Author: Zaminian Bedik

VAHAGN CHAKHALYAN AGAIN SUBJECTED TO VIOLENCE

A1Plus.am
10/05/10

Coordinating Council for Protection of Javakheti Armenians’ rights
has issued a statement denouncing recent violence against Javakheti
political activist Vahagn Chakhalyan.

"On April 30, Javakheti politician Vahagn Chakhalyan, sentenced by a
Georgian court to 10 years of imprisonment on trumped-up charges,was
beaten by guards of Rustavi prison, where Chakhalyan is currently
serving his sentence.

The incident took place after Vahagn Chakhalyan’s meeting with his
relatives. The guards, accompanying Chakhalyan to his cell,started
insulting the politician for some unknown reasons. Meanwhile,
Chakhalyan’s answers to their insults were followed by application
of force against him.

This is the second time Chakhalyan has been subjected to violence in
a Georgian prison. The first assault took place in a Tbilisi prison
on April 16, 2009. Two days earlier, Coordination Council of Armenian
Organizations in France (CCAF) was holding a protest in support of
Vahagn Chakhalyan.

Relying on some verified data, Coordinating Council for Protection
of Javakheti Armenians’ rights announces that the recent incident is
linked to the upcoming self-government elections in Georgia.

The Council condemns the incident and calls on the international
community to give an appropriate assessment to Georgian authorities’
disgraceful step by which they cynically violate their international
commitments showing inhuman and humiliating attitude to Vahagn
Chakhalyan.

The Council reconfirms its determination to struggle for the release
of the political activist."

AUSTRIAN AIRLINES SKYLINE REVIEWS ARMENIAN CULTURAL BACKGROUND

Aysor
May 10 2010
Armenia

The Austrian Airlines Skyline magazine published Monday a special
article about Armenia. The publication is initiated by Armenia’s
Embassy in Austria, in assistance with Armenia’s Ministry of economy,
Armenian Foreign Ministry spokesperson said.

The article is published in English and German and pays a special
attention to the cultural and historical background of Armenia and
its rich heritage.

Today’s Zaman, Turkey
May 8 2010

New railway to better connect Turkey and Nakhchivan

The Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) railway connecting Azerbaijan’s capital
city of Baku to the eastern Turkish city of Kars, which is currently
under construction, will be joined by another new railroad to be built
between Azerbaijan and Turkey to lift the autonomous Nakhchivan region
out of isolation, an Azerbaijani official has said.

Speaking to the local ANS TV station, Sadraddin Mammadov, head of the
Azerbaijani Ministry of Transportation’s department of transport
policy and economy, noted that the railway is set to pass through
IÄ?dır and will connect Kars and Nakhchivan. Preparations for the
construction of the necessary infrastructure have already begun, he
added.

According to Mammadov, the tender to select the company that will
conduct the geological survey of the area the railroad will pass
through has already been announced. The new railroad is planned to be
the continuation of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway and will be the only
land connection between mainland Azerbaijan and landlocked Nakhchivan.

Territories linking Nakhchivan and Azerbaijan became part of Armenia
under Soviet leadership in the early 1920s, thus separating the
autonomous region from mainland Azerbaijan. The only railroad and
highway that connect these two regions were shut down after Azerbaijan
and Armenia fought over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh territory. Since
then, air travel has been the only transportation link between
Azerbaijan and Nakhchivan.

The ministry official also said the expected railroad link between
Azerbaijan and Turkey will turn Nakhchivan into a huge transport hub.
`Following the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, this
railroad will significantly increase the connection between Baku and
Nakhchivan,’ Mammadov said.

He also spoke about the ongoing work on the BTK line, noting that
construction is under way in both Georgia and Turkey.

A total of 105 kilometers were planned to be built as part of the BTK
project. Of these, 76 kilometers will be within Turkey while the
remaining 29 kilometers will lie between the Turkish border and the
city of Akhalkalaki in Georgia. Georgia also plans to retrofit the
rail link between Akhalkalaki and Tbilisi.

