Author: Nanijanian Alex

SPREAD OF INFECTIOUS DISEASE PREVENTED IN LORI MARZ, NEW CASES NOT RECORDED

Noyan Tapan

Nov 4, 2008

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 4, NOYAN TAPAN. The spread of an infectious disease
was prevented in Lori marz, the situation is stable, new cases were not
recorded, the RA minister of health Harutyun Kushkian told reporters
on November 3.

He said that by instructions of the ministry of health, efficient
control is done in the marz by specialists, with the necessary
measures on examination of drinking water and its hyperchlorination
being taken. To recap, in recent days residents of various districts
of the city of Vanadzor sought medical advice at the city isolation
hospital in connection with intestinal complaints.

ADOPTION OF MOSCOW DECLARATION IS VICTORY OF ARMENIAN PEOPLE

PanARMENIAN.Net
04.11.2008 13:06 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Signing of a declaration between the Presidents
of Armenia and Azerbaijan in Moscow is a regular failure of Russian
diplomacy, an expert said.

"The only document concluded by all parties to conflict, namely
Armenia, Azerbaijan and Nagorno Karabakh, is the agreement on ceasefire
of 1994. Exclusion of NKR from the talks in 1998 resulted in reduction
of Russia’s field of activity. Now, it’s unclear what Russia will do
if France assumes a more precise position than the U.S. and Russia,"
Hrachya Arzumanyan told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter.

The "hasty" signing of trilateral declaration is partially conditioned
by the presidential election in the United States, according to him.

"Russia thought it can speed up the Karabakh process while the U.S. is
occupied with its own problems. It’s worth noting that this event,
even without participation of NKR representatives, can be rated as
victory of the Armenian people but not the Armenian diplomacy. It
offered the Armenian authorities and opposition an opportunity to
consolidate people for the Karabakh settlement," Arzumanyan said.

The declaration on the Nagorno Karabakh conflict resolution was
signed by of Russian, Armenian and Azerbaijani Presidents, who also
instructed their Foreign Ministers to continue activities to that end.

AMERICAN ARMENIAN ASSEMBLY SUPPORTS SIGNING OF DECLARATION ON KARABAKH

Today.Az
cs/48711.html
Nov 3 2008
Azerbaijan

The American Armenian Assembly supports signing of the declaration
on basic principles of settlement in Nagorno Karabakh issue by the
Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan.

The organization stresses the importance of the paragraph in the
declaration about the peaceful resolution of the problem.

"On the background of war, initiated in Georgia in August, and the
overall economic instability the intensification of the process on
the resolution of the Karabakh conflict by the Armenian President is
an important progress", says the statement of the organization.

According to the authors of the declaration, "the first reaction of
Azerbaijan after initiation of war in South Ossetia was the resumption
of the military actions against Karabakh, yet the Moscow declaration
has put an end to the tough position of Azerbaijan and its bellicose
rhetorics".

DEPUTY FM GHARIBJANYAN TO PARTAKE IN THE BSEC PA SESSION

armradio.am
03.11.2008 11:57

On November 3 the Deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia Gegham
Gharibjanyan left for Kishinev to participate in the 32nd session
of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation
Organization, Press and Information Department of the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs informed.

Deputy Foreign Minister Gharibjanyan will make a speech at the session.

ANS TV, Azerbaijan
Oct 30 2008

Azeri territorial integrity priority for Karabakh settlement –
minister

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov has insisted that the
Karabakh conflict should be resolved without compromising the
principle of territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.

On 30 October Azerbaijan’s private ANS TV channel quoted Mammadyarov
as saying that "the conflict should be resolved on the universally
accepted principle of territorial integrity and no changes to this end
is possible in the position of Azerbaijan".

The TV later quoted him as saying that "official Baku respects the
principle of peoples’ right to self-determination. However, this
principle cannot be applied to the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict."

The Russian news agency Interfax quoted the minister as saying that
"Karabakh can gain the highest autonomy as part of Azerbaijan’s
territorial integrity".

Mammadyarov added that first of all, the Azerbaijani population should
return to Nagornyy Karabakh and their peaceful coexistence should be
ensured, and normal political and economic conditions should be
created after which "we can speak about the possibility of defining
the status".

