EuFoA’s Pick of the Day
Linas Linkevicius: “We’ll see whether a new agreement is needed”
Mediamax, December 15, 2014, https://www.mediamax.am/en/news/interviews/12566/
- The Armenian leadership states that joining the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) doesn’t contradict to Armenia’s dialogue with the EU. Do you think it is possible to continue the EU-Armenia dialogue?
- We continue the dialogue and EU-Armenia Cooperation Committee meeting on December 9 was a good opportunity to explore the possibilities in the areas we can cooperate.
Commitment to further strengthening cooperation within the Eastern Partnership should be compatible with Armenia’s recent policy choices, so we can continue support in the areas such as good governance, human rights, fighting corruption, judiciary reforms etc.
Implementation of these programs will be continued and Armenia should define the areas of interests which do not contradict to its commitments towards EEU.
-During his visit to Armenia in May 2014, French President Francois Hollande stated that the EU should demonstrate a “differentiated approach” to Armenia given its complicated geopolitical situation. Do you think the EU can suggest some kind of “special terms” to Armenia?
- I personally do share this view of “special attitude” and regional approach not only to Armenia. All the members of the Eastern Partnership program are quite different, even those who are trying to be “in the club”. They have different situations and ambitions and we do respect the choices of each country.
Again, we respect Armenia’s choice to join the Eurasian Union and we believe we should further proceed with our relations with Armenia. Armenia should suggest possible spheres of cooperation having in mind the membership to EEU.
EU-Armenia Relations
Armenia’s amended law on NGOs to promote civil society development – EU ambassador
Tert.am, December 15, 2014, https://www.tert.am/en/news/2014/12/15/traian-hristea/1536301
A conference on Armenia’s Law on NGOs co-organized by Armenia’s Ministry of Justice with the European Union’s sponsorship within the framework of ''Support to Democratic Governance in Armenia'' project.
Among the participants in the conference were Armenia’s Minister of Justice Hovhannes Manukyan, Head of the EU Delegation to Armenia Traian Hristea and Director of the British Council Armenia Arevik Saribekyan, officials, representatives of international organizations and civil society.
Armenia’s government attaches importance to public hearing of the law on NGOs and is well aware of the need for reforms. On the other hand, the government is aware of the need for balanced approaches as Armenia’s civil society is sensitive and is in the making.
Mr Hristea welcomed the public hearing and pointed out a satisfactory level of cooperation with NGOs. The concept had been discussed with the general public before the relevant bill was drafted, he said.
He called on the participants in the conference to make their proposals for a comprehensive document to be drafted.
Czech Republic attaches importance to further deepening of relations with Armenia
ArmenPress, December 12, 2014, https://armenpress.am/eng/news/787692/czech-republic-attaches-importance-to-further-deepening-of-relations-with-armenia.html
S. On December 12, newly appointed Ambassador of the Czech Republic to Armenia Petr Mikiska presented the copies of his credentials to Armenia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Edward Nalbandyan.
As the Department of Press, Information and Public Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia reports to “ArmenPress”, newly appointed Ambassador Mikiska mentioned that the Czech Republic attaches importance to further deepening of relations with Armenia and that he would do everything possible to advance the development of multilateral partnership between Armenia and the Czech Repub
General News on Armenia
On the Road: Armenia featured in CNN documentary
Armenia Now, December 15, 2014, https://www.armenianow.com/news/59346/armenia_cnn_on_the_road
CNN has taken a glimpse into the life of modern-day Armenia as part of its latest On the Road series broadcast over the weekend.
A documentary presented on CNN International on Saturday attempted to explore Armenia from different aspects, including the innovative brainpower of its young people, the nation’s love of chess, the difficult history of Armenians and their traditions.
Yerevan’s Tumo Center for Creative Technologies is featured as one of the great learning environments for young Armenians facilitating the nation’s innovation drive. The CNN crew also visited the Chess Academy in the Armenian capital where parents were witnessing their kids “matching wits” in a competition, emphasizing the fact that chess is included in school curricula in Armenia.
