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ARMENIA'S RESPONSE: YEREVAN'S FOREIGN POLICY BECOMES MORE ACTIVE
Petr Arkhirov, translated by Elena Leonova
What the Papers Say Part A
Rossiskie Vesti
October 29, 2007 Monday
Russia
Armenia's relations with the West and Iran; Armenian Prime Minister
Serge Sarkisian has visited the United States and France. Meanwhile,
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad visited Armenia on October 22,
holding talks with Armenian President Robert Kocharian and making a
speech to a university audience.
Against the backdrop of a burgeoning crisis in American-Turkish
relations and tough talk from Ankara about planned action in the Iraqi
part of Kurdistan, Armenia is standing by its foreign policy positions.
It's worth noting that Armenian Prime Minister Serge Sarkisian has
intensified his foreign policy activities. Sarkisian is predicted to
become Armenia's next president. After a visit to the United States
starting late last week, Sarkisian will visit France, where he is
scheduled to meet with President Nicolas Sarkozy and Prime Minister
Francois Fillon on October 24. An official communique published in the
Armenian press stated: "In his meeting with US Defense Secretary Robert
Gates, after noting the high level of Armenian-American relations,
Prime Minister Sarkisian also expressed satisfaction with the
development of bilateral military cooperation and thanked the United
States for its consistent assistance to the Armenian Armed Forces."
While senior Armenian officials are making their visits, Yerevan is
also attempting to establish contacts on "its own territory."
Relations with Iran are becoming particularly significant, due to the
extremely complicated situation surrounding that country. Iranian
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's visit to Armenia on October 22 and
his talks with Armenian President Robert Kocharian are intended
to produce certain results, especially with regard to security and
trade. Yerevan has found itself in a difficult situation due to a
blockade on the part of Azerbaijan, with Turkey's support; therefore,
it is seeking to expand cooperation with other neighbors - countries
that have problematic relations with the United States (Iran) and
Russia (Georgia). However, both Moscow and Washington understand that
Armenia's geographic isolation due to the situation in the Greater
Caucasus could have a significant impact on its socio-political,
economic, and military-strategic situation.
According to Armenian media reports, Ahmadinejad agreed to visit the
Tsitsernakaberd genocide memorial in Yerevan, the Genocide Institute
Museum, and the Blue Mosque; he also agreed to meet with professors
and students at Yerevan State University and representatives of the
Iranian expatriate community. Ahmadinejad's agreement is of symbolic
significance, given the current American-Turkish conflict over moves
in the US Congress to recognize the Armenian genocide. With this
step, Tehran is seeking to emphasize that it is free from the purely
political considerations expressed by the US leadership in regard to
Washington's fears of complicating relations with Ankara. Although
Iran is not among the countries that recognize the genocide of
1915, the very fact that its president accepted the possibility of
visiting Tsitsernakaberd indicates that the Iranian leadership takes
a particular view of events in the early 20th Century.
Due to domestic political reasons, Ahmadinejad had to cut short his
visit to Armenia and didn't have time to visit the Tsitsernakaberd
memorial, the Genocide Institute Museum, and the Blue Mosque.
However, he made Tehran's official stance very clear. Addressing
students at Yerevan State University, where he was awarded an honorary
doctorate, Ahmadinejad said: "The first principle is that every
nation should remember its history, but face the future as it comes,
not permitting itself to repeat the past. The second principle is
that Iran will always be on Armenia's side."
Petr Arkhirov, translated by Elena Leonova
What the Papers Say Part A
Rossiskie Vesti
October 29, 2007 Monday
Russia
Armenia's relations with the West and Iran; Armenian Prime Minister
Serge Sarkisian has visited the United States and France. Meanwhile,
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad visited Armenia on October 22,
holding talks with Armenian President Robert Kocharian and making a
speech to a university audience.
Against the backdrop of a burgeoning crisis in American-Turkish
relations and tough talk from Ankara about planned action in the Iraqi
part of Kurdistan, Armenia is standing by its foreign policy positions.
It's worth noting that Armenian Prime Minister Serge Sarkisian has
intensified his foreign policy activities. Sarkisian is predicted to
become Armenia's next president. After a visit to the United States
starting late last week, Sarkisian will visit France, where he is
scheduled to meet with President Nicolas Sarkozy and Prime Minister
Francois Fillon on October 24. An official communique published in the
Armenian press stated: "In his meeting with US Defense Secretary Robert
Gates, after noting the high level of Armenian-American relations,
Prime Minister Sarkisian also expressed satisfaction with the
development of bilateral military cooperation and thanked the United
States for its consistent assistance to the Armenian Armed Forces."
While senior Armenian officials are making their visits, Yerevan is
also attempting to establish contacts on "its own territory."
Relations with Iran are becoming particularly significant, due to the
extremely complicated situation surrounding that country. Iranian
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's visit to Armenia on October 22 and
his talks with Armenian President Robert Kocharian are intended
to produce certain results, especially with regard to security and
trade. Yerevan has found itself in a difficult situation due to a
blockade on the part of Azerbaijan, with Turkey's support; therefore,
it is seeking to expand cooperation with other neighbors - countries
that have problematic relations with the United States (Iran) and
Russia (Georgia). However, both Moscow and Washington understand that
Armenia's geographic isolation due to the situation in the Greater
Caucasus could have a significant impact on its socio-political,
economic, and military-strategic situation.
According to Armenian media reports, Ahmadinejad agreed to visit the
Tsitsernakaberd genocide memorial in Yerevan, the Genocide Institute
Museum, and the Blue Mosque; he also agreed to meet with professors
and students at Yerevan State University and representatives of the
Iranian expatriate community. Ahmadinejad's agreement is of symbolic
significance, given the current American-Turkish conflict over moves
in the US Congress to recognize the Armenian genocide. With this
step, Tehran is seeking to emphasize that it is free from the purely
political considerations expressed by the US leadership in regard to
Washington's fears of complicating relations with Ankara. Although
Iran is not among the countries that recognize the genocide of
1915, the very fact that its president accepted the possibility of
visiting Tsitsernakaberd indicates that the Iranian leadership takes
a particular view of events in the early 20th Century.
Due to domestic political reasons, Ahmadinejad had to cut short his
visit to Armenia and didn't have time to visit the Tsitsernakaberd
memorial, the Genocide Institute Museum, and the Blue Mosque.
However, he made Tehran's official stance very clear. Addressing
students at Yerevan State University, where he was awarded an honorary
doctorate, Ahmadinejad said: "The first principle is that every
nation should remember its history, but face the future as it comes,
not permitting itself to repeat the past. The second principle is
that Iran will always be on Armenia's side."