Author: Maghakian Mike

                                        Saturday, 
Authorities ‘Still Hunting’ For Sarkisian’s Fugitive Brother
        • Naira Nalbandian
Armenia -- President Serzh Sarkisian awards a medal to his brother Levon, March 
22, 2016.
Armenian law-enforcement authorities have so far been unable to track down and 
arrest a fugitive brother of former President Serzh Sarkisian facing corruption 
charges, Prosecutor-General Artur Davtian claimed on Friday.
Levon Sarkisian was charged with “illegal enrichment” after tax inspectors 
discovered in June that he and his two children hold almost $7 million in 
undeclared deposits at an Armenian bank.
Under Armenian law, such asset declarations are mandatory for high-ranking 
state officials and their family members. This legal requirement applies to 
Levon Sarkisian because he worked as ambassador-at-large at the Armenian 
Foreign Ministry until his brother was overthrown in last spring’s “velvet 
revolution.”
Levon Sarkisian is thought to have left Armenia shortly before being indicted. 
One of his business partners, Gabriel Jemberjian, told RFE/RL’s Armenian 
service in December that Sarkisian is now living abroad but planning to return 
to Armenia because “his issues should be solved very soon.”
The head of the National Security Service (NSS), Artur Vanetsian, stated 
recently that the ex-president’s brother is in Lebanon at the moment.
Davtian downplayed Vanetsian’s statement, arguing that it has not yet been 
officially confirmed by Lebanese authorities. “We can start an extradition 
process only if he is found and arrested [in a foreign country] and we are 
formally notified about that,” the chief prosecutor told reporters. “That has 
not happened yet.”
Also prosecuted is Serzh Sarkisian’s second, more controversial brother, 
Aleksandr. He was charged with fraud in February several months after the NSS 
had his $30 million bank account frozen as part of a separate criminal inquiry.
The NSS announced early this month that it has allowed Aleksandr Sarkisian to 
“temporarily” leave the country after he donated $19.6 million of that money to 
the Armenian military.
Sarkisian, who is better known as “Sashik,” also paid $6.5 million in back 
taxes. The nearly $3.9 million remaining in his frozen account will also be 
transferred to the state to fully settle his tax debt, according to the NSS.
Press Review
Lragir.am quotes a former Azerbaijani foreign minister, Tofik Zulfugarov, as 
predicting that Friday’s meeting of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and 
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian will end in failure. He says that the 
conflicting parties will fail to bridge their substantial differences on the 
resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The online publication suggests 
that summit’s possible failure would lead to either a continued “imitation” of 
peace talks or an escalation of tensions of the Karabakh frontlines. “The 
Armenian side is reviewing the whole negotiating process and demanding a public 
interpretation [by Baku and the mediators] of the proposed principles [of the 
Karabakh settlement,]” it says.
“Zhoghovurd” describes as “quite sharp” Pashinian’s criticism of the United 
States which he voiced on Thursday. “It is the first time that Pashinian spoke 
about the United States in such a tough manner,” comments the paper. It notes 
that he also criticized the European Union during and after a July 2018 visit 
to Brussels and stressed the importance of respecting Armenia’s sovereignty in 
his first talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“Why did at least 95 percent of the public support the revolution in April last 
year?” writes “Haykakan Zhamanak.” “Because at least 95 percent of the public 
felt that Armenia needs radical changes, and in all areas.” The pro-government 
daily does not exclude that Pashinian’s approval ratings have fallen since 
then. But it insists that even those Armenians who are now disappointed with 
the prime minister continue to demand radical changes. They are only unhappy 
with the pace of those changes, it says. Some of them may also not like 
government efforts to make every citizen pay taxes, the planned downsizing of 
the state bureaucracy or a perceived lack of individuals jailed for corruption, 
according to the paper.
(Lilit Harutiunian)
Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2019 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.
www.rferl.org

                                        Wednesday, March 01, 2019
Pashinian Again Calls For Karabakh’s Engagement In Talks With Azerbaijan
Armenia's and Nagorno-Karabakh's Security Councils hold a joint session in 
Stepanakert. 
