Wednesday,
Investment Firm Sues Armenia Over Railway Deal
• Sisak Gabrielian
Armenia - A railway bridge in northern Lori region
A Dubai-based investment company has filed a lawsuit with the International
Court of Arbitration, demanding that the Armenian government pay it
compensation in the amount of $160 million related to the planned construction
of an Armenia-Iran railway.
Rasia FZE, which is registered in the United Arab Emirates, has undertaken to
build the rail link.
The information about the international lawsuit against Armenia was confirmed
on Tuesday by Minister of Transport, Communications and Information
Technologies Ashot Hakobian.
Minister of Transport, Communications and Information Technologies Ashot
Hakobyan at a press conference in Yerevan. 04Sept.,2018
According to the minister, the company claims that it incurred losses as a
result of the actions of the Armenian side. “We believe that this is not
logical. The reason is that during this period with the purpose of supporting
the project representatives of the Armenian government were in China where this
issue was also discussed. And Rasia FZE today cites some reasons, saying that
this affected their further programs,” the minister explained.
Plans for construction of a railway linking Armenia and Iran were announced in
2008 by then-President Serzh Sarkisian. Before the 2013 presidential election a
concession contract was signed with Rasia FZE. Since then, however, the company
has not built a single meter of railway.
“The company only prepared a feasibility report and submitted it to the
Ministry, and the Ministry made numerous remarks on it. After that, the company
was repeatedly invited to discuss the implementation of its concession
obligations, but all the invitations remained unanswered,” said Hakobian.
The minister is convinced that the Armenian government has solid arguments in
case of litigation. “I think that our positions are strong and there is no
cause for concern. However, we will not be doing nothing. Measures are being
taken. The government has already invited a prestigious international
organization to defend our interests,” Hakobian said.
The governments of Armenia and Iran have discussed the railway project for more
than a decade. So far, however, Yerevan has failed to attract an estimated $3.2
billion needed for building the 305-kilometer-long Armenian section of the
railway.
2008 Post-Election Events Need Thorough Investigation, Says U.S. Envoy
• Sargis Harutyunyan
U.S. Ambassador to Armenia Richard Mills at a conference dedicated to
franchising business opportunities at the Armenia Marriott Hotel, Yerevan,
5Sept., 2018
Washington’s view remains that “there has been a need for a thorough and fair
investigation into the events of March 2008,” United States Ambassador to
Armenia Richard Mills said on Wednesday, commenting on recent developments in
the probe concerning deadly post-election violence that took place in Armenia a
decade ago.
In late July Armenia’s former president Robert Kocharian was charged with
breaching the country’s constitutional order by illegally using the armed
forces against opposition supporters who protested against alleged fraud in a
disputed presidential election. Eight protesters and two police personnel were
killed when security forces broke up those demonstrations on March 1-2, 2008.
Kocharian spent more than two weeks in custody before being released by the
Court of Appeals that cited a constitutional provision giving the ex-president
immunity from prosecution.
Several other former senior officials, including Colonel-General Yuri
Khachaturov, the current head of the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty
Organization, have also been charged in connection with the 2008 events.
These developments appeared to have particularly irked Russia whose foreign
minister Sergei Lavrov within a space of just one month twice commented on
Armenian internal affairs.
On July 31, Lavrov denounced the prosecutions, arguing that they run counter to
the new Armenian leadership’s earlier pledges not to “persecute its
predecessors for political motives.” And earlier this week Lavrov repeated his
concerns. “Of course, we are worried by the circumstance that the situation in
Armenia remains heated, events that happened 10 years ago are being
investigated… No doubt, we consider those to be an internal affair of Armenia
and wish that internal affairs remain within the framework of law and on the
firm basis of the Constitution and be overcome quickly,” the top Russian
diplomat said.
In response to the question of RFE/RL’s Armenian service (Azatutyun.am) whether
he considered such comments to be interference in Armenia’s internal affairs,
U.S. Ambassador Richard Mills said: “I have seen those comments. It’s for the
Armenian government to respond to comments from the Russian government.Our view
remains that there has been a need for a thorough and fair investigation into
the events of March 2008. And it is important that that investigation be
carried out in accordance with the rule of law and Armenian due process.”
Mills talked to media today on the sidelines of a U.S.-Armenian business
conference on franchise opportunities.
“We are here today for a very important development in the U.S.-Armenian trade
relationship, that is a one-day conference that the embassy is sponsoring to
bring together Armenians interested in franchise opportunities with U.S.
corporations and businesses. And I think it shows that we believe that there
are real opportunities here for U.S. business and for Armenian business to
prosper together in the new Armenia,” the U.S. ambassador said.
