Author: nina hovnanian

ARMENIAN SOLDIER IS ABLE TO KEEP THE BORDER INDEPENDENTLY, ADVISOR TO ARMENIA’S DEFENCE MINISTER CONSIDERS

ARMENPRESS
11 June, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, JUNE 11, ARMENPRESS: Contractual servicemen of the Armed
Forces of Armenia defend the border, but 18-20 year-old Armenian
soldiers do not concede them, Gegham Harutyunyan, Advisor to Armenia’s
Defence Minister, Chairman of the Defense Ministry-affiliated Public
Council, told Armenpress.

Speaking to Armenpress he said that 18-20 year old Armenian soldiers
have fulfilled their task during the entire period of building up the
army: every generation has fulfilled their duty towards the homeland
and further generations.

“The Armenian soldier has always shown that he is able to defend the
border, get right orientated and show courage, advantage over the
opponent,” said the adviser.

Armenian soldiers must first of all develop psychological preparedness
of obeying the commands. In this regard the Defense Ministry’s
representative highlighted the military and teaching games, conduction
of camps, as psychological preparedness first ensures a slide passage
to new status. Mr Harutyunyan noted that the physical preparedness
and heath of the future soldier are very important too.

He said that in many cases parents get aware of the health of their
sons during draft process. He advised parents to pay attention to
children’s health before the draft. In right upbringing of future
soldier Harutyunuan singled out both the role of family and school.

Years do not change the ideas of the image of “Armenian soldier”. The
soldier has been and remains a person, who goes to defend the homeland
– sisters, brothers and his people, who is ready to fully meet the
task of defending the homeland and enjoys the love and attention of
society and people.

CLASSICAL ARMENIAN, TURKISH MOVIES TO BE SCREENED IN YEREVAN

news.am
June 11, 2012 | 17:42

YEREVAN.- As part of the “Sweet Confusion – Sweet Sixties” project,
the National Association of Art Critics (AICA Armenia), together
with Anadolu Kultur, National Armenian Cinema Center, Armenia Turkey
Cinema Platform and tranzit.at, will hold screenings of a number
of Armenian and Turkish films and a cinema and cultural critics’
conference on June 11-13 in Nairi Cinema in Yerevan.

The “Sweet Confusion – Sweet Sixties” features public screenings of
four Armenian and four Turkish classical movies from 1960s in Turkey
and Armenia and concurrent discussions on the Armenian and Turkish
cinematography of the period.

SALT Galata Cultural Center in Istanbul hosted the Turkish part of
this project on May 17-20, 2012. The aim is to allow the societies of
Armenia and Turkey to learn about major formative cultural productions
that have helped shape the two societies today. The selected films
have become symbols of identity: they are remembered, broadcast,
quoted, discussed, and studied. Phrases or episodes from these films
have become aphorisms which convey the messages of identity to large
segments of these societies today.

The “Sweet Confusion – Sweet Sixties” is an initiative within a broader
“Sweet 60s” international research project that, through contemporary
artistic and theoretical perspectives, explores the unknown,
underestimated, and hidden contexts and territories of the 1960s
omitted from the meta narrative of the “romantic revolutionary epoch.”

The “Sweet Confusion – Sweet Sixties” is organized in the frames of
“Support to Armenia-Turkey Rapprochement” project funded by the United
States Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented by
a Consortium comprising Eurasia Partnership Foundation, the Yerevan
Press Club, the International Center for Human Development, and
the Union of Manufacturers and Businessmen (Employers) of Armenia,
in cooperation with a number of key Turkish partners including:
the Global Political Trends Center, the Turkish-Armenian Business
Development Council, Anadolu Kultur, GAYA research institute, the
Media and Communications Department of Izmir University of Economics,
Toplum Gonulluleri Vakfi, the Turkish Economic and Social Studies
Foundation, and the Economic Policy Research Foundation of Turkey.

