Author: Tumanian Talar

REFERENDUM ON KARABAKH’S STATUS POSSIBLE IN 15-20 YEARS, BAKU SAYS

PanARMENIAN.Net
02.08.2008 15:24 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Referendum on Nagorno Karabakh’s status is possible
in 15-20 years, according to Novruz Mammadov, head of the international
relations department at the Azeri presidential administration.

"These processes may become possible only after return of Azeri
refugees and displaced persons," Mammadov said when commenting on
yesterday’s statement by OSCE Minsk Group U.S. Co-chair Matthew Bryza,
Novosti Azerbaijan reports.

"Nagorno Karabakh residents will decide for themselves whether the
republic will return under Azeri control or will be independent,"
Bryza said after the meeting between the Armenian and Azeri Foreign
Ministers in Moscow.

"The people of Nagorno Karabakh will express their will through a
referendum," he said.

PREPARING FOR THE 2012 ELECTIONS

Hayots Ashkhar Daily
Published on Aug 01, 2008
Armenia

ARSHAK SADOYAN believes that the attempts of forming the Armenian
National Congress come to prove that the pro-Levon team is preparing
for the 2012 elections and not for some extraordinary elections.

"Everybody understands that acceding to power by way of setting up
a party is a long-term and serious process. Whereas these people all
the time shout, ‘Now!’, ‘Now!’ What is going to happen now?

They are going to tell their cheated co-thinkers that they are starting
a long-term struggle. As to the young people, they cheat them by saying
that they are cleaning some Augean stables. Such false methods will
lead to a situation when the part of the Armenian society interested
in politics will say, ‘politics in Armenia is an art of immorality,
and all are the same kind of rubbish’," Head of the National Union
of Democrats is convinced.

FAMOUS HANDWRITING OF ARMENIAN PAN NATIONAL MOVEMENT

Hayots Ashkhar Daily
Published on July 31, 2008
Armenia

Playing Into The Hands Of Our Rival

"What is Aram Harutyunyan’s opinion about the initiative taken by
Armenian Pan National Movement to appeal to Hague Court with "Robert
Kocharyan’s case?"

"From juridical point of view it has no prospects, it is a rather
propaganda based initiative, which will definitely play into the
hands of our rival. It is the famous handwriting of Armenian Pan
National Movement.

Both during the pre-election campaign, and before and after the
elections, they need a big hullabaloo. They managed to do that, doing
a great harm to our country," the Chairman of "National Accord" said.

GOVERNMENT TO BLAME FOR ARMENIA’S "ISOLATION"

Haykakan Zhamanak
July 24 2008
Armenia

The ceremony to lay the foundation of the Turkish sector of the
Kars-Akhalkalaki[-Tbilisi-Baku] railway will take place today in
[the Turkish city of] Kars. This is the railway through which our
neighbours, Georgia and Azerbaijan, will get the opportunity to
establish railway transport links with Turkey. This link was previously
ensured via Armenia’s territory – via the Gyumri-Kars railway. As
a result of the non-operation of the Gyumri-Kars railway due to
the Karabakh conflict, these countries did not have railway links,
which essentially hindered the development of commercial ties between
them. Thus, the Gyumri-Kars railway acquired strategic significance
for these three countries, which implies that it was a strong lever
in Armenia’s hands for solving its regional problems. However, many
understood that it was possible to use this lever only in a very
short perspective, and that the moment would approach when it would
lose its role and significance.

This short period of time should have been used in a possibly efficient
way. As a result of the revolution in 1998 [when former President Levon
Ter-Petrosyan had to resign on the wave of public discontent and under
pressure from some state officials], when in essence a decision to
freeze the Nagornyy Karbaakh conflict was made, this was introduced
as a very victorious policy; it was already clear that our neighbours
would deprive us of our levers. First, the Baku-Ceyhan oil pipeline
was constructed, which was extended significantly to bypass Armenia;
then the Baku-Erzrum gas pipeline was constructed, which also bypassed
Armenia, and now the construction of Kars-Akhalkalaki[-Tbilisi-Baku]
railway is being accomplished. This was the direct result of the
"victorious" foreign policy of Armenia. And [Armenian President]
Serzh Sargsyan’s flirtations with the Turkish leadership against
this background are laughable, to put it mildly. If he has already
understood that it is impossible to ensure Armenia’s development
without having normal relations with neighbours, then he understood
this very late, and a person of this intellect just does not have the
right to aspire to the office of the Armenian president. If he had
understood this earlier and did not say a word and did not hinder
[former President Robert] Kocharyan’s continuing his "victorious"
foreign policy, then it is even worse. We would like to note that
Kocharyan said three years ago in public that the Kars-Akhalkalaki
[-Tbilisi-Baku] railway will not be constructed. Then, when the
construction started, some of our officials were cynical to the extent
that they said that this railway would benefit Armenia and Armenia
would have railway links with Turkey via Georgia. Now the government
tries not to notice that the railway is already under construction and
that it will be put into operation next year. They are doing the right
thing – if they notice that, then they will have to confess that they
turned Armenia into one of the most isolated countries in the world,
if not the most isolated one.

