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| September 1- 6 |
Israel's Supreme Court has delayed
a ruling on the Israeli military's plan to use the Armenian Patriarchate's
property south of Jerusalem as the two sides continued efforts to
reach an out-of-court settlement. The 36-acre Baron Der property lies
in the path of a planned 220 mile-long fence, that the Israeli Defense
Forces are building in order to thwart attacks by Palestinian militants.
The talks came following strong Armenian and international protests.
Most recently, Pope John Paul II wrote to the Armenian Catholicos
Karekin II expressing hope that "it will be possible to find a solution
that would protect Jerusalem's ancient Armenian Patriarchate and thus
prevent yet another blow to Christian presence in the Holy City."
He added that the Vatican's foreign office would raise the issue with
the Israelis.
Reports over the last two weeks suggest that the Israeli Defense Forces
(IDF) have agreed in principle not to run the fence down the middle
of the property, which would have rendered Baron Der largely useless.
Israeli officials insisted they wanted to maintain "cordial relations
with the Armenian Church." IDF spokesman Rachel Ashkenazi was quoted
as saying that the "army went along much too fast" and is now planning
to route the fence along the southern perimeter of the property. A
leading Israeli daily reported last week that the IDF was planning
to annex areas around Rachel's Tomb, a Judaic holy site located east
of Baron Der, making it likely that the Armenian Church property would
also fall within Israeli territory.
Armenian Assembly telephone reports from the Patriarch this week indicate
that negotiations are continuing on the exact location of the fence
and its width, as well as compensation for the damage already inflicted
to Baron Der by Israeli soldiers. In reference to this damage, Ashkenazi
said that "everything will be returned to its former place." Since
last year, the Israelis have bulldozed some 300 of 1,900 age-old olive
trees and caused other damage on the Baron Der property. |
| September 1- 6 |
Leaders of sixteen Armenian opposition
parties this week signed a joint statement pledging to back a single
candidate in an effort to unseat incumbent President Robert Kocharian
during next February's election. Party officials conceded that they
had failed to agree on who that candidate would be. One of the opposition
leaders, chairman of the Party of the Republic Albert Bazeyan suggested
that the parties might field several candidates in the first round
of voting, with the strongest of them advancing to the run-off.
The opposition alliance includes groups as diverse as the National
Accord Party of Artashes Geghamian, People's Party of Stepan Demirchian
and National Democratic Union of Vazgen Manukian. Geghamian, who is
reportedly the most popular opposition politician, has already announced
plans to run for the presidency whether or not other parties back
him. Manukian in turn sounded skeptical about the alliance's cohesion,
saying that "we will not follow the same course no matter how much
we unite."
Opposition alliance leaders also distanced themselves from Armenia's
ex-President Levon Ter-Petrossian who is backed by the former ruling
Armenian Pan-National Movement (HHSh). Ter-Petrossian has been reportedly
mulling a presidential run, if he receives broad political support.
Both Demirchian and Bazeyan, on whose backing Ter-Petrossian may have
counted, have ruled out endorsing him for now. Most other members
of the opposition alliance are hostile towards the HHSh.
Meanwhile, in the pro-Kocharian camp, Self-Determination Union leader
Paruir Hairikian said his party will no longer support Kocharian,
but will continue cooperation with political parties that back him.
Hairikian collected five percent of the popular vote in the 1998 elections
and endorsed Kocharian in the second round. Hairikian cited Kocharian's
failure to complete the constitutional reform process as the main
reason for withdrawal of his party's support. |
| September 1- 6 |
President Robert Kocharian arrived
in the Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR) earlier this week to participate
in events marking the 11th anniversary of the republic's declaration
of independence. He also met with officers and soldiers of the Karabakh
army during the concluding day of their annual weeklong exercises.
NKR declared its independence on September 2, 1991, in accordance
with the Soviet law on secession effective at the time. Kocharian,
together with the recently re-elected NKR President Arkady Ghoukasian
and other officials, observed post-war reconstruction efforts in Stepanakert
and paid respects to those who sacrificed their lives for NKR's independence.
Commenting on the military exercises, Kocharian praised the combat
readiness of the armed forces. "I have spent a whole day with the
soldiers of the Karabakh Defense Army, observed their exercises and
must say that I got the best impressions" he said.
NKR's Defense Minister General Seyran Ohanian commanded the military
games that involved virtually all of the army's combat units as well
as reservists. In an interview last month, Ohanian noted the ongoing
professional and technical improvements in the army, which in 1992-94
defeated its Azerbaijani opponents. He said that modern electronic
equipment allows the Karabakh forces to "conduct effective reconnaissance
and keep its opponents under control." |
| September 1- 6 |
U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY),
Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee
praised the establishment of the Turkish-Armenian Reconciliation Commission.
"I was heartened to see that such a positive step had been taken,"
said Senator McConnell. "Your efforts to create mutual understanding
between the peoples of both countries truly transcend international
politics, and I wish you the best of luck in your efforts." McConnell
is the leading Senate Republican in support of the U.S.-Armenia relationship. |
| September 1- 6 |
Implementation of the much debated
pipeline project that aims to bring oil from the Caspian deposits
to Mediterranean ports is facing new hurdles due to objections raised
in Azerbaijan and at the United Nations Summit on Sustainable Development.
