ADLP New York-New Jersey Chapter Press Release
PRESS RELEASE - REGARDING FUTURE PLANS BY ADLP NEW YORK-NEW JERSEY CHAPTER 
Armenian Genocide Resource Center
8 months ago
Showing posts with label 22nd August 2008. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 22nd August 2008. Show all posts
Friday, 22 August 2008
Armenian News
MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA
----------------------------------------------
PRESS RELEASE
20-08-2008
Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian comments on the question by "Zaman"
newspaper
QUESTION: How will you comment to the Turkish Prime Minister's statement on the
intention to start talks with Armenia?
ANSWER: Armenia was always in favor of dialogue and talks, particularly on
the issues concerning cooperation and security in our region.
Turkish Prime-Minister's statement on the intention to start talks with
Armenia on this agenda could be welcomed.-0-
Armenian Rail Traffic Via Georgia `Set To Resume'
By Emil Danielyan
Armenia's rail communication with the outside world, disrupted by the
weekend sabotage attack in Georgia, could resume in the coming days
through an old bridge bypassing the damaged section of the Georgian
railway, officials in Yerevan said on Wednesday.
They also said that the Black Sea ports of Batumi and Poti processing
the bulk of Armenia's foreign trade have continued to function even
after one of them was again targeted by Russian troops occupying much of
Georgian territory.
Armenian officials have been scrambling to maintain supplies of basic
commodities to their country since Saturday's explosion on a rail bridge
close to the Russian-occupied central town of Gori. The Georgian
government has accused the Russians of blowing it up, a charge strongly
denied by Moscow.
Georgian officials said initially that the bridge will be restored
within 10 days. But according to the Armenian Ministry of Transport and
Communications, they now believe the ongoing repairs will take about a
month.
A ministry spokeswoman, Susanna Tonoyan, told RFE/RL that Georgian
repairmen, helped by a team of 12 construction specialists from Armenia,
have finished preparing a smaller, disused rail bridge for use in the
meantime. She said the bridge, built in the early 20th century, needs to
undergo testing before trains moving to and from western Georgian can
cross it. When asked when rail traffic through that section could start,
Tonoyan said, `That depends on the Georgian side.'
A spokesman for Armenia's rail network, which is managed by the Russian
state railway, confirmed the information. Vahe Davtian told the Regnum
news agency that the 12 Armenian repairmen have already returned to
Yerevan. He said several Armenian government and railway officials who
accompanied them will remain in Georgia until `that section of the
railway begins to be exploited.'
The Georgian railway is the main transport link between Armenia and the
Batumi and Poti ports processing more than 90 percent of freight shipped
to and from the landlocked country. Cargo traffic through the ports was
seriously complicated by Russian air strikes on civilian and military
targets in Georgia. Russian forces were reported to have again entered
Poti on Tuesday to arrest 20 Georgian police officers and to destroy
more Georgian warships stationed there.
According to Tonoyan, both Georgian ports continued to operate on
Wednesday. The Transport Ministry official said a rail-ferry link
between Poti and Russia's Port-Kavkaz, which mainly caters for Armenian
cargos, also remains operational despite the military conflict between
the two nations. She said Georgian dockers unloaded on Wednesday two
ferries that arrived from the Russian port with 32 rail carriages bound
for Armenia on board.
They are also preparing to unload another, Ukrainian rail-ferry carrying
62 carriages laden with Armenian imports, said Tonoyan. Three other
commercial ships carrying a total of about 10,000 metric tons of wheat
purchased by Armenian importers are on their way to Batumi and Poti, she
added.
The official also said the Armenian government and cargo companies have
yet to decide how to bring in these freight consignments as well as
about 180 rail cars stranded on Georgian railway sections west of Gori.
In an effort to forestall fuel shortages, the government sent on Sunday
a convoy of 39 heavy trucks to a petrol terminal in Batumi. In Tonoyan's
words, it has rushed no further transport columns to the port since then
in hopes that the much less expensive rail communication will resume
this week.
THE ARMENIAN OLYMPICS RETURNED FROM BEIJING
armradio.am
20.08.2008 16:59
In August 19 thousands of fans of sport welcomed the Armenian
sportsmen in the "Zvartnots" airport of Yerevan. Among them were
wrestlers of Geeco-Roman style Roman Amoyan (55 kg), Yuri Patrikeev,
weightlifters Tigran G. Martirosyan (69 kg), Gevorg Davtyan (77 kg)
and Tigra V. Martirosyan (85 kg). All of them won bronze medals in
the 29th summer Olympic Games.
The President of the National Olympic Committee Gagik Tsarukyan gave
them laurel wreaths and congratulated the coaches.
The RA vice Minister of Sport and Youth Xachik Asrya also greeted
the sportsmen.
Weightlifter Tigran V. Martirosyan thanked the Armenian Government, the
heads of all the sport organizations and the coaches in the name of the
sportsmen and assured that they will bring new wins to the Motherland.
By Emil Danielyan
Armenia's rail communication with the outside world, disrupted by the
weekend sabotage attack in Georgia, could resume in the coming days
through an old bridge bypassing the damaged section of the Georgian
railway, officials in Yerevan said on Wednesday.
They also said that the Black Sea ports of Batumi and Poti processing
the bulk of Armenia's foreign trade have continued to function even
after one of them was again targeted by Russian troops occupying much of
Georgian territory.
Armenian officials have been scrambling to maintain supplies of basic
commodities to their country since Saturday's explosion on a rail bridge
close to the Russian-occupied central town of Gori. The Georgian
government has accused the Russians of blowing it up, a charge strongly
denied by Moscow.
Georgian officials said initially that the bridge will be restored
within 10 days. But according to the Armenian Ministry of Transport and
Communications, they now believe the ongoing repairs will take about a
month.
A ministry spokeswoman, Susanna Tonoyan, told RFE/RL that Georgian
repairmen, helped by a team of 12 construction specialists from Armenia,
have finished preparing a smaller, disused rail bridge for use in the
meantime. She said the bridge, built in the early 20th century, needs to
undergo testing before trains moving to and from western Georgian can
cross it. When asked when rail traffic through that section could start,
Tonoyan said, `That depends on the Georgian side.'
A spokesman for Armenia's rail network, which is managed by the Russian
state railway, confirmed the information. Vahe Davtian told the Regnum
news agency that the 12 Armenian repairmen have already returned to
Yerevan. He said several Armenian government and railway officials who
accompanied them will remain in Georgia until `that section of the
railway begins to be exploited.'
The Georgian railway is the main transport link between Armenia and the
Batumi and Poti ports processing more than 90 percent of freight shipped
to and from the landlocked country. Cargo traffic through the ports was
seriously complicated by Russian air strikes on civilian and military
targets in Georgia. Russian forces were reported to have again entered
Poti on Tuesday to arrest 20 Georgian police officers and to destroy
more Georgian warships stationed there.
According to Tonoyan, both Georgian ports continued to operate on
Wednesday. The Transport Ministry official said a rail-ferry link
between Poti and Russia's Port-Kavkaz, which mainly caters for Armenian
cargos, also remains operational despite the military conflict between
the two nations. She said Georgian dockers unloaded on Wednesday two
ferries that arrived from the Russian port with 32 rail carriages bound
for Armenia on board.
They are also preparing to unload another, Ukrainian rail-ferry carrying
62 carriages laden with Armenian imports, said Tonoyan. Three other
commercial ships carrying a total of about 10,000 metric tons of wheat
purchased by Armenian importers are on their way to Batumi and Poti, she
added.
The official also said the Armenian government and cargo companies have
yet to decide how to bring in these freight consignments as well as
about 180 rail cars stranded on Georgian railway sections west of Gori.
