Category: Eastern Europe

Armenia waits for formation of a new coalition

Gulnara İnanch,

Director of Information and Analytical Center Etnoglobus (ethnoglobus.az), editor of Russian section of website www.turkishnews.com , ([email protected])

Declaration of statement by the chairman of “Bargavac Ayastan” (Prospering Armenia)

(PA) party Gagik Tsarukyan not to form a coalition with the ruling Republicans Party has yet proved to be a game. Upon PA party officials statement that they will not agree on coalition with the ruling party and that they will declare their decision regarding minister portfolio in the government until May 31 enables us to think that Tsaraukyan is conducting discussions with ruling party.

Next year’s presidential elections and ruling party’s wining 30% against the 44% increased the pretention of PA party. Party, for the purpose of justifying the confidence of voters, attracting those hesitating for presidential elections to OY and consequently obtaining majority of votes, demonstrates its power in this way.

Head of Armenian government Tigran Sarkisyan in his response to the question who can hold the post of Prime minister confirmed that OY chairman Gagik Tsarukyan can lead the new government answering that he is happy to have people to hold high posts.

Afterwards, Armenian government head Tigran Sarkisyan’s statement “who said PA would go to opposition” indicate how the ruling party is aware of processes and secret negotiations are under way.

G. Tsarukyan’s name is mentioned among the presidential candidates along with L.Ter-Petrosyan, R.Kocharyan and S. Sarkisyan.

The fact that Tsarukyan won the votes of half million of citizens enables him to be more confident in presidential elections along with flirting with the Republicans fearlessly and being pretentious for prime minister in the newly formed government.

To change the situation to his benefit G.Tsarukyan may form a coalition lead by himself creating a new plan for presidential elections.

June 1, 2012
Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics: The Circassians Cry Genocide

Sochi, the site for the 2014 winter Olympics, just happens to be where the russians dispossessed an entire nation exactly 150 years earlier. the survivors’ descendants say it was genocide—and now they’re demanding justice.

1940: Circassian guards at the home of collaborationist Gen. Maxime Weygand. (Margaret Bourke-White / Time & Life Pictures-Getty Images)

Vladimir Putin may think he has trouble enough on Moscow’s streets without worrying about demonstrators outside the country. If so, perhaps he should think again. This week in Istanbul, New York, Brussels, and other world cities, protesters are taking aim at his most cherished project: the 2014 Winter Olympics. Although the facilities at the Caucasus Mountains resort of Sochi are already winning enthusiastic praise from visiting skiers, thousands of angry activists are determined to spoil Putin’s party.

The marchers are Circassians, the descendants of a people who once had their own country on the shores of the Black Sea, between Crimea and the modern-day Republic of Georgia. They lost it a century and a half ago to a brutal campaign by the imperial Russian army to seize the entire Caucasus region. The Circassians resisted for four decades until May 21, 1864, when they finally surrendered and were expelled from the land of their fathers. Until recently their descendants marked the date only with quiet remembrance ceremonies. But in 2007 the International Olympic Committee accepted Russia’s bid to hold the 2014 Games at Sochi—the very place where the Circassians surrendered in 1864. Since then, May 21 has become a day of rage.

“How would you feel—how would the Russians feel, if athletes came from all over the world to ski or ice-skate on the graves of their ancestors—and [the athletes] did not even know they were doing it?” demands Danyal Merza. Last May 21, the 29-year-old telephone technician, along with two other ethnic Circassians, his friends Clara and Allan Kadkoy, traveled from their homes in New Jersey all the way to Turkey, where most members of the Circassian diaspora now live. The four of us ended up near the head of a chanting crowd of thousands of Circassians. The human wave, topped by a foam of anti-Sochi banners, poured down Istanbul’s Istiklal Street before breaking against a triple line of police who stood with truncheons and tear gas outside the Russian consulate.