Azerbaijanis are reportedly unhappy with consortium operator BP over
the selection of the Greece-based Consolidated Contractors Corporation
(CCC) as the main contractor for construction of the Azerbaijani stretch
of the Baku-Ceyhan pipeline. Azerbaijani media branded CCC an "Armenian
company" because one of its senior advisors is an Armenian-American
businessman. Reports suggested that President Heydar Aliyev has already
demanded that BP invalidate its contract with CCC.
Meanwhile, international non-governmental organizations renewed their
criticism of the project on grounds that it violates rights of residents
of the countries that the pipeline traverses and endangers local environments.
"The Baku-Ceyhan pipeline sets new standards for corporate impunity
and domination," said a British newspaper commentary in reference
to a contract signed by BP and Turkey. Similar public criticism of
another British company forced it to pull out of a Turkish dam project. |
| September 2 |
Education Minister Levon Mkrtchian
issues a new decree requiring all secondary schools to display the
Armenian state coat of arms and flag, as well as pictures of the Armenian
president and Catholicos Garegin II, the leader of the Armenian Apostolic
Church. |
| September 2 |
Armenian President Robert Kocharian
arrives in Stepanakert to attend ceremonies marking the 11th anniversary
of Nagorno Karabagh's declaration of independence from Azerbaijan.
In an official address marking the anniversary, Karabagh President
Arkady Gukasyan reaffirms his commitment to finding a peaceful, negotiated
resolution to the Karabagh conflict and warns the Azerbaijani government
against any attempt to solve the Karabagh conflict militarily. In
repeated statements over the past several months, Azerbaijan has threatened
to launch a military campaign to restore control over Nagorno Karabagh. |
| September 3 |
Nagorno Karabagh governmental press
spokesman David Mikaelian formally refutes recent Azerbaijani press
reports accusing the Karabagh government of actively resettling several
hundred Kurdish families from Turkey into border areas between Karabagh
and Azerbaijan. The Azerbaijani press reports allege that the influx
of Kurdish settlers is part of the Karabagh government's broader plan
to alter the demography of the region, although it is unclear how
the Kurdish families were able to leave Turkey. |
| September 3 |
Galust Sahakian, the leader of the
parliamentary faction of Prime Minister Andranik Markarian's Republican
Party of Armenia, announces that the party remains in support of President
Robert Kocharian "in line with our previous agreements." Sahakian
adds that the party will "most likely" back the incumbent president
in the February 2003 election. |
| September 3 |
Armenian National Movement (ANM) party
strategist Tigran Hakobian announces that the party will not join
the recently formed coalition of 16 political opposition parties.
The former ruling ANM dismisses the new coalition as an unwieldy grouping
of diverse and potentially conflicting political agendas and ambitions.
The strongly anti-government ANM also accuses unnamed parties of covertly
supporting President Kocharian and seeking to use their position within
the opposition alliance as a means to disrupt true unity among the
disparate opposition. |
| September 3-4 |
According to a new study conducted
by the Caucasus Media Institute, only 1.5 percent of theArmenian population
"trusts" the country's print media, a severe decline compared to an
earlier survey conducted six years ago which found that 80 percent
of Armenians expressed confidence in the print media's reporting.
The report's author, Mark Grigorian, explains that the results reflect
a "media crisis" and stem in large part to a decline in the general
population's ability to afford the cost of newspapers. Grigorian adds
that the state of the print media also suffers from seriously low
standards, with little investigative reporting, and poor analysis. |
| September 4-5 |
The 16-party opposition coalition
issues a new joint declaration accusing President Robert Kocharian
of seeking to "retain power at all cost" and vowing to forge a coordinated
effort to replace the incumbent president with a sole opposition candidate.
