On November 10, Armenian Vice Premier, Minister of Territorial Administration Armen Gevorgyan left for a 2-day working visit to Istanbul to participate in the AER (Assembly of European Regions) “General Assembly 2010:Challenges for Europe 2020 – Demands for an effective R&D policy”.
Armenia is expected to join the assembly, press service of Territorial Administration Ministry told NEWS.am. Gevorgyan is expected to hold a number of bilateral meetings. The agreement on Armenian membership to AER was reached during AER President Michele Saban’s visit to Armenia.
The Assembly of European Regions (AER) is the largest independent network of regions in wider Europe. Bringing together more than 270 regions from 33 countries and 16 interregional organizations, AER is the political voice of its members and a forum for interregional co-operation.
Within the framework of his visit, Armen Gevorgyan will hold meetings with representatives of local Armenian community, he will also visit Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople, Surb Prkich Hospital in Istanbul and other Armenian institutions.
via Armenian Vice Prime Minister to participate in AER General Assembly in Istanbul | Armenia News – NEWS.am.
The first stage of Armenia-Turkey rapprochement was of Armenia’s benefit. The world community was convinced that unlike Turkey Armenia is a reliable partner and is adhered to its commitments, Gagik Harutyunyan, Director of the Noravank research center told press conference on Monday, commenting on the Armenia-Turkey normalization process.
According to the expert, if the two states enter the second stage, the saying “You can’t step into the same river twice” is noteworthy. It will become a new reality in Armenia-Turkey relations and a new alignment of forces.
“The positions of a number of European states on Turkey and Azerbaijan, will be seen in foreign policy of these countries. More countries will sympathize with the normalization process and we will have new alleys. This will enable Armenia to gain an advantage and hold talks more adequately. Armenia and Turkey have had relations to a certain extent since Armenia gained independence. However, they became “tangible” only after Armenian-Turkish Protocols were signed,” Harutyunyan said.
via First stage of Armenia-Turkey reconciliation of Armenia’s benefit, experts says | Armenia News – NEWS.am.
Armenia must not be idle. Deepening Georgia-Armenia-Iran cooperation may – if not counterbalance – at least exist simultaneously with the Turkey-Georgia-Azerbaijan axis, writes the Azg newspaper, commenting on Iranian FM Manouchehr Mottaki’s recent visit to Tbilisi, as well as the establishment of visa-free regime and opening of an Iranian consulate on Batumi.
According to the author of the article entitled “Iran-Georgia-Armenia relations”, Georgia will only enhance its role if it is involved in both alliances. For Armenia to become a land link between Iran and Georgia, it has first of all to ensure minimum conditions for transit. “In this respect, the North-South highway is of high importance to both Armenia and the region. The construction is to be launched soon. A highway to run through Armenia – from the Georgian-Armenian border to the Armenian-Iranian border – will be constructed in conformity with international standards,” the newspaper writes.
Why are deeper Iranian-Georgian relations of importance for Armenia? Armenia has a land border both with Iran and with Georgia. Also, Iran and Georgia, in contrast to Turkey and Azerbaijan, are in good relations with Armenia.
Russia tried to counterbalance the West’s expansion policy with the North-South corridor, which would connect Russia, Georgia, Armenia and Iran. However, the project failed for a number of reasons, Russia’s faults being among them. First, Moscow and Tbilisi are aggressive and even hostile to each other. After the August war the two states severed their relations. In fact, a new dividing line, closed Russian-Georgian border, appeared in addition to the Turkish-Armenian and Armenian-Azeri borders. Viewing Armenia as its strategic ally, Russia has never attached importance to Georgian-Armenian relations or to deep Georgia-Armenia-Iran cooperation.
Moreover, in its communication with Iran, Russia prefers Azerbaijan rather than Armenia. It was Russia that prevented the Iran-Armenia gas pipeline from reaching Georgia – it considered the project as posing a threat to its gas interests.