Ankara hosted Parliamentary Chairman of Nakhchivan Vasif Talıbov last
week to discuss a range of bilateral issues. Observers claim
discussions also included the recently announced railroad.

The BTK railway is expected to transport 1.5 million passengers and 3
million tons of freight per year in its initial operation. Forecasts
predict that by 2034, it will transport 3 million people and more than
16 million tons of goods per year. The total cost of the project is
estimated at $500 million. Georgia will contribute $200 million, which
it will receive from Azerbaijan in the form of a loan. The remaining
cost will be covered by Turkey.

The ministry official said the BTK will be ready by mid-2011 and the
Nakhchivan-IÄ?dır-Kars railway soon after that. Turkey is connected to
Nakhchivan by a short 11-kilometer-long border, a lifeline sustaining
trade that keeps Nakhchivan’s economy alive. Turkey’s eastern
provinces also greatly benefit from trade with Nakhchivan.

08 May 2010, Saturday
LAMIYA ADILGIZI BAKU

RUSSIAN EXPERT: AZERBAIJAN HAS SUFFICIENT STRENGTH TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM BY MILITARY MEANS

Today
84.html
May 7 2010
Azerbaijan

Day.Az interview with Russian political expert, professor at Journalism
Department at the St. Petersburg State University Dmitry Gavra.

During his upcoming visit to Turkey, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev
is likely to discuss Nagorno-Karabakh conflict with Turkish PM Erdogan
among other issues. In your opinion, how serious can the meeting be
in this context?

I am sure that the Karabakh issue will indeed be on the agenda
of Medvedev-Erdogan talks while it will not be linked to the
Turkish-Russian bilateral relations and painful points like Nabucco,
BTC and others. But Dmitry Medvedev needs foreign-policy breakthrough
as a peacemaker. So, Russia, in my view, will try to work with Erdogan
so that ratification of the Armenian-Turkish protocols will take into
account everything related to the Karabakh conflict settlement.

In your opinion, what Armenia is so much afraid of? Why it does not
want to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh, though it will have positive
impact on the Armenian economy and the lives of ordinary people in
the country?

Let’s start with the fact that Azerbaijan is becoming a structure
close to the concept of a regional superpower. Azerbaijan has recovered
from all the problems of 1990s. It rearms its army.

Azerbaijan is becoming stronger. Today Azerbaijan has sufficient
strength to solve the problem by military means. In this context,
Armenia’s fear is obvious.

The Armenian diaspora overseas, especially in France, is far more
intransigent on the issue of Nagorno-Karabakh than the Armenian
government. Armenia’s economy is largely dependant on the diaspora. In
this respect, it is very difficult for Serzh Sargsyan to balance
desires of the diaspora and real state of affairs. After all, events
that happened a century ago are very painful for the diaspora.

Can we expect progress in resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
in 2010?

In my opinion, to a considerable extent, the key to the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement is located in Ankara, rather
than in Moscow, because Russia does not have such a resource to
impact Armenia as Ankara. The conflict resolution may see progress if
Washington and Moscow make economic arguments in favor of improving
relations with neighbors clear for Armenia.

The Armenian economy is in tough situation. If Turkey opens borders
with Armenia and Armenia, in turn, normalizes relations with
Azerbaijan, Armenia will be much independent. Indeed, Ankara should
tell it Armenia as key to solving the problem lies precisely in the
capital of Turkey.

However, I believe that a "breakthrough" in the settlement process is
hardly the right word. Here one should move step by step. Let’s first
recognize those positions for which today we have to negotiate. Let us
fully recognize the responsibility for Khojaly. Let’s get away from
emotions. Let’s talk about the problems of disengagement. One must
move from political statements to concrete steps. That is possible …

In your view, will high-level meeting on resolution of the Karabakh
conflict held soon?