“This conference today brings together over 50 Armenian government and business
people as well as representatives from several major U.S. companies to talk
about franchise and business opportunities here. So, as I said, we believe that
there are real opportunities for business and trade that will benefit both
sides. And we are encouraging the government to continue to work to help
improve and develop Armenia’s business climate. The business climate, the
investment climate can be fragile. And all it takes is one government mistake,
or a bad law, or a bad decision and investors can be scared away. That’s why I
hope the government will continue to pay attention to the environment it is
creating for business and investment here.”
Lawyer Calls Investigators’ Decision On Kocharian Illegal
Armenia - Ex-president Robert Kocharian's lawyer Aram Orbelian, 5Sept., 2018
Aram Orbelian, a lawyer representing the interests of former Armenian president
Robert Kocharian, has described yesterday’s decision by the Special
Investigative Service (SIS) not to allow his client to leave Armenia pending
investigation as illegal.
Still, he said, the ex-president will sign a written pledge confining him to
the country limits, if necessary.
Kocharian, who ruled Armenia from 1998-2008, stands accused of illegally using
the armed forces against opposition supporters who protested against alleged
fraud in a disputed presidential election a decade ago. Eight protesters and
two police personnel were killed when security forces broke up those
demonstrations on March 1-2, 2008.
Kocharian spent more than two weeks in custody last summer. The Court of
Appeals on August 13 overturned a district court’s July 27 decision to allow
Kocharian’s arrest. It said that the Armenian constitution gives the
ex-president immunity from prosecution. The Prosecutor’s Office has appealed
the court’s decision at Armenia’s highest judicial instance – the Court of
Cassation, which is still to consider the case.
SIS spokesperson Marina Ohanjanian told RFE/RL’s Armenian service
(Azatutyun.am) on Tuesday that investigators have decided to apply a measure of
restraint called “a written undertaking not to leave [the country]” in relation
to Kocharian. The decision comes one day after Kocharian, through his lawyer,
revealed his intention to travel to Germany for an annual medical examination.
“Taking into account the decision of the Court of Appeal that immunity is
applied to the charges [brought against Kocharian] and that, accordingly, no
criminal prosecution can be pursued on those charges, we assume that any action
aimed at criminal prosecution – and applying a measure of restraint is also an
act of prosecution – is not legal,” said Orbelian.
The lawyer said that they have not yet received the text of the decision. “We
will see it and then give a more detailed assessment,” he said, adding that
they will appeal the decision “if it proves to be what we think it is.”
Kocharian insists that there are no grounds for his prosecution and claims
political motives for that. The 64-year-old former leader announced his return
to active politics on August 16.
Armenian Judokas To Miss International Competition In Azerbaijan
Judo competitions
An Armenian judo team will not travel to Baku which hosts world championships
later this month, Armenia’s Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs said on
Wednesday.
According to Armenian sport officials, Azerbaijan has refused to formally
provide the necessary guarantees for the security of the Armenian delegation.
The World Judo Championships are due to be held in the capital of Azerbaijan on
September 20-27.
Despite the lingering conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh athletes from Armenia and
Azerbaijan traveled to their neighboring country on several occasions to take
part in major international competitions before 2016 April clashes in the
disputed region in which dozens of soldiers were killed on both sides.
Thus, more than two dozen Armenians took part in the first European Games held
in Baku in 2015.
Azerbaijani athletes also attended a number of major international competitions
in Armenia, including judo, boxing and archery events.
In all those cases security guarantees to athletes were provided by the
authorities of the host nation.
Baku Summons U.S. Diplomat Over Bilzerian Visit To Karabakh
• Heghine Buniatian
Dan Bilzerian at a shooting range in Nagorno-Karabakh, August 2018
Official Baku has sent a note of protest to the United States over the visit of
American citizen Dan Bilzerian to Nagorno-Karabakh.
According to official sources, U.S. Charge d'Affaires William Gill was summoned
to the Foreign Ministry of Azerbaijan over this matter earlier this week and
was given an official note of protest addressed to the U.S. Department of State.
Bilzerian, a 37-year-old American social media celebrity of Armenian descent
nicknamed the “King of Instagram”, made a trip to Armenia in late August to be
issued a passport of an Armenian citizen.
