Author: nina hovnanian

INCUMBENT PRESIDENT WINS NAGORNO-KARABAKH PRESIDENTIAL POLL

RIA Novosti
July 20, 2012
STEPANAKERT

Incumbent head of unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic Bako Saakyan
has won the national presidential polls gathering 66.7 percent of
the vote, the country’s central electoral commission said on Friday.

The commission said 47,085 people voted for Saakyan, second is former
Deputy Defense Minister Vitaly Balasanyan with 32.5 percent of the vote
(22,966 people).

The voting turnout reached over 73 percent. All in all, 72,833 people
out of the country’s 98,909 registered voters casted their ballots.

The voting process was overseen by more than 60 monitors from Russia,
Armenia the United States and other countries.

On Friday, Georgia’s Foreign Ministry said it will not recognize the
elections. “The Foreign Ministry of Georgia declares its unequivocal
support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan
and does not recognize so-called “presidential elections”, conducted in
Nagorno-Karabakh July 19 2012,” an official ministerial statement said.

Georgia believes that more effort is needed from the international
community “to achieve a peaceful settlement of Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict through constructive dialogue,” the statement added.

On Thursday, the EU has reiterated it does not recognize the legality
of the elections.

Catherine Ashton, the EU high representative for foreign affairs
and security policy, said the European Union “does not recognize the
constitutional and legal framework in which they will be held.”

“These ‘elections’ should not prejudice the determination of the
future status of Nagorno-Karabakh in the negotiated general framework
of the peaceful settlement of the conflict.”

Ashton recalled the EU’s firm support to the OSCE Minsk Group, and
in particular to the sustained efforts of its co-chairs, aimed at a
peaceful resolution of the conflict.

“I call on the parties to step up their efforts to find a negotiated
solution to the conflict on the basis of the Madrid principles, which
would allow progress beyond the status quo. I reiterate the EU’s
readiness to provide further support to efforts in this direction”,
she said.

The conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia erupted in the late 1980s,
when the predominantly Armenian-populated region of Nagorno-Karabakh
claimed independence from Azerbaijan. It is estimated to have left
more than 30,000 people dead on both sides between 1988 and 1994. The
region has since remained under Armenian control.

There has been an increasing number of shootouts along the line of
contact between the Armenian and Azerbaijani forces, as well as at
the border between the two states.

CONCERN FOR KHOSROV: NEW FIRE ROAD UNDER THE WATCH OF ENVIRONMENTALISTS
By Gohar Abrahamyan

ArmeniaNow
20.07.12 | 13:23

The expansion of the road crossing through Armenia’s main nature
preserve, Khosrov Forest, is intended to make the preserve more
accessible. Environmentalists, however, say the road expansion damages
the ecosystem.

“We believe that the enlarged road will give an opportunity for more
cars to enter the forest, which is unacceptable for the preserve. The
grounding of the road’s enlargement is that cases of fire are quite
often there and the firebreak is needed for fire engines,” says
environmentalist Karine Danielyan, head of “For Sustainable Human
Development” NGO, at a press conference on Thursday.

Vorontsov Barseghyan, director of Khosrov Forest state preserve,
said on Wednesday that “a fireroad is being constructed there, and
not a single tree has been logged for it.”

According to Danielyan, even though the road is not asphalted, it
nonetheless endangers the ecosystem of the forest.

“After a discussion we have come to a mutual agreement that a bate
will be installed on the road, there will be a surveillance there
to make sure that the road will serve only for positive purposes,”
Danielyan says.

The Khosrov Forest state preserve of 29,196 hectares is located
in Ararat province and is rich in flora and fauna, as well as has
scientific, educational and historical-cultural values. There are about
1,849 species of plants, and 283 species of animals there, part of them
are registered in the international Red Book of Endangered Species.

Silva Adamyan, Coordinator of the Public Ecological Alliance, stated
that the Government aims to develop ecotourism in preserves. Even
though the environmentalist is not against this initiative, she
believes that the development of tourism endangers the preserve and
its biodiversity.

“Nobody says that ecotourism should not be developed in our country.

However, there is no proper management of it here which causes
existence of domestic waste in preserves, plants of important
significance are being trampled and damaged,” Adamyan says.

