29.04.2015 INSIGHTS INTO TURKISH DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL POLITICS
By John VanPool
Key Points:
- Prime Minister Erdogan claims Iran is attempting to divide and conquer the Middle East, but tempers his criticisms following a visit to Tehran...
09.02.2015 IRAN AND SOUTH CAUCASUS: THE IMPLICATIONS OF “FREEZING”
Sevak Sarukhanyan
Although Iran and the six powers were unable to reach an agreement on the nuclear issue in 2014, the negotiations will continue in 2015 and there is a theoretical chance that if not full, then at least some partial settlement will be reached in the relations between Tehran and Washington. The article presents the potential corollaries that such arrangement may bring for South Caucasus.
19.01.2015 HOW OLD IS THE AZERBAIJANI NATION: ONCE AGAIN ABOUT THE IDENTITY OF ABSHERON MUSLIMS
Haykaram Nahapetyan
Modern Azerbaijan, akin to “caviar diplomacy” also develops “caviar science” not only in Azerbaijan, but also by ordering “research” in foreign countries that present the current territory of Azerbaijan, as well as Artsakh, Zangezur and Yerevan as millennia-old Azeri homeland. Baku post factum declares the Christian monuments on these territories or other Armenian settlements as Caucasian Albanian. Even if those were Albanian, Azerbaijan has no priority over Armenia to claim heritage of the historically Christian territories of Caucasian Albania.
30.10.2014 FOR ANKARA, IS MASSACRE A POLICY OPTION?
by Thierry Meyssan
Is the new alliance between Turkey and France concerned only with economic issues, to wit entry into the European Union, or is it purely political? In this case, must Paris provide cover for Ankara whatever the policy? Does this support go as far as genocide?
29.09.2014 INSIGHTS INTO TURKISH DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL POLITICS DURING AUG. 16TH - SEPT. 15TH 2014
By John VanPool
Key Points:
- New Prime Minister Ahmet Davuglotu announces his cabinet with few surprises, save the re-appointment of economic policy heads Ali Babacan and Mehmet Simsek. The cabinet will continue to carry out its predecessor’s policies, though Turkey’s de facto leader remains President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
29.07.2014 INSIGHTS INTO TURKISH DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL POLITICS BETWEEN 16 MAY – 16 JULY 2014
By John VanPool
Iraq implodes as the Islamic State (IS, formerly known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant or alternatively the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) allies with Iraqi Sunnis to overtake large swaths of the country’s northwest, including the city of Mosul. Turkish hostages are taken in the city, and the Kurdish Regional Government of Iraq halts IS’s march towards oil-rich Kirkuk.
26.05.2014 NEW TRANSPORT PROJECTS IN THE REGION
Sevak Sarukhanyan
Recently there has been a surge in work on international transport projects. This concerns also the South Caucasus and Caspian region, where several projects are close to completion. Unfortunately, these projects may to a certain extent negatively affect the regional interests of the Republic of Armenia.
30.04.2014 ROSNEFT: A NEW BUSINESS PROJECT IN ARMENIA
Mikhail Aghajanyan
A new large business project brews in Russian-Armenian relations. Rosneft corporation is just one step away from entering the Armenian market. The agenda of negotiations between business entities of the strategic partner-countries in South Caucasus includes two main issues.
18.03.2014 GAS TRANSIT PIPELINE IRAN-ARMENIA: A CHANGE OF DISCOURSE
Sevak Sarukhanyan
The political crisis in Ukraine prompted stormy debates in the political analyst circles of Armenia regarding the causes of the crises and resultant potential changes in the world. Unfortunately there is little meaningful analysis for Armenia in terms of the ramifications of a new standoff round between Russia and the West, although such ramifications could be quite palpable.
20.02.2014 THE LIMITS OF TURKEY'S INTEREST RATE HIKE
With a dramatic hike in Turkey's overnight lending rate from 7.75 to 12.5 percent announced on Jan. 28, Turkish Central Bank Gov. Erdem Basci followed through on his earlier promise to use interest rates as a weapon to defend Turkey's currency, the lira.
06.02.2014 AN OUTLOOK FOR IRANIAN GAS IN ARMENIA
Sevak Sarukhanyan
In December 2013, after the Armenian-Russian gas agreement was signed, there have been some intense discussions on importing gas from Iran to Armenia. The main discussion topics are the price of the Iranian gas and the nature of the Armenian-Russian gas agreement, which allegedly might prevent Armenia from increasing volumes of the imported gas from Iran.
06.02.2014 IRAN SECURITY IN THE SOUTH CAUCASUS
Vladimir Yevseyev
Currently, the security situation in the South Caucasus is determined by three main factors: the deep Syrian crisis, which can still lead to war the U.S. and its allies against Bashar al-Assad, Iran's nuclear problem and long-term consequences of the war in August 2008 with Georgia.
23.12.2013 THE MAIN TRENDS IN GEORGIAN POLITICS AND ECONOMY IN SEPTEMBER-NOVEMBER, 2013
Sergei Sargsyan
The autumn of 2013 was politically eventful in Georgia. Among other events, the presidential elections are worth mentioning, with Prime Minister Ivanishvili leaving the official politics, as he announce beforehand, and Georgia initialing the EU Association Agreement during the Vilnius summit.
17.09.2013 INSIGHTS INTO TURKISH DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL POLITICS DURING 1-16 AUGUST 2013
By John VanPool
After more than five years of investigations, accusations, and controversial charges, the Ergenekon coup case reached its conclusion on August 5. A special court sentenced 19 of the 275 defendants to lengthy prison terms for their roles in a grand conspiracy prosecutors say was intended to overthrow the democratically elected AKP government.
01.08.2013 CSTO AND COMMUNICATION SECURITY
Sevak Sarukhanyan
On June 26, 2013 a meeting of the CSTO Secretary General N.Bordyuzha and Coordinator of the CSTO Analytical Association I.Panarin with the Armenian experts was held at “Noravank” Foundation. Communication security issue was among those on the agenda.
31.07.2013 TURKEY: THROES OF SECULARISM
Sergei Sargsyan
Since late May protests have been persisting in Turkey. They were caused by the intentions of Istanbul authorities to cut down trees in Gezi garden near Taksim Square for building new shopping and recreation center and restoration of the Ottoman barracks which used to be there once.
25.07.2013 TURKEY'S PROBLEMS GROW WITH A SYRIAN KURDISH MOVE FOR AUTONOMY
That a Kurdish group would declare autonomy from Syria's currently fragmented state was inevitable, but Turkey is now facing a spread of Kurdish separatism at the same time it is facing mounting obstacles in its current peace track with the Kurdistan Workers' Party within its borders.
01.07.2013 IRAN AFTER THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS
Sevak Sarukhanyan
The presidential elections, held on June 14, will be of great importance for the future of Iran and region in general. Hassan Ruhani who has been elected as president has a serious opportunity to positively impact both domestic political life in Iran and its foreign policy.
10.06.2013 “IRANIAN GAS CAN REPLACE RUSSIAN BUT IT IS MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE”
Iran as a natural gas supplier can become for Armenia full-fledged alternative to Russia. This was said in the interview to REGNUM IA correspondent by the Armenian expert, head of the Center for Political Studies of “Noravank” Foundation Sevak Sarukhanyan.
23.05.2013 NAGORNO-KARABAKH: OBSTACLES TO A NEGOTIATED SETTLEMENT
Anna Hess Sargsyan
The conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh (NK) between Armenia and Azerbaijan remains immune to a political solution despite the two decades of intensive international mediation.
20.05.2013 NUCLEAR INDUSTRY RE-ENERGIZING AFTER FUKUSHIMA
Reconstructing nuclear confidence in post-Fukushima world is a long and painful process. But real-life energy demands especially in the developing countries predetermine a significant share of nuclear energy in their national energy consumption structure.
02.05.2013 NAGORNO-KARABAKH: CONCEPTUAL APPROACHES TO THE PROSPECTS OF THE CONFLICT SETTLEMENT
Sergei Minasyan
As it is known, today the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic is not fully involved in the negotiation process under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group. The stance of Stepanakert is presented in the international arena by Armenia which states that at this stage it abstains from the recognition of the NKR.
25.04.2013 KARS-AKHLKALAKI-TBILISI RAILWAY AND ITS REGIONAL PROSPECTS
Sevak Sarukhanyan
The authorities of Georgia, Azerbaijan and Turkey plan to complete building of Kars-Akhlkalaki-Tbilisi railway by the end of 2013 and this new transportion hub will be put into commission on January 1, 2014.
10.04.2013 HOW TO CREATE A NATION: A TASK OF FORMATION OF THE AZERBAIJANI IDENTITY IN THE 20TH CENTURY
Haykaram Nahapetyan
A well-known in the Soviet period definition of Azerbaijan’s capital Baku as an “international city” is still fresh in the memory of people from the post-Soviet territory. In Soviet Baku different big national and religious communities lived which was characteristic for pre-Soviet, tsarist period as well.
04.04.2013 GEORGIA AND TURKISH-AZERBAIJANI MILITARY AND POLITICAL ALLIANCE
Lia Evoyan
South Caucasus still remains one of the most important targets in the foreign policy of Turkey. This is stipulated in the electoral programme (Seçim Beyannamesi) of the Justice and Development Party issued on June 12, 2011 on the eve of the parliamentary elections...
21.03.2013 BRUSSELS INDULGES IN TRANS-CASPIAN PIPE DREAM AGAIN
After the European Commission has finally realized that major investors (RWE) and transit countries (Hungary) are leaving Nabucco, bureaucrats in Brussels are now trying to revitalize a distressed project – the so-called Trans-Caspian gas pipeline.
25.02.2013 INTENSIFICATION OF RUSSIA-TURKEY INDIRECT MILITARY AND POLITICAL CONFRONTATION
Sergei Sargsyan
The relationship of Russia and Turkey in the periods when they were in the state of war resemble a game of mult-iboard military and political chess on the geographically separated boards, and each game has its logic, its intrigue, its pieces but they all are interconnected and constitute a part of the same big mosaic.
21.02.2013 QAZVIN-RASHT-ASTARA OR IRAN-ARMENIA?
Sevak Sarukhanyan
Recently the discussions on the development of the railway service have stirred up in the South Caucasus and Armenia. This is mostly conditioned by the change of the leadership in Georgia in 2012 after which a new government was formed.
31.01.2013 GEORGIAN BUSINESSMEN FIGHT FOR "STOLEN" PROPERTY
Georgian businessmen who accuse the last government of stealing their property have united to demand that the new administration return it.
14.01.2013 GEORGIA: AN ATTEMPT TO MANEUVER IN A NARROW GAUGE
Sergei Sargsyan
The recent parliamentary elections in Georgia turned out to be remarkable in many aspects. They were remarkable for the results of the elections; for the fact that for the first time in the modern history of the country the change of the regime proceeded in a democratic path...
27.12.2012 CHALLENGES TO ARMENIA IN THE GLOBALIZING WORLD
Gagik Harutyunyan
In Arnold Toynbee’s classical formulation, the viability of civilizations depends on their ability to adequately respond to challenges. In this sense it can be stated that for several millennia Armenia has been able to face (to various extent) its challenges.
20.12.2012 STATE BUDGET OF AZERBAIJAN
Ara Marjanyan
Just as in case with the population size, there is no ready and simple answer to “what is the Azerbaijani budget like?” simple question. Here we need to compare several data sources because the official estimations of the Azerbaijani Republic’s state budget differ markedly from the estimations given by other sources.
17.12.2012 ON THE ROLE OF THE ENERGY FACTOR IN THE KARABAKH CONFLICT: NEW RE-FRAMING?
Sergei Minasyan
Back In 1994, in the period of completion of active military actions in Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Heidar Aliyev, while preparing for signing “Contract of the Century” with the western oil companies on the development of hydrocarbon resources in Azerbaijani offshore areas of the Caspian Sea, expressed a hope that...
10.12.2012 IRAN AND SANCTIONS
Sevak Sarukhanyan
Sanctions imposed against Iran caused serious changes in the economic life of the Islamic Republic of Iran. At the same time they have had a great impact on political processes either.
28.11.2012 “THE 35-KILOMETER BORDER WITH ARMENIA IS AS IMPORTANT FOR IRAN AS IT IS FOR ARMENIA”
Robert Margarian
Political scientist, analyst Robert Margarian from Iran was one of the participants of the Pan-Armenian Conference of Political Scientists and International Relations Experts.
13.11.2012 EU OFFICIALS: WE WERE HACKED DURING CONFERENCE ON INTERNET SECURITY IN AZERBAIJAN
A European official says her staff members were hacked when they joined her for a conference on Internet security in Azerbaijan. European Commission Vice President Neelie Kroes said in a blog post Saturday that her advisers’ computers were compromised as they attended a meeting of the Internet Governance Forum in Baku, the Azeri capital.