The authors of the documentary took trips to the monastery in Geghard and the country’s only surviving pagan temple in Garni as part of their quest for the spirit of Armenia, emphasizing that Armenia was first to adopt Christianity as its official religion back in 301 AD. They also tasted traditional Armenian khash with a young political satirist.
Emphasizing the fact that Armenia is home to only 3 out of some 10 million Armenians who live in the world today, the documentary showcases the Birthright Armenia experience of several young Diaspora Armenians visiting their historical homeland as part of the program.
When showing Tsitsernakaberd in Yerevan the authors of the documentary emphasize that it is a memorial to the Armenian Genocide in which 1.5 million Christian Armenians were massacred in Ottoman Turkey. Footage of the Tatik-Papik (“We Are Our Mountains”) statue, one of the most recognizable symbols of Nagorno-Karabakh, also appears in the film for a moment.
Neighbors in Turmoil: Armenia viewed as ‘island of stability’ amid rising Islamic terrorism in region
Armenia Now, December 15, 2014https://www.armenianow.com/commentary/analysis/59331/armenia_azerbaijan_turkey_neighbors_arrests_coups
Authorities in Armenia’s neighboring countries, Turkey and Azerbaijan, are conducting arrests of persons suspected of directly or indirectly preparing coups and planning to overthrow of the government. Western governments, meanwhile, accuse Baku and Ankara of violating democratic norms and not respecting democratic values.
“By eliminating moderate voices in society, Azerbaijan’s leaders set the stage for anti-Western environment that will serve as a breeding ground for radical Islamists, who pose a grave security threat to both the region and the West,” foreignpolicy.com writes.
“The [December 4] coordinated terrorist assault on the Chechen capital of Grozny – which left at least 20 dead and scores more injured – should refocus global attention on a problem that Russia itself increasingly is confronting: a resilient wave of radical Islam,” writes Foreign Affairs.
Al-Jazeera also says that Russia could become the next “target” for Islamists. The same predictions are also made for Turkey, a country aspiring to become a member of the European Union.
All candidates for Penarol presidency refuse any future Azerbaijani sponsorship
ArmenPress, December 13, 2014, https://armenpress.am/eng/news/787737/all-candidates-for-penarol-presidency-refuse-any-future-azerbaijani-sponsorship.html
Every candidate running for the coveted Penarol presidency has refused any future Azerbaijani sponsorship. As reports “Armenpress” citing prensaarmenia.com.ar, the election of the club’s president will be held on December 14.
Juan Pedro Damiani, Marcelo Areco, Ricardo Rachetti , Ignacio Ruglio, and Edgar Welker are running for the presidency.
All of them assured the representatives of the ANC Uruguay that they will never receive Azerbaijan’s sponsorship to conduct antiArmenian activity. Previously it was reported that the Argentine FC San Lorenzo de Almagro has refused Azerbaijan’s sponsorship and emphasized that this country uses sport for spreading racist statements and violation of human rights. Azerbaijan, which currently provides sponsorship to Spanish FC Atlético Madrid, expressed a desire to provide sponsorship to the Argentine FC San Lorenzo de Almagro, but on one condition.
The club had to write on its jerseys the following expression: “There are no ethnic Armenians.”
This caused the complaint of the club’s administration. At the same time, the local Armenian community held meetings with the administration, after which the club refused Azerbaijan’s petrodollars.
Referring to its sources in the Football Federation of Argentina, Prensa Armenia.com states that after San Lorenzo’s refusal, Azerbaijan engaged itself in the search of a new club, which will be eager not to take into consideration humanistic ideas and, at the same time, will not be worried about the deterioration of relations with the representatives of the local Armenian community.
U.S. Envoy Hails Armenian Visa Scrapping
Azatutyun, December 12, 2014, https://www.azatutyun.am/
John Heffern, the U.S. ambassador in Yerevan, praised the Armenian government on Friday for lifting the visa requirement for visitors from the United States, saying that the move will boost relations between the countries.
Heffern also confirmed that the “really exciting announcement” made by the government on Thursday is part of a broader U.S.-Armenian agreement that will also lead to the easing of U.S. visa requirements for Armenian citizens.
