Regional geopolitics

[Haykakan]

Re: Regional geopolitics

Seyran Ohanyan to reject CSTO secretary general position if offered

YEREVAN, September 19. /ARKA/. Seyran Ohanyan, Armenian defense minister, said in an interview with news.am that he would reject secretary general position in the Collective Security Treaty Organization in the event of such an offer. x

Earlier, Interfax reported that Ohanyan would be dismissed as Armenian deputy defense minister by the new-appointed prime minister and would receive offer to succeed Nikolay Bordyuzha, who is leaving office now.

Ohanyan said that changes in the government might touch everybody. “We know about procedures of formation of the government… As for appointment as CSTO secretary general, there were no such offers,” he said in his interview. “Today I am acting defense minister and I am not going to work for any international organization.”

Asked whether he would reject the CSTO secretary general position if offered, he said: “Of course”.
Nikolay Bordyuzha said earlier that his successor would be named on October 14 in Yerevan at a CSTOI session and that the new secretary general will be a representative of Armenia. --0---

http://arka.am/en/news/politics/seyran_ohanyan_to_reject_csto_secretary_general_position_if_offered_/

[Haykakan]

Re: Regional geopolitics

USA backstabbed the kurds and now bombes Syrian troops while they fight ISIS killing over 60 soldiers. Our boys are fighting in Syria's army and may well fall victim to yet another blatant example of "western democratic intervention" as has the entire Syrian, Libyan, Iraqi populations along with the Armenian communities there. The American people are so hopelessly mislead by their own media and government that they have no clue how evil their government really is.

[Haykakan]

Re: Regional geopolitics

UN relief convoy was attacked today. No more relief for Syrians. Everybody is pointing at each other.

[Vrej1915]

Re: Regional geopolitics

[Vrej1915]

Re: Regional geopolitics

[Vrej1915]

Re: Regional geopolitics

[Vrej1915]

Re: Regional geopolitics

[Haykakan]

Re: Regional geopolitics

Acting Foreign Minister of Armenia Edward Nalbandian participated in the High-level Meeting of the United Nations General Assembly to Address Large Movements of Refugees and Migrants. The Minister’s full speech is provided below:
Honorable Mr. President,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The convening of this meeting at such a high level indicates the growing prominence of the problem of migrants and refugees on the global agenda, including within the UN system and the strong determination to tackle it.
Armenia has been facing the challenges relating to refugee hosting for almost 3 decades. In the late 80s and beginning of 90s Armenians were massacred and expelled from their homes in Azerbaijan and found refuge in Armenia. This year again, in early April Azerbaijan unleashed another large-scale military offensive against Nagorno-Karabakh that resulted in a number of casualties among civilians and another wave of displacement.
In this context we would like to stress the significance of addressing the root causes of large movements of people through the prevention of conflicts and crisis situations, peaceful settlement of disputes and achievement of long-term political solutions. Likewise, we would like to highlight the importance of providing equal, prompt and unhindered access to international humanitarian assistance for refugees and displaced persons in all affected parts of the world, without distinction to their current political status.
Mr. President,
Armenia is deeply concerned by the situation in our immediate neighborhood – the Middle East. On numerous occasions Armenia has condemned the crimes committed by DAESH and other terrorist groups, which threaten the people of the region and beyond. The war in Syria has a devastating impact on its civilian population, including national and religious minorities who face existential threats due to identity based crimes perpetrated by terrorists and foreign fighters.
The violence in the Middle East has not bypassed Syrian Armenians, many of whom lost their lives in terrorist attacks. The Armenian settlements, churches, schools and cultural institutions were destroyed. One hundred years ago Armenian refugees found shelter in many Arab countries after the Armenian Genocide. Today thousands of Armenians, together with other people of the Middle East, again are forced to abandon their places of residence. From Syria alone more than 20 thousand Armenians found refuge in Armenia, making our country the third largest recipient of Syrian refugees in Europe on per capita basis. Therefore, we have first-hand knowledge about what it means to be a refugee and to host refugees.
The challenges of receiving, accommodating and integrating refugees from Syria are high on the agenda of the Armenian Government. We have been offering a variety of protection options of accelerated asylum procedures, facilitated provision of residence permits and naturalization. The State supports them in setting up businesses, provides durable housing, free medical assistance and scholarships.
Armenia is committed to making its utmost to address the issues of Syrian refugees, however no State can manage such large movements on its own. We believe that greater international cooperation is needed to assist host countries. To this end, we welcome the adoption of the New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants and believe that the full implementation of our collective commitments, particularly those referring to a more equitable sharing of the burden and responsibility, could make a real difference for the benefit of refugees.
Thank you.

http://www.armradio.am/en/2016/09/20/edward-nalbandian-armenia-deeply-concerned-by-the-situation-in-the-middle-east/

[Haykakan]

Re: Regional geopolitics

Attack on Syrian Army is 'Case of Pentagon Trying to Show State Dept Who's Boss'
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18:54 21.09.2016
(updated 20:42 21.09.2016)

Commenting on Saturday's attack by US-led coalition fighter jets against Syrian army forces in the besieged city of Deir ez-Zor, respected Middle East expert Evgeny Satanovsky told Russian media that he couldn't help but get the feeling that the attack was no accident, but rather a consequence of Washington's incoherent Syria policy.

On September 17, two F-16 fighters and two A-10 ground attack aircraft launched airstrikes inxthe area ofxDeir ez-Zor, a government-controlled city inxeastern Syria besieged byxDaesh forxnearly two years. The attack left overx60 Syrian servicemen dead, and wounded overx100 more. In response toxthe strike, the Syrian Army's High Command announced an end toxthe Russian and US sponsored ceasefire that stepped intoxforce earlier this month.