MATTHEW BRYZA: FROM OIL POLICY TO THE OIL BUSINESS

June 11, 2012 – 9:26am, by Giorgi Lomsadze

In case you were worrying, rest assured that Caucasus celebrity Matthew
Bryza, the never-confirmed former US ambassador to Azerbaijan, has,
according to Azerbaijani media, “found a new job.” Or, as one news
outlet from Azerbaijani enemy Armenia, put it: “The Azerbaijanis
found a job for Bryza.”

Bryza, a household name for everyone in (or with an interest in) the
Caucasus, left Baku in 2011 after the US Senate, with active prodding
from Armenian Diaspora lobbyists, failed to uphold his appointment
as US ambassador to Azerbaijan.

But Washington’s longtime point man for the Caucasus has not gone far.

He will stay close at hand to serve on the board of directors of
Turkey’s Turcas Petrol, an oil company affiliated with Azerbaijan’s
state oil and gas giant, SOCAR.

In opposing Bryza’s appointment to Baku, Diaspora lobbyists took strong
issue with what they claimed was his bias in Azerbaijan’s favor —
a charge he hotly denied. Bryza, as a deputy advisor to the president
and secretary of state on Caspian-Basin energy policy and, later,
as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian
Affairs, played a key role in pushing forward an Azerbaijan-Europe
energy corridor that bypasses Russia.

To many anti-Bryza-ites, the Turcas Petrol board post will only
appear confirmation that the career diplomat truly was one of Baku’s
best buddies.

But some opponents of the Azerbaijani government have another beef.

They complain that the 48-year-old Bryza’s spot on the Turcas Petrol
board is additional proof that Washington is primarily interested
in Azerbaijan’s hydrocarbon riches, but could care less about the
massive human rights violations in the country.

One UK-based opposition activist told The Huffington Post that the
current proposed US ambassador to Azerbaijan, Richard Morningstar, a
former special Eurasian energy envoy, just underlines how “oil-soaked”
relations between the two countries actually are.

Morningstar has yet to secure the Senate’s approval, but, if something
goes awry, it looks like the region’s oil and gas sector is hiring.

AZERBAIJAN FAILED TO USE EUROVISION TO SHOW EUROPE LEVEL OF FREEDOM AND DEMOCRACY

news.am
June 11, 2012 | 16:03

Freedom House’s press freedom rankings indicate that not a single
country has fully free press, EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fule
said in Brussels addressing the seminar for journalists.

The seminar took place in Brussels on June 6-7 for representatives of
journalists from Russia and the Eastern Partnership states. Armenia
was represented by seven reporters, including one from Armenian
News-NEWS.am.

Among “not free” countries in terms of press freedom, Fule pointed
out Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus and Russia giving rather negative
assessment.

Fule stressed that Eurovision held in Azerbaijan was a good opportunity
for the government to show freedom in the country as for several days
Azerbaijan was the focus of Europe’s attention. However, the European
official said the country failed to use the chance.

He said the EU-drafted budget will help the states to improve press
freedom and level of democracy.

IF WAR ISN’T ‘LARGE SCALE’, WHAT IS IT?
Igor Muradyan

Story from Lragir.am News:

Published: 16:23:54 – 11/06/2012

The Armenian commentators claim for whatever reason that there will
not be a large-scale war. In addition, it is not clear whether the
possibility of war is denied or whether a format is offered.

No doubt there is no need to fall into a military psychosis and
instill in public the consciousness of imminence of war. In addition,
the question is what if there is no war in the region and to what
extent Armenia will be involved in the war and whether the war between
Armenia and Azerbaijan is a priority in a row of non-military actions
which are taking place in the region.

The next Armenian-Azerbaijani war will detonate a larger war
or a larger regional war will lead to a war between Armenia and
Azerbaijan. The international propaganda links the beginning of a
big war in the Near East with the problems of Iran and it would be
good to distinguish the centers of initiative of this propaganda from
possible comments, repetitions, copying.