Speaking into a bullhorn, Merza squared his shoulders and shouted the group’s demands in English: no Sochi Olympics, recognition of the Circassian genocide, and the right to move back to the homeland the Russians seized a century and a half ago. His listeners roared their approval in Turkish, and their voices resounded from the steep houses on either side: “We don’t want Olympics in Sochi!” Allan pumped his fist and shouted along with them. “It’s the first time I’ve chanted without knowing what the words mean,” he told me afterward. His wife was similarly transported. “I could never imagine feeling like this,” she said. “We might not speak Turkish, but we’re all saying the same thing in different languages.”

more: Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics: The Circassians Cry Genocide – The Daily Beast.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2012/05/20/sochi-2014-winter-olympics-the-circassians-cry-genocide.html

May 22, 2012
Russia condemned anti Russian actions in Istanbul

Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned anti-Russian actions which took place in Istanbul and were allowed by the Turkish government. According to Ria Novosti official representative of the Russian MFA Alexander Lukashevich announced about this during the briefing in Moscow.

“The participants of the action threat the territorial integrity of Russia and safety of Russian nation. And this action can not be allowed”, Lukashevich underlined and reminded that on May 12-13 some actions took place in Istanbul and in frame of the international conference on Caucasus an anti-Russian statement was accepted.

MFA representative underlined that such events “make a shadow on the relations between two countries and the government must hold appropriate measures against it”.

According to the speaker the point which for example says “to support struggle against Russia” is unacceptable.

via Russia condemned anti Russian actions in Istanbul.

May 19, 2012
It Will Not Happen to Me! Guess What? It Wll! Chapter 9

Chapter 9

WHY SOCIALISM WILL FAIL OVER THE LONG TERM

“Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance and the gospel of envy. Its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery.” Winston Churchill

Socialism is a noble cause for those pure in heart. Franklin D Roosevelt (FDR) President of the United States from 1932- 1945 used it to try to pull the United States out of a depression.

His programs had universal appeal and once the economy started to recover he raised taxes to pay for the programs. The recovery would have been working at a slower speed until WWII changed the course of history.

Once a government starts giving entitlements to the public it becomes accustomed to them. The problem is how does one pay for these services?

One can raise taxes on the wealthiest, but they soon start looking to “tax shelters”. Raising taxes of any kind creates other avenues of avoidance.

The underground economy is where one provides a service or product for a credit. Then one uses those credits with another member. This will ultimately create more government debt as tax receipts fail. These deficits weaken an economy and encourage politicians to accumulate vast sums of “compensation” for running the country.

It also demoralizes the public in their desire to improve ones lot through hard work and effort. It is the individual that provides growth to an economy by wanting to earn more through an extra effort to succeed.

Countries with limited surplus or assets use a peaceful solution by hiring foreigners as cheap labor. Eventually these labor pools increase in size and start demanding more equal pay and benefits. They can appease them for a time, but the cinders will start burning the fires of resentment and hatred.

As time starts to diminish funds, the wealthy are the first to feel the pinch as their taxes are raised. “It is their civic duty and pride” to partake in this noble effort.

After that the sales taxes are imitated or increased. Now everyone feels poorer. The sales tax hurts the poor most. A 6% sales tax on dollar leaves only $.94. If a dollar is all one has – ouch. 6% of a hundred dollars amounts to $6.00, but one still has $94.00 left.

During this time the country has been borrowing, and at first their costs were low, but as the debt builds up the costs rise and suddenly the borrowing is to mainly pay the interest charges.

The next to get hit is foreign companies who have local plants that will have a tax on them. They will find all kinds of ways. If it is hard assets, then they will find a way to nationalize them.

Then as the situation becomes dire, the governments become bolder and greedy in ways to find moneys. Mind you, in the 13^th century the French monarchs had the habit of inviting domestic creditors to dinner and for desert they were beheaded. This was called “bloodletting”.

A better example of heavy debt load is when the credit-card companies start adding interest penalties to ones debit balance and there comes a point of no return. Socialism will self-destruct if you have assets because the government will want them to pay for various entitlement programs. The “poor” will now be in force to protect their entitlements so they can remain on the gravy train. The wealthy will soon become poor and the nouveau rich will be “our representatives” in Washington and various state capitols across our nation.