In an effort to forestall fuel shortages, the government sent on Sunday
a convoy of 39 heavy trucks to a petrol terminal in Batumi. In Tonoyan's
words, it has rushed no further transport columns to the port since then
in hopes that the much less expensive rail communication will resume
this week.
THE ARMENIAN OLYMPICS RETURNED FROM BEIJING
armradio.am
20.08.2008 16:59
In August 19 thousands of fans of sport welcomed the Armenian
sportsmen in the "Zvartnots" airport of Yerevan. Among them were
wrestlers of Geeco-Roman style Roman Amoyan (55 kg), Yuri Patrikeev,
weightlifters Tigran G. Martirosyan (69 kg), Gevorg Davtyan (77 kg)
and Tigra V. Martirosyan (85 kg). All of them won bronze medals in
the 29th summer Olympic Games.
The President of the National Olympic Committee Gagik Tsarukyan gave
them laurel wreaths and congratulated the coaches.
The RA vice Minister of Sport and Youth Xachik Asrya also greeted
the sportsmen.
Weightlifter Tigran V. Martirosyan thanked the Armenian Government, the
heads of all the sport organizations and the coaches in the name of the
sportsmen and assured that they will bring new wins to the Motherland.
Government Seeks To Shrink Key Armenian Lake
By Karine Kalantarian
The National Assembly began debating on Wednesday government plans to
lower the rising water level of Armenia's ecologically vital Lake Sevan
which have met with fierce resistance from environment protection
groups.
The government wants to do that by increasing by 46 percent the volume
of water flowing out of Sevan into the river Hrazdan that feeds a
cascade of hydro-electric power plants and the fruit-growing Ararat
Valley south of Yerevan. It says the measure is needed for better
irrigating lands cultivated by tens of thousands of local farmers.
Critics insist, however, that its main purpose is to save villas and
holiday hotels, many of them owned by government-connected individuals,
that have sprung up on the shores of the mountainous lake over the past
decade. Those properties are at growing risk of being submerged by a
substantial rise in Sevan's level that began in 2000 in line with a
government effort to reverse a dangerous shrinkage of the country's main
water reservoir.
Sevan's level has risen by 54 centimeters to almost 1,900 meters in the
past year alone. Under a special law on Sevan adopted in 2001, it was
supposed to rise further in the coming years.
A government-drafted amendment to the law debated by the parliament
would raise the maximum annual amount of water that can be pumped out of
the lake from 240 to 360 million cubic meters. The government already
had the National Assembly raise the legal ceiling from 170 million cubic
meters earlier this year.
As lawmakers discussed the bill dozens of environmentalists and members
of other civic groups gathered outside the parliament building to
protest against what they see as a massive blow to Sevan and Armenia's
entire ecosystem. `The irrigation season is coming to an end,' said Sona
Ayvazian of the Armenian affiliated of the ant-corruption watchdog
Transparency International. `There are only two more months left. What
are they going to do with those extra 120 million cubic meters during
that time?'
`The bill stems from the interests of persons doing business on the
shores of Sevan,' Ayvazian charged.
Knarik Hovannisian, an environment protection expert with the UN office
in Yerevan, also expressed concern as she watched the parliament
debates. `By lowering Sevan's level we would change Yerevan's climate,'
she said. `We are already having a negative climate change and should on
the contrary be concerned with further raising Sevan's level in order to
make our climate milder.'
The criticism was echoed by not only opposition parliamentarians but
some of their pro-government colleagues. Vahan Hovannisian, a leader of
the governing Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun), said
the authorities have had enough time to clear Sevan's picturesque
shoreline of houses and other structures. `Why didn't we save money to
re-route roads, to rebuild bridges, and to prevent the construction of
buildings on the coast?' he asked during the parliament debates,
questioning the official rationale for increased use of the lake's
water.
The parliament is expected to vote on measure on Thursday.
By Karine Kalantarian
The National Assembly began debating on Wednesday government plans to
lower the rising water level of Armenia's ecologically vital Lake Sevan
which have met with fierce resistance from environment protection
groups.
The government wants to do that by increasing by 46 percent the volume
of water flowing out of Sevan into the river Hrazdan that feeds a
cascade of hydro-electric power plants and the fruit-growing Ararat
Valley south of Yerevan. It says the measure is needed for better
irrigating lands cultivated by tens of thousands of local farmers.
Critics insist, however, that its main purpose is to save villas and
holiday hotels, many of them owned by government-connected individuals,
that have sprung up on the shores of the mountainous lake over the past
decade. Those properties are at growing risk of being submerged by a
substantial rise in Sevan's level that began in 2000 in line with a
government effort to reverse a dangerous shrinkage of the country's main
water reservoir.
Sevan's level has risen by 54 centimeters to almost 1,900 meters in the
past year alone. Under a special law on Sevan adopted in 2001, it was
supposed to rise further in the coming years.
A government-drafted amendment to the law debated by the parliament
would raise the maximum annual amount of water that can be pumped out of
the lake from 240 to 360 million cubic meters. The government already
had the National Assembly raise the legal ceiling from 170 million cubic
meters earlier this year.
As lawmakers discussed the bill dozens of environmentalists and members
of other civic groups gathered outside the parliament building to
protest against what they see as a massive blow to Sevan and Armenia's
entire ecosystem. `The irrigation season is coming to an end,' said Sona
Ayvazian of the Armenian affiliated of the ant-corruption watchdog
Transparency International. `There are only two more months left. What
are they going to do with those extra 120 million cubic meters during
that time?'
`The bill stems from the interests of persons doing business on the
shores of Sevan,' Ayvazian charged.
Knarik Hovannisian, an environment protection expert with the UN office
in Yerevan, also expressed concern as she watched the parliament
debates. `By lowering Sevan's level we would change Yerevan's climate,'
she said. `We are already having a negative climate change and should on
the contrary be concerned with further raising Sevan's level in order to
make our climate milder.'
The criticism was echoed by not only opposition parliamentarians but
some of their pro-government colleagues. Vahan Hovannisian, a leader of
the governing Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun), said
the authorities have had enough time to clear Sevan's picturesque
shoreline of houses and other structures. `Why didn't we save money to
re-route roads, to rebuild bridges, and to prevent the construction of
buildings on the coast?' he asked during the parliament debates,
questioning the official rationale for increased use of the lake's
water.
The parliament is expected to vote on measure on Thursday.
TURKISH FANS OF SPORT ASK TO OPEN THE ARMENIAN - TURKISH BORDER IN ONE DAY
armradio.am
20.08.2008 17:01
A group of Turkish young men asked the President of Turkey Abdullah
Gul to open the Igdir-Yerevan railway for a day. Mediamax agency
informs that the fans asked it to be able left for Yerevan to watch
the football match between Armenia and Turkey in September 6.
The fans, who want to support their national collective, announced
that the most profitable way to leave for Armenia is the railway.
At the same time the Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador
of Turkey to Azeri Hulusy Kilik announced in Baku that Turkey will
not open its border with Armenia until the regional completeness of
Azeri is restored.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
armradio.am
20.08.2008 17:01
A group of Turkish young men asked the President of Turkey Abdullah
Gul to open the Igdir-Yerevan railway for a day. Mediamax agency
informs that the fans asked it to be able left for Yerevan to watch
the football match between Armenia and Turkey in September 6.
The fans, who want to support their national collective, announced
that the most profitable way to leave for Armenia is the railway.
