“Gul’s congratulation generates discontent of historians”, This is what Azerbayjan’s Azadliq Newspaper wrote on 24 of February.
The newspaper wrote: “Views expressed in the letter are inappropriate”.
more…
Economist starts its report on Armenian election with this “ELECTIONS in former Soviet republics rarely yield surprises. The incumbent wins; the opposition cries foul; it takes to the streets.”
more…
Kosovo is an independent country now, not still recognized by any country but I am sure, some will start that very soon,starting from United States to European Union. Russia opposes the move furiously,Georgia too and Azerbaijan too. Armenia may welcome that,though i am not sure since Armenia buys weapons from Serbia and that for sure will upset Serbs.
more…
It seems Turkish lobby has succeeded to have the backing of 8 former U.S secretary of states. These secretaries served both democrat and republican governments and names such as Madeline Allbright and henry Kissinger and Collin Powell are among them. This time Armenian foreign ministry also came forward and criticized the move. The battle on the congress resolution on Armenian genocide is heating up more and more. you can read the story here.
Presidents Robert Kocharyan and Ilham Aliyev held meeting in St Petersburg yesterday, amidst an informal gathering of leaders from the region. Needles to say, both sides refused to comment on the progress of the talks, and left that up to their foreign ministers. Armenia’s foreign minister Vardan Oskanian reported no concrete progress in the talks. He did, however, state that the meeting was in depth and longer than previous meetings.
I always wonder, what happens during these meetings. Neither Kocharyan or Aliyev will budge from their positions. Is it as simple as :
Kocharyan “Hello.”
Aliyev “Hello. Give back Karabagh”
Kocharyan “Never.”
Aliyev “Fine. Would you like a glass of this water?”
All in jest…but seriously, I feel that without at least some international intervention on this issue, especially since President Bush’s Albanian revelation during which he stated his support for Kosovan independence, that we are not going to see any progress in these talks.
Wow! Now that’s becoming scarry:
BAKU, AZERPRESS - (May 1, 2007) The head of national NGO Forum, MP Azay Guliyev, has initiated development of a law that bans local NGOs to contact Armenian NGOs.
“A group of local NGOs plans to visit Armenia for cooperation. We have no mechanisms available to bar them from traveling to Armenia. Therefore, I suggest tabling the matter in parliament who could debate a law banning our NGOs to contact the Armenian side,” Guliyev stated at today’s plenary session in parliament.
It is interesting to see the explanation of the MP as to why such visits should be banned:
“It is our land: nothing is bad, that representatives of our NGOs visit Upland Karabag and converse with Azerbaijan nationals of Armenian origin, they are separatists though. But Armenia, taking the first opportunity, will tell the world community that Azerbaijan NGOs enter Upland Karabag without restriction.”
Hmm, is this total paranoia or what?!
The world is made of 200 different situations, and if you do something here, doesn’t necessarily apply to everywhere else. This is what The Rt Hon Lord Hurd of Westwell CH CBE PC told us today in his speech on “Britain and the World”. This comment was while answering to the questions: why the invasion in Iraq wasn’t followed by an invasion in North Korea, and on what will the Kosovo precedent mean for the Nagorno-Karabakh, Sth. Ossetian, Abkhazian, etc. conflicts (the second question asked by me naturally 
). more…
As the latest developments in the UN are showing, Azerbaijan is shifting its attention towards forming bigger alliances and burying the essence of the Karabakh problem under the global contradictions around energy security, anti-Russian moods and ducking behind the scandalous image of Mikhail Saakashvili, the president of Georgia.
more…
Armenia liberty reports:
You may remember a while back when 2 bodies were found in a resevoir in Nagorno Karabagh, and they had been clearly beaten and killed. 3 youths were questioned and a videotaped confession was recorded by one of the youths, Razmik Sargsian, aged 20. He claims that the confession was made a a result of hours of torture and threats of rape, he also claims that Armenia’s chief Prosecutor personally punched him in the face.
