INTERVIEW:
LINKS Executive Director talks with Azerbaijani web portal news.az:
Armenia and Azerbaijan need to reassess the situation, fully appreciate the dangers ahead and adopt a more positive approach towards the negotiations on the Karabakh conflict.
23 August 2010
Speaking in an interview with the Azerbaijani web portal NEWS.AZ Dennis 
Sammut says that he does not think that now anybody believes that “more of the same” in the Karabakh peace process is going to lead anywhere. There is a small period of time in which the international community needs to go back to the drawing board and find ways in which the peace process can be reinvigorated. But the responsibility is also on the Armenian and Azerbaijani sides. They need to reassess the situation, fully appreciate the dangers ahead and adopt a more positive approach towards the negotiations.
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LINKS successfully completes first phase of mapping out of positions of main political parties and public professional organisations in Armenia and Azerbaijan on the Karabakh conflict and conflict settlement process.
London, 5 August 2010
In the framework of the European Partnership for the Peaceful Settlement of the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh the British non-governmental organisation LINKS has just successfully completed a ten week exercise that aims to map out the positions of the main political parties and public organisations in Armenia and Azerbaijan.
The exercise involved face to face meetings and interviews with the leaders or senior officials of 20 political parties and 8 public organisations in Armenia and 23 political parties and 15 public organisations in Azerbaijan. Amongst those interviewed were also the representatives of the governing parties in both countries. The data is currently being compiled into a publication which should be out in the autumn.
A spokesperson for LINKS in London said:
“We are grateful to the leaders and senior officials of the 66 political parties and public organisations in Armenia and Azerbaijan that have engaged with us in this exercise. Our aim is to help make the individual positions of these parties and organisations on the Karabakh conflict and conflict settlement process better known. By increasing understanding of the opinion of such a wide-ranging group of influential political and social stakeholders we will also help the process of identifying what actions need to be taken in order to push forward the peaceful settlement of the Karabakh conflict.
LINKS will continue to work with the political and social forces in Armenia and Azerbaijan in the coming months and will explore with them ways in which dialogue within and between the two countries on the Karabakh issue can be developed”.
Commentary:
EU-RUSSIA SUMMIT OPENS THE WAY FOR A REFOCUSED, DEEPER RELATIONSHIP
1 June 2010
The European Union and Russia concluded an important summit in Rostov -on-Dom during which relations have been refocused to issues that are of mutual interest, and during which both sides have pledged a commitment to a deeper relationship than what has been seen so far.
The collapse of the Soviet Union two decades ago had huge implications for both Russia and the rest of Europe. The European Union emerged from the process stronger, larger, and more united. This strength and unity however has its limits and the current global financial crisis has provided serious challenges that are testing both the economic strength of the EU, as well as the viability of its institutions, including the much heralded currency the Euro.
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Opinion:
MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS WILL SHOW WHAT IS RIGHT AND WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE STATE OF DEMOCRACY IN GEORGIA
27 May 2010
The people of Georgia will go to the polls again on Sunday, 30 May. They will not be choosing their President, or their parliament. These elections are simply to elect local authorities. They are however important because they will give an indication of what is right and what is wrong with Georgian democracy at a time when the democratic credentials of the Georgian government are increasingly challenged
Even before a single vote has been cast it is already possible to say that a lot is right, but a lot remains wrong.
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Commentary:
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT LAYS MARKERS FOR FUTURE EU RELATIONS WITH THE SOUTH CAUCASUS
21 May 2010
The resolution on a future EU strategy towards the South Caucasus adopted yesterday by the European Parliament lays down a number of important markers that those in the region, and in the European Union and beyond working with the South Caucasus, should note and heed.
The resolution is a reflection of a realisation that has finally taken hold in Brussels that the South Caucasus is the next area that the European Union will have to engage with in a significant way over the coming decade and beyond.
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Commentary:
TURKEY AND BRAZIL LEAD THE WAY YO AVERT CONFRONTATION BETWEEN IRAN AND THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY
17 May 2010
President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva of Brazil and Prime Minister Tayip Erdogan of Turkey deserve to be congratulated for the efforts that they have put to diffuse the stand-off between Iran and the international community over the Iranian nuclear programme. Both leaders are well respected in their respective regions and they have over the years also kept their lines of communications open with Iran and its revolutionary leadership.