“It’s the culmination of a one-year process that we launched a year or so ago in Washington,” he told a news conference. “Our goal has always been and will be to continue to deepen our ties with Armenia in any way we can and in any way that Armenia is interested.”
A separate statement issued by the U.S. Embassy in Armenia likewise referred to a
“new reciprocal arrangement” worked out by the two sides. “The implementation of a liberalized visa regime promoting people to people contacts was one of the goals identified in last year’s bilateral meeting of the U.S.-Armenia Task Force (USATF) in Washington D.C.,” it said.
Kazakhstan to ratify Armenia’s EEU membership agreement
Mediamax, December 15, 2014, https://www.mediamax.am/en/news/foreignpolicy/12583/
Kazakhstan will ratify the agreement on Armenia’s membership in the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU).
President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev stated it at the meeting with Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev in Astana on December 14, Russian media report.
“A meeting will be held in Moscow on December 23. We will ratify Armenia. Kyrgyzstan might be ready”, said Nursultan Nazarbayev.
Nazarbayev’s statement does not make it clear whether the Parliament of Kazakhstan will ratify Armenia’s EEU membership agreement before December 23 or not. Last week media outlets reported that the agreement ratification is not involved in the agendas of upcoming meetings of the Parliament of Kazakhstan.
Armenian recognized official language in Iraqi Kurdistan
News.am, December 15, 2014, https://news.am/eng/news/244068.html
Armenian is also recognized as an official language in Iraqi Kurdistan.
Iraqi Kurdistan President Masoud Barzani has signed the language bill, pursuant to which Armenian, Assyrian, and Turkmen also will become official languages in the Kurdish autonomy, and in addition to Kurdish and Arabic, Rudaw.net reported.
Kurdistan Parliament spokesperson Tariq Jawhar told the website that the parliament had passed this bill on October 29, and on November 20, it was submitted for Barzani’s approval.
Jawhar stressed that, pursuant to the new law, Armenian, Assyrian, and Turkmen will become official languages in the Iraqi Kurdistan regions where Armenians, Assyrians, and Turkmens live.
7 Armenian Ministers arrive in Tehran
Mediamax, December 15, 2014, https://www.mediamax.am/en/news/foreignpolicy/12584/
7 members of the Armenian government will be in Tehran to take part in the session of the Armenian-Iranian Intergovernmental Commission today.
Armenian Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Minister of Finance, Minister of Transport and Communication, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Agriculture, Minister of Urban Development and Minister of Health will take part in the meeting, Iranian Tasnim agency reports.
In October 2014, Armenian Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan visited Tehran.
Armenia: Local election results released
Panorama, December 15, 2014, https://www.panorama.am/en/politics/2014/12/15/election/
Armenia’s Central Electoral Commission (CEC) has released the results of local elections in 35 communities that were held on Sunday, December 14.
According to the CEC’s official website, only in 3 out of 26 communities the incumbent mayors did not win the elections.
On Sunday, local elections were held in 35 communities of Aragatsotn, Ararat, Armavir, Gegharkunik, Lori, Kotayk, Shirak, Syunik, Vayots Dzor, and Tavush.
5 parliamentary groups boycott special session because of attack on colleague
News.am, December 15, 2014, https://news.am/eng/news/
Armenian parliament's non-ruling factions decided to boycott a special session on Monday, secretary of Heritage party Ruben Hakobyan said.
He said it is impossible to discuss current problems, until an assault on their counterpart Aram Manukyan is not investigated.
“My colleagues from Heritage Party, Orinats Yerkir, Prosperous Armenia and Armenian National Congress are boycotting the session,” he said.
Following his statement, deputies of four parliamentary groups left the hall. ARF Dashnaktsutyun lawmakers stayed in the hall, but decided to leave in 10 minutes.
As reported earlier, an unidentified person assaulted and hit Aram Manukyan, an MP from the Armenian National Congress, in the entrance of the building where he lives. In addition, several days ago Karabakh war veterans Razmik Petrosyan, Manvel Yeghiazaryan and Suren Sargsyan were beaten.
