Monday, New Armenian President Sworn In Armenia - Armen Sarkissian is sworn in as new president of Armenia in Yerevan, 9 April 2018. Armen Sarkissian, a former scholar who has long lived in Britain, pledged to strive for a “new Armenia” able to meet challenges of the modern world as he was sworn in as the country’s new president on Monday. He took the oath of office at a special session of the Armenian parliament attended by hundreds of other dignitaries. The ceremony took place at a concert hall in Yerevan just over a month after the National Assembly voted overwhelmingly to elect Sarkissian president of the republic. His candidacy was nominated by the outgoing President Serzh Sarkisian (no relation) and the ruling Republican Party of Armenia (HHK) earlier this year. Sarkissian, 64, is the first Armenian president not elected by popular vote. The change stems from controversial constitutional changes that have transformed Armenia into a parliamentary republic. Sarkissian will therefore have largely ceremonial powers. The HHK-controlled parliament is widely expected to appoint Serzh Sarkisian as prime minister next week. The latter met with his handpicked successor shortly before the inauguration ceremony broadcast live by national television. Armenia - Armenia's outgoing and incoming presidents and their wives meet in Yerevan, 9 April 2018. Putting his right hand on the Armenian constitution and a 7th century Armenian Bible, Armen Sarkissian vowed to stay “impartial” in performing his duties and do his best to “strengthen national unity.” In an ensuing speech, Sarkissian mentioned challenges facing the country. “We must jointly and consistently fight against negative and vicious practices in the state system, society and our environment: from corruption to social injustice, from indifference to irresponsibility,” he declared. “In this just and uncompromising fight, each of us has a role to play. We will succeed if we not only criticize but also propose, if we join forces and work together, rather than create divisions.” The new president, who has tried to reach out to various political and civic groups, intellectuals and business circles in recent weeks, went on to stress the need for faster economic development. “No matter how attractive and substantiated promises of the bright future are, people want to feel their fruits now, and they are right,” he said. “The 21st century is a century of thought and rapid scientific progress,” said Sarkissian. “Accordingly, we must build a new Armenia; a young Armenia; a dynamic, flexible, and creative Armenia.” The inauguration was attended by 92 of the 105 members of the parliament. Most of the absent deputies are affiliated with the opposition Yelk bloc, which controls 9 parliament seats. Seven Yelk deputies voted against Sarkissian while the two others did not vote at all on March 2. Armenia - Armen Sarkissian is sworn in as new president of Armenia in Yerevan, 9 April 2018. A physicist and mathematician by education, Sarkissian worked at the Cambridge University when he was appointed as newly independent Armenia’s first ambassador to the United Kingdom in 1991. He served as prime minister for four months in 1996-1997 before being again named ambassador in London. His second ambassadorial stint was cut short in 1999 by then President Robert Kocharian. Sarkissian stayed in Britain and made a fortune there in the following decade, working as an advisor and middleman for Western corporations doing business in the former Soviet Union. He was appointed as Armenian ambassador to Britain for a third time in 2013. Under the amended constitution, Sarkissian will serve for a seven-year term. He will be primarily tasked with ensuring “observance of the constitution” by various branches of government. In particular, he will be able to send parliament-approved bills to the Constitutional Court for examination in case of objecting to their provisions. The bills will have to be signed into law if the court certifies their conformity with the constitution. The president will also formally appoint members of the government, Armenian ambassadors abroad and the Armenian army’s top brass nominated by the prime minister. In addition, he can sign international treaties recommended by the ruling cabinet. Russia’s Lavrov Upbeat On Karabakh Peace • Aza Babayan RUSSIA -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov attends a joint press conference with his Chinese counterpart following their talks in Moscow, April 5, 2018. Joint efforts by Russia and other world powers to help resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict will eventually end in success, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said over the weekend. In an interview with an Armenian reporter, Lavrov also praised Armenia for remaining firmly allied to Russia while forging closer links with the European Union. Commenting on prospects for a Karabakh settlement, he said: “The most important thing [for the conflicting parties] is to step back from distrust, which still manifests itself sometimes during negotiations, and to concentrate on realistic, pragmatic ideas