Armenian News... A Topalian.... Danger to Armenia
Lragir.am
Real Danger to Armenia in Europe
14 January 2016
Ahead of the PACE session in January the risk of adoption of
anti-Armenian resolutions is actualized. There are two draft
resolutions on the agenda of the PACE session which contradict the
interest of Armenia. Both concern the issue of Artsakh.
Will Yerevan succeed preventing the adoption of those resolutions? The
Azerbaijani lobby is very strong in the PACE. In fact, the
Turkish-Azerbaijani lobby in the parliamentary organizations of Europe
is viable enough, at least in terms of forming a tangible negative
attitude.
In the long run, the viability of the Azerbaijani and Turkish lobby in
the European parliamentary organizations is the result of failure or
lack of the parliamentary diplomacy of Armenia, the inefficiency of
the Armenian delegations in the European parliamentary organizations.
In this sense, ahead of the PACE session in January the resolutions
which may be adopted are not danger and risk for Armenia and Artsakh.
Their importance should not be underestimated but should not be
overestimated either. The deeper risk for Armenia is that the same
parliamentary delegation of Armenia is attending the PACE session in
January.
The danger for Armenia is the delegation which represents Armenia to
the PACE, headed by the Republican deputy speaker Hermine Naghdalyan.
On the other hand, the parliamentary picture of Armenia is such that
it is impossible to form a delegation that will be able to serve the
interests of Armenia more effectively, adequate to geopolitical
processes and tendencies.
Aside from members of parliament who could be counted on hands, the
Armenian parliament has no resources which would be viable for
parliamentary diplomacy.
And in this particular case, the issue is not the quantitative
resource of the members of parliament but the entire potential of the
parliamentary diplomacy or, to put it otherwise, the availability of a
political parliament. The Armenian parliament is not political but
criminal-oligarchic where people with criminal records and vested
interests prevail. And the issue is not that they may not take the
floor for years, and though many of them regularly brief reporters, it
is often difficult to identify whether it is the press teasing them
with political questions or they are teasing the press and the public
with answers which are absurd and cynical.
The problem is that the people sitting silently in the parliament for
years set the atmosphere in the country, set the rules of the game,
take part in the definition of those rules.
In the European parliamentary organizations, Armenia needs to offer
money that will be adequate to the Azerbaijani money or an inadequate,
asymmetric political and diplomatic quality. Armenia has no money as
Serzh Sargsyan is expecting money from the European Union for Armenia
but it also lacks the asymmetric political and diplomatic quality.
One has to hope that the oil price will continue to fall, decreasing
the weight of the Azerbaijani money.
lragir.am
Track 1: Will British Ships Sail Armenian Mountains This Time?
Naira Hayrumyan, Political Commentator
14 January 2016
Ahead of the PACE session in January the risk of adoption of
anti-Armenian resolutions is actualized. There are two draft
resolutions on the agenda of the PACE session which contradict the
interest of Armenia. Both concern the issue of Artsakh.
Will Yerevan succeed preventing the adoption of those resolutions? The
Azerbaijani lobby is very strong in the PACE. In fact, the
Turkish-Azerbaijani lobby in the parliamentary organizations of Europe
is viable enough, at least in terms of forming a tangible negative
attitude.
In the long run, the viability of the Azerbaijani and Turkish lobby in
the European parliamentary organizations is the result of failure or
lack of the parliamentary diplomacy of Armenia, the inefficiency of
the Armenian delegations in the European parliamentary organizations.
In this sense, ahead of the PACE session in January the resolutions
which may be adopted are not danger and risk for Armenia and Artsakh.
Their importance should not be underestimated but should not be
overestimated either. The deeper risk for Armenia is that the same
parliamentary delegation of Armenia is attending the PACE session in
January.
The danger for Armenia is the delegation which represents Armenia to
the PACE, headed by the Republican deputy speaker Hermine Naghdalyan.
On the other hand, the parliamentary picture of Armenia is such that
it is impossible to form a delegation that will be able to serve the
interests of Armenia more effectively, adequate to geopolitical
processes and tendencies.
Aside from members of parliament who could be counted on hands, the
Armenian parliament has no resources which would be viable for
parliamentary diplomacy.
And in this particular case, the issue is not the quantitative
resource of the members of parliament but the entire potential of the
parliamentary diplomacy or, to put it otherwise, the availability of a
political parliament. The Armenian parliament is not political but
criminal-oligarchic where people with criminal records and vested
interests prevail. And the issue is not that they may not take the
floor for years, and though many of them regularly brief reporters, it
is often difficult to identify whether it is the press teasing them
with political questions or they are teasing the press and the public
with answers which are absurd and cynical.