16.10.2012 IRANIAN CRISIS AND “IMMEDIATE” DETERRENCE IN THE KARABAKH CONFLICT
Sergey Minasyan
The Iranian nuclear programme and persisting crisis in the relations of Iran with many western countries, and first of all with the U.S. and Israel, seriously influence political processes in the region as well. In some cases it is also considered as a catalyst of many regional conflicts.
04.10.2012 PEACE SHOULD REFLECT THE OUTCOME OF THE WAR
Anushavan Barseghyan
American think tanks are one of the main factors influencing Washington’s foreign policy and they have predetermined the character of the activity of the US on the international arena. But analytical centers are given less consideration than confronting lobbyist groups, inter-partisan disagreements and competition between the wings of the authorities.
27.09.2012 SIGNIFICANCE OF NUCLEAR ENERGY FOR ARMENIA
Sevak Sarukhanyan
In the years to come building of a new power generating unit of Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant will be one of the main political and economic challenges for Armenia. The power generating unit, which will cost about $5 billion, will be most expensive and most important economic programme in the history of the Republic of Armenia, and its significance should be considered not only in economic but in political aspect either.
24.09.2012 PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS: GEORGIA AHEAD OF THE CONTROVERSIAL EVENT
Sergei Minasyan
This autumn Georgia will face serious political challenge – regular and very important parliamentary elections will be held. On August 1, 2012 the president of Georgia Mikhail Saakashvili appointed the day of parliamentary elections. According to law they should be held in 60 days, i.e. on October 1.
02.08.2012 SOME ASPECTS OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF MILITARY AND POLITICAL SITUATION ROUND THE NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT
Sergei Sargsyan
Currently military and political situation round Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is mainly characterized by a general influence of the following factors: Combat readiness and fighting capacity of the armed forces of the conflicting parties, sustaining of the acceptable balance of offensive/defensive arms between them...
26.07.2012 “IT IS NECESSARY TO RAISE ENERGY EFFICIENCY”, - says the deputy head of the Center for Political Studies of “Noravank” Foundation Sergei SARGSYAN in his interview to “Golos Armenii”
- Mr. Sargsyan, how do you assess the condition of the energy security of Armenia? What is the role of “Armrosgazprom” in its ensuring?
28.06.2012 ON THE REGIONAL POLICY OF IRAN
Sevak Sarukhanyan
The passed parliamentary elections in Iran which fortified political stability in the country after the 2009 elections, created fertile ground for Tehran to stir up regional policy.
25.06.2012 TRANS-CASPIAN GAS PIPELINE: GOALS, PROBLEMS AND RISKS
Sergei Sargsyan
At the end of his visit to Baku in November 2011 the Special Envoy of the United States Secretary of State for Eurasian Energy Richard Morningstar stated that the US would support any pipeline within the framework of the South gas corridor but it would be better to begin from a small pipeline which would be expanded later.
14.06.2012 ISLAMIC FACTOR IN THE FOREIGN POLICY OF TURKEY
Artashes Ter-Harutyunyan
Recently the intelligence service of Israel – Mossad – presented to the cabinet of Benjamin Netanyahu a report on the situation and possible developments in Syria.
24.05.2012 CHRISTIANS IN TODAY’S TURKEY (Protestants and Catholics)
Arestakes Simavoryan
In February global mass media spread information that German Via Dolorosa Christian Union summoned Christians of the world to boycott Turkish “Fatih 1453” film, which, in fact, was anti-Christian.
10.05.2012 BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS IN AZERBAIJAN
Artsrun Khanjyan
Availability of distinct information about enemy’s armed forces and particularly about weapons of mass destruction is very important in military and political conflicts.
07.05.2012 NUCLEAR TURKEY
Ara Marjanyan
A number of processes on domestic (national), regional and global levels rise inclination of Turkey for the creation of the nuclear capabilities of its own.
03.05.2012 TURKISH FACTOR IN “LEVIATHAN” AND “APHRODITE” ENERGY “WARS”
Sevak Sarukhnyan
Finding vast reserves of natural gas in the eastern Mediterranean has turned this region into a stage of new energy and political contradictions.
26.04.2012 TURKISH NUCLEAR THREAT
Gagik Harutyunyan
Proliferation of nuclear and mass destruction weapons is the most topical issue of the global security today. The researches, carried out back in the middle of the 20th century, come to prove that usage of the mass destruction weapons brings to the global catastrophe.
10.04.2012 ON TURKEY’S NUCLEAR CLAIMS
Artashes Ter-Harutyunyan
In April a visit of the Turkish prime-minister Recep Tayip Erdogan to Beijing where a Chinese-Turkish agreement on “Peaceful use of the Nuclear Energy” will be concluded is expected.
29.03.2012 BAKU SUMMONS POPULATION OF IRAN FOR CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE
Levon Melik-Shakhnazaryan
The Ministry of National Security of Azerbaijan has stated recently about arrest of a group of terrorists who were allegedly planning assassination of foreign diplomats in Baku.
22.03.2012 POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS IN IRAN AND POSSIBLE IRAN-US COLLISION
Sevak Sarukhanyan
Parliamentary elections held on March 2 and presidential elections in 2013 in Iran are of great importance not only for domestic political life of the Islamic Republic of Iran but they may also become an incitement for the military encounter between Iran and the US.
20.02.2012 A FAILED PROJECT. DEVOTED TO THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE CIS
Sergei Grinyaev
This year the 20th anniversary of establishing the Commonwealth of Independent States is marked.
09.02.2012 DEVELOPMENTS AROUND IRAN
Artashes Ter-Harutyunyan
Though in prior years, tension around Iran – intensifying and weakening, was not considered to be unusual, over the recent period it can be observed that the developments concerning the Southern neigbour of Armenia has changed their character.
26.01.2012 IRAN AND DEVELOPMENTS IN SYRIA
Sevak Sarukhanyan
Today Iran experiences one of the gravest consequences of the “Arab spring”: the anti-governmental movement, which started in Syria in spring, more and more resembles civil war and president B. Assad is losing his ground.
16.01.2012 ARMENIAN SCHOOLS IN TBILISI: THE END OF THE STORY
Tamara Vardanyan
The most important sphere regarding the issues connected with the Armenians from Tbilisi is the education.
23.12.2011 ERDOĞAN WARNS SARKOZY OF ‘GRAVE CONSEQUENCES’
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan sent a letter today to French President Nicolas Sarkozy, warning of the "grave consequences" a French bill recognizing Armenian genocide claims would have on bilateral relations.
19.12.2011 US COURT TO RULE ON TURKISH BANKS’ MOTION TO DISMISS ARMENIAN LAWSUITS
By Harut Sassounian
Two separate lawsuits were filed last year in US Federal Court in Los Angeles against the Republic of Turkey and two of its major banks demanding compensation for properties confiscated from Armenians after the 1915 Genocide.
05.12.2011 ON REGIONAL ENERGY DEVELOPMENTS
Sevak Sarukhanyan
Over the recent period the developments around the implementation of the regional energy projects, in particular around building of the Trans-Caspian gas pipeline and profound disagreements, which emerged in the Russian-Turkish energy issues, stirred up.
01.12.2011 TENSION ROUND IRAN
Artashes Ter-Harutyunyan
On November 4, 2011 the president of Israel Shimon Peres made a statement that in the solution of the Iranian issue the Jewish state was tending towards the military option.
28.11.2011 TURKEY SEEKS TO MONOPOLIZE INVESTMENTS IN AMERICAN INDIAN TRIBAL LANDS
By Harut Sassounian
In a few weeks, when high-priced Turkish lobbying firms file their mandatory reports with the Justice Department, important revelations will emerge about their behind the scenes role in pushing through Congress a bill which would give Turkish companies a monopoly for investments in American Indian tribal lands.
10.11.2011 GEOPOLITICAL MEANING OF THE US ANTI-BALLISTIC MISSILE DEFENCE
Artashes Ter-Harutyunyan
On September 14, 2011 in Ankara the deputy-Minister of Foreign Affairs Feridun Sinirlioglu and the US Ambassador to Turkey Francis Richardson signed a memorandum on deployment of radar in Turkey.
24.10.2011 96 YEARS LATER, TURKEY STILL PAYS A PRICE FOR GENOCIDE DENIAL
By Harut Sassounian
Almost a century after the fact, the Republic of Turkey continues to be disgraced for its persistent denial of the Armenian Genocide.
20.10.2011 THREE PRINCIPLES, SIX GUIDELINES AND “STATUS-QUO” IN THE KARABAKH CONFLICT SETTELEMENT
Mikhail Aghajanyan
The process of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement is going through one of the most intensive stages. It is more correct to speak about the intensification than about stirring up...
18.10.2011 NICOLAS SARKOZY GIVES TURKEY TILL YEAREND TO RECOGNIZE GENOCIDE
On the sidelines of his visit to Armenia, French President Nicolas Sarkozy visited Tsitsernakaberd Armenian Genocide Memorial, where he addressed the issue of 1915 massacres in Ottoman Empire.
10.10.2011 AMERICAN, TURKISH AND ARMENIAN UNIVERSITIES PARTICIPATE IN JOINT TOURISM PROJECT
By Taniel Koushakjian
A joint tourism project between the United States, Turkey and Armenia has been actively working to foster greater cooperation and integration between the three countries and between Armenia and Turkey in particular.
06.10.2011 ON MODERN TENDENCIES IN TURKISH ETHNIC POLICY
Ruben Melkonyan
In both the Ottoman Empire and Turkish Republic ethnic orientation in domestic policy took an important place.
03.10.2011 VISIT TO NAKHICHEVAN SHOWS WHY ARMENIANS CAN NEVER AGAIN LIVE UNDER AZERI RULE
By Harut Sassounian
Scottish researcher Steven Sim reported about his troubling experiences in Nakhichevan, a historic Armenian territory now occupied by Azerbaijan.
20.09.2011 NEW STATEHOOD AND NEW CHALLENGES
Gagik Harutyunyan
Geopolitical shifts at the beginning of the 20th century (World War I, revolution of 1917, collapse of the Russian and Ottoman Empires) turned out to be ordeal for Armenia – the Genocide and loss of the Western Armenia.
15.09.2011 FORECASTS ON TURKEY’S FUTURE
Arestakes Simavoryan
Great Russian writer and thinker Fyodor Dostoevsky going into the heart of the Eastern issue wrote in his diaries: “Once, not long ago, strange thing appeared in the foreign press; in ardent, almost fantastic way they were imagining what would happen with the whole world if Turkey is fully annihilated and put back to Asia”.
08.09.2011 TURKEY CAN RUN, BUT CAN’T HIDE FROM THE LONG ARM OF US LAW
By Harut Sassounian
World heavyweight boxing champion Joe Louis once warned one of his opponents: "You can run, but you can’t hide." This same warning now applies to the Turkish government and two of its major banks.
05.09.2011 ARMENIA AT THE INTERSECTION OF THE INTERESTS OF THE MILITARY AND POLITICAL BLOCKS
Sergey Sargsyan
The declaration of the intentions to intensify the works on NATO’s renovated Individual Partnership Action Plan (IPAP) sounded during the visit of a new NATO Secretary General’s Special Representative for the Caucasus and Central Asia James Appathurai made against the background of carrying over the announced CSTO Collective Rapid Reaction Forces’ maneuvers in Armenia on 2012...
01.09.2011 THE DYNAMICS AND TENDENCY OF THE RELATIONS BETWEEN THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA AND THE US: CONCEPTUAL ANALYSIS
Sergey Minasyan
Foreign-policy relations with the key actors of the global politics constantly demand conceptual reconsideration and adjustment depending on the emerging regional conjuncture and global processes.
31.08.2011 ERDOGAN INADVERTENTLY PUBLICIZES ARMENIAN TERRITORIAL CLAIMS FROM TURKEY
By Harut Sassounian
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Erdogan's hysterical outburst at Armenia’s President last week had the salutary effect of publicizing to a worldwide audience Armenian territorial demands from Turkey!
28.07.2011 DEVELOPMENTS AMONG THE ASSIMILATED ARMENIANS IN TURKEY: DYARBAKIR
Ruben Melkonyan
The city of Dyarbakir, where many Armenians used to live, today also plays rather remarkable role in Turkey in the context of the development of the ethnic identity.
14.07.2011 WASHINGTON POST’S VIEW OF ARTSAKH
In a series of articles in the Washington Post, reporter Will Englund puts the Karabakh conflict into perspective.
11.07.2011 NAGORNO-KARABAKH BALANCES BETWEEN PEACE AND WAR
By Haykaram Nahapetyan
Despite an agreement among the U.S., Russian and French presidents at the G-8 summit in Deauville, France, that it is time for a peaceful settlement to the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev failed to make much progress when they met in Kazan, Russia, last week.
07.07.2011 THE MODERN ISSUES OF THE CIRCASSIANS IN TURKEY
Ruben Melkonyan
The Ottoman Empire was multi-national and multi-ethnic state where, however, non-Turk nations were obliged to renounce their identity and to Turkishize.