Republican Party leader Albert Bazeyan differs with the declaration,
however, and reveals that the opposition will most likely be unable
to agree on a sole candidate, putting forth several opposition candidates
instead. Press reports contend that at least six opposition figures
aligned in the coalition will seek to contest the February 2003 presidential
election. |
| September 6 |
A new decree is signed by Nagorno
Karabagh President Arkady Gukasyan commuting the 14-year prison sentence
of Sasoun Aghadjanian, the convicted assassin who seriously wounded
President Gukasyan in a shooting attack on the presidential motorcade
in March 2000. The presidential decree commutes the February 2001
sentence to a suspended sentence. The decision comes due to Aghadjanian's
declining health. |
| September 7 |
President Arkady Gukasyan is formally
sworn into his second term as Nagorno Karabagh president. A number
of senior Armenian officials attend the ceremony, including President
Robert Kocharian, Defense minister Serge Sarkisian, Parliamentary
Chairman Armen Khachatrian and Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian. A
delegation of senior Abkhazian leaders also participates in the ceremonies
in Stepanakert. |
| September 7-9 |
The family of Artashes Mehrabian,
the owner of an independent television station, reports him missing
and appeals toPresident Robert Kocharian and senior law enforcement
officials to investigate his disappearance. The family reports that
Mehrabian received several deaths threats reportedly linked to his
station's broadcasts critical of Abovian Mayor Garo Israelian. Mehrabian
and Azniv Chizmechian, a senior executive of his television station,
were assaulted in late August. The missing man returns two days later,
stating that although he was not kidnapped, several unknown men coerced
him to suspend his television broadcasts. The independent television
station is located in the town of Abovian, north of Yerevan. |
| September 9 |
Following his recent reelection, Nagorno
Karabagh President Arkady Gukasyan reappoints Anushevan Danielian
as Karabagh prime minister. The reappointment surprises some Karabagh
observers as it was widely held that President Gukasyan was dissatisfied
with Danielian's tenure as Karabagh premier. |
| September 9-10 |
Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian addresses
the opening session of the Armenia-European Union (EU) Parliamentary
Commission in Yerevan by welcoming the European Union's (EU) efforts
to persuade Turkey to recognize the 1915 Armenian Genocide and lift
its long standing blockade of Armenia. The parliamentary commission
adopts a statement endorsing the eventual entry of Armenia into the
European Union. The commission also discusses the mediation effort
seeking a negotiated resolution to the Nagorno Karabagh conflict and
Armenia's failure to abide by its earlier commitment to close the
Medzamor nuclear power plant by 2004. |
| September 10 |
A group of ten parliamentarians, including
seven deputies from the People's Party of Armenia, form a new parliamentary
bloc, calling itself "Vox Populi." The defection of the seven deputies
from the People's Party lowers their number of seats to 13. The Unity
bloc, comprised of the People's Party and its Republican Party partner,
now has 38 seats but is still the dominant group in the 131-seat Armenian
parliament. |
| September 12 |
Parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee
Chairman Hovhannes Hovanisian announces that the Council of Europe
has set a June 2003 deadline for Armenia to ratify the European Convention
on Human Rights' ban on capital punishment in all cases except in
times of war. The Armenian parliament adopted several amendments to
the Armenian Criminal Code this past summer that would allow the use
of the death penalty in all sentences reached prior to the amendments'
adoption. |
| September 6-13 |
Led by President Robert Kocharian,
Armenian dignitaries joined the staff of the U.S. Embassy in Armenia
for memorial services this week to commemorate the victims of last
year's terrorist attacks in the United States. As part of the events
marking the tragic anniversary, Armenia's leading symphonic orchestra
and choir performed Mozart's Requiem, and the Catholicos of All Armenians
Karekin II conducted liturgies in Echmiadzin and Yerevan. Members
of Armenia's National Assembly began their session with a minute of
silence.
U.S. Ambassador to Armenia John Ordway thanked Armenians for "the
outpouring of heart-felt grief and sympathy." He further noted the
"very good political and practical support" extended by the Armenian
government to the United States in the hunt for perpetrators of the
terrorist attacks. Armenia opened its airspace and offered landing
rights and medical facilities during the U.S.-led operation in Afghanistan.
Ordway said that post-September 11 bilateral security cooperation
has built on already "excellent" U.S.-Armenia relations.
As a result, the U.S. State Department has also stepped up its assistance
to Armenia's law-enforcement agencies. A new classroom, complete with
up-to-date audio and video equipment and U.S.-trained staff, opened
at Armenia's police academy last week. Meanwhile, professional rescuers
from the U.S. this week joined their counterparts from Russia and
Georgia for two-week training exercises in Armenia's provinces of
Shirak and Aragatsotn.
Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian reaffirmed Armenia's support for
U.S.-led efforts "to combat terrorism which has become an international
threat." Oskanian arrives in New York today to attend the annual session
of the United Nations' General Assembly. He will then travel to Yale,
Tufts and the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor for a series of speaking
engagements. |
| September 6-13 |
Armenian officials reaffirmed this
week their intention to continue to pursue an expanded relationship
with the European Union (EU). Meeting with members of the Brussels-based
European Parliament, President Robert Kocharian said that "our choice
of the European family is irreversible and we will consistently move
along that path." Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian said this week
that while it was too early for Armenia to apply for EU membership,
"integration into European structures is for Armenia a most important
agenda issue." European Parliamentarians Ursula Schleicher (Germany)
and Demetrio Volcic (Italy), who head the commission on the EU side,
met with their counterparts from the Armenian parliament to discuss
a wide range of issues of mutual interest. They discussed the future
decommissioning of the Metsamor nuclear power station, which accounts
for 40 percent of all electricity produced in Armenia. The EU representatives
reportedly appeared resigned to the Armenian government's refusal
to shut down the plant until alternative sources of electricity become
available. In the past, EU officials have insisted that the Soviet-era
reactor be closed by 2004. Prime Minister Andranik Margarian has reportedly
asked Western donors, including U.S., European Union and international
financial institutions, to help raise between $1.2 and 1.5 billion
for construction of additional hydropower and other energy capacity
sufficient to replace nuclear energy in the next decade. |
| September 6-13 |
Russian President Vladimir Putin has
issued an ultimatum to the Georgian leadership demanding that it take
immediate measures to clamp down on Chechen rebels, who in recent
years have taken refuge and reportedly established training bases
on Georgian territory. Unless Georgia acts to stop Chechen cross-border
attacks, Putin warned, Russia would use its right to self-defense
to justify launching strikes on "terrorist bases." The Russian President
indicated that he has already instructed the country's General Staff
to begin necessary planning. In a statement to the international community,
Putin again accused the leadership of Georgia of harboring terrorists.
