“Getting on the donkey is one thing and getting off – another thing”
Armine AVETYAN | August 29, 2010
Interview with the president of Yerkrapah Union, general Manvel Grigoryan
- The government of Armenia considers the prolongation of the deployment of the Russian military base in Gyumri a guarantee for security and the opposition thinks that by this the sovereignty of our country was endangered. Do you agree with this opinion? - In fact it is nothing good if any state wishes to practice power within our state. During these 20 years we have given so much that now we are speaking of 100%. We have given them the atomic station, gas, railways, telephone, customs checkpoints. We have given all. We have given all the clothes and have stayed naked. After all that it is not even important if this is given or not. It cannot be any other way either. If everything depends on the neighbor, uncle then the owner is the uncle. The one, who pays, gives the order of music. The bread and money of our people comes from there. I wouldn’t believe that any smart and patriotic person would say it was good. But there is no second option either. They say getting on the donkey is one thing, getting off... [full story]
Again dependent on somebody else
August 21, 2010
Eventually the Russian president Dmitri Medvedev is visiting Armenia. The rumors about his visit have given a lot of pleasure to the Armenian authorities and state propaganda for over a month. The huge money that was spent on this visit, including the decorations of streets and other preparations, is only one of the sides of the coin. It could be possible to relate to it calmly if the Armenian authorities could maintain sovereignty with the relations with Russia. At least they could show that they are. The Armenian foreign affairs minister’s recent interview given to the Russia-24 TV channel shows one more time that the Armenian authorities are taking the role of obeying in the relations with Russia. The flattering and the expressions that were directly targeted at Russia were humiliating for citizens of a country, which has at least attributes of sovereignty. The positive feedback from the visit of Medvedev to Armenia show that people don’t know about the complementary reaction of the Armenian foreign...
Russians in four fronts
Armine AVETYAN | August 21, 2010
Finally the Russian President Dmitry Medvedev will visit Armenia today, whose visit to our country caused long-lasting and intensive discussions. Currently the visit of Medvedev and the signing of several documents in that context have turned into the top debate issue of Armenia. That visit has even pushed backward the priority of the NKR conflict resolution and the rapprochement of the Armenian-Turkish relations. Perhaps the reason is that the resolution of those two big issues mainly depend on Russia and the documents that may be signed as a result of Medvedev’s visit. The signing of the protocol is high on the agenda of Medvedev’s two-day state visit to Armenia, which also overlaps with an unofficial summit of the Collective Security Treaty Organization, a Russia-led military alliance of seven former soviet states, to be hosted by Yerevan. Corresponding amendments to a 1995 treaty regulating the presence of a Russian military base in Armenia will extend Russia’s basing rights by 24 years,...
Where do all the other roads take?
July 24, 2010
“There are new recommendations on the negotiation table. The Madrid principles are presently on the negotiating table. They served as a basis for new proposals made in Saint Petersburg, and Azerbaijan has to say if it accepts them or not. If Azerbaijan says: ‘We accept the principles submitted by the OSCE Minsk Group, the negotiations will go on. If not, other ways will be found. Yes, the negotiations are going on. The latest proposals were made in Saint Petersburg. We say the document affords an opportunity for further negotiations. Let us see what Azerbaijan says,” President Sargsyan said to the young people at a summer camp of the youth organization Miasin (Together). The young people from the Armenian Diaspora arrived in Armenia within the framework of “Come home” program of the Ministry of Diaspora. Yes, the negotiations are going on. The latest proposals were made in Saint Petersburg. We say the document affords an opportunity for further negotiations. Let us see what Azerbaijan...
Poor child
July 22, 2010
The 16th general meeting of the ANM on Saturday brought several new changes in the political life of Armenia. However, these changes have not been fully analyzed since the general meeting yet. First, these changes mean that it was a revolution within the ANM, which has a history of 20 years and was one of the founders of the Republic of Armenia. The newly elected board of the ANM does not almost have any relation to the initial team that founded this party. This means that since getting the power and the change of the power this political party that differs from the other parties is dissolving in the political system of the country. The next rapid change is the change of the policy of the ANM, which is the main opposition power of Armenia. The political meaning of Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s speech seems to be aimed at the government to make them understand that at least in relation to the issue of Karabakh conflict settlement they should not expect any obstacles from them. In the past Levon Ter-Petrosyan used...
