European Armenian Federation

Sergey Lavrov and Karabakh conflict (30 August 2010)

2010-08-30T07:13:11Z

“The work over the so- called basic principles, yielded some results in terms of finding a formulation that at this stage can afford to fix the parties' consent. That does not mean that all will be resolved upon the completion of work on the basic principles,' Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told in an interview with Azeri journalist about the present stage of Karabakh conflict solution.

“ After the basic principles, it will be necessary to develop a juridical document - a peace agreement, which will require much greater penetration into the details. Nevertheless, the basic principles, as a political document, would be of great importance,” he mentioned.

According to Lavrov, they could not achieve agreement on every point with regards to the draft basic principles yet, but they have almost reached a compromise formulation on a significant part of the text.

“We had a very simple proposal - to fix two or three questions, which are not yet subject to the agreed formulation, for further discussions. To record clearly that there will be no final agreement without these two questions. At this stage, it would allow fixing the progress that has been made over the significant part of the text and at the same time, to show that still some questions are left, there are two to three concrete problems, which require further efforts, and to consolidate what has been achieved so far. The co-chairs have supported us in this regard,” he said.

According to the Russian Foreign Minister, approving the basic principles with 2-3 uncoordinated milestones would give an important political signal, which is awaited in the international community, in Europe, that the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan clearly aim to resolve this conflict and they clearly aim at a peaceful settlement, which was mentioned by the co-chairs many times, stipulated in the so-called Meiendorf declaration signed by the presidents of Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Coming to the protocol signed in Yerevan about the prolongation of the Russian Military base presence in Armenia, he noted that it extends the agreement on the presence of Russian military bases in Armenia by 49 years and nothing more.

“It does not change either the function of the military base, which Russia has in Armenia, or the number of the servicemen at this base, or the number of arms at the base. The main purpose of Russian military base is to ensure the interests of the Russian Federation. This goal was set before the Russian military base when the agreement was signed. This goal does not change with the extension of the agreement into the next 49 years,” he concluded.

Public Radio of Armenia

"Armenia is more independent than the neighbors " (G. Harutyunyan) (21 August 2010)

2010-08-21T07:20:07Z

"Dmitry Medvedev's official visit to Armenia and the prolongation of Russian military base presence in Armenia increase our security and do not hinder our national independence," President of the “Noravank” Foundation Gagik Harutyunyan told a press conference today.

"In 1992-1993, after the liberation of Lachin and Shushi, Turkish army moved to Nakhijevan boundary lengthwise. The Prime Minister Tansu Chiller threatened to attack Armenia. Marshal Shaposhnikov's announcement about the possibility of beginning the Third World War suppressed the Turks," he reminded.

He finds that Turkey is now more independent than in the past, hence, more aggressive.

"I think the new contract, which supposes not only defending Russian interests through the base, but also provision of Armenia's security comes from Armenia's national interests," Gagik Harutyunyan said.

"US has about 600 military bases in the world, 365 of which in Europe. However, neither of these countries is concerned about losing independence. As to Armenia, by the results of the international famous newspaper "Foreign Policy" our independence is more than Georgia's, Azerbaijan's, Turkey's and Iran's independence," the political scientist noted.

Public Radio of Armenia

Sergei Lavrov interview by the Public Television of Armenia. (20 August 2010)

2010-08-20T07:55:35Z

Speaking about the Armenian-Russian relations we cannot only say that they are on a high level, but it is strategic partnership, it is an alliance, Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation Sergei Lavrov said in an interview with the Public Television of Armenia.

“We are allies in the CSTO, all this being based on centuries-old history of our co-existence, friendship and mutual assistance. We keep all the traditions sacred, consolidating them. I think we can say with confidence that our relations are developing in all the fields. In my opinion the state visit of the Russian President will not only reconfirm that level but will be filled with new arrangements that will deepen our strategic partnership, allied relations,” Lavrov said.

Speaking about the Nagorno Karabakh settlement Lavrov said during the past 1,5-2 years President of Russia paid special attention to finding ways for the solution of the issue. He had six meetings with the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan. “I personally partook at the meetings which were frank and open. In each case the ideas connected with the issue were discussed and agreed with the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs. So was at the recent meeting in St. Petersburg. I want to stress that any document adopted in this or that way fixes the necessity of exclusively peaceful settlement of the conflict, the approach shared by the Russian side, co-chairs and the OSCE. The provision is fixed also in the Maindorf Declaration signed between Armenian, Azerbaijani and Russian presidents one and a half year ago.”

