Armenian And Russian Presidents Discuss South Caucasian Security

ARMENIAN AND RUSSIAN PRESIDENTS DISCUSS SOUTH CAUCASIAN SECURITY
Lilit Gevorgyan

World Markets Research Centre
Global Insight
April 21 2010

Armenian president Serzh Sargsyan and his Russian counterpart Dmitry
Medvedev met on 20 April for the third time this year. The meeting
agenda was focused on the security issues of the Southern Caucasus.

Sargsyan, invited by Medvedev to the Russian capital Moscow, reiterated
his country’s commitment to promoting the two peace protocols signed
in October 2009 between Armenia and Turkey aimed at normalisation of
bilateral ties of the two neighbours. The Armenian president also
expressed his country’s hopes to see only a peaceful resolution
to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict with Azerbaijan. Medvedev backed
his Armenian colleague’s stance and also promised to work closely
with Armenia on a string of issues, including political and economic
co-operation. The two parties agreed to continue the bilateral dialogue
during Medvedev’s upcoming visit to Armenia.

Significance:Armenia remains Russia’s most important and loyal ally
in the Southern Caucasus. Successive Armenian governments’ drive to
ensure close relations with powerful Russia has been determined by
mostly security and economic reasons. Armenia, sandwiched between
hostile Azerbaijan and Turkey, has traditionally seen Russia as a
guarantor for its security. Unsurprisingly, following its declaration
of independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, Armenia asked Russia
to maintain its military bases in the country and also along the
Armenian-Turkish border. With the increased military presence,
Russia has also increased its commercial ties with Armenia. Growing
Russian economic presence is also aided by the fact that many foreign
investors are wary of investing in Armenia, which is still locked in
low-intensity conflict with neighbouring Azerbaijan over the latter’s
Armenian-populated Nagorno-Karabakh region. Russia has filled this
vacuum by acquiring stakes in most of the Armenian energy and telecom
companies. Moscow has also extended a US$500-million emergency loan
to the crisis-stricken Armenian economy in 2009. Russia is set to
maintain both its political and economic influence over Armenia,
which is currently too weak to opt for another path of development.

BAKU: Azerbaijani President Thanks Pakistan’s Leadership For Not Rec

AZERBAIJANI PRESIDENT THANKS PAKISTAN’S LEADERSHIP FOR NOT RECOGNIZING ARMENIA

APA
April 22 2010
Azerbaijan

Baku – APA. Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev received the delegation
led by Pakistan’s Defense Secretary Syed Athar Ali, APA reports.

Noting that the bilateral relations were developing, President Ilham
Aliyev said the level of cooperation and partnership was satisfactory.

The head of state noted that Azerbaijan intended to extend the
spheres of joint activities with Pakistan and said there were good
opportunities to strengthen cooperation in the military sphere and
defense industry.

President expressed his gratitude to the leadership of the friendly
country for supporting Azerbaijan’s right position in the Organization
of Islamic Conference and during the UN General Assembly voting on the
resolution on the situation in the occupied Azerbaijani territories
and for not recognizing Armenia in connection with the aggression
against Azerbaijan.

President Ilham Aliyev underlined once more that Azerbaijan supported
Pakistan’s position concerning Kashmir issue.

Defense Secretary Syed Athar Ali said Pakistan’s relations with
Azerbaijan were developing successfully and our countries always
supported each other’s positions in the international forums. Syed
Athar Ali said Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict over Nagorno Karabakh was
the most important issue for Azerbaijan and Pakistan did not recognize
Armenia because of that.

Being Ashamed For What You’ve Done

BEING ASHAMED FOR WHAT YOU’VE DONE

A1Plus.am
22/04/10

"It’s like being ashamed of something that you shouldn’t have done,"
this was Armenian National Congress (HAK) coordinator Levon Zurabyan’s
evaluation of the moratorium for ratification of the Turkey-Armenia
Protocols.

The Congress will touch upon the reason why the National Assembly
decided to take the issue of ratifying the Turkey-Armenia Protocols
from the agenda of the National Assembly’s four-day sessions, as well
as a number of issues relating to the process and the effects after
discussions with all forces of the Armenian National Congress.