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian again called for Nagorno-Karabakh’s 
becoming a full party to the negotiations as he addressed on Tuesday his top 
security aides ahead of his first meeting with Azerbaijani President Ilham 
Aliyev to be held with international mediators’ assistance sometime soon.
Together with Nagorno-Karabakh leader Bako Sahakian Pashinian presided over the 
first-ever joint meeting of Armenia’s and Nagorno-Karabakh’s Security Councils 
held in the Karabakh capital of Stepanakert today.
In his opening remarks before the start of the meeting the Armenian premier 
described it as “unprecedented” and “very symbolic” and singled out three main 
issues to be addressed by senior representatives of the Armenian political and 
military leadership.
Pashinian reiterated that Nagorno-Karabakh’s becoming a full party to the 
negotiations conducted under the auspices of the Organization for Security and 
Cooperation in Europe’s Minsk Group co-chairmanship (the United States, Russia, 
France) will be a key point during his upcoming discussions with Aliyev.
“This is not a whim, nor a precondition. This is simple logic that 
Nagorno-Karabakh’s involvement is key to the settlement process,” Pashinian 
stressed, as quoted by his press office.
Azerbaijan has opposed Nagorno-Karabakh’s participation in the talks as a 
separate party, insisting that the region is “occupied” by Armenia and 
negotiations should be held only with official Yerevan. At the same time, the 
Azerbaijani leadership has repeatedly raised the issue of ethnic Azerbaijanis 
displaced from Armenian-populated Nagorno-Karabakh during the 1988-1994 war.
Pashinian explained that unlike Aliyev, for whom “Nagorno-Karabakh’s 
Azerbaijani community” also voted as current citizens of Azerbaijan, he cannot 
represent the people of Nagorno-Karabakh, since only citizens of Armenia voted 
for him and his political team in Armenian elections. The international 
community, Pashinian said, is represented at the negotiations by the OSCE Minsk 
Group co-chairs. “So far, the negotiation process has in fact involved all 
stakeholders except one… The problem is that no one has the authority and 
legitimacy to represent the people of Nagorno-Karabakh at the negotiations 
today,” he said.
At the same time, Pashinian described as absurd claims that by seeking 
Nagorno-Karabakh’s involvement in the process Armenia tries to shun 
responsibility and put the entire responsibility on the authorities or the 
people of Nagorno-Karabakh. “The Republic of Armenia has and will be the number 
one guarantor of Nagorno-Karabakh’s security and will continue its involvement 
in the peace process,” the Armenian prime minister underscored.
In its latest statement issued over the weekend the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs 
reiterated that “a fair and lasting settlement must be based on the core 
principles of the Helsinki Final Act, including in particular the non-use or 
threat of force, territorial integrity, and the equal rights and 
self-determination of peoples.”
“It also should embrace additional elements as proposed by the Presidents of 
the Co-Chair countries in 2009-2012, including: return of the territories 
surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh to Azerbaijani control; an interim status for 
Nagorno-Karabakh providing guarantees for security and self-governance; a 
corridor linking Armenia to Nagorno-Karabakh; future determination of the final 
legal status of Nagorno-Karabakh through a legally binding expression of will; 
the right of all internally displaced persons and refugees to return to their 
former places of residence; and international security guarantees that would 
include a peacekeeping operation,” the mediating troika said.
Speaking before the Security Councils’ meeting in Stepanakert, Pashinian said 
that one of the questions to answer was whether the government of Armenia 
accepts these three principles and six elements as a basis for the negotiation 
process.
“This is really an important question, but in answering this question we need 
important clarifications. What can these principles mean in practice and who 
has the right to interpret them? This is important, because the way Azerbaijan 
interprets these principles is unacceptable for us. We, of course, can come up 
with our own interpretation of these principles, but it’s pointless because our 
goal is not to engage in a war of words, but to have an efficient negotiation 
process. And consequently, the basis for the negotiation process should not 
leave room for different interpretations,” Pashinian said.
“However, the principles and elements proposed by the co-chairs have given rise 
to all sorts of interpretations over the past 10 years and, therefore, the most 
important objective of the forthcoming negotiation process should be to clarify 
the so-called main concepts – the three principles and six elements, and we are 
ready also for such a conversation.”