TURKEYS GUL SIDESTEPS ANSWER TO SARKISIANS OFFER

Assa-Irada
July 24 2008
Azerbaijan

Turkey could cooperate with Armenia should the latter become a
supporter of reliable, peace-loving and stability-promoting policy
in the region, President Abdullah Gul told the press in the city of
Gars. Gul was replying to a question concerning Armenian President
Serzh Sarkisians recent invitation to jointly attend a World Cup
qualifying football match between the two countries teams coming up
in Yerevan. The Turkish leader said he was aware of the invitation to
the game but did not provide an unequivocal answer. He said Ankara
was pursuing a completely open policy. We have always aspired to
cooperation with all regional states, he said.

FORUM 18 NEWS SERVICE, Oslo, Norway

The right to believe, to worship and witness
The right to change one’s belief or religion
The right to join together and express one’s belief

========================================== ======
23 July 2008
AZERBAIJAN: "PROSECUTORS VERY MUCH WANT TO SENTENCE HAMID"
icle_id=1162
The criminal trial of Baptist pastor Hamid Shabanov began in the
north-western town of Zakatala on 22 July, despite the fact that the
prosecution had refused to hand the defence the case materials, Baptist
Union leader Ilya Zenchenko told Forum 18 News Service. The trial resumes
on 28 July. The same court sentenced fellow Baptist pastor Zaur Balaev to
prison in 2007. Shabanov is being prosecuted on charges that he held an
illegal weapon and faces up to three years’ imprisonment. His church and
family insist the weapon was planted during a massive raid on his home on
20 June during which he was arrested. They say he is being prosecuted to
punish him for leading his congregation. "Prosecutors very much want to
sentence Hamid," Zenchenko warned. "This whole case has been staged. We
pray to God for him to come home," Shabanov’s family told Forum 18.
Meanwhile prosecutors in the capital Baku are trying to prosecute Jehovah’s
Witness conscientious objector Mushfiq Mammedov for a second time on
charges of evading military service, although the Constitution and the
Criminal Code ban this.
* See full article below. *

25 July 2008
BELARUS: BAPTISM BANNED, A FINE AND A THREAT FOR LEADING WORSHIP
_id=1163
Officials have tried to stop three different Protestant communities in
Grodno Region, north-western Belarus, from conducting peaceful religious
activity, Forum 18 news Service has learnt. In the small town of Svisloch,
a planned open-air baptism has been banned, despite the attempts of
Pentecostals to negotiate with the authorities. Bishop Fyodor Tsvor told
Forum 18 that "they just don’t want to allow it." In the nearby town of
Mosty, a Pentecostal pastor was fined nine months’ minimum wages for
leading a small unregistered church. The court verdict notes as evidence of
wrongdoing that "at meetings they read the Gospel, discuss questions of
religious faith, sing songs and conduct religious rites." In Grodno itself,
Baptist pastor Yuri Kravchuk was summoned by the senior state regional
religious affairs official, Igor Popov, who told him that his leadership of
a worship service in a private home violated the Administrative Code. His
case has now been sent to the city’s Oktyabr District Court. All three
communities point out that the state’s actions violate the Belarusian
Constitution.

