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ARMENIA THIS WEEK August 22, 2005
ARMENIA REBUFFS AZERI WAR THREATS, PUBLIC RELATIONS PLOYS
Armenia this week responded to Azerbaijan's threats to spend more of its
growing oil revenue on the military to pressure Armenians into
unilateral concessions over Nagorno Karabakh. Foreign Minister Vartan
Oskanian stressed that Azerbaijan "can neither seduce nor, worse, scare
us with their oil." Oskanian added that the Armenian side's strength is
based not so much on military spending as on motivation. "Armenians
believe that the Nagorno Karabakh cause is just, and in case of war,
they will be fighting for their own homes and land," he said.
The comments came in response to Azeri President Ilham Aliyev's
instructio to further increase the Azeri military budget to make it
equivalent to Armenia's entire government spending. Earlier this year,
Aliyev ordered the State Oil Fund of Azerbaijan, which has so far
collected about $1.2 billion in oil revenue, to transfer $80 million to
the state budget to pay for a mid-year increase in military spending,
which now stands at $300 million per year. For the Azeri military budget
to reach the level of Armenia's state spending, it would need to
increase to about $1 billion by next year.
The Azeri government is continuing the campaign of what local
commentators have termed "anti-Armenian hysteria," alleging that its
domestic political opponents are linked to Armenian agents and
prosecuting soldiers who had deserted their military units over alleged
hazing as "traitors." Last week, the Azeri-state controlled religious
leaders issued a statement claiming that "for centuries, Armenians have
had no equals in the world in their lies and slander." While this
campaign continues, the Azeri officials have launched a simultaneous
"charm offensive," which local newspapers said was designed for
diplomatic ends.
As part of this new offensive, Azeri election officials have, for the
first time in 17 years, encouraged Karabakh Armenians to take part in
Azerbaijan's elections. The Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR) has been an
independent self-governing state since 1991, and none of its citizens
are known to have Azeri citizenship. NKR most recently elected its own
parliament last June in a vote characterized by Western observers as
free and fair. NKR election officials dismissed the Azeri move as a
"propaganda stunt" and an empty gesture and suggested Azeri officials
focus on improving their own election record that has been repeatedly
condemned by international organizations. (Sources: Armenia This Week
8-15; RFE/RL Armenia Report 8-17; Ekho 8-20; Armenpress 8-21)
U.S. DEMOCRATIC PARTY HEAD VISITS ARMENIA, STRESSES GENOCIDE AFFIRMATION
Chairman of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and former Vermont
Governor Howard Dean was in Armenia last week to reiterate continued
U.S. support for Armenia. Dean, who met with Armenia's leaders and
visited the Genocide Memorial in Yerevan, backed congressional efforts
to affirm the U.S. record on the Armenian Genocide. "The truth is that
the Armenian Genocide took place 90 years ago. Over a million people
were killed... There is no question that the United States should
recognize this." He added that the U.S. should not fear possible
backlash from Turkey. Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Slovakia
and Switzerland are some of the world's democracies that have in recent
years passed resolutions on the Armenian Genocide.
Dean further emphasized U.S. support for a "strong Armenia." Discussing
Armenia's development post-independence, Dean added that he "was pleased
by the progress and hope[s] the progress will continue." Earlier this
summer two Senate Republicans, Chuck Hagel (NE) and Norm Coleman (MN)
paid separate visits to Yerevan and similarly praised Armenia for the
economic progress it has achieved and the successful development of
relations with the U.S. (Sources: Armen. This Week 6-6; RFE/RL Armenia
Report 8-19, 22)
ARMENIAN, GEORGIAN PRESIDENTS HOLD 'UNOFFICIAL' TALKS
Presidents Robert Kocharian and Mikhail Saakashvili met at Armenia's
Sevan Lake resort for what has been described as an "informal" meeting,
which also included Armenia's and Georgia's Defense Ministers Serge
Sargsian and Irakly Okruashvili. Kocharian and Saakashvili held similar
"unofficial" talks at a Georgian ski resort last April. Following the
meeting, both presidents noted that their contacts contribute to the
overall positive climate in Armenian-Georgian relations, but released
few specifics citing the informal nature of the meeting.
Bilateral relations have traditionally focused on economic cooperation -
particularly transit of Armenia's exports and imports through Georgian
territory - and the welfare of the Armenian community in Georgia. There
has been considerable improvement on the economic side since
Saakashvili's election as President last year. In comments last week,
Saakashvili noted the growing business cooperation as well as the
increase in the number of Armenian tourists visiting Georgian Black Sea
beaches. Several Armenian businessmen are considering investments in
Georgia's manufacturing sector, as well as infrastructure projects. In
remarks for Georgian and Armenian media, Saakashvili noted that "there
are many things [Georgia] should learn from Armenia," pointing to the
faster pace of Armenia's economic recovery. Saakashvili also renewed his
calls for economic integration of the two countries.
The two presidents were also likely to have discussed the Georgian
Armenian community issues. Late last month, the two countries' prime
ministers met in the Georgian province of Samtskhe-Javakheti, which is
ethnic Armenian, to discuss ways to overcome the local population's
economic difficulties. The United States recently allocated $295 million
in Millennium Challenge assistance to Georgia, the largest portion of
which is set to be allocated for rebuilding of roads between central
Georgia and Javakheti. (Sources: Armenia This Week 8-1; Mediamax 8-16;
RFE/RL Armenia Report 8-17, 22; Arminfo 8-22)
A WEEKLY NEWSLETTER PUBLISHED BY THE ARMENIAN ASSEMBLY OF AMERICA
1140 19th Street, N.W., Suite 600, Washington, D.C. 20036 (202) 393-3434
FAX (202) 638-4904
E-Mail [email protected] WEB http://www.aaainc.org
ARMENIA REBUFFS AZERI WAR THREATS, PUBLIC RELATIONS PLOYS
Armenia this week responded to Azerbaijan's threats to spend more of its
growing oil revenue on the military to pressure Armenians into
unilateral concessions over Nagorno Karabakh. Foreign Minister Vartan
Oskanian stressed that Azerbaijan "can neither seduce nor, worse, scare
us with their oil." Oskanian added that the Armenian side's strength is
based not so much on military spending as on motivation. "Armenians
believe that the Nagorno Karabakh cause is just, and in case of war,
they will be fighting for their own homes and land," he said.