27.06.2011 POLITICAL PROCESSES IN IRAN
Sevak Sarukhanyan
When on May 1 the president of Iran returned to work after a 10-days break and made a statement that the state bodies must follow the guidelines of the spiritual authorities, there was an impression that the president of Iran smoothed the contradictions with the spiritual class of Iran and that the political crisis in Iran was gradually being settled.
23.06.2011 THE POLITICAL IMPLICATION OF THE TURKISH-GEORGIAN “CULTURAL” DIALOGUE
Tamara Vardanyan
Recently the issue of poor condition of the cultural monuments on the territory of Turkey and Georgia and the necessity of their restoration has stirred up.
20.06.2011 ON THE MODERN TENDENCIES IN THE “ARMENIAN POLICY” OF TURKEY
Ruben Melkonyan
Turkish political machinery periodically adjusts its “Armenian policy” but its essence still remains the same. The ongoing developments come to prove that Turkey tries to use in regard to Armenia and Armeniacy new tactical methods.
13.06.2011 DEVELOPMENTS IN IRAN
Sevak Sarukhanyan
The domestic developments in Iran have essentially stirred up. The contradictions between spiritual leader of the country Ali Khamenei and the president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad became apparent for the public.
09.06.2011 ON THE ISSUES OF THE CATHOLICS ARMENIAN
Arestakes Simavoryan
For decades the developments which has taken place in the life of the Armenians in Turkey has also impacted the Catholic Armenian community in Turkey.
27.05.2011 ANALYTICAL CENTERS IN AZERBAIJAN
Diana Galstyan, Varujean Geghamyan
In developed countries the so-called Think Tanks (TT) play important role in making decisions on state and social levels.
26.05.2011 COUNCIL OF EUROPE NOT DECEIVED BY ERDOGAN’S DOUBLE-TALK
By Harut Sassounian
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan made an embarrassing appearance before the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) last month. Erdogan was invited to the podium after lavish praise by Mevlut Cavusoglu...
16.05.2011 RUSSIAN-ARMENIAN COOPERATION AND TURKISH FACTOR
Gagik Harutyunyan
Armenian-Russian cooperation (which has stirred up after the meeting of the presidents S. Sargsyan and D. Medvedev in August 2010) has several strategic planes.
05.05.2011 FOX-TV AIRS TWO INTERVIEWS ON THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
FOX-TV (Los Angeles) invited this writer for a live in-studio interview on the Armenian Genocide for two consecutive days. The first, lasting 5 minutes, took place on April 24, during the TV station’s evening news program. The second, lasting over 6 minutes, took place on April 25, during the Good Day LA Show. Below are excerpts from both interviews:
28.04.2011 TURKEY SPENDS FREELY AGAIN, AND SOME ANALYSTS WORRY
By LANDON THOMAS Jr.
Is Turkey’s booming economy ripe for a fall? It certainly looks that way. Stock brokers endure four-month waiting lists to pay as much as $150,000 for top-of-the-line Audis and BMWs — twice the manufacturers’ prices after taxes.
18.04.2011 ON TURKISH POLICY OF NEO-OTTOMANISM AND DEVELOPMENTS IN THE ARAB WORLD
Ruben Melkonyan
Back in 2001 the current Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey Ahmed Davutoglu while analyzing regional and geopolitical interests and priorities of Turkey in “Strategic depth: Turkey’s International Position” published back in 2001, put forward a number of theoretical assessments and proposals.
13.04.2011 THE WORLD IN 2050
In March 2006 we produced a report setting out projections for potential growth in GDP in 17 leading economies over the period to 2050. These projections were updated in March 2008 and we are now revisiting them again in the aftermath of the global financial crisis, extended now to cover all G20 economies.
07.04.2011 BIGGEST MARKET RISK: MIDDLE EAST TURMOIL
By Hibah Yousuf
No one saw it coming. As champagne corks popped and confetti swirled to usher in 2011, most experts pointed to Europe's ongoing sovereign debt crisis as the market's biggest hurdle this year.
04.04.2011 DOMESTIC POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS IN IRAN
Sevak Sarukhanyan
The Iranian opposition keeps expanding anti-governmental activity conditioned by the upcoming parliamentary elections in 2012 against the background of the developments in the Arab world.
29.03.2011 ARMENIAN PROTESTANT COMMUNITY IN GEORGIA
Tigran Ghanalanyan
The study of the Armenian Protestant community is distinguished in the context of study of both the issues of the Armenians in Georgia and Protestant (Evangelical) Armenians in general.
29.03.2011 NOTICE
The 1st issue of “Strategy of development” («Стратегии развития») magazine for 2011 was published. The special edition is fully devoted to the material of “The Role of Russia in the South Caucasus” conference, held in Moscow on October 21st, 2010, on the initiative of the Regional Public Movement for the Promotion of the Russian-Armenian relations (president – Mher Simonyan).
21.03.2011 ON DILETTANTISM, PATRIOTISM AND GAS PRICES IN ARMENIA AND EUROPE
Sevak Sarukhanyan
On February 16 Armenian “Zhamanak” daily issued an article by a certain Hrayr Manukyan on, in his opinion, shameful situation with gas prices in Armenia. In the article it is particularly mentioned that in 17 European countries chosen on random gas is 11 times cheaper than in Armenia.
28.02.2011 ARMENIAN VARTO CLAN IN EUROPE
During the Armenian Genocide a large Armenian clan, which was called Varto, after its leader Vardan and which inhabited Sirnak province, managed to escape the massacres and to shelter in mountains. After that this group of survived Armenians, isolating themselves from the rest of the world, began their struggle for survival which had lasted for several decades.
21.02.2011 IRAN AND POLITICAL CRISIS IN EGYPT
Sevak Sarukhanyan
The events which took place in Tunisia and especially in Egypt are significant for Iran. This may seriously change political situation and developments in Arab world, thus either endangering or strengthening regional and international positions of Iran.
18.02.2011 POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE ASPECTS OF THE NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT SETTLEMENT ROADMAP AT CURRENT STAGE
Mikhail Aghajanyan
The process of the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement has recently shown some kind of stalling and absence of any significant dynamics of positive development. Such a tendency has been boldly outlined after the well-known meeting of three presidents in Sochi on January 25, 2010.
14.02.2011 POSSIBILITIES OF INTERNATIONAL PEACEKEEPING IN NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT: MYTHS AND REALITIES
Sergei Minasyan
The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is the only ethno-political conflict on the post-Soviet space where the stability and relative armistice on the frontline after the cease-fire has been preserved without any external assistance and peace-keeping contingents of the third parties or international organizations.
08.02.2011 SHALE GAS GHOST
Sergei Sargsyan
Unexpectedly for many, in 2008 the United States sharply revved up production of natural gas – on 7.5% or 41.7 billion m3, and left behind Russia which produced “only” 582 billion m3. Such a success was acquired by the US at the expense of shale gas production - gas in the shale stratum:
03.02.2011 IRAN IN 2011: POSSIBLE DEVELOPMENTS
Sevak Sarukhanyan
2011 will be important from the point of view of the social-economic and political development of Iran, as well as in the aspect of nuclear programme and foreign and domestic political developments.
31.01.2011 TURKEY: ROUND THE ISSUE OF ETHNIC IDENTITY
Ruben Melkonyan
The issue of the ethnic identity in Turkey takes an significant place not only in the public discussions but it is also gradually acquires more important place on the political agenda. In July 2010 oppositional Kurdish Peace and Democracy party made a proposal in the Great National Assembly of Turkey which aroused violent reaction in the Turkish political field.
19.01.2011 TURKISH PRIME MINISTER SHOOTS HIMSELF IN THE FOOT AGAIN
By Harut Sassounian
Prime Minister Erdogan embarrasses himself and his government just about every time he opens his mouth! His angry statements, often bewildering and insulting, give Turkey a black eye internationally and provide fresh ammunition to his domestic opponents.
21.12.2010 RUSSIA-TUKREY RELATIONS IN THE SPOTLIGHT OF THE US AND UN
Mikhail Aghajanyan
Recent stirring up of Russian leadership in the European direction of the foreign policy course cannot be considered in the exclusively positive vein for the relations between Russia and European countries. Preserving, and according to some Russian experts, even intensification of vigilance of the Europeans in regard to Russia is conditioned greatly by rather important for us side component of relations of Moscow with the Euro-Atlantic countries – i.e. development of Russian-Turkish relations.
15.12.2010 GAS FROM IRAQI KURDISTAN FOR NABUCCO: TURKISH INTEREST
Sergei Sargsyan
In September 2009 Turkey’s Minister of Energy Taner Yildiz stated that Turkey and Iraq discussed possibilities of concluding memorandum on mutual understanding in the issue of the Iraqi gas supply to Europe through the territory of Turkey by the planned Nabucco gas pipeline
09.12.2010 DEVELOPMENTS IN IRAN AND ROUND IT
Sevak Sarukhanyan
Developments which can be observed in the Russian-Iranian relations in the recent period create new international situation round the Islamic Republic of Iran and the main feature of that situation can be the final isolation of Iran. At the same time new changes in the social and economic sector can be observed in Iran, and those changes can undermine political stability of the country.
29.11.2010 TURKEY-CHINA INTERRELATIONS
Artashes Ter-Harutyunyan
On November 8-14 joint Chinese-Turkish maneuvers of land forces took place. Though that was not large-scale maneuvers (the maneuvers were arranged on the level of special mission units in the mountain terrain and were directed to the elaboration of anti-terror actions), such an unprecedented military cooperation between Beijing and Ankara attracted the attention of the observers.
18.11.2010 IRAN: OLD AND NEW ISSUES
Sevak Sarukhanyan
On October 17 the president of Iran M. Ahmadinejad stated that Tehran is ready to resume negotiations on the nuclear issues with the “six nations”. This is Iran’s first statement since June 2010 when Tehran stated that it terminated negotiations with the “six” because of the illegal conduct of the later (here the sanctions imposed on Iran are meant). There are also claims set up in the statements made by the president on October 17, after the implementation of which Tehran will get back to talks:
15.11.2010 THE NUCLEAR DOMINO MYTH Dismantling Worst-Case Proliferation Scenarios
Johan Bergenas
When considering the dangers of an Iranian nuclear weapons program, those who differ on political ideology find rare common ground. According to nearly everyone, if Iran develops nuclear weapons, its neighbors will inevitably do so, too. Former U.S. Senator Sam Nunn (D-Ga.), for example, said earlier this year, "The governments of the world must understand what a threat it is if the Iranians get nuclear weapons...
11.11.2010 TURKEY AFTER THE CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGES
Artashes Ter-Harutyunyan
On September 12, the referendum on constitutional changes offered by the Justice and Development Party (JDP, Turk.; AKP) was held. Though two oppositional powers – Kemalist Republican People’s Party (RPP, Turk.: CHP) and Nationalist Movement Party (NMP, Turk.: MHP) – with, sometimes evident support of the army leadership, were against those changes, the teammates of the prime-minister Erdogan managed to hold the referendum successfully and win the majority of the votes.
09.11.2010 SAINT CROSS CHURCH ON AKHTAMAR AND THE ISSUES OF THE ARMENIAN IDENTITY
Ruben Melkonyan
Existing facts allow us to consider that various circumstances may serve as a stimulus for reclaiming Armenians living on the territory of Turkey and being on different stages of assimilation. In this aspect the Armenian-Turkish contacts observed in recent years, visits of Armenian tourists to Western Armenia, books on Armenian topics published in Turkey and other factors contribute to strengthening of significance of a true identity of the Islamized Armenians.
04.11.2010 MECHANISM OF PEACEKEEPING IN NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT: THEORY OF DETERRENCE UNDER THE ARMAMENTS RACE
Sergei Minasyan
The aim of the given work is to study the possibility of keeping long-term peace in the zone of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in case when one of the parties to the conflict (Azerbaijan) hopes for the rearmament of its army and military revanche in an appropriate moment taking into consideration its financial resources...
29.10.2010 ARMENIAN ENERGY SECURITY AND ARMENIAN-RUSSIAN RELATIONS
Sevak Sarukhanyan
The agreement on prolonging the term of deployment of Russian military base in Armenia took central place in the discussions during the August visit of the president of the RF to Armenia. But the agreements concerning the energy sector are of no less importance.
27.10.2010 AZERBAIJAN: SEARCHING NEW FOREIGN POLICY BALANCE
Sergei Sargsyan
Before the war in South Ossetia the unsolved status of the issues of military and political character, which were faced by Azerbaijan and which were, first of all, connected with the ongoing Nagorno-Karabakh conflict (NKC), within the system of the existing balance of the geopolitical powers in the South Caucasus, was considered as a cause for some shift of the foreign political priorities.
