Author: nina hovnanian

ELMAR MAMMADYAROV SUGGESTS “ACHIEVING PROGRESS” IN DUBLIN

Mediamax
Dec 6 2012
Armenia

December 6. /Mediamax/. Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan Elmar
Mammadyarov suggested achieving progress on Karabakh settlement in
Dublin, where a two-day session of the Council of Foreign Ministers
of OSCE member states kicks off today.

Elmar Mammadyarov wrote this in an article “Securing Lasting Peace
in the Caucasus” in The Wall Street Journal, Mediamax reports.

“Azerbaijan wants peace so that we can continue to grow our economy,
develop our energy resources and advance our relations with Europe and
our neighbors. But Armenia also has a stake in peace with Azerbaijan.

The country is isolated in the region largely because of this
conflict. It is excluded from all regional infrastructure and energy
projects. When we can agree on lasting peace, Armenia could become
a stakeholder in these regional projects,” Azeri FM said.

Elmar Mammadyarov noted that Baku will not accept a “territorial
division of Azerbaijan” and insists on a “comprehensive” and immediate
withdrawal of Armenian forces.

“Beyond these two conditions, we are flexible and willing to support
any peace process. We will back it up with a real economic development
plan for Nagorno-Karabakh, including serious investments,” the Azeri
minister said in his article.

“I suggest we move forward in Dublin and achieve progress on this
issue beyond what has already been agreed with Armenia and the three
OSCE co-chairs. After drafting a comprehensive peace agreement within
a fixed time frame, the OSCE should agree on a new Minsk Group meeting
to be attended by all parties,” Elmar Mammadyarov concluded. –0–

ARMENIAN BUDGETS BASED ON SOUND GROWTH IN 2013

Agence France Presse
December 5, 2012 Wednesday 11:05 AM GMT

Armenia’s parliament approved on Wednesday a 2013 budget which foresees
sound economic growth but was criticised by the opposition for not
addressing the needs of poor families.

The budget forecasts that the country’s gross domestic product will
grow by 6.2 percent next year with inflation projected at about
4.0 percent.

With budget revenues put at 1.327 trillion Armenian drams ($3.3
billion/2.5 billion euros) — a 13 percent year-on-year increase —
and expenditures planned at 1.525 trillion drams ($3.7 billion/2.9
billion euros), the budget deficit will amount to 2.6 percent of GDP.

The opposition parties have refused to endorse the proposed budget
and criticised it for failing to increase social spending in the
impoverished country.

“We are not taking risky commitments … as we need to guard the
country from additional risks,” Prime Minister Tigran Sargisian told
lawmakers before the vote.

A landlocked country of 3.2 million that was badly affected by the
global downturn, Armenia is economically isolated because its borders
with two neighbours Turkey and Azerbaijan have long been closed owing
to political disputes.

mkh-im/sjw/hd

POOR SCENARIO FOR AZERI FM’S OSCE MEETING STATEMENT IN DUBLIN

December 6, 2012 – 22:16 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Azeri Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov delivered
a statement at OSCE Ministerial Council Meeting in Dublin.

As expected, Mammadyarov’s statement had little in common with Baku’s
usual remarks. As it turned out, Baku is “interested to continue
peaceful talks for Karabakh conflict settlement.”

Moreover, especially for Dublin meeting, Azerbaijan resolved to
“support OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs’ efforts,” also expressing
readiness to develop a peace deal for a phased settlement of the
conflict.

He went on to lament “protracted talks,” however, failing to take
the blame for his country’s destructive stance.

What Mammadyarov also failed to mention was Baku’s intensified
remarks suggesting OSCE MG activities to be useless, to say nothing
of Baku’s constant threats of a new war, humongous military spending,
and proclaiming Armenia “No. 1 enemy.”

Instead, Mammadyarov, repeatedly accused Armenia of hampering the
progress of negotiations.

The above deserves no comment. Azeri actions speak for themselves,
as do Baku’s attempts to prevent the settlement ignoring urges to
observe ceasefire, pull snipers from the line of contact, develop
mechanisms for investigation of incidents at contact line, while
continuing with its bellicose rhetoric.

Baku took its best efforts to undermine conflict settlement talks in
Kazan, refusing to sign the basic principles for conflict settlement.

Instead, the Azerbaijani leader attempted to impose 10 new proposals,
thus precluding the possibility of any agreement.

In short, Mammadyarov chose a bad author to pen a scenario for his
Dublin statement.