Armenia to comply with international legal standards – Artak Shaboyan
Tert.am, December 14, 2014, https://www.tert.am/en/news/
Armenia will continue bringing its laws to conformity with international standards after joining the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU), Chairman of the State Commission for Protection of Economic Competition Artak Shaboyan told Tert.am.
“Certain amendments will be made as a result of integration, but the fundamental principles will not be changed because in this respect Armenia’s laws are in conformity with international and European standards. Three years ago, we fully revised our laws in cooperation with the World Bank and brought them to conformity with international standards,” he said.
General News on Karabakh
Azerbaijani sniper wounds Armenian citizen
Times, December 13, 2014, https://times.am/?p=103844&l=en
Azerbaijani snipers continue to fire and this time Berqaber village of border Tavoush region was the target for the enemy. Armenian young man Aghasi Tamrazyan is wounded.
As Times.am was informed by head of the Berqaber village Arthur Madatyan, the incident took place early in the morning.The Azerbaijani snipers shot and wounded the 33-year-old young man on his both legs.
The young man is now in hospital, in Ijevan town. His life is out of danger.
Another resident of the village was also under target of the enemy's sniper but he managed to escape.
The situation in the village is under control.
Azerbaijanis beat father of captive family in front of children
ArmenPress, December 12, 2014, https://armenpress.am/eng/news/
The members of the Armenian family having returned after being held in captivity in Azerbaijan have undergone checkups at the Surp Grigor Lusavorich Medical Center.
Since 2010, the fivemember family had been in captivity in Azerbaijan. As “ArmenPress” reports, hours after repatriation, the parents, Yeghishe and Ruzanna Gevorgyan, told journalists that they had been subject to assaults in Azerbaijan. “We were kept at a camp for prisoners of war, and my children had been eating the chicken meat bitten by rats all this time. The Azerbaijani were forcing us to change our last names and become Turks,” Yeghishe Gevorgyan said.
Azerbaijan violates ceasefire 1600 times in past week
Aysor, December 13, 2014, https://www.aysor.am/en/news/
On December 7-13 Azerbaijan violated the ceasefire about 1,600 times on the Line of Contact between the armed forces of Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan. Over 18,000 shots were fired at Armenian frontline positions from guns of various calibers, according to NKR Defense Army.
In particular, unprecedented violations of the ceasefire were recorded in the eastern direction of the Line of Contact. Over 30 shells were fired from 60- and 80-mm mortars.
Grenade launchers, sniper rifles and machine-guns were also used in the past week. The frontline units of Defense Army took response actions in case of necessity and kept the situation under control.
News from International Sources
A Do-It-Yourself International Humanitarian Mediation in Nagorno-Karabakh
New Eastern Europe, December 15, 2014, https://neweasterneurope.eu/articles-and-commentary/1424-a-do-it-yourself-international-humanitarian-mediation-in-nagorno-karabakh?fb_action_ids=10152668796095914&fb_action_types=og.likes
A fatal ceasefire violation in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict took place on November 12th 2014 when Azerbaijan forces shot down an unarmed helicopter from the unrecognised republic, killing all three crewmembers. As a result, unprecedented tensions rose between the sides, with Azerbaijan prohibiting the recovery of the three bodies, which came down in the so-called “no-man’s land”, alarming the international community.
The OSCE Minsk Group and most of the international community again chose a very mild language referring to the downing of the helicopter.
This avoidance of the obvious facts reinforces what Azerbaijan believes is the right way to act, which includes regular shelling, ceasefire violations and continuous threats. Therefore, Aliyev’s regime also felt correct in its decision to deny access to the crash site for the Red Cross and the OSCE Minsk Group to recover the bodies. Such an irresponsible attitude could have easily led to severe consequences.
Finally, the Nagorno-Karabakh Defence Army launched a risky operation and successfully recovered the three bodies registering no casualties during the operation and thus avoided any further escalation.
A different response could have been expected, but the Nagorno-Karabakh Defence Army limited itself to recovering the bodies, avoiding retaliation. Paradoxically, it was this military operation that prevented a full-scale war this time, with catastrophic consequences for both for the region and the western oil-dependent economies. No one can assure that we will be this fortunate next time.
