Author: Badalian Vardan

“IF A WAR BREAKS OUT, I WILL BE THE FIRST TO GO”

Azg/arm
10 March 05

More than 100 women have their own contribution to the victory in
Artsakh war and the army formation. They neglected hardship and
hazards and joined the army in Artsakh war leaving behind their
families. 17 female fighters died in the war and more than 40 became
disabled. “No one ever thought during the fights that we will appear
in such a condition. Victory was our only goal as we were sure that
even if we are killed our children will be cared for. Who could
imagine that the state will pay no attention to us”, major Aida
Serobian says. She founded the Republican Social Council of Artsakh
War Women and began protecting the rights of her former companions in
arms. “One of the aims of the organization is to support those women
who participated in the war and those still serving in the army. I
turned many times to our wealthy compatriots for help but they did
not react”, Aida Serobian says.

Most of Artsakh war female veterans live under hard social
conditions, and Aida often helps them from her own means. Thanks to
the organizationâ~@~Ys efforts, 3 schools and a street were renamed
after the female veterans and a monument was erected. “I often visit
my perished friends graves in Yerablur. Morale was always high during
the war. I remember once Azeris shooting down at us from the hills
surrounding the village but we were celebrating one of our friends
birthday buried in the village school. But today we are even unable
to visit each other at home”, Aida Serobian says.

Major Serobian recalls that she left to the front without telling the
family members as soon as she heard on TV that Artsakh needs nurses.
She left on April 14 of 1992 and returned home in June 30 of 1994
after the ceasefire.

“I prayed to God every day of the war to see the victory. And it was
hard to believe when a soldier came up to me and said:
â~@~XCongratulations, doctor, the war is overâ~@~Y. When I was back
home my daughter kept on saying â~@~Xmomâ~@~Y after each word for
months. I understood how she missed the word â~@~Xmotherâ~@~Y”, Aida
tells. Aida is still serving at the army today trying meanwhile to
help her friends in arms. “This is not the Armenia we fought for.
Though there are many problems, be sure that I will be the first to
go if, God forbid, a war breaks out”, Aida Serobian says.

By Arevik Badalian

–Boundary_(ID_U7tTmEFbuKhn9oUY6uveNQ)–

BBC News, UK
March 8 2005

European Press Review

[parts omitted]

Police brutality endangers Turkey’s EU bid

Germany’s Der Tagesspiegel warns that a lot can still go wrong with
Turkey’s EU bid after police clamped down on a demonstration to mark
International Women’s Day.

The paper says there is continuing police brutality and torture,
Christian minorities still lack rights, and writers who speak out of
turn on the issue of Armenia are criminalised.

They won’t hesitate to use images from Sunday, and for once they
are right

Berlingske Tidende

“Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government doesn’t seem to
realise that its reforms to date only represent an intermediate stop,
not the final destination,” it says.

The paper acknowledges that on paper Turkey has reached European
standards in many fields, but it adds that the implementation of new
laws is hampered by “strong resistance in the civil service apparatus”.

The EU’s decision to open accession negotiations only marks the
beginning of a process in which Turkish “subjects” should become
“citizens”, the paper argues.

“If this doesn’t happen, then the accession talks will fail,”
it predicts.

Denmark’s Berlingske Tidende says “the version of Turkey which beat
down a women’s demonstration in Istanbul using ridiculously violent
means is not a nation which belongs in the modern European community”.

Worse than the authorities’ brutality, the paper says, is the fact
that “the image of Turkey which the police’s conduct in Istanbul
demonstrated for all of Europe may make it more difficult for the
European Constitutional Treaty to be approved in certain countries,
not least France”.

Turkey’s EU accession and the Treaty may not be related in formal
terms, it goes on, “but the debate on Turkey’s future in the EU is
still high on the agenda among opponents of the Constitution”.

“They won’t hesitate to use images from Sunday, and for once they
are right”, the daily continues.

“The Turkey we saw has no place in the EU. This has to be made crystal
clear to Turkish politicians”, the paper says.

EXPOSITIONS DEVOTED TO 90TH ANNIVERSARY OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE, 60TH
ANNIVERSARY OF VICTORY IN GPW AND OPENING OF RUSSIAN YEAR IN ARMENIA
WILL OPEN AT NATIONAL PICTURE GALLERY IN ARMENIA

YEREVAN, MARCH 3. ARMINFO. An exposition devoted to the 90th
anniversary of the Armenian Genocide will open at the National Picture
Gallery in Armenia on April 22. Director of the Gallery Faraon
Mirzoyan informs ARMINFO.