22.10.2010 ARMENIAN PROTESTANT COMMUNITY IN IRAN
Vahram Hovyan
Among the Armenian Protestant communities in the Middle East Armenian Protestant community in Iran, which was formed in the middle of the 19th century, takes a special place. Iran is one of the countries in the Near East which was not a part of the Ottoman Empire. So, formation of the Armenian Protestant communities processed here, unlike other Near Eastern countries (Turkey, Syria, Lebanon), independently from the process of the formation of the Armenian Protestant communities in the Ottoman Empire.
14.10.2010 SPECIFIC SITUATION OF THE AZERBAIJANI ANTI-ARMENIAN PROPAGANDA
Sona Manusyan
In recent period, after some delay, the specialists of informational influences from Armenia studied in detail the characteristics of the information policy of Azerbaijan; some counteractions have been elaborated. Though in the initial stage of this process there was a concern that the reaction to the increasing Azerbaijani propaganda is a bit belated, today one may state that the later is recognizable and predictable for both the specialists and variety of people.
30.09.2010 ON HISTORY AND ACTUAL PROBLEMS OF ARMENIANS OF DERSIM
Ruben Melkonyan
Dersim, which is currently on the territory of Turkey, in different periods took a special place for the Armenians, Zazas and Kurds who were established there. Due to its geographic position Dersim had been an asylum for the rebels and those who were persecuted for many times. There is a legend that in that very mountainous province a group of Armenians who had not adopted Christianity in 4th century sheltered.
29.07.2010 ON NKR AND REGIONAL ISSUES
Gagik Harutyunyan
As it is known, right after the meeting of the presidents of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia on June 17 in St. Petersburg, I.Aliyev left Petersburg and on June 18 in the NKR Armenian side suffered losses after the subversive act of Azerbaijani forces. It is less known that this incident was followed by the equal actions of our armed forces. Any way, those events were received rather sharply in our society and they activated the discussion of various military scenarios.
22.07.2010 IRAN AND SANCTIONS
Sevak Sarukhanyan
On June 10 the UN Security Council passed a resolution 1929 on imposing new sanctions on Iran. 12 of 15 Security Council member countries voted for the resolution, Turkey and Brazil were against and Lebanon abstained. Despite the information background around the discussion of Iran’s issue in the Security Council, the resolution passed cannot be called stern.
08.07.2010 RUSSIA AND SOME ASPECTS OF CURRENT DEVELOPMENT OF THE SITUATION IN THE BLACK SEA REGION
Mikhail Aghajanyan
The development of the foreign political processes in the Black Sea region demonstrates the preservation of the confrontational relations between the main powers in the region. The well-known attempts of the countries which are not from that region, and firstly the US, to consolidate their positions in the region...
01.07.2010 DEVELOPMENTS ROUND THE NUCLEAR PROGRAMME OF IRAN
Sevak Sarukhanyan
Iran and its nuclear programme continue to be in the spotlight of the international relations and mass media. On May 17 the presidents of Iran and Brazil and the prime-minister of Turkey came to an agreement on re-enrichment of the uranium, which is enriched by Iran, outside its territory. Despite this Tehran still faces the danger of imposing new sanctions on it.
24.06.2010 ALONG ARTSAKH’S PATHS OF WAR TO THE CHURCH OF THE PRAYER FOR PEACE
“The Chronicles of Karabakh” by writer, screenwriter and film director Boris Baratov is an illustrated book of huge cognitive, cultural and political significance. The deep love of the author for his homeland permeates the book, which is full of historical and contemporary facts, presented in chronological order and illustrated with documentary evidence.
21.06.2010 TWO ‘STREAMS’ FROM RUSSIA: BREAKING DOWN THE OLD GEOPOLITICAL STRUCTURES
Sergey Sargsyan
The global financial crisis has given Russia the opportunity not only to significantly boots its energy operations in European countries, which still remain the main markets for its oil and gas, but also to raise its relationships with nations that produce these strategic raw materials to a new, realistically and economically sound level. Besides, the crisis has also enabled Moscow to strengthen its geopolitical interests in Central Asia and South Caucasus countries.
14.06.2010 AMERICAN JEWISH COMMUNITY ENDS SUPPORT OF TURKISH INTERESTS ON HILL
By Eli Lake
In October 2000, the government of Turkey had a problem. House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert had promised to bring a resolution commemorating the Armenian genocide to the floor for a vote, a move that Ankara said would be a slap in the face to a NATO ally.
04.06.2010 MILITARY AND POLITICAL RISKS OF TRANSCASPIAN PROJECTS
Sergey Sargsyan
The judicial and legal issues regarding the state border and navigation in the Caspian Sea before the collapse of the USSR were solved in terms of two documents – the 1921 treaty between the Soviet Russia and Persia and the 1940 Treaty of the Trade and Navigation between the USSR and Iran.
27.05.2010 ARMENIAN COMMUNITY IN ISTANBUL IN THE CONTEXT OF ARMENIAN-TURKISH RELATIONS
Ruben Melkonyan
The Armenian community in Istanbul, which faces various problems today, plays a definite role in the Armenian-Turkish relations. The interest of the community in the normalization of the relations between Armenia and Turkey is natural but it is also obvious that Turkish authorities try to use the Armenians living in Turkey for their political purposes and especially when some unfavourable for Turkey processes are taking plays within the frameworks of the Armenian-Turkish relations or in the course of the international recognition of the Armenian Genocide.
24.05.2010 SOME MAIN ISSUES OF THE RELATIONS BETWEEN ARMENIA AND IRAN
Sevak Sarukhanyan
Today the Islamic Republic of Iran goes through an important stage of development, which is characterized by consolidating Tehran’s positions in regional and international policy. The developments round nuclear programme of Iran show that the international community cannot stop Iran’s nuclear researches and development of the technologies which may bring to turning Iran into the nuclear state.
13.05.2010 TURKISH SCHOLAR TANER AKCAM ADVOCATES CHANGE IN POLICY OF GENOCIDE DENIAL
By Harut Sassounian
Dr. Taner Akcam, one of the first Turkish scholars to acknowledge the Armenian Genocide, delivered two important lectures in Southern California last week. Based on historical research, he analyzed the underpinnings of Turkey’s denial of the Armenian Genocide and proposed solutions for its official acknowledgment.
06.05.2010 THIRD PARTY IN UNOFFICIAL DIPLOMACY
Arshaluys Mushkambaryan
Conflicts became one of the key points in the field of international bilateral, regional and inter-regional relations, global power structures, and the major ideological battles of the 20-21 century. The approaches to the conflict analysis have been changed a lot during the recent years.
05.05.2010 IS TURKEY’S CONSUL UNHAPPY THAT NOT ALL ARMENIANS WERE SLAUGHTERED LIKE SHEEP?
By Harut Sassounian
Hakan Tekin, the young and inexperienced Turkish Consul General in Los Angeles, is trying hard to earn brownie points with his bosses in Ankara by countering any reference to Armenians in the U.S. media. He went overboard last week by sending an offensive letter to the Los Angeles Times.
30.04.2010 RUSSIA-GERMANY THE PROBABLE SCENARIOS IN THE CONTEXT OF THE REGIONAL SECURITY
Gagik Ter-Harutyunyan
The developments round Armenian-Turkish relations went beyond the scope of the regional format and moved to global politics. There are grounds to believe that regardless of the results at the current stage of the diplomatic processes the relations between Yerevan and Ankara will stay at the agenda of our foreign policy for quite a long time, because it is of strategic importance and in its significance it does not cede to the problems with Azerbaijan on the NKR.
26.04.2010 TURKEY: DAVUTOGLU'S TO-DO LIST
Following his trip to the United States, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu traveled to Azerbaijan April 19, after which he will travel to Iran. Though Ankara and Washington are pursuing a fresh diplomatic attempt to simultaneously restore Turkish-Armenian ties and resolve territorial differences between Azerbaijan and Armenia, they will continue to face heavy resistance from both Baku and Moscow in their efforts. Meanwhile, Turkey will use the Armenian-Azerbaijan dispute to involve Iran in another regional affair, thereby showing Ankara’s capacity as a potential mediator between the United States and Iran.
31.03.2010 ARMENIAN-TURKISH RELATIONS IN THE LIGHT OF THE REGIONAL SECURITY SYSTEM OF THE CAUCASUS
The dynamics of the processes in the region of the South Caucasus and in the world in general come to prove that the post-Soviet period of history which was formed in a consequence of the collapse of the USSR begins to change. The new reality is being formed and status-quo in the South Caucasus is changing thus reflecting the new forming balance of the powers.
25.03.2010 YEREVAN-ANKARA: NEW STAGE OF POLITICAL MANOEUVRES
Gagik Ter-Harutyunyan
The actualization of the RA-Turkey relations stirred up Armenian analytical community and today you can rather often meet the studies and comments connected both with those relations and with issues regarding Turkey. This tendency enriches our political thinking and thus promotes conducting current diplomatic processes. At the same time there are approaches which are inadequate to the realities and here we do not speak about the political approaches or non-professional analyses.
23.03.2010 ON IRAN’S REGIONAL POLICY
Sevak Sarukhanyan
The developments around Iran are directly connected with the processes going on in the neigbouring countries and among those processes the developments in Iraq and Afghanistan are important. The article refers to some main issues of the regional policy of Iran. In the recent years Iran has managed to use its positions in the region rather usefully in order to strengthen its interests in the global plane. After the Islamic revolution Tehran established a number of subordinate religious and political organizations in the Middle East which aim is to protect the interests of Iran.
19.03.2010 FORCIBLE ISLAMIZATION OF THE ARMENIANS DURING THE GENOCIDE: PROCESS AND EFFECTS
Rouben Melkonyan
One of the important components of the state Turkish policy – the forcible Islamization of the non-Muslim nations, which in different periods was implemented in regard to the Armenians as well, is presented in the book. This consecutive policy became especially active in the years of the Armenian Genocide and as a result thousands of Armenians were forcibly Islamized.
01.03.2010 ARMENIAN CATHOLICS IN TURKEY
Arestakes Simavoryan
There is an incomplete idea of the current situation of Armenians in Turkey in the discourse of Armenia and the comprehensive examination of this issue is of great importance. It should be mentioned that the study must include both the issues of Apostolic Armenians and the issues of Catholic, Protestant and Islamized Armenians.
24.02.2010 “IF THERE IS NO JAVAKHQ, THERE WILL BE NO ARMENIA…”
The Coordinating Committee on Protection of the Rights of Armenians from Javakhq, which unites five non-governmental organizations (including two from Javakhq), on 18 February hold a workshop in “Tekeyan Centre” devoted to the issues of preserving Armeniancy and protection of the rights of the Armenians from Samtskhe-Javakhq-Tsalka region. Four reports and many short addresses had been made for two and a half hours.
18.02.2010 TEN REASONS WHY TURKS WON’T ALLOW THEIR LEADERS TO RATIFY THE PROTOCOLS
In earlier columns, I pointed out Turkey’s deceptive designs in negotiating and signing the Protocols with Armenia on October 10, 2009. In addition to planning to deceive Armenia and international public opinion, Turkish leaders tried to mislead their closest ally, Azerbaijan, and the Turkish public, about the potential benefits of the Protocols. Even though the Protocols were clearly in Turkey’s interest, its leaders tried to oversell the benefits of the negotiated agreement in order to overcome possible objections from critics at home and abroad, particularly Azerbaijan.
11.02.2010 "OH, WHAT A TANGLED WEB WE WEAVE, WHEN FIRST WE PRACTICE TO DECEIVE!"
The title of this article, taken from Walter Scott’s epic poem, the Marmion, aptly describes the web of deceit weaved by Turkey’s leaders in seeking to create the false impression of wanting to normalize relations with Armenia. Under the guise of opening the border and establishing diplomatic relations with Armenia, Turkish officials actually intended to: extract concessions from Armenia – returning Karabagh (Artsakh) to Azerbaijan, forming a historical commission to review the facts of the Genocide, and blocking territorial demands from Turkey; prevent the acknowledgment of the Armenian Genocide by third countries, particularly the United States; and generate a positive image in order to facilitate Turkey’s entry into the European Union.
08.02.2010 PROPAGANDA MACHINERY OF AZERBAIJAN: NEW TENDENCIES
Samvel Martirosyan
Azerbaijani propaganda actively continues to use the elaborated theses which have been used against Armenia and Armeniancy in general over the whole conflict period. At the same time in the recent period several main trends, which became definitely prior, are elaborated actively. And today a definite tradition has been established: the main theses, the instructive directions for media, analytics, “information front fighters” working on the Internet are programmed through the addresses of Ilham Aliyev.
04.02.2010 DEVELOPMENTS ROUND IRAN
Sevak Sarukhanyan
At the end of 2009 the instability in Iran caused new demonstrations and encounters. On December 16, taking advantage of the mass arrangements connected with the Ashura, the supporters of the Iranian opposition went out to the manifestations. And the death of ayatollah Montazeri on December 20 who took opposition stance to the current spiritual authorities and his funeral ceremony even more urged the actions of the oppositionists.
