Category: Politics

Politics, politics... | March 02, 2005
Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty's Armenia Service reports again on continuing friction within the ruling coalition Government. After the Speaker of the Armenian National Assembly, Artur Baghdasaryan, accused Justice Minister, David Harutyunyan of corruption, he's now turned his sights...

U.S. Distances Itself From Envoy's Genocide Recognition | March 01, 2005
Well, today's Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty Armenian Report probably won't surprise many people. The US Ambassador, John Evans, has had to distance himself from comments made recently referring to the massacre and deportation of Armenians living in the...

Karabakh through the eyes of a Baku reporter | February 25, 2005
The big story in Baku press is a visit to Karabakh by a reporter from Azerbaijan, Eynulla Fatullayev of the Monitor Journal. Fatullayev visited Stepanakert and traveled around Artsakh and adjacent areas for more than a week this February. It...

Dual Citizenship | February 15, 2005
Once again, according to today's Press Review from RFE/RL's Armenian Service, the sensitive issue of dual citizenship has been touched upon by the Aravot newspaper. For the Diaspora, it's an issue of significance perhaps but I tend to suspect that...

The Rule of Law | February 13, 2005
The Yerevan Press Club reports that the investigation into the firebombing of the car owned by Nikol Pashinian, the editor of Haykakan Zhamanak newspaper has been stopped. However, Pashinian still alleges that MP and business tycoon Gagik Tsarukyan was responsible...

Is Revolution again in the air? | February 11, 2005
Aram Karapetian has declared that a nationwide revolution will occur in April 2005. Interestingly, Karapetian is considered to be close to Russian political circles and actually -- as some allege -- individuals within the present administration. His calls come at...

A bunch of lies? | February 09, 2005
Azg Armenian Daily has a strong opinion piece, entitled "Mr. Oskanian you should be ashamed for telling the armenian nation a bunch of lies." In a new book titled "Unsilencing the Past," former chair of the Turkish-Armenian Reconciliation Commission (TARC),...

Frozen conflicts | February 09, 2005
The blog Shining Light in Dark Corners posts on an article by Simon Tisdall of the Guardian, called Interests and aspirations clash in region of frozen conflicts. The article points to the Black Sea region as a potential new international...

Genocide Sacrilege | January 12, 2005
Amongst a few interesting stories on Azg is this piece about Turkish singer Seden Gurel and her rendition of the Armenian song "Adana Lamentation". Sibel Alas is the author of the words, and Istanbul Armenian Shirak Shahrikian's duduk accompanies the...

More of the same in Karabakh? | January 11, 2005
Eurasianet has an Insight on the Karabakh conflict. As they look back at 2004, both Armenia and Azerbaijan are claiming that fresh hope now exists for a permanent peace agreement on the status of the breakaway enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh. Yet...

Contrary Interests | January 06, 2005
This article of January 3rd from the Turkish Weekly talks about the "contrary interests" of " Armenia Armenians and Diaspora Armenians". Dr. Nilgun Gulcan, political scientist and an expert on Caucasus politics, told the JTW that Armenians in Armenia and...

Will they, won't they? | December 20, 2004
A typical newsday in Armenia-world relations: CHIRAC: TURKEY WILL NEED TO RECOGNIZE ARMENIAN KILLINGS DURING ENTRY TALKS US SAYS IT ACKNOWLEDGES ARMENIAN TRADGEDY ABDULLAH GUL CONSIDERS THAT ISSUES OF OPENING OF ARMENIAN-TURKISH BORDER AND RECOGNITION OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE NOT INCLUDED...

Dark side of a dream | December 19, 2004
The BBC's Jonny Dymond (who normally reports from Istanbul and Ankara) has ventured to the east of the country to bring us this look into Turkey's EU bid. Kars is a miserable place. Once it was rich; its broad boulevards...

Deepening isolation | December 15, 2004
The International Herald Tribune has this follow-on article about Armenia by Susan Sachs, who wrote the previous piece about Armenia's youth. It talks about the "deepening isolation" of Armenia, and lists the closure of the Georgia-Russia border, the successful completion...