Iran, Turkey and Brazil have today signed a ten point declaration that should give Iran an honourable way out. It provides for Iran to give to Turkey for safe keeping 1,200kg of low-enriched uranium, in return for fuel for a research reactor. The declaration signed by the Foreign Ministers of the three countries in the presence of the three Presidents also reaffirms their commitment to the provision of the nuclear non proliferation treaty as well as the right of Iran to develop nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.
The prospect of a nuclear armed Iran is viewed with horror by many countries, including many of its neighbours. The Islamic Republic and its leadership have been careless with their rhetoric, even though their actions have in fact been more prudent and calculating.
At a time when the two largest nuclear powers, the United States and Russia, have made serious commitments to reduce their nuclear arsenal it is right that the international community should be active to reduce any prospect for nuclear arms proliferation. The work of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) needs therefore to be supported by all countries. Those countries who have not signed the Nuclear non-proliferation treaty are under a moral duty to do so, those that have need to abide by its obligations.
There is a dilemma for western countries which have been on the forefront of putting pressure on Iran on this issue. Having wrongly cried wolf on Iraq and its weapons of mass destruction, their moral authority in the international community is weakened. It is therefore right that Turkey and Brazil have stepped in to talk to the Iranians since they do not have the baggage that others carry.
The world does not need a stand-off with Iran on the nuclear issue. The agreement between Iran, Turkey and Brazil may not diffuse the situation completely but it does indicate an important step back and it is important that the international community reciprocates in a similar fashion.
(c) LINKS 2010.
This commentary may be reproduced subject to proper attribution to source.
Commentary:
The way to Europe is open for the South Caucasus countries:
DO THE LEADERS HAVE THE STAMINA TO START AND COMPLETE THE JOURNEY?
6 May 2010
Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia will shortly start negotiating Association Agreements with the European Union. EU Commissioner for Enlargement 
and Neighbourhood Policy Stefan Fule has indicated that the EU was ready for a qualitative improvement in its relations with the three Republics. But are the leaders of the three countries ready for a long and difficult journey.
Negotiations on the Association Agreements are expected to start shortly and to last several years.
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Commentary:
Turkish-Armenian Negotiations Frozen:
ARMENIA MOVES TO SECURE THE "MORAL" HIGH GROUND
24 April 2010
The President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan, on Thursday addressed the nation in a sombre but calm tone, to announce that the process of normalisation of relations with Turkey that he had initiated soon after taking office in 2008 was being suspended. 
Sargsyan was accepting a reality that has been obvious for a number of months, namely that despite the political will in the leadership in both Armenia and Turkey to normalise relations, the distance separating the two countries was too long for the journey to be travelled in one go.
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Commentary
Azerbaijan sends message to Turkey and the United States:
DO NOT TAKE US FOR-GRANTED
22 April 2010
Azerbaijani diplomacy has become much more forceful and confidant in the last two years. Emboldened by revenues from the energy sector, courted by governments of all shades seeking to 
establish good relations with the oil rich country, and pursuing a foreign policy that seeks to play different interests against each other, Azerbaijan emerged out of the shadow to claim vocally its rights and push for its causes.
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Commentary
Elections in north Cyprus
CYPRUS MISSES THE PEACE BOAT .....AGAIN!
19 April 2010
Elections in the Turkish controlled north of Cyprus have resulted in defeat for 
Mehmet Ali Talat, the moderate Turkish Cypriot leader who for the last five years had tried to stir the territory out of its isolation, and pave the way for its return within the framework of a unified Cypriot state.
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Commentary
Robert Kocharian and Armenian Politics
NOW YOU SEE ME, NOW YOU DON,T!
16 April 2010
High profile visits by Robert Kocharian to Iran and France, and public criticism of the economic policies pursued by the government of his successor as president of Armenia, have increased speculation about his political future. However, whilst Kocharian does not want to be either forgotten or ignored, since he has interests he wants to protect, it does not necessarily mean he wants to come back to Armenian frontline politics soon.
Commentary
Azerbaijani Official harshly criticises the United States
IS AZERBAIJAN ENTERING A DIFFICULT PHASE IN ITS RELATIONS WITH THE US?
15 April 2010
Azerbaijan relations with the United States appear to be at their lowest point for fifteen years. Senior Azerbaijan presidential Administration official, Ali Hassanov used unusually tough language to criticise the US role as co-Chairman of the OSCE Minsk process that is facilitating the peace negotiations with Armenia over Nagorno Karabakh, whilst talking to journalists earlier today.
