Author: admin

VASILI GHAZARIAN APPOINTED AMBASSADOR EXTRAORDINARY AND PLENIPOTENTIARY OF RA TO AFGHANISTAN PLURALISTICALLY

Noyan Tapan
Dec 22, 2009

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 22, NOYAN TAPAN. On December 21, RA President Serzh
Sargsyan signed a decree on appointing Ambassador Extraordinary and
Plenipotentiary of RA to Kazakhstan Vasili Ghazarian Ambassador
Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of RA to the Islamic Republic
of Afghanistan (residence Astana) pluralistically. Noyan Tapan was
informed about it by RA President’s Press Office.

AZERBAIJAN HAS NEVER SPOKEN AGAINST RIGHT OF NATIONS FOR SELF-DETERMINATION

news.az
Dec 22 2009
Azerbaijan

Agshin Mehdiyev Azerbaijan has never opposed the right of nations for
self-determination, Azerbaijan’s representative in UN Agshin Mehdiyev.

The UN permanent representative office in Azerbaijan has voiced
attitude towards the resolution on the rights of nations for
self-determination adopted at the 64th session of the UN General
Assembly.

Azerbaijan and Armenia are the co-authors of the resolution along with
50 other states. Azerbaijan’s representative in UN Agshin Mehdiyev
said the resolutions on this topic are adopted every year:

"This has become a tradition. We have always been the co-authors
of this resolution because Azerbaijan has never spoken against the
rights of nations for self-determination.

The Armenian Foreign Ministry has launched an artificial agitation
campaign in connection with the document adopted in UN. The
resolution confirms the general application of the right of nations
for self-determination and calls on the countries to pay attention to
the violation of this right. Official Yerevan considers the adopted
resolution an achievement in the Karabakh conflict settlement.

Yet the document of the UN General Assembly does not say anything
about the use of rights of nations for self-determination in definite
conflicts. Mehdiyev considers that the resolution lacks any moments
that are rejoicing official Yerevan.

"Azerbaijan has never opposed the right of nations for
self-determination. We have always said that this right bears
no attitude to Karabakh Armenians, as Armenians have already
self-determined. There is a sovereign state of Armenia and that’s all.

How many times can one and the same nation self-determine? Armenian
authorities are holding a false agitation campaign. In fact, this
resolution has nothing to do with Nagorno Karabakh".

Official Baku has repeatedly voiced its position on the principle of
self-determination. In particular, it was said that this principle
cannot be basic in the Karabakh conflict settlement. Official Baku
considers that this right does not mean that self-determination can
be used with damage to the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijan takes a firm stance on this issue and the conflict can
be settled only within the framework of the territorial integrity
of Azerbaijan.

INFORMATIONAL CONTEXT OF THE POSSIBLE OPENING OF THE TURKSIH BORDER
Samvel Martirosyan

Noravank" Foundation
21 December 2009

The current dynamics of the Armenian-Turkish relations may change the
format and the content of the information field in the RA and NKR as
well as in the Diaspora.

Today Azerbaijan and Turkey are the main rivals of Armenia on the
information field. Meanwhile the developments round the conclusion
of the Armenian-Turkish protocols have deformed the information field
to a certain extent. Azerbaijan initiated not only anti-Armenian but
also partially anti-Turkish policy which is mainly directed to the
Turkish and Azerbaijani societies. In this regard the pressure to
Armenia released to a certain degree.

In its turn the Turkish front has become more transparent to Armenia.

Amid the absence of any relations between two countries the main
information struggle went on between Turkey and its satellites
(the organizations from Turkish Diaspora, Azerbaijani and Jewish
organizations supporting Turkey and etc) and the Diaspora (mainly
Western Armenian). Over that period Turkish information field was
mainly perceived in the light of information flows of the Diaspora.

Today the situation has changed. For Armenian mass media Turkish
periodicals, organizations, experts became "newsmakers". The Internet
users in Armenia, in turn, are reading the Turkish online press more
actively. In fact, Armenian information field is, to a certain degree,
under the Turkish influence.