The report added that the Azerbaijani, Armenian and Russian foreign
ministers will meet in Moscow on 31 October. A meeting with the OSCE
Minsk Group co-chairs will take place on 1 November.

BBCM note: The Azerbaijani, Armenian and Russian presidents will be
meeting on 2 November to discuss the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict.

Today.Az, Azerbaijan
Nov 1 2008

Alexander Dugin: "Russia must improve relations with Azerbaijan,
because Aliyev acted correctly and competently during the conflict in
South Ossetia"

01 November 2008 [11:55] – Today.Az

The Foreign Ministers of Azerbaijan, Armenia and Russia will meet in
Moscow in the nearest future and this will be followed by their
meeting with the OSCE Minsk Group on the Karabakh conflict
resolution. After it the Presidents of the three countries will meet
on November 2. The Karabakh problem has been deadlocked since 1994
when the agreement on reconciliation came to power, while the
conflict has been lasting for already 20 years. In the light of
events in the Caucasus, it is possible to say that Russia’s interests
are more directed on Azerbaijan, while earlier Russia has been
inclined towards Armenia.

Alexander Dugin, famous political scientist, head of the Center of
geopolitical expertise and leader of the international Eurasian
movement, spoke of what Medvedev can offer on Nagorno Karabakh and the
nature of the upcoming meetings in his interview to Nakanune.RU.

– The trilateral meeting of the Presidents will be held on November 2
for the resolution of the Karabakh conflict. Which steps are
expected to be done during it and from which country are they
expected?

– It is now necessary to raise an issue of the exclusion of the US
side from the format of the Minsk Group on the resolution of the
Karabakh conflict as the United States take a nonconstructive
position on the post-Soviet area and just worsen the problems.

Now a new model of relations between Turkey and Azerbaijan is being
formed. They seem to be more perspective than ever. Nagorno Karabakh
conflict settlement can not satisfy only the Azerbaijani side, for
Russia had strategically supported Armenia before a definite
moment. Armenians concluded a strategic partnership with us while
Azerbaijan was inclined towards GUAM. After the crisis in Georgia the
situation has changed significantly. Aliyev took a constructive
position regarding Russia and did not support Georgia, which puts a
positive shade on the resolution of the Karabakh conflict.

Now everyone has his own position, Russia supported the quo status,
spoke of the peaceful resolution and legally substantiated settlement
of the problem, though accents were laid on Armenia.

– Is the issue of the Karabakh recognition urgent for Moscow?

– No, it is not. it is more important to establish strategic
partnership with Turkey and Azerbaijan. Speaking in the sense of
definite geopolitical interests, Russia needs at least the strategic
neutrality of Turkey and alliance with Azerbaijan more than anything
else in the regional scale in order to resist the Atlantic
strategy. We have taken everything possible from the strategic
alliance with Armenia and it can not give more to Russia, while most
depends now on Turkey and Azerbaijan. Thus recognition of Karabakh is
a maximally unfavorable situation, though, certainly, Russia is
interested in the quo status and preservation of our bases in this
territory. At the same time, we should take into account that Russia,
as far as I know, has another project of deployment of Russian forces
to Karabakh, withdrawal of Armenian armed forces from there and
initiation of a new stage of settlement. During these projects the
most important chain is a growing confrontation with the United
States and NATO bloc and Russia’s intention to settle regional
problems without participation of the Americans, as they only create
conditions for new interethnic clashes that we have witnessed from
the example of the South Ossetia.

– In this case, can Armenia become a "token coin" in this issue, as
some experts say, for in fact the strategic interests of Russia are
more connected with Azerbaijan?

– I think Armenia will not become a token coin in the Russian game as
we have much in common with Armenians. Armenia is the CSTO member,
we have a large Armenian diaspora and we have friendly and partner
relations with this country. No exchange is spoken of here. On the
other hand, Russia starts to think more not over the abstract
principles in the international policy but of its own strategic
interests. In this sense most depends on Azerbaijan. The symbolic
gesture towards Turkey, which is in fact not interested in the
resolution of the Karabakh problem, is more important.