which are in abundant supply.” “The parties seem to conceptually agree to do that, but when things start developing into concrete wordings … complications arise. But I think that we will continue to consistently overcome them and achieve a result,” Lavrov said in the televised interview publicized by the Russian Foreign Ministry. The Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents pledged to try to break the deadlock in the Karabakh peace process when they last met in Geneva in October. Their foreign ministers held follow-up negotiations in December and January. The U.S., Russian and French diplomats co-chairing the OSCE Minsk Group said in February that the two sides intend to “continue intensive negotiations, taking into account the current electoral period.” Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev will likely win another term in office in a snap election scheduled for Wednesday. Aliyev’s Armenian counterpart, Serzh Sarkisian, served out his final presidential term on Monday. Sarkisian is widely expected to become Armenia’s prime minister and thus extend his rule later this month. Aliyev and Sarkisian most recently came close to reaching a framework peace accord at a 2011 meeting held in Kazan, Russia. Armenian officials accused Aliyev s at the time of scuttling the deal with last-minute additional concessions demanded from the Armenian side. “During the [Kazan] summit there emerged additional questions and comments,” said Lavrov. “Such things happen. We don’t regard that as a tragedy. Efforts will continue. I am sure that a lot of what is contained in the so-called Kazan document is still in demand.” “So I think nothing from what was worked out at that time has been lost, even though some new ideas, which the co-chairs are now furthering in their contacts with the parties, have emerged since then,” he added without elaborating. The Kazan document is thought to be one of the versions of the Basic Principles of a Karabakh peace which were first put forward by the U.S., Russian and French mediators in 2007. The framework accord calls for a phased settlement that would start with Armenian withdrawal from virtually all Azerbaijani districts around Karabakh. That would be followed by a referendum on Karabakh’s internationally recognized status. Lavrov was also satisfied the current state of Russian-Armenian relations, saying that they have grown even closer in the political, economic and military areas in the past decade. He praised Armenia for joining the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) at the expense of an Association Agreement with the EU which was due to be finalized in 2013. Yerevan signed a less far-reaching Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement with the EU last November. “It’s wrong to leave countries in the post-Soviet space with the choice of either with the West or with Russia,” Lavrov said in a jibe at the EU. “That is an absolutely ideological and politicized approach. And I think the fact that Armenia insisted on the kind of relationship with the EU which involves … recognition of Armenia’s rights and obligations in other integration processes is a step in the right direction.” Serzh Sarkisian’s Continued Rule All But Confirmed Armenia - Outgoing President Serzh Sarkisian (R) and outgoing Prime Minister Karen Karapetian meet in Yerevan, 7 April 2018. Outgoing Prime Minister Karen Karapetian effectively confirmed on Monday that Serzh Sarkisian will remain Armenia’s top leader even after completing his second and final presidential term. Karapetian made the announcement shortly after tendering his and his ministers’ resignations to Armen Sarkissian, the new president of the republic who took office earlier in the day. The resignations are mandated by Armenia’s amended constitution envisaging a parliamentary system of government. This means that the next Armenian prime minister will be the country’s most powerful official. Serzh Sarkisian, who also leads the ruling Republican Party (HHK), signaled his plans to become prime minister when he met with Karapetian on Saturday. Commenting on that meeting, the outgoing premier said: “We decided to propose to our party comrades to maintain the current government configuration in this period: namely, to nominate Serzh Sarkisian as the number one figure.” “Because it is extremely important to expedite a smooth and effective transition to the new government system which will minimize risks,” he added in comments reported by his press office. The Armenian parliament, in which the ruling HHK has a solid majority, is due to elect the next prime minister on April 17. In recent weeks, many senior HHK members have backed Sarkisian to take up the top executive post. Sarkisian said on Saturday that he and Karapetian will “bear the burden of responsibility” for Armenia’s government for the next four years. This was a further indication that the politically inexperienced Karapetian will be appointed first deputy prime minister primarily responsible for the government’s socioeconomic policies. The Armenian opposition has strongly condemned Sarkisian’s plans to extend his decade-long