Marina Ananikyan / PanARMENIAN News

ARTSAKH REPUBLIC PRESIDENT BAKO SAHAKYAN SENT A CONDOLENCE LETTER TO THE FAMILY OF KARINE GHAZINYAN

20:58, 6 December, 2012

On 5 December Artsakh Republic President Bako Sahakyan sent a
condolence letter to the family of Karine Ghazinyan.

The letter runs as follows:

“I have learnt with deep sorrow about the death of the Armenian
ambassador to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Karine Ghazinyan.

Karine Ghazinyan served faithfully to the Motherland and people and
protected our national interests on the diplomatic front.

In the hour of irretrievable loss on behalf of the Artsakh people,
authorities and myself I express deepest condolences and support to
all the relatives and friends of the deceased.

The memory of Karine Ghazinyan will always remain bright in our
hearts.”

AZERBAIJAN THE MOST CORRUPTED COUNTRY IN CAUCASUS. TRANSPARENCY INTERNATIONAL

19:30, 6 December, 2012

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 6, ARMENPRESS: Azerbaijan, Kenya, Nepal, Nigeria and
Pakistan have shared 133rd place in the Transparency International’s
Corruption index of 2012, getting 27 points out of 100. As higher is
the position of the country in the ranking as corrupted it is. One of
the best results among post Soviet Union countries has Estonia which
is at 32nd place. With a score of 36, Greece ranks 94, together with
Colombia, Benin, Djibouti, India, Mongolia and Senegal. Citizens of
Italy (72nd), too, presumably will have pause for thought: sharing
this rank with Bosnia and Herzegovina and Sao Tome and Principe,
just before Bulgaria. In fact, Greece, Italy, Spain and Portugal, at
the center of the Euro crisis, were the four worst ranked countries
in Western European countries in this year’s index. As reports
Armenpress, according to the statement of the organization, yet the
society and authorities of the countries have to pay more attention to
that issue. When referring to Azerbaijan the organization stated that
Azerbaijan should improve some laws on the fight against the corruption
and make some steps to protect the people struggling against it.

PRICES WILL GROW, SHADOW WILL REMAIN THE SAME

Story from Lragir.am News:

17:17 05/12/2012

“The 2013 budget has been approved with slight exceptions. It has no
development motivation, no projects”, said Hrant Bagratyan, NA ANC
member, foreign prime minister to Lragir.am.

Recall today the parliament adopted the 2013 budget draft though the
opposition was dissatisfied with it. Hrant Bagratyan says the new
budget will lead to price increases by 4-4.5%, while the salaries
and pensions paid by the budget won’t grow. More, the shadow economy
level will remain the same. The revenues-GDP ratio won’t change.

“Besides all the shortcomings and unacceptable mistakes already voiced,
I would like to add one more. This is becoming more essential.

The close people of the president, prime minister, government members,
parliamentary majority are engaged in business. So, when I make a good
proposal, which does not cost anything to the budget, they disagree
with it. For example, my initiative to set the minimum salary 72 500
AMD. The government denied my proposal though it would not cost much.

Believe me the reason for the refusal was that the government does not
care for the budget but only their personal business interests. In
this sense, there are several MPs who voice the people’s issues in
the parliament, while in the government there is no one. It fully
serves the interests of the bourgeoisie”, said Hrant Bagratyan.

CHAIRMAN OF THE RA NA STANDING COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN RELATIONS MEETS THE AMBASSADOR OF BELARUS TO THE RA

05.12.2012

On December 5 the Chairman of the NA Standing Committee on Foreign
Relations Artak Zakaryan met with the Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
Ambassador of the Republic of Belarus to the RA Stepan Sukhorenko
and his first deputy Valery Gorelko.

In the course of the meeting issues pertaining to the development
of the inter-parliamentary of the two countries were discussed. In
particular, the role of inter-parliamentary cooperation was highlighted
in the strengthening of bilateral relations.

The interlocutors also touched upon the perspectives of the
development of mutually beneficial cooperation in international
organizations. According to Artak Zakaryan, the prior problem is that
the parliamentary delegation of Belarus as an equal partner will
be involved in the Euronest parliamentary Assembly of the Eastern
Partnership. With respect to that works are done in the special
working group created in the Euronest PA.

Highlighting the European integration Stepan Sukhorenko noted that
their wish was to be an equal partner.