There is a myth that Azerbaijan and Turkey are the same, but these are
completely different countries, despite the historical closeness of
these peoples and it should be taken into account. Turks do not care
about the Azerbaijani conflict. Once active in the Caucasus policy,
they need to preserve their statehood, which is on the verge of
collapse due to the US intervention with Iraq. Turkey obviously does
not have time for Karabakh. But in the symbolical sense, Karabakh is
an issue, which has a definite nominal weight in Turkey. Therefore,
today Russia needs to improve relations with Azerbaijan, especially
because Aliyev acted correctly and competently during the South
Ossetian conflict. Many interesting geopolitical perspectives are
opening for Russia.

– You have already spoken of the Russian project on the problem
settlement. What can Medvedev offer to the parties?

– Yes, there is a plan, I have been speaking of and it envisions the
deployment of the Russian peacekeepers and the initiation of the
process of the return of civilians to Karabakh after the ethnic
cleaning,

On the other hand, the self-legitimacy of borders can be challenged,
as within the framework of a single state of the USSR, borders were
not of state importance, they played a role of division into regions,
like division of Moscow into districts. But it was difficult to
imagine Southern or Central districts to declare its independence. It
is important to realize that the borders that we are speaking of are
certain conditions, which were recognized as dogmas of international
law without any historical ground and without consideration of ethnic
factors. Naturally, this caused numerous differences, including the
Karabakh conflict. I am confident that any annexation of this
territory to Azerbaijan is unreal. Yes, it was administratively under
Azerbaijan’s control, but Armenians lived there since ancient.

Armenians have definite negotiation positions in the resolution of
this status, but the most important thing will be to expel the United
States from this negotiation process as an absolutely destructive,
backward and immoral power, which worsens the situation, wherever it
comes and creates conditions for new conflicts.

We can not take any side, there are no "good or bad guys, these are
Americans that turn these or those countries into such "guys". As we
will remove them from this process, the situation will change, while
the European Union is a way reasonable. Europeans should be allowed to
this process. Medvedev has a plan and definite ideas, but the most
important idea is to weaken US influence in this area.

– Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan offered to recognize the right of
the Karabakh people for self-determination. What can you say about
it?

– Now Karabakh is inhabited only by Armenians, while Azerbaijanis also
lived there for long. The territory is mixed. We can not say that the
conflict was initiated by any of the parties, there are no right or
wrong sides in the ethnic conflicts. In fact, Azerbaijanis were
deported from there, they feel bad, it can be said that, perhaps,
this is their fault, but it is really unfair. Therefore, the problem
settlement can be arranged in a form of any substantiated
compromise. But, in other words, "people of Karabakh" now live both
in Karabakh and out of its bounds. Tens and hundreds thousands of
refugees from Karabakh are also the people of Karabakh. Therefore,
the recognition of Karabakh can hardly be expected. As for the
expression of will by the Karabakh people, I think most people know
that international policy has such a concept as "double standard". It
can not be used independently. We also have our preferences. If
something meets our interests and values, we will adopt a definite
decision.

In such cases all depends on the factor of power, on the political
system, functioning in the potentially separatist regions, adjustment
of their model with the federal center, whether they have external
supporters and many other things. It means that the very factor of
will expression by people works in some cases and does not work in
others.

– Do you think the conflict in South Ossetia had an impact on the
Karabakh problem?

– It did not have a direct influence, merely everything has become
clear now. The United States recognized Kosovo but do not recognize
South Ossetia and Abkhazia, as it is not profitable for them. Russia
was hesitating for long to occupy this asymmetric position, but it
could be taken without thousands of civilians of Tskhinkhali who
fell victims. It is only left to learn who would profit from the
recognition of Nagorno Karabakh.

It can be said that today the Katabakh issue is strategically neutral
for us. Some time ago the advantage was on the Armenian side, while
Azerbaijan was inclined towards GUAM, rusophobian frond with
Yushchenko and Saakashvili, while after August the situation has
changed dramatically and the advantage directed to Baku. Certain small
progress is recorded and the problem understanding has
expanded. Meanwhile, Armenian sides starts to "flirt" more with the
United States, in some cases strict Atlantic positions are recorded
under Sargsyan, which was not observed during Kocharyan’s term. The
United States work and try to "take" Armenia away from Russia. Though
strange it is profitable for us as thus they create conditions for us
to significantly improve relations with Azerbaijan and Turkey.

