Author: Talalian Arpi

SASUN MIKAYELIAN TO CONTINUE HIS TREATMENT AT HOSPITAL OF CONVICTS PENITENTIARY INSTITUTION

ARKA
Nov 27, 2009

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 27, NOYAN TAPAN. The RA Ministry of Justice has
not received yet RA Ombudsman Armen Haroutiunian’s official note on
worsening of health condition of a convict on the March 1 case, former
NA deputy Sasun Mikayelian. Noyan Tapan correspondent was informed
about it by Minister’s Spokesperson Lana Mshetsian. Nevertheless,
the issue was discussed by the order of Minister Gevorg Danielian. In
consideration of doctors’ conclusion that S. Mikayelian’s health is
out of danger and there is no basis to move him to a civil hospital
it was decided to continue his treatment at the Hospital of Convicts
penitentiary institution.

FIGHT FOR THE AGENDA
Hakob Badalyan

Lragir
27/11/09

The government seems to have seized the initiative of the home
political agenda from the opposition with the help of Tigran Sargsyan’s
team joining the Republican Party. If before this, the whole political
field was discussing Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s speech and its nuances,
now the number one topic of the political field became the RP number
increase. Is the government showing its power or its panic with the
help of this? Is the RP getting ready for a regular or extraordinary
election? Did Tigran Sargsyan become an RP member by his will or
Serge Sargsyan? Did Serge Sargsyan force Tigran Sargsyan become a
RP member or Tigran Sargsyan forced Serge Sargsyan make him an RP
member. These are those questions which are asked on these days and
many social and political spheres look for these answers.

What potential for the change of social, political and state life
the answers of these questions and in general, Tigran Sargsyan with
his "team" contains is difficult to say. If this potential exists,
it is hardly noticeable. From this point, Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s
speech contained more potential for socio-political changes and was
more useful if the agenda was concentrated on it. The point is that
the speech dwelt on really basic issues for the development of the
country. The point is not about agreeing or disagreeing with the
content of the speech or its being good or bad. This is a completely
different topic. The point is about the issues the speech voiced,
about its philosophy, the proposals made to the government and to the
public. The point is about the fact that discussing the speech and
considering it wrong and bad, the same, the society and the political
field may come to good and right conclusions.

In other words, from the point of socio-political developments,
discussions on Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s speech would be more justified
and effective than those on Tigran Sargsyan’s and his team’s joining
the RP. Did the government make Tigran Sargsyan an RP member to direct
the home political agenda in its favor? Perhaps no, of course not.

Merely, the government united the necessary with the useful. In other
words, maybe this joining was a planned step but the time was chosen
now to distract the socio-political attention alongside with the
fulfillment of their plan.

>>From this point, the situation when the opposition does not manage
to take the formation of the polticial agenda in its hands and to
keep it for some time is noticed. And the government of course is
not engaged in forming the agenda but in distracting it. Perhaps we
deal with the phenomenon when destroying is easier than building,
it is easier to distract the agenda than to form and keep it. But it
is a fact that the government in the latest period does the minimum
while the opposition seems not to manage.

ARMENIA 101ST AMONG FAILED STATES

news.am
Nov 27 2009
Armenia

Armenia ranks 101st among 177 countries involved in the rating
of failed states issued by American "Foreign policy" magazine and
international organization the "Fund for peace".

The countries were assessed based on a number of criteria:
democratic pressure, refugees, group grievance, human rights, uneven
developments, economic decline, de-legitimatization of the state,
external intervention, factionalized elites, public services, security
apparatus and human flight.

In 2009 Somalia topped the failed countries’ list, just as last year.

As to other former USSR states, Uzbekistan takes the 31st place,
Georgia-33, Tajikistan-37 and Azerbaijan-56, while Russia is ranked
71st.

FRENCH SOCIALIST PARTY SUPPORTS CRIMINALIZATION OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE DENIAL

PanARMENIAN.Net
27.11.2009 16:37 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ At a meeting in Paris organized by ARF
Dashnaktsutyun, deputy, former Secretary General of the French
Socialist Party, Francois Hollande, future candidate for the French
presidential elections in 2012, promised before the deadline,
that his party "will resolve the issue of Armenian Genocide denial
criminalization" including it in the agenda of the French Senate,
independent journalist Jean Eckian told PanARMENIAN.Net.

NKR PARLIAMENT POINTS TO THE NON-CONSTRUCTIVE APPROACH OF AZERBAIJAN

armradio.am
26.11.2009 14:18

"Recent developments in the Karabakh conflict resolution process
demonstrate Azerbaijan’s obvious non-constructive approach," NKR
National Assembly said in a statement.

"By using various propaganda methods, the Azeri leadership is creating
the illusion of dissatisfaction with the internationally mediated
process. In reality, however, the policies of that country aim to
shift the military and political balance in the region in its favor
by unveiled threats of future war against Artsakh."

