Today we live in a society, which can not imagine life without expressing views on social media. Probably it does have certain advantages. Nevertheless, many participants of active discussions have already forgotten or do not even know about the developments, which unfolded in Armenia 5, 10 or 15 years ago.  

To fill the gap Mediamax presents 5/10/15 project, which introduce developments in Armenia 5, 10 and 15 years ago.

•    15 YEARS AGO: MAY 21-27, 2003

“Relations of equals”

Armenian-Russian relations “are really equal”, Armenian President Robert Kocharyan stated in the interview published in Izvestia newspaper on May 22.

“Over the last 5 years, Armenian-Russian relations have stepped outside the line of politics. They are becoming more and more balanced and mutually respectful,” said Kocharyan.

“Safar Abiyev is not a bulldozer”

On May 24, Armenian Defense Minister Serzh Sargsyan said that “Safar Abiyev is not a bulldozer to pave the “corridor” through the Armenian territory”.

That was Sargsyan’s comment on the statements his Azerbaijani counterpart made at the meeting with Defense Minister of Lithuania Linas Linkevicius in Baku.

“Armenia must always remember: what Azerbaijan has agreed on yesterday, it will not agree today and tomorrow. Azerbaijan does not want to have a separated state. I mean Nakhichevan, which is cut off from our main territories. This question will be raised tomorrow,” Abiyev had said.

Safar Abiyev and Ilham Aliyev

 

Elections observers voice their concern

Armenia held the elections to the National Assembly on May 25, 2003. They were marred by an incident at a polling station in Shahumyan village, Ararat marz, which left one person killed and two other wounded. A team of European observers was present at the polling station when the shooting took place.

“Parliamentary elections in Armenia marked improvement over the recent presidential voting, but failed to meet international standards in several key areas,” read the statement by the joint international observation mission of the OSCE Parliamentary Assemblies and the Council of Europe, and the OSCE’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR). 

Head of the Parliamentary Assemblies of the OSCE mission Giovanni Kessler noted the observers were concerned over the high number of irregularities allowed during vote counting.

Ambassador Robert Barry, head of the OSCE/ODIHR long-term observation mission, stated that international observers marked irregularities at 30 percent of polling stations visited.

Lord David Russell-Johnston

Photo: REUTERS

PACE mission’s leader Lord Russell-Johnston was in doubt about the accuracy of data the Central Electoral Commission of Armenia provided about the turnout. “I am surprised that 30 minutes before the polling stations were closed, 43% turnout has been marked, while after the end of voting this number reached 51%,” said Lord Russell-Johnston.

The opposition bloc “Justice” that finished with 14.25% of votes refused to accept the results of the elections.

•    10 YEARS AGO: MAY 21-27, 2008

The fate of Armenian churches in Georgia

On May 23, Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan met with his Georgian counterpart Lado Gurgenidze in Minsk in the scope of the session of Prime Ministers’ Council of CIS states.

The parties discussed the legal status of the Georgian diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church. Tigran Sargsyan invited the attention of his counterpart to the recurring attacks and provocative actions on the part of radical representatives of religious and secular circles of Georgia. Armenian PM particularly noted the fact of illegal fencing of the territory of Armenian Surb Norashen Church in Tbilisi.

The Arab world could move their financial center to Armenia

On May 24, Armenian PM Tigran Sargsyan stated in Dilijan that Arab states wanted to move their financial center from Lebanon to Armenia, asking for corresponding legislative changes in the republic.

“Armenia can become a bridge between Europe and Muslim states,” said Sargsyan. He added that in order to become a financial center for the Arab world, Armenia should take the outline of an off-shore zone that would provide profitable (by global standards) financial services.

Tigran Sargsyan

Photo: Press service of the Armenian government

The Prime Minister also noted that Armenia can organize trading of securities of CIS states. “Along with development of securities markets of CIS states, there is yet the unsolved problem of securities’ entry to foreign markets, and Armenia can propose CIS auspicious conditions to place their securities. OMX Group operator, which has entered the Armenian market, may carry out the crucial programs,” said Sargsyan.

•    5 YEARS AGO: MAY 21-27, 2013

An “outrageous” fact

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov qualified as “outrageous” the fact of disappeared votes given by the Azerbaijani citizens to Russia's Eurovision contestant Dina Garipova.

While addressing a joint press conference with the Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov in Moscow on May 21, the Russian FM warned there would be a “response”.

“The fact that our participant was robbed of 10 points doesn't make us happy, first of all from the viewpoint how the event was organized. We agreed with Elmar Mammadyarov that after the Azerbaijan Public TV Channel finds out the legal ways of getting exhausting explanations, we will coordinate our actions so as this outrageous action does not simply go away,” said Sergey Lavrov.

Sergey Lavrov

Photo: REUTERS

On May 23, First Deputy Speaker of Azerbaijani Parliament Ziyafet Askerov said that “those guilty of the provocation in Eurovision will be discovered soon”.

“It is impossible that no one in Azerbaijan voted for Russia. I know for certain votes were given to Garipova, but we do not know where they have gone. It is difficult to say now if the provocation was at an international or regional level. Those guilty of the provocation will be discovered soon. The only thing I can state is that Azerbaijan is not and cannot be the responsible party in this matter,” stressed Askerov.

“They do not aim for reforms”

MP from Dashnaktsutyun faction Artsvik Minasyan noted that the 5-year government program submitted to the parliament "is actually a declaration with vague wording ".

"The Prime Minister talked about the revolution of mind in the parliament. It was just another demagogical statement. In reality, the authorities are not ready for changes. They do not aim for reforms," Minasyan said on May 21.

“Out of short pants”

On May 23, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov made it clear that the authorities would not give up the intention of changing the status of the OSCE Office in Baku.

“We are out of short pants after 20+ years in OSCE. They speak about supremacy of law and commitment to the rules and regulations within the OSCE all the time. But they spoke against change of the status of their office by Azerbaijan at once, while we as hosts have the right to decide what level the OSCE office should have,” said Mammadyarov.

Ara Tadevosyan