/Day.Az/

URL:

DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTERS OF ARMENIA AND SERBIA DISCUSS DEVELOPMENT PROSPECTS OF BILATERAL COOPERATION

Noyan Tapan
Oct 29, 2008

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 29, NOYAN TAPAN. Issues related to development
of bilateral cooperation, and the opportunities of cooperation in
international organizations were discussed at the October 29 meeting
of the Armenian deputy foreign minister Arman Kirakosian and the
Serbian deputy foreign minister Zoran Vujic.

Z. Vujic spoke about the main directions of Serbia’s foreign policy
and its opinions of the situation on the Balkan Peninsula.

At the request of the guest Arman Kirakosian presented the priorities
of Armenia’s foreign policy and the experience of cooperation with
Euro-Atlantic structures.

According to a press release of the RA MFA Press and Information
Department, the interlocutors also discussed some problems of conflict
resolution.

WILL TURKEY CHANGE ITS STANCES?

Hayots Ashkhar Daily
31 Oct 08
Armenia

I don’t think Turkey will swiftly change its diplomatic stances. If
I give more concrete assessments, in my view Turkey will use this
raffle of establishing diplomatic relations with Armenia, to extort
concessions from Armenia, because they are sure that Armenia is
interested in establishing diplomatic relations with them. In such
circumstances lots of things will depend on our diplomacy, whether or
not they will manage to attain their end," Director of NAS Institute
of Oriental Studies Rouben Safrastyan believes.

TALE OF TWO FIGHTERS: CRISTIAN MIJARES VS VIC DARCHINYAN
By Anthony Cocks

Doghouse Boxing
3008.htm
Oct 30 2008
Canada

It’s a well worn boxing cliché that styles make fights, but outside
of the ring Cristian Mijares and Vic Darchinyan couldn’t be more
diametrically opposed.

Mijares, the 27-year-old WBC and WBA super flyweight champion
hailing from Gomez Palacio, Durango in Mexico, is quietly confident
of retaining his titles and adding Darchinyan’s IBF hardware to his
trophy case when the two meet at the Home Depot Center in Carson,
California this Saturday night.

"My preparation in Gomez Palacio was top-notch, perfect," Mijares
said this week. "I have done all the hard work in camp and I can’t
wait to shut Darchinyan up. I’ve been hearing that he thinks I’m
overrated. Not only is he mistaken but he will be overly surprised
with what I will do with him at the Home Depot Center."

Darchinyan meanwhile has continued to exude his natural blend
confidence and cockiness in the week leading up to the fight.

"He is a very good fighter, but when he feels my punches he will
feel different. He’s fought some tough guys, but no one like me,"
said Darchinyan. "I know when I’m talking that I will deliver. I’m
going to be too much for him. He’s overrated."

It is this brashness of 32-year-old Armenian-born Australian that has
both endeared fans to him and alienated other from him. Darchinyan’s
critics point to his aggressive, stalking style and claim he is
a one-dimensional knockout artist who never enters the ring with a
plan B. Fans of the diminutive power puncher point to his heavy hands
and take-no-prisoners approach as the definition of an entertaining
prize fighter.

Despite his boasts, it’s fair to say that Darchinyan has faced no-one
like Mijares either. The slick-boxing Mexican southpaw announced
himself to the boxing world in April 2007 when he comprehensively
outboxed aggressive and popular veteran Jorge Arce for the WBC super
featherweight title. Since that signature win Mijares has been on an
impressive run, defending his world title five times and picking up
Alexander Munoz’s WBA strap along the way.

"I didn’t have to take this fight but I’m so glad I did," said
Darchinyan of the challenge that awaits him this weekend. "I will
knock him out, there’s no question about it. I will come not just to
win. I will knock him out."