As to the question about selling C-300 anti-aircraft systems to Azerbaijan Lavrov said C-300 anti-aircraft systems become “a symbol of alarm.” “Now talks are circulating around Azerbaijan, earlier there were such talks over Iran. But let us not forget what C-300 really is: they are defensive weapons designed to defend from external missile attacks. That's all. As to Russia, it supplies any weaponry in accordance wit the norms of the international law,” Lavrov said, adding that Russia will never supply weapons to any region if it destabilizes the situation there.

“I would not see any arguments that the situation may destabilize. Defensive weapons do not destabilize the situation with the only exception: if anyone wants to use force, defensive weapons may create problems for them. I am sure that none of the states in the region plans to launch new military actions, as it would be a disaster. The aggressor will not achieve his aims – we were convinced of that in August 2008, when your neighbor, Mr. Saakashvili tried to settle the South Ossetian problem using methods unacceptable from the point of view of international law. I am sure that Armenia and Azerbaijan will not make such attempts. I participated in President Medvedev's meetings with Presidents Sargsyan and Aliev. All the three Presidents put their signatures to the documents that prohibit the use of force and underline the commitment to peaceful settlement of any problems in the context of the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process,” Lavrov said.

ARMENPRESS

Turkey and Russia fill the vacuum in the region (19 August 2010)

2010-08-19T07:14:58Z

"By saying territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, the President of Turkey Abdullah Gul understands seven liberated territories," Artak Shakaryan told a press conference today.

According to him, both the strategic cooperation contract signed between Azerbaijan and Turkey and the refreshed contract between Armenia and Russia remind that US is getting out from the region.

"We are in a situation, where the European Union is busy with the economic crisis, Minsk group is not active, US is not going to be engaged in the region, thus, Russia and Turkey try to rearrange their forces," he noted.

"Obama's foreign policy does not satisfy either the opposition or the power. Next year he is going to be prepared for the next elections. In parallel, he must pay attention to the issue of Iran, mainly, for the reason that Russia is going to set in motion Busher's nuclear power station in a month. Turkey has important issues to solve in October. In this month, the enlargement issue of the European Union will take place. Besides, the final decision on Nabuko will be made," he said.

"According to Gul, his visit to Baku is connected with the Nabuko issue: that is, to be sure that Baku- Tbilisi- Erzrum gas pipeline will be full to be connected with Nabuko. Turkey needs Nabuko, as it is a supplementary lever on Europe and Western world," he continued.

"Holy masses in Greek and Armenian Churches organized by Turkey are shows and if Armenians participate in this Holy mass, they will provide show's success. From the other side, not participating means that Armenians are afraid of the game suggested by Turkey. It will be right to go and suggest to organize Holy masses once in a three month and tell that it is our right to do Holy masses and not the Turkey's concession," he concluded.

Public Radio of Armenia

Gul criticizes OSCE Minsk Group (17 August 2010)

2010-08-17T07:48:08Z

Turkish President Abdullah Gul reaffirmed his country's unconditional support for Azerbaijan in the Nagorno- Karabakh conflict and criticized international mediators ahead of a state visit to Baku that began on Monday, reported RFE/RL.

Reports from Baku said the two leaders signed a new Turkish- Azerbaijani agreement on “strategic partnership” and “mutual assistance.” Details of the agreement were not immediately made public.

“We are one nation with separate states. We come together frequently based on such an understanding. We will continue our solidarity and cooperation,” Gul said at a press conference following his meeting with Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev, reported Turkishpress.com.

“Our bilateral relations continue to develop, including in the political, security, economic and cultural fields. We discussed today ways to promote our relations. We are encouraging our companies to increase mutual investments. We are pleased with the investments of Azeri companies in Turkey. We are proud of Turkish companies doing business in Azerbaijan,” added Gul.

The Turkish president stated both before and after the talks that the Karabakh conflict must be resolved rapidly and on the basis of Azerbaijan's territorial integrity. In a weekend interview with the Azerbaijani APA news agency, he said Ankara “will do everything necessary” for a Karabakh settlement acceptable to Baku. “The world will not accept continued [Armenian] occupation of our fraternal country,” he said, according to RFE/RL.