In the meeting the sides touched upon the parliamentary elections
of Belarus, as well as the further works of the Armenia-Belarus
Inter-parliamentary Committee and the possibilities of the enlivenment
of the ties between the parliaments. The sides agreed to take
measures for deepening the cooperation between the committees of
foreign relations of the parliaments of the two countries.

AIRPORT ADMINISTRATION WILL WORK ON DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM WITH ARARAT AND ARMAVIR MUNICIPALITIES

16:02, 5 December, 2012

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 5, ARMENPRESS. The Deputy Prime Minister of
the Republic of Armenia, Minister of Territorial Administration
of the Republic of Armenia Armen Gevorgyan convoked a conference
in the Chief Department of Civil Aviation of the Government of the
Republic of Armenia. The Head of Chief Department of Civil Aviation
of the Government of the Republic of Armenia, Mayors of Ararat and
Armavir, Deputy Mayor of Yerevan, the administration of “Armenia”
International Airports, “Armavia” Airlines and “Zvartnots” Airport
partook in the conference.

The Department of Public Relations of the Ministry of Territorial
Administration of the Republic of Armenia informed “Armenpress”
that the project of perspective development of the airport have been
discussed at the conference. Notwithstanding, the participants also
referred to a number of issues regarding services of Governmental
bodies in the airport.

Among other things the administration of the airport noted that
presently they are discussing the issue of construction of a new
railway to the airport with CJSC “South Caucasian Railway”. Also in
frames of the discussion the participants referred to the reciprocal
relations of “Armenia” International Airports and “Armavia” Airlines
and the execution of liabilities of the aforesaid companies.

WHO WILL SAVE RUSSIA?
Igor Muradyan

Story from Lragir.am News:

16:41 05/12/2012

Why has the Russian political nationalism failed? I first asked this
question to Igor Shafarevich and then to dozens of Russian apologists
of patriotism, traditionalism and nationalism. Reflections took place
in any zone except the zone of slip of national-patriotic forces.

Currently a lot of skeptics have realized that were Russian nationalism
OK, the Soviet Union would still exist. All kinds of expressions
of radical groups (or rather gangs of radical ruffians) in Russia
represent anything but expressions of nationalism since political
nationalism is a deep and meaningful humanistic idea.

Political nationalism of a big nation will transform into an
imperialistic doctrine at some stage. As far as it is known, profound
academic ethnic and social studies in Russia have found that Russia
has inherited the imperial past and a huge space which have lost
their value and importance for the Russian people and society. This
state of the nation with a nuclear potential is rather dangerous.

Russia feels traditional and quite new external threats but the
main threat for the country is deep economization of the national
consciousness which has reduced to the level of absurd and the far
end of imagination. The Russian foreign policy is fully dependent
on the goals of making money. Furthermore, this idea is supported by
all the groups of the population and the society. In Russia there is
not a political elite, there is only economic elite, including the
top government.

Trouble comes not only when there is an opposition but also when there
is no self-critic in the government. In such a country as Russia with
old military traditions there has been zero indignation with such
degrading treatment of the military forces. By the level of corruption
Russia is at the same level with the most backward countries.

The political leadership and the political class, as well the
community which is more or less aware of politics cannot accept
its foreign partners as partners. Any success of the partners in
economy or in foreign affairs or even in army building encounters a
hostile or unfriendly attitude in Moscow. Russia is deprived of real
partners and allies because they are constantly waiting for claims
to its sovereignty.

The other problem is why Russia wants to limit the sovereignty of its
partners? It is hard to imagine that Russia is interested in building
up a market of millions of consumers to sell to them its resources
at “internal” prices. The Russian elite do not need even their own
passport-holders so why should they want to spend additional millions?

The answer is simple. Nobody is going to feed extra millions
to consumers. The point is about the goals of demonstration of
pseudo-success and claims to the participants of the CIS and CSTO.

In regard to these goals the unserious idea of the Eurasian Union has
been put forth. The country on the verge of collapse is set to create
a decentralized empire. Who foiled and continues to foil Russia’s
plans? It could be anyone but not nationalists who are now in the
status of sectarians and outcasts of the major social groups of the
Russian empire.

In the modern world a strong nation does not need a decorative empire
but clearly aligned partners who are linked with Russia by obliging
relations and positive expectations. Currently Russia needs “internal
allies” more than ever. It needs partners among ethnicities which are
historically linked to Russia. This “union” is necessary because if
Russia collapses, another global geopolitical catastrophe will follow.