Under these circumstance the Artsakh parliament, characterizes recent
public statements by high-ranking officials as an uncompromising
posturing for a party to the negotiations. This is rife with
possibilities for the Karabakh side to lose confidence in the peaceful
resolution of the conflict.

The authorities of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, on numerous
occasions, have warned international organizations and stakeholders
in the conflict resolution process of Azerbaijan’s military-leaning
foreign policy, which completely contradicts the responsibilities, to
which that country has agreed while becoming a members of international
organizations.

All of this points to official Baku’s intentions to derail the
negotiations and undermine the stability of the region, through
continued propaganda about alleged tensions in the Karabakh-Azerbaijan
borders.

The bold steps by Azerbaijan call into question the success of efforts
by the international community to establish peace and stability in
South Caucasus.

Taking note of the will of the people of Artsakh, the National Assembly
pledges it will take it upon itself to initiate efforts in light of
these developments and calls on the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic Foreign
Ministry to inform the OSCE Ministerial Council of this announcement
when it convenes in Athens next week.

CSTO SPUTTERED OUT AS MILITARY ORGANIZATION

news.am
Nov 25 2009
Armenia

CSTO sputtered out as military structure and block to counterbalance
NATO, as unlike North-Atlantic alliance it does not have global
organization and material base to unite all member states, Gevorg
Aghbalyan told NEWS.am.

According to him, CSTO member states have conflicting geopolitical
interests and CSTO membership is of formal nature. "For instance,
Russia’s membership to CSTO does not prevent from expanding military
cooperation with Azerbaijan (not a block member) and Turkey-NATO
member. The mentioned two states are a direct threat to other CSTO
member-Armenia. In case hostility resumes in Karabakh conflict zone,
it is difficult to imagine that Central Asian states will lend a hand
of help to &’CSTO brother’- Armenia. They are likely to help GUAM
member — Azerbaijan, having economic and energy ties with the state,"
underlined expert. According to Aghbalyan, in the course of his visits
to Yerevan, CSTO Secretary General Nikolai Bordyuzha was repeatedly
asked whether CSTO will interfere if the military actions resume.

However, his replies are unclear and evasive.

Aghbalyan outlined that CSTO cannot lay claims to the regional actor
role in the South Caucasus, as it cooperates only with Armenia, unlike
NATO that works with three South Caucasian countries. "CSTO is not
taken seriously both by member states and NATO. Thus, Bordyuzha’s
hand of friendship extended to NATO is up in the air."

’16 DAYS OF ACTIVISM AGAINST GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE’ IN ARMENIA

Tert.am
15:53 â~@¢ 25.11.09

Today marks the start of an annual campaign "16 Days of Activism
against Gender-Based Violence" in Armenia, which is part of a global
movement to combat gender-based violence.

UN Department of Public Information (UNDPI) Representative in Armenia
Maria Dotsenko welcomed attendees at today’s press conference with
opening remarks on the situation of gender-based violence in the
world today.

The UN Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women
defines the term "violence against women" as "any act of gender-based
violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual
or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of
such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether
occurring in public or in private life."

Statistical datа concerning the state of women in the world is
alarming, said Dotsenko: "At least 1 out of every 3 women is likely
to be abused in her lifetime. It is estimated that, worldwide, 1 in 5
women will become a victim of rape or attempted rape in her lifetime."

The UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund) confirms these statistics.

Its official website states that "Around the world, as many as one
in every three women has been beaten, coerced into sex, or abused in
some other way — most often by someone she knows, including by her
husband or another male family member; one woman in four has been
abused during pregnancy."

Dotsenko noted that the UN has been at the forefront of advocating for
women’s rights and has made an important contribution by creating a
number of international human rights documents that address violence
against women and require states to take action.

The UNDPI representative noted that Armenia ratified the UN Convention
on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (which
differs from the UN Declaration mentioned above), thus "reaffirming
its commitment to combat gender-based violence and to take active
measures to eradicate this phenomenon." (Editor’s note: Armenia
submitted its initial report to the UN committee on November 30, 1994.)

According to Article 4 of the UN Declaration on the Elimination of
Violence against Women: "States should condemn violence against women
and should not invoke any custom, tradition or religious consideration
to avoid their obligations with respect to its elimination. States
should pursue by all appropriate means and without delay a policy of
eliminating violence against women."

Also participating in today’s press conference were Lala Ghazaryan,
Head of Family, Women and Children Department of the RA Ministry of
Labor and Social Issues and Jina Sargizova, UNFPA national coordinator
of "Combating Gender-Based Violence in the South Caucasus" project
and the "16 Days" campaign in Armenia.

Other activities planned for the "16 Days of Activism against
Gender-Based Violence" campaign include a peaceful protest march from
the Women’s Resource Center to Charles Aznavour Square, set to begin
at 4:30 pm today, a candle-lighting ceremony and open stage at Moscow
Cinema (Kino Moskva) at 6 pm today, and a collective art exhibit and
film screening from December 5-7 (also at Moscow Cinema).