The Turkish president also took a swipe at U.S., Russian and French mediators co- chairing the OSCE Minsk Group. “We want the Minsk Group to move close to the conflict's resolution,” he told APA. “But as things stand now, people call visits to the region by Minsk Group representatives ‘tourist trips.' Therefore, new steps need to be taken.”

“Turkey will continue to take steps to resolve the issue of occupied Azeri territory. I want all of my Azeri brothers and sisters to know that Turkey is and will always be on the side of Azerbaijan,” said Gul as reported by Turkishpres.com.

“In 2008, I came up with such an initiative. At first, I traveled to Yerevan, then honorable [President Serzh] Sarkisian visited Turkey. We informed honorable President Ilham Aliyev about this whole process,” Gul added, referring to the Turkish-Armenian rapprochement that eventually ended in failure.

Armenian leaders have said all along that the Karabakh conflict was never on the agenda of Turkish-Armenian fence-mending negotiations. They say the process failed because Ankara subsequently reverted to linking the normalization of Turkish-Armenian with Karabakh peace.

Gul appeared to single out Russia's “important” role in the mediation process. But he also acknowledged, “Such difficult problems can not solved under pressure from of a single country.”

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan described Russia as “the most important actor” in the Karabakh peace process and urged it do more to broker an Armenian- Azerbaijani settlement when he visited Moscow in January.

However, both President Dmitri Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir sidestepped the implicit Turkish calls for a stronger Russian pressure on Armenia during their subsequent visits to Turkey. “We don't want anyone to think [after the conflict's resolution] that we pressured one of the parties and achieved a solution to the problem that is unfair to somebody,” Putin said in Ankara in June.

Putin also stressed earlier this year that the Turks should drop their Karabakh talks in their talks with Yerevan.

Public Radio of Armenia

ON THE TREATY OF SÈVRES (15 August 2010)

2010-08-15T07:57:06Z

THE NEED FOR CLARIFICATION

The ninetieth anniversary of the Treaty of Sèvres is an important event for the Republic of Armenia, as well as for all Armenians. There is a widespread opinion, however, which needs to be clarified. Armenian territorial rights are not entirely based on the Treaty of Sèvres. The Treaty of Sèvres did not itself declare the border between Armenia and Turkey. By Article 89 of the Treaty of Sèvres, the parties to the treaty appealed to the US President, for him to carry out the arbitration which would decide that frontier. Even if the Treaty of Sèvres were not to exist, it would not make any difference; Armenia would have still maintained unquestionable territorial rights, as, on behalf of the Allied Powers (the British Empire, France and Italy), the San Remo Conference had appealed to US President Woodrow Wilson on the 26th of April, 1920 to delimit the Armenia-Turkey frontier, a request which the US President accepted on the 17th of May, 1920. This took place almost three months before the Treaty of Sèvres was signed. (The Treaty of Sèvres was signed on the 10th of August, 1920.)

The importance of the signing of the Treaty of Sèvres in terms of territorial rights lies in the fact that, by accepting the document, Turkey acceded to the arbitration compromise, and in so doing, the country reconfirmed its obligation to carry out any arbitral award by the US President. I emphasize that it reconfirmed the obligation, as, by signing the Armistice of Moudros (on the 30th of October, 1918), which was without question a capitulation in legal terms, Turkey had handed over its sovereignty to the victorious powers and it was they who had the right to decide which part of the territory of the Ottoman Empire would form a new Turkish state.

Consequently, our struggle on the legal front must be based on two documents – the Treaty of Sèvres (of the 10th of August, 1920) and, in particular, the arbitral award of the US President Woodrow Wilson (of the 22nd of November, 1920) derived from that treaty. As to the first, it must be noted that, although it has not been ratified, it is nevertheless a binding document, as it has been signed ‘between the contracting parties' (vide Vienna Convention on Law of Treaties, Article 2 (f)). As to the second, it is necessary to emphasise the following: (a) the arbitral award is inviolable, it has no time limits and it is a legally-binding decision; (b) although the arbitral award was carried out by the US President, it is nevertheless a binding document for 142 of the 192 current members of the United Nations. (Due to paucity of space, the details cannot be provided here, but this point has been fully discussed in my strategy paper for a solution to the Armenian Question.)

