Rejoicement, which will bring disappointment
Armine AVETYAN | March 9, 2010
Photo: Photolure
This is how assesses the adoption of the resolution on the Armenian Genocide the former RA foreign affairs minister Alexander Arzumanyan
- Mr. Arzumanyan, the foreign relations committee of the US Congress adopted the resolution 252 on the recognition of the Armenian Genocide. Was this a progress on the way of the recognition of the Genocide? What consequences can this have? Do you find it possible for the US Congress to adopt it? - As an Armenian, I should say that this was definitely one step forward on the way to the recognition of the Genocide and the recovery of the historic justice. But on the other hand, we have seen that the same story has been repeated in 2000, 2005 and 2007. The foreign relations committee adopted the resolution with the majority of votes and then the speaker refused to submit the resolution to the full session of the Congress. I am sure that this resolution will have the same destiny. Moreover, because of this awkward policy of the Armenian government it will be easier for the US Congress to drop the discussion of the resolution by conditioning it with the launched process of normalization of the Armenian-Turkish relations.... [full story]
Consequences of the resolution according to foreign media
Babken TUNYAN | March 9, 2010
The resolution on the Armenian Genocide adopted by the Foreign Relations Committee of the US Congress originated great activeness not only among the Armenian outlets but also western media agencies. However, unlike the overt excitement of the Armenian TV channels the European and the US media outlets review the issue from a different angle as to what extent the resolution will affect the Armenian-Turkish relations. By adverting to the resolution and the negative attitude of Obama the US newspapers recall that during his pre-election campaign Barack Obama has promised the Armenians to recognize the Genocide however avoided pronouncing the word in his further speeches. The Obama administration contradicts itself even now. For instance the representatives of the administration and Hillary Clinton herself don’t hide their overt role and efforts in the signing process of the Armenian-Turkish protocols. This means that the US claims that it is going to do its best to conduce to the normalization of the Armenian-Turkish...
Strange joy
March 6, 2010
Today the US House of Representatives is discussing the bill on recognizing the Armenian Genocide. It is hard to say what the results of the vote may be, but it is even harder to say what it will give to Armenian if this bill is approved or not. If the bill is adopted by the House of Representatives, it does not mean yet that the US will recognize the Genocide by all means, as many people are trying to assure the Armenians. It is evident that this issue concerns the Armenian-Turkish relations, and again the US is using the issue of the Armenian Genocide to solve the problems with the relations with Turkey. The only thing we can see now is the joy of the faces of Armenian officials waiting for the discussion of the House of Representatives. The Turkish authorities have numerously announced that in such case the Armenian-Turkish protocols will be failed. It is the protocol, which the Armenian authorities say are fully corresponding with the interests of Armenia and “are the good results of the initiating policy”....
We should start everything from zero
Armine AVETYAN | March 6, 2010
- Mr. Igityan, today the US House of Representatives is discussing the 252 bill concerning the recognition of the Armenian genocide. Many senators have expressed their commitment to vote for the bill. Do you think the committee will adopt the bill? - All what is discussed in the Congress should be viewed in the context of the US-Turkey relations. Sometimes it is introduced in Armenia as a part of the Armenian-Turkish relations, which I think is a wrong approach. I mean that the US has issues to clarify with Turkey, thus they are using this opportunity to reach this goal. There are many geopolitical and political issues in Turkey such as the issues of long-distance missiles installation, Turkey-Israel, Turkey-Syria relations and the Turkish domestic politics, in the list of which the issue of Armenia does not occupy an important place. - What may be the impact of the discussion on the Armenian-Turkish relations? - I don’t think it may affect these relations because the relations have never been worse...
When filling the budget becomes a state priority
Babken TUNYAN | March 6, 2010
Back in the day, when a number of economists and journalists were warning that the credits and loans received from foreign donors will became a headache for Armenia, the officials of relevant sectors would try to calm them down by saying that the foreign debt is in the allowable limits and would advise not to worry about the state. The time showed (in the near it will become more evident) that they were right. But in this case in order to determine the right or wrong we should understand whether the headache is caused to the state or average citizens. And if we take into account that there is enormous difference between the people and the state and that the officials are demonstrating information far from reality it turns out that there is no headache for the state. The headache is for average citizens in the form of taxes and customs fees. A week ago the head of the World Bank in Armenia Aristomene Varudakis mentioned that the foreign debt is growing rapidly. But on the other hand he added that there is no need...