Impact on the relations between Armenia and Diaspora Turkish
propaganda already works actively to drive a wedge between Armenia and
Diaspora. Today with this purpose the discrepancies between Armeniancy
connected with the Armenian-Turkish protocols are used.

Here the Azerbaijani press plays the role of the mediator. With the
help of Azerbaijan the filtered Turkish propaganda appears in the
Armenian field. Azerbaijani party uses a number of factors among
which there are two main ones:

Armenian press readers and Internet users till now depend to a certain
extent on Azerbaijani press from which they take news of the regional
character.

The language factor. Most of the Internet users in Armenia mainly
know Russian and in a less degree English. On the assumption of that
Azerbaijani press actively translates from English into Russian the
needed articles from the Turkish press in order to exert psychological
and informational pressure on the Armenian society. Besides, the
materials from Turkish language press, which is not controlled by
the Armenian mass media due to a simple reason that many Armenian
journalists do not speak Turkish, are actively used.

Those two factors allowed Turkish and Azerbaijani press to impact
on the Armenian information field rather actively. They try to drive
a wedge between different segments of the Armenian society based on
present discrepancies.

It is necessary to take into consideration that after the opening of
the border with Turkey Armenia will face another reality. We mean the
Armenian community of Turkey. Taking into consideration the fact that
the community consists of the Armenians who stayed there after the
Genocide and the wave of the Armenians who arrived there from the
RA, Turkey will try use the factor of the splitting of the Turkish
society. Especially because the community is in a difficult situation
and can appear under the pressure of the Turkish authorities. After the
murder of Hrant Dink it became clear that for the Turkish authorities
the Armenian community is a means of propaganda which is used to form
its image in the world. In the same way the factor of the Armenian
community can become a means to exert psychological pressure on the
Armenia and Diaspora.

Armenian media field Today Armenian media field, as we have already
mentioned, is partially under the Turkish influence. It should be
taken into consideration that Turkish media excel Armenian media in
regard to the available resources.

The first possible step may be the creation of the offices of the
Turkish media in Armenia. Meanwhile, Armenian party can hardly react
to that in the same operative way: Armenian press is strictly oriented
to the domestic political field (there are no offices of the Armenian
media even in the NKR).

On the second stage the dissemination of the Turkish printed press in
Armenia is possible (in English, for the Armenians and the tourists
and in Turkish for the possible migrants from Turkey).

On the third stage the creation of the joint Armenian-Turkish, as
well as only Turkish media in Armenian language is possible.

Armenian information field is not ready to the active Turkish expansion
not only in English but also in the Armenian languages.

There is already radio station broadcasting in Armenian in Turkey.

Besides, there are periodicals in Armenian issued by the Armenian
community.

Azerbaijan has been broadcasting news in Armenian on the satellite
TV channel. But the Azerbaijani and Turkish invasion of the Armenian
language information field will sharply differ from each other on
several parameters:

The psychology of the Armenians is seriously studied in Turkey. Thus,
the information flow will be weighed in contrast to the crude
Azerbaijani propaganda.

The study of the Armenian language is encouraged among the Turkish
officials. Besides, there are stratums of the Armenians in Turkey
which in one way or another collaborate with the Turkish authorities
or press. So there are serious possibilities both for the monitoring
of the Armenian press and creating materials in Armenian.

The Armenian society is not ready for such changes of the information
field. The information field in Turkey is very diverse, dynamic and
demands for much more severe competition than the one in Azerbaijan.

The opposite processes are also possible: Armenian media start
to broadcast in Turkish. If before the on-line Turkish version of
"Azg" newspaper had existed for several years, then today we have
two agencies – Tert.am and News.am – which translate their news in
Turkish. On the one hand, it is a good opportunity to influence a part
of the Turkish society which does not read in English. On the other
hand, the information field which is not controlled by the Armenian
community is formed and in the future it can turn into an infogene
threat, owing to the fact that from Armenia information flows, which
are formed and controlled by a very restricted number of people, go.