The problem is that the people sitting silently in the parliament for
years set the atmosphere in the country, set the rules of the game,
take part in the definition of those rules.
In the European parliamentary organizations, Armenia needs to offer
money that will be adequate to the Azerbaijani money or an inadequate,
asymmetric political and diplomatic quality. Armenia has no money as
Serzh Sargsyan is expecting money from the European Union for Armenia
but it also lacks the asymmetric political and diplomatic quality.
One has to hope that the oil price will continue to fall, decreasing
the weight of the Azerbaijani money.
lragir.am
Track 1: Will British Ships Sail Armenian Mountains This Time?
Naira Hayrumyan, Political Commentator
14 January 2016, 21:53
The UK minister of European affairs David Lidington said that he had a
good discussion with the U.S. co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group James
Warlick.
For his part, the Armenian embassy to the United Kingdom informed
about the meetings of the Armenian deputy defense minister Davit
Tonoyan in London where he presented the priorities of security in
Armenia.
Last summer David Lidington visited Armenia where he tried to find out
through meetings in different regions how they in Armenia and Karabakh
perceive the proposals of mediators, where the red line runs which the
Armenian side does not want to cross.
It is difficult to say what conclusions Lidington drew but after his
return to London the NKR President Bako Sahakyan was invited to
Chatham House.
Later on Edward Nalbandyan presented the foreign policy of Armenia at
this influential institute. Now Davit Tonoyan is in London.
The interest of the UK in the Karabakh conflict is not accidental. 100
years ago the UK witnessed the transfer of Karabakh to Azerbaijan, if
not a participant in a certain sense. The British troops were in Baku,
and according to the historians, at the last moment Andranik decided
not to go to Shushi after a secret meeting with the envoys of the
British General Thomson.
And since the situation is apparently returning to the situation that
was there 100 years ago, namely there is a possibility of revision of
borders in the region, the UK is showing interest in the processes.
Although such interest has never disappeared.
In 2003 a US-UK consortium was created to which four NGOs joined then.
The consortium was supposed to seek ways of settlement of the Karabakh
conflict at the level of popular diplomacy ` track 2. A number of
projects were implemented in 12 years but confidence between the
Armenian and Azerbaijani communities has never been reached.
Track 2 clearly had other issues, and one of them was the immediate
participation of the United Kingdom in the process without joining the
Minsk Group.
The United Kingdom has decided to enlarge its presence in the region.
It is hard to tell how it will happen.
In case a political settlement of the Karabakh issue is prepared
(Track 1), it will be necessary to change both its public platform and
the regional security system. What is the United Kingdom offering
Armenia as a guarantee of security in case of settlement or freezing
of the conflict.
The UK minister of European affairs David Lidington said that he had a
good discussion with the U.S. co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group James
Warlick.
For his part, the Armenian embassy to the United Kingdom informed
about the meetings of the Armenian deputy defense minister Davit
Tonoyan in London where he presented the priorities of security in
Armenia.
Last summer David Lidington visited Armenia where he tried to find out
through meetings in different regions how they in Armenia and Karabakh
perceive the proposals of mediators, where the red line runs which the
Armenian side does not want to cross.
It is difficult to say what conclusions Lidington drew but after his
return to London the NKR President Bako Sahakyan was invited to
Chatham House.
Later on Edward Nalbandyan presented the foreign policy of Armenia at
this influential institute. Now Davit Tonoyan is in London.
The interest of the UK in the Karabakh conflict is not accidental. 100
years ago the UK witnessed the transfer of Karabakh to Azerbaijan, if
not a participant in a certain sense. The British troops were in Baku,
and according to the historians, at the last moment Andranik decided
not to go to Shushi after a secret meeting with the envoys of the
British General Thomson.
And since the situation is apparently returning to the situation that
was there 100 years ago, namely there is a possibility of revision of
borders in the region, the UK is showing interest in the processes.
Although such interest has never disappeared.
In 2003 a US-UK consortium was created to which four NGOs joined then.
The consortium was supposed to seek ways of settlement of the Karabakh
conflict at the level of popular diplomacy ` track 2. A number of
projects were implemented in 12 years but confidence between the
Armenian and Azerbaijani communities has never been reached.
Track 2 clearly had other issues, and one of them was the immediate
participation of the United Kingdom in the process without joining the
Minsk Group.
The United Kingdom has decided to enlarge its presence in the region.
It is hard to tell how it will happen.