22 July 2008
RUSSIA: IS MASS DISRUPTION TO JEHOVAH’S WITNESS CONGRESSES COORDINATED?
ticle_id=1161
The authorities have prevented about eight Jehovah’s Witness congresses
from taking place so far this summer while about thirty have gone ahead
despite official attempts to obstruct them, Marina Topuriya of the
Jehovah’s Witnesses told Forum 18 News Service. The FSB security service,
local administrations and Prosecutor’s Offices have all been involved.
Congresses in Kemerovo and Kirov due to have begun on 25 July are the
latest to be abruptly cancelled. "We suspect it’s co-ordinated, because
everywhere the methods are the same," she noted. "It’s difficult to say
where the wind is blowing from. But we can see the results." The FSB
security service in Moscow refused to discuss with Forum 18 their role in
the cancellations, but an officer in Vladikavkaz denied that the FSB had
obstructed the local Jehovah’s Witness congress. A pending legal case in
Sverdlovsk Region could see many Jehovah’s Witness books and magazines –
including "Watchtower" – declared extremist and banned. Acting Public
Prosecutor Aleksei Almayev denied that this was a "witch hunt" and
dismissed Jehovah’s Witness fears that the magazine could be banned in its
entirety. Religious freedom lawyer Anatoli Pchelintsev shares the Jehovah’s
Witnesses’ concerns. "I feel [the authorities] want to close down the
Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia, though of course they physically couldn’t do
this."

23 July 2008
AZERBAIJAN: "PROSECUTORS VERY MUCH WANT TO SENTENCE HAMID"

ticle_id=1162
By Felix Corley, Editor, Forum 18 News Service <;

The criminal trial of Baptist pastor Hamid Shabanov began yesterday (22
July) with a preliminary hearing in the north-western town of Zakatala
[Zaqatala], Forum 18 News Service has learnt. The full trial – at which he
faces up to three years’ imprisonment – begins on 28 July and could be over
within two days, the head of Azerbaijan’s Baptist Union Ilya Zenchenko told
Forum 18 after the preliminary hearing on 22 July. "Prosecutors very much
want to sentence Hamid," he warned. He views Shabanov’s prosecution as part
of an official campaign against local Baptists which has lasted more than a
decade. Meanwhile a police manhunt has begun for a Jehovah’s Witness
conscientious objector Mushfiq Mammedov, who has already served one
sentence for refusing military service. Prosecutors want to sentence him a
second time for the same offence, although this is banned in law.

Zenchenko – who travelled the 450 kms (280 miles) from the capital Baku to
attend the hour-long hearing – said Shabanov "looked bad". "Hamid was
wearing the same clothes he had been arrested in back on 20 June," he told
Forum 18. "The Zakatala police who are now holding him have not allowed his
family to pass on food or clothes. Hamid’s wife and daughters were crying
in court – it was the first time they had been able to see him since he was
brought back to Zakatala earlier this month. Even then they were kept at a
distance of three metres [yards] and were not able to touch him."

The authorities similarly denied former Baptist prisoner of conscience
Pastor Zaur Balaev’s family the opportunity to meet him during his lengthy
pre-trial arrest (see F18News 22 June 2007
< e_id – 9>).

Forum 18 was unable to find out from Zakatala police why they had refused
to accept food and clothes for Shabanov and why family visits had been
denied. The duty officer refused to put Forum 18 through to the police
chief Faik Shabanov (no relation) on 23 July. "Why should I put you
through?" he asked, before putting the phone down.

Shabanov is leader of one of several Baptist congregations in the majority
Georgian-speaking village of Aliabad, which is close to Zakatala, the
regional centre. The 51-year-old pastor is married with three adult
children, two daughters and a son. He is being tried at the same court
where fellow Aliabad Baptist pastor Zaur Balaev was sent to prison in 2007.
Fabricated evidence and lack of due process were evident in that trial (see
F18News 9 August 2007
< e_id=1005>).

"We saw him today in court," Shabanov’s family told Forum 18 on 22 July
from their home in Aliabad. They report that about fifteen family and
church members were allowed into the court and say that for the first time
the police did not refuse to accept food and clean clothes for Shabanov.
"We hope they now hand them on to him."

The family insists that all they want is Shabanov back home. "This whole
case has been staged. We pray to God for him to come home."

Zenchenko complained that Shabanov’s lawyer, Mirman Aliev, was only shown
the full case file at the 22 July hearing and can only now begin to prepare
Shabanov’s defence. He said that Shabanov is being tried under Article 228,
part 1 of the Criminal Code, which punishes illegal holding of a weapon
with a sentence of up to three years’ imprisonment. Shabanov’s congregation
and his family insist that a Nagan pistol a Prosecutor’s Office official
claims to have found during the 20 June house search was planted in his
home. Shabanov was arrested immediately after the alleged discovery.

During the search by some ten officers of the police, Prosecutor’s Office
and National Security Ministry (NSM) secret police, Christian literature
was deemed "banned literature" and confiscated (see F18News 7 July 2008
< e_id=1155>).