CSTO INSTITUTE ANCO SUBSIDIARY LAUNCHES IN ARMENIA

PanARMENIAN.Net
24.11.2009 17:55 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ CSTO Institute Autonomous Non-commercial Organization
(ANCO) subsidiary has launched in Armenia, CSTO Secretary General
Nikolai Bordyuzha told a news conference in Yerevan, adding
that opening of subsidiaries in other CSTO member states is also
planned. "The subsidiaries will undertake three primary tasks:
situation -based research work; informational work aimed at CSTO
activity awareness increase and formation of expert community to
assess the situation," Nikolai Bordyuzha explained.

HIS HOLINESS ARAM I DIALOGUES PUBLISHED

news.am
Nov 24 2009
Armenia

The book with His Holiness Aram I, the head of the Catholicosate of
the Great House of Cilicia statements is published, Antelias News
agency reports.

The dignitary however did not participate himself in the publication
process ,and learnt of the book from Karnik Koyounian, the priest of
St. Hagop Church in Montreal.

Koyounian presented him the book with statements, expressions voiced
in a dialogue with youth representatives within last two years. It
says about Aram I attempts to respond to their concerns, covering
the activity and mission of Armenian Church today.

The book appears in Armenian, English and French.

ARMENIA-TURKEY RELATIONS MUST BE NORMALIZED SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH WITHDRAWAL OF ARMENIAN TROOPS FROM TERRITORIES AROUND NAGORNO-KARABAKH: U.S. EXPERT

Today
700.html
Nov 23 2009
Azerbaijan

Day.Az interview with U.S. analyst, Jamestown University (the U.S.)
expert Vladimir Socor.

Day.Az: The Azerbaijani participants to the conference on security in
the Caucasus held in Baku unanimously criticized the West and the EU
for passive attitude to the unresolved Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. What
are reasons for the absence of such an interest in Europe?

Vladimir Socor: "Europe" refers to the European Union. The European
Union still has no common foreign policy. EU tries to develop such
a policy, but it still does not work. France does not represent the
European Union in the "troika" of the Minsk Group co-chairs. France
acts for itself, not on behalf of the EU. Energy interests of the
influential European nations do not coincide. There are a number of
European countries that have no particular interest in energy supplies
from Azerbaijan or the entire Caspian basin. Other European countries
have such interest. But the situation is that those European countries
which have vital interests in the Caspian energy resources are not
the most influential actors within the European Union. That is the
situation within the EU.

There is one more thing that I would like to say in this regard.

Governments and forces that decide foreign policy in Europe do not
connect analysis of energy security with analysis of foreign policy
in general and foreign policy towards the South Caucasus as a whole.

These two analysis are conducted in parallel, but not together.

Q: Are Armenian troops likely to withdraw at least at the first stage
from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan soon?

A: It is unpredictable. A lot can happen in the interim period from
today until April. April is a key term for obvious reasons. A lot can
happen in Turkey and South Caucasus during this period, especially
in the domestic politics of Turkey, in estimations of Washington and,
of course, in estimations of the Azerbaijani government. Developments
are very unpredictable. "Key" is not in Washington, not in Moscow,
not in Baku, but the Turkish public opinion.

If Azerbaijan continues to work successfully with the Turkish public
opinion, it could significantly impact these processes.

Q: Does everything depend on Turkey?

A: A lot depends on Turkey. Following the August events that happened
last year, Turkey initiated the Stability and Cooperation Platform
in the Caucasus excluding EU and the U.S., who also have interests
in the region, from this mechanism. However, the Turkish leadership
has made inconsistent statements so far.

As I mentioned at a conference in Baku, President Barack Obama drove
himself into a trap, promising Armenians a program to recognize the
so-called "Armenian genocide" if elected president. Now he cannot do
it for fear of spoiling relations with its strategic ally of Turkey.

It is impossible to predict how Obama will act in April.

Progress can be achieved in the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict in case normalization of relations between Turkey and Armenia
and opening of border will take place in parallel with withdrawal of
Armenian troops from Azerbaijani territories. But these plans can be
undermined by possible decision in April.

Therefore, I believe that normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations
should be conducted in parallel with withdrawal of Armenian troops
from areas around Karabakh. But the very parallelism is not enough. In
my opinion, we need a synchronization of these two processes so that
they occasionally overlap with each other.

Quick solution to the conflict is impossible. It is obvious. Progress
is possible if the U.S. will be faithful to the game in the region. I
believe that Washington should not sacrifice Turkey’s interests.

Finally, U.S. needs Turkey more than Turkey needs the United States.

Efforts should be made to normalize relations between Azerbaijan and
Turkey which recently experienced a blow. Let us hope that we will see
that after Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan forthcoming visit to the U.S.