In sum, the following conclusion can be drawn. The clauses of the Treaty of Sèvres having to do with the territorial rights of the Republic of Armenia are still absolutely valid due to the aforementioned documents and, with the corresponding efforts and in the right political climate, they can be put into effect.

Ara Papian
Head of the Modus Vivendi Centre
10 August, 2010

After 35 years, the Helsinki Final Act is still relevant (31 July 2010)

2010-07-31T09:45:36Z

The Helsinki Final Act remains as relevant today as it was when it was signed 35 years ago, the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Kazakhstan's Foreign Minister and Secretary of State Kanat Saudabayev, said today ahead of the 1 August anniversary.

"For the 35 years of its existence, the Helsinki Final Act has not lost its relevance and topicality. The innovative and comprehensive concept of security that was established by the leaders of 35 states in Helsinki remains today an important factor of security and co-operation in the OSCE area of responsibility," he said.

"At the same time, truly tectonic changes in the world that have taken place, particularly in recent years, require the OSCE participating States, and first and foremost their leaders, to search for adequate responses to these new challenges and threats. This is why the timeliness of an OSCE summit in Astana this year is difficult to overestimate. Our aim is to move from the concept of a 'space of security from Vancouver to Vladivostok' to the creation of a single Euro-Atlantic and Eurasian community of security."

Saudabayev added: "We believe that a result of the summit will be a new 'Spirit of Astana' that will naturally and logically stem from the new geopolitical realities and the Helsinki Final Act. This will represent a commendable way to mark the anniversary of the Organization and will encourage new achievements in the 21st century."

The Helsinki Final Act, signed by presidents and prime ministers from 35 countries on 1 August 1975, was seen as a major step in reducing Cold War tensions and led to the formation of a permanent forum for dialogue on security - the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe, now the OSCE.

The Act established a uniquely comprehensive definition of security - encompassing the politico-military, the economic-environmental and the human dimensions - and along with the commitments subsequently agreed by the participating States continues to guide the OSCE's work.

A Summit bringing together the leaders of the 56 States which make up the OSCE today is planned to take place in Astana before the end of the year.

Public Radio of Armenia

Artak Shakaryan: Silence in Armenia Turkish relations to continue through 2011 (29 July 2010)

2010-07-29T10:07:06Z

“September is going to be ‘hot' and full of events for Turkey, and this is directly linked to Armenia,” expert of Turkish studies Artak Shakaryan told a press conference today. However, he does not predict any breakthrough in the Armenian-Turkish relations.

“As Abdullah Gul once declared, ‘it's time for silent diplomacy.' Most probably, the silence will be kept until the parliamentary elections in Turkey in July 2011. There will not be any real steps in the Armenian-Turkish relations before that,” he said.

“The worship ceremony at Surb Khach Church and other things just serve as makeup to cover the eyes of European and American forces, but no real progress is expected,” Artak Shakaryan said.

Public Radio of Armenia

Minsk Group Co-Chairs to visit the region in early September (29 July 2010)

2010-07-29T09:59:19Z

The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Ambassador Igor Popov of Russia, Bernard Fassier of France, and Robert Bradtke of the United States, released the following statement today:

The OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs (Ambassador Bernard Fassier of France; Ambassador Robert Bradtke of the United States; Ambassador Igor Popov of the Russian Federation) met with the members of the Minsk Group July 28 in Vienna, Austria.

They briefed the Minsk Group on recent developments in negotiations on the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, including: discussions held in St. Petersburg June 17, 2010 by the presidents of the Russian Federation, Armenia, and Azerbaijan; the meeting of the Heads of Delegation of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair countries with the Foreign Ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia July 17, 2010; and the joint statements issued by the Minsk Group Co-Chair countries in Muskoka and Almaty.

The Co-Chairs stressed that the efforts made so far by the sides of the conflict have not been sufficient to overcome their differences, and that additional actions are needed to reinforce the ceasefire and demonstrate a spirit of compromise. To assist the parties in their efforts, the Co-Chairs plan to visit the region in early September.

Public Radio of Armenia

The EU catch a glimpse one viable solution to the Karabakh conflict (P. Semneby) (27 July 2010)

2010-07-27T09:33:17Z

EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus Peter Semneby said that any voting on the Karabakh status can take place only after a long process. Now it is necessary to reach an agreement on the principles of how the settlement process should develop to create guarantees for all the sides, he said.

