(Saturday, July 18)
“Hayots Ashkhar” interviews Khosrov Harutiunian, a member of the president-affiliated Public Council, on the latest developments in the Karabakh conflict settlement.
Harutiunian says: “Unfortunately, the conflict today is as far from a logical settlement as 10 years ago. Why? Because the big powers, and first of all Russia and the United States, have not yet solved their problems in this region. The geography of the geopolitical influence of these countries has not been clarified. Add to this the Nabucco gas pipeline project, which directly affects Russia’s strategic interests, and it will become clear that it is not an easily solvable problem.”
“Hraparak” quotes David Babayan, an adviser to the president of Nagorno-Karabakh Bako Sahakian, as saying on the same subject: “Considering a number of circumstances, we don’t expect that any breakthrough will be achieved, any document will be signed or any positive step will be made in this process, as the position of Azerbaijan is rather tough and unconstructive. I think that Azerbaijan will be the first to reject these Madrid principles. As for the principles, they are only principles that suggest something. But it does not mean that Karabakh accepts them or the problem will be solved tomorrow.”
“Hayk” writes: “Following an already formed tradition Serzh Sarkisian and Ilham Aliev have already instructed their foreign ministers to prepare their autumn meeting. Of course, it is not difficult to suppose that in the autumn they will instruct their ministers to prepare the winter meeting, and after the winter meeting there will be statements about constructive sentiments. And all this will continue until Russia, France and the United States decide where and when Sarkisian and Aliev will sign another Dayton-like agreement. It is hard not to notice that both Sarkisian and Aliev dream that this day comes as late as possible or never comes at all. They are completely satisfied by today’s situation. There is no oil in Nagorno-Karabakh, and so Aliev will not take the loss of this territory so hard, and Sarkisian has no wish to achieve the international recognition of a 10,000-sq-km independent Nagorno-Karabakh as early as possible.”
“Aravot” editorializes on the latest shooting incident involving the son of Gyumri’s controversial mayor. In the context of these events it concludes that “а privileged class of corrupt officials who get away with everything” has been formed in Armenia: “Gyumri’s mayor is surely one of these “privileged”. Of course, the children of the rest top officials also have SUVs, which they drive as they wish, illegal weapons and gangs of thick-necked guys. But not all of “dad’s kids” act as recidivists. Several times repeating the same crime, armed hooliganism, he is not adequately punished and this brings the young man to some “criminal euphoria”. Moreover, the “heroism” of the son does not impact the career of his father. It is in the West that public opinion is taken into account and an official who has such a son will never dare to appear before the public. In our country it is quite the opposite. Our authorities become more proud after every gunfight, beating or explosion involving their criminal offspring. Indeed, they are guys of ‘courage’ and ‘honor’. Like father, like son.”
“Azg” sounds alarm over linguistic distortions on Armenian television: “A majority of Armenian film directors and scriptwriters are mistaken by thinking that linguistic realism implies simply copying the street language onto screen… And it not only concerns TV serials.”
“Hayots Ashkhar” interviews Khosrov Harutiunian, a member of the president-affiliated Public Council, on the latest developments in the Karabakh conflict settlement.
Harutiunian says: “Unfortunately, the conflict today is as far from a logical settlement as 10 years ago. Why? Because the big powers, and first of all Russia and the United States, have not yet solved their problems in this region. The geography of the geopolitical influence of these countries has not been clarified. Add to this the Nabucco gas pipeline project, which directly affects Russia’s strategic interests, and it will become clear that it is not an easily solvable problem.”
“Hraparak” quotes David Babayan, an adviser to the president of Nagorno-Karabakh Bako Sahakian, as saying on the same subject: “Considering a number of circumstances, we don’t expect that any breakthrough will be achieved, any document will be signed or any positive step will be made in this process, as the position of Azerbaijan is rather tough and unconstructive. I think that Azerbaijan will be the first to reject these Madrid principles. As for the principles, they are only principles that suggest something. But it does not mean that Karabakh accepts them or the problem will be solved tomorrow.”
“Hayk” writes: “Following an already formed tradition Serzh Sarkisian and Ilham Aliev have already instructed their foreign ministers to prepare their autumn meeting. Of course, it is not difficult to suppose that in the autumn they will instruct their ministers to prepare the winter meeting, and after the winter meeting there will be statements about constructive sentiments. And all this will continue until Russia, France and the United States decide where and when Sarkisian and Aliev will sign another Dayton-like agreement. It is hard not to notice that both Sarkisian and Aliev dream that this day comes as late as possible or never comes at all. They are completely satisfied by today’s situation. There is no oil in Nagorno-Karabakh, and so Aliev will not take the loss of this territory so hard, and Sarkisian has no wish to achieve the international recognition of a 10,000-sq-km independent Nagorno-Karabakh as early as possible.”
“Aravot” editorializes on the latest shooting incident involving the son of Gyumri’s controversial mayor. In the context of these events it concludes that “а privileged class of corrupt officials who get away with everything” has been formed in Armenia: “Gyumri’s mayor is surely one of these “privileged”. Of course, the children of the rest top officials also have SUVs, which they drive as they wish, illegal weapons and gangs of thick-necked guys. But not all of “dad’s kids” act as recidivists. Several times repeating the same crime, armed hooliganism, he is not adequately punished and this brings the young man to some “criminal euphoria”. Moreover, the “heroism” of the son does not impact the career of his father. It is in the West that public opinion is taken into account and an official who has such a son will never dare to appear before the public. In our country it is quite the opposite. Our authorities become more proud after every gunfight, beating or explosion involving their criminal offspring. Indeed, they are guys of ‘courage’ and ‘honor’. Like father, like son.”
“Azg” sounds alarm over linguistic distortions on Armenian television: “A majority of Armenian film directors and scriptwriters are mistaken by thinking that linguistic realism implies simply copying the street language onto screen… And it not only concerns TV serials.”