Head of the National Assembly’s "Heritage" faction Armen Martirosyan
told "A1+" that he welcomes the moratorium of the ratification of the
Turkey-Armenia Protocols, but finds that it was incomplete. "I am glad
that the political coalition finally focused on the announcements made
by high-ranking Turkish officials. In the past year, the coalition was
ignoring them a day after the signing of the Protocols. I welcome the
decision to take the issue out of the agenda of the National Assembly’s
four-day sessions, but generally, the signature must be taken back."

Armen Martirosyan believes that if ever should there be the start
of establishing Turkish-Armenian relations, it should be without
preconditions.

"It should only be within the framework of establishing diplomatic
relations and Turkey’s opening of the border."

Martirosyan thinks the political coalition issued the statement because
it was under huge pressure. By saying pressure, Martirosyan means:

"The authorities are in such an inter-political situation, there
are so many issues that remain unsolved that they wouldn’t be able
to keep power if they ratified the Turkey-Armenia Protocols with
such preconditions."

The ARF also believes the step was "incomplete". The ARF is planning
to issue a joint statement along with the parties that have joined the
"No" movement.

Sevak Sarukhanyan: Iran’s Mediation Not In Armenia’s Interest

SEVAK SARUKHANYAN: IRAN’S MEDIATION NOT IN ARMENIA’S INTEREST
Hasmik Dilanyan

"Radiolur"
21.04.2010 15:10

"Armenia will not benefit if Iran acts as a mediator in the Karabakh
conflict settlement process," Deputy Director of the Noravank
Foundation, Iranologist Sevak Sarukhanyan told a press conference
today.

Armenia is not interested in the change of the OSCE Minsk Group
formant, he said, adding that "the change proceeds from the interests
of Azerbaijan, which wishes to fail the agreements reached earlier."

Sevak Sarukhanyan positively assessed the current stage of the
Armenian-Iranian relations. "Maybe I would assess those as satisfactory
five years ago, but after the construction of the gas pipeline the
cooperation has reached a new level. It’s important that we implement
all the economic and energy projects envisaged. These include increase
of the volume of electric energy exported to Iran and construction
of a new 400 MWth Electric Power Plant on Arax River."

BAKU: Igor Popov To Be New Russian Co-Chair Of OSCE Minsk Group On P

IGOR POPOV TO BE NEW RUSSIAN CO-CHAIR OF OSCE MINSK GROUP ON PEACEFUL SETTLEMENT OF ARMENIAN-AZERBAIJANI NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT

Azerbaijan Business Center
April 20 2010

Baku, Fineko/abc.az. On April 20, Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev
received Russian co-chair of OSCE Minsk Group on peaceful settlement
of Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict Yuriy Merzlyakov,
who finishing his activity as co-chair.

Y. Merzlyakov said that he will be replaced by Igor Popov as Russian
co-chair of OSCE Minsk Group. I. Popov was presented to Azerbaijan
President.

Eight Air Routes From Armenia To Europe Open

EIGHT AIR ROUTES FROM ARMENIA TO EUROPE OPEN

news.am
April 20 2010
Armenia

Since the airports of Zurich and Amsterdam resumed
operation, the Armavia airline resumed Yerevan-Zurich-Yerevan,
Yerevan-Amsterdam-Yerevan flights starting April 20, 2010, Armavia
Press Secretary Nana Avetisova informed NEWS.am.

She reported that Yerevan-Odessa-Yerevan (April 24),
Yerevan-Kharkov-Yerevan and Yerevan-Kiev-Yerevan flights will be also
conducted according to timetable.

On April 15 Armavia stopped serving nine European air routes, except
for Russia, due to the eruption of volcano in Iceland. To date eight
of the nine routes are open, except for the Yerevan-Berlin route.

Naregatsi Ensemble Of Armenian National Instruments To Perform In Sw

NAREGATSI ENSEMBLE OF ARMENIAN NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS TO PERFORM IN SWITZERLAND AND FRANCE

PanARMENIAN.Net
April 19, 2010 – 19:47 AMT 14:47 GMT

Naregatsi ensemble of Armenian national instruments will be performing
in Switzerland and France April 22-May 8.

