The Armenian Genocide... from Page 13 Ical Purposes, the U.S
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
21 YEAR The #12 Noah’s Ark (1052) 23 March 2015 Published Since 1993 Weekly Newspaper HIGHLIGHTS ÜáÛÛ³Ý î³å³Ý ß³μ³Ã³Ã»ñà (³Ý·É. / ýñ³Ýë.) President repeats concerns over Russian arms sales to Azerbaijan President Serzh Sargsyan on March 18 age the traditionally close Russian- us," Serzh Sargsyan told an international voiced fresh concerns about large-scale Armenian relations. media forum held in Yerevan. deliveries of Russian weapons to "The fact that Russia sells weapons to Azerbaijan, saying that they could dam- Azerbaijan for various reasons worries continued on page 3 In This Issue 3 Armenian Soldiers Killed Noyan Tapan Printing House In Karabakh p.2 is offering coloured and black and white offset and digital Ralph Yirikian: "We Committed to Our printing of books, brochures, booklets, journals, etc with Motherland's Better Future" p.10 high quality and low prices Tel: 060 27 64 62 Address: Isahakyan 28, 3rd floor, Yerevan 0009 Deputy Culture Minister: "The Youth Orchestra is Our Pride Abroad..." p.11 Euronest PA adopts Resolution on Armenian Noyan Tapan Video Studio Genocide centennial p.12 is offering professional video and photography for indoor Swiss company to invest $0.5 million and outdoor events such as weddings, birthday parties, in pharmaceutical manufacturing official events, seminars and conferences. Tel: 060 27 64 62 Address: Isahakyan 28, 3rd floor, Yerevan 0009 in Armenia p.20 23 March #12 (1052) 2015 2 www.nt.am The Noyan Tapan Highlights POLITICS EU values the current dialogue and cooperation with Armenia President Serzh Sargsyan received on being reviewed and an active exchange of March 18 Johannes Hahn, EU its principles is being conducted. Commissioner for European According to Commissioner Hahn, Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement among those important principles is that Negotiations. the EU should adopt an individual The Armenian President said that approach to each of its Neighborhood continued dialogue with European part- Policy partners through taking into ners and senior-level visits provides a account and respecting the given coun- good opportunity to discuss the prospects try's understanding and viewpoints on for development of relations between cooperation. Armenia and the European Union (EU) President Serzh Sargsyan said that the regardless of further developments, they and to exchange views on issues of mutu- cooperation within the framework of the were useful in terms of identifying the al concern. In this context, Serzh European Neighborhood Policy is helpful expectations and the defined standards, Sargsyan welcomed Commissioner in terms of fostering reforms in Armenia as well as some potential competitive Johannes Hahn's visit to our country. and thanked all the European organiza- advantages in the European market. Commissioner Johannes Hahn under- tions for the assistance rendered hitherto At the meeting, President Serzh scored that he highly values the current to our country. Sargsyan and Commissioner Johannes dialogue and cooperation between Johannes Hahn mentioned that the Hahn also exchanged views on regional Armenia and its European partners. He previous phase of negotiations within the issues and challenges, as well as on the noted that at present the Strategy Paper framework of the EU Eastern Partnership recent developments around the Nagorno on the European Neighborhood Policy is should not be deemed wasteful, and Karabakh peace process. 3 Armenian Soldiers Killed In Karabakh Three Armenian soldiers were killed quick to deny attacking Karabakh and four others wounded in Nagorno- Armenian positions in the area. It also Karabakh early on Thursday in a fierce fire- claimed that its troops killed and wounded fight which military authorities in about 20 Armenian soldiers as they thwart- Stepanakert said also left at least two ed armed "provocations" organized by the Azerbaijani servicemen dead. Armenian side. A ministry statement cited According to Karabakh's Defense by Azerbaijani news agencies said nothing Army, the soldiers -- Hakob Khachatryan, about casualties suffered by Azerbaijani Eduard Hayrapetyan and Arshak troops. military are "reckless in the military sense." Harutiunyan -- died while fighting back an Later in the day, Azerbaijani Defense He also accused Baku of hiding its combat Azerbaijani commando attack on their posi- Minister Zakir Hasanov visited a military casualties to avoid a domestic backlash tions in northern Karabakh. An army state- hospital in Baku and talked to wounded sol- against what Yerevan claims is a deliberate ment said their unit, backed up by rein- diers undergoing treatment there. policy of escalation. forcements rushed to the outpost, repelled, Hasanov's press office said the visit was Deadly fighting