Author: Vorskanian Yeghisabet

‘PARTY CLOSURES NOT CONDUCIVE TO DEMOCRACY’

Today’s Zaman
Dec 22 2009
Turkey

A former US ambassador to Turkey has said that party closures and
bans on political leaders do not encourage democracy from an American
viewpoint.

Answering questions from the Anatolia news agency in Washington,
current Ambassador James Jeffrey’s predecessor, Ambassador Ross
Wilson, said that the closure of the Democratic Society Party (DTP)
has both legal and political grounds. He added that he does not have
anything to say regarding the legal grounds but politically it is
not in parallel with the American way of thinking.

Regarding the formation of a new party and DTP deputies’ decision
to join that party, Wilson said the move could contribute to the
continuation of Turkey’s democratic initiative.

Wilson also said that Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s recent
visit to the White House was productive. Regarding the "model
partnership" concept coined by US President Barack Obama during his
visit to Turkey this year shortly after taking office, Wilson said
Turkey and the United States share a number of mutual interests and
should work on their relationship to increase their cooperation.

About the "axis shift" regarding Turkey’s foreign policy orientation,
Wilson said that Turkey’s steps to improve its relations with Iran,
Syria and other Middle Eastern countries and its rapprochement
with Armenia are all good and not a sign of a decrease in Turkey’s
inclination toward the European Union and NATO.

In regards to Turkey’s relations with Iran, Wilson said Turkey has
been quite clear in its messages to Iran. He added that Turkey does
not want proliferation of nuclear weapons in its region and wants Iran
to be integrated into the international community. Wilson stressed
that Turkey is in a position to help those states that are concerned
about Iran’s actions in a region where there are already many problems.

ALBANIA DEFENDS THE RIGHT OF PEOPLES TO SELF-DETERMINATION

armradio.am
21.12.2009 18:45

The newly appointed Ambassador of Albania, Vili Minarolli (seat in
Athens), today presented his credentials to President Serzh Sargsyan.

President Sargsyan congratulated the Ambassador on appointment and
attached importance to the importance of intensification of the
political dialogue between the two countries.

The parties agreed that there are no obstacles for the development
of relations between the two countries.

President Sargsyan and Ambassador Minarolli exchanged views on a
number of regional issues. Touching upon the Karabakh issue, President
Sargsyan underlined that it’s an issue of self-determination of the
people of Nagorno Karabakh and has no religious component.

Ambassador Minarolli said "Albania constantly defends the right of
peoples to self-determination."

Azad Azarbaycan TV
Dec 16 2009

Azerbaijan unhappy with US aid to breakaway Karabakh

[Presenter] Baku is concerned about the traditional assistance
provided by the United States to the separatist Nagornyy Karabakh
regime. However, this concern cannot be described as anti-US
propaganda inside the country, a department head at the Presidential
Administration, Ali Hasanov, has said.

[Hasanov, speaking to reporters] We are not against assistance to
people suffering in Nagornyy Karabakh who need help. But if there are
people who need this assistance in Nagornyy Karabakh, it is members of
the Azerbaijani community who have been displaced from Nagornyy
Karabakh and who have been forced to live in inhumane conditions in
tent camps for years. All our demands and appeals are that the same US
Congress, the same congressmen who raised this issue at the Congress,
and the American public who supported it should take account of these
circumstances. No matter who receives this assistance, it helps
strengthen the ethnic separatist regime in Nagornyy Karabakh. In any
case, it helps strengthen the uncontrolled military entity in Nagornyy
Karabakh and therefore – [clip cut mid-sentence]

[Presenter] As is known, an appeal was made yesterday to the US
president and Congress on behalf of Azerbaijani parliament over the
issue. The deputy speaker of the Milli Maclis [Azerbaijani
parliament], Bahar Muradova, believes that the MPs tried to make it
clear to Washington that it did not take a fair position in the first
place.

