The Armenian Govern - Christian Roots, the Left-To-Right Direction - Karabagh Region
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OCTOBER 18, 2014 MirTHErARoMENr IAN -Spe ctator Volume LXXXV, NO. 14, Issue 4357 $ 2.00 NEWS IN BRIEF The First English Language Armenian Weekly in the United States Since 1932 Baku Furious Over Armenia’s Eurasian Accession: Security Guarantee the Game Changer French Karabagh Visit to turn down a potential association agree - point to long historical associations with BAKU (RFE/RL) — Azerbaijan is irate over a By Pietro A. Shakarian ment with the European Union (EU). Europe. These include their shared French mayor’s visit to the breakaway Nagorno- The decision by the Armenian govern - Christian roots, the left-to-right direction - Karabagh region. ment has sparked debate in Armenian ality of the Armenian alphabet, contacts The Foreign Ministry in Baku said the October YEREVAN (Hetq) — On October 10, society about the respective benefits of between the old Armenian kingdoms and 4-6 visit by the mayor of the French town of Armenia officially joined the Eurasian the two rival blocs. It is true that the West, and even the very personality of Bourg-les-Valence, Marlene Mourier, was a Customs Union. It was more than a year Armenians have long sought to integrate Charles Aznavour. In fact, to an Armenian “provocation” ahead of a meeting between the ago that the country made its fateful deci - their country with Europe and, like their or Georgian, the idea of possibly joining presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia in Paris sion to join the Moscow-backed union and northern neighbors the Georgians, they see EURASIA, page 2 later this month. The ministry’s spokesman Hikmat Hajiyev said the visit, and the signing of a Friendship Declaration between Bourg-les-Valence and the town of Shushi in Nagorno-Karabagh, ran “con - New Wave of Opposition Protests trary to French laws and the mediation activity of France.” YEREVAN (RFE/RL) — For the third time in three years, the Armenian opposi - Artsakh and Belgian tion has announced the start of a nation - Universities Sign wide campaign to bring about regime change, or at least wrest significant political Cooperation Agreement concessions from the country’s leaders. Whether this attempt to bring about what STEPANAKERT (Hetq) — On October 13, the one leading figure termed “a velvet revolu - Artsakh State University and Belgium’s Catholic tion as a result of peaceful popular pres - University of Leuven signed a Declaration of sure” will succeed where the previous two Cooperation in Stepanakert. failed is questionable, however. The Declaration was signed in the NKR by At the height of the “Arab Spring” of Rector of the Artsakh State University Manush 2011, the Armenian National Congress Minasyan and in Belgium, by Rector of the (HAK) headed by former President Levon Catholic University of Leuven Rik Torfs. Ter-Petrosian convened a series of four The Catholic University of Leuven was repre - protest demonstrations in Yerevan to sented in Stepanakert by Bernard Coulie, the demand pre-term parliamentary and presi - university’s honorary rector, professor and mem - dential elections. An opposition rally held in the town of Abovian is just one of several Armenian antigovern - ber of the Europe-Armenia Advisory Committee,. Ter-Petrosian never recognized the legal - ment protests planned in the coming weeks. ity of the presidential ballot three years pre - Armenian Killed in viously, in which, according to official returns, he polled just 21.51 of the vote Azerbaijan Buried compared to 53 percent for then Prime YEREVAN (Armenpress) — Karen Petrosyan, the YerazArt Artists Soar on Belmont Hill Minister Serge Sargisian. 31-year-old who had been taken hostage and killed The 2011 protests mobilized up to 35,000 the next day by Azerbaijan last month, was buried BELMONT, Mass. — The quiet of Belmont Hill was shattered on Saturday, people. But, for reasons that were never clar - on October 13 in his home village Chinari. The October 4, not by a wild party, but by two musically gifted performers from ified, Ter-Petrosian failed to capitalize on head of the Chinari community Samvel Saghoyan Armenia and an enthusiastic crowd at a fundraiser and concert for YerazArt. that manifestation of mass support: He advo - told Armenpress that the entire village attended Soprano Mane Galoyan and classical guitarist Lilit Mardiyan thrilled the more cated “caution” rather than “pushing the the burial ceremony. He added that the members of than 80 supporters of YerazArt, who had gathered at the home of Ani and Nelson authorities into a corner.” The talks the Petrosyan’s family are experiencing severe psycho - Stepanian. The two were accompanied HAK subsequently embarked on with repre - logical trauma. by pianist Nune Hakobyan. sentatives of Sargisian’s Republican Party of “They seem to have suffered the death of their By Alin K. Gregorian “We are very happy and proud to spon - Armenia (HHK) ended in