(Saturday, July 12)
“Zhamanak” sees a link between President Serzh Sarkisian’s latest criticism of Russia over arms supplies to Azerbaijan and the revelation by a number of Armenian media of the fact that criminal proceedings were launched against Igor Klimko, the former CEO of ArmenTel, a large Russian-owned telecom company in Armenia, several months ago. “This information is revealed at a rather interesting politico-economic period,” observers the paper, hinting at the delayed process of Armenia’s membership in the emerging Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union and other developments in the region. “In an interview with Argentinean media Sarkisian expressed dissatisfaction with the fact that Russian weapons are delivered to Azerbaijan, saying that the Armenian people was worried about these arms supplies, whereas before Armenian government officials only justified the Russian steps…Are these two events coincidental? Even if coincidences happen at such a level, this one is quite eloquent and symbolic.”
In an interview with “Hayots Ashkhar” political analyst Alexander Markarov emphasizes that the matter of Armenia’s membership in the Eurasian Economic Union requires “certain perception and demonstration of a cooperative position” not only on the part of Russia, but also on the part of the other members of the Union, including Belarus and Kazakhstan. “If it is missing, there will be no formal membership, nor will there be any possibility of real cooperation. Then the format of bilateral relations, which has so far worked quite efficiently, will be retained,” the expert says.
The editor of “Aravot” reflects on the reasons why officials and wealthy individuals in Armenia want to have courts make media reveal the sources of their information: “Officials and oligarchs usually do not deny the bad things reported about them by the media. What they are really interested in is who the source of this information is. It is a usual thing among officials and wealthy businessmen that, on the one hand, they hug each other during banquets, but, on the other hand, they engage in all sorts of intrigues aimed against each other. Most probably, these people cannot understand where the danger comes from and who of their “companions” is scheming against them.”
“Chorrord Ishkhanutyun” comments ironically on the fact that one of the police officers recognized as a victim in the trial of Shant Harutiunian, a nationalist party leader arrested in the wake of last year’s street clashes with police and accused of “attempting to make a revolution”, because the smoke of flares made his eyes itchy. It writes: “In fact, Harutiunian and his supporters with malicious intent used technical means against law-enforcement authorities in order to cause their eyes to feel itchy. Moreover, Harutiunian, in fact, temporarily disabled the police as the police officer had to rub his eyes for a quarter of an hour and was unable to perform his duties during this period of time. This malicious act, we believe, cannot be left unpunished.”
(Tigran Avetisian)