[Muradova, speaking to a reporter in her office] These are statements
we have always been hearing from the USA and US officials concerning
world policies – bringing peace, stability, exporting democracy to
different parts of the world – these are America’s priorities, its
objectives. But if we look at the decision from any of these angles,
it is absolutely not fair. From this standpoint in the first place,
there is disbalance and discrepancy between what the USA declares and
its actions and decisions. In view of this, I believe that when
adopting this decision, the US Congress failed to act in accordance
with the principle of justice, the principle of territorial integrity,
independence, strategic partnership, cooperation, or signed
agreements.

[translated from Azeri]

POLITICAL "DIVORCE": HUNCHAKIAN PARTY MEMBERS ACCUSE THEIR LEADER OF WASHING DIRTY LINENS IN PUBLIC

hnchakian_party_splits
17.12.09 | 17:14

The chairwoman of Hunchakian party Lyudmila Sargsyan has been dismissed
from the party.

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A serious split is taking place within the oldest Armenian political
party, Social Democrat Hunchakian Party (SDHP). At the special session
of the party a decision was made to dismiss the chairwoman of the
party – Lyudmila Sargsyan.

The split started still in autumn, when some of party members accused
Sargsyan of not being able to keep party secrets, and of passionately
spreading inter-party controversies in mass media.

One of Sargsyan’s main opponents, Narek Galstyan, head of the youth
branch of SDHP, stated that he and his supporters had to express
dissatisfaction, because "they had run out of patience."

"She has been insulting her party colleagues through mass media for
months. We think that Sargsyan is not able to keep party secrets. She
has started destroying the party," Galstyan said.

(The main part of SDHP supporters live abroad, and have a branching
structure among the communities in the Armenian Diaspora. In 2008,
the party moved to a radical oppositional position, the main initiator
of which was Chairwoman Sargsyan.)

At a press conference on December 17 Sargsyan called the session
(held the previous day, when she was dismissed) illegal.

"If anyone dare introduce himself or herself as member of the [party’s]
Armenia governing body or chairman/chairwoman of the party, then
he/she must end up in court. On January 9, 2010, the next session of
the party will take place. It will elect the governing body of the
party, and those who will try to argue its decision, will also end
up in court," she said.

Sargsyan also reported that three members of their party are dismissed
from SDHP (including Galstyan).

VARDAN KHACHATRYAN: SDPH READY FOR FURTHER COOPERATION WITH ANC

NEWS.am
16:48 / 12/17/2009

"We do not want to withdraw from the Armenian National Congress
(ANC), but we will cooperate with it if it does not object," Vardan
Khachatryan, the former member of the Heritage Party, who was recently
elected a Board member, Social-Democratic Party of Hnchakyan (SDPH),
told reporters on December 17. He pointed out that, at the SDPH’s
special congress yesterday, no changes were made to the resolution of
cooperation with the ANC adopted at a congress held 45 days ago. If
any changes are introduced, an official statement will be made.

NEWS.am reminds readers that the SDPH held its 7th special congress
yesterday. The congress elected Gevorg Perkuperkyan SDPH Chairman
and the RA Parliament member Vardan Khachatryan SDPH Board member.

AUCTION OF TREASURY SHORT-TERM BONDS WITH 52-WEEK MATURITY HELD ON DECEMBER 15

NOYAN TAPAN
DECEMBER 15, 2009
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 15, NOYAN TAPAN. An action of state (treasury)
short-term bonds (AMGT5214C102 issue) with a 52-week maturity was held
on December 15. The amount of bonds subject to placement was 1 billion
drams, the demand amounted to 2.22 billion drams. The placement of
bonds made 1 billion drams, the revenues from placement amounted to
918 million 354 thousand 518 drams. The weighted average yield of
the placement is 8.7927%, the limit yield is 9.1875%.

According to the press service of the RA Ministry of Finance, 10
dealers participated in the auction.

NALBANDIAN TO ATTEND OIF FOREIGN MINISTERS CONFERENCE

PanARMENIAN.Net
14.12.2009 12:05 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian
will attend a conference of Foreign Ministers of the International
Francophone Organization (OIF) due in Paris from December 14 to 16. He
will also convene a meeting of RA Ambassadors to European countries,
RA MFA press office reported.