Darchinyan’s fall from grace last year was as swift as it was
brutal. In a surprisingly close fight at the Harbour Yard Arena in
Bridgeport, Connecticut on July 7, unheralded Filipino Nonito Donaire
scored the biggest win of his career with a one-punch 5th round TKO of
Darchinyan that left the fans in attendance stunned. A razor-sharp left
hook from the rangy technician caught the forward-charging Darchinyan
right on the point of the chin, snapping his head around and laying
out the formerly undefeated titleholder flat on his back. As he
struggled to rise before referee Eddie Claudio reached the count of
ten, Darchinyan pitched face-first into canvas in a valiant attempt
to get to his feet. Through sheer will alone Darchinyan was able to
momentarily regain his footing, but his scrambled neurological senses
sent him staggering drunkenly into the ropes, forcing Claudio to halt
the bout at 1:38.

The unexpected result earned Donaire both The Ring magazine’s Knockout
of the Year and Upset of the Year awards.

The manner in which Darchinyan dealt with the loss immediately after
the bout served to further alienate fans already critical of his
enduring sense of self-belief.

"I feel good. I don’t know what to say. I would like to fight again. I
don’t feel I was hurt. Maybe knocked down, but I don’t feel I was
hurt," Darchinyan told Showtime’s disbelieving Jim Gray in the ring
after the fight.

Since the loss Darchinyan moved up in weight to 115 pounds and
rebounded with a 12th round TKO of journeyman Federico Catubay in
October of last year, followed by a controversial twelve round draw
in an IBF eliminator against Z Gorres in the Filipino’s backyard in
February. Despite the unsatisfactory result, the IBF sanctioned a
shot at their reigning champion Dimitri Kirilov.

In a frighteningly one-sided bout Darchinyan put a beating on the
defending titleholder, seemingly hurting Kirilov with every punch he
landed before dropping the Russian twice and stopping him at 1:05 of
the 5th.

But Mijares presents an entirely different set of problems.

"Darchinyan is talking too much because he’s scared of me. Jorge
Arce talked a lot of trash too and I shut him up. I’ll do the same
with Darchinyan," said Mijares in the lead up to the fight."Everyone
knows I’m the smarter fighter. I learn new things all the time. From
what I’ve seen, Darchinyan doesn’t grow from fight to fight. What you
see is what you get. He’s predictable."Some people are saying that
this fight could turn into an epic series like the Vazquez-Marquez
trilogy. Those fights were extremely close. I don’t see my fight with
Darchinyan being close. I expect to win by a comfortable margin."

For his part Darchinyan is unfazed by fighting a fellow southpaw
who has the footwork and handspeed to cause him all sorts of
difficulties."I’ve fought southpaws before. It’s no different for me,"
said Darchinyan. "I’m going to do some boxing. You’re going to see
how fast and smart I am on Saturday. I’m going to put on a show for
my Armenian fans at The Home Depot Center. I’m very confident and
ready for this fight. I’m ready to fight anyone.

"I think I am the best fighter he has ever, and will ever, fight. His
style is an amateur style. I will deliver. I want to become the
undisputed world champion after this fight.

"On Saturday, you’re going to see a different Vic Darchinyan. I won’t
try to take him out with just one punch. You’re going to see a much
smarter Vic on Saturday night.

"Mijares is a very good fighter, but that’s OK when you fight someone
that doesn’t have the power that I have. He’s fought guys that don’t
have my power.

"The only fight I wanted was Mijares. I want to fight who everyone
thinks is the best so I can prove that I’m the best."

Regardless of the end result, you have got to admire both boxers for
their willingness to fight the best – win, lose or draw.

AFTER THE BELL

Fight fans in Melbourne, Australia can now watch all international
and domestic pay-per-view fights live at the refurbished Sports Bar
at the Bush Inn Hotel on the corner of Malvern and Williams Roads in
Toorak, starting with this Sunday’s Cristian Mijares vs Vic Darchinyan
main event. The telecast will kick off at 12 midday with a super
middleweight showdown between slick American southpaw Andre Dirrell,
16-0 (11), and hard-hitting Australian-based Russian Victor Oganov,
28-1 (28). With a drop-down screen, full TAB facilities, pool tables,
bistro meals and of course cold beer, there are worse places to spend
a lazy Sunday arvo after ditching church.