Referring to the efficiency of the OSCE Minsk Group, Semneby noted that the EU continues supporting the OSCE Minsk Group's activity.

“I believe that the international community needs to demonstrate to Armenia and Azerbaijan that we expect them to negotiate in good faith to settle the conflict. We already have the outlines of what, to my opinion, could become a viable solution to the conflict. Now it is necessary to convince the sides to accept these principles,” said Semneby.

As for the Armenian-Turkish normalization and its tie with the Karabakh conflict, he said that there is no a formal tie between the processes. However, according to Semneby, one cannot deny that whatever takes place in one of these processes, it has an impact on the atmosphere of confidence, and this should be taken into consideration, Interfax reported.

PanARMENIAN.Net

Edward Nalbandian about Almaty meeting (20 July 2010)

2010-07-20T08:41:26Z

“The meeting in Almaty was useful, although there was no possibility of issuing a five-sided statement because of Azerbaijan's non-constructive position,” Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian said.

"Representatives of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chair countries, Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation Sergei Lavrov, Foreign Minister of France Bernard Kouchner, and Deputy Secretary of State of the United States James Steinberg issued a statement on the Karabakh issue. This statement first of all recalled the joint statement on Nagorno-Karabakh of December 1, 2009 at the OSCE Ministerial meeting in Athens and reminded the sides of their commitment to seek a peaceful settlement to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict based on the principles contained in the Helsinki Final Act, particularly those related to refraining from the threat or use of force, the territorial integrity of states, and the equal rights and self determination of peoples. They reiterated that the elements articulated by Presidents Medvedev, Sarkozy, and Obama on July 10, 2009 at L'Aquila and repeated at Muskoka on June 26, 2010 must be the foundation of any fair and lasting settlement to the conflict,” the Foreign Minister said.

“Secondly, the statement emphasizes that additional actions are needed to reinforce the ceasefire of 1994. In the course of many years Azerbaijan has been refusing to reinforce the ceasefire. The co-chair countries once again stressed the necessity of it to create a more favorable atmosphere for further political dialogue and reaching agreements,” the Minister stated.

“The statement refers to the provocation of the Azerbaijani side on June 18-19. I think it's obvious to everyone who the statement is addressed to, because it refers to inflammatory public statements, which aggravate the situation and do not contribute to the settlement of the conflict,” Minister Nalbandian stated.

Public Radio of Armenia

Negotiations EU - South Caucasus countries (16 July 2010)

2010-07-16T08:01:03Z

The first round of negotiations on an Association Agreement with Georgia, Azerbaijan and Armenia will take place in the capitals of the three South Caucasus countries next week. The Agreements presuppose commitments of the parties to a set of shared values and will cover a wide range of areas, including Political dialogue, Justice, freedom and security, as well as trade and cooperation in sectoral policies and will help the countries to take on board key elements of the EU's legislation and standards.

The EU is launching the negotiations on the occasion of first Plenary Meetings to be held in Batumi (Georgia), on 15 July, in Baku (Azerbaijan) on 16 July and in Yerevan (Armenia) on 19 July.

The decision to open negotiations for an Association Agreement reflects an evolution of a continuous strengthening of relations building on the first agreements that entered into force in 1999. It also demonstrates the EU's commitment towards its Eastern neighbours in realising the opportunity to widen and deepen relations with the EU within the framework of the Eastern Partnership initiative.

The main objective of the Association Agreements is to achieve closer political association and gradual economic integration between the EU and the three Southern Caucasus countries. The negotiating process will be guided by the principles of inclusiveness, differentiation, conditionality and joint ownership, as well as by a strong commitment of the parties to shared values and principles, including democracy, the rule of law and respect for human rights and good governance.

Attending the event in Batumi and welcoming the launch of negotiations, the EU's High Representative/Vice President of the Commission Baroness Ashton said: “Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia have shown a clear ambition to intensify their relationships with the EU. I am personally convinced that through establishing a comprehensive Association Agreement this should impact positively not just on political relations but on the lives of citizens, in terms of economic opportunity, people-to-people contacts with the EU, the environment, just to name a few. This agreement will be a catalyst to the domestic reforms in these countries and can help us to focus resources on the key institutions needed to make further efforts. "

Negotiations on the Association Agreement will cover the general objectives and principles of relations of the EU with each of the three countries, political dialogue and co-operation on foreign and security policy, Justice, Freedom and Security issues, co-operation in specific sectors, people-to-people contacts (including areas such as education and research) and trade.