At the same time, Putin insisted, Russia does not intend to undermine
Georgian sovereignty, territorial integrity or attempt to replace
the government of Eduard Shevardnadze. Georgian officials have called
Russia's accusations "unfounded," claiming that most Chechen fighters
have already left the Georgian-Russian border area, known as the Pankisi
Gorge. They also downplayed the likelihood of Russian military action.
Armenia's Foreign Ministry expressed "serious concern" over tension
between Russia and Georgia. Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee
Chairman Hovanes Hovanisian said that the "unprecedented exacerbation"
between Russia and Georgia may put Armenia in a difficult situation.
He further contended that Russia does not have the right to unilaterally
introduce its forces into Georgia, without a United Nations Security
Council resolution. |
| September 6-13 |
Cooperation between Armenia and Azerbaijan
against terrorism and organized crime would be useful, Armenia's Interior
Minister Lt. Gen. Hayk Harutiunian said last week, adding that terrorists
and criminals did not recognize borders or nationalities. He was speaking
at a gathering of heads of law-enforcement agencies of the Commonwealth
of Independent States (CIS) held in Azerbaijan. Harutiunian is the
highest-ranking Armenian officer to visit the country since the two
declared independence in 1991. Armenia and Azerbaijan have been in
a de-facto state of war since then.
Azerbaijani President Heydar Aliyev has refused all efforts at cooperation
and confidence-building measures with Armenia, even in fields of healthcare
and culture. Visiting Ganje, Azerbaijan's second-largest city, Aliyev
again promised to regain control over Nagorno Karabakh, "whatever
the cost." The Azerbaijani President urged his countrymen to "be ready
for war at any time." During his speech, Aliyev was interrupted by
a group of local protestors who broke through security cordons to
complain about their dire economic situation. |
| September 6-13 |
Unknown individuals placed a pipe
bomb at Holy Nativity of the Mother-of-God Armenian Church in Bakirkoy,
a Western suburb of Istanbul, Turkey, press reports said. The bomb
exploded with a loud noise last Saturday night, but caused neither
injuries nor significant damage. A second bomb was also found at the
church premises, but apparently did not explode. Marmara, a Turkish-Armenian
newspaper, reports that similar attacks on Armenian targets in Turkey
are on the increase. It is unclear whether the attacks are coordinated
or staged at random. |
| September 6-13 |
Prime Minister Andranik Margarian
and a parliamentary commission investigating the conduct of Armentel,
a telecommunications provider, have requested the country's Prosecutor's
Office to launch a criminal inquiry into the company's operations.
Margarian did not disclose any specific charges against the Greek-owned
monopoly and said contentious issues might still be resolved out of
court. Government officials have often accused the Hellenic Telecommunications
Organization (OTE) of violating investment commitments it made as
part of the 1998 takeover of Armentel. The parliamentary commission,
led by one of the opposition leaders, former Prime Minister Vazgen
Manukian, backed these accusations. It also determined that Armentel's
monopolistic position contradicts Armenian law and must be renegotiated.
Most parliamentary factions are expected to endorse the commission's
report. |
| September 6-13 |
Three hundred prospective students
from the Diaspora applied for study in Armenia's colleges this year,
the head of the Diaspora Department of the Ministry of Education and
Science Yuri Navoyan reported this week. The number of applicants
increased by seventy, over last year, the vast majority of them from
Georgia, with the remainder coming primarily from Iran, Turkmenistan,
Russia and Syria. This year, for the first time, applications also
came from Turkey and Israel. Navoyan said that the Ministry presently
provides seventy Diaspora students with state-funded education annually. |
| September 6-13 |
Starting this October, visitors to
Armenia from anywhere in the world will be able to apply and receive
electronic visas on-line, the Foreign Ministry reported. The innovative
approach, funded by the United Nations, would allow anyone with access
to the Internet and in possession of a credit card to receive official
approval to travel to Armenia within 24 hours. A visitor would subsequently
receive the actual visa upon arrival at the Yerevan airport. Armenia
is reportedly only the second country in the world to introduce this
innovative program. "After all, we have embassies and consulates in
three dozen cities around the world, but Armenians and non-Armenians
the world over have a personal and business interest in Armenia, and
deserve the opportunity to quickly, easily, interact with our consular
department," said Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian. The service will
be available via the Web sites of the Foreign Ministry at
www.armenianforeignministry.am and www.armeniadiaspora.com
as well as Armenian embassy Web sites. |
| September 15 |
In a speech before the United Nations
General Assembly meeting in New York, Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian
states that the Kocharian government plans on delaying the national
referendum on constitutional amendments until after the presidential
and parliamentary elections set for February and May 2003 respectively.
The announcement is in line with President Kocharian's plan to delay
the referendum in order to prevent consideration of his government's
constitutional amendments from
being politicized in the election campaigns. |
| September 16 |
The Nagorno Karabagh foreign ministry
issues a statement refuting recent press reports that the Karabagh
military is to hold joint exercises with military forces from the
self-declared independent republics of South Ossetia, Abkhazia and
Transdniester. The foreign ministry statement adds that Nagorno Karabagh
has its own "regular army that can guarantee its security and does
not think it necessary to create a military coalition with other countries
or to hold joint military exercises." |
| September 17 |
President Robert Kocharian tells journalists
that he welcomes the recently formed alliance of 16 opposition political
parties and says that he hopes that they can agree on putting forth
a sole candidate to oppose him in the February 2003 presidential election.
