally broken, and
our scientific world will shrink into itself and inevitably lose its
attractiveness," the president said.