A dark past | November 25, 2004
Dhimmi Watch has an interesting entry on an article by Gamaliel Isaac in Front Page Magazine. The statement of Mr Akyol that Turkey has an Islamic Heritage free of anti-westernism and anti-semitism is inaccurate. We need only look at Turkey's...

Students fighting against corruption | November 17, 2004
A1 Plus reports on the results of a survey carried out by the "Nikol Aghbalyan" Student Union on "Corruption in Institutes of Higher Education of Armenia". 43% of the surveyed students expressed willingness to partake in any initiative for fighting...

Sakaashvililand | November 15, 2004
Onnik forwarded me this link to an account of a recent trip to Georgia by Brian Kearney of the Armenia Social Transition Program. WEEKEND IN SAAKASHVILILAND. Apparently the days of passing some lari to the policeman when you run a...

Aghdam | November 12, 2004
ArmeniaNow.com reports on Aghdam and talks to one of its former residents. "During the war the whole Azeri population of the region took an active part in the hostilities, "Avanesyan remembers. "For more than two years the initiative totally was...

Poverty in decline | November 11, 2004
Eurasianet.org comments on a recent survey which pointed to a decline in the number of people living in poverty in Armenia. Given the NSS findings, questions are already being raised about the accuracy and potential effectiveness of the government's anti-poverty...

Genocide Mellowing? | November 08, 2004
Maybe this wasn't the best choice of words. An article titled "Yerevan Mellows about Genocide Claim" has appeared on Turks.us. It is reported that this year the Armenian government has not included an article about the so-called genocide in the...

Iraq deployment hindered | November 08, 2004
Eurasianet.org talks about the internal opposition to deployment of Armenians to Iraq. Will these troops actually be deployed, wonders the article. Opposition has been based around the fear that the deployment will make conditions even worse for the Armenian minority...

To the bitter end | November 04, 2004
A reported plan to station US troops in Karabagh has been flatly rejected by Seyran Oganyan, NK defence minister. Asked whether a report by the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry, which allegedly said that "talks are being conducted on the deployment of...

Instability ahead? | November 01, 2004
Eurasianet.org highlights a report (PDF) by the International Crisis Group. Armenia faces instability unless it takes quick steps to improve relations with its neighbors, and fosters the rule-of-law at home, according to a new study that examines the Caucasus nation's...

That conference again | October 27, 2004
Another report has surfaced about a conference in Vienna between Armenia and Turkey on the "Armenian problem": "Turkey will discuss for the first time, the Armenian problem, internationally. During the Turkey-Armenia historical meeting to be held in the first half...

Genocide not a pre-condition? | October 22, 2004
The Turkish Daily News reported yesterday that Oskanian had said that 'Genocide' not condition for normal ties with Turkey. But isn't it Turkey which is imposing the blockade and Turkey which has stated that normalization depends on Armenia ceasing its...

New route for Russia-Armenian trade | October 21, 2004
Georgian paper The Messenger reports that Russia is allowing traffic through the Roki Tunnel, between North and South Ossetia, and Georgia officials have stopped some buses entering Georgia proper from South Ossetia. It also mentions the new Astrakhani (Russia)-Enzeli (Iran)-Meghri...

Instability ahead | October 19, 2004
The International Crisis Group has a report on the future stability of Armenia. The report carries a series of recommendations: To the government it says "Conduct a credible and public investigation into the behaviour of law enforcement agencies during the...

Turkey and the EU | October 13, 2004
There is a lot of buzz about Turkey's upcoming accession talks with the EU, even though most estimates say it will take up to 15 years for Turkey to formally become a member of the European Union. ArmenPress reports: artan...

Oops, they did it again! | October 09, 2004
Does my memory fail me, or was there not a very emphatic statement by the Kerry campaign back in August about recognising the Armenian genocide? Still, this from Zaman Online (Via Dhimmi Watch)has appeared. Kerry denied claims made by the...

Karabagh rivers polluted in Soviet times | October 08, 2004
Armenpress reports on the so-called Dortmund forum, a conflict-resolution group set up to mediate the Karabagh conflict, with representatives from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Nagorno Karabagh, USA and Russia. Azerbaijan insists that all Azeri lands occupied by Armenian troops be given back,...