Environmentalists are also concerned about a building recently
constructed in Gilan Reserve in Khosrov Forest preserve (according
to their information, the building belongs to Speaker of the National
Assembly Hovik Abrahamyan), because they are sure that it will become
a leisure centre.

Civil activist Gevorg Safaryan stated that they “have given time to
the proper bodies to pull the building down, and if they do not do it,
then the environmentalists, as owners of the country, will dismantle
the building themselves.”

RUSSIAN EXPERT POINTS AT INARTIFICIAL NATURE OF COMPETITION IN NKR

arminfo
Friday, July 20, 14:24

“The election in Nagornyy Karabakh is a factor which also promotes
ligitimization of the republic like a participant in the negotiating
process and a factor of regional stability which is impossible
not to be taken into consideration”, an employee of the Oriental
Studies Institute under Russian Academy of Science, political expert
Andrey Areshev, said to ArmInfo correspondent in Stepanakert where
he arrived to like an international monitor for the presidential
election in Nagornyy Karabakh. “First of all, I would like to point
at inartificial nature of the political process in Nagornyy Karabakh
unlike in many other recognized and semi-recognized countries of
the post-Soviet territory where we can’t see any competition but
can see certain theatrical nature of activity of certain candidates,
as well as using of administrative and force resource. I would like
to mention the high level of competition and its inartificial nature
in Karabakh”, – Areshev said. Saying there are certain problems in
Nagornyy Karabakh, the expert added that “Although much was done
for the last five years for development of social and economic
infrastructure and public and political processes, nevertheless,
there are problems of unemployment, emigration and settlement of a
part of the territory of Nagornyy Karabakh. However, it is pleasant
that a vital, interested and sometimes sharp dialogue is established
around these problems. The availability of constructive opposition is
very much important for Karabakh. One of the candidates for president
said that if he loses, he will work in the opposition field. By the
way, in this context Karabakh may be a sample for many other countries
where the so-called opposition puts forward some unclear strange ideas
and sees the receipt of political development and prosperity of state
in external recommendations from abroad, which will teach democracy.

There is not such a thing in Karabakh. We in Russia understand
that the main resource for development of any country are, first
of all,the people and the society. As for the Karabakh society,
it is oriented not to the false but the right and long-lasting
goals”. When commenting on regular threats of official Baku linked
with the presidential election in Karabakh, Areshev said: “Not only
Russians are in Karabakh today, but also representatives of European
Parliament from different countries, as well as many people which
have been dealing with the Karabakh issue. They understand very well
that Karabakh is a factor of the regional policy and no solution
of the Minsk Group or other organizations will be accepted without
taking the viewpoint of Karabakh into consideration. I am pleased
for the fact that the co-chairs seem to understand it. The direct
non-constructive position of total negation of everything which is
taking place in Nagornyy Karabakh, assures representatives of the
world community more and more that further joint way of development
of Azerbaijan and Nagornyy Karabakh is incompatible”, – he concluded.

THE INFORMATION ON THE SITUATION IN SYRIA IS MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE

ARMENPRESS
19 July, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, JULY 19, ARMENPRESS: The coverage of Medias about the
situation in Syria is different and mutually exclusive. Armenpress
reports that Reuters agency writes that the opposition continue to
press President Asad and try to seize the presidential residence as
well as governmental other buildings.

According to opposition sources after the last clashes and murders the
leader of the country was moved to Latakia city and several more days
will stay there. On July 19 there was also spread information that
the wife of Syrian President had arrived in Moscow based on security
considerations. But ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary of
Syria in Moscow Rihhad Hadat on the same day denied that information.

‘The wife of the President is near her husband at this moment in
Damascus. She is with her family” mentioned the ambassador during the
interview to “Interfax” agency also stressing that the President is
also in Damascus and did not leave the capital. According to Syrian
“Sana” official news agency the situation is not as bloody as is
presented by international Medias.

ARMENIA-RUSSIA RAILWAY SERVICE VIA ABKHAZIA UNLIKELY TO RESUME

news.am
July 19, 2012 | 12:53

YEREVAN.- Railway service between Armenia and Russia via Abkhazia
is unlikely to resume, said Deputy Director of Caucasus Institute
Sergey Minasyan.