The comments came in response to Azeri President Ilham Aliyev's
instructio to further increase the Azeri military budget to make it
equivalent to Armenia's entire government spending. Earlier this year,
Aliyev ordered the State Oil Fund of Azerbaijan, which has so far
collected about $1.2 billion in oil revenue, to transfer $80 million to
the state budget to pay for a mid-year increase in military spending,
which now stands at $300 million per year. For the Azeri military budget
to reach the level of Armenia's state spending, it would need to
increase to about $1 billion by next year.
The Azeri government is continuing the campaign of what local
commentators have termed "anti-Armenian hysteria," alleging that its
domestic political opponents are linked to Armenian agents and
prosecuting soldiers who had deserted their military units over alleged
hazing as "traitors." Last week, the Azeri-state controlled religious
leaders issued a statement claiming that "for centuries, Armenians have
had no equals in the world in their lies and slander." While this
campaign continues, the Azeri officials have launched a simultaneous
"charm offensive," which local newspapers said was designed for
diplomatic ends.
As part of this new offensive, Azeri election officials have, for the
first time in 17 years, encouraged Karabakh Armenians to take part in
Azerbaijan's elections. The Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR) has been an
independent self-governing state since 1991, and none of its citizens
are known to have Azeri citizenship. NKR most recently elected its own
parliament last June in a vote characterized by Western observers as
free and fair. NKR election officials dismissed the Azeri move as a
"propaganda stunt" and an empty gesture and suggested Azeri officials
focus on improving their own election record that has been repeatedly
condemned by international organizations. (Sources: Armenia This Week
8-15; RFE/RL Armenia Report 8-17; Ekho 8-20; Armenpress 8-21)
U.S. DEMOCRATIC PARTY HEAD VISITS ARMENIA, STRESSES GENOCIDE AFFIRMATION
Chairman of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and former Vermont
Governor Howard Dean was in Armenia last week to reiterate continued
U.S. support for Armenia. Dean, who met with Armenia's leaders and
visited the Genocide Memorial in Yerevan, backed congressional efforts
to affirm the U.S. record on the Armenian Genocide. "The truth is that
the Armenian Genocide took place 90 years ago. Over a million people
were killed... There is no question that the United States should
recognize this." He added that the U.S. should not fear possible
backlash from Turkey. Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Slovakia
and Switzerland are some of the world's democracies that have in recent
years passed resolutions on the Armenian Genocide.
Dean further emphasized U.S. support for a "strong Armenia." Discussing
Armenia's development post-independence, Dean added that he "was pleased
by the progress and hope[s] the progress will continue." Earlier this
summer two Senate Republicans, Chuck Hagel (NE) and Norm Coleman (MN)
paid separate visits to Yerevan and similarly praised Armenia for the
economic progress it has achieved and the successful development of
relations with the U.S. (Sources: Armen. This Week 6-6; RFE/RL Armenia
Report 8-19, 22)
ARMENIAN, GEORGIAN PRESIDENTS HOLD 'UNOFFICIAL' TALKS
Presidents Robert Kocharian and Mikhail Saakashvili met at Armenia's
Sevan Lake resort for what has been described as an "informal" meeting,
which also included Armenia's and Georgia's Defense Ministers Serge
Sargsian and Irakly Okruashvili. Kocharian and Saakashvili held similar
"unofficial" talks at a Georgian ski resort last April. Following the
meeting, both presidents noted that their contacts contribute to the
overall positive climate in Armenian-Georgian relations, but released
few specifics citing the informal nature of the meeting.
Bilateral relations have traditionally focused on economic cooperation -
particularly transit of Armenia's exports and imports through Georgian
territory - and the welfare of the Armenian community in Georgia. There
has been considerable improvement on the economic side since
Saakashvili's election as President last year. In comments last week,
Saakashvili noted the growing business cooperation as well as the
increase in the number of Armenian tourists visiting Georgian Black Sea
beaches. Several Armenian businessmen are considering investments in
Georgia's manufacturing sector, as well as infrastructure projects. In
remarks for Georgian and Armenian media, Saakashvili noted that "there
are many things [Georgia] should learn from Armenia," pointing to the
faster pace of Armenia's economic recovery. Saakashvili also renewed his
calls for economic integration of the two countries.
The two presidents were also likely to have discussed the Georgian
Armenian community issues. Late last month, the two countries' prime
ministers met in the Georgian province of Samtskhe-Javakheti, which is
ethnic Armenian, to discuss ways to overcome the local population's
economic difficulties. The United States recently allocated $295 million
in Millennium Challenge assistance to Georgia, the largest portion of
which is set to be allocated for rebuilding of roads between central
Georgia and Javakheti. (Sources: Armenia This Week 8-1; Mediamax 8-16;
RFE/RL Armenia Report 8-17, 22; Arminfo 8-22)
A WEEKLY NEWSLETTER PUBLISHED BY THE ARMENIAN ASSEMBLY OF AMERICA
1140 19th Street, N.W., Suite 600, Washington, D.C. 20036 (202) 393-3434
FAX (202) 638-4904
E-Mail [email protected] WEB http://www.aaainc.org