It should be noted that Azerbaijan has announced that it accepts
the updated Madrid principles, and today further progress in the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement depends on Armenia. In turn,
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said he was willing to act as
guarantor that the interests of all parties were satisfied. If such a
meeting takes place, it can be a good chance to make a very important
step toward resolving the conflict. Updated Madrid principles are a
chance to break the deadlock.

The meeting requires goodwill of presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Though Serzh Sargsyan has announced that ratification of the
Armenia-Turkey protocols are suspended, Armenia has not quit the
process. So, movements are possible.

Much now depends on the vigor of Russia and personally, Dmitry
Medvedev. Recently we have seen foreign breakthroughs by the Russian
President. I mean the agreement on the Black Sea Fleet with Ukraine,
the START treaty with the United States, finally, an agreement with
Norway on delimitation of the continental shelf. It is clear that
Dmitry Medvedev is becoming a number one man in Russian foreign
policy. It is important to now this energy was directed to the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

SEYRAN OHANYAN: THERE WOULD BE NO VICTORY IN THE ARTSAKH IF NOT THE EXAMPLE OF THE GREAT PATRIOTIC WAR
Nvard Davtyan

"Radiolur"
05.05.2010 18:41

"On May 9, we celebrate the victory in the Great Patriotic War,
liberation of Shushi and formation of NKR Defense Army," Seyran Ohanyan
said during a meeting with students and faculty of the Yerevan State
University.

Drawing parallels between the Great Patriotic War and Artsakh War,
Minister Ohanyan said that there would be no victory in the Artsakh
if not the heroic victory in World War II.

Sweyran Ohanyan noted with pride that the Armenian Armed Forces
continue participating in the international efforts of establishing
a security atmosphere. Our peacekeepers are successfully carrying
out their mission in Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan, he stated.

Upon completion of the meeting, Minister Ohanyan handed jubilee medals
to the veterans of the Great Patriotic War present at the meeting.

‘INGO ARMENIA’ INSURES AVIATION RISK OF ‘ARARAT INTERNATIONAL AIRLINE’ CARRIER

ArmInfo
2010-05-05 11:46:00

ArmInfo. The insurance company ‘INGO ARMENIA’ has recently made a
contract to insure the air carrier liability of ‘ARARAT INTERNATIONAL
AIRLINE’ carrier for a year. The total liability limit is $150 mln for
each case with a sub-limit $75 mln for the ground risk, press-service
of the company reported.

To note, 3 local insurance companies act in the segment of air
insurance. According to the Ranking of insurance companies prepared
by ArmInfo, the total volume of receipts in 2009 was more than 1.6
bln drams, 60% of which were ensured by the air transport insuring,
and 40% – air carrier liability insurance.

‘INGO ARMENIA’ is going to further extend insurance of air carrier
liability. At the same time it is not going to decrease the level of
diversification of the portfolio. According to the Ranking, by the
results of 2009 the company occupied the first place by the aggregate
volume of receipts.

ISLAMIC COMMITTEE OF RUSSIA CHAIRMAN: …THIS WILL GIVE A CHANCE TO OVERTHROW ARMENIA’S CURRENT PRESIDENT SERZH SARGSYAN

Today
67238.html
May 4 2010
Azerbaijan

Day.Az interview with chairman of the Islamic Committee of Russia,
renowned political expert Heydar Jamal.

As you know, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev will trip to Turkey on
May 11. What are you expectations from the visit? How can you assess
the current Russia-Turkey relations?

Russian President’s visit to Turkey can be seen as an attempt to
smooth over an unfavorable impression from failure of Ankara’s policy
to normalize Turkish-Armenian relations. This failure affected the
efforts to build a powerful Ankara-Tehran-Yerevan-Damascus bloc.

Armenian side’s recent move questioned realism of Turkish PM Erdogan’s
efforts on foreign policy arena. Russian President’s visit to Turkey
aims to offset unfavorable impression from Turkey’s failure in the
Armenian issue in the eyes of Turkish public to some extent. Of
course, Northern Cyprus issue will be discussed during the visit and
the Turkish leadership will try to enlist Russia’s support in its
bid to separate the two Cyprus.