He says that the exposition will last 15 days and then it will be open
at the branch of the gallery in the town of Vagharshapat by the end of
the year. Works of Vardges Surenyants, Albert Parsamyan, Zhansem will
be exhibited. He says that early in May an exhibition dedicated to the
60th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War will open
at the gallery. One of the masterpieces of Tretyakov Gallery will be
presented at the gallery during official opening of the Russian Year
in Armenia. What picture is in question is unknown yet but it will
remain in Armenia by the official closing of the Russian Year.

Armenian defence minister meets CIS official

Public Television of Armenia, Yerevan
2 Mar 05

The secretary of the National Security Council under the Armenian
president and defence minister, Serzh Sarkisyan, has received the CIS
executive secretary, Vladimir Rushaylo.

During the meeting the sides discussed the programme of events devoted
to the 60th anniversary of victory in the Great Patriotic War.

Serzh Sarkisyan talked about the details of the events which will be
held in Armenia and especially noted that a monument to Admiral Isakov
will be unveiled on Isakov street [in Yerevan] on 9 May and monuments
to Marshall Babadzhanyan and Marshall Khudyakov will be erected within
the next three years.

[Video showed the meeting].

CONSTITUTIONAL ORDER VIOLATED IN ARMENIA: ASHOT MANUCHARIAN

YEREVAN, MARCH 2. ARMINFO. The constitutional order and right for
election of a citizen is violated in Armenia. Leader of Socialistic
forces of Armenia Ashot Manucharian stated during the discussions
“Expediency of constitutional reforms at the present political
conditions”.

According to him, in Armenia like in all post-soviet countries there
are criminal groups who do not allow to solve external
problems. “Seizing the power, criminal groups established their laws
here and demand to obey them”, Manucharian mentioned,. According to
Manucharian, all the instruments of economy are centralized in the
hands of the representatives of the criminal groups. In Manucharian’s
opinion, civil movement is necessary for the way out of the situation,
this movement will establish constitutional order in the country.

Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
March 2 2005

Ceasefire violations persist in Aghdam

Baku, March 1, AssA-Irada

Armenian military units, from their positions in the occupied
Shikhlar village of Aghdam District, fired at the positions of the
Azerbaijan armed forces located in Orta Gishlag village of the same
district with submachine guns and machine guns for two hours on
Tuesday. No casualties are reported, local ATV channel said.
The ceasefire violations by Armenia in the Aghdam District became
frequent in February. The OSCE chairman’s special envoy Anjey
Kaspshik will therefore request his organization to step up
monitoring on the Azerbaijan-Armenia frontline.*

European Neighbourhood Policy: Azerbaijan

Reference: IP/05/238 Date: 02/03/2005

IP/05/238

Brussels, 2 March 2005

European Neighbourhood Policy: Azerbaijan
The European Commission is recommending a significant intensification of
relations with Azerbaijan, through the development of an Action Plan under
the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP). This recommendation is based on
the Commission’s Country Report published today, which provides a
comprehensive overview of the political and economic situation in Azerbaijan
and the state of its bilateral relations with the European Union. The ENP
goes beyond the existing Partnership and Co- operation Agreement to offer
the prospect of an increasingly close relationship with the EU, involving a
significant degree of economic integration and a deepening of political
cooperation. It is now for the Council of Ministers to decide the next
steps.

Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighbourhood Policy,
Benita Ferrero-Waldner, commented `The European Neighbourhood Policy gives
us an opportunity to take relations with Azerbaijan up a gear. I very much
hope that the Council will give the go ahead to negotiate an Action Plan, so
that we can work out a joint agenda for action in the coming years. Progress
in our relationship will reflect the efforts and successes of the country
itself’.

In June 2004, Azerbaijan (together with Armenia and Georgia) was included in
the European Neighbourhood Policy, at its request and following a
recommendation made by the European Commission. The Commission was invited
to report on progress made by each country with regard to political and
economic reforms. Today, the Commission provides an assessment of bilateral
relations between the EU and Azerbaijan, reflecting progress under the
existing Partnership and Co-operation Agreement and describing the current
situation in areas of particular interest for the ENP partnership: the
development of political institutions based on the values – democracy, the
rule of law, human rights – enshrined in the Agreement; regional stability
and co-operation in justice and home affairs; and economic and social
reforms that will create new opportunities for development and
modernisation, for further liberalisation of trade and for gradual
participation in the Internal Market.

Key objectives for an Action Plan should include:

Strengthening the rule of law, democratic structures and pluralism (improved
institutional division of powers, reform of local self government) and
strengthening of electoral legislation and processes so as to enhance
democratic election standards
Implementation of effective reform in field of rule of law (judiciary, law
enforcement agencies)
Enhanced protection of human rights and of freedom and independence of the
media
Increased efforts towards a balanced development of the overall economic
system
Improvements in the business climate as well as public sector modernisation
Reform of tax and customs administrations and legislation
Effective combating of corruption and fraud
Increased transparency in the management of oil revenues and in the
privatisation process
Progress in poverty reduction, sustainable development and environmental
protection
Progress in WTO accession
Progress in conflict resolution and enhanced regional cooperation.
Prudent macroeconomic policies need to be maintained to support effective
implementation of an Action Plan.