–Boundary_(ID_e2tRdaWSprFpty0G4J1dqw)–

AZERBAIJAN LOOMS LARGE IN CAUCASUS REGION
By Judith Latham

Voice of America
Oct 30 2008

The newly reelected President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, was sworn
in for a second term last week after winning the October 15th election
with 89 percent of the vote. Opposition parties boycotted the election,
and monitors from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in
Europe criticized the poll’s shortcomings, especially during counting
and tabulation.

An Azerbaijani Perspective

But whatever the shortcomings of the election, President Aliyev enjoys
enormous popularity in his own country, according to Paul Goble,
Director of Research and Publications at the Azerbaijan Diplomatic
Academy in Baku. Speaking with host Judith Latham of VOA News Now’s
International Press Club, Goble says, even if the election had
been fully free and fair with all the major parties taking part,
the Azerbaijani President would still have been reelected with a
significant majority.

Mr. Aliyev’s election victory cemented his family’s long grip on
power in Azerbaijan. He was elected in 2003 following the death of
his father, Heydar Aliyev, who himself dominated politics in the
country for 30 years. Paul Goble says that stability has been an
important factor in one of the most dangerous and unstable parts of
the world. A key reason is Azerbaijan’s strategic position on the
pipeline carrying crude oil from the Caspian Sea through Georgia and
Turkey. Goble notes that Azerbaijan sits at a unique juncture of a
north-south, and an east-west, axis of influence. Therefore, he says,
Azerbaijan almost has to pursue what President Aliyev has called a
"balanced" foreign policy, taking into account the views of Russia,
Iran, Central Asia, Turkey, Europe, and the United States. And as
Goble points out, the recent war in Georgia demonstrated that the
Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline is not absolutely secure.

A Georgian Perspective

Georgian journalist and political analyst Ghia Abashidze in Tbilisi
agrees. Abashidze says the war with Russia in August made the issue of
energy supplies in the Caucasus abundantly clear to everyone. According
to the latest reports, Abashidze says, the pipeline is not working at
its full prewar capacity, and it is unclear when it will. And that’s
not only because of the world economic crisis but also because of
the aftermath of last summer’s war. There are still Russian troops
on Georgian soil, so investors are reluctant to restart the pipeline
at its full capacity, Abashidze says.

Nonetheless, Ghia Abashidze says the Georgian leadership sees
Azerbaijani President Aliyev’s reelection in a positive light. People
there remember how Azerbaijan helped Georgia in recent years when
Russia cut off gas and energy supplies, he says, so Georgians expect
that friendly relations with Azeris will continue.

An Armenian Perspective

However, relations between Baku and Yerevan are fraught with tension
because of a long-standing struggle between Azerbaijan and Armenia
over the separatist region of Nagorno-Karabakh. According to Paul
Goble, Moscow has not played a very helpful role there, despite the
new Russian President’s overtures to both sides.

The reality is that the Russian government has not wanted an agreement
between Armenia and Azerbaijan, Goble says. He suggests that President
Dmitri Medvedev may have invited the presidents of Armenia and
Azerbaijan to come to Moscow on Sunday for negotiations partly as
a way of demonstrating Russia’s preeminent position vis-a-vis the
other Minsk Group countries. Goble says that, if Moscow decides it
is in its greater interest to back Azerbaijan, there will be in his
words a "possibility of movement." But, he adds Russia’s geopolitical
calculations in the southern Caucasus have clearly changed.

Emil Sanamyan, Washington editor of the Armenian Reporter, agrees
with Paul Goble that the Kremlin might have ulterior motives in
Sunday’s meetings. Sanamyan says Russia’s brokering of talks does
not necessarily aim at resolution and agreement, but rather is an
attempt to recapture the dominance it used to have in the region. And
in fact Armenian President Serge Sarkissian made the point this week
that, after Georgia failed in its recent attack on South Ossetia,
Azerbaijan would probably think twice about using military options
in Nagorno-Karabakh. Sanamyan suggests that factor alone may improve
the prospects for a peace deal.

U.S. Policy Perspective

According to Paul Goble, Azerbaijan is critically important to
Washington as well as to Moscow. First, he says, there is an interest
in access to oil and gas. Second, he notes there are strategic
considerations and making sure that Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Armenia
understand that the "east-west line" is more beneficial to them. And
third, Goble cautions, progress toward democracy in the region should
not be sacrificed in the name of geo-strategic or economic interests.