The EU is currently negotiating similar Association Agreements with Ukraine and Moldova.

Public Radio of Armenia

Richard Giragosian: Minsk Group Co-chairs understand that Karabakh cannot be returned to Azerbaijan (8 July 2010)

2010-07-08T06:18:33Z

The OSCE Minsk Group has already understood that Karabakh can never be returned to Azerbaijan, Director of the Armenian Center for National and International Studies Richard Giragosian told a press conference today.

Richard Giragosian said that the Minsk Group cannot solve the conflict without the consent of the conflicting parties, in this case Armenia and Azerbaijan, while the two seem to be far from reaching an agreement.

He expressed concern over Azerbaijan's military strategy. “I'm concerned with an unexpected military conflict rather than war,” Giragosian said.

Richard Giragosian says Turkey wishes to start a new strategy this week. “It's very likely that Turkey will open Armenian-Turkish border in September,” he said.

According to the expert, it could coincide with the ceremony of the holy mass to be served in St. Cross Church of Akhtamar on September 19. “Official Ankara will thus respond to Hillary Clinton's regional visit,” Giragosian said.

"Of course, Turkey's new plans are not agreed with Azerbaijan. However, the only achievement of Armenia's football diplomacy is that it made a powerful blow to “one nation, two states” principle and Turkish-Azerbaijani tandem. What really suffered from Serzh Sargsyan's football diplomacy is Azerbaijan,” he said.

Liana Yeghiazaryan - Public Radio of Armenia

Armenia-EU Subcommittee on Justice, Freedoms and Security holds a sitting in Yerevan (7 July 2010)

2010-07-07T09:18:54Z

The first sitting of the Armenia-EU Subcommittee on Justice, Freedoms and Security kicked off in Yerevan today. From the Armenian side the Subcommittee is chaired by Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Karine Ghazinyan and Deputy Minister of Justice Nikolay arustamyan.

Officials from the General Prosecutor's Office, the Police, the National Security Service, the National Security Council, the Central Bank, the State Migration Agency, the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Justice and Economy participate in the sitting.

The EU delegation is headed by John Kjaer, Head of the EU Directorate for the South Caucasus, Ukraine, Moldova and Belarus.

The agenda of the meeting includes issues related to border management, fighting corruption and organized crime, migration policy, judicial-legal cooperation, as well as visa liberalization for Armenian citizens.

Public Radio of Armenia

Co-Chairs expect the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan to meet in Almaty (6 July 2010)

2010-07-06T09:15:02Z

The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Ambassador Igor Popov of Russia, Bernard Fassier of France, and Robert Bradtke of the United States, released the following statement today:

The Minsk Group Co-Chairs (Ambassador Bernard Fassier, France; Ambassador Robert Bradtke, United States; and Ambassador Igor Popov, Russia) visited Yerevan and Baku July 3-5. Ambassador Bradtke and Ambassador Popov also visited Nagorno-Karabakh July 2.

In Nagorno-Karabakh, Ambassador Bradtke and Ambassador Popov briefed the de facto authorities on the latest developments in the peace process, including the June 26, 2010 statement of Presidents Dmitry Medvedev, Barack Obama, and Nicolas Sarkozy. They also discussed the June 18-19 incident along the Line of Contact. They deplored this incident as an unacceptable violation of the ceasefire, and reiterated their regret over the senseless loss of life and their strong condemnation of the use of force. In Yerevan, the three Co-Chairs met President Serzh Sargsian, Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian, and Minister of Defense Seyran Ohanyan. In Baku, they met with President Ilham Aliyev, Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov, Defense Minister Safar Abiyev, and representatives of Azerbaijani internally displaced persons from the Nagorno-Karabakh region.