The president explains that he would welcome a common opponent from
the opposition in order to prevent the political tension inherent
in a likely run-off election. Kocharian remains confident that he
can secure more than fifty percent of the vote in the first round,
and thereby eliminate the need for a second round runoff election. |
| September 17 |
Prime Minister Andranik Markarian
meets with visiting Georgian Defense Minister David Tevzadze in Yerevan.
The Armenian premier urges the Georgian leadership to accelerate their
promised program of economic aid and development of the Armenian Javakheti
region of southern Georgia. Stating that the Armenian government "will
do everything it can" to help the Georgian government address the
severe socioeconomic crisis in the region, Prime Minister Markarian
adds that the Kocharian government welcomes the recent announcement
by the Georgian government of a new three-year economic development
plan for Javakheti. |
| September 13-20 |
The influential Chief of Staff of
the Russian President Aleksandr Voloshin and Georgia's Defense Minister
David Tevzadze visited Yerevan this week to seek Armenia's support
over the ongoing Russian-Georgian tension. Complicated relations between
the two countries have deteriorated further after Russian President
Vladimir Putin reserved the right to take unilateral action against
Chechen rebels based in Georgia's Pankisi Gorge, unless the Georgian
government takes measures of its own. Georgian officials said that
any unilateral Russian action would be viewed as "military aggression"
against Georgia.
Meeting with President Robert Kocharian, both Voloshin and Tevzadze
relayed messages from their respective presidents with regards to
the crisis. Armenia is bound by bilateral and multilateral security
agreements with Russia, while at the same time it seeks to maintain
good relations with the neighboring Georgia. Armenia's Foreign Ministry
said it was "seriously concerned" over the Russian-Georgian tension.
Chairman of the Parliament's Defense and Security Committee Vahan
Hovanisian expressed confidence that Armenia will not back the current
Russian moves against Georgia, which he described as "not always justified."
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Andranik Margarian has called for "serious
discussions on the creation of a regional security system" that would
include both Armenia and Georgia.
Senior Russian officials have likened the Georgian government to Afghanistan's
Taliban, which was toppled during the U.S.-led operation late last
year. They say that for years the Georgian government has turned a
blind eye to the build-up of Chechen rebels, including Islamic militants
linked to the Al Qaeda, who have used the Pankisi Gorge to stage guerilla
and terrorist attacks inside Russia. Earlier this year, the U.S. officials
confirmed the existence of Al Qaeda elements in Pankisi. As part of
its anti-terrorist efforts around the world, U.S. dispatched a group
of military trainers and provided other assistance to help Georgia
deal with the problem. The Georgian President's National Security
Advisor Tedo Japaridze is traveling to Washington later this week
in an apparent effort to secure further U.S. support. |
| September 13-20 |
Armenians living in a southern Russian
province of Krasnodar were again targets of mob violence last weekend
as hundreds of youths attacked Armenian-owned shops and seriously
injured a dozen people in the town of Slaviansk. After some delay,
local police detained fifty-two of the attackers. "We are concerned
that such incidents recur again and again," said Foreign Minister
Vartan Oskanian. However, he was disinclined to think that the violence
was centrally organized. Oskanian added that Armenia will continue
to deal with the problem together with the Russian authorities and
did not intend to seek intervention by international organizations,
such as the Council of Europe.
In Slaviansk, the death of a local Russian man a day earlier reportedly
sparked the attacks after his relatives blamed it on Armenians. But,
according to press reports, a police inquiry into the death did not
implicate any Armenians. Incidents targeting ethnic groups from the
Caucasus are reported to be on the rise in Russia. Deputy Foreign
Minister Rouben Shugarian said that while Armenians are not specifically
targeted, the issue will continue to be raised with the highest offices
of the Russian government. "We are obliged to protect each citizen
of Armenia and each Armenian," he said. |
| September 13-20 |
Following a meeting between Foreign
Minister Vartan Oskanian and his Israeli counterpart Shimon Peres
in New York, Deputy Foreign Minister Rouben Shugarian reported that
plans to sign an agreement were in process. The text would reportedly
include language stating that the protective wall, which Israel is
building around Jerusalem, will pass along the borders of Baron Der
instead of through the middle of the property. The meeting between
the foreign ministers took place while both were in New York to attend
the United Nations' 57th General Assembly.
Israel's Supreme Court has delayed a ruling on the Israeli military's
plan to use the Armenian Patriarchate's property south of Jerusalem
as the two sides continued efforts to reach an out-of-court settlement.
The 36-acre Baron Der property lies in the path of a planned 220 mile-long
fence, that the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) are building to thwart
attacks by Palestinian militants.
Reports over the past month suggest that the IDF have agreed in principle
not to run the fence down the middle of the property, which would
have rendered Baron Der largely useless. Israeli officials insisted
they wanted to maintain "cordial relations with the Armenian Church."
Since last year, the Israelis have bulldozed some 300 of 1,900 age-old
olive trees and caused other damage on the Baron Der property. |
| September 13-20 |
Addressing the United Nations General
Assembly earlier this week, Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian reiterated
Armenia's commitment to finding a peaceful solution to the Karabakh
conflict and to continue working towards international affirmation
of the Armenian Genocide. Oskanian extended "profound appreciation"
to the countries and international organizations that have officially
affirmed the Armenian Genocide, adding that the Armenian government
"places a high priority" on prevention of similar crimes
against humanity in the future.