The professional poker player, who is primarily known for his playboy lifestyle
and has tens of millions of followers on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter
attracted by his regular photos of private jets, scantily clad women, piles of
cash and guns, then traveled to Nagorno-Karabakh where he fired various weapons
at a local shooting range.
Azerbaijan, which considers ethnic Armenian-controlled Nagorno-Karabakh to be
its territory, saw it as a violation of its laws. “It was brought to the notice
of the senior American diplomat that Bilzerian had violated the law of
Azerbaijan on the state border and the country’s Migration Code as, without
presenting relevant documents, bypassing our checkpoints, he entered the
occupied territories of Azerbaijan,” said Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry
spokesman Hikmet Hajiyev.
The note of protest directed to the American side also claims that Bilzerian
“illegally acquired firearms and for provocative purposes demonstratively
opened fire on the positions of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces.” “We also
informed the American diplomat that this person was making insulting and
immoral statements on camera affecting the dignity and moral values of the
Azerbaijani people and contradicting the spirit of friendly relations between
Azerbaijan and the United States,” the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry spokesman
said.
Immediately after Bilzerian’s visit to Nagorno-Karabakh Azerbaijan launched a
criminal case against the flamboyant millionaire. A court in Baku issued an
arrest warrant for Bilzerian and put him on the international wanted list.
In response to this development, Bilzerian, who is no stranger to controversy,
told the American magazine People that he thinks the arrest warrant was
politically motivated. “They only issued the warrant for my arrest, and nobody
else on the trip,” he said. “I think it’s because I am a public figure and they
want to try to make an example out of me.”
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan does not conceal the
demonstrative nature of the criminal case against Bilzerian to prevent visits
of U.S. citizens and citizens of other countries to Nagorno-Karabakh. “We have
informed the American side about the charges brought against Bilzerian and
about the steps taken to bring him to justice. The Azerbaijani side expects the
U.S. Government to take seriously the concerns of Baku and take the necessary
measures to ensure that U.S. citizens refrain from visiting the occupied
territories of Azerbaijan,” Hajiyev said.
At least on one occasion in the past authorities in Baku already acted on their
warnings by arresting a foreign national over his visit to Nagorno-Karabakh. In
December 2016 at the request of Azerbaijan the authorities of Belarus arrested
blogger Alexander Lapshin, who has the citizenships of Israel, Russia and
Ukraine. The blogger was then handed over to Baku where he was tried and
sentenced to three years in prison for violating Azerbaijani laws. Lapshin was
released from Azerbaijani prison in September 2017 after numerous calls from
human rights organizations and some backstage negotiations with official Baku.
Baku has a long list of international figures who are declared personae non
gratae in Azerbaijan and are banned from entering the country.
Press Review
“Zhoghovurd” writes on Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian’s upcoming visit to
Moscow. “It is remarkable that the visit of the head of the Armenian government
to Moscow comes one week after the September 1 meeting between Russian
President Vladimir Putin and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. Then Putin and
Aliyev also exchanged views on the Karabakh conflict. It is expected that the
Karabakh issue will also be addressed at the Putin-Pashinian meeting. It
appears that this subject is slowly getting back on the agenda,” the paper
observes.
On the same subject “Haykakan Zhamanak” writes: “It’s a fact that the
Armenian-Russian dialogue, far from having stopped, is only developing in a new
spirit. Nevertheless, it is necessary to note that the September 8 meeting
between Pashinian and Putin will be more difficult as compared to the previous
two meetings. The difficulty is first of all conditioned by the recent
Putin-Aliyev meeting during which the two parties also discussed the Karabakh
issue. This issue is certain to come up also at the September 8 meeting. The
sides may try to come to a common denominator on the agenda and format of
restarting negotiations. It is not ruled out that Putin, as head of one of the
countries chairing the OSCE Minsk Group, will act as a mediator and present to
Pashinian Aliyev’s vision of conflict settlement – if there is any.”
“Zhamanak” comments on the decision by the Special Investigation Service not to
allow ex-president Robert Kocharian, who is charged with overthrowing the
constitutional order, to leave Armenia pending investigation: “This decision
comes shortly after Kocharian revealed his intention to leave the country…
Interestingly, Kocharian decided to leave Armenia for several days ahead of the
hearing of his case at the Court of Cassation. Of course, the date of the
hearing is not known yet, but there is still an intrigue here as it is not
clear whether there will be a new decision on arresting Kocharian or not.
Another interesting point is that Kocharian’s decision to leave coincided with
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s congratulations on his birthday on August
31, which were perceived by many as support.”
(Tigran Avetisian)
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