Author: nina hovnanian

ARAM SARGSYAN: DELAY IN ARMENIA’S ACCESSION TO EURASIAN ECONOMIC UNION MAY DESTABILIZE THE SITUATION

Friday, July 11, 17:00

The public should be aware of all the problems and difficulties in
the process of Armenia’s integration into the Eurasian Economic Union
(EAEU), because the delay in Armenia’s accession to the EAEU may
destabilize the situation, Aram Sargsyan, Leader of the Democratic
Party of Armenia, said at today’s Moscow-Yerevan video conference.

He said that Armenia has chosen the path of Eurasian integration
stemming from its national interests, but now the country’s accession
to the EAEU is being delayed for some reasons, and it is announced
at the level of Foreign Ministers, not Presidents. Aram Sargsyan
expressed his concern over the attempt to politicize the issue by
linking it with the Karabakh problem.

When asked about the expediency to maintain the Commission for
European Integration in the Armenian Parliament following Armenia’s
accession to the EAEU, Sargsyan replied that Armenia should not
be isolated. “There is no need to transform or reform the given
Commission. In the meantime, it is necessary to set up a Commission
for Eurasian Integration”, he said.

For his part, Deputy Director of the Caucasus Institute Sergey
Minasyan said that politicization of Armenia’s accession to the EAEU
is inevitable. Though the EAEU is an economic union, the decision on
Armenia’s accession has been taken with due regard for political and
geopolitical realities.

At the same time, he stressed that on the one hand Armenia’s accession
is delayed and on the other hand the issues related to the customs
duties are not tackled. These unresolved problems may make the
integration economically inexpedient, he said. Minasyan added that
it is other countries, not Armenia, that politicize the issue.

ARTSAKH SOLIDER KILLED BY AZERI SNIPER

Friday, July 11th, 2014

An Armenian soldier stands guard at the border between Artsakh and
Azerbaijan

STEPANAKERT–Armenian military serviceman Movses Gasparyan, 20,
received a fatal bullet wound from a shot fired by an Azerbaijanis
sniper on Friday at 3 p.m., News.am reports.

Gasparyan was fatally wounded at a military base stationed in the
south-eastern region of the line of contact between Artsakh and
Azerbaijani armed forces.

An investigation is being carried out to find details of the incident,
the Karabakh Defense Ministry said. Azerbaijani authorities are
denying their involvement in the shooting.

Incidentally, Artsakh armed forces reportedly intercepted a commando
raid on the town of Kelbajar on Thursday and captured an Azeri
serviceman. Artsakh officials released photos of weapons and an Azeri
flag they say were found on the Azeri serviceman’s person.

The Karabakh military reported the arrest of Shahbaz Guliyev in a
statement issued on Thursday, RFE/RL’s Armenian service (Azatutyun.am)
reported. It said the 46-year-old was a member of an Azerbaijani
“reconnaissance and sabotage group” that was neutralized by its forces
in the Kelbajar district sandwiched between Armenia and Karabakh.

The announcement of Guliyev’s capture coincided with an official
confirmation that a 17-year-old ethnic Armenian resident of Kelbajar,
Smbat Tsakanian, went missing a week ago. Officials in Stepanakert did
not rule out a connection between his disappearance and the alleged
Azerbaijani infiltration.

Tsakanian’s father Mekhak told the “Haykakan Zhamanak” daily that
the young man was alone in their house near Nor Erkej village when
he and other family members left it on July 4. He said they did not
find him here when they returned home the following morning.

“I am 100 percent sure that Azerbaijani saboteurs kidnapped my son,”
said Mekhak Tsakanian. “They broke into our house and stole food and
other stuff.”

Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry insisted on Friday, however, that
Guliyev is a civilian, rather than a member of a commando unit.

“Shahbaz Jalaloglu Guliyev, a resident of the Terter district taken
hostage in the Kelbajar district, does not serve in the armed forces
of Azerbaijan,” the Defense Ministry in Baku said, RFE/RL reported
citing the Regnum news agency.