Electronic security The opening of the border with Turkey may also
imply the diversification of the data exchange with the external
world. There is a possibility of the creation of the fiber-optic
communications through the territory of Turkey.

In October 2008 the information appeared that "Beeline" Company and
Turkish communication operator ("Turkcell") are negotiating over
the creation of the reserve internet channel. Though later on the
information was disclaimed by the company, it is obvious that in case
of the opening of the border and free competition the "Turkish cable"
can really turn into reality.

In this case it should be taken into account that the Internet
traffic coming from Turkey can be potentially controlled by the
Turkish special services.

Besides, we may also speak about the usage of the Turkish
satellites for the exchange of the data. Armenia, in part, has such
an experience. The so-called "virtual silk road" which included
several post-Soviet countries has used Turkish satellite to supply
Armenian scientific and educational structures with Internet. In 2002
Eurasiasat-1/TurkSat-2A was used.

Conclusion In the near future the threat of infogene character by
Turkey may increase. Two factors should be mentioned:

In the near future Turkey will not stop being the information and
political competitor of Armenia even after the signing of the protocols
and implementing of programmes directed to closer relations stipulated
in those protocols.

Despite the discrepancies between Turkey and Azerbaijan the latter will
not stop being the ally of Ankara. Ankara-Baku propaganda tandem will
continue exerting pressure on Armenia. In the same way the merging
of the Turkish and Azerbaijani hacker groups acting against Armenia
and Armeniancy will continue.

At the same time, the continuing confrontation between Turkey and
Israel may become a positive factor for Armenian both for the possible
establishing of the closer relations with Tel Aviv and weakening of
the Turkish propaganda machine due to the growing pressure on behalf
of Israeli party.

On the other hand the abrupt change and activation of the information
field will boost the fast development of the mass media in Armenia
and shifting the priority to the foreign politics.

AZERBAIJANI FM TO DISCUSS NAGORNO-KARABAKH WITH TURKISH OFFICIALS

Tert.am
17:43 ~U 21.12.09

Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan Elmar Mammadyarov will pay an official
visit to Turkey on December 25 and 26 upon an invitation by his
Turkish counterpart Ahmet Davutoglu, reports Turkish news agency
Anadolu Ajansi.

In a statement issued on Monday, the Turkish Ministry of Foreign
Affairs said that, aside from meeting Davutoglu, Mammadyarov would
be received by Turkish President Abdullah Gul, Parliament Speaker
Mehmet Ali Sahin and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Mammadyarov’s talks with Turkish officials will facilitate exchange
of opinions on Turkish-Azerbaijani relations, the conflict in Karabakh
and regional matters pertaining to the two countries.

BRITISH-NAGORNO KARABAKH ALL-PARTY PARLIAMENTARY GROUP WAS LAUNCHED IN UK HOUSE OF LORDS

PanARMENIAN.Net
22.12.2009 14:58 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ New "British-Nagorno Karabakh All-Party Parliamentary
Group" was launched in Committee Room 2 of the House of Lords,
British Parliament.

The instigator is Viscount John Desmond Waverley, a former member of
the British-Armenian All-Party Parliamentary Group, who is engaged now
in creating a Parliamentary Group for a country to which he cannot
gain entrance but was able to visit in 1996 only when he posed as
a dedicated member of the British-Armenian All-Party Parliamentary
Group and was welcomed by the Karabakh Authorities , upon the Armenian
Group`s recommendation .

In the British Parliament, hundreds of Parliamentary Groups are
founded by Parliamentarians who declare their interest in the
most varied issues. By initiating the British-Nagorno Karabakh
All-Party Parliamentary Group , Lord Waverley and Baroness Symons
have acknowledged the existence of the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh ,
obviously aware of the fact that during a Referendum in 1991 the people
of Nagorno-Karabakh declared their independence and have , since then,
held five presidential and four parliamentary elections confirmed
by International Observers to be in compliance with International
Electoral Standards and with utmost transparency.