The international community should use a more explicit language, as it can otherwise generate further frustration and – what is even more dangerous – the feeling of unfairness, abandonment and resignation, paving the way for what exactly we are trying to avoid: a do-it-yourself solution.
Turkey media arrests: Mogherini leads EU criticism
BBC, December 14, 2014, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-
Top European Union officials have sharply criticized a mass arrest of media representatives in Turkey.
In a statement, Ms Mogherini and EU Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn said any move towards EU membership depended on "full respect for the rule of law and fundamental rights".
The raids and arrests "are incompatible with the freedom of media, which is a core principle of democracy," the pair said in a statement.
"We expect that the principle of presumption of innocence will prevail and recall the inalienable right for an independent and transparent investigation."
Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights on the arrest of journalists in Turkey
Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Official Facebook page, December 15, 2014, https://www.facebook.com/pages/Council-of-Europe-Commissioner-for-Human-Rights/118705514972034?fref=nf
I am following with deep concern the events unfolding in Turkey. The arrest yesterday of journalists and media workers is a serious setback for media freedom in the country.
Irrespective of the reasons which may have motivated them, such measures are disproportionate and unnecessary in a democracy.
They are as worrying as the waves of arrests of journalists in 2011 which were condemned by my predecessor in his report on media freedom in Turkey.
Indeed, media freedom has been a long-standing problem in Turkey and such measures carry a high risk of cancelling out the progress Turkey has painstakingly achieved in recent years. They send a new chilling message to journalists and dissenting voices in Turkey, who have been under intense pressure, including facing violence and reprisals.
They are also likely to polarise Turkish society further and to increase public mistrust in the state’s ability to uphold human rights.
I urge the authorities to stop the crackdown on press freedom and to act in compliance with the rule of law and human rights.
Why Turkey’s president wants to revive the language of the Ottoman Empire
The Washington Post, December 12, 2014, https://www.washingtonpost.com/
In 1928, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founding father of the modern Turkish republic, enacted one of the more dramatic and radical reforms of the 20th century. Ataturk ordered the wholesale transformation of the Turkish language: He instituted a Latin alphabet, abandoning more than a millennium of writing in Arabic script, and had the language stripped of centuries of accumulated Persian and Arabic words. Instruction of "Ottoman" Turkish was banned.
The move was part of Ataturk's campaign to modernize Turkey and tilt it toward the West. In his view, as WorldViews has discussed earlier, the Ottoman Empire was a troubled, weak Islamic polity that succumbed to its European rivals. Ottoman Turkish was an ornate, baroque language, used only by the elites of the decadent Ottoman court and its detached intellectuals. Ataturk's Turkey would be staunchly nationalist and secular; the country's Turkish would be closer to the tongue spoken by ordinary Turks.
Fast forward almost a century. No Turkish leader has had as much influence as Ataturk as the country's current President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. And Erdogan, it seems, is keen on turning back Ataturk's legacy.
His opponents, though, see much of Erdogan's actions and rhetoric as a sign of the creeping Islamization of Turkey's resolutely secular society that has taken place under Erdogan's watch. Bans on headscarves and veils have been lifted by Erdogan. The number of students studying in state-run religious seminaries has grown from 63,000 in 2002, when Erdogan first came to power, to nearly 1 million today — a statistic the Turkish president celebrates.
Robotics Classes Seen as Future Boost for Armenian IT Industry
EurasiaNet, December 12, 2014, https://www.eurasianet.org/
It is late afternoon and the cozy school of Aygek looks as deserted as it should be after weekday classes. But one classroom in this village about 10 kilometers south of the Armenian capital, Yerevan, is buzzing with activity: about two dozen schoolchildren are using software that sets tasks for a robot they have assembled.
“Through this program we want to triple Armenia’s hi-tech engineering potential in terms of personnel,” said Karen Vardanyan, head of the Union of Information Technology Enterprises (UITE), a leading force behind robotics education. “That would create a critical mass [of skilled workers] and enable us to aspire to ranking among the most innovative countries of the world.”