ARTUR SAKUNTS. “THE DRAFT CONCEPT PAPER SHOULD INCLUDE THAT RPA IS ARMENIA’S RULING FORCE AND THAT’S IT” (VIDEO)

July 11 2014

“In his speech, Gagik Harutyunyan was just reproducing textbook truths
or provisions, which are enshrined in international documents”, such
expression was made by the Head of HCA Vanadzor office, Artur Sakunts,
in the conversation with Aravot.am, referring to the speech delivered
by the President of Constitutional Court (CC), Gagik Harutyunyan,
at the opening of international conference entitled “Constitutional
Reform in the Context of Democratic Development”.

According to him, they were expecting to hear what the CC’s position
is on these textbook truths, or what CC has done, and what decisions
it has made that contributed to the strengthening of these truths.

Whereas, Artur Sakunts mentions, “CC’s shows in practice that it
displays more timid behavior, and does not ensure the principle of
the rule of law with its decisions.” Citing a number of Constitutional
Court decisions, Mr. Sakunts said, “During sensitive political topics,
the Constitutional Court gives tribute to the interests of political
authorities. And definitely, I have the same concern on this issue.”

Pursuant to Artur Sakunts, “all the crises-related issues will be
resolved when as a result of constitutional amendments, de jure,
one-party system will be strengthened.” He ironically said, “We just
need to write down in the draft concept paper that RPA is Armenia’s
ruling force, and the second Article that all RPA decisions are made
by Serzh Sargsyan. That’s the end, as a result, the constitutional
amendments enshrined what we have today.”

Read more at:

FIRST CARREFOUR HYPERMARKET TO BE OPENED IN ARMENIA IN AUTUMN

YEREVAN, July 11. /ARKA/. The first Carrefour hypermarket will be
opened in Armenia in the coming autumn, French Ambassador to Armenia
Henri Reynaud said Friday at a news conference.

In recent days, he said, he met with entrepreneurs from France who
were interested in doing business in Armenia.

A preliminary agreement between Yerevan Mall and Carrefour was signed
on May 13 in Yerevan. Armenian and French presidents, Serzh Sargsyan
and Francois Hollande were present at the signing ceremony.

Carrefour SA is a French retail trade company and operator of
Carrefour, the world’s second biggest chain of hypermarket after
Wal-Mart.

The hypermarket will be opened in the territory of Yerevan Mall that
occupies premises of 66,000 square meters, of which 10,000 square
embers are built up in accordance with Carrefour standards. -0—-

– See more at:

“WILL THE EDITORS BE PUT TO TORTURE, TAKEN AWAY FROM BREAD AND WATER, AND BE INTIMIDATED?” LEVON BARSEGHYAN

July 10 2014

“From the public interest’s viewpoint, the mass media shall be
entitled not to disclose its source of information. In addition, as
far as I know, this is not a serious crime and particularly a grave
crime. The Court’s decision in this regard is unsubstantiated,”
such opinion was expressed by the President of the Journalists’
Club “Asparez” , Levon Barseghyan, today, in the conversation with
Aravot.am, referring to the court’s decision on disclosure of the
source of information by “Hraparak” daily newspaper and iLur.am
website. According to him, “If we are guided by the logic, the court
should have understood that its decision will not be exercised. The
mass media will not disclose its sources, in addition, it does not
have any leverage for reinforcement of its decisions. If the media,
let’s assume, does not disclose its source, the plaintiff should apply
to Judicial Acts Compulsory Enforcement Service, which must deal
with compelling the media to disclose the source. And as to how it
is going to happen, it is very difficult to imagine. For instances,
will the editors be put to torture, taken away from bread and water,
or be intimidated? What is the tool by which the court will compel
media to execute its decision?” To our question of whether this will
cause harm to free speech and free media, Levon Barseghyan replied,
“This may really affect the coward journalist and extremely cautious
journalists and mass media. They may be cautious of falling under this
risk, and their media become sweeter than it is. And the mass media,
which had and have the courage, nowise can be intimidated by such
absurd verdicts. Eventually, the prosecutor’s office and the SIS should
really be interested in how to prepare materials about the information
to disclose the crime, rather than being interested in the source,
from which the information incurs. Suppose, the source has released
a misinformation. Suppose, the information is a lie, what is their
benefit of it? The prosecutor’s office benefits nothing. There is
no victim in this case. And if someone thinks that he is slandered,
insulted, he could have tried to defend his interests by the Civil
Code and without the prosecutor’s office. If the police chief thinks
that he is slandered, what is your business, the chief prosecutor’s
office? No way Kostanyan can explain about what the disclosure of the
source will give to him. And, then, in all the cases where the mass
media will be able to ridicule such absurd verdicts by the courts,
may say, “I have found this information in an envelope, early the
morning, in front of my door”. Now, go and suffer. After reading,
I threw it into the stove. What else can you do? Nothing. In other
words, the court want to justify their non-filing a criminal case by
having no source.”