25.01.2010 “BLACK SEA SYNERGY” INITIATIVE AND THE SOUTHERN CAUCASUS
Mikhail Aghajanyan
The Black Sea and Caucasus region has been attracting more attention of the great international actors recently. By its geographical location the region is at the merge point of Europe and Asia and it is one of the main parts of the territory which is called in geopolitical vocabulary “Eurasia”. The most part of the region – its Black Sea part, is under the direct influence of two big region actors – Russia and Turkey, as well as the countries of the neigbouring EU. The US also has strategic interests in the region.
21.01.2010 ARMENIAN COMMUNITY TO HOLD “CO-PATRIARCHY” ELECTION
Turkey’s Armenian community has officially applied to the Istanbul governorship to begin the election process for a co-patriarch because of the illness of the current patriarch, Mesrop II. Under the Armenian Church’s canon law, Mesrop II will retain the title until his death even after the co-patriarch is elected. The electorate is composed of 50,000 members of Istanbul’s Armenian community. The Armenian community is preparing for the second “co-patriarchy” election in the history of the Turkish Republic. Current Patriarch Mesrop II, the 84th to hold the office, is ill and, in case of his death, the co-patriarch will assume the job after 40 days. According to the Armenian Church’s canon law, Mesrop II will keep his title until his death. But because he is suffering from dementia, it is necessary to elect a co-patriarch.
14.01.2010 A FAMILY TREE UPROOTED BY A 60-YEAR-OLD SECRET
Dan Bilefsky
Fethiye Cetin, a prominent member of the estimated 50,000-strong Armenian-Turkish community and one of Turkey’s leading human rights lawyers, believes a seminal moment has arrived in which Turkey and Armenia can finally confront the ghosts of history and possibly even overcome one of the world’s most enduring and bitter rivalries.
28.12.2009 IRAN: YEAR IN REVIEW
Sevak Sarukhanyan
2009 can be regarded as one of the most important years in the post-revolution history of Iran. The crisis in domestic policy, the procrastination of the possible settlement of the Iranian-American relations in the sphere of foreign policy, the maintenance and consolidation of their stance in regard to nuclear issue which can latter influence seriously the situation in Iran and its status. In this article we speak about the developments in 2009 which, in our opinion, were important for Iran.
24.12.2009 GEOPOLITICS OF THE GAS PIPELINES IN THE BLACK SEA-CASPIAN REGION
Sergey Sargsyan
The prospects of the gas pipelines policy, the configuration of the pipelines networks are, to certain extend, dependent on the availability of the raw materials, their division between the countries of the region, the stability of functioning of the gas producing and processing industries of those countries, the contents of the contracts concluded. What capacities do the Caspian countries possess and how do they manage them?
30.11.2009 ON THE MANIFESTATION OF TURKISH STATE POLICY IN REGARD TO THE ARMENIANS
Ruben Melkonyan
The theme of the splinters of the Armeniancy (both Islamized and Christian) which still exist in Turkey is one of the insufficiently explored and studied issues. The researches devoted to their current conditions are rather rare. The problem of assimilated or crypto-Armenians living in various regions of Turkey remained unknown not only in the scholastic circles but also among the Armenians of Istanbul and in consequence of various processes going on in present the Armenians of Istanbul discover a lot of interesting.
23.11.2009 Emil Sanamyan: Mr. Prime Minister, earlier this week you made a number of statements rejecting the territorial concessions envisioned under what is known as the Madrid proposal for a Karabakh settlement, unveiled by France, Russia, and the United States in July. At the time the NKR Foreign Ministry broadly criticized the proposal, but your comments were more specific. Could you elaborate on NKR's position with regard to that proposal? Ara Harutiunian: The Nagorno-Karabakh Republic has not been formally presented with the Madrid proposal. We have seen the statement and media commentary, but as long as we are not formally presented with a proposal, we cannot officially accept or reject it.
19.11.2009 CALL FOR TURKISH-ARMENIAN PEACE FROM THEATER STAGE
Vercihan Ziflioğlu
The Gülbenkyan Foundation, an Armenian organization in Lisbon, has given full support to the play «Armenian Concert or Turkish Proverb» to be staged in Turkey. «We cannot live by getting stuck in tragedy,» says the writer and composer of the play, Gerard Torikian. Also, director Serge Avedkiyan, who adapted the play to the stage, talks about the new initiative among the diaspora.
02.11.2009 NEW STATUS OF THE IRANIAN NUCLEAR PROGRAMME
Sevak Sarukhanyan
At the second half of September new international political situation was created round the nuclear programme of Iran. During the summit in Pittsburg the IAEA stated that Iran is building new uranium enrichment plant near the city of Ghom. This statement brought the “Iranian issue” up to date and created basis for the restarting of the negotiations between Iran and “the six”. The fact that the IAEA statement was made on the day of the “G20” summit is, probably, the result of the information and propaganda struggle by the US against the head of the IAEA and the main content basis of that struggle was the allegations brought against the IAEA that this structure concealed from the international community very important facts regarding Iranian nuclear programme.
15.10.2009 ARMENIAN – GEORGIAN RELATIONS AFTER “FIVE DAYS” WAR
Sergey Minasyan
The interstate relations between Armenia and Georgia have passed rather eventful and at the same time difficult way since the independence of these two states in 1991. Every stage in bilateral relations has been mostly dependent on the domestic political developments both in Armenia and in Georgia, as well as on the general situation in the region. The development of the Armenian-Georgian relations in the period after August 8, 2008 is no exception either.
12.10.2009 DEVELOPMENTS ROUND THE NUCLEAR PROGRAMME OF IRAN
Sevak Sarukhanyan
The domestic political crisis in Iran which active stage was finished in July caused new political developments round the Islamic Republic. Because of the arrests of the EU citizens the relations between European countries and Iran sharpened. At the same time the processes connected with the Iranian nuclear programme activated. This August the US president B. Obama laid down an indirect demand to Tehran to boost the collaboration with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and to meet the demands of IAEA and the international community connected with the Iranian nuclear programme and to take off all the concerns about it.
09.10.2009 CONTEXT OF THE RA-TURKEY RELATIONS
Gagik Ter-Harutyunyan
The discussions round the relations between the RA and Turkey, though there are also political speculations among them, has become of an all-Armenian character. As a result, it is difficult to find arguments and grounds “for” or “against” in this issue, especially from the point of view of the analysis of the “protocols”. At the same time there is an impression that the process of establishment of the diplomatic relations (or one of its first stages) is very often, or even exclusively, taken in “lurid” terms or “rosily”.
29.09.2009 'LAST OTTOMAN' DIES IN ISTANBUL
Osman would have been sultan of the Ottoman Empire had Turkey's modern republic not been created in the 1920s. As the last surviving grandson of Sultan Abdul-Hamid II, he would have been known as his Imperial Highness Prince Shehzade Ertugrul Osman Effendi. Born in Istanbul in 1912, Osman spent most of his years living modestly in New York.
18.09.2009 WHO WILL BLINK FIRST…ARMENIA OR TURKEY?
After months of rampant rumors and news leaks, the Foreign Ministries of Armenia and Turkey, with Switzerland as mediator, issued a joint statement on August 31, making public the text of two protocols intended to regulate their problematic relationship. In a previous joint statement released on April 22, Armenian and Turkish officials stated that they had agreed to a “roadmap” which was to normalize their relations “within a reasonable timeframe.” At the time, the two sides had indicated their agreement in principle by “initialing” the two protocols, the text of which was not published until August 31.
07.09.2009 Armenian Reporter: Kosovo, Abkhazia, and South Ossetia have recently set precedents of international recognition without the consent of countries that claimed sovereignty over them. Should friends of Armenians in the United States initiate Nagorno-Karabakh's recognition instead of deferring to talks with Azerbaijan? What work can be done in Congress to achieve this goal? Rep. Frank Pallone: I believe personally that the United States should recognize Nagorno-Karabakh. I certainly would be willing to do whatever I can to have that happen.
21.07.2009 “NABUCCO” GAS PIPELINE AND ARMENIA
Sevak Sarukhanyan
“Nabucco” gas pipeline is one of the most ambitious energy projects. It supposes the construction of large gas pipeline network from Central Asia to Iran and Azerbaijan, which can supply the EU countries up to 80 billion cubic meters of gas annually. April and May 2009 were rather eventful and this was connected with large energy projects. “Natural Gas for Europe: Security and Partnership” summit, which took place on April 24-25 in Sofia, laid the first real foundation for the implementation of “Nabucco” gas pipeline project, which is of strategic importance for Europe.
13.07.2009 U.S. MOVES TO SHED LIGHT ON "DARK MARKETS" CBS News Investigates: Government May Set Limits on Oil Speculators and Improve Transparency
(CBS) It was a year ago this week that crude oil prices rocketed to a record $147 a barrel, sparking widespread outrage that speculators - like banks, hedge funds and investment giants - were behind the rise. Ever since, the price of crude has been on a wild ride plunging as low as $34 a barrel in December before bouncing back to about $60 today. This has fueled new concerns that - in the midst of economic turmoil - oil speculators are at it again, pumping an estimated $200 billion into the oil futures market in just the last year, reports CBS News chief investigative correspondent Armen Keteyian.
09.07.2009 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS IN IRAN
Sevak Sarukhanyan
On June 12 regular presidential elections took place in Iran and as a result M. Ahmadinejad was elected to a second presidential term. This article touches over the pre-electoral and post-electoral processes and tries to point out the main developments, which can take place in Iran. The electoral campaign, which preceded the June 12, distinguished itself with a number of peculiarities.
25.06.2009 NAKHIJEVAN: TURKISH-AZERBAIJANI DISCREPANCIES
Karen Veranyan
The recent developments in the South Caucasus round the number of key issues sidelined not less important problems of the region, among which the developments round the Nakhijevan Autonomous Republic (NA) and the involvement of the external powers, and firstly Turkey, can be mentioned. The facts evidence that especially during the last decade Turkey managed to ensure the considerable political and economic presence in the NA and this should really worry Baku. The low profile of the central Azerbaijani authorities in the issue of the activation of the Turkish factor in the region is, perhaps, determined by the logic of non-infringement of the brotherhood relations with Turkey and to exclude the speculations on the Turkish-Azerbaijani discrepancies.
18.06.2009 ON REGIONAL ENERGY DEVELOPMENTS
Sevak Sarukhanyan
There are at once two important events, which evidence that the recent developments in the sphere of energy are closely connected with our region. The main two topics of the summit “Natural Gas for Europe: Security and Partnership”, which took place on April 24-25 in the capital of Bulgaria Sofia, were the projects of the “Nabucco” and “South Stream” gas pipelines. “Nabucco” was also one of the main themes of “Southern Corridor: New Silk Route” summit, arranged by the EU on May 8 in Prague.
14.05.2009 ARMENIA-TURKEY: NEW POLITICAL PHASE?
Sergey Minasyan
Since 1993 Turkey, because of the activation of military actions in Nagorno-Karabakh, has closed its border with Armenia. And since that time there has been no full-fledged diplomatic relations between those states, the economic and trade cooperation is implemented through the third parties.
11.05.2009 REGIONAL ENERGY DEVELOPMENTS
Sevak Sarukhanyan
The article touches upon the recent developments in the sphere of energy in South Caucuses and neighbouring countries. The main attention is paid to the political problems in interstate collaboration in the sphere of energy. The recent month will probably be most important for Armenia this year in the context of the implementation and pointing out the prospects of energy projects. It is conditioned by the official visit of the president of Armenia to Iran in April, and the prospects of energy projects, which are very important for Armenia, are connected with that visit.
07.05.2009 PROSPECTS OF ARMENIA IN THE LIGHT OF “ZONAL” ASPECT OF WORLD FINANCIAL CRISIS
Mikhail Aghajanyan
World financial crisis brings its colouring to the ongoing developments in the international relations. The recent debates round the supply and the transition of energy resources incrust with the financial-borrowed elements and fluently takes the form of credit and energetic interdependences.
30.04.2009 TURKISH-ISLAMIC FACTOR IN GEORGIA
Araks Pashayan
Georgia is a country with complex ethnic and religious mosaic. This country is inhabited both by Christian and Muslim minorities. The number of Muslims is about half a million. Among them Sunni Georgians, who reside in Adzharia, which is contiguous with Turkey, and Shiah Azerbaijanis, which have community in Qvemo-Qartli (Azerbaijani variant Borchalu) province, which includes Marneul, Gardaban, Bolnis and Dmanis regions contiguous with Azerbaijan and Armenia. There are Muslims in other Georgian provinces too (including Tbilisi). The Krists (12.000), who belong to Vaynakh ethnic group and reside in Pankisi Gorge also practice Islam.