A war linked to the problems of Iran is used to intimidate the entire
region, boost pressure on a number of states in the regions of the Near
East and the South Caucasus. In any case, the war between Amrenia and
Azerbaijan cannot be linked with the military actions by an Iranian
scenario. The given war is possible only in relation to the goals and
interests of Turkey which is increasingly acting as a restraint to
the armed conflict, knowing that the inevitable defeat of Azerbaijan
will put it in an ambiguous position.

At the same time, Turkey is increasingly appearing in a situation of
geopolitical isolation and blockade. Despite the favorable development
of relations between the United States and Turkey over the past 18
months, as well as the colorful perspectives declared by both sides,
the fact is that the U.S.-Turkish relations are getting worse, and
it has a key role to further developments in a number of regions.

After the NATO summit in Chicago Turkey has definitely firmed its
foothold in the newly created global security system and its role
in the Euro-Atlantic Alliance looks more than destructive. Earlier,
before the summit in Chicago, the Americans declared to the Turks that
they did not accept their proposals and now they are free to move in
any direction. It is possible that it was said in a different wording,
more delicately, or even less delicately.

Immediately after the Chicago summit Turkey applied to Shanghai
Cooperation Organization quite demonstratively. What happened in the
result of the Arab revolutions was a foreign political disaster for
Turkey, not just a failure but real disaster because it had a long-term
and irreversible importance, at least in a medium-term perspective.

Ankara had expectations from Iraq which appeared in isolation from
Turkey, and this isolation is intensified by the United States,
Iran and Saudi, which is not paradoxical.

Syria is the main hindrance on the way of Turkish expansion to the
Near East. Egypt with its re-growing role in the Arab world will do
everything it can to keep Turkey away from the region. In the Eastern
Mediterranean a small but principally interested bloc of states is
formed which are opposed to France. During the operation in Libya
the French-British alliance presupposed the ineligibility of Turkey
for participation in those events.

The European states, not only France and Germany, which used to be
opponents to the United States regarding the Turkish issue are becoming
locomotives to the United States which is now considering Europe as
the main direction of restraint of Turkish ambitions. The relations
between Turkey and Russia have not become closer despite the worsening
of the U.S.-Turkish relations. It should be noted that the Americans
did not have a significant role in preventing the Turkish-Russian
rapprochement. Turkish-Russian problems are “individual” and
“self-sufficient” and practically do not need additional initiatives.

In the Balkans the European Union is increasingly dissatisfied with
Turkey’s unilateral support to Muslim states and communities which
it used to ignore.

What has Turkey achieved in the Caucasus in the past decade? Even
relations with Azerbaijan are questioned due to efforts to “improve”
relations with Armenia. Only Georgia was a light stop in Turkey’s
regional policy. Georgia is an important element and partner of the
policy of pan-Turkism and is consistently transforming to a satellite
of Turkey and Azerbaijan, and it can be saved only by NATO membership,
which is doubted. So, the Georgians should hide in NATO from Turks,
not from Russians.

Turkey’s problems relating to isolation can be broken down to
dozens of sub-problems and issues but it is understood that Turkey
will demonstrate its role and capacity in the regions. Will in this
connection its main reserve Azerbaijan be used which will be probably
sacrificed for the interests of Turkish policy? A signal from Ankara
will come one way or another, and Turkey will try not to participate
in the war.

Ankara may hope for the military success of Azerbaijan in the war with
Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan’s defeat could definitely become a favorable
result for Turkey because it could play an important role in preventing
military actions and occupy a more important position in the region
and in international politics.

Turkey obviously dislikes the geopolitical arrangement of forces in
the regions and it is set to change not only the balance of forces but
also to correct political positions of different states. Nothing but
war may lead to this new situation. Besides, one should be mindful
that the leading states presume that this war will be controlled,
and Turkey likes it, as it is trying to become a conductor in the
regions, or maybe even the only conductor.