Hripsime JEBEJYAN

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AMBASSADOR: “THOUGH ARMENIA PUT FORWARD SOME ENTICING PROPOSALS TO CONVINCE PAKISTAN, ALL OF THEM WERE REJECTED EACH TIME”

Azeri-Press news agency (APA)
July 9, 2014 Wednesday

“Pakistan is one of the first countries which recognized Azerbaijan’s
independence and it always recognizes Armenia as an occupier”, said
Azerbaijani Ambassador to Pakistan Dashgin Shikarov, APA reports.

The Ambassador stressed that important works have been done for
delivering Azerbaijan’s fair voice regarding the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict to the world.

“Pakistan does not recognize Armenia as a state. Though Armenia put
forward some enticing proposals, Pakistan has repeatedly rejected
Armenia’s intentions. Pakistan ignores all requests of the Armenian
lobby.

Saying that Pakistani and Azerbaijani governments and people have good
relations, the Ambassador added that Azerbaijan was the first country
which rendered assistance to Pakistan after the earthquake. Heydar
Aliyev Foundation has also carried out important activities in
Pakistan.

AZERBAIJANI SIDE UNDERGOES HEAVY FIRE FROM ARMENIA

Cihan News Agency, Turkey
July 10 2014

BAKU – 10.07.2014 11:45:01

The ceasefire on the Armenian-Azerbaijani contact line was broken
24 times in numerous positions last night, the Azerbaijani Defense
Ministry said on July 10.

The armed forces of Armenia, located in the villages of Berkaber,
Paravakar of Armenia’s Ijevan region, fired at the positions of
Azerbaijani armed forces, located in the villages of Gizilhajili of
Gazakh and Kohnegishlag of Aghstafa region.

Meanwhile, the Azerbaijani armed forces, located in the Kemerli
village of Gazakh region, underwent fire from the positions located
in the Doveh village of Armenia’s Noyemberyan region.

Moreover, the Azerbaijani positions located in the villages of Kohanebi
and Aghdam of Tovuz region, took fire from the positions located in
the village of Mosesgerh and at the nameless heights of Armenia’s
Berd region.

At the same time, the Azerbaijani positions underwent fire from the
positions located at the nameless heights and near the villages of
Horadiz, Ashagi Seyidahmadli, Ashagi Veyselli of Fizuli, Merzili,
Shikhlar of Aghdam, Tapgaragoyunlu of Goranboy and Kuropatkino of
Khojavend region.

The opposing side was silenced with return fire.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan.

As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied
20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and
seven surrounding districts.

The two countries signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs
of the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia, France and the U.S. are currently
holding peace negotiations.

Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council’s four
resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the
surrounding regions.(Cihan/Trend az)

PRO-KURDISH ELECTION CANDIDATE: A GRASSROOTS VOICE FOR THE UNDERREPRESENTED TURKISH POPULATION

Journal of Turkish Weekly
July 10 2014

10 July 2014
JTW News Analysis, Julie Bogoslovsky

Turkey’s main pro-Kurdish party – the People’s Democratic Party (HDP)
– officially announced on June 30th its nomination of Selahattin
DemirtaÃ…~_ as its presidential candidate for elections scheduled
to take place in August. He will be up against Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip Erdogan and Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, the joint candidate of the
Republican People’s Party (CHP) and the Nationalist Action Party (MHP).

DemirtaÃ…~_ was raised in a Kurdish and Sunni family in an eastern
province of Anatolia. He was elected deputy of Hakkari in 2007 and
now strives to take part in national politics. He is a prominent
pro-Kurdish figure.

The Kurds, a distinct ethnic group of the Sunni Muslim people,
represent an estimated 20 percent of Turkey’s 76 million population,
thus numbering around 15 million people. As their representative,
DemirtaÃ…~_ pledged to accelerate the ongoing peace process and solve
the Kurdish issue under his presidency. This process is currently one
of the main platform issues put forward by Erdogan to garner Kurdish
votes, which are considered to be a key to winning the polls.