21.04.2009 DAVID SIMONYAN : SURRENDER OF TERRITORIES TO AZERBAIJAN: STRATEGIC CONSEQUENCES FOR ARMENIA AND NAGORNO-KARABAKH
REGNUM publishes the article of security expert David Simonyan (Yerevan), which reflects his vision of the future of the Karabakh conflict. The article is published in the author’s wording. In the light of the continuing discourse on how to preserve the “favorable window of opportunities” in the Karabakh peace process, people in Armenia keep actively talking about the settlement principles that have reportedly been presented to the Armenian and Azeri presidents for discussion and possible signing. These principles stipulate that Armenian troops be withdrawn from the liberated territories and the territories, except for the Lachin corridor, be given back to Azerbaijan.
20.04.2009 DEVELOPMENTS IN AND ROUND IRAN
Sevak Sarukhanyan
The recent political and international developments in and round Iran are mainly connected with two important factors. Those factors are the forthcoming elections and the new US Administration’s policy towards Iran, which is still at the stage of the formation. At the same time some developments can be observed in the line of “nuclear problem”, especially, taking into the account the resumption of the talks between Iran and “the six”.
31.03.2009 ON ARMENIAN ORIENTATION OF ERGENEKON
Ruben Melkonyan
You can steadily assert that in the recent period the developments around the terrorist organization called Ergenokon are among the most important and significant in many aspects happenings in the domestic political life on Turkey. This case is very often associated with the notion of “deep state”. It is mentioned that the disclosure of Ergenekon and trial in reality are a kind of struggle between pro-Islamic government and secular militaries. The fact that there are militaries in Ergenekon, and even high-ranked militaries, is irrefutable. It is enough to mention that at present the high-ranked Turkish militaries, e.g. famous retired general Veli Kucuk, majors Mehmet Zekeria Ozturk, Mehmet Fikri Karadag, captain Muzaffer Tekin are all targeted in the investigation either as defendants or suspects.
23.03.2009 ARMENIAN-IRANIAN RELATIONS AND ENERGETIC AND TRANSPORT PROGRAMMES OF IRAN
Sevak Sarukhanyan
Armenian-Iranian relations entered into an active development stage in recent years and this is conditioned by the fact that the implementation of economic programmes began to play an important role in the interstate cooperation. Armenia-Iran gas pipeline, which construction has already been over, is only a pert of the economic cooperation. The oil refinery, built on the territory of Armenia, the construction of Armenia-Iran railway can give a fresh impulse to interstate relations. At the same time, the implementation of these programmes cannot only be a part of exclusively Armenian-Iranian relations.
19.03.2009 TURKEY: THE PROSPECT OF BECOMING INTERNATIONAL ENERGETIC CENTRE
Sargis Harutyunyan
According to the special report “Turkey’s Energy Strategy”1 presented by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkey in 2008, this country is in close vicinity of 72,7% of proven oil reserves and 71,8% of proven natural gas. Taking into account the well-known geographic advantages of Turkey it becomes clear which are the strategic objectives of that country. Though in previous years there a lot of work was done to make Turkey the international energetic centre and the oil pipeline “Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyran” which was opened in 2006-2007 and “Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum” gas pipeline...
05.03.2009 PROBLEM OF ETHNIC ORIGIN ON THE POLITICAL AGENDA IN TURKEY
Ruben Melkonyan
Many developments and processes in Turkey directly state that the issue of identity is one of the central problems in the country. Even at present from time to time the issue of ethnic origin appears at the epicenter of various important processes and is actively discussed being the object of interest for politicians, analysts, press. It is necessary to mention that the issue of ethnic origin is also topical in the context of both external and internal political problems of Turkey. It is not a secret that Turkey uses the issue of ethnic origin in its foreign policy and this is one of the most important bases for the propagation of pan-Turkish ideas.
02.03.2009 TURKEY: THE POLITICAL CONTEXT OF ENERGETIC DEVELOPMENTS
Sargis Harutyunyan
Recently it has been much spoken about the prospects of Turkey to become an international energetic centre. For example, according to some calculations presented by the Ministry of the Foreign Affairs of that country in 2008 if Turkey’s oil transportation capacities (first of all oil pipelines) go on working with the same extent and if the planned projects are implemented then in 2012 6-7% of oil will flow through the territory of Turkey.
16.02.2009 ARMENIAN AND REGIONAL ENERGETIC PROCESSES IN THE CONTEXT OF INFORMATION SUPPORT
Karen Karapetyan
What should be the basis for regional informational security? What should be a guide-line for Armenia on the global competitive resource market where the companies from the countries, which do not have enough hydrocarbon resources to support their economic development, are extensively included? What is the place of Armenia on the energetic map of the region? And finally, what is the role of information support in the elaboration and promotion of particular projects in energetic? The answers to these questions play a key role in the process of elaboration of the efficient policy directed to the real integration of the countries of the region in the sphere of energetic.
12.02.2009 DEEP CONCERN IN BAKU AFTER CSTO NEWS
Fariz Ismailzade
The summit of the heads of states of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) on February 4 in Moscow brought unexpected, yet alarming news for Baku. The members of the organization have decided to create collective rapid reaction forces: the first ever joint military forces between these republics of the former Soviet Union. Regional analysts have immediately labeled it as another attempt by the Kremlin to come closer to the restoration of the Soviet Union.
04.02.2009 COLLABORATION BETWEEN IRAN AND TURKEY WILL REHABILITATE NABUCCO AND WEAKEN THE ROLE OF AZERBAIJAN Sevak Sarukhanyan’s interview with IA REGNUM
Lately Turkish government has actively lobbied the participation of Iran in NABUCCO gas pipeline project; because they realize that this project cannot be implemented without Tehran. This statement was made by the vice director of “Noravank” foundation Sevak Sarukhanyan in the interview with IA REGNUM.
29.01.2009 THE FORMAT OF OSCE MINSK GROUP WILL NOT CHANGE Gagik Harutyunyan’s interview with IA REGNUM
The meeting of the president of Armenia Serj Sargsyan and the president of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliev, which will take place on January 28 in Zurich, does not bode any changes for the negotiation process on the arrangement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and this is only the next scheduled meeting in a row of such meetings. This was said by the director of “Noravank” foundation Gagik Harutyunyan in the interview with IA REGNUM. In the expert’s opinion the regular meeting of the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan, which was arranged by co-Chairman states of OSCE Minsk group, can not be also regarded as the last one or summarizing or the “swan song” for this format as many analysts think.
29.01.2009 DEVELOPMENTS IN DOMESTIC POLICY OF IRAN
Sevak Sarukhanyan
The presidential elections, which are to be held in June 2009 in Iran, and their probable developments are the main processes to influence domestic and foreign policy of the country. On January 13th the ex-president of Iran M. Khatami made an unexpected statement that he was definitely going to take part in the forthcoming presidential elections and if he did not in some way, he and the “Union of struggling clergymen” which represents the reformers camp would put forward another candidate, the ex-prime minister Hussein Mussavi.
27.01.2009 ON THE POLICY OF RUSSIA ON POST-SOVIET TERRITORY
Sargis Harutyunyan
Though the new treaty, which was signed between Russia and Ukraine, generally settled the matter of Russian gas supply to Ukraine and its transmission to the EU, but the issue still remains open. The point is that Moscow and Kiev have not come to an agreement about long-term price on natural gas1. And this means that parties have not also come to an agreement about long-term price for gas transmission to Europe through the territory of Ukraine2. Hence, one thing is clear that the causes of the crisis are not excluded yet. Though the parties have clarified the rules of the game for this year, the crisis may be repeated in the long term.
12.01.2009 REGIONAL DEVELOPMENTS AND ARMENIAN NATIONAL SECURITY
Richard Giragosyan
The region of the South Caucasus has long served as an arena for competing regional powers and, for much of the past two centuries, has been hostage to the competing interests of much larger regional powers, as neighboring Russia, Turkey and Iran which have jockeyed for power and influence. And those very historic powers -- Russia, Turkey and Iran – continue to exert influence today as the dominant actors in the region. This competition has not only continued in the wake of the collapse of the Soviet Union, but has only intensified with the onset of new opportunities for engagement and energy-based interests.
25.12.2008 ANNOUNCING THE PUBLIC COUNCIL ON FOREIGN POLICY AND SECURITY ISSUES
A group of public figures of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic have come together to establish the Council on Foreign Policy and Scurity Issues. The Council seeks to mobilize the intellectual potential to help address issues facing Artsakh in the realms of foreign policy and security.
08.12.2008 NAGORNO-KARABAKH – UNTIED TIES An attempt of geopolitical analysis
Armen Ashotyan
While speaking about “frizen conflicts” the international analytical community, basing on various political and global interests, often takes under a common umbrella the processes relating to the international status of not recognized states of Post-Soviet territory. However, the new factual classification of those conflicts has been clearly outlined recently, according to which now they are observed due to supremacy of the Russian component – Abkhazia, Predniester, South Ossetia, and without supremacy of the Russian component – Nagorno-Karabakh, problems. Such a distinction is resulted by a number of factors, including maximal independent position of the Armenian parties and characteristic geopolitical peculiarities of the NKR conflict.
04.12.2008 TURKISH “NATION STATE” PRECONDITIONS
Ruben Melkonyan
In the beginning of November of the current year the Turkish Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul paid an official visit to Brussels to take part in the meeting of the European Union Defense Ministers. The latter one made a speech in the ceremony in commemoration of Ataturk held on November 10 in the Turkish embassy in Brussels and expressed a very noteworthy and, at the same time, scandalous idea connected with Turkish “nation state.” According to him, for the homogeneous form of up-to-date Turkey they are obliged to a number of circumstances – the exchange of population between Turkey and Greece in 1923, according to which the Greeks inhabited in Turkey were exiled to Greece...
01.12.2008 ALIYEV’S STATEMENTS MEANT TO EXERT PRESSURE ON ARMENIA
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s statements can be explained by the world crisis, which certainly affected Azerbaijan’s economy and also by a new trend of the Karabakh conflict, which emerged after adoption of the Moscow declaration, according to a Russian expert. In an interview with RAI International Italian language channel, Ilham Aliyev stated that the declaration “doesn’t contain a provision reading that Azerbaijan obliges to refrain from a military resolution of the conflict and therefore, any kind of measures, including use of force and admissible.” “The world crisis did affect Azerbaijan and under the circumstances, unsettlement of the Karabakh conflict can be used as a tool distracting the population from urgent issues,” Andrey Areshev, expert at the Strategic Culture Foundation...
27.11.2008 TURKEY AND AZERBAIJAN UNDERTOOK RECONSIDERATION OF THEIR RELATIONS WITH ARMENIA BECAUSE OF LIFE DIFFICULTIES, Thinks G.Harutyunyan (“Noravank” Foundation)
“Turkey and Azerbaijan undertook reconsideration of their relations with Armenia because of life difficulties.” Such an opinion was expressed by the Director of “Noravank” Foundation in course of round-table discussions on the subject “Tendency of Armenia’s foreign policy development from the standpoint of national security” organized by the Institute for Civil, Social and Regional Progress with support of the Friedtich Ebert Foundation.
18.11.2008 NO FINAL SETTLEMENT WILL BE REACHED ON KARABAKH CONFLICT AS NKR DOESN’T PARTICIPATE IN NEGOTIATIONS The interview of the NKR president Bako Sahakyan given to “Freedom” radio station
All the attempts to settle the Karabakh conflict without participation of its main party – Nagorno-Karabakh, are not sufficient. This was announced by the NKR President Bako Sahakyan in his interview given to “Freedom” radio station while commenting on Armenian-Azerbaijani-Russian declaration on the Karabakh conflict settlement. “The fact that the international community, the countries of the region, mediators try to have influence and bring the issue to its logical end is of course welcomed. It is the matter of dialogue and the necessity of this dialogue has been accentuated in our announcements through all these years.
10.11.2008 NEW ENERGETIC SITUATION IN SOUTH CAUCASUS
Armen Manvelyan
The political situation after South Ossetian war in South Caucasus changed which influenced the security of the energy supply. West changed its former opinion about the region. The countries of the region, for which the status of energy supplier is of strategic importance, begin looking for new ways of strengthening their former position.
06.11.2008 ISLAMIC FACTOR IN AZERBAIJAN (In the period of presidential elections)
Araks Pashayan
The victory at the presidential elections held on October 15 was won by the candidate of the ruling party “Yeni Azerbaijan,” the ruling president Ilham Aliev, who was ahead of the polling list gathering 89% of votes. It is noteworthy that almost all the opposition parties, none of which was at all an influential oppositionist in Azerbaijan, boycotted the elections. The pre-election process in Azerbaijan was comparatively quiet. Perhaps the only exclusion was the explosion set off on August 17 during the evening prayer in the Sunni mosque Abu Bakir (Baku) as a result of which were killed and wounded many people.