rule, calling it a gross failure. Some opposition groups are planning to launch daily street demonstrations in Yerevan later this week in a bid to thwart those plans. Opposition leaders also accuse Sarkisian of backtracking on his 2014 promise that he will “not aspire” to the post of prime minister if Armenia becomes a parliamentary republic. Sarkisian claimed last month that his political opponents are taking his 2014 statement “out of context.” “I still do not aspire to the post of prime minister,” he said. Opposition Leader Congratulates New President • Harry Tamrazian • Naira Bulghadarian Armenia - Opposition leader Raffi Hovannisian (R) congratulates the new Armenian President Armen Sarkissian after an inauguration ceremony in Yerevan, 9 April 2018. Opposition leader Raffi Hovannisian attended Armen Sarkissian’s inauguration on Monday, saying that the new Armenian president is more legitimate than his predecessor. Hovannisian was the main opposition candidate in Armenia’s last presidential election held in 2013. He rejected as fraudulent the official election results that gave victory to the incumbent Serzh Sarkisian. A series of demonstrations organized by Hovannisian in Yerevan at the time failed to force the authorities to invalidate the vote. The new president of the republic was elected by the Armenian parliament, rather than popular vote, in line with controversial constitutional changes enacted in 2015. “Five years on, we have a new electoral system,” Hovannisian told reporters after the inauguration ceremony. “You can say it’s still based on fraud, but it’s a de facto new electoral system and we had today an inauguration which was more or less far from illegitimate. And so I congratulate Armen Sarkissian.” “Let’s hope that with his proposals and experience he will help to mark, little by little, the beginning of a new, free, independent and creative Armenia for which our people fought not only five years ago but also for the last 25 years,” said the U.S.-born politician. Sarkissian’s swearing-in ceremony was boycotted by all nine lawmakers representing the opposition Yelk alliance. They have questioned his eligibility to serve as head of state. Armenia’s amended constitution requires presidential candidates to have had only Armenian citizenship for the last six years. Sarkissian has admitted receiving British citizenship in 2002. He insists that he gave it up in 2011. Yelk has been unconvinced by these assurances, demanding that Sarkissian produce a British government document certifying that. One of the opposition bloc’s leaders, Nikol Pashinian, hit out at the new president as he continued to tour northern and central regions of Armenia on foot in an effort to drum up popular support for his upcoming anti-government rallies in Yerevan. “His [British-based] sons and grandchildren will tell their grandchildren, ‘You know, our grandfather was Armenia’s president,’” scoffed Pashinian. “But if the grandchildren are a bit more mindful, they will realize that that story is far sadder than is presented.” Pashinian, whose campaign is not supported by other Yelk leaders, is planning to hold daily demonstrations immediately after reaching Yerevan on Friday. They will be aimed at preventing former President Serzh Sarkisian from becoming prime minister later this month. Also campaigning against Sarkisian’s “reproduction” is the For the Armenian State coalition of more radical opposition groups and activists, including the Zharangutyun party which Hovannisian founded and headed until last month. The grouping held its latest rally on Monday several hours after Hovannisian attended the presidential inauguration. Press Review (Saturday, April 7) “Zhamanak” notes that the Armenian-born billionaire Samvel Karapetian is not in the latest group of more than two dozen Russian oligarchs and government officials sanctioned by the United States. The paper speculates that Karapetian is keen to have one or possibly more American companies join his energy projects in Armenia to try to “neutralize his risks in Russia.” “Zhoghovurd” says Ilham Aliyev and Serzh Sarkisian have used foreign media outlets to accuse each other of impeding a peaceful resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Aliyev said that Armenia is “imitating” peace talks with Azerbaijan, while Sarkisian again blamed the lack of progress on Baku’s “maximalist” position. The paper says the conflict remains unresolved because both Aliyev and Sarkisian are not interested in peace. “Haykakan Zhamanak” reacts to the Russian-Turkish agreement to build a Russian-designed nuclear power station in Turkey. The paper says the Armenian government had pledged to build a new nuclear plant with Russian aid even before the Turks decided to utilize atomic energy. It also blames Moscow for the failure of the Armenian nuclear project and claims that the Russian-Turkish deal is “directed against Armenia’s interests.” (Tatev Danielian) Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL Copyright (c) 2018 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc. 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. www.rferl.org