There are many reasons for which the project seems to be quite
unrealistic, he told reporters on Thursday.

The topic was previously discussed during Georgian Foreign Minister
Grigol Vashadze’s recent visit to Armenia.

“The operation of the railroad may prove that Georgia has coped with
the situation. In this context, speculations on resuming the railway
service are exaggerated,” he said.

OPENING BORDERS WITHOUT PROTOCOLS?
Naira Hayrumyan

Story from Lragir.am News:

Published: 15:01:54 – 19/07/2012

The Turkish press has reported the intention of their country to
take steps towards normalization not to have to face the issue of
recognition of the genocide by 2015.

Turkish experts say the best way would be opening the borders with
Armenia without signing protocols. Since Turkey has already linked
signing of the protocols with withdrawal of Armenian troops from
Karabakh, and the Armenian party categorically refused it, experts
advise to forget about the protocols and open the border as a sign of
“good will”.

The U.S. also makes it clear that no one expects a full solution of
the issue. The ambassador of this country to Armenia John Heffern
stated that Turkey should not necessarily open the border, it is just
enough to restore Kars-Gyumri railway.

Will Turkey agree to take this step and what will its preconditions
be? It is obvious that the main “preconditions” will be 2015 and the
threats of the Western countries to recognize not only the Armenian
genocide, which will lead to territorial claims by the Armenians,
but also the independence of Karabakh.

Turkey will give all to protect the integrity of its patchwork of
territory. Now Turkey is trying to prevent the division of Syria not
to get another Kurdish state. In Moscow Erdogan said that he supports
the territorial integrity of Syria. Answering a question whether he is
concerned about the change of the map of Iraq which hosts a Kurdish
formation, Erdogan said there is a system of territorial division in
that country. According to him, the constitution also allows Syria
to create different territorial units within the same state.

Erdogan understands that after Syria it will be Turkey’s turn so
he has to take up some measures. The first step may be “good will”
to operate the railway connecting with Armenia without signing the
protocols. This will allow ignoring Azerbaijan’s objections and
establishing relationships with Armenia.

Karabakh may expect recognition without a political settlement. Here
regional logistical projects are also expected with which Turkey and
Azerbaijan will have to agree.

REDEFINED “DIASPORA” OR “JUST MEMORY” STRATEGY: TURKEY’S NEW PERSPECTIVE ON THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
By Aris Ghazinyan

ArmeniaNow
19.07.12 | 14:42

Photo: ww.mfa.gov.tr

Since early this year the Turkish foreign ministry has been trying to
adopt a new political course Turkish foreign minister Ahmed Davutoglu
has called “strategy of ‘just memory'”.

Turkish Today’s Zaman writes that Davutoglu “wants to contextualize
what happened in 1915 in the broader framework of a humanitarian
disaster caused by a crumbling Ottoman Empire”.

“In addition to Armenian sufferings, he wants to refer to the
Turkish losses in the Balkans and Caucuses, millions of Muslims
killed or uprooted from their lands before and during World War I,
the losses at Gallipoli and SarıkamıÅ~_ as “our shared tragedy,”
writes journalist Omer Taspinar.

Davutoglu indicated to a group of Turkish journalists last week to
show empathy for 1915 as long as the context is defined as a “broader
framework of a ‘shared tragedy’, where there is also Armenian empathy
for Turkish losses”.

“Although problematic, this is a step in the right direction. Talking
about a shared tragedy is better than denying what happened to
Armenians in 1915,” writes Taspinar. ‘However, one thing should be
clear: Unless there is an official Turkish apology for the tragedy of
1915 (no need to call it genocide), similar to the one Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdogan articulated for Dersim a few months ago, such
a narrative about ‘fair memory’ will fall on deaf ears.”

Experts in this field admit that the main reason behind this “fair
memory” strategy is the looming 100th anniversary of the genocide of
Armenians in the Ottoman Empire.

“The Turkish Foreign Minister openly acknowledged that his urgent
efforts are prompted by the looming 100th anniversary of the Armenian
Genocide that hangs like a Damoclean Sword over his country,” writes
Harut Sassounian, publisher of the California Courier.