In their meetings in both Yerevan and Baku, the Co-Chairs stressed the commitment of their three countries to support a peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karbakh conflict, based upon the Helsinki principles of non-use of force or the threat of force, territorial integrity, and the equal rights and self-determination of peoples. In that respect, they noted the progress that has been made and the recognition by both sides that the elements articulated by their three Presidents in L'Aquila and repeated in their June 26, 2010 statement must be the basis of a peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. They urged the parties, in a spirit of constructive compromise, to take the next step and move towards completing work on the Basic Principles to enable the drafting of a peace agreement to begin. They called upon the sides to strictly observe the 1994 ceasefire and exercise restraint along the Line of Contact. During their visit, the Co-chairs also presented to the parties their plan to undertake a mission to the occupied territories in this fall, which was accepted in principle.

The Co-Chairs expect that a meeting will take place between the heads of their delegations and the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan on the margins of the OSCE Informal Ministerial in Almaty July 16-17.

Public Radio of Armenia

Karabakh: The international community made a gesture (28 June 2010)

2010-06-28T09:33:38Z

MUSKOKA, Canada—On June 26, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, U.S. President Barack Obama, and French President Nicolas Sarkozy, issued the following statement on Karabakh from the G8 summit:

We, the Presidents of the OSCE Minsk Group's Co-Chair countries, France, the Russian Federation, and the United States of America, reaffirm our commitment to support the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan as they finalize the Basic Principles for the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

We welcome as a significant step the recognition by both sides that a lasting settlement must be based upon the Helsinki Principles and the elements that we proposed in connection with our statement at the L'Aquila Summit of the Eight on July 10, 2009, relating to: the return of the occupied territories surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh, interim status for Nagorno-Karabakh guaranteeing security and self-governance, a corridor linking Armenia to Nagorno-Karabakh; final status of Nagorno-Karabakh to be determined in the future by a legally-binding expression of will, the right of all internally-displaced persons and refugees to return, and international security guarantees, including a peacekeeping operation.

Now the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan need to take the next step and complete the work on the Basic Principles to enable the drafting of a peace agreement to begin. We instruct our Ministers and Co-Chairs to work intensively to assist the two sides to overcome their differences in preparation for a joint meeting in Almaty on the margins of OSCE Informal Ministerial.

Nicolas Sarkozy, Dimitri Medvedev, Barack Obama

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton plans to visit both Armenia and Azerbaijan early next month during a trip to the South Caucasus.

Public Radio of Armenia

Statement by the Spokesperson of EU High Representative Catherine Ashton on Nagorno-Karabakh (24 June 2010)

2010-06-24T08:11:14Z

The spokesperson of High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice President of the Commission Catherine Ashton issued a following statement today:

"The High Representative regrets the armed incident resulting in the loss of human life that took place during the night between 18-19 June along the Line of Contact in the context of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The High Representative calls on both sides to respect the ceasefire, restrain from the use of force or any threat thereof, and continue efforts for the peaceful resolution of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. The EU reiterates its full support to the efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group and the work of the three co-chairs."

Public Radio of Armenia

Armenian, Azerbaijani delegations to PACE meet in Strasbourg (23 June 2010)

2010-06-23T08:25:52Z

The Armenian and Azerbaijani delegations to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe met in Strasbourg on the sidelines of the PACE summer session. Upon the proposal of the Armenian side, one opposition representatives participated in the meeting from each side. The meeting featured Armen Rustamyan and David Harutyunyan from the Armenian side and Sabir Hajiev and Samad Seidov from the Azerbaijani side.

According to Armen Rustamyan and David Harutyunyan, the parties agreed that no PACE structure could substitute the Minsk Group format.

“Our main assertion has been and remains the same – the consultations between the parties should continue until we find response to the main questions. We questioned whether any PACE format with no experience and institutional capacity could play a role in the conflict settlement. Hastiness on this issue is unacceptable and harms the image of PACE. We oppose creation of any platform that might grow into a new stage for propaganda, thus further aggravating the strained relations,” David Harutyunyan and Armen Rustamyan declared.

“The important achievement of this meeting was Azerbaijan's willingness to continue the cooperation, since up until now Azerbaijan was rejecting any proposal to cooperate in any format. We expect that Baku will officially confirm this position of the two MPs. We participate in these consultations, realizing that the establishment of an atmosphere of trust between our peoples and societies creates an effective environment for the negotiation process,” the Armenian MPs declared.

Public Radio of Armenia

Presidents of Armenia, Russia, Azerbaijan meet in Saint Petersburg (18 June 2010)

2010-06-18T08:53:33Z

The President of Armenia, Serzh Sargsyan, the President of Russia, Dmitry Medvedev and the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev held a meeting in Saint Petersburg on the sidelines of the international economic forum.