In case a political settlement of the Karabakh issue is prepared
(Track 1), it will be necessary to change both its public platform and
the regional security system. What is the United Kingdom offering
Armenia as a guarantee of security in case of settlement or freezing
of the conflict.
armradio.am
LONDON-BASED ARMENIAN ARCHITECT TO BUILD ISLAMIC
FAITH MUSEUM IN MECCA - VIDEO
18 Jan 2016
Siranush Ghazanchyan
London-based Mossessian Architecture has won a competition to design
the Makkah Museum, a new building dedicated to the Islamic faith in
Mecca, Saudi Arabia, De Zeen Magazine reports.
The Makkah Museum will occupy a site seven kilometres from the Grand
Mosque, which houses the Kaaba - the most sacred location in the
world for Muslims.
The building will include 5,600 square metres of gallery space to
host exhibitions related to the international practice and history
of Islam and the life of Muhammad.
It will also contain a reception area, an auditorium, book store,
teaching space, roof garden and restaurant.
The Makkah Museum will offer a unique interpretation and reflection
of faith to the millions of Muslims who visit Makkah from around the
world and who, up until this point, have had no cultural institution
of this kind to enhance their visit to the holiest of Muslim cities,"
said a statement from Mossessian.
Mossessian teamed up with Paris exhibition architects Studio Adeline
Rispal to enter the invited competition for the museum project. The
duo were announced as the winners this week.
Established and led by French Armenian architect Michel Mossessian,
Mossessian Architecture is an award-winning London-based architecture
practice.
18 Jan 2016
Siranush Ghazanchyan
London-based Mossessian Architecture has won a competition to design
the Makkah Museum, a new building dedicated to the Islamic faith in
Mecca, Saudi Arabia, De Zeen Magazine reports.
The Makkah Museum will occupy a site seven kilometres from the Grand
Mosque, which houses the Kaaba - the most sacred location in the
world for Muslims.
The building will include 5,600 square metres of gallery space to
host exhibitions related to the international practice and history
of Islam and the life of Muhammad.
It will also contain a reception area, an auditorium, book store,
teaching space, roof garden and restaurant.
The Makkah Museum will offer a unique interpretation and reflection
of faith to the millions of Muslims who visit Makkah from around the
world and who, up until this point, have had no cultural institution
of this kind to enhance their visit to the holiest of Muslim cities,"
said a statement from Mossessian.
Mossessian teamed up with Paris exhibition architects Studio Adeline
Rispal to enter the invited competition for the museum project. The
duo were announced as the winners this week.
Established and led by French Armenian architect Michel Mossessian,
Mossessian Architecture is an award-winning London-based architecture
practice.
MISSING THE MOMENT: BAKU-BORN ACTIVIST SAYS ARMENIA
MUST USE STRUGGLING AZERBAIJAN'S 'WEAK POINTS'
18.01.16
Alina Nikoghosyan
A favorable condition has been created for Armenia due to current
economic difficulties in oil-rich Azerbaijan and the tense
Russian-Turkish relations, head of the Assembly of Azerbaijani
Armenians Grigory Ayvazyan claimed on Monday.
Mass protests have been reported in Azerbaijan in recent days, with
people complaining about their falling living standards and blaming
the government for their economic and financial woes.
Amid falling international oil prices, Azerbaijan, which heavily
relies on hard currency revenues available through exports of fossil
fuel, free floated its national currency recently, which results in
a dramatic depreciation of the manat. The situation with the shortage
of currency has resulted in price hikes in Azerbaijan and is expected
to significantly curb the country's economic growth.
At the same time, media in Azerbaijan also write about other economic
woes of the country, including difficulties in the tourism and jewelry
sectors and predict more challenges ahead as fuel prices continue to
fall on the world market.
A number of analysts consider that Azerbaijan's domestic difficulties
will curb its military ambitions in Karabakh, others do not rule
out that the autocratic government in Baku will, on the contrary,
pedal the issue of "occupied" territories in order to divert public
attention from real problems in the economy.
Baku-born Ayvazyan, who moved to Armenia as a refugee fleeing ethnic
tensions in Azerbaijan in the late 1980s, however, thinks it is
the Armenian side that needs to take advantage of the situation and
act proactively.
"We are missing this moment, which is inexcusable. We should target
Azerbaijan's weak points and this way achieve our major goals. The
tense Russian-Turkish relations are also very adverse for Azerbaijan
and favorable for Armenia," said Ayvazyan, without elaborating on
specific steps that he thinks need to be taken by Armenia under the
circumstances.