Commentary
South Ossetia faces up to hard realities
COMPLETE SEPARATION FROM GEORGIA MAY NOT BE THE SOLUTION
12 April 2010
One of the outcomes from the short war fought between Georgia and Russia in August 2008 was the complete separation of South Ossetia from the rest of Georgia, and its recognition by Russia and a handful of other countries, as an independent state. Nearly two years later the reality of geography and politics is making Ossetians having to rethink hard realities.
Opinion
Hovhannes Nikoghosyan
IN US TALKS, ARMENIA SHOULD FOCUS ON THE BILATERAL AGENDA
9 April 2010
On the eve of the first visit of an Armenian President to the US for nine years, Hovhannes Nikoghosyan argues in an op ed in "Armenian Reporter" that the Armenian President should focus on the bilateral agenda in his meetings with the US leadership. Hovhannes Nikoghosyan is a visiting fellow at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies in Washington and Head of the Armenian NGO Professionals.
Opinion pieces do not necessarily reflect the views of LINKS
Commentary
Kyrgyzstan – bloody struggle for power
WHO IS HIDING UNDER THE SKIRT OF ROZA OTUNBAEVA?
8 April 2010
After a day of violence and looting in which as many as a hundred people are reported to have lost their lives, a new government has taken power in Bishkek, the capital of the central Asian republic of Kyrgyzstan. The provisional government is led by Roza Otunbaeva, a former Kyrgyz Foreign Minister, who also served as Ambassador to London and as Deputy Head of the United Nations Observer Mission in Georgia during the last decade. Otunbaeva is probably only the figurehead of the new government, chosen because of her international contacts, and a stop gap to give time to the real power brokers to agree on the sharing of the spoils of power.
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Commentary
Attacks on the Moscow Metro
Nothing can justify the slaughter of civilians, but Moscow must not abandon its recent, more constructive approach towards the North Caucasus
Monday, 29 March 2010
The suicide attacks on two Moscow metro stations during the Monday morning rush hour are a despicable act against a soft target which has left dozens of Russian working people from different ethnic and religious backgrounds dead or seriously injured. This type of senseless violence has hit several European cities in the last decade and is generally connected with fringe Islamic extremists.
The attack in Moscow has already been attributed by the Russian Security Service, the FSB, to North Caucasus radical Islamic groups. The use of female suicide bombers has in recent years become a hallmark of the insurgency in the North Caucasus.
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Briefing Note:
Spanish EU Presidency visit to the Caucasus underlines new commitment to the region
First signs of sharper EU modus operandi
Brussels, 3 March 2010
The Foreign Minister of Spain, Miguel Moratinos has been visiting the Caucasus region this week on behalf of the Spanish Presidency of the European Union and the European Council. Despite the fact that the Caucasus was not initially part of the listed priorities of the Spanish EU Presidency, Moratinos is in the region early in the Spanish Presidency, a sign of its increasing importance to the Union.
Miguel Moratinos in Yerevan during a meeting with the President of Armenia, Serzh Sargsyan (Photo courtesy of EFE Spain)
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Briefing Note:
The Russian Navy and Abkhazia
22 February 2010
Russia and Abkhazia on 17 February signed an agreement enabling the Russian military to formally establish military bases on Abkhaz territory. The agreement is for forty nine years and the bases will accommodate around five thousand Russian military personnel.
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Commentary
"The recent presidential election in Ukraine marked the high point of the legacy of the so called coloured revolutions"
Prague, 12 February 2010.
LINKS Executive Director commented on the recent Presidential election in Ukraine on Radio Free Europe/ Radio Liberty.
"The narrow victory of Viktor Yanukovych in Ukraine's presidential election marks the high point in the story of the so-called coloured revolutions that between 2003 and 2005 challenged the post-Soviet order from Kyiv to Bishkek.
The ballot box, not street protests, should be the tool of choice to change governments. And all efforts, both domestically and by the international community, need to focus on ensuring level playing fields before elections, a clean ballot, and a transparent counting process. Where elections are rigged, governments should be named and shamed relentlessly. Those who, like Viktor Yushchenko, respect the sanctity of the ballot box need to be recognized and praised. The lessons from Ukraine are many. The coloured revolutions may have achieved a victory for democracy after all."