“Under my presidency, Turkey will solve the Kurdish issue by putting
all concerns aside,” DemirtaÃ…~_ affirmed while also emphasizing that
he would not be a candidate only for the Kurds.

According to Hatice AltınıÅ~_ık, HDP deputy chairwoman responsible
for “people and their beliefs”, “when you listen to DemirtaÃ…~_,
I believe you hear he is also in support of the working class,
the oppressed. So being a Kurd is just one of the identities around
you. We aim to unite the left in Turkey. Many unsatisfied CHP voters
will have a voice now.”

DemirtaÃ…~_ is also looking to the Alevi vote. At the Sivas ceremony
on the 2nd of July, Aydin Deniz, the general secretary of the Hubyar
Sultan Association, said, “We support DemirtaÃ…~_ because he was the
only candidate who voiced the need to abolish the Religious Affairs
Directorate, along with our other needs. DemirtaÃ…~_ was the only
political party leader who came to Sivas. That takes courage.” This
community is, now, waiting for a significant gesture from the
politicians actors.

However, the Alevis are not the only minority playing a role in
DemirtaÃ…~_’s political campaign. Tatyos Bebek, a member of the Armenian
community said, “DemirtaÃ…~_ is one of us. We are the underrepresented
and politically mistreated. He represents all these groups. He accepts
our differences and struggles to find ways to coexist in harmony. In
our quest to be equal citizens in Turkey, I support him.”

The HDP candidate unites diverse groups whose common denominator
is underrepresentation. For example, on the 30th of June during the
municipal elections, five LGBT candidates were nominated to the HDP’s
list. Going further than just supporting them, the HDP has also brought
various groups into the political process, forcing other parties on
the left to gradually change their platforms.

The leftist party is also seeking parity: The HDP and its sister
organization, the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP), had decided that
after the last municipal race, each seat would be filled jointly by
one man and one woman. Such an arrangement is not possible for the
presidential race but has clearly shown the leanings of the party
toward equal rights.

A campaign manifesto will be unveiled on July 15th, announced the
HDP co-chairman: “In it, we will state what kind of Turkey we dream
about”. If elected, DemirtaÃ…~_ also aims to create two “advising
councils” – one composed of women and the other of disabled people.

The presidential elections, scheduled for August 10th, will be the
first time Turkey’s president has been elected by direct popular vote.

The fact that the Kurdish candidate is one of the three candidates is
a huge step for the Turkish Republic. While it seems to be a two-horse
race between the candidate of the ruling Justice and Development party
and the joint coalition candidate of the CHP and MHP, the performance
of DemirtaÃ…~_ could be important in determining whether the elections
will go to a second round on the 24th of August.

10 July 2014 Journal of Turkish Weekly

RUSSIAN PM MEDVEDEV TO DISCUSS YEREVAN’S ACCESSION TO EEU WITH ARMENIAN COUNTERPART

The Voice of Russia
July 10 2014

Armenian Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan will meet with his Russian
counterpart Dmitry Medvedev in Sochi on July 11 to discuss the Armenian
accession to the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU).

“I will meet with the Russian prime minister in Sochi the day after
tomorrow. We will meet and speak about all issues and timeframes.

After our return to Yerevan we will give you complete information,”
Abrahamyan told reporters on Wednesday.

He was asked about a delay in the Armenian entry into the EEU.

As to whether the Nagorno-Karabakh problem could be an impediment,
Abrahamyan said, “There are no reasons for delay. We will join the
EEU; we have implemented every agreement and this matter is unrelated
to Nagorno-Karabakh.”

MILITARY TECHNOLOGICAL COOPERATION OF RUSSIA WITH ARMENIA WILL CONTINUE ON A NEW BASIS

DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
July 9, 2014 Wednesday

The Federation Council ratified an agreement between Russia and
Armenia on development of military technological cooperation. The
document was signed in Yerevan on June 25 of 2013. Its subject is
determination of the procedure of mutual supply of military products
for the purpose of equipment of national armed forces, military
formations, law-enforcement agencies and special services of Russia and
Armenia. The accompanying documents say, “According to the agreement
military products will be supplied under contracts signed by authorized
organizations without issue of licenses for import and export.”

Source: Voenno-Promyshlenny Kuryer, No. 23, July 02-08, 2014, p. 5
Translated from Russian