Information technology is already the most dynamic sector of the Armenian economy. It has expanded by an average of 22 percent per year since 2008 and currently accounts for roughly four percent of Gross Domestic Product, according to official data. The sector, which employs over 10,000 engineers, could have expanded even faster had the quality of instruction at Armenian universities been up to speed.
News on Turkey
Black Sunday: The day Turkey detained its prominent journalists
Today’s Zaman, December 15, 2014, https://www.todayszaman.com/
The government-orchestrated crackdown on independent critical media outlets in Turkey took a turn for the worse on Sunday with dawn raids on Turkey's largest newspaper Zaman and popular national TV network Samanyolu TV that led to the detention of top managers at the media outlets.
A total of 31 people -- mostly high ranked media personnel, directors and producers of popular television serials and police officers -- were taken into custody by the police.
Hadi Salihoğlu, the prosecutor in charge of the investigation, said in a statement that the suspects were detained on charges of establishing, heading or being a member of a terrorist organization. Fraud and slander are also what some of the suspects are accused of, the prosecutor said.
Ekrem Dumanlı, editor-in-chief of Turkey's best-selling daily Zaman, and Samanyolu Broadcasting Group General Manager Hidayet Karaca are among those detained.
The Zaman daily and the Samanyolu television station are among the media outlets which have been critical of the government for alleged corruption since two major graft probes went public in December of last year. The police operation came just ahead of the first anniversary of graft probes on Dec. 17 and 25 of last year.
US urges Turkey to protect democratic values after media raid
Today’s Zaman, December 15, 2014, https://www.todayszaman.com/
The United States State Department called on Turkish authorities to protect media freedom and other democratic values in response to media raids and detentions in operations across Turkey on Sunday.
The State Department was closely following reports of the raids and arrests, and media outlets that have been openly critical of the current Turkish government appeared to be among the targets of the actions by Turkish law enforcement, spokeswoman Jen Psaki said.
"Media freedom, due process, and judicial independence are key elements in every healthy democracy and are enshrined in the Turkish constitution," Psaki said in a statement. "As Turkey's friend and ally, we urge the Turkish authorities to ensure their actions do not violate these core values and Turkey's own democratic foundations."
‘UN does not want Turkey’s democratic gains to backslide'
Hurriyet Daily News, December 15, 2014, https://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/un-does-not-want-turkeys-democratic-gains-to-backslide.aspx?pageID=238&nID=75609&NewsCatID=359
Turkey has made a lot of progress over the last 10 years in terms of democratization, according to the UN’s envoy to the country. ‘The last year-and-a-half has been more challenging, but we hope the overall gains will be consolidated. We don’t want to see any backsliding,’ says Kamal Malhotra.
Despite increased cooperation on regional and global issues, the U.N.’s priority remains focused on Turkey’s challenges, Malhotra told the Hürriyet Daily News, adding that the U.N. has voiced concerns over a number of recent developments in the country.
“We are concerned about checks and balances in the system, the need for strong independent institutions and the separation of powers,” he said.
The U.N. has spoken out about some of the new laws, such as the Internet law. The U.N. issued a strong public statement that what Turkey was doing at that point was not consistent with international best practice in this area. Also after the Gezi Park protests we were concerned about the excessive use of police force. In addition, we are obviously concerned about checks and balances in the system, the need for strong independent institutions and the separation of powers. The U.N. has been straightforward, in country after country, about the need for strong checks and balances in the system.
These are all areas where we feel more progress needs to be made; and we hope that a lot of the legislation that has been put in place over the last 10 years can be built on. We don’t want to see any backsliding.
Former Istanbul Police Chief Cerrah testifies in Armenian journalist Dink murder case
Hurriyet Daily News, December 15, 2014, https://www.hurriyetdailynews.
Former Istanbul Police Chief Celalettin Cerrah gave his testimony to the public prosecutor’s office on Dec. 15 in the case into the murder of Armenian-Turkish journalistHra
Cerrah gave his testimony at an Istanbul courthouse, suspected of negligence in Dink’s murder in 2007 when Cerrah was the Istanbul police chief. He did not respond to questions while leaving the courthouse after his testimony.