Meanwhile, political analyst Stepan Safaryan believes that Armenia
is not guaranteed against an economic crisis, as it has immediate
dependence on another major oil-exporting country, Russia, which has
also experienced socio-economic difficulties lately not least because
of international sanctions imposed over the crisis in Ukraine.
"Azerbaijan's collapse is due to poor governance and no matter how
happy we may be about Azerbaijan's domestic political and economic
tensions, Armenia is not guaranteed against such upheavals," he said,
adding that Armenia should rather use the opportunity for reforms.
"In that case Armenia will badly need a new government, which will
be able to meet the new challenges," Safaryan concluded.
lragir.am
Russian Patriarch in Even More Awkward Situation
Hakob Badalyan, Political Commentator
14 January 2016
The Russian church has issued a clarification on Patriarch Cyril's
statement which has caused a backlash in Armenia. The spiritual leader
of Russia announced in an interview with the father of the Russian
propaganda that Christians were not destroyed in Ottoman Turkey.
After dissatisfaction had been expressed by some public circles in
Armenia, the Russian church explained what Cyril had meant to say.
In an interview with Rossiya TV channel Patriarch Cyril spoke about
the plight of the Christians in Syria and Iraq. In this context, the
patriarch gave the example of the Ottoman Empire where there were
periods when relative security and stability was provided for
religious minorities, Cyril's spokesman explains, saying that their
stance on the Armenian genocide has not changed and has been expressed
for multiple times, including through participation in the events
organized by the Armenian Apostolic Church.
First of all, it should be noted that the answer of the Russian church
has been communicated through the communication office of the Holy
Sea. However, a clarification should be sought and claimed and
received instead of becoming the communicator of the clarification of
the Russian church, the spokesman for Cyril.
Cyril made his statement on Rossiya Channel which is broadcast to an
audience of tens and hundreds of millions. Hence, the Russian church
must be demanded to give a clarification in a way that is adequate to
that audience instead of receiving and reporting some information.
In addition, this information is absurd. What does it mean `Cyril
meant periods in the history of Ottoman Turkey when there was
stability and security for the Christians'? The Christians were not
chased in the Near East always, their trouble began two-three years
ago and before that they used to live in both Syria and Iraq. Hence,
there were stages of `security and stability' almost everywhere.
When Cyril gives the example of those `periods' in Ottoman Turkey, as
his spokesman explained, Cyril puts on scales those 1.5-2 million
Armenians displaced or killed in Ottoman Turkey and the periods of
`security and stability'. In fact, according to Cyril, the destiny of
2 million killed Armenians is equal to those periods of `security and
stability'.
Hence, while trying to soften Cyril's statement, his spokesman
actually exposed Cyril, made his encroachment against the memory of
millions of innocent Armenians more striking.
The statement that the stance on the genocide of Armenians is
unchanged does not mean anything because even with that logic Turkey
may say it has condemned the genocide because some of the leaders of
the government of Young Turks which perpetrated it were sentenced to
death by the verdict of the Turkish court, and Soghomon Tehleryan
stated to execute this very sentence.
On the other hand, Cyril's position is not something new, it is
Russia's actual position. After all, two years ago when the
Russian-Turkish relations were especially warm, Putin announced in his
big press conference that there may have been minor issues during
Ataturk's tenure but the Russian-Turkish relations were nice and warm.
In other words, it is also an advantage of the stages of `security and
stability' over the destiny of millions of innocent Armenians.
Otherwise, how could the relations with Ataturk be good when your
friends and allies are slaughtered? Hence, the slaughter was the
`minor issue' according to the Russian president.
Hence, Cyril did not express his or the Church's stance but the
official stance of Russia uttered by Putin two years ago.
18.01.16
Alina Nikoghosyan
A favorable condition has been created for Armenia due to current
economic difficulties in oil-rich Azerbaijan and the tense
Russian-Turkish relations, head of the Assembly of Azerbaijani
Armenians Grigory Ayvazyan claimed on Monday.
Mass protests have been reported in Azerbaijan in recent days, with
people complaining about their falling living standards and blaming
the government for their economic and financial woes.
Amid falling international oil prices, Azerbaijan, which heavily
relies on hard currency revenues available through exports of fossil
fuel, free floated its national currency recently, which results in
a dramatic depreciation of the manat. The situation with the shortage
of currency has resulted in price hikes in Azerbaijan and is expected
to significantly curb the country's economic growth.
At the same time, media in Azerbaijan also write about other economic
woes of the country, including difficulties in the tourism and jewelry
sectors and predict more challenges ahead as fuel prices continue to
fall on the world market.