Going to Iraq | October 06, 2004
Controversy around 50 Armenians going to Iraq is increasing. RFE/RL (Via Groong) reports on the Armenians uneasy at proposed Iraq deployment. Armenians across the political spectrum appear to share those misgivings. Parliament deputy Grigor Harutiunian of the opposition Artarutiun faction...

Formula for corruption | October 01, 2004
A depressing series of events is outlined in this article by Edik Baghdasaryan on HTEQ Online. ...The journalist appeals to the Court of Appeal on Civil Cases. Three judges of the court, Noyem Hovsepyan presiding, dismiss the journalist's appeal, siding...

Border disorders | September 30, 2004
While it's clear that there those on both sides of the Turkish-Armenian border who are both in favour and against its opening, it's far from clear when it will be opened. Hardly a week passes by when there is not...

Oil-driven policy | September 30, 2004
While great-powers' policy vis-a-vis Iraq and oil is well-known, Britain is being blamed for letting oil be the deciding factor in its policy towards Armenia and Azerbaijan. In this article (Via Groong), an aid to Robert Kocharyan complains about the...

Iraqi Armenians Fearful | September 29, 2004
Armenia Liberty reports that ethnic Armenians in Iraq have pleaded with the Armenian government not to send any troops to Iraq, fearing they might become the targets of attacks. "We Iraqi Armenians are against that," said Narek Ishkhanian, a parish...

Complementarity | September 27, 2004
The Power and Interest News Report has a story about ''Armenia: The Dream of Complementarity and the Reality of Dependency''. It talks about the "authoritarian-tending strong presidential regime of Robert Kocharian":...

Armenian-Iranian relations | September 09, 2004
President Khatami of Iran has arrived in Yerevan for an official state visit, and his trip is being quite widely reported. IRNA, the Iranian state new agency has reported on the usual official pleasantries and also on Khatami's warm remarks...

Poverty on the decrease? | September 08, 2004
I would be very skeptical at anyone telling me that poverty is on the decrease in Armenia. However the government has claimed just this in a report. Armenialiberty.org reports: According to a senior official from the National Statistical Service, preliminary...

Edgar Arakelyan freed | September 07, 2004
Edgar Arakelyan has been freed (Via Groong). His was a cause celebre back in April after the 24 year old was convicted of hitting a policeman with a plastic Jermuk bottle during opposition protests. His sentence was one year and...

Honor insulted? | September 06, 2004
Edik Baghdasaryan, editor-in chief of Hetq Online, was called in by the police to answer charges made by Artashes Bisharyan, the ex-head of the Department of Medical and Technological Supply of the Ministry of Health Bisharyan wanted charges brought against...

Olympic repercussions | September 03, 2004
Armenia's dismal showing at the Olympics in Athens is causing passions to run high. An earlier post on Blogrel referring to Hrach Kalsahakian's Azad-Hye blog sparked a heated discussion between readers. ArmeniaLiberty.org has an article about the outcry from within...

Fighting against denial | September 02, 2004
John Kerry has clarified his position vis-a-vis recognising the Armenian genocide, according to an article from ArmenPress. "John Kerry Edwards administration will launch a fight against denial of Armenian Genocide," the statement says. "As a president, I will fight against...

Political showdown? | September 01, 2004
Emil Danielyan writes on Eurasianet.org: On August 27, the executive board of the opposition Justice alliance, headed by Demirchian, decided to continue the boycott during the next legislative session. The alliance bloc's key ally, the National Unity Party (AMK),...

Journalists make the news | September 01, 2004
Tsakhkadzor was the scene of a protest by Armenian journalists on the 28th, according to the Central Asian and Southern Caucasus Freedom of Expression Network. Advisor of the president of Armenia for fight against corruption Bagrat Yesayan joined the journalists...

US troops for Baku? | August 25, 2004
There are two seperate reports about rumours that the US will redeploy troops to Azerbaijan. First, Eurasianet.org has this report: News that the United States plans a massive redeployment of its armed forces has Azerbaijanis wondering whether their country will...

Armenian Journalist Beaten For Filming Luxury Villas | August 25, 2004
It seems the rich of Armenia don't want anyone to see their wealth. RFE/RL reports that journalist Mkhitar Khachatrian was beaten up in Tsaghkadzor after taking pictures of the house of Armen Yeritsian, deputy chief of the national police....