At the same time the Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador
of Turkey to Azeri Hulusy Kilik announced in Baku that Turkey will
not open its border with Armenia until the regional completeness of
Azeri is restored.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tour Armenia
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Rep. Jackie Speier meets with Armenian community representatives
REP. SPEIER COSPONSORS RESOLUTION ON DINK ASSASSINATION
Sites need for Armenian Genocide recognition and increased U.S. aid to Armenia and Nagorno Karabagh
SAN MATEO, CA – In a meeting with Armenian American community members led by the Bay Area Armenian National Committee (ANC) and the Armenian Assembly of America (AAA), Congresswoman Jackie Kanchelian Speier (CA-12) agreed to join the growing list of cosponsors of House Resolution 102, a resolution condemning the 2007 assassination of Armenian newspaper editor Hrant Dink in Turkey. Dink's murder is widely believed to have been a reaction to his publications about the Armenian Genocide.
In the meeting at Rep. Speier's San Mateo, California office, the Congresswoman stressed the need for continued vigilance to achieve recognition of the Armenian Genocide and for increased U.S. aid to Armenia and Nagorno Karabagh. She also urged greater participation in public affairs by the Armenian American community, even suggesting that thousands of Armenian Americans converge on Capitol Hill to make their voices heard directly by their elected officials.
The community members at the meeting thanked the Congresswoman for signing onto HR 106, the Armenian Genocide Resolution, and for joining the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues within days of taking her House seat earlier this year. The meeting was attended by Valina Agbabian, Sako Bezdjian, Armen Carapetian, Sebouh Der Kiureghian, Levon Ishag, Matt Senekeremian, Margaret Shamlian, and Khatchig Tazian.
“Congresswoman Speier is always very accessible, receptive, and has a deep understanding of our issues,” said long-time Bay Area ANC activist Khatchig Tazian. “We are fortunate to be represented by one of the few Congressional members who keeps well informed, has a real commitment to our issues, and works hand-in-hand with us to achieve our mutual goals.”
The group discussed a wide range of issues of concern to Armenian Americans, including the latest efforts in the House to fight back the Bush Administration’s attempts to cut US aid to Armenia and tip the balance of military aid in favor of Azerbaijan. Also at issue was the unsettling effect Azerbaijan’s recent hostile actions and aggressive rhetoric are having on Nagorno-Karabagh peace negotiations, and the serious challenges the ongoing crisis in Georgia is presenting to Armenia, Karabagh, and Armenians living in Javakh, the Armenian enclave within Georgia's borders.
When presented with an overview of the ANCA Capital Gateway and AAA internship programs, Rep. Speier enthusiastically welcomed the opportunity to host the next generation of Armenian American activists in her offices. Congresswoman Speier also expressed her pleasure to serve as an honorary chair for the ANC-WR 24th Annual Banquet to be held on October 12, 2008, at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley.
Congresswoman Speier is one of two current members of the U.S. House of Representatives of Armenian descent, along with Bay Area Congresswoman Anna Eshoo.
Armenian National Committee
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Commentaries on aftermath of Russian-Georgian conflict
Caucasian pipelines
The dangers of the safe route
The dangers of the safe route
Aug 14th 2008
From The Economist print edition
Georgia’s pipelines to the West weren’t bombed but they remain vulnerable
From The Economist print edition
Georgia’s pipelines to the West weren’t bombed but they remain vulnerable
IT’S not just the Russian-Georgian conflict that has made August such a rotten month for the West’s favourite oil pipeline. On August 5th a pumping station on the 1,100-mile (1,760km) Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline in eastern Turkey was set ablaze. The PKK Kurdish separatists claimed responsibility. The entire route, which had been carrying 850,000 barrels of Caspian crude oil a day to Western markets, shut down and world oil prices, which had been falling, nudged up again. BP, which spent $4 billion on BTC and still manages it, put a brave face on things, saying that the disruption would be temporary. But the station was still burning when Georgia and Russia went to war two days later.
The company’s other oil pipeline, Baku-Supsa, carrying crude to Georgia’s Black Sea coast (now blockaded by Russian warships), had only recently re-opened but was also forced to shut down. On August 12th, even as the conflict was fading, BP stopped putting gas into the Baku-Erzurum gas pipeline. The only pipeline from Azerbaijan that was fully operational this week is the one running through Russian soil to the port of Novorossiisk.
For the past decade Georgia has been championed as a reliable country through which new pipelines, safely controlled by Western companies, could bypass both Russia and Iran. On the face of it, the past week has made a mockery of that claim. But not completely. Georgia will point out that its energy infrastructure survived the war unscathed: no pipeline was bombed. Russia, mindful of the need for good relations with Azerbaijan and Turkey, has been careful to point out that this was not an oil war.
Yet the crisis—including the dangerously unresolved dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Karabakh—raises wider issues. South Caucasus is supposed to be the location for the next generation of so-called “fourth corridor” projects, by means of which Western strategists dream of ending Europe’s dependence on Russian gas and getting Caspian gas to European markets.
The jewel in this scheme, the Nabucco pipeline—designed to ship Caspian gas to Europe in 2013—is already in trouble for lack of unequivocal European support, a rival Russian scheme called South Stream and the fact that there is no major Western energy company based upstream in Turkmenistan to lobby for the deal. One of the first foreign-policy initiatives by Russia’s president, Dmitry Medvedev, was to court Azerbaijani and Turkmen leaders in order to persuade them to sell their gas to his country. With an eye on events in Georgia, they must now decide how to respond to his friendly advice.
CAUCASUS PLAN VOID WITHOUT YEREVAN
Yasemä°N Congar
Turkish Daily News
Aug 18 2008
Turkey
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's proporsal of a Project for
Stability and Cooperation in the Caucasus is a blind shot. It is an
initiative easy to criticize for being an empty shell or destined
to remain as merely words when one looks to its foundations. There
might be some truth in these criticisms too, but I think these do not
diminish the importance of Ankara's offer. I do not count the hasty
and raw appearance of Erdogan's offer, which was presented to Russian
and Georgian presidents, and that will be shared with Azerbaijani
president next week, as a fatal weakness. Even being able to say
that "the initiative may spark a fresh and multilateral talk in the
region," saves Ankara's proposal from being futile, it even makes it
an intelligent one.
This plan must be strengthened with efforts to normalize relations
between Yerevan and Turkey. The time and ground are ripe for such
an attempt. The impression Ankara left on me is that President
Abdullah Gul will go to Yerevan on Sept. 6 to watch the 2010 World
Cup qualifying match between Turkey and Armenia. Armenia's decision
to exempt Turkish spectators from visa requirement between September
1 to 6 is an important gesture towards facilitating Gul's visit and
creating a better atmosphere for the trip. I think that Erdogan and
his close circle developed the Caucasus Project while bearing in
mind that Armenia must have a place in it and with a possibility of
opening the way for normalizing relations with Armenia in their heads.
If my opinion is right, Erdogan will go to Baku as a determined leader
to break de facto Azerbaijani blockade on Turkish foreign policy
decisions next week. While offering his "blind shot" to Aliyev, he
will emphasize the need to start a regional dialogue for solution
of problems in Nagorno Karabakh, just as in the North and South
Ossetia. It is imperative that the limited dialogue between Armenia
and Turkey give way to regular diplomatic ties for his conversation
to have a meaning.
Agence France Presse -- English
August 16, 2008 Saturday 3:38 PM GMT
Turkey 'no enemy' to Armenia: Gul
ANKARA, Aug 16 2008
President Abdullah Gul sent a reconciliatory message to neighbouring
Armenia on Saturday, saying Turkey is "no enemy" to any country in its
region, as he mulled a possible landmark trip to Yerevan.
The conflict between Georgia and Russia shows the need for "early
measures to resolve frozen problems in the region and... prevent
instability in the future," said Gul in televised remarks in the
central city of Nevsehir.
"This is our understanding on all problems. We are no enemy to anyone
in the region," he said, reiterating a Turkish proposal to set up a
regional forum for stability in the Caucasus.
Gul's conciliatory remark came in response to a question on whether he
would accept an invitation by Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian to go
to Yerevan in September to watch a World Cup qualifying match between
Turkey and Armenia.