Another major issue pointed out by the Armenian prime minister at the 
Stepanakert meeting is preparing societies for peace.
“I think it is necessary to emphasize that preparing the peoples for peace 
cannot be a separate issue of only one government involved in the negotiations. 
This should be joint work. I mean, for example, preparing Azerbaijan’s society 
should take place not only with the participation of Azerbaijan’s government 
but also with the participation of Armenia’s government. It was this 
consideration that forced me to make a statement from the parliament tribune 
last fall, a statement that was, in fact, unprecedented for our reality, as I 
said that any solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh issue should be acceptable for 
the people of Armenia, the people of Nagorno-Karabakh and the people of 
Azerbaijan… Unfortunately, we do not hear similar statements and do not see 
similar steps from the president of Azerbaijan. Despite this, I am ready to 
continue the dialogue not only with the president of Azerbaijan, but also with 
the people of Azerbaijan, because I am convinced that the people of Azerbaijan 
are as peace-loving as the people of Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh,” Pashinian 
concluded.
For his part, in his opening remarks Nagorno-Karabakh leader Sahakian, in 
particular, stressed that international recognition remains a priority for 
Stepanakert.
As a result of discussions both security councils reaffirmed that 
Nagorno-Karabakh’s “defense capabilities are guaranteed and are at the high 
level.” “At the same time the two Armenian sides again expressed their support 
for and commitment to an exclusively peaceful settlement of the conflict under 
the aegis of the OSCE Minsk Group and on the basis of the fundamental 
principles of international law, in particular, the right of peoples to 
self-determination,” the Armenian prime minister’s press office said in the 
press release.
Soldier Arrested In Karabakh Army Death Probe
A soldier has been arrested in Nagorno-Karabakh on suspicion of killing a 
fellow conscript in the ethnic Armenian defense army reported earlier on 
Tuesday, according to investigators.
The Armenia-based Investigative Committee said on its official website that the 
arrested soldier, whose identity is not disclosed yet, is suspected of 
committing murder.
Earlier, military authorities in Nagorno-Karabakh reported that in the early 
hours of March 12, 19-year-old conscript Karen Karapetian sustained a fatal 
gunshot wound at an outpost in the northeastern direction of the ‘line of 
contact’ with Azerbaijan.
Still at the early stage of the probe the Investigative Committee ruled out 
that the Armenian soldier might have been killed with a bullet released from 
Azerbaijani military positions.
Press Review
“Zhoghovurd” suggests that the recent statement by the American, Russian and 
French co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group contains no major news, but, in fact, 
repeats what has already been in the public domain for a long time. The only 
remarkable thing about the statement, according to the paper, is that it has 
for the first time been made during the tenure of new Prime Minister Nikol 
Pashinian. “It is after this statement that the Armenian prime minister went to 
Stepanakert where he met with Karabakh leader Bako Sahakian and is to chair an 
enlarged meeting of Armenia’s Security Council,” the daily writes.
“Zhamanak” reports that during a press conference in Yerevan on Monday the NATO 
Secretary General’s Special Representative for the Caucasus and Central Asia 
James Appathurai stated that NATO was interested in peace in the region and 
that it had told all parties that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict has no military 
solution. “The statement of NATO’s special representative in Yerevan is, in 
fact, a warning to Azerbaijan, which, simultaneously with NATO Week events in 
Armenia, is conducting large-scale military exercises without prior proper 
international notification,” the paper comments.
“Aravot” suggests that the government should forge ahead with its reforms 
without paying too much attention to public opinion. “Otherwise, things won’t 
get moving. If there is a decision to ban smoking indoors, then it must be 
implemented and the health minister is right here. If the goal is to change the 
tax legislation, then it is necessary to hear the opinions of lawmakers of the 
so-called ‘economic bloc’ rather than conservative ministers. If it is 
necessary to free public institutions from idling employees, then one should 
disregard the wailing of social populists. Otherwise, staying in limbo for long 
may shut the window of opportunity opened by the people,” the daily’s editor 
writes.
(Lilit Harutiunian)
Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2019 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.
www.rferl.org