Zenchenko also complained that the case paperwork includes allegations
that Shabanov was promoting separatism among other members of Azerbaijan’s
Georgian-speaking minority, allegations Zenchenko rejects. "Hamid did not
have an illegal weapon and he did not promote separatism," he told Forum
18. "But he has been accused of trying to create a new Karabakh," he
reported in a reference to the mountainous region with a majority ethnic
Armenian population which broke away from control from Baku in a bitter war
in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Forum 18 was unable to find out from Hekimkhan Seferov of the Zakatala
District Prosecutor’s Office why materials on Shabanov’s case had not been
handed to the defence until the first day of the trial. The official who
answered the telephone on 23 July said Seferov was not in the office and
refused to discuss Shabanov’s case.

Zenchenko lamented that unlike with earlier hearings in the prosecution of
fellow Aliabad Baptist pastor Balaev, no observers from the Baku Office of
the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) were
present in court.

Balaev was arrested in May 2007 on charges of attacking five police
officers and damaging a police car that he and his church insist were
trumped up and aimed to punish him for leading his congregation. He was
sentenced to two years’ imprisonment, but was freed on 19 March after being
held for nearly a year. He was summoned and threatened with a new prison
term in early May (see F18News 12 June 2008
< e_id=1142>).

Meanwhile Jehovah’s Witness conscientious objector Mammedov faces a
possible new sentence for refusing compulsory military service, despite the
fact that he has already served one sentence on this charge. Jehovah’s
Witnesses told Forum 18 on 22 July that the new criminal case could have
been lodged to punish him for challenging the original sentence through the
domestic courts and at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in
Strasbourg, where his case is now awaiting an admissibility decision.

Forum 18 tried to find out why the Prosecutor’s Office is seeking to
prosecute Mammedov for a second time, but the telephone went unanswered on
23 July.

Mammedov was found guilty by Baku’s Sabail District Court on 21 July 2006
of violating Article 321.1 of the Criminal Code, which punishes evasion of
military service with a sentence of up to two years’ imprisonment. He was
given a suspended sentence of six months. The authorities have repeatedly –
as in other cases such as that of Pastor Balaev – violated due legal
process in hearing Mammedov’s appeal (see F18News 22 January 2008
< e_id=1075>).

The original prosecution and the new attempted prosecution come despite
Azerbaijan’s commitment to the Council of Europe to have instituted an
alternative sentence by January 2004, three years after it joined the
pan-European organisation. Azerbaijan failed to meet this deadline and has
still not adopted an alternative service law.

Jehovah’s Witnesses told Forum 18 that the "harassment" of Mammedov and
his family began soon after he filed the application to the ECHR in March
2008. "Starting from May this year, policemen several times went to the
apartment where Mushfiq is registered," they told Forum 18. "And several
times officials from Sabail District Prosecutor’s Office called his mother
and told her that Mushfiq should come to the Prosecutor’s Office, allegedly
because Mushfiq was accused of committing the crime of stealing a mobile
phone."

On 8 June Mammedov and his mother Sevil Najafova filed a complaint against
these actions with Sabail District Prosecutor’s office. "Up till now they
received no answer from the Prosecutor’s Office," the Jehovah’s Witnesses
complained. Copies of the complaint were also sent to the Human Rights
Ombudsperson Elmira Suleymanova and human rights organisations.

On 7 July a police officer named Javad called Mammedov’s mother and said
that a criminal case has been instigated over his alleged evasion of
military service. He said he had received a written order to find him and
bring him forcibly to the investigator Vugar Alekperov of Sabail District
Prosecutor’s Office. "Interestingly, up till that time Mushfiq did not
receive any written notice from the Prosecutor’s Office," the Jehovah’s
Witnesses commented.

The next day Mammedov’s mother went to the prosecutor’s office where she
was given the written decision that a criminal case had been instigated
against her son. The decision – of which Forum 18 has seen a copy – was
dated 5 June. She was also informed that police would soon declare a
manhunt for him.

The Jehovah’s Witnesses point out that Article 64 of Azerbaijan’s
Constitution and Article 8.2 of the Criminal Code do not allow criminal
charges to be brought against someone twice for the same crime. "Moreover
this should be true in this case when Mushfiq did not commit any crime, but
used his constitutional rights to request alternative service." They said
Mammedov intends to file another complaint shortly with Sabail District
Prosecutor’s Office about the attempt to prosecute him a second time for
the same offence.