30.10.2008 NEW IRAN-WEST DEVELOPMENTS
Sevak Sarukhanyan
On June 2009 in Iran will be held presidential elections which will have important role for the country’s home and foreign policy. Iran’s relations with the West – US and EU, which have recently displayed a tendency of positive developments, will not be an exception. The announcement made by Vice President of Iran I. Mashai on June 2008 at the conference devoted to tourism has acquired an important role in home policy processes and informational plane of the country. He announced: “none of the nations of the world is our enemy. Iran is the friend of the US and Israel and respects these states. We think that Americans are one of the greatest nations of the world.”
27.10.2008 NEW KARABAKH DOCUMENTARY PREMIERE ON YOUTUBE
You are invited to be among the firsts to see a new documentary on Nagorno Karabakh Republic, Artsakh “The Struggle for Freedom”, which is now posted on our Artsakh Online YouTube Channel.
06.10.2008 INSTITUTE FOR ARMENIAN STUDIES IN ANKARA
Haykaram Nahapetyan
In summer 2001 in Ankara was founded the Institute for Armenian Studies Organization. It works in cooperation with Turkey’s “Eurasian” Center for Strategic Studies. The latter one is one of the biggest centers in Turkey carrying out strategic researches.
29.09.2008 ON TURKEY’S NEW UNDERTAKING IN SOUTH CAUCASUS
Ruben Safrastyan
The five day long war in August between Russia and Georgia have resulted important changes in South Caucasus. It is still early to speak about the final results; however, it is already known the main tendency – strengthening of Russia’s geopolitical position in the region.
25.09.2008 ENERGY FACTOR IN SOUTH CAUCASUS IN THE CONTEXT OF THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
Sevak Sarukhanyan
Georgia’s military operations against South Ossetia and Russia’s tough counter attack may have serious influence on energy projects carried out in South Caucasus. Below are represented our observations about possible influence of the crisis on regional energy programs. The issue of the utmost importance from the standpoint of energy policy, which began on August 8 after Georgia-Russia military clash, is connected with viability of Baku-Ceyhan oil pipe-line. In quite a strange way three days before the war (on the 5th of August) an explosion was set off in the Turkish segment of Baku-Ceyhan pipe-line.
11.09.2008 OSSETIA WAR: LESSONS FOR ARMENIA
Emil Sanamyan
Within hours the long-running stand-off between Georgia and Russia-backed South Ossetia became a full-blown war causing hundreds of deaths and thousands of injuries, primarily among Ossetians but also among the now-decimated Georgian army. The fighting took place less than 100 miles from Armenia and had an immediate impact on it. Above all, it exposed the security vacuum in the region, of which Armenia is also a part.
09.09.2008 GEORGIA EAGER TO REBUILD ITS DEFEATED ARMED FORCES
Just weeks after Georgia’s military collapsed in panic in the face of the Russian Army, its leaders hope to rebuild and train its armed forces as if another war with Russia is almost inevitable. Georgia is already drawing up lists of options, including restoring the military to its prewar strength or making it a much larger force with more modern equipment, like air-defense systems, modern antiarmor rockets and night-vision devices.
04.09.2008 ACCORDING TO GAGIK HARUTYUNYAN THE PRECEDENT OF SOUTH OSSETIA IS GRIEVOUS, BUT IT MAY FURTHER SETTELING THE KARABAKH CONFLICT
Before Georgian-Russian conflict has begun Russia had already made a decision to raise the economic relations with South Ossetia and Abkhazia to the state level. In other words, these economic relations had already acquired legal character making a ground for the sovereignty of the two countries to be recognized. The director of “Noravank” Foundation, political scientist Gagik Harutyunyan mentioned in his conversation with us that after the early August events the probability of recognition of the non-recognized republics is quite high.
04.09.2008 ARMENIA AND THE NEW TURKISH PROPOSAL
Richard Giragosyan
As the conflict in Georgia over the past two weeks has so demonstrably confirmed, there is a glaring need for stability in the South Caucasus region. As part of a broader Turkish initiative to assert geopolitical influence, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has recently launched a new bid for bolstering stability and security in the region.
03.09.2008 BESIDES RUSSIA THERE WILL BE OTHER COUNTRIES WHICH WILL RECOGNIZE THE INDEPENDENCE OF ABKHAZIA AND SOUTH OSSETIA
Legal recognitions of the independence of Karabakh by Armenia is possible any appropriate time and if it doesn’t happen it means there are probably certain reasons. This opinion was expressed by the Director of “Noravank” Foundation Gagik Harutyunyan in his interview given to ИА REGNUM. “If I’m not mistaken, the RA president said that in case Karabakh was under the threat of military conflict they would the very day conclude a corresponding treaty of alliance.
07.07.2008 PROPAGANDISTIC ACTIVITIES OF AZERBAIJANI “DIASPORA”
Haykaram Nahapetyan
The Azerbaijani community organizations taking roots abroad don’t hide that one of their main problems is to carry out active propagandistic work against Armenia, and, according to the Azerbaijani party, “let the world know all the truth about Azerbaijan.” On March 16, 2006, at the second Conference of World Azerbaijanis held in Baku, Ilham Aliyev mentioned...
26.06.2008 RUSSIAN ENERGY SECTOR OPAQUENESS
Mr. Chairman, honorable members of the committee, I ask that my full written statement be included in the record. Today I want to address the question of criminality and the lack of transparency in the Russian energy sector. The reason for this is that in the near future the United States will become more dependent on LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) imports from Russia. Last year Gazprom executives stated that they intend to supply up to 20 percent of the US LNG market by 2015. And while this will help America meet its energy needs, the LNG business needs to be fully transparent and in compliance with American law.
26.06.2008 ISLAMIC PROCESSES IN AZERBAIJAN
Araks Pashayan
Religious processes in post-Soviet Islamic secular republics, including Azerbaijan, have their specificity. They considerably differ from analogical processes occurring in other regions where Islam is traditionally spread and where Islamic institutionalism has deep historical roots. In the Soviet period, being deprived of social-political role, Islam in Azerbaijan was reduced to traditional and everyday functions. After independence was gained the role of Islam was overestimated: it became one of the component parts of Azerbaijani identity. Great number of old and new mosques and religious schools (madrasah) were opened, was formed a strata of people who got education in well known foreign Islamic centers.
23.06.2008 OIL, OLIGARCHS, AND OPPORTUNITY:ENERGY FROM CENTRAL ASIA TO EUROPE
The Committee has asked me to provide background on how the Clinton-Gore administration recognized the significance of Caspian energy, and how it then organized itself to deal with this subject. As I understand it, however, the Committee’s interest is prospective rather than historical. It wants to know what elements of this experience may be valid, as the United State turns to face the accelerating and multiple strategic challenges arising from energy. This testimony will therefore be structured as an historical account, interspersed with markers to indicate what may be lessons of continuing importance, and ending with a brief set of recommendations.
19.06.2008 OIL, OLIGARCHS, AND OPPORTUNITY: ENERGY FROM CENTRAL ASIA TO EUROPE
Mr. Chairman, Senator Lugar and distinguished members of the Committee, thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today. As diversification away from Russian and Russian-controlled energy transportation across Europe and Eurasia is critically important for America’s national security interests, I am honored to be able to share my views with you on this critical topic. Top-level US engagement is essential for the establishment of the Central Asia-Europe Energy Corridor. At risk is the future of the vast space Russia considers as its backyard: the Eurasian, Black Sea and Baltic Sea regions. European Union solidarity and transatlantic unity are also in danger.
16.06.2008 INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE IN THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN (FROM THE SERIES OF “ARMENIA AND ITS NEIGHBORS”)
On may 15-18 the head of “Noravank” Foundation’s “Diasporeal studies” program, PhD in History Tamara Vardanyan took part in the international conference organized by the Michigan University “Armenian studies” program. the conference titled “Georgia: The Making of a National Culture” was participated by prominent specialists from Georgia (10 participants), the US different universities (8), Russia (2), Armenia (1), Australia (2), Japan (1), Canada (1), France (2), Turkey (1), Switzerland (1).
12.06.2008 ARE ARMENIAN-TURKISH RELATIONS HEADED FOR BREAKTHROUGH -- OR BREAKDOWN?
Richard Giragosyan
Since his inauguration less than two months ago, Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian has been hobbled by a daunting set of challenges, ranging from internal political tension that shows little sign of dissipating to a looming economic crisis driven by sharp price rises for food and energy that is only expected to worsen in coming months. Yet even against this backdrop of internal challenges, there have been recent signs suggesting a possible new opportunity for a breakthrough in Armenia's strained relationship with its western neighbor, Turkey.
03.06.2008 “20-th ANNIVERSARY OF KARABAKH MOVEMENT: RELITIES AND PERSPECTIVES:” International scientific conference
On May 22-25 of the current year in the NKR capital, Stepanakert, was held an international scientific conference on the subject “20th anniversary of Karabakh movement: realities and perspectives.” The coference was participated by “Noravank” Foundation director Gagik Harutyunyan as well as such political scientists, diplomats, politicians from different countries as V. Kazmirov, V. Oskanyan, V. Igrunov, D. Roghtus, N. Ligeros. In the conference agenda were included the following mainstreams: historical-legal basic self-determinations of the NKR and international law, peculiarities of international perception of the Karabakh issue and current geopolitical developments, information challenges in the course of the Karabakh conflict settlement.
08.05.2008 “REDEFINING TURKEY’S STRATEGIC ORIENTATION”
Richard Giragosyan
“The Republic of Turkey continues to undergo a profound reexamination of the very tenets of its national identity, driven by a combination of internal reforms and external challenges. An equally significant strategic reorientation involving Turkey's role within the region and its future position in a broader international context is Turkey's robust reassertion of its strategic importance, as a global actor with an emboldened agenda of activity within a number of international organizations, ranging from its traditional partners like NATO and the UN, to the more unconventional, such as GUAM and even the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).
05.05.2008 LOOKING TO 2020: AZERBAIJAN'S MILITARY ASPIRATIONS
Richard Giragosyan
The former Soviet Republic of Azerbaijan is pursuing a military agenda for its future that does not rely on NATO or Russian sponsorship. Record high oil revenues have enabled Baku to invest in modernising its military capabilities. Still, recent incidents involving its armed forces show that Azerbaijan has some way to go before it can claim to be the premier military force in the South Caucasus. Despite Azerbaijan having pumped an extra USD1 billion per year into its defence budget in the last three years, the country has accomplished little in terms of increasing its military power.
17.04.2008 ENTRANCE OF THE IRANIAN GAS INTO EUROPE
Sevak Sarukhanyan
On March 17, 2008, in the capital of Iran, Teheran, was signed the first international contract empowering Iran to export natural gas to Europe. The contract was signed by the Iranian gas exporting national company and the Swiss Elektrizitaetsgesellschaft Laufenburg Company. According to the contract, within 25 years the Iranian party will provide the Swiss company with 5.5 billion cubic meters of gas per year beginning from 2009.
31.03.2008 NEW DEVELOPMENTS OVER THE IRAN NUCLEAR PROGRAM
Sevak Sarukhanyan
On March 3 the UN SC adopted the third resolution on the nuclear program of Iran which was the natural result of discussions held among the UN SC five members over settling Iran nuclear problems. Although the SC adopted document was more than even-tempered, it was foretelling a qualitatively new beginning in the developments of the Iran nuclear program and made a basis to impose tough sanctions.
27.03.2008 THE ISSUE OF THE CASPIAN SEA STATUS AND THE TRANS-CASPIAN GAS PIPELINE
Armen Manvelyan
Together with the collapse of the USSR was given birth to negotiations on the new international status of the Caspian Sea. Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan together with Russia and Iran “undertook” the process of negotiations and in spite of the past 17 years, one can state as a fact that up till now there has been no international document concerning to the Caspian Sea.
20.03.2008 US-TURKEY-AZERBAIJAN: A FORMAT OF NEW ENERGY COOPERATION
Sevak Sarukhanyan
During the last years one could observe the US positions strengthening process in the Central Asia. The matter first of all concerns strengthening of the US and Turkmenistan relations in the energy and political fields. Azerbaijan is not devoid of this process as well and spares no efforts to involve Turkmenistan in the energy projects realized by its participation.
03.03.2008 ON THE REGIONAL ENERGY DEVELOPMENTS
Sevak Sarukhanyan
In the beginning of 2008 in the region progressed energy developments of not little importance the most significant of which is sure to be the crisis among Iran and Turkmenistan, which, in its turn, will have a serious influence on Iran-Turkey, Iran-Azerbaijan relations. On October 2007 the institute of strategic planning and economic development, founded by the president of Turkmenistan K. Berdimuhamedov in 2007, appeared with its first report which, as a matter of fact, was the beginning of possible changes in Turkmenistan’s energy policy.