ARMEN SIMONYAN EXHIBITS HIS PAINTINGS IN NAREKATSI ARTS CENTER

PanARMENIAN.Net
10.12.2009 20:03 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armen Simonyan exhibits his paintings in Narekatsi
arts center.

"I have been working in Moscow for a long time. My paintings hung
next to the works by Ernst Neizvestny and Zurab Tsereteli. But it’s my
first exhibition in Armenia and I am a bit excited," the painter said.

38 painting are displayed. 150 works will be presented through a
slide show.

Armen Simonyan is a biologist by occupation. He has been engaged in
painting for 20 years already.

NALBANDYAN CHANGED

Lragir.am
11/12/09

Interview with Andranik Babakhanyan

On these days, your corrections of the English-Armenian translation
of the 3rd and 5th chapters of the Armenia-Turkey protocols were
published in the press.

Since the normalization of the Armenian and Turkish relations just from
the beginning was secret, it created grounds to think that something
was wrong there. And when the protocols were published on the foreign
ministry site, I tried to compare the most vulnerable 3rd and 5th
chapters. As a result, I found out that, as usual, they deceived
people. To deceive people by wrong translation contradicts the Article
2 of the Constitution in accordance with which power belongs to people.

I have to note that the minister Nalbandyan have twice changed
the translated text of the protocols. And I have to say that it
is senseless to do something here because before the Armenia-Turkey
relations we had already sold the presidential duties for 5000 dram and
now we witness how Armenia is being sold and everything is presented
as good will, as if we need the border opening. It is a lie.

The biggest lie. In reality, we do not need it. It needs Russia.

The whole Europe has no closed border.

The point is who closed the border. We did not do that. But as we
can see they impose preconditions. It is ridiculous. How can they
dispute the fact of genocide? How can the Karabakh issue be solved
in one package at the same time connecting it with the frontier
opening? The Karabakh issue came out to be solved for the sake of the
border opening. To preserve the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan
means to yield the released areas.

One thing is sure and transparent: the country’s president deceives
people. I have never expected anything else from him.

You say the country’s president deceives everyone. Why does no one
protest?

Everyone would be for this process, if everything was without
preconditions. Sometimes, I am terrified when thinking that to see
Mount Ararat people will not come in Armenia but will go to Turkey.

In your opinion, do we open the border at the price of yielding
Karabakh?

Please, do not say, "we open the border", say, "the president sells
out our country". The country is overwhelmed with Iranian people now,
after it will be full of Turkish people. We give not only Karabakh
but also Armenia. We did not need the border opening, I think neither
the Turks did.

Is our parliament possible not to ratify the protocols after comparing
the translations and the mistakes they contain?

We do not have to forget that all that was done with their direct
participation, many of them know English better than I do, and
consequently they know about the mistakes too. Besides, I have
presented the results of my study to several parties, including the
Heritage and the ARF, but they did not answer or just deceived me
calling me to the National Assembly they did not come.

Anyway, selling Armenia is a big plan which the authorities fulfill
with pleasure. For example, Edik Nalbandyan waited for several hours
before he signed the protocols. I think he felt remorse, but in the
end, he signed.

Is there any way out from the current situation?

Yes, the only solution is the change of government. But to be sincere,
I do not see anyone who can come and not to make mistakes. This is a
serious process initiated by the superpowers – U.S. and Russia. And
none of them is interested what will remain from Armenia and whether
something will remain or not.

Interview by SIRANUYSH PAPYAN

CSTO PA COUNCIL GUEST SITTING TO BE HELD IN YEREVAN IN SPRING

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
10.12.2009 16:55 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ In December, Armenian parliamentary delegation
participated in CIS interparliamentary assembly and CSTO Parliamentary
Assembly Council sitting held in St. Petersburg.

As Armenian parliamentary delegation head, Artak Davtyan told a news
conference, CSTO PA Council guest sitting will be held in Yerevan
in spring.

By taking the resolution above, CSTO member states’ delegation
intends to support Armenia against the background of Azerbaijan’s
militaristic statements.