"Lugano concert, to be held in commemoration of Armenian Genocide
victims on April 24, will be broadcast on local Italian-language radio
program," ensemble manager Anahit Davidyants told PanARMENIAN.Net
reporter.

As she noted, Paris concert proceeds will be allocated to treatment
of 9- year-old Alex Chuflakyan, who was seriously injured in a car
accident.

Concerts were organized by Yerkir Yevropa organization, with financial
assistants of French Rhone-Alpes region.

UN Office In Armenia Donates Books To National Library Of Armenia

UN OFFICE IN ARMENIA DONATES BOOKS TO NATIONAL LIBRARY OF ARMENIA

Tert.am
19.04.10

UN Office in Armenia donated more than 6 000 UN publications to the
National Library of Armenia with the aim to disseminate the books
within the community libraries of Armenia.

This initiative was supported by the UN Department of Public
Information (UN DPI) together with the National Library of Armenia
within the framework of " Library Week in Armenia" (from 12 to 19
April) and World Book and Copyright Day (April 23).

Dafina Gercheva, UN Resident Coordinator said: "Community libraries
are often the only cultural hubs in some Armenian cities and they
are lacking funding and new stocks. The difficult situation of these
community libraries is in the focus of UN DPI and we are happy to
support efforts of the National Library of Armenia and the Library
Association. Now journalists, students, municipal authorities and
researches will have a direct access to the UN publications in
Armenian, English and Russian languages."

Davit Sarksyan, Director of the National Library of Armenia in turn
said: "Thanks to the UN DPI for joining us and organizing this unique
book donation. The UN DPI’s donations to the community libraries are
extremely valuable, since these libraries are always in need for new
materials and the people in communities often don’t have access to
the latest news and publications."

"1915/2010 – Le negationnisme dans tous ses etats"

« 1915/2010 – Le négationnisme dans tous ses états »

FRANCE

p3?id_article=60282
dimanche18 avril 2010, par Stéphane/armenews

Le Collectif Van [Vigilance Arménienne contre le Négationnisme] mène
sa 6ème journée annuelle de sensibilisation aux génocides et à leur
négation. Cette exposition en plein air, qui a lieu le Dimanche 25
avril 2010 de 10h00 à 20h00 sur le Parvis de Notre-Dame de Paris,
s’inscrit dans le cadre des commémorations du 95ème anniversaire du
génocide arménien et s’intitule : « 1915/2010 – Le négationnisme dans
tous ses états ». L’action participative du Collectif Van associe les
peuples arménien, juif, tutsi, darfouri, victimes de génocides passés
ou en cours, mais aussi toutes les minorités opprimées de Turquie.
Cette année, la Licra, la Communauté Chypriote de France et l’Institut
Kurde de Paris rejoignent les associations françaises et
internationales qui participent régulièrement à cette action citoyenne
et solidaire*.

L’exposition à ciel ouvert met en scène huit stèles géantes pour huit
visages d’hommes, de femmes et d’enfants qui interpellent le public
sur la réalité des minorités de Turquie : juifs et chrétiens (Grecs,
Arméniens, Assyro-Chaldéen-Syriaques) qui représentaient 25% de la
population de Turquie en 1914, et qui ne sont plus que 0,2%
aujourd’hui, et musulmans non turcs ou non sunnites (près de 43% de la
population) dont les droits sont bafoués au quotidien. Une neuvième
stèle rend hommage au journaliste arménien de Turquie Hrant Dink,
rédacteur en chef de l’hebdomadaire Agos, assassiné le 19 janvier 2007
à Istanbul.

