/PanARMENIAN.Net/
Currently Armenia has no domestic resources for coup d’état
Home policy review for January 25-31, 2010
30.01.2010 GMT+04:00
The internal political life of Armenia acquired its former course, and
the past week was marked by the visits of a number of distinguished
guests from neighbouring countries. Yerevan hosted Iranian Foreign
Minister Manouchehr Mottaki, Prime Minister of Georgia Nikoloz Gilauri
and Mayor of Moscow Yuri Luzhkov. The week was also devoted to various
estimates by political forces and experts concerning the trilateral
meeting between the Presidents of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia in
Sochi.
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The week began with a meeting of Armenian Defense
Minister Seyran Ohanyan with students and instructors of Yerevan State
University. `I am always guided by the principle: `If you want peace,
prepare for war’. We never exclude the possibility of a military
solution to the Karabakh conflict on the part of Azerbaijan, but the
Armenian army is always ready to defend their homeland,’ declared the
Minister of Defense. According to him, NKR cannot be part of
Azerbaijan. `In this regard, we raise three problems: the right of NKR
people to self-determination should be respected, Nagorno-Karabakh
should have a land connection with Armenia and its security must be
ensured by international guarantees,’ the Defense Minister stressed.
The same day Razmik Zohrabyan, Deputy Chairman of the ruling
Republican Party of Armenia, was the first to assess the tripartite
meeting between the Presidents of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia in
Sochi. Touching upon the surrender of territories, the Republican
Party representative said `It is out of the question’ until the scopes
of compromise are clarified. `Transitional status is not yet defined,
and it is still unknown how the people of Karabakh can express their
will. I think the parties have no idea how this can occur,’ the MP
said. He predicted that after the meeting in Sochi it would become
clear whether or not a framework agreement would be signed on
Karabakh. `However, no framework agreement will be signed till the
yearend, I suppose,’ Zohrabyan stressed.
At a joint press conference a similar assessment was given to the
Sochi meeting by Social Democrat Hunchakian Party board member Vardan
Khachatryan and Member of the Republican Party of Armenia Karen
Avagyan. `It would be unrealistic to believe that all issues related
to Karabakh conflict settlement could be given final resolution during
the trilateral presidential meeting in Sochi,’ declared Avagyan.
According to him, every presidential meeting is a step forward to
conflict resolution. He noted that the only fact that the
Nagorno-Karabakh status was discussed at the latest meeting could be
regarded as progress.
Vardan Khachatryan, for his part, noted that despite the recent
progress, Baku keeps demanding the impossible to gain maximum benefit,
with President Aliyev repeatedly bringing up the issue of military
settlement of Karabakh conflict.
`Negotiations will not definitely accelerate the conflict settlement
process, but the outcome of Armenian, Russian and Azerbaijani
Presidents’ meeting in Sochi will enable Turkey to speed up the
ratification of Armenian-Turkish Protocols,’ declared Deputy Director
of the Caucasus Institute Sergey Minasyan in an interview to
PanARMENIAN.Net.
Tuesday, January 26, President Serzh Sargsyan received Prime Minister
of Georgia Nikoloz Gilauri, who paid a working visit to Yerevan to
attend the 8th session of the intergovernmental commission on economic
cooperation between Armenia and Georgia. At the meeting President
Sargsyan noted that Yerevan is ready to further extend cooperation
with Tbilisi. In his turn, Gilauri conveyed to the Armenian President
Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili’s invitation to visit Georgia.
On the same day Yerevan hosted a pre-planning conference on Combined
Endeavor 2010 exercise. The event organized by the U.S. European
Command brought together 300 communication specialists from 34
countries, including NATO members and partner states.
On January 26 Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki paid a
working visit to Yerevan to attend the 9th session of the
Armenian-Iranian intergovernmental commission. During the visit
Iranian Foreign Minister met with president of Armenia, RA prime
minister, speaker of the Armenian National Assembly, secretary of the
RA National Security Council and Armenian foreign minister. At the
meeting with Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandyan, the counterparts
discussed bilateral, regional and international issues. The foreign
ministers also touched upon the Karabakh conflict settlement and
normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations. Manouchehr Mottaki
presented to Edward Nalbandyan the processes related to the nuclear
program of Iran.