The meeting was followed by a working dinner, featuring the Presidents and the Foreign Ministers.

The meeting focused on the “most crucial problems” that prevent the settlement of the conflict, according to Medvedev's press secretary, who spoke to reporters following the talks.

“The sides noted the bridging of their positions on a number of contradictory provisions of the text in the basic principles of the Karabakh conflict settlement,” Natalya Timakova said.

Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian declared that during the meeting the parties "regorded what had been reached as a result of the talks.”

According to him an agreement was reached to continue the negotiations on that ground. “The Presidents assigned the Foreign Ministers to continue the communication,” the Armenian Foreign Minister stated.

Edward Nalbandian also declared that the Minsk Group Co-Chairs plan to pay a visit to the region early in July.

“The process continues. This meeting was constructive and very useful,” Minister Nalbandian stated.

What should be expected form Sargsyan-Aliyev-Medvedev meeting in Saint Petersburg? President of the European Integration NGO Karen Bekaryan says it's going to be one of the recurrent meetings. However, against the background of suspension of the Armenian-Turkish normalization process, it means that Turkish efforts are over.

“The Presidents of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia will sit at the bargaining table aware that Armenia has nothing to talk about unless the status of Nagorno Karabakh is determined,” Karen Bekaryan told a press conference today. “There is a red line beyond which Armenia has nothing to say,” he stated, adding that this is becoming clear to the international community.

Karen Bekaryan does not believe the meeting in Saint Petersburg is going to bring any breakthrough. According to him, the reduction of the number of meetings in 2010 is connected with the suspension of the process of ratification of the Armenian-Turkish protocols, since Azerbaijan understood that Karabakh was not included in the Armenian-Turkish process. President of the European Integration NGO is assured that henceforth the negotiations will become more effective.

“Azerbaijan was stiffening its position, since it though it had a powerful brother behind its back. Turkey's exclusion from the process makes the Armenian-Azerbaijani meetings more effective,” he said.

Touching upon the possible concessions, Karen Bekaryan said “any concession is an expression of goodwill, while a country that makes bellicose statements and terrorizes cannot show goodwill.”

“Besides, it's impossible to give territory to a neighbor fearing it could open fire on you from there,” Karen Bekaryan said.

Public radio of Armenia

Richard Giragosian: Armed Forces of Armenia and NKR are the most powerful in the region (18 June 2010)

2010-06-18T08:40:20Z

The Armenian Center for National and International Studies (ACNIS) convened a roundtable discussion today focusing on the regional balance of power, with presentations on defense reform and civil-military relations in Turkey and Azerbaijan, as well as a look at these issues in Georgia and Iran.

ACNIS Director of Administration Dr. Karapet Kalenchian presented a brief introduction of the issues of defense reform and the military balance of power in the South Caucasus, which he said “demonstrated the significance of discussing and analyzing the latest developments in regional security.” Dr. Kalenchian added that the “current dynamic nature of defense reform and civil-military relations in Turkey and Azerbaijan represented a challenge to Armenia's national security, calling for greater attention and study.”

Levon Hovsepian, an expert on Turkey from the Institute of Political Research in the Presidential Administration, then presented a detailed study of the issues of defense reform and civil-military relations in Turkey. Hovsepian, who recently published a book on the Turkish military, began with an analysis of the evolution of Turkey's defense and security policy and continued by adding that “Turkey has become a security state” in many aspects. He also stressed that Turkey was now seeking to build its “soft power” and become “a security provider” in the region, but was also “conducting defense reform in line with its attempt to join the European Union.”

ACNIS Director Richard Giragosian presented an analysis examining recent trends in the broader region, with a focus on the status of defense reform in Azerbaijan. Most notably, he stressed that despite Azerbaijan's inflated defense spending, the real test was how they use the money, adding that “the Azerbaijani armed forces remains at the heart of corruption.” He also added an assessment of the Azerbaijani and Georgian armed forces.

ACNIS Senior Analyst Manvel Sargsian closed the event by noting that military force was only one of the crucial elements for the balance of power, adding that “other factors, such as democracy, the rule of law, and political stability were equally important.”

Public Radio of Armenia