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: JANUARY 17-23, 2007

Hrant Dink’s Murder

A prominent Turkish journalist of Armenian origin, editor in chief of the “Agos” newspaper Hrant Dink was shot to death today in Istanbul on January 19.

Photo: REUTERS

“A determining moment for Azerbaijan”

On January 19 Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov stated that his country’s decision not to buy Russian gas and not to use the Russian oil-pipeline for the export of Azerbaijani oil to Europe is “a determining moment for Azerbaijan and the whole South Caucasus.”

In the “Protect us against bullies” article, published in the Wall Street Journal Mammadyarov said:

“Practically in a moment the price for gas increased twice for us. It is something more than just a mere signal of the market, and it is unacceptable for Azerbaijan. As a response, we decided not to buy the Russian gas, as well as to stop using the Russian oil-pipeline for the export of the Azerbaijani oil to Europe. This is a determining moment for Azerbaijan and the whole South Caucasus. Azerbaijan sincerely wishes to have pragmatic relations with Russia, based on market principles, however, being an independent state, we are guided by our own national interests.”

•    10 YEARS AGO: JANUARY 17-23, 2012

Armenia is in the state of “anxiety and confusion”

On January 18 President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev said that “Armenia is in the state of enormous anxiety and confusion because of Azerbaijan’s military capabilities.”

Speaking at the session of the Cabinet of Ministers of Azerbaijan he said:

“According to the information we have Armenia is in the state enormous anxiety and confusion because of Azerbaijan’s military capabilities. We receive this information from various sources and they have no possibilities to oppose us.”

“We don’t want a war. Who does? The Azeri state that has achieved such great success doesn’t want it either. But it doesn’t mean that the negotiation process remains aside and all the efforts are directed to the war. It will not happen! We have stated before that we accept he proposals presented to the sides in late 2009. The principles were put forward not by us but by the Co-Chairs. If these principles are still in force then the conflict may be settled. I would like to reiterate the key points. Territorial integrity of Azerbaijan is not questioned, the citizens of Azerbaijan return to all occupied lands in the future, and proposals on the status of Nagorno Karabakh will be put forward at an indefinite time in an indefinite form. Nagorno Karabakh won’t be granted any status without the agreement of Azerbaijan. And, naturally, the state of Azerbaijan and the people of Azerbaijan can’t and won’t agree to any status for Nagorno Karabakh outside Azerbaijan. This is the essence of the principles. We are ready to continue the talks based on these principles and if the opposite side takes the same steps the issue may be resolved in the nearest future. At the same time it’s not a secret that we are building up our military might,” Aliyev said.

“We have the strongest army in the region, we buy the most modern armaments, aircraft and helicopters, and artillery- it’s hard to enumerate all. The quantity and the types of military output produced in Azerbaijan keeps growing. We manufacture about 600 types of military output. Today the army of Azerbaijan is a great force and we can and will use it when necessary,” Ilham Aliyev stated.

Meeting in Sochi

On January 23 trilateral meeting of presidents of Armenia, Russia and Azerbaijan took place in Sochi.

Serzh Sargsyan, Ilham Aliyev and Dmitry Medvedev adopted a joint statement as a result of the meeting which said that “the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan express the readiness to speed up reaching agreements under the Basic Principles”

Serzh Sargsyan, Ilham Aliyev and Dmitry Medvedev in Sochi, January 23, 2012

Photo: Press service of Armenia’s president

“The three Presidents underlined the big volume of work on settlement of Nagorno Karabakh conflict realized since their meeting on November 2, 2008, when Moscow Declaration was adopted.  The Presidents stated that intensive negotiations resulted in making progress in agreeing on the Basic Principles of the Nagorno Karabakh settlement.

The two Presidents hailed the mediatory activates of the Russian Federation and other OSCE Minsk Group co-chairing countries and expressed the hope that Russia, USA and France will play an active role in the settlement as mediators in the future as well – till peace and stability in the region is eventually strengthened.

In elaboration of the provision of the Joint Statement made in Sochi on March 5, 2011, the Presidents of Republic of Azerbaijan, Republic of Armenia and Russian Federation took into consideration the report of the co-rapporteurs on the mechanism of holding of investigations by the ceasefire line worked out jointly with the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office and assigned to continue the work.

The Presidents confirmed that development of humanitarian contacts between the sides is one of the measures of strengthening trust in the context of Nagorno Karabakh settlement. On this occasion, Presidents of Republic of Azerbaijan and Republic of Armenia stated their readiness to contribute to further establishment of the dialogue between the intellectuals, representatives of scientific and public circles,” the statement read.

•    5 YEARS AGO: JANUARY 17-23, 2017

Tsarukyan’s return

On January 17 President of the National Olympic Committee of Armenia, MP Gagik Tsarukyan announced that he was going to return to politics and form a broad coalition.

“You know that I have never aspired for authority, I have always said and I repeat once again that I do not have intention to take any office simply for fame or personal ambitions. I turned the page of my political activities after the well-known incident earlier in the February of 2015, not letting people’s peaceful and fair outburst turn into confrontation and bloodshed. I would never forgive myself for possible human losses, and I am thankful that people understood me. I do not regret that we were able to make the right decision at that stage of political developments, when people’s unconditional support was obvious. We were able to avoid bloodshed and irreversible losses without jeopardizing stability and safety in Armenia and Artsakh,” the statement read.

Gagik Tsarukyan

Photo: PAN Photo

Gagik Tsarukyan said that, “no political force or figure was able to fill” the gap in Armenian politics after his decision.

“Parliamentary elections in 2017 will be decisive for the future of Armenia. Taking into consideration internal and external challenges, that our country is facing, as well as public demand in my return, I announce that I open a new page in my political activity. I will participate in 2017 Parliamentary elections and form a broad coalition. Our doors are open to all political forces and figures that are concerned about the future of our country,” the statement read.

Need of “serious changes”

On January 17 President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan said that the next “two or three years will be very important, a turning point.”

“This year we begin the second 25-year period of our statehood. It should excel the first 25 years in productivity by several times, for which we have all necessary preconditions. By undertaking constitutional amendments we aimed to increase efficiency of governance in our country.

Serzh Sargsyan on January 21, 2017

Photo: Press service of Armenia’s president

The next two or three years will be very important, will be a turning point. I am happy that Armenian Government, headed by the Prime Minister, is working on systemic and structural reforms. Without serious changes we’ll be unable to achieve the state of affairs that our people want, that we all want. We are ready to make plenty of effort for it,” Serzh Sargsyan said.

“Armenia is a dependent state”

On January 23 President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev stated that “Armenia’s existence on the global map as an independent state is just a formality.”

“We have been an independent country for 25 years, and we achieved that without any help from the outside and without clinging, unlike some other countries, to someone’s skirts. Today we have to say openly that Armenia’s existence on the global map as an independent state is just a formality. Armenia is a dependent state, it cannot define its future by itself,” President of Azerbaijan said.

“For many years Armenia spread myths about its army, claiming they had an unbeatable one. The April fights showed which army is unbeatable. Despite Armenia’s reluctance to admit the bitter defeat, it has to,” Ilham Aliyev said.

Ara Tadevosyan