NK conflict should be viewed from the perspective of human rights – Armenian Speaker receives members of CSTO PA Delegation

Armenpress News Agency , Armenia
September 29, 2017 Friday


NK conflict should be viewed from the perspective of human rights –
Armenian parliament Speaker receives members of CSTO PA Delegation



YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 29, ARMENPRESS. The Speaker of the National
Assembly of Armenia Ara Babloyan received the members of the CSTO PA
Delegation, who arrived in Armenia to take part in the outgoing
session of the CSTO PA Permanent Commission on Political Issues and
International Cooperation.

As ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of the National
Assembly of Armenia, welcoming the guests in the parliament, the
parliament Speaker highlighted the role of security and peace for the
peoples living in our region. Ara Babloyan underlined the importance
of the rise of efficiency of the CSTO authority and activity. In the
Speaker’s word, speaking about security we should take into
consideration both the external and internal factors and assist the
participant countries to realize the importance of the organization in
the preservation of security. Ara Babloyan noted: “There are no
problems that are not possible to solve through peaceful means, we
should have political will and wishto have dialogues, and even the
most complicated issues would be solved.”

The Speaker of the parliament of Armenia emphasized the mutually
agreed steps, the constructive approaches, and the necessity of
cooperating on the international platforms of the CSTO member states.

Touching upon the NK conflict, Ara Babloyan noted: “We should observe
the NK issue from the perspective of human rights: as in the centre of
attention are the human beings regardless of their nationality and
religion.”

At the end of the meeting the members of the CSTO PA delegation
presented to Ara Babloyan their observations on the activities of the
organization, cooperation between the participant countries and the
necessity of showing common approaches to the issues urgent for them.

Ara Babloyan wished productive work and new achievements to the
members of the delegation.

ICRC staff visited persons who, as a result of the Karabakh conflict, are held by the parties

ARMINFO News Agency, Armenia
 Saturday


ICRC staff visited persons who, as a result of the Karabakh conflict,
are held by the parties

Yerevan September 30

Mariana Mkrtchyan. Representatives of the International Committee of
the Red Cross (ICRC) met with persons who, as a result of the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, are held by the parties to this conflict.

According to Ilah Huseynov, the head of the public relations
department of the Azerbaijani representation of the ICRC,
representatives of the structure visited the persons who were detained
as a result of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in September: "We
regularly visit persons detained as a result of the conflict. In
accordance with its mandate, the ICRC organizes visits in order to
monitor the conditions of detention and treatment of detainees, as
well as to help ensure the connection of detainees with their
families." To note, at the present time in Nagorno-Karabakh there are
three Azerbaijani saboteurs, Dilgam Askerov and Shahbaz Guliyev,
serving sentences in Nagorno-Karabakh, as well as Elnur Huseynzade,
who was captured near the Karabakh village of Talish on February 1,
2017, on suspicion of attempting sabotage and illegal crossing of the
state border of Artsakh.

Azerbaijani citizens Shahbaz Guliyev (born in 1968), Dilgam Askerov
(born in 1960), and the liquidated third participant of the group
Hasan Hasanov, carrying weapons and ammunition, illegally crossed the
state border of Artsakh on June 29, penetrated into the territory of
the Shahumyan district of the republic with the purpose of carrying
out reconnaissance activities. These individuals on a special mission
collected information and carried out espionage activities. Moreover,
they, with the use of weapons, kidnapped a minor citizen of Artsakh
Smbat Tsakanyan on July 4, whose body was found on July 15 with
gunshot wounds in the forest belt of Karvachar and Manashid
communities of Shahumyan district. In addition, Gasanov killed a
resident of Yerevan Sargis Abrahamyan (born in 1971) on the 32nd
kilometer of the Vardenis-Karvachar highway on the grounds of national
hatred on the evening of July 11, and Karine Davtyan, a resident of
Dzoraghbyur village of Kotayk province, caused gunshot wounds. He
showed armed resistance during the operation to detain him and was
shot dead. At a meeting on December 29, 2014, Dilgam Askerov was
sentenced to life imprisonment. Shahbaz Guliyev was sentenced to 22
years in prison. The Court of Appeal left the verdict unchanged.

In Azerbaijan, two Armenians are detained - a prisoner of war, Arsen
Baghdasaryan, convicted by the Baku court for 15 years of imprisonment
and a shepherd Zaven Karapetyan, who was captured this summer.

Artsakh’s President signs executive order on establishing composition of Cabinet, appoints Minister of State

Category
Artsakh

On 25 September, Artsakh Republic President Bako Sahakyan signed a range of decrees.