deadlock. son for the second time,” said Saghoyan. Mirror-Spectator Staff sor YerazArt and the work they are In the spring of 2014, a year after Petrosyan, who lived in a border village in doing in Armenia for young musicians,” Sargisian’s re-election for a second term, Armenia, was taken captive on August 7 after mis - said host Nelson Stepanian. see PROTESTS, page 16 takenly appearing in the territory of Azerbaijan. Ani Stepanian added, “Being from Gumri, I appreciate the work YerazArt does Shocking images of him being dragged by masked for young Armenians in the provinces. We are happy to support these musicians.” soldiers were distributed to the media by authori - YerazArt Executive Board Chair Nicole Babikian Hajjar thanked the members ties in Azerbaijan, in which Petrosyan was being of the committee and the guests for attending. She also told the audience about President Participates in forced to beg for forgiveness from the president of the success of the previous year’s soloist, Diana Adamyan, who has attended mas - Erebuni-Yerevan 2796 Azerbaijan. The next day, the Defense Ministry ter classes thanks to YerazArt and has been invited to participate on a full announced that he had “suddenly” died of “heart see YERAZART, page 12 Celebration failure.” The circumstances surrounding the death raised serious doubts as to the cause of the death. YEREVAN — President Serge Sargisian, On October 10 Azerbaijan returned his body. accompanied by the mayor of Yerevan Taron Margaryan, on October 12 toured the capital, which is celebrating its 2796th anniversary. He watched a number of events devoted to the celebration held in INSI DE different administrative districts of Yerevan and talked to the people participating in the celebration. The Armenian president attended a solemn opening ceremony of a Aleppo park located between Nalbandyan and Hanrapetutyun Streets on the capital’s main avenue. The president was presented History the works implemented in a territory that has been neglected and dilapidated for Page 4 decades, as a result of which about 13200 sq. km. of entertainment area has been put in good order. The entrance of the enter - tainment area has been accommodated for INDEX residents with disabilities and ramps have Arts and Living . 10 been built. The entertainment area has Armenia . 2 been fully equipped with a new outdoor Community News. 4 lighting system and fountain systems, has Editorial . 14 Lilit Mardiyan performs while Katrina Menzigian and Araz Arslanian listen. been landscaped and is furnished with new International . 3 benches, pavilions and attractions. see CELEBRATION, page 2 2 S ATURDAY , O CTOBER 18, 2014 T HE A RMENIAN M IRROR -S PECTATOR ARMENIA News From Armenia Armenia’s Eurasian Accession EURASIA, from page 1 not depend solely on outside forces like Indeed, it is far more likely than the the EU represents the culmi nation of a Brussels as much as it ultimately does standard narrative by the Western Bako Sahakyan and Ara centuries-long quest for Europe. with the people of Armenia. media and pro-Western Armenian oppo - Abrahamyan Participate However, even though an Armenian There are demographic concerns sitionists who claim that Putin simply or Georgian nationalist would never with the EU too. Since joining, many of “pressured” Armenia to join its In Opening of School admit this, it was the Russian Empire in the new Eastern European member Eurasian project. the 19th century that effectively recon - states have experienced massive emi - Instead, it is more probable that STEPANAKERT (Armenpress) — On October 14, nected both Georgia and, at least, east - grations to the more developed Moscow put forward a deal of enhanced President of Artsakh Republic Bako Sahakyan met ern Armenia with Europe directly for the Western countries. Proponents of the security guarantees for Nagorno with the delegation of the Armenian Union of first time since the Middle Ages. EU point to earlier examples, such as Karabagh, which along with Armenia Russia headed by its president, Ara Abrahamyan. Today, Russia continues to play a Ireland, and argue that such a phenom - itself is constantly being threatened by Issues related to the implementation of different major role in Armenia’s economic and enon is merely temporary. Azerbaijan. This would explain why projects in Artsakh were discussed during the energy sectors. However, the most sig - However, since the Eurozone crisis, Sargisian, himself a Karabagh native, meeting. nificant factor in the Russo-Armenian there are indications that these emi - was grinning at the Moscow meeting, as Sahakyan praised the role of the Armenian Union relationship is security. Russia main - grants are not returning, especially if he had won concessions from of Russia and the World Armenian Congress in tains a military base in Gumri and it because there are so few employment Moscow. He did not appear to be a man strengthening the Motherland - Diaspora ties, guards the country’s borders with Iran opportunities in their native countries.