Another Jehovah’s Witness conscientious objector prisoner, Samir Huseynov,
was freed from jail on 1 May (see F18News 14 May 2008
< e_id=1129>). (END)

For a personal commentary, by an Azeri Protestant, on how the
international community can help establish religious freedom in Azerbaijan,
see < 482>.

For more background information see Forum 18’s Azerbaijan religious
freedom survey at <‘ >.

More coverage of freedom of thought, conscience and belief in Azerbaijan
is at <; religion=all&country=23>.

A survey of the religious freedom decline in the eastern part of the
Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) area is at
< id=806>.

A printer-friendly map of Azerbaijan is available at
< s/atlas/index.html?Parent=asia&Rootmap=azerba& gt;.
(END)

© Forum 18 News Service. All rights reserved. ISSN 1504-2855
You may reproduce or quote this article provided that credit is given to
F18News

Past and current Forum 18 information can be found at

"PREVENTION OF EMERGENCY SITUATIONS IN THE SOUTH CAUCASUS" PROGRAM TO PROMOTE IMPROVEMENT OF PROTECTION FROM NATURAL DISASTERS

ARMENPRESS
JULY 24

On July 25 in Yerevan German Technical Cooperation Company will present
"Prevention of Emergency Situations in the South Caucasus" program.

An official from the rescue service of the Armenian Emergency Ministry
told Armenpress that the program will promote the improvement of
skills of vulnerable communities to protect themselves from negative
influence of the natural disasters. It supports the analyses of risks,
monitoring and forecasting.

The program will result in the decrease of emergency risks in the
mentioned territories as well as will strengthen the abilities of
system of prevention of the emergency situations and promote the
communication between the state and civil societies. The target
group of the program is the population of Armenia’s Lori and Tavush
provinces as well as population of 10 communities of Azerbaijan’s
Sheki-Zakatala provinces.

The program will last for five years.

PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V.Rev.Fr.Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: [email protected]
Web:

PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon

Armenian version: nian.htm

HIS HOLINESS ARAM I VISITS THE
TURKISH-OCCUPIED TERRITORIES OF CYPRUS

In the context of his official visit to Cyprus, His Holiness Aram I visited
the Turkish-occupied territories of Cyprus, to visit the old Armenian
Prelacy, the Saint Asdvadzadzine church and the Monastery of St. Magar in
the region. The Pontiff was accompanied by the Pontifical Vicar to Cyprus,
Archbishop Varoujan Hergelian, Hagop Ateshian from the Central National
Council, Sebouh Tavitian, Chairman of the Diocesan Council and Dr. Antranig
Achdjian, chairman of the National Council.

In the Turkish part of Nicosia His Holiness first visited the building of
the Prelacy and the Saint Asdvadzadine church, then the Melikian-Ouzounian
School, where a monument dedicated to the memory of the Armenian Genocide
victims has been destroyed. The once Armenian club has now been turned into
a Turkish cultural club.

His Holiness and his companions then moved forward to the Monastery of St.
Magar, which was in a state of almost total destruction. His Holiness toured
all the sections of the historic Monastery. A monument erected on the
occasion of the late Catholicos Sahag II Khabayian’s visit to the region in
1938 still survives.

His Holiness Aram I spent about six hours in the Turkish part of Cyprus,
examining the state of Armenian structures there.

##
View the photos here:
c/Photos/Photos292.htm
http://www.armenianorthodox church.org/v04/doc/Photos/Photos294.htm
*****
The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the history and
the mission of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer to the web page of
the Catholicosate, The Cilician
Catholicosate, the administrative center of the church is located in
Antelias, Lebanon.

ARMENIA-CSTO COOPERATION TO BE ENHANCED

AZG Armenian Daily
24/07/2008

Armenia-CSTO

Armenian President Serge Sarkisian received on July 21 CSTO Secretary
General Nikolay Bordyuzha (Russia). At the regular session of the
Council of CSTO, which is to take place in September, Armenia will
assume the chairmanship in the Organization.

Presidential press service informs that during the meeting the
officials discussed the priorities in development of the CSTO, the
issues the organization is facing and the ways of their solution.

They also referred to the work of the legislative bodies of CSTO and
noted that soon the sessions of the CSTO Defense Ministers’ council
and Security Secretaries’ Council will be held in Armenia. They also
spoke about "Rubezh 2008" military exercises that kicked of the next
day, July 22, in Armenia.

On July 22 the Secretary General of the CSTO Nikolay Bordyuzha
was received by Speaker of the Armenian National Assembly Torosian
received.