It should be noted that after the signing of the Armenian-Turkish
protocols in 2009, Davutoglu started the development of a new strategy
for relations with the Armenian Diaspora.

This was conditioned by the fact that the traditional Armenian
Diaspora, unlike official Yerevan, took a tougher position on possible
reconciliation, especially if it meant bypassing official Ankara
admitting the Armenian Genocide.

To pursue this stratagem, in April 2010 Davutoglu met in Washington
with Turkey’s ambassadors to the United States and Canada, and consul
generals in Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, and Toronto. He instructed
them to contact Armenians who are open to dialogue, and to avoid
“hard-line groups,” according to the Turkish Today’s Zaman newspaper.

“Initially, Turkey registered some success when the Armenia-Turkey
Protocols were signed by both countries, under the guise of opening
their mutual border. However, this latest attempt to drive a
wedge between ‘soft’ Armenian officials and ‘hard-line’ Diasporans
also failed, when the much-touted Protocols were not ratified,”
further writes Sassounian. “Realizing that Turkey had to deal with
the Diaspora, not just Armenia to resolve genocide related issues,
Davutoglu once again turned his attention to Armenian communities
worldwide.”

In December 2011, Turkey announced a revised concept of ‘Diaspora’
to include all descendants of ‘Anatolia,’ regardless of their religion
or sect.

In an interview published in the Turkish Milliyet on July 7, Turkish
Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu announced that he has sent a directive
to all Turkish embassies in which he redefined the Turkish diaspora.

“We consider all those who emigrated from those lands, and not
only the Turks, to be the diaspora–the Armenians, Jews, Greeks,
the people called El Turco in Latin America, and the Arabs in
Argentina… Those are our people… Those are people whose culture
and language resemble ours.”

Based on these “redefined criteria,” Turkish representations around
the world “will now open their doors to those people who were once
Ottoman subjects, they will contact them, and they will even invite
them to national days. The contacts with the Armenian Diaspora are
said to have already started,” reports Milliyet.

Earlier, in spring, Davurtoglu spent several hours in Washington
meeting privately with several Armenians and non-Armenians from the
Los Angeles area to discuss ‘Armenian-Turkish reconciliation.’

During the May meeting Armenian participants told the minister that
Ankara has to be persistent in terms of meeting the Armenian demand
to admit the genocide and give compensation, only after which they
can talk about “reconciliation”.

“Despite Davutoglu’s seeming sincerity, Armenians have reasons not
to trust such initiatives, factoring in that over dozens of years
Turkey has been denying the Armenian Genocide and is leading a hostile
policy towards the Diaspora, the Republic of Armenian and Artsakh,”
writes Sassounian.

He believes that no Armenian organization or individual should get
involved with separate negotiations with Turkey.

“Only Armenian officials and credible leaders with diplomatic expertise
should be negotiating with shrewd and skilled Turkish diplomats,”
Sassounian concludes.

PROSPEROUS ARMENIA PARTY WELCOMES FORMATION OF EURASIAN UNION AMID CAUTION OF REPUBLICAN PARTY

arminfo
Thursday, July 19, 13:27

Prosperous Armenia Party welcomes the initiative of Russian
President Vladimir Putin to form a Eurasian Union, Tigran Urikhanyan,
Spokesperson and delegate of Prosperous Armenia Party at international
forums organized by Yedinaya Rossia Party, told Liberty Armenia.

Tigran Urikhanian, a spokesman for the Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK),
argued that Armenia is already part of the Collective Security Treaty
Organization, a Russian-dominated military alliance, and has close
economic ties with other ex-Soviet states. He said this can “serve as
a basis” for Armenian membership of the union championed by Russian
President Vladimir Putin. “However, that declarative program [on the
Eurasian Union] : is not yet underpinned by pragmatic provisions;
no proposals have been presented on the basis of which we could
deliver a final verdict,” Urikhanian told RFE/RL’s Armenian service
(Azatutyun.am). Galust Sahakian, a deputy chairman of the ruling
Republican Party of Armenia (HHK), suggested on Wednesday that the
Eurasian Union will hardly ever materialize. He claimed that Russia
is mainly concerned with forging closer economic links with the rest
of the ex-USSR. Urikhanian disagreed with those who believe that the
Kremlin and Putin in particular are keen to recreate the Soviet Union.