For more information on the European Neighbourhood Policy:

Armenian Speaker, senior OSCE officials discuss Karabakh, regional security

Noyan Tapan news agency
28 Feb 05

Yerevan, 28 February: Speaker of the Armenian National Assembly Artur
Bagdasaryan met OSCE Secretary- General Jan Kubis on 25 February.

In the light of democratic developments in Armenia, Jan Kubis
pointed to the importance of constitutional and electoral reforms
and promised the OSCE’s support in this issue. He also outlined the
reforms to be carried out in the OSCE, and the Armenian speaker said
Armenia supported any reforms that would make the work of the OSCE
more effective.

At Kubis’s request, the chairman of the Armenian National Assembly also
touched on the Nagornyy Karabakh issue, saying that Armenia stands for
a negotiated settlement of the conflict and wants the conflict to be
resolved within the OSCE framework because this organization has the
best understanding of the history and peculiarities of the issue. The
sides pointed to the importance of meetings and negotiations between
the Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents and to the involvement of
the NKR [Nagornyy Karabakh Republic] in the negotiating process.

During a meeting with the chairman of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly,
Alcee Hastings, the sides discussed issues related to security
and cooperation in the South Caucasus region. The sides stressed
the importance of democratic reforms and European integration and
pointed to the implementation of specific programmes between the
OSCE Parliamentary Assembly and the Armenian National Assembly in
three areas: permanent OSCE support for Armenia’s legislative reform,
exchange of experience and information for the benefit of standing
commissions of the National Assembly and its administrative staff,
and conducting an international parliamentary conference under
the auspices of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly to mark the 15th
anniversary of the Armenian parliament.

[Passage omitted: Bagdasaryan’s other meetings on the sidelines of
the visit to Austria]