Le public est invité à participer en disposant des visuels.
Disponibles en 13 langues (arménien, hébreu, kynyarwanda, arabe,
allemand, anglais, chinois, espagnol, français, kurde, russe, grec et
turc), des citations témoignent de l’universalité des messages
proposés : « Les génocides, ça me regarde », « Plus jamais ça », « Le
négationnisme est la phase ultime d’un génocide », « Il n’y a pas
d’avenir pour une humanité qui cautionne le génocide », « La négation
d’un génocide, c’est le double meurtre », « Les négationnistes sont
les assassins de la mémoire », « Le négationnisme, c’est
l’anti-histoire », « Les négationnistes n’expriment pas une opinion :
ils perpétuent le crime », « Watch denial, Stop denial ».

Depuis le 10 octobre 2009 et la signature à Zurich des protocoles
entre l’Arménie et la Turquie, l’Etat turc multiplie ses pressions
pour imposer urbi et orbi la négation du génocide arménien. La Turquie
parle de `réconciliation’, tout en menaçant de représailles la
population arménienne vivant à l’intérieur de ses frontières, en cas
de reconnaissance du génocide arménien par des parlements étrangers.

Mais le voile s’est déchiré en Turquie où des intellectuels oeuvrent
avec courage pour la reconnaissance, par l’Etat turc, du génocide
perpétré contre les Arméniens. Tout comme les Justes qui, en 1915, ont
sauvé des familles arméniennes au péril de leur vie, des militants des
droits de l’homme risquent, en 2010, de longues peines
d’emprisonnement pour leurs prises de position : ils méritent le
respect de tous. Le travail du Collectif VAN a pour ambition de faire
d’eux les nouvelles icônes de la jeunesse turque, en lieu et place des
modèles nationalistes, racistes et antisémites que la République de
Turquie impose, tant à l’intérieur de ses frontières qu’aux
populations turques de l’étranger.

Pour la seconde année consécutive, The Human Rights Association de
Turquie (HRA – en turc Ýnsan Haklarý Derneði – ÝHD), affiliée à la
FIDH, apporte son soutien au Collectif VAN, association de la diaspora
arménienne qui dénonce sans relche le négationnisme d’Etat de la
Turquie : c’est là un précieux gage d’espérance.

Plus que jamais, il importe de sensibiliser la société civile
européenne au négationnisme protéiforme qui envahit l’espace citoyen.
Le combat pour la vérité et la justice se doit de réunir les êtres
humains, au-delà des clivages partisans : il est le seul garant d’un
vivre ensemble pacifié.

*L’action du Collectif VAN bénéficie du soutien de 17 associations des
Droits de l’Homme :

Allemagne : AGA [Working Group Recognition Against genocide for
international understanding – Berlin] – SKD [Association of opponents
to genocides – Soykýrým Karsýtlarý Derneði – Ali Ertem – Francfort sur
le Main].

France : Aircrige [Association internationale de recherche sur les
crimes contre l’humanité et les génocides] – CUD [Collectif Urgence
Darfour] – CPCR [Collectif des Parties Civiles pour le Rwanda] –
Communauté Chypriote de France – CRF [Communauté Rwandaise de France]
– IACS [Institut Assyro-Chaldéen-Syriaque] – Ibuka France – Institut
Kurde de Paris – L’Arche [Le mensuel du judaïsme français] – Licra –
MEMORIAL 98 – SOS Racisme – UEJF [Union des Etudiants Juifs de France]
– Vigilance Soudan.

Turquie : The Human Rights Association – HRA [en turc, Ýnsan Haklarý
Derneði, IHD] affiliée à la FIDH.

Les oeuvres de Dibasar, Laurent Nissou, Marc Aram, Marguerite
Mateossian et Vatché, artistes-peintres de l’APAF [Artistes
Plasticiens Arméniens de France] sont consacrées aux victimes
arméniennes, juives, tutsi et darfouries et exposées au recto des
stèles.

Une Messe de Commémoration sera célébrée en la Cathédrale Notre-Dame
de Paris le 25 avril 2010 à 16h00.

Action menée sous l’égide du CCAF [Conseil de Coordination des
organisations Arméniennes de France]

http://www.armenews.com/article.ph

Prosecutors Probe Another Death In Armenian Police Custody

Prosecutors Probe Another Death In Armenian Police Custody
By Asbarez
Apr 16th, 2010

YEREVAN (RFE/RL)-Armenian prosecutors have taken over a criminal
investigation into the suspicious death of a young man in police
custody, which is casting a renewed spotlight on notorious
interrogation techniques of the Armenian police.