So, the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict will not be
prevalent in talks between the Turkish and Russian leaders.

Of course, the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict will be
discussed during the talks. But it will be just habitual conversation
the core of which will be Russia’s unwillingness to abandon support
for Armenia and Turkey unwillingness to solve any issue related
to Nagorno-Karabakh without consulting with Azerbaijan. So, one
should not expect a new project to resolve the Karabakh conflict to
be developed. Such projects have no chance to be realized without
consent and participation of Baku.

Meanwhile, we can say that Armenia lags behind Azerbaijan and Georgia
for the level of economic development more and more each year. Why
Armenia is not interested in ending this regress, giving consent
to de-occupy Azerbaijani territories and granting status of highest
autonomy to Nagorno-Karabakh within Azerbaijan?

It is wrong to consider Armenia a hypothetical entity who takes
steps considering their pros and cons. Armenia is ruled by President
Serzh Sargsyan, who faces hatred of the opposition, which, in turn,
has hatred towards Azerbaijan and Turkey. The Armenian opposition is
ready to take advantage of any mistake by Serzh Sargsyan to hasten
his departure from the post of president.

The current Armenian political elite is more interested in balance
of powers within the country, than more global issues, including the
settlement of Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Moreover, they are confident that the superpowers have no desire
to finally abandon support for Armenia. They believe that the
military threat from the Azerbaijani side will consolidate the
Armenian diaspora which nowadays has very strained relations with the
Armenian leadership. In other words, those in Armenia are interested
in aggravation as this will give a chance to overthrow the country’s
current President.

Are there any real prerequisites to overthrow the current Armenian
president?

Prerequisites for overthrow of Serzh Sargsyan from the presidential
post do exist. The position of those who will come to power in Armenia
will be tougher in terms of settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. In my opinion, once current authorities
are overthrown, the new grouping in the Armenian authorities will be
more pro-Russian and anti-Western.

FRENCH JOURNAL DEDICATES EDITION TO NKR

PanARMENIAN.Net
May 4, 2010 – 11:58 AMT 06:58 GMT

On the initiative of the Armenian General Benevolent Union’s (AGBU)
Nubar library, the 11th edition of the "Armenian Journal of Modern
Issues" published in French is dedicated to Nagorno Karabakh.

According to the NKR Permanent Mission to France, interviews with
former Co-Chairman of the OSCE Minsk Group Vladimir Kazimirov,
EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus Peter Semneby,
European Parliament member Yevgeni Kirillov, and others are comprised
in the journal.

The edition also features articles by the journal’s editor-in-chief,
lecturer of the French Institute of Geopolitics Raymond Kevorkian,
lawyer and international law expert Gerar Gergerian and NKR Permanent
Representative to France Hovhannes Gevorkian, NKR MFA Press Service
reported.

HIS HOLINESS KEREKIN II TO VISIT ARMENIAN DIOCESES OF FRANCE AND GREAT BRITAIN

armradio.am
04.05.2010 11:19

His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All
Armenians, left for a week-long working visit to the Armenian Dioceses
to France and Great Britain.

Within the framework of the visit His Holiness will have meetings
with the leaders of the Armenian Dioceses, representatives of Diocesan
structures, benefactors of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.

Today, Azerbaijan
May 1 2010

Yerevan invents "a way out of a delicate situation"

01 May 2010 [21:40] – Today.Az

Even experts find it difficult to say when the diplomacy started. It
is only clear that its history dates back to when when the leader of
the White Feathers tribe met with the leader of the Black Feather
tribe near the sacred rocks to decide who would hunt the mammoths
where. If they reached an agreement, they would avoid the war.

We have no clue whether they held talks honestly or resorted to a
sleight of hand. But, no doubt, over the past millennium, the history
of statehood and diplomacy has seen innumerable "tricks.’ Every
negotiation, each and every agreement and negotiator bring something
of their own to the table.

The resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is no exception. In
this context, Armenian leaders have frequently demonstrated diplomatic
know-how, so as not to disrupt negotiations openly when the situation
was unfavorable. Suffice it to recall the negotiations in Rambouillet
when then-Armenian President Robert Kocharian asked for permission to
"go to the restroom", and took off at a critical point of the talks.

The Armenian-Turkish negotiations also have a chance to enter the
history of diplomacy. But when Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan
decided to suspend the negotiations with Turkey, the fantasy of the
Armenian political strategist seems to have run out. He declared
suspension the of the Armenia-Turkey talks without beating around the
bush.

Frankly, it is clear that it’s not about a "reasonable timeframe,’
which no one has fixed, and it’s not about Turkey’s "preconditions,"
or even not about Karabakh. Talks with Turkey caused Armenia to face a
delicate problem ` where is the proposed boundary supposed to open?
It should be noted that Yerevan still refuses to recognize the current
borders between Turkey and Armenia. But to announce that tiny,
impoverished and hungry Armenia is making demands of Turkey, which is
the second largest power in NATO after the United States and Europe,
the piece of territory atop Agri Dagh is political suicide for
Yerevan.

Similarly, it would be political suicide for Armenian politicians to
give up their "age-old dream of the Armenian people.’ When there were
no diplomatic relations, Armenia felt easy talking about eliminating
the "consequences of the ‘genocide’" and "Western Armenia" in Turkey.
But it became difficult to do so with the beginning of these recent
talks, not to mention the fact that the Armenian diaspora adamantly
opposed the negotiations with Turkey.

Either way, suspending the talks with Turkey, Sargsyan seems to have
sincerely believed that he invented a painless way out of this
delicate situation. Talks are continuing de jure. So, there will be no
political trouble. They have been interrupted de facto and Armenia
does not need to hurry any longer to define its position on Karabakh
and the Turkish border. The international community seems to have
reacted to the Armenian leader’s move with understanding. The
president eliminated what was irritating the diaspora and local
nationalists by suspending talks until better times.

When taking this step, Sargsyan obviously had in mind those "summer
chess’ matches where the two neighbors postponed the game until next
season, vowing not forget who was playing white and who was playing
black, and who had made the last move.

Apparently, Armenia failed to take into account one thing. The talks
can be postponed for some time. Problems in the economy cannot be
postponed with the same ease. Armenia cannot solve these problems
without normalizing ties with Turkey and Azerbaijan. But Armenia
refused to do so for the sake of "unity with the diaspora," for which
the longing for a mythical "Western Armenia" in Turkey had long become
a very lucrative business.

Of course, Yerevan can expect that the diaspora will provide financial
handouts in exchange for political loyalty.

Armenia’s 18 years of independence were enough even for the most
desperate optimists to make sure that the diaspora’s financial
potential has been overestimated. Additionally, the wealth of a number
of individuals in Armenia does not mean that they are willing to share
their financial well-bring. Last but not least, donations will not
help to build a sound economy. This requires investments, which
Armenia lacks.

Yerevan would be unlikely to understand this if it was not for the
fact that control over incoming financial assistance, coupled with no
less than full control over the existing "infrastructure business,’
whether it be the supply of petroleum products, food trade, etc., is
enough to provide a comfortable living for the president and his inner
circle. And, most tragically, all of this already existed in Nagorno
Karabakh. The diaspora has regularly rendered financial assistance to
the self-proclaimed republic that later poured its finances into
pockets of the `Karabakh clan.’ Now the clan wants to introduce a
similar model in Armenia along with the drug trafficking taking place
in the occupied Azerbaijani lands.

This is not a unique case in world history. It is well-known that
criminalization is unavoidable when you build your country on
donations alone, and when power is held by former "warlords" who made
their capital through ethnic cleansing and looting in Azerbaijani
villages.

/Day.Az/

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