Another positive evaluation of the tripartite presidential meeting in
Sochi was voiced Tuesday by Director of Analytical Research Center
Ruben Hakobyan. `The Sargsyan-Aliyev-Medvedev meeting in Sochi met our
expectations,’ Hakobyan said at a press conference in Yerevan. As to
the preamble of revised Madrid principles, Hakobyan said: `I’m not
aware of the contents of the preamble, but Karabakh conflict is
expected to be settled in compliance with 2 international norms –
territorial integrity and the right of nations to self-determination.’
Ruben Hakobyan also highlighted that during the past two decades, the
inner and outer life of Armenia has been conditioned by the Karabakh
conflict. Hakobyan did not share the view of some experts, who claim
that any progress in the Karabakh conflict may raise the issue of coup
d’état. `Armenia does not have the corresponding resources. The
`immune system’ of the country is too weak,’ said Hakobyan.
The recent presidential meeting in Sochi repeated the scenario of
previous meetings, according to ARFD parliamentary group member Hrayr
Karapetyan. Karapetyan believes there was much fuss both now and prior
to the Meindorf meeting, but expectations were not met in either case.
According to the MP, Azerbaijan should realize that Karabakh will
never be part of it and it should be involved in talks as an
independent party.
Next day, January 27, the Sochi meeting was once again criticized,
this time by the Heritage party. `I consider that the trilateral
meeting between the Presidents of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia in
Sochi was another defective meeting,’ declared Heritage party
secretary, MP Larisa Alaverdyan. According to her, presidential
meetings without Artsakh leader’s participation can’t be considered
talks on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement. `Presidential
meetings have only one positive side: while they continue, there is
hope that there will be no war,’ Alaverdyan noticed.
On January 27, President Serzh Sargsyan received Iranian Foreign
Minister Manouchehr Mottaki. The President noted the importance of the
Armenian-Iranian intergovernmental commission. `You know how much we
value the relations with Iran and we consider you a reliable partner
and a country of key importance in the region,’ Sargsyan said,
addressing to the Iranian FM.
Wednesday was also marked by another event: the Republican Party of
Armenia, `Prosperous Armenia’ and `Orinats Yerkir’ issued a statement
regarding the interview of PACE President Mevlut Cavusoglu to Azeri
news agency APA. `Some of PACE President’s comments call into question
his impartiality in the perception of Nagorno-Karabakh. PACE President
has a wrong perception of the nature and details of the issue, as well
as of negotiation progress concerning the problem in question,’ the
joint statement said. Armenian coalition parties urged RA NA speaker
to clarify with PACE President the reliability of the interview in
question and demand explanations, also asking Cavusoglu to specify
whether his words should be regarded as the official position of PACE.
If necessary, the RA NA Speaker was also to discuss the issue of
suspension of the Armenian delegation’s activities in PACE during
Mevlut Cavusoglu’s presidency.
Next day, January 28, Armenian NA Speaker Hovik Abrahamyan had a
telephone conversation with newly-elected PACE President Mevlut
Cavusoglu. During the conversation Cavusoglu informed the NA Speaker
that on January 26 the Azerbaijani news agency APA had misinterpreted
his remarks, ascribing him statements he had not uttered. The PACE
President assured that these statements were the result of a wrong
interpretation and mistreatment of the Azerbaijani media
representatives.
On January 28 Armenia celebrated the 18th anniversary of formation of
the Armenian National Army. Traditionally on this day the country’s
top leaders visit the Memorial of Military Volunteers Yerablur to
commemorate the soldiers who sacrificed their lives for the
motherland.
The day was crowned with a solemn concert devoted to 18th anniversary
of the Armenian Army. Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan, Ex-President
Robert Kocharyan, Chairman of the National Assembly Hovik Abrahamyan,
and Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan were present at the concert.
At the end of the week Leader of Constitutional Right Union party Hayk
Babukhanyan made a series of dramatic statements at a press
conference. According to him, Armenia should think of developing
nuclear weapon as a deterrent to Turkey’s genocidal policy.
Another scandalous statement issued by Babukhanyan concerned the
Heritage Party. Babukhanyan believes that Armenian authorities should
suspend the Party’s activities, because of its destructive position in
the PACE and assistance to Turkish-Azerbaijani policy. Soon Leader of
Heritage faction Stepan Safaryan disapproved Hayk Babukhanyan’s
statement on the party’s anti-governmental policy. According to
Safaryan, `There is reliable information that leader of Constitutional
Right Union receives funding from an oligarch representing one of the
three coalition parties.’
On January 29 Armenian Parliament held a working meeting, which
discussed the draft agenda of the RA NA spring session. The agenda
includes 78 issues and 14 international treaties.
Mikhail Balayan