“Turkey and Azerbaijan are hostile to Georgian-Armenian and Georgian-Armenian-Iranian cooperation, which eases the situation for Armenia, whereas Baku and Ankara aim at bringing Armenia to its knees,” the newspaper writes.
https://news.am/eng/news/37228.html, November 06, 2010
KYOTO, Japan, Nov 02, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) — Kyocera Corporation (KYO 99.91, +0.43, +0.43%) (tokyo:6971) today announced that it has supplied solar modules that help to illuminate the Armenian Cathedral of the Holy Cross — located on the island of Akdamar, Turkey. This year church services were held there for the first time in 90 years. As an important cultural landmark, the church is illuminated in the evenings throughout the year. The energy required for the illumination, which was previously supplied by diesel fuel, now comes from Kyocera solar modules. The modules were supplied by KYOCERA Fineceramics GmbH and installed by the Turkish company Ezinc A.S.
The uninhabited island of Akdamar in Lake Van, the largest lake in Turkey, is the location of the Armenian Cathedral of the Holy Cross. In recent times this Christian house of worship was only used as a museum. Now, with the permission of the Turkish government, a church service is again to take place there every year. Illumination outside of the church is now made possible from power generated by solar energy.
The Province of Van, which includes the island of Akdamar, records the third highest sunlight values in Turkey. In combination with the cool island climate, the location offers ideal conditions for the operation of a solar power generating system. The installation consists of 145 modules that supply an average energy yield of 25,000 kilowatt-hours per year.
Before the installation of the solar plant, the power supply for the church came from a diesel generator, which even when operated for only three hours a day, incurred high costs of 25,000 euros per year. As a result, the return period for the investment on this solar installation will be significantly shorter than typical cases.
For more information about Kyocera:
About KYOCERA
Kyocera Corporation (KYO 99.91, +0.43, +0.43%) (tokyo:6971)(http://global.kyocera.com/), the parent and global headquarters of the Kyocera Group, was founded in 1959 as a producer of fine ceramics (also known as “advanced ceramics”). By combining these engineered materials with metals and plastics, and integrating them with other technologies, Kyocera has become a leading supplier of solar power generating systems, telecommunications equipment, electronic components, printers, copiers, semiconductor packages, cutting tools and industrial ceramics. During the year ended March 31, 2010, the company’s net sales totaled 1.07 trillion yen (approximately USD11.5 billion). The company is ranked #554 on Forbes magazine’s 2010 “Global 2000” listing of the world’s largest publicly traded companies.
WASHINGTON – On August 20 Armenian president Serzh Sargsyan and his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev signed amendments to a 1995 bilateral treaty extending Russia’s use of its 102nd military base near Armenia’s border with Turkey through 2044.
The signature launched long and controversial debates over possible causes and implications of the agreement.
On one hand, some are confident that the main purpose of such a move is directly linked to the Armenian-Azerbaijani contention over Nagorno-Karabagh and is clear evidence of Russia’s strategic-military support to Armenia in the event of military force used by Azerbaijan.
On the other, this view is contradicted by those who believe that “Russia’s reported plans to sell two of its S-300 Favorit air-defense systems to Azerbaijan” is a balancing enterprise to maintain a strategic parity between Armenia and Azerbaijan and thus, keep the status quo of “no war, no peace” situation.
Are these two mutually excluding moves part of Russia’s South Caucasian policies or are they part of a more far-going agenda?
Russia's Dmitry Medvedev (center) flanked by French and American presidents during G20 meeting last June. Photolur
All about East vs. West?
Affected by a historical inferiority complex vis-à-vis the West, Russia has initiated a reaction to Western superiority.
Development of Russia’s ambitions of modernization can be traced through a tripartite evolution of the Russian far-reaching strategy.
The first attempt was undertaken by Peter the Great in 17th century who sought to launch radical reforms of “westernization” of Russia. Some of his successor Tsars followed this path until 1917.
The second phase of the project was based on the promotion of Marxist and then Leninist ideas and resulted in the creation of a de-facto Soviet Empire that incorporated, mostly by force, nations of the Russian empire.