Opposition to restart protests? | August 23, 2004
Following the disintegration of opposition protests after April, Liberal-progressive party leader Hovhannes Hovahnnisian has announced that his party is in consultation with other opposition parties to begin serious operations and make a serious application for implementation of the change of...

Japanese student arrested 'spying' for Armenia | August 22, 2004
Several reports mention that a Japanese student was arrested in Baku on suspicion of spying for Armenia. He was taking pictures near the Intourist hotel. Apparently his only crime was to be a student of Yerevan State University. He has...

Azeri Official Yearns For Armenia's Conquest | August 05, 2004
Armenia will cease to exist as an independent state and its territory will be incorporated into Azerbaijan over the next three decades, a senior Azerbaijani military official was quoted Wednesday as saying, raising anti-Armenian bellicose rhetoric in Baku to new...

Christians leaving Iraq | August 04, 2004
Motherjones.com comments on the fact that Christians have been leaving Iraq for years. This is certain to increase in the wake of the blasts last Sunday. Among the Iraqi-Christians who have emigrated, some have settled in neighboring countries like Syria,...

A prelude to war? | August 02, 2004
RFE/RL reports on the continuing bellicose words from the Azeri government on the issue of Karabagh. Any country whose territory is occupied but which fails to prepare for a war of reconquest should be regarded as "criminal." The Azeri side...

Good neighbours | July 29, 2004
This report would be laughable if it wasn't unfortunately a true statement of Armenian-Azeri relations. The Baku newspaper "Echo" "accuses" the Azeri ambassador to Uzbekistan Aydyn Azimbekov of good relations with Armenians. There are certain materials about Azimbekov's activities in...

Karabagh Election Battle | July 29, 2004
The Institute for War and Peace Reporting have a report from Karabagh on the elections there. Originally, there were ten candidates, but the field has now narrowed to five, after two were denied registration and three pulled out. Most observers...

Kerry endorsed for president | July 27, 2004
ANCA have put out a press release endorsing John Kerry for President. This isn't surprising, as Kerry is certainly the most friendly to the Armenian cause. After the jump is the full press release:...

Quote of the year: Paul Wolfowitz | July 27, 2004
This from HellenicNews.com (Via Groong): On July 14, 2002, Wolfowitz in a CNN Turkey interview stated: "I think a real test of whether a country is a democracy is how it treats its minorities. And actually it's one of the...

Kerry vows to recognize Armenian genocide | July 27, 2004
According to the Pasadena Star-News, John Kerry has vowed to recognize the Armenian genocide. It's not the first time we've heard this, and of course Bush said the same thing and then reneged on his promise. "I think we might...

Vienna meeting denied | July 23, 2004
Responding to reports from a Turkish newspaper that Turks and Armenians had gathered in Vienna and were exchanging documents about the genocide, Lavrenty Barseghian, the director of Genocide Museum-Institute in Yerevan has denied this, according to ArmenPress. "The reports about...

Ordway's farewell speach | July 23, 2004
US Ambassador John Ordway has made his farewell speech in Yerevan, at the end of his 3 year term. He has learnt Armenian (though to what degree is not mentioned). Daily Azg says "Only bad roads made ambassador's stay in...

Millenium Challenges | July 22, 2004
Here's a blog-style website from the US State Department, with minutes from a meeting yesterday between Colin Powell and the Millennium Challenge Corporation Board of Directors. Chief Executive Officer Paul Applegarth, talking about the MCCs operations: I'll give you a...

The state of democracy in Armenia | July 09, 2004
Armenian analyst Emil Danielyan (also editor of the site http://www.armenialiberty.org. ) took part in a radio broadcast on Wednesday on Radio Free Europe. The subject of the discussion was human rights in Armenia, and the state of democracy. Groong has...

Karabakh up for discussion | July 07, 2004
There are quite a few reports about on the upcoming talks in Moscow between the Armenian and Russian foreign ministers. The main point for discussion will be Karabagh. The Zaman paper from Turkey reports that Armenian Foreign Affairs Minister Vartan...

Freedom rings for Armenia | July 07, 2004
Garin Hovannisian muses in this piece on U-Wire about the 4th of July holiday and a freedom that might have been in Armenia. I believe strongly however, that a sense of, or want for freedom is fundamental to human nature....