© Flickr/ U.S. Department of Defense
US-Led Coalition Airstrikes on Syrian Army Position are Nothing but Flagrant Violation of Syrian Ceasefire - Lavrov
On Wednesday, speaking beforexthe UN Security Council, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov offered support forxDamascus, emphasizing that "the [US-led] coalition's airstrikes onxthe government forces inxDeir ez-Zor onxSeptember 16 [were] a flagrant violation ofxthe [agreement onxthe] cessation ofxhostilities."

"Immediately afterxthese airstrikes, Daesh terrorists started toxattack the Syrian Army," Lavrov added.
Speaking toxRussia's Vzglyad newspaper, Evgeny Satanovsky, respected Middle East expert and president ofxthe Moscow-based Middle East Institute, warned that the situation inxthe country is quickly spinning outxof control, withxthe US coalition and its 'moderate rebel' patrons sharing the lion's share ofxthe blame.
"Over three hundred violations and attacks: Washington cannot or does not want toxdo anything here" (to correct the situation), the expert complained.x
As forxthe attack onxthe Syrian army, "inflicted byxthe US, the British and the Danes, it shows either that the intelligence ofxthe US and its partners is worthless," or that this is Washington's twisted interpretation of xthe meaning of "demonstrating their commitment toxthe [ceasefire] agreement."


© AFP 2016/ US NAVY / MC2 JACOB G. SISCO
'Stab in the Back': What Awaits Syria After American 'Friendly' Fire
Satanovsky recalled that untilxSaturday's attack, the Syrian Army was living upxto its side ofxthe Russia and US-sponsored ceasefire agreement, withdrawing heavy weapons fromxtheir positions inxAleppo.

Blasting the US forxits cynicism, the expert emphasized the obvious: that Moscow and Washington could not have reached an agreement onxa ceasefire inxSyria if it included a clause that the US would be allowed toxattack Syrian government forces withximpunity. Through Saturday's incident, "they immediately, defiantly and blatantly violated the agreement. This demonstration could not have been an accident."
Accordingly, the expert noted, the attack is likely a product ofxthe long-running conflict betweenxthe US military and diplomatic establishment onxSyria – an effort byxthe Pentagon to 'show the State Department who's boss'. "Such an attack could not take place withoutxtacit approval fromxthe White House," Satanovsky added.
This is far fromxthe first time that the US has showed contradictions inxits priorities forxSyria, simultaneously supporting 'moderate rebels' and the Syrian Kurdish forces fighting them inxthe country's north.
Ultimately, Satanovsky suggested that he is now fully convinced that the sole purpose ofxthe ceasefire agreement was toxgive the terrorists, particularly those inxAleppo and Idlib, a chance toxregroup and resupply.


© AFP 2016/ LOUAI BESHARA
US Proxies in Syria Violated Ceasefire 'to Prolong War Until Clinton Presidency'
Prior toxthe ceasefire, the analyst recalled, the militant forces inxAleppo were completely surrounded and onxthe verge ofxcomplete annihilation. A portion ofxeastern Aleppo, Syria's second largest city beforexthe war, is occupied byxa ramshackle collection ofxmilitants, including forces fromxthe Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, formerly known asxNusra Front. Analysts have repeatedly emphasized that Aleppo's complete liberation would bring the Syrian war close toxan end.

"The course ofxevents has shown that Washington is providing cover forxthe terrorists, and judging byxevents inxDeir ez-Zor, not just those fromxAl-Qaeda, butxfrom Daesh (ISIL/ISIS) asxwell," Satanovsky noted.
To ensure that such attacks are not repeated, the analyst suggested that Syrian Army units inxDeir ez-Zor and Aleppo be equipped withxBuk surface-to-air missile systems. "This will dramatically reduce anyone's desire toxfly inxthese areas and toxbomb Syrian positions," Satanovsky wryly commented.
As forxForeign Minister Lavrov's scathing remarks towardxhis American colleagues inxNew York, Satanovsky emphasized that whatever the Russian foreign minister might say, it's extremely unlikely toxconvince the US toxlive upxto their side ofxthe agreement.x
The world, Satanovsky emphasized, is in "a situation ofxa Cold War, which is inxfull swing, whatever the diplomats might say…And the Americans are waging it," refusing toxconstrain themselves byxany trifle such asxa signed agreement.

[Azad]

Re: Regional geopolitics

"European human rights group warns on Azerbaijan constitution

PARIS (AP) — A European law and human rights commission on Wednesday criticized proposed constitutional changes in Azerbaijan that would extend the president's term, a conclusion that drew an angry response from the ex-Soviet nation.

The Venice Commission, a watchdog body of constitutional law experts based in France, released a preliminary report saying that extending the presidential mandate "cannot be justified" and that other proposed legal changes would upset the balance of powers.

The commission expressed concern about a measure limiting public gatherings and said a measure giving the president power to dissolve parliament would weaken political dissent.

Some critics characterize the oil-rich Caspian Sea nation as effectively a dynasty as President Ilham Aliyev is the son of the previous president and see the proposed measures as a mechanism for extending his rule.

Shahin Aliyev, the head of the legal department in Azerbaijan's presidential administration, shrugged off the Venice Commission's criticism as hasty and unfounded.

"We are seeing that hasty conclusion, which has many flaws, as politically driven," he said at a briefing in the capital Baku. "They speak to us in a language of ultimatums." <<< Aboush

https://www.yahoo.com/news/european-human-rights-group-warns-azerbaijan-constitution-111710014.html?soc_src=hl-viewer&soc_trk=fb

Not too many Islamic countries left without authoritarian regimes