Currently Armenia has no domestic resources for coup d'état

PanARMENIAN.Net - The week began with a meeting of Armenian Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan with students and instructors of Yerevan State University. “I am always guided by the principle: “If you want peace, prepare for war”. We never exclude the possibility of a military solution to the Karabakh conflict on the part of Azerbaijan, but the Armenian army is always ready to defend their homeland,” declared the Minister of Defense. According to him, NKR cannot be part of Azerbaijan. “In this regard, we raise three problems: the right of NKR people to self-determination should be respected, Nagorno-Karabakh should have a land connection with Armenia and its security must be ensured by international guarantees,” the Defense Minister stressed.

The same day Razmik Zohrabyan, Deputy Chairman of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia, was the first to assess the tripartite meeting between the Presidents of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia in Sochi. Touching upon the surrender of territories, the Republican Party representative said “It is out of the question” until the scopes of compromise are clarified. “Transitional status is not yet defined, and it is still unknown how the people of Karabakh can express their will. I think the parties have no idea how this can occur,” the MP said. He predicted that after the meeting in Sochi it would become clear whether or not a framework agreement would be signed on Karabakh. “However, no framework agreement will be signed till the yearend, I suppose,” Zohrabyan stressed.

At a joint press conference a similar assessment was given to the Sochi meeting by Social Democrat Hunchakian Party board member Vardan Khachatryan and Member of the Republican Party of Armenia Karen Avagyan. “It would be unrealistic to believe that all issues related to Karabakh conflict settlement could be given final resolution during the trilateral presidential meeting in Sochi,” declared Avagyan. According to him, every presidential meeting is a step forward to conflict resolution. He noted that the only fact that the Nagorno-Karabakh status was discussed at the latest meeting could be regarded as progress.

Vardan Khachatryan, for his part, noted that despite the recent progress, Baku keeps demanding the impossible to gain maximum benefit, with President Aliyev repeatedly bringing up the issue of military settlement of Karabakh conflict.

“Negotiations will not definitely accelerate the conflict settlement process, but the outcome of Armenian, Russian and Azerbaijani Presidents’ meeting in Sochi will enable Turkey to speed up the ratification of Armenian-Turkish Protocols,” declared Deputy Director of the Caucasus Institute Sergey Minasyan in an interview to PanARMENIAN.Net

Tuesday, January 26, President Serzh Sargsyan received Prime Minister of Georgia Nikoloz Gilauri, who paid a working visit to Yerevan to attend the 8th session of the intergovernmental commission on economic cooperation between Armenia and Georgia. At the meeting President Sargsyan noted that Yerevan is ready to further extend cooperation with Tbilisi. In his turn, Gilauri conveyed to the Armenian President Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili’s invitation to visit Georgia.

On the same day Yerevan hosted a pre-planning conference on Combined Endeavor 2010 exercise. The event organized by the U.S. European Command brought together 300 communication specialists from 34 countries, including NATO members and partner states.

On January 26 Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki paid a working visit to Yerevan to attend the 9th session of the Armenian-Iranian intergovernmental commission. During the visit Iranian Foreign Minister met with president of Armenia, RA prime minister, speaker of the Armenian National Assembly, secretary of the RA National Security Council and Armenian foreign minister. At the meeting with Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandyan, the counterparts discussed bilateral, regional and international issues. The foreign ministers also touched upon the Karabakh conflict settlement and normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations. Manouchehr Mottaki presented to Edward Nalbandyan the processes related to the nuclear program of Iran.

Another positive evaluation of the tripartite presidential meeting in Sochi was voiced Tuesday by Director of Analytical Research Center Ruben Hakobyan. “The Sargsyan-Aliyev-Medvedev meeting in Sochi met our expectations,” Hakobyan said at a press conference in Yerevan. As to the preamble of revised Madrid principles, Hakobyan said: “I’m not aware of the contents of the preamble, but Karabakh conflict is expected to be settled in compliance with 2 international norms – territorial integrity and the right of nations to self-determination.”