The three youths have been sentenced to life in prison for the charges. I do not know the details of this case, but the previous Ombudsman Larisa Alaverdyan has stated publicly that there is clear evidence of torture and such allegations should have been treated far more seriously. The defence is convinced that the youths are innocent, and that the murder was commited by higher members of the military structure in Karabagh.
An interesting statistic is also brought forward, it is now statistically more likely for an Armenian conscript to get killed or injured by one of his own than an enemy attack. This is both worrying and shameful. I hope that the true perpatrators of this crime are eventually brought to justice. Although we can currently only hope.
Generally I don’t cover every article that comes up about an NK settlement, but C.J. Chivers at the New York Times has written an excellent summary of the situation and prospects for the Kocharyan-Aliyev meeting next weekend in France.
Highlights:
- All this week OSCE reps are meeting with leaders in both Armenia and Azerbaijan.
- “several diplomats said there was potential for agreement.”
- “Several people familiar with the talks, however, said a document summarizing the core issues has become the basis for proposing a two-stage process: first an agreement in principle, then work on details.”
- www.hetq.am was cited by the New York Times! Yay!
It is tough for me to think about a solution right now, as I am writing a paper on the legal issues surrounding a settlement. Thinking about things actually starting to get settled is really strange when all I’ve been doing lately is reading reports about stumbling blocks. As such, I’m not going to get my hopes up, but it does sound like things have been pretty positive as of late. We can only hope for the best and that both sides are ready to talk, compromise and negotiate.
“Conciliation Resources” published in its Accord magazine an entire issue on Nagorno Karabakh conflict, called “The limits of leadership: Elites and societies in the Nagorny Karabakh peace process.” As is usual, they present ‘both sides of the story’ with submissions from Armenian and Azeri sides.
It’s a good resource, all in all.
One issue with Thomas de Waal’s entry is his repeated but unproven assertion about Sumgait’s being predated by expulsion of Azeris from southern Armenia. It first appeared in his Black Garden book, single sourced to a person unrelated to refugees in Azerbaijan, and neither he nor any organization have found any evidence for that (ICG in its report declined to endorse these claims for the same reason). Yet, it travels from one report to another.
It just shows how difficult it is for third-party observers to remain fully neutral in conflicts like this, when two sides of the story differ so dramatically.
Hetq brings a good story about a Turkish company involved in gold prospecting work in the Sotk Mines, at Armenia’s strategic corner between Lake Sevan and Kelbajar:
Certain aspects of the work of the Ararat Gold Recovery Company (AGRC), owned by Sterlite Gold, are worrisome. The principal stockholder of the company, Indian-born London billionaire Anil Agarwal, is known for questionable dealings (See also: Anil Agarwal Takes the Shine Off Armenian Gold).
In 2005 a Turkish company, Spektra Jeotek, was commissioned by Sterlite Gold and explored the Sotk mine, located in the region bordering Azerbaijan, for quite a long period of time. Although the official website of Sterlite Gold contains information about the foreign partners that work with the company, there is no information about the work done by this Turkish company in Armenia on the site.
It was a Turkish company, then, that performed the exploration of this strategically important mine. Turkey has no diplomatic relations with Armenia. Moreover, Turkey consistently defends Azerbaijan’s interests and makes various demands on Armenia. It is hard to understand why a Turkish company was chosen to explore the mine. According to our information, the National Security Service (NSS) of Armenia was not informed about the Turkish company’s stay in Armenia either. The NSS learned about it just a day before the Spektra Jeotek representatives left the country.
Liz Fuller, as always, delivers an insightful analysis of the upcoming Presidential summit in France between Kocharian and Aliev.
…Even if the two presidents succeed during the coming year in finalizing a set of “general principles” intended to serve as the blueprint for a more detailed peace plan, there is still no guarantee that one side or the other will not find it expedient to renege on them at some future date. The so-called “Paris Principles” agreed on in the spring of 2001 were elaborated on in further talks in Florida in April 2001 and during subsequent meetings between Kocharian and Ilham Aliyev’s father and predecessor, Heydar Aliyev. US diplomat Rudolf Perina, who served as the US Minsk Group co-chairman during those talks, later revealed that in 2002 the two sides came “incredibly close” to hammering out a peace agreement. But Armenian officials say Baku reneged on that deal shortly before a planned summit between Kocharian and Heydar Aliyev in June 2002 that was cancelled at the last minute.