The Russian bureaucracy is unable to compete with representatives
of other peoples participating in the Russian political and social
process. Therefore gangs of radical ruffians with signs of oligophrenia
on their faces have been let out to the streets.

Russia will need to be saved but by who? If the Western community sets
to “save” Russia, it will be a different Russia, or it will be called
Eurasian Union. A great nation differs from a simple nation by a strong
awareness of who is an enemy and who is a friend. For the time being,
all that is expected from Russia is stupid pressure and blackmail to
force Armenia to return from the pro-Atlantic-European track, step on
the track for the Eurasian project, as well as possibly demonstrate
loyalty to the Russian government. Here is the imperialistic idea. How
will it end up?

LA BIBLIOTHEQUE ROYALE DU DANEMARK SOUS LE FEU DES CRITIQUES A CAUSE D’UNE EXPOSITION SUR LE GENOCIDE ARMENIEN
Stephane

armenews.com
jeudi 6 decembre 2012

La Bibliothèque Royale a attire sur elle de vives critiques après avoir
accepte de permettre aux Turcs de preparer en commun une exposition
alternative sur le Genocide Armenien.

La bibliothèque a accede aux souhaits de l’ambassadeur turc au
Danemark, pour collaborer a la suite de l’exposition ” Le Genocide
Armenien et la Reponse Scandinave “, qui est actuellement visible a
l’Universite de Copenhague.

L’Ambassade de Turquie a ete autorisee a preparer une version des
evenements historiques dans un geste qui a provoque les critiques de
certains cercles, parmi lesquels ceux de la politique, des historiens,
et de l’Ambassade armenienne a Copenhague.

” C’est ceder a la pression turque et cela n’est pas acceptable. Sans
comparer les deux evenements, cela revient a demander aux neonazis
de preparer une exposition sur l’Holocauste “, a dit Soren Espersen,
porte parole du Dansk Folkeparti (DF), au journal Berlingske. La
Turquie refuse l’emploi du mot ” genocide ” pour decrire la mort de
plus de un million d’Armeniens morts au cours de tueries de masse par
l’Empire Ottoman au cours des annees 1915-1923. La Turquie oppose que
les morts ont ete un sous-produit de la Première Guerre Mondiale et
que la question devrait etre laissee aux historiens.

Mais Mathias Bjorlund, un historien et expert de premier plan sur
le Genocide armenien, est surpris de la decision de la Bibliothèque
Royale dans cette affaire.

” Si vous croyez que toutes les versions de l’histoire se valent,
alors vous avez pietine votre rôle d’institution de recherche,
” a dit Bjorlund a Berlingske. ” c’etait un genocide et toutes les
interpretations de cette histoire ne sont pas correctes. ”

L’ambassadeur armenien au Danemark, Hracha Aghajanyan, qui est le
Co-recipiendaire de l’exposition, est decu par cet acte.

” J’espère que la Bibliothèque Royale reconsiderera sa decision et
ne cèdera pas a la pression turque, ” a dit Aghajanyan a Berlingske.

Mais Erland Kolding Nielsen, le directeur de la Bibliothèque Royale,
a nie que l’institution ait pris sa decision sous la pression de
la Turquie.

” On ne peut faire pression sur nous, et nous n’avons pas parle de
retirer l’exposition armenienne. Nous leur avons simplement donne la
possibilite de montrer leur exposition alternative, ” a dit Nielsen
a Berlingske.

Aujourd’hui, 24 nations, dont la France, l’Allemagne et la Russie,
ont officiellement reconnu les tueries comme un genocide, mais au
Danemark, cette declaration reste encore a faire.

Plus tôt cette annee, la Turquie a condamne l’adoption par le Senat
d’une loi criminalisant ceux qui refusent de reconnaître les tueries
d’Armeniens en 1915 comme un genocide en France. Le gouvernement turc
a gele les liens politiques et militaires avec la France après que
la loi ait ete votee a la fin du mois de janvier 2012, qui exposait
a une amende de 335 000 couronnes et a une annee de prison ceux qui
se seraient rendus coupables de nier que ces morts constituaient en
un genocide.

On ne sait encore quand l’exposition turque sera ouverte, mais
l’ambassade turque dit que les preparatifs sont en cours.

The Copenhagen Post

Christian Wenande

4 decembre 2012

Traduction Gilbert Beguian

jeudi 6 decembre 2012, Stephane ©armenews.com