It is of grave concern to the Armenian Group that Baroness Symons and
Lord Waverley have contacted neither the Elected Representatives of
Nagorno Karabakh, nor the Armenian Embassy in UK nor the Committee
Members of the Armenian Parliamentary Group to receive accurate
information about the situation in that country. By not including
the Karabakh Authorities participation, all their future statements
will lack accuracy and will create a unique precedent in the annals
of the British Parliament: initiating a Parliamentary Group without
its subject being involved in the process!

Lord Waverley and Baroness Symons must bear full responsibility
and face the consequences of the great danger that any inadequately
informed statement by their Group might harm, delay or jeopardize the
current process of peaceful settlement advocated by the International
Organizations who are engaged in the possible resolution of this
very complex conflict. Organizations to which Britain is an active
and concerned Member.

The Armenian Group would welcome the cooperation of this newly
formed Group with its Members, with the Members of the Parliament of
Nagorno-Karabakh and the Diplomatic Corps of the Armenian Embassy
and would encourage active correspondence, exchange of policy
and information by facilitating a visit to Karabakh of British
Parliamentarians (including Members of the Karabakh Group), where
they will be able to obtain the true understanding of that country,
its culture, history and aspirations.

RA CONTROL SERVICE EXPOSED TAX AVOIDANCE CASES

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
21.12.2009 14:42 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The RA control service said the annual list of
construction materials provided by the Ministry of Urban Development
contains wrong figures.

"The monitoring exposed an AMD 100 million difference. The prices were
lowered by 40%," said Hovhannes Hovsepyan, the head of the control
service at the RA presidential administration.

"Besides, the budget was AMD 75 million short due to improper use of
public real estate. TO improve the situation numerous privatization
cases should be declared invalid," he said, adding that a number of
violations were also fixed in civil aviation department.

"Our society should be confident that all illegal actions will be
punished," Hovsepyan said.

YEREVAN BECOMES HOSTAGE TO TURKISH RAPPROCHEMENT MODEL

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
21.12.2009 16:43 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian government committed serious mistakes in
Armenia-Turkey reconciliation process, ARF Dashnaktsutyun parliamentary
group leader Vahan Hovhannisyan stated.

As he told a news conference in Yerevan, Armenia became a hostage to
rapprochement model offered by Turkey.

According to Hovhannisyan, Ankara stiffened its position after
signature of protocols on normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations.

"RA Constitutional Court and National Assembly have to protect our
national rights. Protocols being ratified the way they are will bring
Turkey nothing but gain," the parliamentarian concluded.

ARFD BELIEVES RA GOVERNMENT STRAYED FROM NATIONAL SECURITY STRATEGY

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
21.12.2009 18:07 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ ARF Dashnaktsutyun hasn’t changed its work methods
since being a part of the ruling coalition, ARF Dashnaktsutyun
parliamentary group leader Vahan Hovhannisyan said.

According to him, the change in power is not a goal for ARFD. "We
eye it as a tool to help us fulfill our goals. Dashnaktsutyun will
not repeat the mistakes of political parties, which saw power change
as their goal," he concluded.

WILL NAP’S ANTI-AMERICAN CAMPAIGN BE EFFECTIVE?

Azadliq
Dec 17 2009
Azerbaijan

Rahim Haciyev: A state like the USA cannot change its decision as a
result of similar campaigns’ Sulhaddin Akbar: I do not believe the
government’s efforts to change the US decision will be fruitful’

A US [the US Congress allocated 8m dollars for the self-proclaimed
Karabakh] decision to allocate a financial aid to the Karabakh’s
separatist regime has paved the way for Azerbaijani government
representatives to kick off an anti-US campaign. For example,
[parliamentarian] Ali Huseynov has blamed the USA of political
corruption. MP Hadi Racabli and the head of the Strategic Research
Centre under the Azerbaijani President are viewing this decision as
a manifestation of the double standards by the USA. Nevertheless,
they have also expressed their hope that President Obama would prevent
the financial aid to the Karabakh separatist at the last moment. We
wonder, may the protests of the Azerbaijani authorities be effective
at the end?