The Parliamentary press center informs that the main topic of
the meeting were the "Rubezh 2008" military exercises held in
Armenia. There are also many other issues to discuss related with the
work of the CSTO Parliamentary Assembly, and boosting the cooperation
within the frameworks of CSTO.

Mr. Torosian underscored the activity of the CSTO Parliamentary
Assembly, referring to the opportunities of developing the basic
ideas and principles, finding newer and more immediate ways of
cooperation. The National Assembly speaker also noted that Armenia’s
parliament has already ratified all the agreements referring CSTO
cooperation and is ready for boosting the partnership within the
frameworks of the organization.

Nikolay Bordiuzha Emphasized the military exercises conducted in
Armenia. Referring to the activites of the CSTO Parliamentary Assembly,
he underscored the deepening of cooperation. He noted that an effective
way of realizing that ideat is to hold regular meetings of the speakers
of parliaments of the member countries, as well as having meetings of
the parliamentary delegations in different international institutions.

Tigran Torosian welcomed the direct steps aimed at increasing the
efficiency of the activity of the CSTO Parliamentary Assembly and
expressed readiness to support their implementation. According to
his assessment, CSTO is not an organization of collective war but
of collective peace and everything possible must be done enhance the
cooperation and the maintenance of peace in the region.

The National Assembly speaker added that "Rubezh 2008" military
exercises are qualitatively new step and open new prospects of
cooperation

A NEW INCENTIVE
Shahan Kandaharian

Aztag Daily
July 21 2008
Lebanon

While the Turkish media is in a haste to reveal any developments
in the Turkish-Armenian relationships, to explain them and to put
interpretations into circulation, the Armenian side is restrained
about all that if not silent.

According to the Turkish media, of course, the new stage of secret
negotiations have begun in May on the level of deputy foreign minister
on Turkish side. It’s been published that Gul intends to visit the
Turkish-Armenian border region and the response to the invitation of
visiting Yerevan is to be given in consideration with the conditions
of the day, according to presidential officials. Let us not forget
that the Turkish response to president Sarksessian’s suggestion came
in multi-stages. First, it was announced that they hadn’t received an
official invitation; they would talk about it when they got it. Then,
they said that they had received it without any comments; they would
discuss it later and respond. And now they say that they will accept
or refuse according to the conditions of the day.

In its outer shell the visit to Ani or border regions could be seen as
related to securing a shift in Turkish-Armenian border issues. However,
when we read about the motives behind the visit, we get the exact
opposite impression. The goal of the visit is to make it a ceremony
for the onset of the construction of the Turkey-Georgia-Azerbeijan
railway. The goal behind that railway is to surpass Armenia and that
in itself is a confirmation of the landlock of Armenia.

Why does the president of Turkey want to manifest the "one step
forward, two steps backward" tactic? Whether we agree to the act
of inviting Turkey for a the football match between the Turkish
and Armenian national teams or not we must accept that Turkey is
facing a difficult situation vis-a-vis the international community
and Azerbeijan. It has an invitation to visit Yerevan and it can’t
respond; it has a call to open the border and it continues to refuse.

Let us concentrate on the European focal points and immediately
consider that a country negotiating for a European Union membership has
a closed border with Europe. Armenia, which is involved in projects
for the neighborhood of Europe, speaks with European norms. Borders
must be opened without any preconditions! Turkey places itself in
the position of a country rejecting the European norms.

With respect to the latest negotiations, we must wait for
the explanations of the Armenian side. We must not overlook the
possibility of them having started in May, although our journalistic
experience always tells us not to rely on Turkish initial sources. If
May is confirmed, then we can think that the statements made by
president Sarkessian in Russia and in the "Wall Street Journal"
concerning the new incentive were just announcements of already
started negotiations. It would be interesting to find out whether
there has been any talk about the formation of a joint committee of
historians during the inter-governmental talks in Switzerland or other
places and what has been the approach of the Armenian side, if such
a demand has ever been made. But if those are inter-governmental
meetings and negotiations, then that formula was the response of
former president Kocharian to the Turkish proposal of forming a joint
committee of historians … In that case the stance of the Armenian
side is received as a negotiating formula.

One more thing: it’s true that we shouldn’t count exclusively on
Turkish media news. It’s also true that all that cannot be considered
as fabrications. Official Yerevan is still silent about the supposed
process nevertheless it hasn’t publicly denied all that yet.

Obviously there’s a process of a new incentive. Let’s wait for the
publications of the Armenian side.