Pressure mounts | June 29, 2004
On the sidelines of the current NATO summit in Turkey, the foreign ministers of Turkey, Armenia, and Azerbaijan met, reports ChannelNewsAsia. NATO and the EU are trying to get the three countries to patch up their differences and settle the...

Erdogan blames Armenia for bad relations | June 29, 2004
Bakutoday.net reports that Turkish prime minister Erdogan blames Yerevan for the worsening relations between Ankara and Yerevan. "The Armenian Diaspora is still sticking to its so-called genocide claims. Turkey and Turks will never accept this. It is impossible to forge...

Power taken from the masses? | June 25, 2004
Emil Danielyan has written an article on Transitions Online about Kocharyan and the worsening human rights record of Armenia. "Armenia has taken a big step backward in the past three months in terms of human rights protection," says Vartan Harutiunian,...

A New Vision for Armenia? | June 25, 2004
EurasiaNet has a commentary about Armenia's supposed attempts at political reform, and the recent controversy over the opposition demonstrations and political crackdown. The Armenian government's brutal crackdown against opposition protests this April, its attacks on journalists, the ransacking of opposition...

Genocide denial lecture | June 24, 2004
Haigazian University was the location for a lecture by Prof. Henry C. Theriault, an academic from the US. The Department of Armenian Studies has issued a press release (via Groong)about the lecture. In it, he draws interesting parallels with denialist...

What now for the opposition? | June 24, 2004
It seems unclear now what course the opposition will take. There have been reports that the opposition will carry on with their protest. Prime Minister Markaryan stated in an interview with Aykakan Zhamanak (Via Groong) that he believes the opposition...

Protectionism? | June 20, 2004
Foreign Minister Oskanian has described the Turkish blockade as beneficial to Armenia's economy, reports the Washington Times. He made these statements while speaking in Washington after a meeting with Colin Powell and Condoleeza Rice. "We have strengthened our [information technology]...

Bordering war | June 20, 2004
According to Golos Armenii (Via Groong), Azerbaijan's new strategy is to wear down Armenian forces with a localised war of attrition. This involves pushing forward in places and firing on Armenian farmers, etc. Since May 1994 the cease-fire regime has...

Judicial farce | June 16, 2004
HETQ Online, the Association of Investigative Journalists of Armenia, has some strong words in reaction to the fines imposed on thugs who attacked journalists in April at one of the opposition rallies. "This was a judicial farce. The trial was...

Rallies to continue | June 15, 2004
Just when you thought they were really over, the stop-start rallies of the Armenian opposition are set to start again, according to the leadership of the Artarutyun alliance. BakuToday has this artcle about it. There's a funny comment at the...

A new peace? | June 14, 2004
Bakutoday.com reports that there is a new peace plan being forged between Armenia and Azerbaijan. "Azerbaijan stands for a step-by-step approach, and the Armenian side stands for a package approach. What we are right now working on is to try...

Fined for assaulting journalists | June 14, 2004
Two men have been found guilty of assaulting journalists in last month's opposition demonstrations, according the RFE. Meanwhile in Baku the Azeri authorities have banned two opposition demonstrations. I presume they are trying to follow the example of Georgia rather...

Blind leading the blind | June 10, 2004
The ever-topical Eurasianet.org website has a story about Kocharyan, and the end of opposition protests. The protests have fizzled out because of a combination of heavy-handed tactics, apathy, and complete frustration at the lack of progress. According to the article,...

Interview with Igor Mouradian | June 04, 2004
AZTAG has an interview with Igor Mouradian, who is a a member of The International Institute for Strategic Studies, and also the author of numerous books on geo-politics. The interview on their website is only in Armenian, but Groong has...

The Road to Democracy | June 04, 2004
Amid a flurry of news on the resumption of opposition protests and the ongoing detention of the 'political prisoners', Kocharyan has been quoted as saying there is no political crisis in Armenia. "There is a conflict between the government and...

Planned Protests Banned | June 03, 2004
Radio Free Europe is reporting that planned protest by the opposition have been banned. Meanwhile, arrests continue of opposition figures. The OSCE is questioning the arrest of these people, according the BakuToday.net The Russian diplomat acknowledged that the OSCE played...