Rahim Haciyev of the presidium of the PFAP [the People’s Front Party
of Azerbaijan] thinks there is no hope that a state like the USA would
change its decision following a similar campaign. Similar decisions
are accepted in line with the foreign policy course of the state,
Rahim Haciyev said, adding that the financial aid has been taken in
conformity with a decision shaped for a specific historic condition:
"The intriguing point is that in previous years, the USA allocated
up to 20m dollars in aid to Karabakh. Nevertheless, Azerbaijan did
not make similar accusations against the USA as charges against
America are not fully connected with the allocation of the 8m-dollar
in aid for Karabakh. Representatives of the Azerbaijani authorities
have been already airing numerous accusations against the USA for
several months."

The start of the government’s anti-American campaign causes regret
at a time when the USA is seriously engaged in the activities for
the resolution of the Karabakh problem, Rahim Haciyev said. He also
added that if the authorities want the resolution of the Karabakh
problem, it should cooperate in earnest with America, avoiding further
aggravation of the relations: "Everyone already knows that up until
now, the USA has made unprecedented efforts towards the resolution
of the Karabakh problem. The USA has also involved Turkey in this
process. The USA has also had serious contacts with Russia over this
problem. A recent statement from the Russian Foreign Ministry said
a certain agreement over the Karabakh problem might emerge next year.

This indicates that even Russia is ready to express its solidarity with
the USA over the resolution of the Karabakh problem. Therefore, even
if the USA is not completely fair about the Karabakh, the Azerbaijani
authorities have to further strengthen the relations with Washington."

The chairman of the Maclis [board] of the Musavat Party, Sulhaddin
Akbar, believes there is nothing new that the USA gives financial
aid to Armenia and the separatist Karabakh regime: "There has always
been similar financial aid. Simply, what is taking place now in the
relations between Washington and Baku is being viewed from a different
context. Despite all the efforts of the Azerbaijani authorities,
I do not think America would revoke its decision to give financial
aid to the separatist regime."

NEWLY APPOINTED AMBASSADOR OF ALBANIA HANDS COPY OF HIS CREDENTIALS TO RA FOREIGN MINISTER EDWARD NALBANDIAN

/ARKA/
December 21, 2009
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 21, NOYAN TAPAN. RA Foreign Minister Edward
Nalbandian received Ambassador of Albania to RA Vili Minarolli
(residence Athens) on December 21 on the occasion of the ceremony
of handing the credentials. The RA Foreign Minister assured that
the Ministry will assist the Ambassador in implementation of his
mission as far as possible. The Minister expressed the hope that
V. Minarolli will have an important contribution to development of
bilateral relations and fulfillment of the agreements.

According to the RA Foreign Ministry Press and Information Department,
at the meeting the sides discussed issues of bilateral interest,
attached importance to the necessity of activization of political,
economic and cultural contacts between Armenia and Albania. They
reached an agreement to periodically hold consultations between the
two countries’ Foreign Ministries and to undertake steps to form
proper legal-contractual sphere.

E. Nalbandian and V. Minarolli also exchanged thoughts over Caucasian
and Balkan regional problems.

V. Minarolli was born in 1944 in Elbasan. He graduated from Tirana
University Natural Sciences Department. From 1993 he worked at the
Foreign Ministry system of Albania. In 2001-2005 he was a member
of the Albanian parliamentary delegation in the Black Sea Economic
Cooperation Parliamentary Assembly. From 2006 March he was appointed
Ambassador of Albania to the Republic of Greece. He masters English
and Italian. He is married, has two sons.