He replied he was still evaluating the invitation.
Ankara has refused to establish diplomatic ties with Yerevan since the
former Soviet republic gained independence in 1991 because of Armenian
efforts to secure international recognition of Armenian massacres
under the Ottoman Empire as genocide.
In 1993 Turkey shut its border with Armenia in a show of solidarity
with its close ally Azerbaijan, then at war with Armenia, dealing a
heavy economic blow to the impoverished nation in the strategic
Caucasus region.
Diplomats from Turkey and Armenia met secretly in Switzerland in July
in a fresh effort to normalise ties following three rounds of talks in
2005 and 2006. No progress is so far publicly known.
Turkish and Armenian leaders have meanwhile met on the sidelines of
international gatherings, including a Black Sea regional summit in
Istanbul last year.
Armenians claim up to 1.5 million of their kin were killed in
orchestrated massacres during World War I as the Ottoman Empire,
Turkey's predecessor, was falling apart.
Turkey rejects the genocide label and argues that 300,000 Armenians
and at least as many Turks died in civil strife when Armenians took up
arms for independence in eastern Anatolia and sided with invading
Russian troops.
Haykakan Zhamanak , Armenia
Aug 12 2008
The conflict is defrozen
The dramatic developments in neighbouring Georgia in recent days and
the hostilities which claimed thousands of human lives are bound to
cause serious concern and analysis in other countries of the South
Caucasus.
In fact, we witnessed how one of the frozen conflicts in the region
exploded in a few hours and this will affect settlement of other
conflicts. As the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict was almost equated to the
South Ossetian, Abkhaz and Dniester conflicts from the point of view
of international perception and presentation during the last years,
the events that took place in South Ossetia are crucial for Nagornyy
Karabakh and Armenia in this regard. Analysts believe that the
practice of military settlement of the regional conflicts after a
ceasefire that lasted for years is causing concern.
Comments by Azerbaijani, Armenian analysts
Meanwhile, there are opinions that irrespective of the outcome of the
events in Georgia, they have already created a precedent, successful
or not, and can influence to some extent the further policies of the
states involved in the regional conflicts. We have already reported
that that during the first hours of the hostilities a certain
inspiration and activity could be seen in Azerbaijan, statements were
made from there that Azerbaijan should also follow Georgia's example
- to restore its territorial integrity. Yesterday [11 August]
Azerbaijani political analysts and experts discussed this topic
again. In particular, an Azerbaijani political analyst Ilgar
Mammadov, called upon the Azerbaijani government to provide support
to Georgia, as "Georgia's success is important for Azerbaijan". He
said that "Azerbaijan should provide full support to Georgia, and
military support, if necessary. Only in that case we will manage to
oust Russia from the South Caucasus. Azerbaijan can have an advantage
in the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict and carry out hostilities - to
settle the conflict only after it ousts the Russian Federation."
An Azerbaijani military expert, Yasar Cafarli, said that Azerbaijan's
economic strengthening irritates Russia, and while choosing its
actions, Azerbaijan should take into account that Russia can at any
moment attack Azerbaijan as well. "The Kremlin understands that if it
yields South Ossetia to Georgia, then a number of defeats will follow
this, separatists will be destroyed in Abkhazia, in Nagornyy Karabakh
and Dniester," Azerbaijani expert Akbar Hasanov wrote yesterday [11
August].
The reaction to what goes on is, naturally, much more reserved in
Armenia. A political expert, Aghasi Yenokyan, believes that it cannot
be ruled out that as a result of the events in Georgia we will see
some change in Azerbaijan's policy; what is important is that the war
has brought about a few tendencies. The first one is the tendency of
military settlement of territorial disputes, the second one - creating
an updated and changed notion of sovereignty of the states in the
region. "Russia did not take into account any sovereignty, and we mean
not just that of South Ossetia, but the hostilities carried out beyond
its territory [in Georgia proper]," Yenokyan says, adding that
Azerbaijan might act like Georgia.
Official reaction
However, although opinions of political scientists and experts are
very important in such cases as they create a general understanding of
the sentiments in a specific country, official statements made by
governments are much more important. The Armenian and Azerbaijani
foreign ministries made corresponding statements on Friday [8
August]. Azerbaijan backed Georgia's territorial integrity and
announced that the South Ossetian issue should be settled based on the
principle of territorial integrity. The Azerbaijani government also
announced that they back the actions of the Georgian government in
South Ossetia and find those lawful and in compliance with
international law norms. The Armenian Foreign Ministry expressed
concern over what happened in Georgia and voiced hope that the issue
will be settled in a peaceful way.
[Passage omitted: The statement of the breakaway Nagornyy Karabakh
republic which calls to stop bloodshed and says that military
settlements of such issues has no future]
The head of the Nagornyy Karabakh's parliamentary committee for
foreign relations, Vahram Atanesyan, said yesterday [11 August] at a
news conference that Georgia's attempt to return South Ossetia has
failed. Atanesyan described Georgia's steps as an adventure, and
Russia's reaction as an equivalent. Atanesyan did not rule out that
the NKR government can provide humanitarian assistance to South
Ossetia, and also stressed that that the events showed that attempts
of military settlement of conflicts are doomed [to fail].
The most important one is the statement made yesterday [11 August ] by
the spokesman for the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry [Xazar Ibrahim]
about continuing the negotiations on settling the Nagornyy Karabakh
conflict in the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group. Accordingly,
Azerbaijan is not going to review the issue of Russia's chairmanship
in the OSCE Minsk Group due to the position of the Russian government
in the Georgian-Ossetian conflict. However, what complicates the
situation is that the positions of countries can change at any time.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Military News from Armenia
BORDER 2008 LOOKS PAST THE WAR IN GEORGIA
by Denis Telmanov
WPS Agency
What the Papers Say (Russia)
August 18, 2008 Monday
Russia
Armenian defense minister invites Georgian attache to observe CSTO
exercises
Border 2008 exercises taking place in Armenia; The latest phase of
Border 2008 - joint exercises for the CIS Collective Security Treaty
Organization - begins in Armenia today. The Georgian military attache
in Armenia has been invited to attend as an observer.
The latest phase of Border 2008 - joint exercises for the CIS
Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) - begins in Armenia
today. The next phase will involve live-fire exercises, and a meeting
of the CSTO Council of Defense Ministers on August 22.
As we reported on July 30, the main aim of Border 2008 is to work out
what the CSTO could do to defend an allied state, Armenia, against
external aggression. The exercises involve around 4,000 military
personnel - including 1,500 Russian personnel from the 102nd military
base at Gyumri.
Major General Sergei Chuvakin, head of the CSTO Staff planning and
coordination directorate, has already arrived in Yerevan. He told us
that the current phase entails staff preparations for the practical
phase of the exercises, when Russian and Armenian personnel will
be firing at 1,500 targets at the Bagramian range. They plan to
use over 45,000 rounds of ammunition, including some aircraft-based
ammunition. Air power for Border 2008 is provided by 35 fighter jets,
attack aircraft, and helicopters.
CSTO Staff spokesman Vitali Strugovtsev told us that the Georgian
military attache in Armenia - Colonel Murtaz Gudzhedzhiani, appointed
in late February - has been invited to observe the firing exercises
carried out by Russian and Armenian troops. However, Major General
Chuvakin said that the Border 2008 headquarters has no information
about the Georgian attache's presence.
by Denis Telmanov
WPS Agency
What the Papers Say (Russia)
August 18, 2008 Monday
Russia
Armenian defense minister invites Georgian attache to observe CSTO
exercises
Border 2008 exercises taking place in Armenia; The latest phase of
Border 2008 - joint exercises for the CIS Collective Security Treaty
Organization - begins in Armenia today. The Georgian military attache
in Armenia has been invited to attend as an observer.