The Special Investigative Service (SIS), the investigating arm of the
Office of the Prosecutor-General, on Friday challenged police claims
that Vahan Khalafian stabbed himself to death at a police station in
Charentsavan, a small town about 40 kilometers north of Yerevan.

Khalafian and three other young men were detained by the Charentsavan
police Tuesday on suspicion of stealing 1.5 million drams ($3,800)
worth of goods from another local resident. A statement issued by the
national police service the next day said all of them confessed to the
crime.

The statement claimed that after the interrogation, Khalafian suddenly
took a `kitchen knife’ from a police officer’s drawer and fatally
wounded himself in the stomach. It said the 24-year-old suffered from
a mental disorder and was exempted from military service for that
reason in 2005.

The Armenian police chief, Alik Sargsian, stood by this version of
events at a news conference held on Wednesday. He dismissed claims,
made by the dead man’s relative and backed by some Armenian
newspapers, that Khalafian was tortured to death.

The police launched a criminal case in connection with the incident
under an article of the Armenian Criminal Code dealing with suicides.
The SIS announced on Friday that it has taken over the inquiry and is
considering several theories, including `a hypothesis about Vahan
Khalafian’s murder by employees of the Charentsavan division of the
Armenian police.’

In a written statement, the SIS pointed to a forensic examination of
Khalafian’s body that was conducted in Yerevan on Thursday in the
presence of one of the man’s uncles, Vartan Khalafian. The
law-enforcement agency did not publicize its findings, saying only
that the corpse will undergo `several other examinations’ in the
coming days.

The Yerevan daily `Haykakan Zhamanak’ on Friday quoted another
Khalafian uncle, Hamik, as saying that forensic experts found two deep
cuts on the dead man’s stomach and injuries in other parts of his
body. He said they also did not detect any tears on Khalafian’s shirt
that might have been caused by a sharp object.

`If we believe the police theory, the young man took out the knife,
then bared his belly and stabbed himself,’ wrote `Haykakan Zhamanak.’
`What is more, he did that twice and kept the belly bare in the
process.’ `It’s not hard to tell just how credible such a scenario
is,’ added the paper.

Artur Sakunts, a prominent human rights campaigner investigating the
affair, openly accused the Charentsavan police of brutally
ill-treating Khalafian during the interrogation. He claimed that the
three other local residents suspected of theft were also beaten up in
police custody.

Ill-treatment of criminal suspects has long been regarded as the most
frequent form of human rights violations in Armenia. Local and
international human rights groups continue to accuse the police and
other law-enforcement bodies of extracting confessions by force and
intimidation.

`Witnesses continued to report that police beat citizens during arrest
and interrogation while in detention,’ the U.S. State Department said
in its annual report on human rights practices in Armenia released
last month. It said `most cases of police mistreatment continued to go
unreported because of fear of retribution.’ Armenian courts usually
dismiss torture claims made by suspects, added the report.

The Charentsavan incident is bound to prompt parallels with the May
2007 death in police custody of Levon Gulian, a 31-year-old resident
of Yerevan. Gulian was questioned at the police Directorate General of
Criminal Investigations as a presumed witness of a deadly shooting
that took place outside a restaurant belonging to him.

The police claimed that Gulian fell to his death while attempting to
escape from a second-floor interrogation room of the police building
in downtown Yerevan. Gulian’s relatives, backed by human rights
groups, vehemently disputed the claim, saying that he was apparently
tortured before being thrown out of the window.

A resulting public outcry forced Armenia’s Office of the
Prosecutor-General to launch an official inquiry into the
circumstances of the Gulian’s death. The inquiry ended in March 2008
with an endorsement of the police version of the incident.

Three months later, a Yerevan court backed the Gulian family’s demand
for a new inquiry. The SIS conducted and terminated the inquiry in
April 2009, citing lack of evidence of police torture.