Okay, so this NGO International Crisis Group puts out press releases on NK occasionally.
Their website says:
Crisis Group’s approach is grounded in field research. Teams of political analysts are located within or close by countries at risk of outbreak, escalation or recurrence of violent conflict. Based on information and assessments from the field, Crisis Group produces regular analytical reports containing practical recommendations targeted at key international decision-takers. Crisis Group also publishes CrisisWatch, a 12-page monthly bulletin, providing a succinct regular update on the state of play in all the most significant situations of conflict or potential conflict around the world.
Crisis Group’s reports and briefing papers are distributed widely by email and printed copy to officials in foreign ministries and international organisations and made generally available at the same time via the organisation’s Internet site, www.crisisgroup.org. Crisis Group works closely with governments and those who influence them, including the media, to highlight its crisis analyses and to generate support for its policy prescriptions.
And, more importantly, here’s what Wikipedia says:
Crisis Group is chaired by former British politician and European Commissioner for External Affairs, Chris Patten (Lord Patten of Barnes). Its President and Chief Executive since January 2000 has been former Foreign Minister of Australia, Gareth Evans.
Crisis Group is funded through donations by western governments, various foundations and organisations (many based in the US), corporations, and individuals.
So far, doesn’t sound so bad, does it?
Well, defacto.am reports in ICG today:
From the very beginning the Group’s representatives have behaved very cool. For a short period of time they managed to “deal” with an ancient bloody conflict and presented a report with their recommendations. Moreover, the ICG representatives’ reports are becoming more and more imperative, categorical and even provocative. What kind of organization is International Crisis Group that it actually speaks on behalf of RA government?
What’s the crime in being cool? When has it spoken on behalf of the Armenian government?
MORTON ABRAMOVITS, one of the founders of ICG: former Assistant of the U. S. State Secretary, the U. S. ex Ambassador to Turkey. Morton Abramovits visited Ankara as a member of International Crisis Group. A quotation from an article published in Hurriet:”Till Turkish soldiers are in Cyprus violation is ruled out there”.
So what? That quote sounds badly translated. It doesn’t even make sense.
ZBIGNEV BZHEZINSKI, former National Security Adviser to the U. S. President, a member of American – Azeri Trade House Honorable Board.
Okay, worth noting, but not worth freaking out about.
STEFEN SOLARTS is also one of the founders and ICG vice President. He is one of the most influential lobbyists in the U.S., actively defends Turkish interests.
Never heard the name. I’d need to see a reference to this information.
Then there are some people who work on Turkish EU groups… not a big deal.
WILLIAM SHOWCROSS – his name is mentioned among those who unleashed a war in Iraq.
So what does that have to do with NK?
KENNETH ADELMAN – a member of American Committee for Peace in Chechnya. Isn’t it strange for the organization positioned itself as a peacemaking one?
Who cares?
Levon Ter – Petrosyan’s former press secretary is International Crisis Group representative in Armenia.
I’m glad s/he has a job!
Defacto says “due to the newspaper space’s limited character we do not make a reference to the information’s primary sources” — well, publish them on the internet then!
I’m not trying to defend the ICG, rather, question the reporting of defacto. If they’d show sources, I’d be a-okay, but not showing sources? What the heck?
Armenianow.com posted a little later than usual yesterday, so in case you haven’t looked at it yet, it has a number of stories on NGOs that are doing really good work. Even better — they aren’t all in Yerevan!
One especially interesting case is of an NK NGO that has trouble getting funding as NK isn’t recognized as a state. (Or maybe this was especially interesting to me because I am writing a paper on the statehood question for my international law class right now!)
Please check out ArmeniaNow for some really great stories of NGOs doing positive things.