The latest phase of Border 2008 - joint exercises for the CIS
Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) - begins in Armenia
today. The next phase will involve live-fire exercises, and a meeting
of the CSTO Council of Defense Ministers on August 22.
As we reported on July 30, the main aim of Border 2008 is to work out
what the CSTO could do to defend an allied state, Armenia, against
external aggression. The exercises involve around 4,000 military
personnel - including 1,500 Russian personnel from the 102nd military
base at Gyumri.
Major General Sergei Chuvakin, head of the CSTO Staff planning and
coordination directorate, has already arrived in Yerevan. He told us
that the current phase entails staff preparations for the practical
phase of the exercises, when Russian and Armenian personnel will
be firing at 1,500 targets at the Bagramian range. They plan to
use over 45,000 rounds of ammunition, including some aircraft-based
ammunition. Air power for Border 2008 is provided by 35 fighter jets,
attack aircraft, and helicopters.
CSTO Staff spokesman Vitali Strugovtsev told us that the Georgian
military attache in Armenia - Colonel Murtaz Gudzhedzhiani, appointed
in late February - has been invited to observe the firing exercises
carried out by Russian and Armenian troops. However, Major General
Chuvakin said that the Border 2008 headquarters has no information
about the Georgian attache's presence.
COMMANDERS ARE PREPARED FOR COMBAT COOPERATION
by Denis Telmanov
WPS Agency
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
August 18, 2008 Monday
Russia
Discussion of the air defense of the CIS passed as if there were no
war in Transcaucasia
A TRAINING AND METHODICAL ASSEMBLY OF AIR FORCE COMMANDERS OF THE
CIS MEMBER STATES TOOK PLACE IN DUSHANBE; Contrary to expectations,
participants of the training and methodical assembly of air force
commanders of the CIS member states fully ignored the Georgian-Ossetian
crisis and focused on continuing the modernization of the air defense
forces of their countries forming the united air defense system of
the CIS.
Contrary to expectations, participants of the training and methodical
assembly of air force commanders of the CIS member states fully
ignored the Georgian-Ossetian crisis and focused on continuing the
modernization of the air defense forces of their countries forming
the united air defense system of the CIS.
Representative of the Russian Defense Ministry, Oleg Balayan, explained
this stance by saying that air battles took place at external borders
of the system and did not threaten its security.
At the meeting of the coordinating committee, it was decided that in
the next year, Russia would allocate 21.5 million rubles to member
states of the united air defense system of the CIS for modernization
of their air defense.
Of this amount, Tajikistan will receive 4 million rubles for the repair
of P-18 radar between September and October of 2008, Uzbekistan will
receive 1.3 million rubles for components for air defense systems
and Armenia will receive 3.4 million rubles for the restoration of
two missile aiming stations 1S32M1 in August of 2008. Belarus will
also be given 4.2 million rubles for repair of air defense missile
systems S-300 PS.
A representative of Belarus, commander of the Belarusian air force
and air defense forces, Igor Azarenok, was chosen as the chair of
the council.
According to Azarenok, since the beginning of the year, the main
efforts of the committee were aimed at the development of military
technological cooperation on bilateral and multilateral basis, as
well as at conduction of joint exercises. Staff command exercises
with participation of air force and air defense forces commanders
of Armenia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Russia and
Ukraine took place on April 22. The exercises included 107 flights
of crews of 98 airplanes and helicopters. Russian airplanes performed
the biggest quantity of flights (67).
Radar reconnaissance A-50 airplanes were tested in the course of
the exercises in Belarus and Kazakhstan and Russian air base Kant in
Kyrgyzstan was used too.
The next exercises of the air defense system of the CIS Combat
Cooperation-2009 will take place at Ashuluk training range but their
content has not been approved and discussed yet. Participants of the
meeting say that the program of these exercises will be corrected
taking into account the conflict in South Ossetia.
by Denis Telmanov
WPS Agency
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
August 18, 2008 Monday
Russia
Discussion of the air defense of the CIS passed as if there were no
war in Transcaucasia
A TRAINING AND METHODICAL ASSEMBLY OF AIR FORCE COMMANDERS OF THE
CIS MEMBER STATES TOOK PLACE IN DUSHANBE; Contrary to expectations,
participants of the training and methodical assembly of air force
commanders of the CIS member states fully ignored the Georgian-Ossetian
crisis and focused on continuing the modernization of the air defense
forces of their countries forming the united air defense system of
the CIS.
Contrary to expectations, participants of the training and methodical
assembly of air force commanders of the CIS member states fully
ignored the Georgian-Ossetian crisis and focused on continuing the
modernization of the air defense forces of their countries forming
the united air defense system of the CIS.
Representative of the Russian Defense Ministry, Oleg Balayan, explained
this stance by saying that air battles took place at external borders
of the system and did not threaten its security.
At the meeting of the coordinating committee, it was decided that in
the next year, Russia would allocate 21.5 million rubles to member
states of the united air defense system of the CIS for modernization
of their air defense.
Of this amount, Tajikistan will receive 4 million rubles for the repair
of P-18 radar between September and October of 2008, Uzbekistan will
receive 1.3 million rubles for components for air defense systems
and Armenia will receive 3.4 million rubles for the restoration of
two missile aiming stations 1S32M1 in August of 2008. Belarus will
also be given 4.2 million rubles for repair of air defense missile
systems S-300 PS.
A representative of Belarus, commander of the Belarusian air force
and air defense forces, Igor Azarenok, was chosen as the chair of
the council.
According to Azarenok, since the beginning of the year, the main
efforts of the committee were aimed at the development of military
technological cooperation on bilateral and multilateral basis, as
well as at conduction of joint exercises. Staff command exercises
with participation of air force and air defense forces commanders
of Armenia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Russia and
Ukraine took place on April 22. The exercises included 107 flights
of crews of 98 airplanes and helicopters. Russian airplanes performed
the biggest quantity of flights (67).
Radar reconnaissance A-50 airplanes were tested in the course of
the exercises in Belarus and Kazakhstan and Russian air base Kant in
Kyrgyzstan was used too.
The next exercises of the air defense system of the CIS Combat
Cooperation-2009 will take place at Ashuluk training range but their
content has not been approved and discussed yet. Participants of the
meeting say that the program of these exercises will be corrected
taking into account the conflict in South Ossetia.
CIS COUNTRIES HOLD MILITARY EXERCISE IN ARMENIA
RIA Novosti
Aug 18 2008
Russia
Moscow, 18 August: More than 1,000 Russian servicemen are taking
part in the Rubezh-2008 command-staff exercise held by the Collective
Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) in Armenia, Col German Zhitenev,
spokesman of the Ground Troops information service, told RIA-Novosti
of Monday [18 August]. "This exercise is special in that it is being
held in the Caucasus rather than in the Central Asian region. Its
participants will train in giving military and military-technical
assistance to Armenia in case of aggression against this country. The
exercise's concept is hypothetical, however it takes into consideration
the military-political and military-strategic situation that is taking
shape in the region," the agency was told.
Units of Armenia's Ground Troops as wells as servicemen from Belarus,
Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan as part of task force are taking
part in the exercise. "The drill in Armenia is the third stage of
the Rubezh-2008 joint CSTO exercise, which started on 18 August. The
first stage was held in Armenia is early July, the second at the CSTO
HQ in Moscow in late July. The exercise will end at a test range in
Armenia on 22 August," Zhitenev added.