along "the line of con- pursued and "destroyed" the attackers dur- connected with a public holiday. tact" and the Armenian-Azerbaijani border ing the 2-hour gun battle. In Yerevan, meanwhile, Armenian intensified sharply in January, leading The Karabakh Armenian army also Foreign Ministry spokesman Tigran President Serzh Sargsyan to threaten released photographs of four rocket-pro- Balayan accused Azerbaijan of again "asymmetric" retaliatory strikes against pelled grenade launchers, an assault rifle heightening tensions along "the line of con- Azerbaijani military targets. The U.S., with a night-vision scope and commando tact" around Karabakh in defiance of inter- Russian and French co-chairs of the OSCE ammunition which it said were left on the national mediators' efforts to bolster the Minsk Group seemed to hold Baku prima- battlefield by the retreating enemy. A fol- shaky ceasefire regime there. Balayan said rily responsible for that upsurge in a joint low-up statement issued by it identified two that Baku will bear responsibility for all statement issued later in January. Azerbaijani soldiers allegedly killed by its consequences of the renewed escalation. The mediators urged the conflicting forces. Armenian media reports citing mili- "The Armenian side is prepared for any parties to "strictly adhere to the ceasefire" tary sources in Stepanakert spoke of development of the situation," Armenia's after visiting Baku, Stepanakert and between 7 and 14 Azerbaijani servicemen Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan said in Yerevan on February 16-19. A February 20 killed in what was the most serious instance written comments on the incident. "But I statement by them said Serzh Sargsyan and of truce violation in the Karabakh conflict see no danger of large-scale hostilities." Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev "agreed zone reported since August. Ohanyan said that Azerbaijani incur- to consider proposals from the Co-Chairs Azerbaijan's Defense Ministry was sions regularly reported by the Armenian that could strengthen the ceasefire." 23 March #12 (1052) 2015 POLITICS The Noyan Tapan Highlights www.nt.am 3 President repeats concerns... From page 1 "The problem here is not the quality of the sold weapons," he said during a question-and-answer session that followed his speech at the gathering. "The problem is that the young Armenian man deployed on our border [with Azerbaijan] or the [Nagorno-Karabakh] Line of Contact realizes that they are try- ing to kill him with Russian weapons. This is the gravest thing." Russia appears to have supplied more heavy weapons to Azerbaijan than Armenia, its main regional ally, in the past sev- eral years. Those include hundreds of tanks, artillery systems and combat helicopters. Russian and Azerbaijani officials have estimated the total volume of bilateral defense contracts signed since 2010 at more than $4 billion. Serzh Sargsyan already voiced dismay at the Russian- Azerbaijani arms deals in a newspaper interview in July 2014. to "solve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict by military means." "Our people are worried that our strategic ally sells weapons to Answering another question, Sargsyan strongly defended Azerbaijan," Sargsyan told Argentina's "Clarin" daily. his controversial 2013 decision to opt for Armenia's member- Official Yerevan was until then careful not to publicly criti- ship in the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) at the cize the Russian arms supplies to its arch-foe. Some Armenian expense of a far-reaching accord with the European Union. He officials claimed that they are offset by Russian military assis- attributed the move to "pragmatic" economic considerations, tance to Armenia. Serzh Sargsyan similarly praised this and singling out the fact Armenia imports Russian natural gas at a other forms of Russian aid provided to his country since inde- discounted price and has unfettered access to the vast Russian pendence. He went on to assert that Azerbaijan remains unable market. Yerevan Keen To 'Combine' Eurasian, European Integrations agenda with the European Union," he between the EU and Armenia. Sargsyan said. "Furthermore, we will try to find precluded the signing of the agreement, points of convergence and foster coopera- including a free-trade component, when tion and dialogue through forging close he decided in 2013 to make his country ties with various integration processes." part of the Eurasian Economic Union Serzh Sargsyan specified that Armenia (EEU). is seeking closer partnership with the EU The Armenian government has since in the areas of democracy, human rights, been trying to negotiate a less far-reach- judicial independence, fight against cor- ing deal with the EU that would not con- ruption and economic reforms that would tradict its membership commitments to Armenia remains committed