Consequently, the Cold War not only became the driving force in the antagonism between the West and Russia after WW2, but a source of new ideological tensions. End of the Soviet Union marked another failure of the Russian project.
In the 1990s, Russia found itself as the successor of the two previous (Tsarist and Soviet) attempts and it was consequential to set up the third platform that Russia would use as a tool to (re)gain the control it lost over former-Soviet countries. New ideas were needed and Russia’s old ambitions took on new forms.
The Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) was created and many of those countries including the South Caucasian states joined it. Since then, any Western ambitions and interplay of CIS countries with Euro-Atlantic structures were seen by Russia as “treachery” by these newly independent states.
Russia has since also established the CSTO (Collective Security Treaty Organization) in effect to “tame” any NATO or other Euro-Atlantic inspirations deemed a direct threat to Russia’s national security.
First, it created regional military alliances. Second, Russia strongly enforced its economic presence in the former Soviet area. Third, it sought to undermine initiatives by non Russia-oriented states toward the West.
The Russia-Georgia armed confrontation and the ascendance of Russia-favored Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych to power are central elements of this strategy.
Russia is also taking revenge against the West’s unilateral actions in former Yugoslavia and NATO’s enlargements into Eastern Europe.
Russia seems ready to make more moves towards Iran and Turkey to make sure its presence in the region and its influence over the greater Caucasus is not undermined by the US and the EU-led projects such as NABUCCO, Georgia’s (and Ukraine’s) accession to NATO, pumping Central Asian hydrocarbon resources to Europe by bypassing Russia etc.
Although Russia is trying to present itself as open to engaging the West on matters such us Iran’s nuclear program, its real priority is enhanced control over the South Caucasus, on one hand, while increasing contradictions between the West, China and Middle East players.
Thus, the extension of the lease of the Russian military base in Armenia for another 34 years and Moscow’s possible delivery of anti-aircraft missile launchers S-300 to Azerbaijan underscore the third attempt of Russia in its far-reaching strategy.
Russia has strong ambitions both for the West and the Rest. By the same logic, Russia has recently canceled its plans to supply Iran with S-300. Russia doesn’t need now to put a spoke in US’s wheel and to have a stronger Iran. Over time Russia-Iran-US triangle is likely to reveal new dynamics.
We can therefore presume that Russia’s endeavors in the South Caucasus and beyond are not partner- or friendship-oriented.
Rather, these policies are based on a strategy and pursue the objective to see Russia as a rising instead of falling power.
“That was the Strong Turkey Party was looking for in Armenia. No unequivocal answer to this question can be given. It may be political PR, spirit of adventure and even espionage,” the expert in Turkic studies Kristine Melkonyan told journalists Oct. 30.
According to her, the visit to Armenia by members of the Strong Turkey Party, a little-known political force in Turkey, was a cheap thrill aimed at reaching a certain level in the Turkish political arena. The expert also thinks that the aim of the visit may have been espionage. “Doubts arise due to the fact that they crossed the border unnoticed by the frontier guard on both sides. If they did so the Turkish authorities would arrest them for illegally crossing the border. That did not happen, which means the Turkish Government supported their action. I think their border crossing story is a great lie,” Melkonyan said.
The RA National Security Service reports that Tuna Bekleviç and Baybars Orsek were invited to the National Security Service and warned that their behavior and statements were unacceptable. The Turkish citizens were offered to leave Armenia.
NEWS.am reminds readers that on Oct. 10 evening Turkish mass media reported Chairman of the Strong Turkey Party Tuna Bekleviç and his associates crossed the Armenian-Turkish border. In his turn, Colonel Andrey Guzeev, Vice-Chief of the Frontier Department, RF Federal Security Service, refuted the media reports.
Armenia is expected to join the assembly, press service of Territorial Administration Ministry told NEWS.am. Gevorgyan is expected to hold a number of bilateral meetings. The agreement on Armenian membership to AER was reached during AER President Michele Saban’s visit to Armenia.