The Presidential decree established the following composition of the Cabinet of Ministers:

Minister of State
Ministry of Healthcare
Ministry of Justice
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs and Resettlement
Ministry of Nature Protection and Natural Resources
Ministry of Agriculture
Ministry of Economy and Industrial Infrastructures
Ministry of Education, Science and Sports
Ministry of Culture, Youth Affairs and Tourism
Ministry of Defense
Ministry of Urban Planning
Ministry of Finance.

The decrees also defined the following state administrative bodies:
National Security Service
Police
State Service of Emergency Situations.

According to the decree of the President
Arayik Haroutyunyan was appointed minister of state,
Karine Atayan was appointed minister of healthcare,
Ararat Danielyan was appointed minister of justice,
Masis Mayilyan was appointed minister of foreign affairs,
Samvel Avanesyan was appointed minister of labor, social affairs and resettlement,
Vazgen Mikayelyan was appointed minister of nature protection and natural resources,
Zhirayr Mirzoyan was appointed minister of agriculture,
Levon Grigoryan was appointed minister of economy and industrial infrastructures,
Narine Aghabalyan was appointed minister of education, science and sports,
Sergey Shahverdyan was appointed minister of culture, youth affairs and tourism,
Levon Mnatsakanyan was appointed minister of defense,
Karen Shahramanyan was appointed minister of urban planning,
Grigory Martirosyan was appointed minister of finance.

The Presidential decrees defined the ministers whose activity will be coordinated by the minister of state, as well as the scope of authorities entrusted to the minister of state by the President in the field of state property and financial management.

By another decree of the President a number of structural changes have been made. In particular:
The department of tourism has been separated from the ministry of economy and industrial infrastructures and included into the ministry of culture, youth affairs and tourism;
In the structure of the President’s Office a separated subdivision “Administration of the Governmental Affairs” has been established, which is the legal successor of the former Administration of the Cabinet of Ministers.
Certain subdivisions of the former Administration of the Cabinet of Ministers have been included within various bodies. The Social-Economic Department, as well as subdivisions functioning in the field of territorial administration have been included in the staff of the minister of state. The departments of real estate cadaster and state property management, geodesy and land state inspection have been included into the structure of the ministry of economy and industrial infrastructures. Department of housing affairs and resettlement as well as migration division have been included into the ministry of labor, social affairs and resettlement.

In correspondence with the new functions, the statutes and structures of the President’s Office as well as the “Administration of the Governmental Affairs” separated subdivision of the President’s Office have been approved.

By another Presidential decree a new order of organizing governmental activities has been defined.

On the same day the President signed decrees on appointing deputy head of the President’s Office Arayik Lazaryan head of the Administration of Governmental Affairs of the President’s Office-first deputy head of the President’s Office. Deputy minister of justice Karen Danielyan was appointed deputy head of the President’s Office-head of the State-Legal Department.

BAKU: Submarine “Armenia” is back in its home port

Trend, Azerbaijan
Sept 5 2017
5 September 2017 18:15 (UTC+04:00)
  • Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 5

    By Alan Hope – Trend:

    Majority of the X and Y generations may recall a ‘90s blockbuster movie, based on Tom Clancy’s 1984 bestselling novel, “The Hunt for Red October,” starring Sean Connery and Alec Baldwin.

    The story, set in the late Cold War era, involves a rogue Soviet naval captain Marko Ramius (Sean Connery), trying to defect to the United States on the Soviet Navy's newest Typhoon-class nuclear submarine with a stealth "caterpillar drive," called Red October. Meanwhile, an American CIA analyst Jack Ryan (Alec Baldwin) deduces Ramius’ motive and sets of to the American attack-class submarine USS Dallas, before a violent confrontation between the two navies spirals out of control.

    Great movie, but, what, may you ask, is so captivating about it? Well, besides the great storyline and cast, the audience may actually notice two interesting elements of the movie, which, directly correlate to the currently occurring events. One of them is comprised of the episode when Ramius secretly kills boat’s de-juro political, but de-facto KGB, officer, called Ivan – believe or not – Putin. The second describes the so-called “Crazy Ivan” maneuver, commonly used by the Soviet submarines “to clear their baffles” for the detection of pursuit, pulled by Ramius on the USS Dallas.

    So what’s the correlation? Well, quite recently, the government of the Republic of Armenia had decided to make some substantial changes in its foreign policy, aiming for European integration and even amplification of its NATO relations.