Ruben Hakobyan also highlighted that during the past two decades, the inner and outer life of Armenia has been conditioned by the Karabakh conflict. Hakobyan did not share the view of some experts, who claim that any progress in the Karabakh conflict may raise the issue of coup d'état. “Armenia does not have the corresponding resources. The “immune system” of the country is too weak,” said Hakobyan.

The recent presidential meeting in Sochi repeated the scenario of previous meetings, according to ARFD parliamentary group member Hrayr Karapetyan. Karapetyan believes there was much fuss both now and prior to the Meindorf meeting, but expectations were not met in either case. According to the MP, Azerbaijan should realize that Karabakh will never be part of it and it should be involved in talks as an independent party.

Next day, January 27, the Sochi meeting was once again criticized, this time by the Heritage party. “I consider that the trilateral meeting between the Presidents of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia in Sochi was another defective meeting,” declared Heritage party secretary, MP Larisa Alaverdyan. According to her, presidential meetings without Artsakh leader’s participation can’t be considered talks on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement. “Presidential meetings have only one positive side: while they continue, there is hope that there will be no war,” Alaverdyan noticed.

On January 27, President Serzh Sargsyan received Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki. The President noted the importance of the Armenian-Iranian intergovernmental commission. “You know how much we value the relations with Iran and we consider you a reliable partner and a country of key importance in the region,” Sargsyan said, addressing to the Iranian FM.

Wednesday was also marked by another event: the Republican Party of Armenia, “Prosperous Armenia” and “Orinats Yerkir” issued a statement regarding the interview of PACE President Mevlut Cavusoglu to Azeri news agency APA. “Some of PACE President’s comments call into question his impartiality in the perception of Nagorno-Karabakh. PACE President has a wrong perception of the nature and details of the issue, as well as of negotiation progress concerning the problem in question,” the joint statement said. Armenian coalition parties urged RA NA speaker to clarify with PACE President the reliability of the interview in question and demand explanations, also asking Cavusoglu to specify whether his words should be regarded as the official position of PACE. If necessary, the RA NA Speaker was also to discuss the issue of suspension of the Armenian delegation’s activities in PACE during Mevlut Cavusoglu’s presidency.

Next day, January 28, Armenian NA Speaker Hovik Abrahamyan had a telephone conversation with newly-elected PACE President Mevlut Cavusoglu. During the conversation Cavusoglu informed the NA Speaker that on January 26 the Azerbaijani news agency APA had misinterpreted his remarks, ascribing him statements he had not uttered. The PACE President assured that these statements were the result of a wrong interpretation and mistreatment of the Azerbaijani media representatives.

On January 28 Armenia celebrated the 18th anniversary of formation of the Armenian National Army. Traditionally on this day the country’s top leaders visit the Memorial of Military Volunteers Yerablur to commemorate the soldiers who sacrificed their lives for the motherland.

The day was crowned with a solemn concert devoted to 18th anniversary of the Armenian Army. Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan, Ex-President Robert Kocharyan, Chairman of the National Assembly Hovik Abrahamyan, and Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan were present at the concert.

At the end of the week Leader of Constitutional Right Union party Hayk Babukhanyan made a series of dramatic statements at a press conference. According to him, Armenia should think of developing nuclear weapon as a deterrent to Turkey’s genocidal policy.

Another scandalous statement issued by Babukhanyan concerned the Heritage Party. Babukhanyan believes that Armenian authorities should suspend the Party’s activities, because of its destructive position in the PACE and assistance to Turkish-Azerbaijani policy. Soon Leader of Heritage faction Stepan Safaryan disapproved Hayk Babukhanyan’s statement on the party’s anti-governmental policy. According to Safaryan, “There is reliable information that leader of Constitutional Right Union receives funding from an oligarch representing one of the three coalition parties.”

On January 29 Armenian Parliament held a working meeting, which discussed the draft agenda of the RA NA spring session. The agenda includes 78 issues and 14 international treaties.