To read the commentary in full on the RFE/RL website follow the link:
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"Europe set to become more active in the process of settling conflicts in the South Caucasus"
Baku, 8 February 2010
LINKS Executive Director discussed the role of Russia, Turkey and Europe in the settling of conflicts in the South Caucasus in an interview with the Azerbaijani web portal news.az.
"There is still time to make the Armenian-Turkish protocols work, but this time is not limitless"
Yerevan, 23 January 2010
LINKS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, DENNIS SAMMUT COMMENTED ON THE CURRENT STATE OF TURKISH-ARMENIAN RELATIONS IN AN INTERVIEW WITH ARMINFO NEWS AGENCY.
"The agreements that were signed between Turkey and Armenia in Switzerland on 10 October 2009 address very clear and specific issues. They have been described as historic, as indeed they were. They showed that the leadership of the two countries had courage to make a break with the past, and vision to look forward to the future.
A number of issues, including the Karabakh conflict, the whole genocide debate and other serious problems that have accumulated between the two countries over many years create a very bad atmosphere in which to move forward, and there is no denying this. However as a counter balance to this Turkey and Armenia have received unprecedented support from a very united international community in pursuing their actions. That is why I believe that there is still time to make these agreements work, but this time is not limitless. If the momentum is lost it will be difficult to regain it quickly, and instead of a historic opportunity we will be talking about a historic missed opportunity.
One may ask “who is to blame” for the delays. I think once Armenia and Turkey signed the 10 October protocols they should have moved much more resolutely to ratify them and bring them into force. People need to see changes on the ground – in reality and not on paper.
There are those in both Armenia and in Turkey who oppose these agreements. They have been very vocal in criticising them and they have every right to do that if that is what they believe. However some have gone further and have made wild statements that are very disturbing and which have not gone unnoticed.
That is why the way forward in both Turkey and in Armenia is more mature cross party discussions, at least between those political forces that genuinely want a solution to outstanding problems, in order to build a wide support base for the process. This should than be followed by a speedy ratification process. Also, if Armenia and Turkey are serious about wanting these protocols ratified they need to put every effort to make it easier for the other side to overcome internal obstacles and not the other way round." █
"THE NEXT HUNDRED DAYS ARE CRUCIAL FOR THE MINSK PROCESS"
Baku, 22 January 2010
LINKS Executive Director Dennis Sammut said in an exclusive interview with 1news.az that the next hundred days are going to be crucial for the Minsk Process and its efforts to resolve the Karabakh conflict. He warned that if the negotiations within the framework of the Minsk Process collapse it will take years for the momentum in the negotiations to be regained.
read the full interview in english
read the interview in russian as carried by 1news.az on
THE KAZAKHSTAN CHAIRMANSHIP OF THE OSCE IN 2010: a journey through uncharted waters
. .. In the first in a series of joint LINKS/INEGMA briefing papers focusing on the Kazakhstan Chairmanship of the OSCE in 2010 the implications for both the European security organisation, as well as for the Central Asian republic are discussed. The paper says that both Kazakhstan and the OSCE can emerge from this experience stronger, more credible and better prepared to face the future. Much will depend on the ability of the Kazakh leadership to show flexibility and sensitivity to events near and far. It will also depend on the goodwill of neighbours and friends, and their willingness to help Kazakhstan fulfil its biggest foreign policy challenge in its young history.
Read the full briefing paper at
or visit the INEGMA web site www.inegma.com █
LINKS Executive Director tells Trend News Agency that whatever arguments existed before to isolate Karabakh, now was the time to engage
London, 16 December 2009
In an interview with TREND News Agency of Azerbaijan LINKS Executive Director, Dennis Sammut spoke about the need to engage with the self declared unrecognised entities in the South Caucasus, including Karabakh.
"The issue of how to deal with unrecognised, self declared states is one that is still under discussion in the international community. The policy of isolation is always very difficult to put into practise and in any case has been proven to be ineffective. There are many arguments in favour of engaging. This discussion is going on not only with regards to Karabakh, but also with regards to Abkhazia and South Ossetia, and other similar situations".
LINKS Director said that he believes "that it is possible to change situations by talking to people and not by refusing to talk to them. The people who now live in Karabakh and those who govern them need to become part of the solution of the Karabakh conflict rather than part of the problem. So whatever arguments existed for isolating Karabakh in the past, now it is time to engage".