Waiting for the best moment
March 4, 2010
After a long interval opposition leader Levon Ter-Petrosyan reverted to harsh criticism of Armenia’s leadership but stood by his cautious strategy of trying to topple it yesterday as thousands of his supporters marked the second anniversary of the 2008 post-election violence of March 1 near the Matenadaran in Yerevan. Although the police blocked most of the roads to Yerevan but yesterday’s rally was quite crowded. Before Ter-Petrosyan’s speech one his closest associates, Levon Zurabyan, likewise claimed that the Sargsyan administration will eventually have no option but to call snap presidential and parliamentary elections because of what he described as its mounting foreign and domestic policy failures. He said the fact that the authorities again seriously restricted transport communication between Yerevan and the rest of the country ahead of the demonstration shows that they are “terrified” of the Ter-Petrosyan-led opposition. Zurabyan presented the timeline of the demands of the...
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The Congress will not adopt
March 9, 2010
“As an Armenian, certainly I appreciate and believe it was one step forward toward the historical truth and justice and the recognition of the Armenian genocide,” said former foreign minister Alexander Arzumanyan to our correspondent in answer to our question concerning the adoption of the 252 bill by the foreign affairs committee of the Congress. “On the other hand, we have seen the same scenario repeating in 2000, 2005 and 2007. The Congress foreign affairs committee brought up the bill, which was adopted by the majority of votes, after which the speaker refused to bring it up for a plenary session. I believe the same destiny will happen to this bill too,” he said....
Remained unchanged
March 4, 2010
Utility service regulators yesterday kept unchanged the price of electricity for Armenian households despite the increased cost of Russian natural gas delivered to the country. Robert Nazaryan, the PSRC chairman, said Armenia can sustain such a price thanks to the upcoming launch of a new and much more efficient unit at a major thermal-power plant located in Yerevan. Nazarian also noted the fact that it will mainly run on gas supplied from neighboring Iran. With natural gas used for generating roughly one-third of Armenia’s electricity, the move raised fears of a knock-on effect on energy fees that were already raised almost a year ago. However, the PSRC sanctioned only a modest rise in the cost of electricity supplied to industrial enterprises. According to the commission the Hrazdan thermal facility uses Russian gas and is owned by a subsidiary of Russia’s state-controlled Unified Energy Systems power utility. According to that about 5 kilowatt electrical power will be exposed from 1 cubic meter...
Lars re-opened
March 4, 2010
After being closed for four years, the Upper Lars checkpoint on the Russian-Georgian border is again open. The checkpoint will work in March-November from 06:00 till 22:00, and in the period of November-March - from 07:00 to 19:00. Only transport means can cross the Upper Lars. The checkpoint restores a vital route between Russia and the South Caucasus and will be available only for vehicles. After the closure of the checkpoint freight transfers between Armenia and Russia were carried out through Poti checkpoint. There is no access for the pedestrians or the residents of the area to cross the checkpoint. The citizens of Russia or Georgia, who’d wish to cross the Upper Lars border will have to get permissions from the Swiss Embassy because Switzerland has taken up the role of the mediator between these countries ever since the conflict. Let us remember that the Upper Lars crossing running through a narrow pass in the Caucasus Mountains was controversially closed by Moscow in June 2006, hitting hard Armenian...
On feet
March 2, 2010
Armenia's President Serzh Sargsyan did not have a meeting with Turkey' Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu in Kiev, RA Presidential Press Service said while commenting on Turkish media reports. Both the Armenian President and the Turkish FM attended the inauguration ceremony of Ukrainian President Victor Yanukovich in Kiev. During the reception following the ceremony Ahmet Davutoglu approached the Armenian President and exchanged views with him. Sargsyan stressed that political will is required to register progress, and Armenia believes that the present process needs be brought to its logical end in the shortest period of time otherwise Armenia will have to withdraw its signature from the Armenian-Turkish protocols. The Armenian President reiterated that Turkey can by no means be involved in the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process, as it is rendering unilateral military assistance to one of the conflicting parties - Azerbaijan and making regular biased statements on the settlement process. "A country dreaming of...
Getting ready for elections
February 25, 2010
According to our information, the owner of Flash company Barsegh Beglaryan has decided to found a political party. It is not Barsegh Beglaryan’s decision but the wish of the authorities. The authorities want to have many political parties to rely on before the upcoming parliamentary and presidential elections, and one of these projects will be carried out by Barsegh Beglaryan. Currently he has a foundation called “Barepasht Serund”, the office of which is located in the same building at Koryun 19A address where the offices of the first president Levon Ter-Petrosyan and Armenian National Congress are located as well. By the way, Barsegh Beglaryan has provided another party with office premises in the same building, which may join the party to be established by him. The goal of these steps is to attract the youth and students, and they have already started their work. Definitely Barsegh Beglaryan’s new party will be established based on the mentioned foundation....
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