14.02.2008 IRAN ON THE EVE OF PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS
Sevak Sarukhanyan
During the last few months the Iranian internal political developments have been mainly progressing in the context of preparation of the main political powers for the elections to be held on March 14. The coming elections may exert big influence on Iran’s political and economic fields, although the parliament doesn’t have so much direct influence on the country’s life. Being limited in its power, the Iranian Parliament is formed by the political powers either enjoying the support of various strata of society or representing the interests of the ruling spiritual, political...
12.02.2008 SOME INFORMATION ASPECTS OF THE ELECTIONS IN GEORGIA
Samvel Martirosyan
The past presidential elections of Georgia turned up to be quite interesting from the standpoint of information component. From the one hand the elections themselves were quite nonordinary, as they were special and were held after clashes with the opposition and the introduction of state of emergency. Besides, one should take into consideration that they were held at the period of New Year holidays, when the overall data flow in the world falls down, in connection of which the Georgian elections also appeared in the center of attention of mass media.
16.07.2007 NAGORNO-KARABAKH: WHO WILL BE THE NEXT PRESIDENT?
Liz Fuller and Richard Giragosian
On July 19, voters in the unrecognized republic of Nagorno-Karabakh will elect a successor to Arkady Ghukasian, the former foreign minister who has served two successive presidential terms since 1997, when his predecessor Robert Kocharian was named Armenian prime minister.
12.07.2007 On developments around Nagorni Karabakh Republic
Gagik Ter-Harutyunyan
It’s a long time since the Co-chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group have been successively visiting the region and various and sometimes contradicting announcements have been made on the developments around Nagorni Karabakh. It has become a tradition to make such announcements as in the autumn or spring of the coming year certain changed will be made in settling NKR conflict. Mass media couldn’t but response those announcements in their turn sometimes even misrepresenting or interpreting the information in their own way. That information chain is continued by the perceptions shaped in the society.
11.07.2007 Presidential elections in Nagorno-Karabakh Republic: a view from Yerevan
On June 3, 2007 in the analytical center “Caucasus” took place the round table discussion on the subject of “Presidential elections in Nagorno-Karabakh Republic: a view from Yerevan”. At the discussion took part Alexsander Manasyan (the Chairman of the Department of Philosophy and Logics, Yerevan State University), Levon Melik-Shahnazaryan (“De-Facto” Informational Agency), Shushan Khatlamajyan (ISCRD), Sergey Minasyan (Caucasus Media Institute), Sargis Harutyunyan (“Noravank” Foundation), the chairman of the Armenian Democratic Party Aram G. Sargsyan, the authorized representative of the candidate for NKR president Masis Mayilyan, Editor-in-chief of the “Demo” newspaper Gegham Baghdasaryan.
17.05.2007 The opening of the Armenian branch of the Institute of CIS Countries
The formation of the new independent states has made it desirable to give scientific explanation to their making, development, working out a general theory furthering the CIS integration, as well as studying bilateral and multilateral relations among them. In 1996 all these made a ground to found the Institute of CIS states in Moscow – the first Moscow based scientific foundation aiming at studying solely the Post-Soviet area. During its existence the Institute has conducted a number of researches devoted to up-to-date political and economic life in the new states of Caucasia, including Armenia.
16.05.2007 Russian-Armenian relations and Armenia’s foreign policy before and after the elections
On the may of the current year in the conference hall “House of Moscow” located in Yerevan took place a scientific-practical conference on the subject “Russian-Armenian relations and Armenia’s foreign policy before and after the elections.” The conference was held by the Institute of CIS countries (the director of the institute is the RF Duma deputy K. F. Zatulin) with the assistance of the Government of Armenia and was devoted to the RA parliamentary elections.
13.03.2007 A new logic of Iranian relations: situational analysis
Sargis Harutyunyan
The refusal of the Iranian party to suspend the uranium enrichment work on February 21 (as it is demanded by the resolution adopted by UN Security Council on December 23, 2006) makes the situation more difficult; however the intensification of the situation in this case will be of more fundamental character. In comparison with the last 4-5 years, the developments on Iranian nuclear program have undergone logical changes and in this connection we would like to single out two circumstances: Iran’s strides in the nuclear works reduce the chances of the US and its allies to influence on the situation. If that tendency is not suspended, time will work to the detriment of the latter’s.
01.03.2007 US-Iran: possible developments
Gagik Harutyunyan
The long lasting US-Iran confrontation is entering a new stage, and the expected development, according to expert community, may even cause changes of word order. As it is known, the American party consistently blames Iran for rendering direct help to the terrorists operating in Iraq. Such an information policy outlines the image of the US main enemy, Iran, and the responsibility of America’s failures in Iraq seems to transfer to that country.
21.12.2006 China’s oil and gas investments in Middle East
Sevak Sarukhanyan
During the last ten years there is a sharp rise in the extent of gas used in China, conditioned by the latter’s rapid development of economy. Thus there is a necessity to carry out the prospective program of importing gas and oil from abroad. China is quite realistic in its appreciations concerning to dependence on oil and gas exporters. It makes Beijing carry out active investment programs in energy markets of oil and gas supplying countries, which is intended to solve two main problems. To ensure China’s participation in the global energy market, To restrict free activity of the states and their allies exporting oil and gas and in this way to stabilize oil and gas import into China.
27.10.2006 Baku-Erzurum oil pipeline and the problems of Georgia’s energy policy
Sevak Sarukhanyan
It is supposed that the construction of Baku-Erzurum oil pipeline will be over by the end of 2006, giving an opportunity to transfer Azerbaijani gas from Shah Deniz gas field to Turkey. The regional significance of the gas pipeline is mainly conditioned by its ability to satisfy Georgia’s energy needs. The importance of the issue of providing Georgia with Azerbaijani gas is conditioned by the following circumstances.
11.10.2006 Burgas - Aleksandropolis oil-pipeline
Sevak Sarukhanyan
On September 4, in Athens the leaders of Russia, Greece and Bulgaria signed a declaration on completing an agreement to construct Burgas (Black Sea coast of Bulgaria) – Aleksandropolis (a port of the Adriatic Sea in Greece) oil pipeline in 2006. This oil pipeline is to be filled with Russian oil, which will be transported by ships from Novorossiysk to Burgas. In spite of optimistic information spread by Russian mass media, the main agreement on constructing the oil pipeline is not signed yet.
21.07.2006 Developments on Caspian energy-carriers
Sevak Sarukhanyan
On June 2006 Kazakhstan agreed to join oil exportation project through Baku-Ceyhan pipeline. It was fallowed by the new Turkmenistan approaches to gas prices sold to Russia. From the very beginning international experts were announcing that with the objective to turn Baku-Ceyhan into an economic factor, it is necessary to export Kazakh oil to the port of Ceyhan through the pipeline. In comparison with Azerbaijan, oil production in Kazakhstan is growing rapidly. Only last year it constituted more then 60 million tones. According to information released by “KazMunaiGaz” company, in ten years this showing may reach up to 150 million.
06.07.2006 Karabakh conflict: situational analysis
Sargis Harutyunyan
As the main result of negotiations in Rambue the American diplomacy, as a matter of fact, singled out from OSCE Minsk Group. It seems that the results in Rambue became an argument for Washington to ground its unilateral steps on Karabakh issue. From March to May in 2006 all the senior officials engaged in Karabakh issue of the US State Departament made official visits to the South Caucasus-the Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Daniel Fried, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Matthew J. Bryza and US former Co-chairman of OSCE Minsk Group Steven Mann.
27.06.2006 Julfa The annihilation of the Armenian Cemetery by Nakhijevan’s Azerbaijani authorities
In the brochure you can get acquainted with problems of destruction of Armenian cemetery in Julfa by azerbaijani authorities (Nakhijevan).
30.05.2006 Trouble in the neighborhood: Economic concerns about conflict in Iran
Experts in Armenia say military conflict between the United States and Iran would have an adverse effect on Armenia’s economy and trade. Even though overland trade between Iran and Armenia has been steadily decreasing since 2000, Iran remains Armenia’s second largest trade partner – primarily because it is one of only two neighbors whose borders are open to Armenia. Now trade between the two countries reaches some $250 million, with Iranian imports representing four-fifths of that amount and only $50 million is Armenia export, according to the Chamber of Industry and Commerce.
20.04.2006 Iran; challenge to the power state
Gagik Ter-Harutyunyan
For the last few weeks there was an abrupt rise of a number of publications on Iran in informational field. It is conditioned not only by multilevel debates concerning to this country’s nuclear program and well known announcements of Ahmadinejad, but also by the following developments...
13.04.2006 Iranian atom, situational analyzes
Sevak Sarukhanyan
On March 30 the UN Security Council (SC) appeared with a special announcement on nuclear problem calling for the Iranian authorities to stop uranium enrichment work within a month. The decision made by the UN Security Council is a result of corresponding compromise reached among the permanent members of the Security Council. Russia and China were against imposing sanctions on Iran.
07.04.2006 On Turkey’s nuclear program
Artak Shakaryan
Turkey talks about the development of nuclear energy began in 1953, after the well known speech of Eisenhower “Atoms for peace” in UN General Assembly. However, Turkey’s de facto inclusion into the field of nuclear energy dates back in May, 1955, when Ankara signed a unilateral agreement with Washington on “peaceful use of nuclear energy”.
01.03.2006 The Karabakh issue; situational analysis
Sargis Harutyunyan
Today the Karabakh issue has appeared in the focus of Black Sea-Caucasus-Iran-Caspian Basin-Central Asia international processes and the problem related developments should be observed in this context. The most expansive project carried out in the given region by the US is the creation of Europe-Black Sea (or Turkey)-South Caucasus-Caspian Basin-Central Asia geostrategic line (the Trsanseurasian project), which has clear-cut geopolitical and geo-economic goals.
21.02.2006 Gagik Harutyunyan’s interview given to mass media
In the interview given to mass media by Noravank Foundation’s director Gagik Harutyunyan were discussed the possible motives and political-economic after-effects of Russia-South Caucasus pipeline and high voltage power lines bursts. In the framework of the event’s analytical version the author spoke about the resent “espionage scandal” in the context of relations between British intelligence and especially the “Eurasia” Foundation. It was casually reminded that the given foundation has a branch in Armenia as well.
02.02.2006 On the North Caucasus gas-pipeline explosions
Gagik Ter-Harutyunyan
As it is known in the early hours on January 22 explosions in Russia’s North Ossetia damaged the North Caucasus-South Caucasus main gas-pipeline and Mozdok-Tbilisi auxiliary gas-pipeline and Karachay-Cherkessia electricity transmission line. The operations were well planned, was chosen the most appropriate time for it to be realized, which means that it had been well concocted by the insurgents.
26.01.2006 Iran: new developments on nuclear program
Sevak Sarukhanyan
As the Iranian authorities have repeatedly threatened, on the 9th of January 2006 was resumed work at Esfahan nuclear research center and on the 10th of January at Natanz uranium enrichment center. This step made by Tehran intensified the relations on Iran’s nuclear program, which will not slack until the first special session of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors.
19.01.2006 Russian gas: economy and policy
Gagik Ter-Harutyunyan
One of the most remarkable events at the end of 2005 was the dispute over gas tariffs between Russia and Ukraine. It is above question that in spite of the seeming upshot the conflict between these two Slavonic republics will face new developments. The decision to dissolve the Ukrainian Supreme Rada’s government, which caused legal confusion on the threshold of parliamentary elections, has come to prove it. There is no doubt that the processes over energy carriers are multilevel and have political and economic interrelated elements. Today natural gas is one of the most important raw materials of strategic importance.
16.01.2006 Azerbaijani Diaspora; realities and perspectives
Sargis Harutyunyan
In Azerbaijani national security draftings and, in general, in regulations concerning to the country’s development we come across the formulating that besides energy resources for Azerbaijan special importance acquires its own demographical resources, which by virtue of conditions peculiar to Muslims have a tendency of rapid growth. However, because of the complicated social-economic conditions in the country Azerbaijan has lost almost half of its population in the period of the past fifteen years.
24.11.2005 On parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan
Sargis Harutyunyan
With the parliamentary elections held in Azerbaijan on the 6th of November 2005 the governmental upheaval, begun in summer 2003, came to its logical end. The Situation shaped in the context of the South Caucasus developments after Georgian “Rose revolution” in November 2003, the Ukrainian “Orange revolution” a year late and Washington’s failure in Uzbekistan may perhaps witness to a version of an interim a geopolitical consensus. The Parliamentary elections held in Azerbaijan on the 6th of November 2005 may be conditionally divided in two parts...
29.06.2005 About the results of the presidential elections in Iran
On the 26th of June were announced the preliminary results of the presidential elections in Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI). The winner was Mahmoud Ahmaudi Nejad. The results of the elections were a surprise not only for the main candidate for the post of president, 71 years old Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, but also for many of the experts on Iran and Great Middle East. On the eve of the elections it seemed that the “outsider” of the pre-election race Nejad has no chances to carry an election in the battle with the “heavyweight” Hashemi Rafsanjani, who was surrounded by most of the Iranian progressive intellectuals and the youth.
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