A number of analysts consider that Azerbaijan's domestic difficulties
will curb its military ambitions in Karabakh, others do not rule
out that the autocratic government in Baku will, on the contrary,
pedal the issue of "occupied" territories in order to divert public
attention from real problems in the economy.
Baku-born Ayvazyan, who moved to Armenia as a refugee fleeing ethnic
tensions in Azerbaijan in the late 1980s, however, thinks it is
the Armenian side that needs to take advantage of the situation and
act proactively.
"We are missing this moment, which is inexcusable. We should target
Azerbaijan's weak points and this way achieve our major goals. The
tense Russian-Turkish relations are also very adverse for Azerbaijan
and favorable for Armenia," said Ayvazyan, without elaborating on
specific steps that he thinks need to be taken by Armenia under the
circumstances.
Meanwhile, political analyst Stepan Safaryan believes that Armenia
is not guaranteed against an economic crisis, as it has immediate
dependence on another major oil-exporting country, Russia, which has
also experienced socio-economic difficulties lately not least because
of international sanctions imposed over the crisis in Ukraine.
"Azerbaijan's collapse is due to poor governance and no matter how
happy we may be about Azerbaijan's domestic political and economic
tensions, Armenia is not guaranteed against such upheavals," he said,
adding that Armenia should rather use the opportunity for reforms.
"In that case Armenia will badly need a new government, which will
be able to meet the new challenges," Safaryan concluded.
lragir.am
Russian Patriarch in Even More Awkward Situation
Hakob Badalyan, Political Commentator
14 January 2016
The Russian church has issued a clarification on Patriarch Cyril's
statement which has caused a backlash in Armenia. The spiritual leader
of Russia announced in an interview with the father of the Russian
propaganda that Christians were not destroyed in Ottoman Turkey.
After dissatisfaction had been expressed by some public circles in
Armenia, the Russian church explained what Cyril had meant to say.
In an interview with Rossiya TV channel Patriarch Cyril spoke about
the plight of the Christians in Syria and Iraq. In this context, the
patriarch gave the example of the Ottoman Empire where there were
periods when relative security and stability was provided for
religious minorities, Cyril's spokesman explains, saying that their
stance on the Armenian genocide has not changed and has been expressed
for multiple times, including through participation in the events
organized by the Armenian Apostolic Church.
First of all, it should be noted that the answer of the Russian church
has been communicated through the communication office of the Holy
Sea. However, a clarification should be sought and claimed and
received instead of becoming the communicator of the clarification of
the Russian church, the spokesman for Cyril.
Cyril made his statement on Rossiya Channel which is broadcast to an
audience of tens and hundreds of millions. Hence, the Russian church
must be demanded to give a clarification in a way that is adequate to
that audience instead of receiving and reporting some information.
In addition, this information is absurd. What does it mean `Cyril
meant periods in the history of Ottoman Turkey when there was
stability and security for the Christians'? The Christians were not
chased in the Near East always, their trouble began two-three years
ago and before that they used to live in both Syria and Iraq. Hence,
there were stages of `security and stability' almost everywhere.
When Cyril gives the example of those `periods' in Ottoman Turkey, as
his spokesman explained, Cyril puts on scales those 1.5-2 million
Armenians displaced or killed in Ottoman Turkey and the periods of
`security and stability'. In fact, according to Cyril, the destiny of
2 million killed Armenians is equal to those periods of `security and
stability'.
Hence, while trying to soften Cyril's statement, his spokesman
actually exposed Cyril, made his encroachment against the memory of
millions of innocent Armenians more striking.
The statement that the stance on the genocide of Armenians is
unchanged does not mean anything because even with that logic Turkey
may say it has condemned the genocide because some of the leaders of
the government of Young Turks which perpetrated it were sentenced to
death by the verdict of the Turkish court, and Soghomon Tehleryan
stated to execute this very sentence.
On the other hand, Cyril's position is not something new, it is
Russia's actual position. After all, two years ago when the
Russian-Turkish relations were especially warm, Putin announced in his
big press conference that there may have been minor issues during
Ataturk's tenure but the Russian-Turkish relations were nice and warm.
In other words, it is also an advantage of the stages of `security and
stability' over the destiny of millions of innocent Armenians.
Otherwise, how could the relations with Ataturk be good when your
friends and allies are slaughtered? Hence, the slaughter was the
`minor issue' according to the Russian president.
Hence, Cyril did not express his or the Church's stance but the
official stance of Russia uttered by Putin two years ago.
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