QUESTION OF MANDATE SEEMS POINTLESS

Azat Artsakh – Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR)
27 Feb 05

The report of the commission of the EC Committee of Ministers argues
that RA president Robert Kocharian told the commission that he had
been given the mandate to conduct negotiations for the settlement of
the Karabakh conflict by the NKR authorities. Did the NKR government
really grant such power to the RA president? â~@~S From where did this
question occur at all? What does the mandate have to do here? After
the summit in Lisbon in 1996 the negotiations in the framework of the
OSCE Minsk Group were stopped, while Nagorni Karabakh had only this
opportunity to take part in negotiations. In other formats Azerbaijan
did not wish to talk to NKR. In this situation the presidents of
Armenia and Azerbaijan agreed to discuss the relationships of the two
countries at the top level, including the topic of settlement of the
conflict relationships. Now is there any need for mandate for this? The
government of Armenia which is the guarantor of the security of the
people of NKR, determines its policy itself, which can be assessed by
the citizens and political forces of Armenia. It is not up to Nagorni
Karabakh to decide what is wrong and what is right in this matter. In
this sense we do not even have the right to impact the actions of the
sovereign Armenian republic. It is another question that we arrogate to
ourselves the right to express openly our own standpoint concerning
all the aspects of our issue and the impact of the conflict on
the interests of Armenia. Our standpoint was and is expressed
unambiguously. We have always thought that without the participation
of NKR the negotiations cannot be effective. What is more, significant
problems occur for Armenia and NKR both from the point of view of
diplomacy of settlement and on the international scene in general. We
think, Armenia does not have any responsibilities for the consequences
of the conflict, particularly territories outside its territory
of sovereignty and humanitarian problems before the international
community. The settlement of similar problems is the authority of NKR
and we see the settlement of these problems in direct negotiations with
Azerbaijan which is dissatisfied with NKR. On the other hand, the NKR
government is attentive towards everything that can have a negative
impact on the fate of Armenia. We have no wish to solve our problems at
the expense of Armenia, and generally by way of causing moral damage
to the people of Armenia. Therefore, the question of mandating the RA
president seems pointless. Everybody must feel responsible for the
settlement of those difficult problems together. And if something
is wrong, the situation must be discussed calmly and additional
opportunities must be sought for to overcome them. I think, today in
the world they begin to understand the standpoint of NKR. Recently
in the resolution of the PACE on Nagorni Karabakh the idea was set
forth clearly that the failure of the decade-old negotiations was
caused by the absence of direct dialogue between the governments of
Azerbaijan and NKR, and the improvement of the prospect for settlement
is connected with the necessity of such a dialogue. â~@~S But the
author of the resolution David Atkinson told in his interview to BBC
about the unacceptability of the principle of self-determination in
the settlement of the Karabakh conflict. – Everything is correct. He
does not believe that Azerbaijan may recognize the independence of
NKR. But it is already enough that Atkinson expresses the opinion of
Europe that the sides will make their decisions themselves. That is to
say, there is no complex in reference to the question that NKR may be
recognized as an independent country. Let them seat the sides at the
table of negotiations, and time will show. Why, and you want to make
a guess for everything beforehand. NKR IS WILLING TO NEGOTIATE The
political adviser to the NKR president Manvel Sarghissian, touching
upon the talks for the NKR issue in his interview to our newspaper,
implied that they are rather talks for the bilateral relationships
between Armenia and Azerbaijan. At the same time he added that although
Armenia is the country that guarantees the security of the people
of NKR, its government decides on its foreign policy, including for
Azerbaijan, itself. Mr. Sarghissian also said that Armenia, in fact,
faces difficult problems connected with the fact that the problem of
Karabakh is not settled yet. â~@~These also wait for their solution
through negotiations. Moreover, Armenia has its own understanding
of the fate of NKR,â~@~] said Manvel Sarghissian. Commenting on
David Atkinsonâ~@~Ys resolution adopted by the PACE, the adviser to
the NKR president said, â~@~The PACE resolution is first of all
a political document. Such resolutions form a background for real
politics. Therefore, we need to be interested in the real steps of the
EC starting from this resolution. Today the resolution is interpreted
in different ways, for which the document provides a wide scene. But as
it is necessary to think about the prospect of real policies conducted
by the EC, it is more preferable to follow the interpretations of the
resolution by the Europeans. In this sense I would like to draw your
attention to the interview of the author of the resolution to the BBC
immediately after the adoption of the resolution by the PACE. Pay
attention to such concepts as â~@~during ten years after signing
cease-fire the sides did not achieve peace because there were no
real relationships between the Azerbaijani and NK authoritiesâ~@¦ ,
it is necessary to start negotiations, to maintain a dialogue for its
settlementâ~@¦, the PACE suggested shifting the Minsk process to the
parliamentary plain levelâ~@¦ , and if the people of Karabakh maintain
the present independence, de facto independence from Azerbaijan,
and Azerbaijan agrees to this, we will also recognize it… , now we
are waiting for the Azerbaijani government to set up relationships
with the authorities of Karabakh and propose starting discussion â~@¦
the dialogue must begin without preconditions (from the interview in
the ). Nagorni Karabakh also thinks so. If Europe
wants to bring the authorities of Azerbaijan and Nagorni Karabakh to
the table of negotiations, this may, in fact, create an atmosphere
for the settlement of the conflict. Especially that parliamentary
relations, moving the Minsk process to the parliamentary plain of
NKR and Azerbaijan are concerned,â~@~] notices Manvel Sarghissian.

27-02-2005

–Boundary_(ID_elJMjHj/9N6JLMzSSmCiNQ)–

The Messenger, Georgia
Feb 25 2005

Armenian paper deplores “Orange babble”

Armenian newspaper Aravot (Morning) reports that the president of
Belarus Alexander Lukashenko has divided the mass media into two
categories: acceptable and propagandistic.
He thinks that six Belarus publications as well as the Russian
newspaper Izvestia, Voice of America, and Radio Liberty should be
included in a black list. However he recommends reading the newspaper
Soviet Belarus, one of the founders of which is the presidential
administration.
The Armenian paper writes that there is nothing surprising in this
because this is the disposition of the dictatorship of Lukashenko’s
government.
The paper compares this dictatorship to the new Ukrainian president
Victor Yushchenko, who prohibited high-ranking officials from
visiting bathhouses, to hunt and to have houses abroad. The new
president also ordered high-ranking officials who live outside the
capital to move to the center.
“The goal is to work more effectively and not to close the roads for
an hour while they are going to work from their country estates,” the
paper reports.
Prime Minister of Ukraine Yulia Timoshenko also ordered that lights
be turned off at 10:00 pm in all state institutions. According to
her, officials should have some sleep and not work all night as this
reduces their effectiveness. Yushchenko also prohibited high-ranking
officials from dealing in business.
“What should the people do if they are prohibited to bathe in
bathhouses, to hunt or even live outside in the country, in the
suburbs?” the paper asks.
According to Aravot, Yushchenko has chosen the old Bolshevic method
to govern the country. “He does not distinguish himself from
Lukashenko at all, only by the fact that Lukashenko does not declare
himself a democrat. This is pure babble when they order people when
to sleep, where to live and when to go to the bath. Anyway, this has
nothing in common with democracy,” the paper states.