Negotiations started
Babken TUNYAN | July 22, 2010
The initial meeting on the negotiations on the Association agreement between the Republic of Armenia and European Union recently took place in Yerevan. Hardly this information may interest many Armenians because due to objective and subjective reasons most of them are not interested in the official relations with Europe, especially different meetings and projects. However, these negotiations and the success stemming out from it will have a positive influence on the majority of Armenia’s population. The Associated agreement will really open a new window for the relations between Armenia and Europe. The main document regulating the relations between Armenia and Europe, the agreement on partnership and cooperation, was enforced on July 10, 1999, for a term of 10 years. After the termination of the term it is automatically prolonged for one year. This agreement is going to be replaced with the Association agreement, which will reflect the policies of cooperation on economic integration, free movement and energy...
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The threat is there and will exist
August 29, 2010
“Azerbaijan cannot help making statements about the resumption of war. It should do so. Secondly, if it really wishes so, why shouldn’t it start the war?” told our reporter the president of Yerkrapah Union Manvel Grigoryan when responding a question about the possible resumption of war. “But will the super states involved in the process allow this to happen?” To this question he responded, “That’s why Azerbaijan always tells them if you can’t resolve the issue I will. One day it may even say that it’d warned the west of that. By that it is trying to establish a field for itself. The threat of war exists and will exist.”...
Still neutral
August 29, 2010
The official visit of the Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to Armenia, the documents signed during that period, specifically the prolongation of the contract of deployment of Russian troops in Gyumri, created various kinds of interpretations. Experts would mainly focus on our direct neighbours – Georgia and Azerbaijan and their reaction around this matter. And what is the opinion of the next super player of the region – the USA? “It regards the bilateral relations of Armenia and Russia,” as a response to the US reaction around this matter mentioned the note of the US Embassy in Armenia. But can this to any extent advert to the US-Armenian relations and the balance of power in the region? The embassy has given a typical American diplomatic response, “The US and Armenia have close partnership and we have all the expectations that it will continue.” It means neither yes, nor no. It depends on the circumstances and situation....
Other issues
August 21, 2010
According to our information besides the prolongation of the date of the deployment of the Russian military base in Armenia the leadership of the two countries have discussed issues related to the move of the base to the Armenian-Georgian and Armenian-Azerbaijani borders. The treaty to be signed tomorrow, which relates to the prolongation of the deployment of the troops, reads that the changes of the Russian military base is realized based on the mutual agreement of the parties. According to our sources this statement included in the treaty enables the Russian troops have wide opportunities in the territory of Armenia....
Will he be appointed?
August 21, 2010
The former Assistant to the US State Secretary, senior expert of the US German Foundation of Marshal (GMF) David Kramer has expressed hope that at the completion of the vacation the appointment of Mathew Bryza to the post of the US Ambassador to Azerbaijan will gain a new approval on part of the Foreign Affairs Committee and all of the Senate. In an exclusive interview to Mediamax he confessed that he had had friendly relations with Bryza. In his words Bryza us well-prepared for this post and will become a “great ambassador.” “He knows all the key role actors in the Azerbaijani government and beyond. He will decisively and skillfully represent the US interests and will not avoid abstruse matters, such as democracy and protection of human rights in Azerbaijan,” said Kramer. “In Yerevan we have a very good ambassador Mari Yovanovitch and a full presence in Azerbaijan is very important for the US. I hope that Mathew Bryza is appointed soon,” he said....
Meanness
July 22, 2010
ANM member Karapet Rubinyan has published an open letter to leave the ANM. He claimed that the ANM board elections had been violated and wrote the following: “If you are hiding your list and giving to the election body and those people and whispering that the grandpa has told not to give admission to Rubinyan, if you are making and operating the vote count commission by the method of family capital, this is a meanness thing already.” Thus, at the ANM general meeting on Saturday Rubinyan was not elected in the ANM board. “By doing this Mr. Ter-Petrosyan is punishing me for criticizing his policy at the ANC, or keeps the board free of opposition,” writes K.Rubinyan’s open letter....
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