Deja-vu all over again | June 02, 2004
Onnik Krikorian has written an in depth-piece on the current anti-government demonstrations and their origins. This piece was originally published on May 24th on HETQ Online (where I see there is a prominent story about Raffi Kojian of Cilicia.com), but...

A blog against denial | June 02, 2004
I discovered a blog dedicated to protesting the 'denialist statements by the British Ambassador to Armenia', Thorda Abbott-Watt Denying Genocide. The blog is a collection of letters and reports about the UK diplomat and her now infamous statement, which to...

Karabagh Roundtable | May 28, 2004
An Armenian journalist and Azerbaijani scientist have worked together to produce a brochure 'Karabakh conflict, settlement-schemes: ideas and reality'. Reported on ArtsakhWorld, the work looks at various aspects of the conflict. First published in 2002, it has been updated with...

Relationship with Turkey may hinder NATO cooperation | May 26, 2004
MediaMax reports that Armenia's stalled relationship with Turkey may harm cooperation efforts with NATO. Kocharyan has refused to join the Istanbul NATO summit in June, apparently to draw attention the bad state of relations between Yerevan and Ankara....

Opposition protests on hold again | May 25, 2004
More about the on-again off-again opposition protests in Yerevan. Interfax reports that Aram Sarkisian (a former prime minister), has announced that the opposition intends to cease all opposition protest until June 4th. "If our arrested friends are not released by...

Kocharyan complains about opposition which is 'is not taken seriously abroad' | May 23, 2004
Armenian President Kocharyan is complaining about the opposition: "Opposition is part of Armenia's political system and when the attitude towards its is unclear, this extends also on the whole country. It is here where the opposition should feel the responsibility...

Aid parity to Armenia and Azerbaijan | May 23, 2004
Congressman Frank Pallone, JR, has called for aid parity for Armenia and Azerbaijan in response to Aliyev's statements about the possibility of reclaiming Karabagh by force. Aid parity has been called into question recently by the Bush administration, with their...

Kocharyan gets support from Putin | May 21, 2004
Not exactly a surprise. Moscow News reports that the real reason for the talks was the Iran-Armenia gas pipeline. This pipeline, which will bring gas from Turkmenistan to Armenia via Iran has angered Washington, and Russia is also displeased, seeing...

The price of aid | May 20, 2004
Bakutoday is reporting that the US administration is pressuring Armenia for political reform in return for more aid. This extra aid is available under its poverty reduction program. So, we those countries that want extra aid to help relieve poverty...

Aliyev belicose on Karabagh | May 19, 2004
Here's a report from Izvestia on the background to Aliyev's belicose statements on Karabagh. The majority of experts state that the Azerbaijani Army is not prepared for defeating Armenian units. Of course, the ratio of force has changed over the...

Armenia sticking to 3 principles on Karabagh | May 18, 2004
Bakutoday is quoting Serge Sarkissian (Armenian Defence Minister) as rejecting Baku's offer of opening communication lines in return for the return of the 'seven districts'. The principles are: Nagorno-Karabakh in no way can be subordinated to Baku it has to...

Opposition to block President's office | May 17, 2004
It looks like the 'truce' may be over (I am referring to the truce called by the opposition a few days ago in the ongoing opposition demonstrations). Mediamax is reporting that Viktor Dallakyan, the secretary of the Justice parliamentary faction,...

Karabakh ten years on | May 14, 2004
There are two interesting stories on Karabakh and the tenth anniversary of the cease-fire which I thought warranted a mention. First, EurasiaNet has a photostory called Nagorno-karabakh; A Decade Of Frustration In Search Of A Negotiated Peace. This article makes...

Opposition downbeat | May 13, 2004
Noyan-Tapan have this rather downbeat interview with the chairman of the Motherland and Honour Party, Garnik Markaryan. "The current political consultations between the coalition and opposition forces will hardly yield any result, because the coalition has no elementary powers, which...

More on the Karabakh talks | May 12, 2004
Thomas de Waal has written an article in the Wall Street Journal about the Karabakh conflict. (Via Groong) This sad conflict is actually soluble, if only the two sides can be rescued from their isolation. Armenians and Azerbaijanis have far...