However, the United States has certain interest in involving Turkey,
if not in a war, at least in an acute confrontation in different
regions, including Russia, which will not be understood fully and
will be difficult to predict. By the way, recently the Armenian
commentators said that accidental eruption of war is impossible. Now
it is understood that military units of the Azerbaijani armed forces
are led by morons who “declare war” by their own judgment.

So, what about the “large-scale war” which is possible?

(Article is based on information from open sources.)

BIRTH RATE DECREASES IN ARMENIA, WHILE THE NUMBER OF DIVORCES INCREASES

14:40 . 11/06

Birth rate has decreased by 5.7% in Armenia in January-March, 2012 as
against the same period of the past year, the head of the NSS Census
and Demography Department Karine Kuyumjyan told journalists today,
Mediamax informs.

She said 9,569 births were registered in the first quarter of this
year in the country, while the number of births in the same period
last year was 10,144.

Ararat and Armavir regions and Yerevan have the highest birth
indicators, while this indicator is the lowest in Syunik region.

Demographer Ruben Yeganyan thinks the data of the first quarter of
this year show population decline in Armenia.

“According to our predictions, the decrease in birth numbers will
continue during this year and during the coming years as the citizens
born at the beginning of and in mid 1990 are now at the reproductive
age, who are not many themselves,” the specialist said.

He said each family should at least have 2-3 children in order to
stop the population decline. He also said the population decline shows
the measures taken by the state to boost childbirth are not efficient.

4,668 marriages were registered in Armenia in January-March, 2012,
which is by 1,4% higher as against the indicator of the same period
last month.

The number of divorces in the mentioned period has increased by 0,4 %.

HAMLET HOVSEPYA: AZERBAIJAN’S ILLUSIONS THAT WAR MAY BE A SOLUTION ARE VAIN
Karen Ghazaryan

“Radiolur”
11.06.2012 15:29

“We don’t want there to be any losses, but the Azerbaijani society must
understand and respond to Aliyev for the statement that he is ready
to sacrifice 10 Azerbaijani soldiers against one Armenian soldier,”
founding president of the Union of Veterans of Artsakh Liberation
War Hamlet Hovsepyan told a press conference today.

According to him, the veterans of Artsakh war demand to create
companies comprised of liberation war veterans in order not to allow
the young soldiers to stand at the Armenian-Azerbaijani line of
contact. Hamlet Hovsepyan says, however, there is no need for this,
since the army is able to fulfill any task.

There is no threat of resumption of war at this point, Hovsepyan
noted. Although he has no expectations from the international
community, he is assured that the latter does not need war in our
region, either.

As for the Azerbaijani provocations, they are not something new to
us, Hamlet Hovsepyan said. According to him, it’s obvious that the
subversive acts were connected with US State Secretary’s visit to
the region. They comprise a challenge to the international community,
and the mediating countries must think how to restrain the bellicose
claims of Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijan’s illusions that war may be a solution are vain, president
of the Union of Veterans of Artsakh Liberation War is confident. He
says even the oil-dollars are nothing, since Azerbaijan had a privilege
also in 1990, but it lost anyway.

According to Hamlet Hovsepyan, despite domestic discrepancies,
we all are united in case of the slightest threat to the country,
since we all purse one objective – to keep the country secure.

TURKISH SCHOOL EXAM QUESTION AGAIN DEPICTS ARMENIANS AS ENEMIES

news.am
June 11, 2012 | 15:05

Turkey continues to openly spread among children enmity and hatred
toward the Armenians.

During the social sciences examination for the eighth-grade students in
Turkey, a question portrayed the Armenians and the Greeks as traitors,
informs Istanbul~Rs Agos Armenian bilingual weekly.

During the exam, which was conducted on June 9, the following
question was asked: ~S~Esome Armenians and Greeks collaborated with
the occupiers. How did the Turkish nation react to this situation?~T

To note, during a January examination at an Istanbul-Armenian school,
the students were presented the expression ~Satrocities committed by
the Armenians,~T and a question was asked in that regard.