RIA Novosti
Aug 18 2008
Russia
Moscow, 18 August: More than 1,000 Russian servicemen are taking
part in the Rubezh-2008 command-staff exercise held by the Collective
Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) in Armenia, Col German Zhitenev,
spokesman of the Ground Troops information service, told RIA-Novosti
of Monday [18 August]. "This exercise is special in that it is being
held in the Caucasus rather than in the Central Asian region. Its
participants will train in giving military and military-technical
assistance to Armenia in case of aggression against this country. The
exercise's concept is hypothetical, however it takes into consideration
the military-political and military-strategic situation that is taking
shape in the region," the agency was told.
Units of Armenia's Ground Troops as wells as servicemen from Belarus,
Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan as part of task force are taking
part in the exercise. "The drill in Armenia is the third stage of
the Rubezh-2008 joint CSTO exercise, which started on 18 August. The
first stage was held in Armenia is early July, the second at the CSTO
HQ in Moscow in late July. The exercise will end at a test range in
Armenia on 22 August," Zhitenev added.
CITIZENS OF ARMENIA DIDN'T SUFFER FROM THE MILITARY ACTIONS IN GEORGIA
armradio.am
18.08.2008 16:20
The "Novosty - Gruzia" agency informed the RA Embassy in Georgia that
the citizens of Armenia didn't suffer from the military actions in
Georgia. "We don't have information about any suffered Armenian. In
the name of the Armenian community in Georgia I can say that there
are no victims but there are Armenian refugees from Gory and other
villages", the Embassy informed. To note, the tourists have mainly
been moved from Georgia to Armenia. It was stressed that except of
the citizens of Armenia many foreigner were transported from Georgia
to Armenia. "Last week about 18000 people have been transported. The
45 % of them were citizens of Armenia the others were foreigners",
the Embassy informs.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Our best and brightest. . . Armenian students in DC
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
ANCA Congratulates 100th Anniversary of 
Armenian New
Panorama.am
18:38 15/08/2008
FIVE BRONZE MEDALS BELONG TO ARMENIA
Armenian sportsman heavy athlete Tigran V. Martirosyan presenting 85kg
rate has been awarded another bronze medal. This is the fifth bronze
medal Armenian sportsmen bring to Armenia from the Olympic Games.
Chinese heavy athlete received golden medal and Ukrainian Andrey
Ribakov received silver medal.
Remind that Gevorg Davtyan, Tigran G Martirosyan, Roman Amoyan, Yuri
Patrikeev are the sportsmen to be awarded bronze medals.
Swedish wrestler stripped of bronze medal
By STEPHEN WILSON, AP Sports Writer
BEIJING (AP)'A Swedish wrestler was disqualified and stripped of his
bronze medal Saturday for dropping the prize in protest after a
disputed loss at the Beijing Olympics.
Ara Abrahamian was punished by the International Olympic Committee for
violating the spirit of fair play during the medal ceremony, becoming
the fourth athlete kicked out of the games and bringing the number of
medals removed to three.
Abrahamian became incensed when a disputed penalty call decided his
semifinal match against Italian Andrea Minguzzi, who went on to win
the gold medal in the Greco-Roman 84-kilogram division Thursday.
During the medal ceremony, the Armenian-born Abrahamian - who also
lost a 2004 Olympic semifinal match on a disputed call - took the
bronze from around his neck and, angrily, dropped it on the mat as he
walked away. He did not take part in the rest of the medal ceremony.
The IOC executive board ruled Abrahamian's actions amounted to a
political demonstration and a mark of disrespect to his fellow
athletes.
`It was felt that his behavior on the medal podium and during the
medal ceremony was not appropriate,' IOC spokeswoman Giselle Davies
said. `His behavior was not in the Olympic spirit of respect for his
fellow athletes. Whatever grievances you may have, this was not the
way to go about it.'
The IOC said no athlete will receive Abrahamian's medal because his
disqualification was not connected to the competition itself, meaning
there will be only one bronze medalist, Nazmi Avluca of
Turkey. Normally, there are two at each weight class.
The 28-year-old Abrahamian had to be restrained from going after
matside officials following his loss to Minguzzi. He stormed away from
the area where interviews are conducted and slammed a door to the
dressing rooms so hard it shook an entire wall. He weighed whether to
skip the bronze medal match, only to have friends talk him into
competing.
The IOC said Abrahamian violated two rules of the Olympic charter, one
which bans any sort of demonstrations and another which demands
respect for all Olympic athletes.
`The awards ceremony is a highly symbolic ritual, acknowledged as such
by all athletes and other participants,' the IOC said. `Any disruption
by any athlete, in particular a medalist, is in itself an insult to
the other athletes and to the Olympic Movement. It is also contrary to
the spirit of fair play.'
Abrahamian never expressed regret or offered an apology, the IOC
said. The international wrestling federation was asked to consider any
further sanctions against the two-time world champion.
His medal was the third stripped at the Beijing Games so far.
On Friday, North Korean shooter Kim Jong Su had his silver and bronze
medals taken away after failing a doping test. Also expelled for
doping violations have been Spanish cyclist Maria Isabel Moreno and
Vietnamese gymnast Thi Ngan Thuong Do.
Abrahamian's case is not the first of its kind.
A weightlifter at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics was stripped of his
bronze medal after rejecting it during the medal ceremony. Ibragim
Samadov, competing in the light heavyweight category for the Unified
Team of the former Soviet Union, was upset with his performance and
refused to have the medal placed around his neck and only accepted it
in his hand. He then put it down and walked off.
Samadov later apologized, but the IOC decision upheld its decision to
disqualify him. He later was banned for life by the sport's governing
body.
By STEPHEN WILSON, AP Sports Writer
BEIJING (AP)'A Swedish wrestler was disqualified and stripped of his
bronze medal Saturday for dropping the prize in protest after a
disputed loss at the Beijing Olympics.
Ara Abrahamian was punished by the International Olympic Committee for
violating the spirit of fair play during the medal ceremony, becoming
the fourth athlete kicked out of the games and bringing the number of
medals removed to three.
Abrahamian became incensed when a disputed penalty call decided his
semifinal match against Italian Andrea Minguzzi, who went on to win
the gold medal in the Greco-Roman 84-kilogram division Thursday.
During the medal ceremony, the Armenian-born Abrahamian - who also
lost a 2004 Olympic semifinal match on a disputed call - took the
bronze from around his neck and, angrily, dropped it on the mat as he
walked away. He did not take part in the rest of the medal ceremony.
The IOC executive board ruled Abrahamian's actions amounted to a
political demonstration and a mark of disrespect to his fellow
athletes.
`It was felt that his behavior on the medal podium and during the
medal ceremony was not appropriate,' IOC spokeswoman Giselle Davies
said. `His behavior was not in the Olympic spirit of respect for his
fellow athletes. Whatever grievances you may have, this was not the
way to go about it.'
The IOC said no athlete will receive Abrahamian's medal because his
disqualification was not connected to the competition itself, meaning
there will be only one bronze medalist, Nazmi Avluca of
Turkey. Normally, there are two at each weight class.
The 28-year-old Abrahamian had to be restrained from going after
matside officials following his loss to Minguzzi. He stormed away from
the area where interviews are conducted and slammed a door to the
dressing rooms so hard it shook an entire wall. He weighed whether to
skip the bronze medal match, only to have friends talk him into
competing.
The IOC said Abrahamian violated two rules of the Olympic charter, one
which bans any sort of demonstrations and another which demands
respect for all Olympic athletes.
`The awards ceremony is a highly symbolic ritual, acknowledged as such
by all athletes and other participants,' the IOC said. `Any disruption
by any athlete, in particular a medalist, is in itself an insult to
the other athletes and to the Olympic Movement. It is also contrary to
the spirit of fair play.'
Abrahamian never expressed regret or offered an apology, the IOC
said. The international wrestling federation was asked to consider any
further sanctions against the two-time world champion.
His medal was the third stripped at the Beijing Games so far.