On a related topic, I shared with a crowd at Onnik’s presentation in London, an excellent survey of NGOs in Armenia done by a wonderful scholar at the LSE, Dr. Armine Ishkanian. Here’s a publically free work of hers that may interest you if you’re curious about NGOs in Armenia. If you have access to a university’s library online database you can surely fine her longer works.
Dr. Jemma Hasratian works as President for the Armenian Association of Women with University Education / AAWUE Center for Gender Studies and holds a Ph.D. in Education. She works also for the Armenian National Committee of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) .
Jemma Hasratyan’s engagement in peace building activities was triggered by the Karabakh conflict. Aware of the need for armed hostilities to stop, she became active in women’s dialogue and in a women’s association that was one of the first women’s NGOs established after Armenia gained independence. Within this framework, Jemma persevered in carrying out a dialogue with Azeri women. This took place during the most difficult years of military hostility, when all and any dialogue-oriented efforts seemed to be unrealistic and even dangerous.
Jemma was nominated, with 999 other women, for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2005.
Here was the idea:
Millions of women work day in day out to promote peace. They care for survivors, help with reconstruction and initiate a new culture of peace. To represent these millions, it is our aim that in the year 2005 a thousand women shall collectively receive the Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts in pursuit of peace. This political prize will show that the work they do is valuable and exemplary.
I know this is old news, but it popped up in a blog search today and I wanted to share.
State’s Burns Outlines U.S. Trans-Atlantic Agenda for 2006
A senior State Department official says the U.S. agenda for the trans-Atlantic relationship in 2006 is to broaden NATO’s mandate and extend its global reach; to advance democracy in Russia, Ukraine, the Caucasus and Central Asia; and to cooperate with Europe in every region of the world through political, economic and security partnerships.
Thanks US… advancing democracy.
The Caucasus and Central Asia: We remain committed to pursuing the Freedom Agenda in Russia and Ukraine. We must encourage Ukraine, Georgia to seek NATO and EU ties, push for reform in the Caucasus and for an end to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. In Central Asia, we must engage Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan, and demand reform from Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan.
Ian Bremmer has an article in Slate today that covers “nonrevolutions” and why they matter.
But a nonrevolution sometimes matters, too, particularly when it uncovers previously hidden political and social instability and poses problems for the future of a volatile region.
How come?
Still, the absence of revolution does not mean that the two states are equally stable or that what happened doesn’t matter. While Nursultan Nazarbayev’s Kazakh government remains as well-entrenched after the election as it was before, Ilham Aliyev’s Azerbaijan may now face a newly radicalized and disruptive opposition.
So why didn’t Kazakhstan or Azerbaijan have a revolution? Bremmer says because of one thing: oil! (and therefore money!)
Georgia, Ukraine, and Kyrgyzstan, the three countries have something very basic in common: They all lack the oil and gas revenues that have stabilized Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan.
Remember back in November when I was floored with the stability and prosperity in AZ?
Bremmer makes a good point:
That income matters enormously. In states that enjoy substantial energy wealth, some of the revenues trickle down to key segments of the citizenry and enhance quality of life. True, the benefits are unevenly distributed. But the extra income these governments receive ensures that elites have the resources to buy off key individuals and groups—and to better finance the use of oppression where necessary. The ruling regimes in Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan have experienced all these benefits.
Those key segments matter A LOT!
Bremmer goes into the Azerbaijani opposition and their interested in the NK settlement or lack thereof.
He says that the main opposition group, Azadlyg, is going to change tactics “because the Azerbaijani government rigged the elections to limit those gains and the United States has refused to become directly involved.” He thinks that they are going to try to screw up the NK resolution.
Aliyev knows that the various opposition parties can win increased popular support by playing on nationalist resistance to compromise on the issue, thereby blocking his efforts to improve Azerbaijan’s standing in the region and his own international reputation.
So, Armenia, without any of this oil money? Will it have a revolution, according to Bremmer’s theory? It remains to be seen.
On a completely selfish note, I am writing an essay on the legal status of Nagorno Karabakh. I have the book “Shahen Avakian, Nagorno-Karabakh: Legal Aspects” but if anyone knows of other academic sources on the subject, please let me know. Thanks!
Powered by WordPress