The list of suspects in the Dink murder case has been broadened, with the court listening to more high-ranking officials amid a move to merge the case of the convicted shooter with that of the alleged instigators.
The Istanbul deputy chief prosecutor and prosecutor of terrorism and organized crimes unit, Yusuf Hakkı Doğan is heading the investigation into the assassination.
News from Azerbaijani Sources
Ali Hasanov: “The Azerbaijani government has always been open for constructive cooperation and dialogue with its political opponents
Apa.az, December 15, 2014, https://en.apa.az/xeber_ali_
“The Azerbaijani government has always been ready for dialogue since 1993 and worked with the spirit of dialogue", Head of the Department for Public and Political Issues at the Presidential Administration Ali Hasanov today said at the meeting with chairmen of opposition parties,APA reports.
The Head of the Department said that Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has repeatedly underlined the importance of the economic growth and constantly conducting political reforms as well as the economic reforms in Azerbaijan.
Hasanov said that internal management of the Azerbaijani society is impossible without freedom of press, speech and information, as well as opposing activities of civil society organizations and political parties: “Thus, we have regularly held meetings with media, political parties and non-governmental organizations. Today's meeting was also held on the initiative of a group of opposition parties of Azerbaijan. We will exchange views on issues raised by the parties, listen to and summarize ideas. As a representative of the Azerbaijani government, I will inform Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, the Presidential Administration and relevant bodies about the outcomes.”
Russian Gazprombank allocates $420 mln loan to SOCAR
Apa.az, December 15, 2014, https://en.apa.az/xeber_
Economics. On December 13, President of the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Rovnag Abdullayev held a meeting with the delegation led by Chairman of Management Board of Russian Gazprombank Andrey Akimov in the head office of SOCAR.
Thereafter, SOCAR and Gazprombank signed request on proposals (RFP) on giving loan for SOCAR POLYMER project implementing in SCIP. The document envisages allocation of $420 mln loan by Gazprombank for the project, which is designed to produce 200,000 tonnes of polypropylene and 120,000 tonnes of polyethylene per year.
After signing, A. Akimov said that SOCAR gained confidence with its international energy and financial sector. The loan, given for 10 years and without requiring guarantee, is an obvious indicator of confidence to SOCAR. It was also noted at the event that Gazprombank opened credit limit for SOCAR in amount of $2 bln.
The Venice Commission calls for the repeal restrictive amendments to the law on NGOs
Contact.az (oppositional), December 15, 2014, https://www.contact.az/docs/
The Venice Commission of the Council of Europe has published a review of the changes made to the legislation of Azerbaijan on NGOs. According to radio "Azadlig", the report, published on December 15, said that on September 29 the Council of Europe Secretary General Jagland Tyornborn asked the VC to give an opinion on the adopted amendments. The paper noted that the delegation of the VC could not visit Azerbaijan to get acquainted with the situation, in spite of the pre-sent an appeal to the authorities of the country.
On October 15 Secretariat sent a message to the authorities to accept and assist the delegation, but an invitation from the official Baku has not been received. For this reason, the visit did not take place. Thus, the President approved the changes, without consulting the views of the VC, the report notes.
It is further reported that in Azerbaijan there are 2700 registered, and about one million unregistered NGOs. Independent NGOs dealing in human rights in recent years are repressed, and their situation has worsened.
The Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Nils Muzhnieks also noted the deteriorating situation for NGOs in the country in light of the tightening of legislation.
The country's authorities have ignored all previous recommendations of the VC regarding the NGO legislation. Moreover, representative offices of foreign NGOs working in the country were subjected to pressure.
"Such restrictions have negative impact on civil society, and especially those involved in human rights and democracy," reads the report.
The VC considers wrong the adopted restrictions on branches and representative offices of foreign NGOs, and considers it necessary to simplify the procedure for registration of local NGOs to cancel adopted so far restrictive amendments. It is also necessary to reconsider the amendment restricting the funding of NGOs by foreign donors. Interference in the internal structure and function NPOis unacceptable.