When the flow of funds ceases is when the riots would expand from the inner cities out to the suburbs.

If it is not too late, governments can slowly wean thy public off the welfare rolls by delisting people who are not legal citizens of the community and cannot speak the common language of the area. This makes the employers honest and also assures they are not using public funds for their corrupted earnings.

May 15, 2012
Russian, Italian, French companies among 15 bidding for oil and gas drilling rights off Cyprus – The Washington Post

By Associated Press, Published: May 11

NICOSIA, Cyprus — Major oil and gas companies such as Russia’s Novatec, Italy’s ENI, France’s Total, and Malaysia’s Petronas are among 15 firms and consortiums that are seeking to carry out exploratory drilling for gas deposits off southern Cyprus, the island’s commerce minister said Friday, despite Turkey’s strong objections.

The minister, Neoklis Sylikiotis, said the companies that applied for a license to drill by Friday’s deadline also include ones from Canada, the UK, Norway, Israel, South Korea and the U.S., surpassing the government’s hopes.

The bids come as the small east Mediterranean island nation is reeling from Europe’s financial crisis. It economy is projected to shrink by half a percentage point of GDP this year, and unemployment is hitting record highs.

“We’ve all had great expectations from this licensing round and I can tell you not only have the results not belied those expectations, they’ve exceeded them by far,” Sylikiotis told a news conference.

via Russian, Italian, French companies among 15 bidding for oil and gas drilling rights off Cyprus – The Washington Post.

May 12, 2012
Czech FM scolds Turkey over Cyprus EU stance

FAMAGUSTA GAZETTE

In a terse statement aimed at Turkey, the Czech First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Karel Schwarzenberg has said that no country from outside the European Union can intermingle in it or proclaim conditions for another member state.

Turkey has declared that it will not participate in any EU session when Cyprus is hosting the presidency, which begins on July 1.

Schwarzenberg was speaking after meeting his Cypriot counterpart, Erato Kozakou-Marcoullis, when they examined issues concerning the EU and the forthcoming presidency of the European Council.

In her remarks, Marcoullis warmly welcomed the FM of the Czech Republic, noting “that with the Czech Republic we have longstanding and very strong bonds of friendship and cooperation on a number of issues and in many fields”.

As members of the EU, she said, that joined together on the 1st May 2004, “we have embarked on this very important membership in the EU in the family of the EU”, noting the Czech republic already had a very successful presidency and Cyprus is now preparing for its own presidency of the Council of the EU in less than two months.

“We discussed today all these issues, our bilateral relations and how we can make this relationship even stronger in some new fields of cooperation”, she added.

Marcoullis said they also discussed regional issues, issues that are being examined in the Foreign Affairs Council, particularly the Southern Neighbourhood and the situation in the countries of the Arab Spring. She briefed her colleague on Cyprus’ preparations for the EU and discussed the Cyprus issue.

Concluding, Marcoullis said “we look forward to much stronger and closer cooperation”.

In his remarks, Schwarzenberg congratulated Marcoullis who will be at the helm of the Presidency, noting it “will be a very exciting experience. I am sure that she will manage it very well”.

He said the Czech Republic will respond to the Cyprus presidency, for whatever it is needed and is ready to offer its experiences.

Referring to Turkey’s reaction to Cyprus assuming the presidency of the European Council, Schwarzenberg said “we are very disappointed that a neighbouring country of Cyprus, instead of using the chance of a country which expressively says that it wishes to become a member of the EU, instead of using this in its own ambition to become a member of the EU, evidently, it acts in the wrong way to the Cyprus presidency”.

He stressed “I can assure one thing that the EU and its member states won’t let blackmail by anybody in the world. We have a member state and the member states are entitled to the presidency – STOP. You see nobody from outside can intermingle in it or proclaim conditions and I hope that Turkey will understand that the Cyprus presidency is a chance for Turkey, much more than anything else”.

Concluding, he said “I hope very much that Cyprus will be successful in its projects of extracting gas and oil in its territorial waters”.

via Czech FM scolds Turkey over Cyprus EU stance.

May 10, 2012