Turning to the Karabakh peace process, Oskanian expressed "shock
and dismay" over belligerent comments made earlier in the day
by Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Vilayat Guliyev. Oskanian noted that
"some Azerbaijani officials, out of desperation or ignorance,
use every means at their disposal to discredit the initiatives of
the international community" aimed at a peaceful settlement of
the conflict. Azerbaijani press reports suggest that, unlike Oskanian,
Guliyev is not privy to the details of the recurrent direct talks
held by Presidents Robert Kocharian and Heydar Aliyev and their envoys.
Oskanian called on Azerbaijan to desist from its efforts to gain control
over Nagorno Karabakh, returning to a Soviet-era status quo, and join
the international efforts in search of a lasting peace formula that
would benefit the whole region. |
| September 13-20 |
The 16-party opposition alliance,
that earlier this month pledged to support a single candidate in an
effort to win in the February 2003 presidential elections, appeared
on the verge of a split this week. Press reports suggested that leaders
of two alliance members, National Accord (AMK) and People's Party
(HZhK), are viewed as the two main rivals within the opposition camp.
Earlier this week, AMK's Artashes Geghamian unveiled his election
platform only to receive scathing reviews from allies of the HZhK
leader Stepan Demirchian. Meanwhile, another alliance member published
an opinion poll claiming that while trailing the incumbent President
Robert Kocharian, Demirchian was well ahead of Geghamian (other polls
suggested that the situation was quite to the reverse).
Fifty-two year-old Geghamian is considered to have more political
experience and charisma than 46-year old Demirchian. Prior to independence,
Geghamian was a senior member of the Communist Party and headed its
Yerevan City committee. He has since been a member of Parliament.
While Geghamian only polled half a percent in the 1998 presidential
poll, the alliance he led came third in the 1999 parliamentary elections
with eight percent of the vote and his popularity is said to have
increased since. In contrast, Demirchian has never held an elected
position. He entered politics only three years ago, following the
death of his father, Armenia's charismatic Soviet-era leader and later
Parliament Speaker Karen Demirchian. In addition, the alliance's two
other members, the Communist Party and the National Democratic Union,
are also likely to advance their candidates.
Weighing in on the opposition's deliberations, President Kocharian
said that he would welcome selection of a joint opposition candidate
since a two-man race is more likely to be resolved in one rather than
two rounds. A presidential candidate needs 50 percent plus one vote
to win the elections. In the 1998 presidential elections none of the
twelve candidates won in the first round, necessitating a run-off. |
| September 13-20 |
Leader of the opposition Justice and
Development Party (AKP), the former Istanbul Mayor Recep Tayyip Erdogan
was banned from elections today, Associated Press reported. His party
continues to maintain a strong lead in opinion surveys, less than
two months before the November 7 general elections in Turkey. A recent
Deutsche Bank-Konda public poll of 2,400 voters showed AKP with nearly
twenty-five percent, with its nearest rival, the Republican People's
Party (CHP), trailing with just over fourteen percent. (CHP's popularity
has been significantly bolstered after the former Economy Minister
Kemal Dervis joined the party.) All other parties, including the three
members of the ruling coalition, have polled less than the ten percent
required to enter the Parliament.
Erdogan was banned from elections because of his 1999 conviction for
reading a poem, which a Turkish court said "incited religious
hatred." Most of the AKP contingent are former members of the
now banned Islamic Welfare (Refah) Party. But Erdogan and other AKP
leaders deny that their party is "Islamic" and have backed
more political reform in Turkey's effort to join the European Union.
Now, another AKP leader is expected to lead the party in the elections.