Asked about the recent decision of the US Congress to give financial assistance to Karabakh Dennis Sammut said: "The US has given, largely humanitarian assistance, to people in Karabakh for some time. This does not mean that the US has, or will in the future, recognise Karabakh independence. I do not think that this is necessarily a wrong approach. The problem is that US humanitarian aid to Karabakh has been politicised in the United States and the US Congress has allowed itself to be open to criticism that it is being manipulated by lobbyists. That is why it is important that in future, and until the Karabakh problem is resolved, such assistance should be extended in a rationalised manner to all unrecognised entities with clear guidelines for its use and a transparent way of delivery".
A spokesperson for LINKS in London said that it is unfortunate that selective editing of Mr Sammut's interview by TREND News Agency may have distorted some of its meaning to TREND readers. He however added that LINKS will continue to contribute towards the debate on how to engage with the unrecognised entities and was grateful to TREND for providing space for this discussion. To read the report on TREND News agency click
........................and comments on Turkey-Armenia Relations.
In the same interview with TREND News agency LINKS Executive Director said that if Armenia and Turkey loose the momentum in their efforts to normalise relations another opportunity may not appear for a long time to come.
Mr Sammut said " I am convinced that the political leaderships in both Armenia and in Turkey are determined to push through the ratification of the protocols agreed by the two countries in October. However both governments are aware of the concerns that exist in both societies about this issue and need to tread carefully. There is a fine balance between moving forward cautiously and moving too slowly in a way that you loose the momentum.The two countries have a window of several weeks left to finalise the ratification process. They need to use. If they loose it, it may not come back for many years.
We have seen some brinkmanship in this process too. Last minute crisis or attempts to pull a fast one to the detriment of the other side. There is no space for this in the current circumstances, and those who indulge in these tactics will be damned by history".
to read the report on TREND News Agency click
http://en.trend.az/news/politics/foreign/1601976.html
Media coverage of LINKS report on Karabakh, the Athens Roundtable meeting and interviews with Executive Director
Media outlets in the South Caucasus have given extensive coverage to the report Karabakh: the quest for peace, published by LINKS on 1 December and to the Round Table discussion organised on the margins of the OSCE meeting in Athens. Reports also included interviews with the Executive Director of the organisation. You can read the interviews in full at
http://news.az/articles/3727
http://www.today.az/news/politics/57929.html
ARMINFO
INTERNATIONAL OUTCRY AGAINST PRISON SENTENCES FOR TWO YOUNG AZERBAIJANI BLOGGERS - Amnesty International declares Emin Abdullaev and Adnan Hajizade prisoners of conscience.
The decision of the Azerbaijan Courts to sentence two young bloggers, Emin "Milli" Abdullaev and Adnan Hajizade to thirty and twenty four months imprisonment respectively has caused outrage amongst human rights activists worldwide and is being widely condemned by governments and international organisations. The decision of the Court on 11 November, came at the end of a judicial process that many consider to have been a travesty of justice.
On 12 November Amnesty International declared the two young Azerbaijani activists as prisoners of conscience who should be released immediately and unconditionally. (For the full statement by Amnesty International click here
The US State Department issued a statement calling the court's decision "a step backwards for Azerbaijan's progress toward democratic reform." The statement criticized "the non-transparent investigation, closed-door hearings, and disproportionate legal charges," saying they "raised concerns about the independence of the police and the judiciary as well as about restrictions on freedom of expression in Azerbaijan."
For background reports and comments see the BBC report click here and the Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty report, available here. █
Al-Qaeda in the Caucasus: fact or fiction?
LINKS and INEGMA, the Institute for Near East and Gulf Military Studies have just published a briefing paper on the presence and role of Al-Qaeda in the Caucasus. With a deteriorating security situation in the North Caucasus and amidst Russian accusations of Georgian support for Al-Qaeda activity in the region, the briefing paper discusses where fact stops and fiction starts.
To read the full paper click here
THE NORMALISATION OF TURKISH-ARMENIAN RELATIONS WILL HAVE IMPLICATIONS WELL BEYOND THE TWO COUNTRIES
In a joint paper, published by LINKS and the Institute for Near East and Gulf Military Studies (INEGMA), the implications of the normalisation of relations between Turkey and Armenia and their impact beyond the two countries is discussed. Not only in the Caucasus, but also in Central Asia and in the Gulf the significance of the move, and particularly the new diplomatic tools being employed by the Turkish government are being looked at with great interest.
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LINKS Executive Director concludes fact finding visit to Chechnya. 