DES DIRIGEANTS VIETNAMIENS RECOIVENT LE PRESIDENT ARMENIEN
Stephane

armenews.com
mardi 12 juin 2012

Le secretaire general du Parti communiste du Vietnam (PCV) Nguyen
Phu Trong a exprime le souhait de developper les relations d’amtie
traditionnelle et de cooperation mutuellement avantageuse entre le
Vietnam et l’Armenie.

En recevant, vendredi a Hanoi, le president armenien Serzh Sargsyan,
en visite officielle au Vietnam, Nguyen Phu Trong a affirme que le
Vietnam prenait toujours en haute consideration ses relations avec
les pays amis traditionnels dont l’Armenie.

Le chef de l’Etat armenien a fait grand cas, a cette occasion, du
rôle et du statut du Vietnam dans la region comme dans le monde,
et affirme que l’Armenie considerait le Vietnam comme un de ses
partenaires fiables en Asie du Sud-Est.

Il a affirme souhaiter une intensification de la cooperation multiforme
avec le Vietnam sur tous les plans, et notamment consolider les
relations entre les deux partis au pouvoir.

Le Premier ministre Nguyen Tan Dung a recu le meme jour le president
armenien Serzh Sargsyan.

Le gouvernement vietnamien mettra activement en oeuvre les engagements
convenus lors de cette visite au profit d’un developpement plus
vigoureux des relations bilaterales dans les temps qui viennent,
a declare Nguyen Tan Dung.

Il a demande aux deux parties de creer au plus tôt des mecanismes
speciaux pour une meilleure cooperation en matière economique,
commerciale, scientifique, technique, d’education et de formation.

Il a souhaite voir les deux pays cooperer et se soutenir sur les
forums internationaux, notamment l’ONU.

Pour sa part, le president armenien a affirme que l’Armenie prenait en
haute estime ses relations multiformes avec le Vietnam, et souhaitait
intensifier la cooperation economique, commerciale et d’investissement.

Il a demande aux deux pays de creer, dans les meilleurs delais,
un comite intergouvernemental de cooperation.

Le president de l’Assemblee nationale (AN), Nguyen Sinh Hung, a eu
vendredi une rencontre avec le president armenien.

Il a souligne que les AN des deux pays doivent multiplier l’echange de
delegations de haut rang, d’experiences legislatives, et se coordonner
davantage au sein des forums parlementaires multilateraux et des
organisations internationales.

Les AN vietnamienne et armenienne suivront de près la mise en oeuvre
par les gouvernements, ministères, branches et localites des deux
pays des engagements convenus, ce pour un developpement efficace des
relations d’amitie, dans l’interet des deux peuples.

Les relations parlementaires revetent une grande signification dans
le renforcement des relations diplomatiques bilaterales, a estime le
president armenien. Il a demande de creer un groupe de deputes d’amitie
Vietnam-Armenie, qui servira de force motrice pour l’intensification
des relations entre les organes legislatifs des deux pays.

LA TURQUIE REND DES CIMETIERES AUX COMMUNAUTES NON-MUSULMANES
Stephane

armenews.com
mardi 12 juin 2012

Six cimetières ont ete rendus aux communautes juive, armenienne et
grecque après une decision du gouvernement qui règle les pratiques
des communautes non-musulmanes du pays.

La decision de la Direction Generale des Fondations (VGM) de rendre les
cimetières a leurs communautes respectives est la première decision
suite a une demande en fevrier de 19 Fondations non-musulmanes
pour le retour de 57 proprietes historiques. En septembre 2011, le
gouvernement turc a autorise le retour des proprietes saisies aux
communautes religieuses non musulmanes dans les decennies passees.

Laki Vingas, le representant des Fondations non-musulmanes au VGM
a dit au quotidien turc Radikal que la decision est un signe que la
loi sur les proprietes des minorites votee en septembre est appliquee
par le gouvernement turc.