In an interview earlier this month, the party's leading foreign policy
expert Abdullah Gul called for economic cooperation with Armenia to
"help establishment of peace and stability in the region"
and open a "path to trust." |
| September 23-24 |
Armenian President Robert Kocharian
meets with Nagorno Karabagh President Arkady Gukasyan in Yerevan to
review the economic situation in Karabagh and to discuss Armenian
governmental assistance for the Gukasyan government's economic reform
program. The Karabagh delegation also includes Nagorno Karabagh Parliamentary
Chairman Oleg Yessayan and Prime Minister Anushevan Danielian. Armenian
Parliamentary Chairman Armen Khachatrian meets with his Karabagh counterpart
and reviews plans for cooperation and assistance between the two parliaments. |
| September 24 |
A delegation of military observers
from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE)
conducts their latest inspection of the Karabagh-Azerbaijani border
and certifies the continuation of the ceasefire agreement in effect
since May 1994. The OSCE inspectors, led by the personal representative
of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office Andrzey Kasprczyk, are accompanied
by representatives of the Nagorno Karabagh defense and foreign ministries. |
| September 25 |
The "Union of Karabagh War Veterans"
group holds their second congress in Stepanakert with Karabagh President
Arkady Gukasyan, Parliamentary Speaker Oleg Yessayan and Prime Minister
Anushevan Danielian attending. The congress evaluates the organization's
activities over the past two years and elects a new ruling board headed
by Nagorno Karabagh Deputy Defense Minister Major General Vitali Balasanyan. |
| September 26 |
Nagorno Karabagh President Arkady
Gukasyan meets with the three representatives of the French, Russian
and U.S. co-chairing nations of the Organization for Security and
Cooperation in Europe's (OSCE) Minsk Group in Stepanakert. The Karabagh
president meets with Russian First Deputy Foreign Minister Vyacheslav
Trubnikov, U.S. Ambassador Rudolph Perina, French Ambassador Hugues
Pernet, and Russian diplomat Nikolai Gribkov. President Gukasyan briefs
the OSCE officials about Karabagh's position on the talks and stresses
that the only realistic path toward settling the Karabagh conflict
would be to formally include Nagorno Karabagh representatives in the
negotiations as an equal party. The Minsk Group is the OSCE's working
group empowered to manage the mediation of the Nagorno Karabagh conflict. |
| September 26 |
The Parliamentary Assembly of the
Council of Europe (PACE) adopts a resolution warning the Armenian
government that its membership in the Council of Europe may be jeopardized
by the parliament's failure to unconditionally abolish capital punishment
by June 2003. An overwhelming majority of Armenian parliamentarians
want the death penalty for the five defendants on trial for the murder
of senior political leaders during the assault on the parliament in
October 1999. |
| September 26-27 |
A delegation of senior officials from
the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) meet
with President Kocharian in Yerevan as part of the group's latest
tour of the region. The delegation consists of the three co-chairmen
of the OSCE's Minsk Group, the tripartite working group managing the
OSCE mediation of the Nagorno Karabagh conflict. The Armenian president
briefs the OSCE delegation on his talks with his Azerbaijani counterpart
last month in Nakhichevan, stressing that the direct talks were "encouraging"
and adding that the "strategic direction" of both countries remain
focused on finding a negotiated resolution to the Nagorno Karabagh
conflict. |
| September 27 |
The Armenian government transfers
its shares in the country's largest cement factory to a Belgian firm
for $10 million, with $9.8 million of the proceeds to be transferred
to the Russian ITERA Natural gas group as debt payment for Armenian
imports of Russian natural gas and nuclear fuel. The cement factory
is owned by former prime minister and Republican Party leader Aram
Sarkisian. |
| September 20-27 |
Armenian President Robert Kocharian
promised this week to assist the Georgian government in its recently
announced effort to improve living conditions in the Armenian-populated
province of Javakheti. The program, announced by the Georgian President
Eduard Shevardnadze earlier this month, calls for investments in the
region's economic and transport infrastructure and in the reconstruction
of area schools and hospitals. The Georgian President's envoy to Javakheti
Teymuraz Mosiashvili was in Yerevan this week to present the program
to Armenian leaders. In a meeting with Mosiashvili, Prime Minister
Andranik Margarian said he asked the Georgian authorities to consider
opening an Armenian Consulate in Akhalkalaki, Javakheti's provincial
capital, to improve Armenia's ability to participate in local development
programs. In the past several years, Armenia has supplied electricity
and restored some of the 156 Armenian schools in Javakheti.
Javakheti, like many areas in Georgia, is experiencing a severe economic
crisis precipitated by years of post-Soviet neglect. The province
is now threatened with losing its largest employer, a Russian military
base in Akhalkalaki, which the government in Tbilisi wants closed.
Mosiashvili said that in spite of the ongoing Russian-Georgian tension
there is not yet a concrete date for the base's closure. Local Armenian
leaders have strongly opposed Russian withdrawal plans, fearing that
the resulting power vacuum in Georgia will be quickly filled by Turkey.
Javakheti Armenians have already expressed skepticism about the new
Georgian government program, preferring instead to continue to press
for more self-government and improved ties with Armenia. Both Armenian
and Georgian governments, mindful of the importance of bilateral relations,
have worked to contain separatist sentiments. Local Armenians deny
they harbor plans to break away from Georgia.
Deputy Foreign Minister Rouben Shugarian reiterated this week Armenia's
strong commitment to a close partnership with Georgia, describing
its security as an extension of Armenia's own. Shugarian was speaking
at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) while
on a visit to Washington for a meeting of the U.S.-Armenia Task Force. |
| September 20-27 |
Despite disappointment with Azerbaijan
after the Key West peace talks steered by the Secretary of State Colin
Powell, envoys of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in
Europe (OSCE) said they remained hopeful that Armenia and Azerbaijan
are moving towards a peaceful solution. Following a briefing with
Armenian President Robert Kocharian on his recent talks with Azerbajiani
President Heydar Aliyev, the French, Russian and U.S. co-chairs of
what is known as the OSCE Minsk Group, said both presidents remain
committed to reaching an agreement. They conceded that the presidents
are moving slowly due to the upcoming elections in their respective
countries. Mediators will travel to Stepanakert and Baku later this
week.
Speaking during a visit to Moscow this week President Aliyev described
the talks as "fruitless" and blamed Armenia for failing to arrive
at an agreement. Responding to these comments, Foreign Minister Vartan
Oskanian accused the Azerbaijani government of lacking political will
to achieve a solution. Oskanian told members of the United Nations
last week that Armenia remains committed to solving the conflict peacefully.