“At the moment they are talking about the format of an international
grouping,” the BHK spokesman said. “Even if it becomes something like
a confederate state, then we will demand that such a union be based
on the equality of nations, states and peoples.”

BAKO SAHAKYAN: WE WILL SEE ARTSAKH MORE BEAUTIFIED AND PROSPERING IN FIVE YEARS

arminfo
Thursday, July 19, 13:43

“Key motto of my campaign is ‘Let’s Continue What We Have Started For
Artsakh’ and I will try to do that,” candidate for president of NKR,
incumbent president Bako Sahakyan told media after voting today,
on July 19, ArmInfo’s correspondent to Stepanakert reports. The
incumbent president said that the Artsakh people demonstrated high
consciousness, political responsibility, and this testifies to the
correctness of the way they have chosen. “I am sure that together
with the people we will be able to build a more developed country. In
five years we will see Artsakh more beautified and prospering,”
Bako Sahakyan said. The fifth in succession presidential election
started at 8:00am today on July 19 in the Nagorno Karabakh Republic,
ArmInfo’s special correspondent to Stepanakert reports. A total of
274 polling stations opened in the country, including one at the NKR
Permanent Representation in the Republic of Armenia. Three candidates
are running for the Karabakh president – the incumbent president Bako
Sahakyan, deputy of the parliament Vitaliy Balasanyan, and pro-rector
of the Stepanakert branch of Armenia’s Agrarian University Arkadiy
Sogomonyan. The NKR CEC registered 98909 voters as of July 16. This
number may insignificantly change on the day of voting. A total of
81 international observers from 21 countries: USA, Russia, Canada,
France, Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, Ireland, Poland, Cyprus,
Hungary, Bulgaria, Israel, Argentine, Uruguay, and other countries, as
well as delegations of officials from Armenia, Abkhazia, South Ossetia
and Transdniestria have arrived in the NKR to observe the election. 58
foreign and 44 local journalists are covering the election. election.

AZERBAIJANI FOREIGN MINISTRY ISSUES STATEMENT ON SO-CALLED “PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS” PLANNED BY SEPARATIST REGIME IN OCCUPIED NAGORNO KARABAKH REGION

APA
July 18 2012
Azerbaijan

The so-called “elections” are organized in order to camouflage the
policy of Armenia aimed at annexation of the occupied territories

Baku – APA. The press service of the Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign
Affairs issued a statement on holding of so-called “presidential
elections” in the occupied territories of the Republic of Azerbaijan
tomorrow. The press service of the Ministry told APA that the
statement says:

“Mass media outlets of the Republic of Armenia so-called “presidential
elections” are being arranged to take place in the occupied
Nagorno-Karabakh region of the Republic of Azerbaijan on July 19, 2012.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan
reiterates in this regard that the Republic of Armenia, having occupied
the Azerbaijani territories and conducted ethnic cleansing against
local Azerbaijani population, has established illegal authorities
in the occupied territories. The so-called “elections” are organized
in order to camouflage the policy of Armenia aimed at annexation of
the occupied territories and to promote the results of the continued
occupation of the Azerbaijani territories.

Such action, in absence of the original Azerbaijani population of
the Nagorno-Karabakh region and without necessary authorization
of respective structures of the Republic of Azerbaijan, gravely
violates the relevant provisions of the Constitution of the Republic
of Azerbaijan and the norms and principles of international law and,
therefore shall have no legal effect whatsoever.

Holding legitimate elections will be possible after the withdrawal of
the Armenian occupying forces, normalization of life in the region,
return of expelled Azerbaijani population and creation of necessary
conditions for restoration of the dialogue and cooperation between
the Armenian and Azerbaijani communities of the Nagorno-Karabakh
region of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

The Republic of Azerbaijan calls upon the Armenian side instead of
its destructive illegal steps, which does not have any prospects,
to withdraw its Armed Forces from the Azerbaijani territories, thus
opening prospects for sustainable peace, security and development of
the entire region.