On Friday, North Korean shooter Kim Jong Su had his silver and bronze
medals taken away after failing a doping test. Also expelled for
doping violations have been Spanish cyclist Maria Isabel Moreno and
Vietnamese gymnast Thi Ngan Thuong Do.
Abrahamian's case is not the first of its kind.
A weightlifter at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics was stripped of his
bronze medal after rejecting it during the medal ceremony. Ibragim
Samadov, competing in the light heavyweight category for the Unified
Team of the former Soviet Union, was upset with his performance and
refused to have the medal placed around his neck and only accepted it
in his hand. He then put it down and walked off.
Samadov later apologized, but the IOC decision upheld its decision to
disqualify him. He later was banned for life by the sport's governing
body.
Arthur Ayvazyan Recieves Gold Olympic medal
Panorama.am
12:56 15/08/2008
Armenian sportsman Arthur Ayvazyan, representing Ukraine, won gold
Olympic medal in shooting. He was the well-aimed at shooting from 50
metres distance.
Ayvazyan had 702.1 points in the final and became Olympic
Champion. Metew Ammons, American sportsman, (701.7 points) was in
the second place and a sportsman from Australia Warren Potten (700.5
points) won bronze medal.
YEREVAN SCRAPS VISAS FOR TURKISH SOCCER FANS
Today's Zaman
16 August 2008, Saturday
Turkey
In a fresh overture to Ankara, Armenia decided on Thursday to
unilaterally suspend its visa regime with Turkey to facilitate the
arrival of Turkish fans for the upcoming first-ever match between
the two countries' national football teams, the Armenian media have
reported.
The Armenian government stated that Turkish citizens traveling to
Armenia from Sept. 1-6 will not be required to obtain entry visas,
the online news portal armenialiberty.org said in a report posted on
Thursday. "The decision was taken to enable citizens of the Turkish
Republic to attend the Sept. 6 game between the football teams of
Armenia and Turkey to be played in Yerevan," the article quoted a
government statement as saying.
Approached by Today's Zaman yesterday, diplomatic sources in
Ankara said they haven't yet received an official notification
concerning the visa decision; yet, the same sources also said such
an initiative by Yerevan should be considered normal procedure. "For
sporting events, the parties involved often provide such temporary
implementations. If this decision by Yerevan was actually made,
this is not an extraordinary action that hasn't been seen before,"
the diplomatic sources, speaking under condition of anonymity, told
Today's Zaman.
Armenian President Serzh Sarksyan invited President Abdullah Gul to a
World Cup qualifying match between the national soccer teams of the
two countries in Yerevan on Sept. 6, calling for dialogue to help
normalize ties and saying this would be mutually beneficial.
Both diplomats at the Foreign Ministry and officials close to the
Cankaya presidential palace are tight-lipped on whether Gul will
accept Sarksyan's invitation, which has led the international media to
define the current state of affairs as "soccer diplomacy." Analysts
say Ankara will probably announce its decision on the matter at
the latest possible moment while continuing its silence as long as
possible. Sources close to Gul's office say, however, that "Cankaya
palace's assessment of the invitation is positive." Ankara Today's
Zaman
Reuters South Africa, South Africa
Georgian bridge attack echoes beyond borders
Sat 16 Aug 2008, 19:53 GMT
By Margarita Antidze
KASPI, Georgia (Reuters) - The attack on Georgia's East-West railway
lifeline was over in minutes, a small group of men in battle fatigues
laying explosives on a key bridge before fleeing into the hills to
detonate them.
Residents of the town of Kaspi, in their accounts of the action, said
the fighters were Russians, a charge the Russian General Staff
dismissed as Georgian propaganda.
Whoever was responsible for the action against such an important
economic target after nine days of conflict, its consequences will be
felt beyond Georgian borders in the volatile Caucasus region.
Georgia's European Integration Minister, Georgy Baramidze, said the
bombing of the bridge was "an economic disaster".
"This is huge damage, not just for Georgia, but for Armenia and
Azerbaijan and Central Asian countries, which are shipping goods and
oil by Georgian railway."
"The Russians, these barbarians, want to destroy our country
economically," he told reporters in emotional language characteristic
of the conflict around the Russian-backed separatist regions of South
Ossetia and Abkhazia.
The railways in Georgia are a potent symbol of Russia's imperial
expansion and the consolidation of its power there in the 19th
century. They enabled Russia to strengthen its hold on the region
which it maintained until the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.
Irregular pro-Russian militia groups based in South Ossetia have been
active on Georgian territory throughout the conflict. Foreign and
Georgian civilians have accused them of hijacking cars and
looting. Russia has said it will bring them to heel.
CEASEFIRE
A 50-metre span across the river at Kaspi had collapsed completely,
pitching slabs of rubble into the water and around its banks. Severed
lengths of rail pointing up at the sky, power cables hung from their
pylons.
"There was a jeep and two Ural trucks," one resident told Georgian
television, referring to the Russian-made heavy vehicles. "They took a
huge sack and put it on the bridge, then walked up the hill and there
was an explosion."
He said the blast damaged the roof of his house and smashed windows
far around.
Within hours Georgian trucks arrived by road and a maintenance train
by rail. Workers immediately began repairs.
The incident occurred hours before Russian President Dmitry Medvedev
signed a French-mediated ceasefire agreement already accepted by
Georgia.
The railway line runs from Tbilisi, through the now Russian-occupied
town of Gori, before splitting in three and running to the Black Sea
ports of Poti and Batumi and southwest down to just short of the
Turkish border.
On Friday, a Russian military convoy advanced to the Kaspi region from
Gori near breakaway South Ossetia, the deepest incursion into Georgia
proper in the confrontation.
Russia drove Georgian forces from South Ossetia last week, in a
massive counter-offensive after Tbilisi tried to retake the region
from pro-Moscow separatists.
Panorama.am
12:56 15/08/2008
Armenian sportsman Arthur Ayvazyan, representing Ukraine, won gold
Olympic medal in shooting. He was the well-aimed at shooting from 50
metres distance.
Ayvazyan had 702.1 points in the final and became Olympic
Champion. Metew Ammons, American sportsman, (701.7 points) was in
the second place and a sportsman from Australia Warren Potten (700.5
points) won bronze medal.
YEREVAN SCRAPS VISAS FOR TURKISH SOCCER FANS
Today's Zaman
16 August 2008, Saturday
Turkey
In a fresh overture to Ankara, Armenia decided on Thursday to
unilaterally suspend its visa regime with Turkey to facilitate the
arrival of Turkish fans for the upcoming first-ever match between
the two countries' national football teams, the Armenian media have
reported.
The Armenian government stated that Turkish citizens traveling to
Armenia from Sept. 1-6 will not be required to obtain entry visas,
the online news portal armenialiberty.org said in a report posted on
Thursday. "The decision was taken to enable citizens of the Turkish
Republic to attend the Sept. 6 game between the football teams of
Armenia and Turkey to be played in Yerevan," the article quoted a
government statement as saying.
Approached by Today's Zaman yesterday, diplomatic sources in
Ankara said they haven't yet received an official notification
concerning the visa decision; yet, the same sources also said such
an initiative by Yerevan should be considered normal procedure. "For
sporting events, the parties involved often provide such temporary
implementations. If this decision by Yerevan was actually made,
this is not an extraordinary action that hasn't been seen before,"
the diplomatic sources, speaking under condition of anonymity, told
Today's Zaman.
Armenian President Serzh Sarksyan invited President Abdullah Gul to a
World Cup qualifying match between the national soccer teams of the
two countries in Yerevan on Sept. 6, calling for dialogue to help
normalize ties and saying this would be mutually beneficial.