    Let’s imagine an old and battered, but still semi-operational, post-Soviet submarine called Armenia, sailing in the murky waters of international affairs. In the course of its almost 26-years-young independence, its route had been firmly laid in the northern direction, through Russia to the Northern Pole. The state, as a “capable and fearsome military power,” had become a member of the Collective Security Treaty Organization, to help the other participants of the organization in dire need of its “mighty muscles.” As an “economic wonder of the Southern Caucasus,” with its “ultra-modern industry” and world renowned products, such as Armenicum (marketed, as a cancer fighting drug, which couldn’t cure a headache), had joined the Eurasian Economic Union, to share its “prosperity” with those of a lesser fortune.

    The boat, though a bit shabby, is at sea, facing the turmoil of international conflicts and continuing on its firm course. It doesn’t really belong to the state of Armenia, as it was originally Soviet and later on Russian, but the country’s leadership had ingenuously “double downed” it to Russia for the gradual return of the loans taken from the latter.

    The boat’s nuclear power source, proudly called Metsamor, is long overdue for closure, for being technically as well as morally outdated. But it still works, providing the much needed electricity for Armenia’s stealth "caterpillar drive," to be commissioned by the time of completion of the long carried out “Great Armenia from sea to sea” project.

    At the helm of the boat stands world renowned locksmith, turned butcher, turned “politician” – Serzh Sargsyan – the figure, so much resembling captain Ramius, but for the lack of the simple human characteristics. Nonetheless, one can see his unbendable political will and beyond-his-age academic wisdom from miles away; feel his strength and resilience in the matters of personal finance and job security. The person, who can firmly take down and literary slaughter any opposition or mutiny on board, be it political or even social. He has done his job throughout the years – gained territories (though, not Armenia’s), shed blood (though, not his own) and embezzled wealth (though not, but now his own).

    Next to Sargsyan stands his commanding officer – Edward Nalbandian – the navigator of the diplomatic shallow waters and deep sea canyons, sailing master of the stalled negotiations, crusader, fighting the unjust “caviar diplomacy.” He follows Dolly Parton song’s lyrics to the letter, “stands by his man,” maybe not so much with the Poncho, but definitely, as a Sancho.

    So, what’s going on with our characters, have they met modern-day pirates, found the Treasure Island and discovered new lands and riches? Not really. These two, realizing that everything in and of the country was already sold, facing an economic and demographic collapse, understanding that the current sponsor of their lavish lifestyle is a huge bit “disappointed,” have decided to find a new sort of dimwit, who would further finance their “adventure.” Thus, the new course of defection to the West – to the euro promise land of European integration, under the nuclear umbrella of NATO – was laid, engines full-throttled and the journey began.

    Imagining himself a well-known subsea politician, Serzh Sargsyan, forgetting his previous Columbian attempts of finding Europe in 2008 and 2013, decided “to seize the day,” gave the order to down the periscope, took his position on the bridge, downed a shot of “Ararat” (brandy), and, after singing the national anthem, had ordered the crew to run the boat in the silent mode. The stealth "caterpillar drive," operated by Nalbandian, was set to the maximum speed; the hall of the boat, though leaking, was holding; the nuclear plant, though on the brink of explosion, was working at its full capacity.

    But years of being at the helm of the boat didn’t go in vain for Sargsyan, they have taught him to be afraid of his own shadow. So, he pulled the “Crazy Ivan,” to make sure he is not being followed by the Master. Imagine his surprise, when he saw Master’s submarine on his stern, which wasn’t boarded by Jack Ryan on a mission to save him. It was boarded by the former political and KGB officer Putin, not Ivan, like in the movie, but Vladimir – one of the most prominent political figures of the ocean of politics.

    Unlike Baldwin’s character, Putin didn’t board a mini sub, but rather ordered Serzh to get to the Russian port of Sochi, immediately! So, Sargsyan was forced to abandon his sub, get on the “presidential” plane and delivered himself to the Master, calling it an unscheduled “working visit.”

    The actual words used by Putin in talk with Sargsyan are unknown, but it’s widely believed that he was forced to teach Serzh a lesson once again, although it’s said that, you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, but you can certainly remind him of the true Master. Moreover, Putin probably reminded Serzh of how he had become “Captain Armenia,” of who pays the bills and what music should be played. He definitely rebuked Sargsyan for copyright infringing use of the “Crazy Ivan” maneuver.

    Thus, our heroes, with their hopes and aspirations of a new world shattered, on the battered submarine “Armenia,” had to return to the Russian in-land port of Yerevan. Very unfortunate for them that, Sargsyan, from atop the submarine's sail deck, didn’t state that he is pleased to have made it to Europe or offer Jack Ryan a quote from Christopher Columbus, and Ryan, in return, didn’t reply, "Welcome to the New World, sir.”

    But that, boys and gals, is a movie, not a real life!