Meanwhile, in what may be an effort to draw the European Union (EU)
into the peace process, the mediators said they plan to travel to
Brussels for meetings with EU's senior foreign policy makers, Javier
Solana and Chris Patten, next month. |
| September 20-27 |
As we go to press, a preliminary settlement
has been reached between the Israeli government and the Armenian Patriarchate
of Jerusalem on the issue of the building of a protective wall on
the Patriarchate's property, known as Baron Der, according to the
office of His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians. In
a statement, the office said "the Israeli government and the
Patriarchate have found a solution and an appropriate agreement is
presently in the works." The announcement of a resolution comes
after a meeting between Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian
and Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres last week while they were
in New York to attend the United Nations General Assembly. It also
follows several weeks of protests by Armenian and Christian Church
leaders, the Armenian government and the Armenian Diaspora. |
| September 20-27 |
Influence of the leading Armenian
opposition figures continued to grow steadily even as senior government
members remained at the top of the list of the most prominent politicians,
according to an expert opinion poll published this week. The Armenian
daily Azg together with the Moscow-based Panorama expert information
center have been conducting regular polls on the most influential
Armenian politicians since 1998. They are:
Sep. 2002 Score Dec. 2001
Score (Rank) Dec. 2000
Score (Rank)
1. President Robert Kocharian 95.0 98.8 (1) 98.8 (1)
2. Sefense Minister Serge Sargsian 83.8 90.3 (2) 92.2 (2)
3. Prime Minister Andranik Margarian 61.6 58.0 (3) 51.7 (3)
4. National Accord Chairman Artashes Geghamian 35.3 32.0 (5) 28.5
(5)
5. Ex-President Levon Ter-Petrosian 31.0 5.8 (18)* 25.0 (7)
6. People's Party Chairman Stepan Demirchian 24.2 19.8 (6) 16.3 (9)
7. Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian 17.4 53.0 (4) 30.2 (4)
8. President's Chief of Staff Artashes Tumanian 15.3 14.0 (8) 6.7
(18)
9. Dashnaktsutiun Chairman Hrant Margarian 14.3 18.0 (7) 12.8 (10)
10. Parliament Speaker Armen Khachatrian 14.2 2.5 (34)* n/a
*Figures for the first quarter of 2002.
Pollsters tie the opposition politicians' improved ranking to the
approaching local, presidential and parliamentary elections. In recent
months, Artashes Geghamian and Stepan Demirchian have emerged as two
rival opposition leaders who are expected to challenge the incumbent
President Robert Kocharian in elections next February. Perceived influence
of the reclusive ex-President Levon Ter-Petrosian shot up dramatically
earlier this year amid speculations that he too may bid for the presidency.
Also impressive is the rise of the former Foreign Minister (1991-92)
Raffi Hovannisian, who is now ranked twelfth with a score of ten.
Hovannisian is founder and president of the Armenian Center for National
and International Studies (ACNIS), a prominent Yerevan think-tank,
and the recently established National Citizens' Initiative, which
aims to "realize the rule of law and overall improvements in the state
of the [Armenian] state, society, and public institutions." |
| September 20-27 |
Members of the Commonwealth of Independent
States (CIS) have been least impacted by the ongoing economic slowdown
in the world, says the International Monetary Fund's (IMF) annual
report released this week. IMF has cut its 2002 growth estimates for
the United States and countries of the European Union to 2.2 and 1.1
percent, respectively. But the IMF claims that strong consumer demand
in Russia accounts for significant growth in the CIS. The economies
of Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Armenia are expected to expand at between
7.5 and 8 percent, the highest indicators in the CIS. So far, in January-August
2002 the growth of Armenia's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has exceeded
ten percent. While increased oil production accounts for much of Kazakh
and Azerbaijani growth, Armenia's growth centers on the nearly forty
percent increase in the production of manufactured goods for export.
At the same time, IMF notes that individual incomes in both Armenia
and Azerbaijan are among the lowest in the CIS. |
| September 28 |
Nagorno Karabagh president Arkady
Gukasyan briefs journalists on his recent meeting with officials form
the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). Gukasyan
explains that the OSCE delegation is conducting its latest tour of
the region, meeting with Armenian and Azerbaijani officials in the
ongoing attempt to forge a negotiated resolution to the Karabagh conflict.
The Karabagh president criticizes the OSCE for failing to include
Karabagh as an equal party in the negotiations and warns that the
continued exclusion of Karabagh from the peace process endangers the
chance for a resolution, adding that "it is impossible to settle the
conflict without Nagorno Karabagh's participation." The president
also reveals that he provided the OSCE officials with his own detailed
approach to settling the Karabagh conflict and stressed that the recent
presidential elections in Karabagh were "another step towards establishing
democratic principles in the public and political life of the Nagorno-Karabagh
Republic." |
| September 28 |
Iranian Ambassador to Armenia Mohammad
Farhad Koleini comments on a recent speech by Armenian Foreign Minister
Vardan Oskanian defending Armenia's "complementarity" concept of foreign
policy. The Iranian ambassador criticizes the speech and states that
Armenian foreign policy is mistakenly seeking relations with Russia,
the West and Iran simultaneously. The Iranian ambassador adds that
such a policy is unrealistic as Armenia lacks the resources and international
standing needed to manage such a complicated goal. |
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