Both diplomats at the Foreign Ministry and officials close to the
Cankaya presidential palace are tight-lipped on whether Gul will
accept Sarksyan's invitation, which has led the international media to
define the current state of affairs as "soccer diplomacy." Analysts
say Ankara will probably announce its decision on the matter at
the latest possible moment while continuing its silence as long as
possible. Sources close to Gul's office say, however, that "Cankaya
palace's assessment of the invitation is positive." Ankara Today's
Zaman
Reuters South Africa, South Africa
Georgian bridge attack echoes beyond borders
Sat 16 Aug 2008, 19:53 GMT
By Margarita Antidze
KASPI, Georgia (Reuters) - The attack on Georgia's East-West railway
lifeline was over in minutes, a small group of men in battle fatigues
laying explosives on a key bridge before fleeing into the hills to
detonate them.
Residents of the town of Kaspi, in their accounts of the action, said
the fighters were Russians, a charge the Russian General Staff
dismissed as Georgian propaganda.
Whoever was responsible for the action against such an important
economic target after nine days of conflict, its consequences will be
felt beyond Georgian borders in the volatile Caucasus region.
Georgia's European Integration Minister, Georgy Baramidze, said the
bombing of the bridge was "an economic disaster".
"This is huge damage, not just for Georgia, but for Armenia and
Azerbaijan and Central Asian countries, which are shipping goods and
oil by Georgian railway."
"The Russians, these barbarians, want to destroy our country
economically," he told reporters in emotional language characteristic
of the conflict around the Russian-backed separatist regions of South
Ossetia and Abkhazia.
The railways in Georgia are a potent symbol of Russia's imperial
expansion and the consolidation of its power there in the 19th
century. They enabled Russia to strengthen its hold on the region
which it maintained until the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.
Irregular pro-Russian militia groups based in South Ossetia have been
active on Georgian territory throughout the conflict. Foreign and
Georgian civilians have accused them of hijacking cars and
looting. Russia has said it will bring them to heel.
CEASEFIRE
A 50-metre span across the river at Kaspi had collapsed completely,
pitching slabs of rubble into the water and around its banks. Severed
lengths of rail pointing up at the sky, power cables hung from their
pylons.
"There was a jeep and two Ural trucks," one resident told Georgian
television, referring to the Russian-made heavy vehicles. "They took a
huge sack and put it on the bridge, then walked up the hill and there
was an explosion."
He said the blast damaged the roof of his house and smashed windows
far around.
Within hours Georgian trucks arrived by road and a maintenance train
by rail. Workers immediately began repairs.
The incident occurred hours before Russian President Dmitry Medvedev
signed a French-mediated ceasefire agreement already accepted by
Georgia.
The railway line runs from Tbilisi, through the now Russian-occupied
town of Gori, before splitting in three and running to the Black Sea
ports of Poti and Batumi and southwest down to just short of the
Turkish border.
On Friday, a Russian military convoy advanced to the Kaspi region from
Gori near breakaway South Ossetia, the deepest incursion into Georgia
proper in the confrontation.
Russia drove Georgian forces from South Ossetia last week, in a
massive counter-offensive after Tbilisi tried to retake the region
from pro-Moscow separatists.
Hürriyet, Turkey
Saturday, August 16, 2008 16:24
Turkey-sponsored Caucasian union to start as an economic partnership
Turkey has mapped out the details of the proposed Caucasian union and
plans to launch the association on the basis of the economic
partnership.
Turkey had proposed the formation of a Caucasian union after the
clashes erupted between Georgia and Russia. Turkey, as a neighboring
country of the region, has close interest in the Caucasus in its
efforts to ensure energy supply safety.
Ankara had stepped in to resolve the conflict with Prime Minister
Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Ali Babacan had visited both
Moscow and Tbilisi.
Turkey's proposal to establish a Caucasian union was widely
accepted. The union, called by Turkey as "Caucasus Stability and
Partnership Platform", is envisaged to bring Turkey, Armenia, Georgia,
Azerbaijan and Russia under the same roof.
Sources from Turkish foreign ministry told local media the union is
planned to have common security and executive bodies, and would be
similar to the neighboring countries of Iraq but in a more complex
structure. The works on the unions would start next week.
TOUGH TASK
Although the idea was widely accepted, there is a tough task ahead of
Turkey as almost every country, who would take part in this
establishment, has bilateral conflicts.
Turkey hopes this union would contribute to the strengthening of the
relations between Ankara and Yerevan as well as the resolution of the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
TURKEY-ARMENIA: Turkey is among the first countries that recognized
Armenia when it declared its independency. However there is no
diplomatic relations between two countries, as Armenia presses the
international community to admit the so-called "genocide" claims
instead of accepting Turkey's call to investigate the allegations, and
its invasion of 20 percent of Azerbaijani territory despite
U.N. Security Council resolutions on the issue.
AZERBAIJAN-ARMENIA: Nagorno Karabakh is a region of Azerbaijan which
has been under the occupation of Armenia since the war broke out
between the two states in 1988-1994. In 1988 when the disputed
region's Armenian-dominated governing council voted to secede from
Azerbijan, it set of a series of bloody clashes both between and
within the two neighboring countries. Some 10 percent of the Azeri
population was displaced.
GEORGIA-RUSSIA: Russia was deeply involved at many levels in the
conflicts in Georgia's breakaway regions South Ossetia and Abkhazia,
and in 1993 Ajarian leaders also declared Russia the protector of
their national interests. Clashes erupted between two countries last
week after Georgian forces held a military operation in the South
Ossetia.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Saturday, August 16, 2008 16:24
Turkey-sponsored Caucasian union to start as an economic partnership
Turkey has mapped out the details of the proposed Caucasian union and
plans to launch the association on the basis of the economic
partnership.
Turkey had proposed the formation of a Caucasian union after the
clashes erupted between Georgia and Russia. Turkey, as a neighboring
country of the region, has close interest in the Caucasus in its
efforts to ensure energy supply safety.
Ankara had stepped in to resolve the conflict with Prime Minister
Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Ali Babacan had visited both
Moscow and Tbilisi.
Turkey's proposal to establish a Caucasian union was widely
accepted. The union, called by Turkey as "Caucasus Stability and
Partnership Platform", is envisaged to bring Turkey, Armenia, Georgia,
Azerbaijan and Russia under the same roof.
Sources from Turkish foreign ministry told local media the union is
planned to have common security and executive bodies, and would be
similar to the neighboring countries of Iraq but in a more complex
structure. The works on the unions would start next week.
TOUGH TASK
Although the idea was widely accepted, there is a tough task ahead of
Turkey as almost every country, who would take part in this
establishment, has bilateral conflicts.
Turkey hopes this union would contribute to the strengthening of the
relations between Ankara and Yerevan as well as the resolution of the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
TURKEY-ARMENIA: Turkey is among the first countries that recognized
Armenia when it declared its independency. However there is no
diplomatic relations between two countries, as Armenia presses the
international community to admit the so-called "genocide" claims
instead of accepting Turkey's call to investigate the allegations, and
its invasion of 20 percent of Azerbaijani territory despite
U.N. Security Council resolutions on the issue.
AZERBAIJAN-ARMENIA: Nagorno Karabakh is a region of Azerbaijan which
has been under the occupation of Armenia since the war broke out
between the two states in 1988-1994. In 1988 when the disputed
region's Armenian-dominated governing council voted to secede from
Azerbijan, it set of a series of bloody clashes both between and
within the two neighboring countries. Some 10 percent of the Azeri
population was displaced.
GEORGIA-RUSSIA: Russia was deeply involved at many levels in the
conflicts in Georgia's breakaway regions South Ossetia and Abkhazia,
and in 1993 Ajarian leaders also declared Russia the protector of
their national interests. Clashes erupted between two countries last
week after Georgian forces held a military operation in the South
Ossetia.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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