Author: Chilingarian Babken

ELECTION – STEP TOWARDS DEMOCRACY

Azat Artsakh – Nagorno Karabakh Republic [NKR]
26 June 05

The NKR Union of Journalists had invited observers from Czech,
Croatia and Greece to monitor the parliamentary election. Immediately
after the poll they met with the journalists at 24.00 on June 19th.
In the beginning the representative of the International Association
for Croatia Zoran Pusic thanked the Union of Journalists in the name
of the monitoring delegation for the invitation to take part in the
election. “Our group together with several observers from the Union
of Journalists of NKR visited almost all the areas of the republic
and did not detect any irregularities in any of the polling sites. To
tell the truth, we had wanted to be present for the count, which is
very important for us the observers, but as we have to leave tomorrow
morning, we decided to hold the press conference at midnight. I must
say we were surprised by the activity of common people. Thus they
showed that they struggle for the recognition of Nagorno Karabakh
as an independent state; free and fair elections are a step towards
recognition of NKR,” said Z. Pusic. The member of the group Edward
Sarghissian also referred to the election as a step towards democracy
and a commendable step for NKR as an unrecognized country. As distinct
from his colleagues, Milan Stefanetz pointed out the irregularity
detected by him in Askeran. According to him, the committee ignored
the protest of the “Alliance”. Nevertheless, he said, the most
important thing about the election is that people are conscious of its
importance in their lives. In answer to the question why his opinion
and the opinion of the other members of the group were different,
M. Stefanetz said they had visited different polling sites. In answer
to the question of what the reason for his approach was, M. Stefanetz
said he has considerable experience in monitoring and is aware of the
international standards. Itka Adamchikova said they had not come to
find faults but to monitor the election and to convey their opinions
to the international community. From this viewpoint, according to
her, the foundation of democracy in Karabakh is strong. According to
the Greek observer, they observed the will to defend their right of
voting among the people of Karabakh and advised therefore to foster
democracy in the country. A similar opinion was expressed by Marineh
Sarghissian from Czech. In answer to the question what the principles
of evaluating the polls by a non-official monitoring mission are,
the head of the mission said each of them had monitored similar
elections in different places. The head of the monitoring mission
has personally monitored 6 elections, including in Chechnya, Serbia,
and is well-aware that Nagorno Karabakh is a difficult region and,
nevertheless, manages to solve its problems. The observers once again
thanked the people of Karabakh and wished them peace.

LAURA GRIGORIAN. 26-06-2005

A1plus

| 20:47:28 | 24-06-2005 | Politics | PACE SUMMER SESSION 2005 |

COE WILL BE DISAPPOINTED WITH ARMENIA, IF…

After the end of the Venice Commission working group session the Commission
Constitutional Rights department head Simona Granata-Mengini answered the
questions of «A1+».

– According to the agreement reached by the Venice Commission working group
and the Armenian delegation, how must the governing system be formed.

– As for the formation of the governing system, we came to an agreement
about three main issues. The first refers to the way of appointing the
Government. The President must appoint Prime Minister the candidate who
enjoys the support of the majority in the National Assembly. After the
formation of the Government, if his program is not confirmed by the NA
twice, the President can dissolve the Parliament. The President cannot
resign the Prime Minister but he can offer the Parliament to resign him.
>From now on, the Government will give an account to the National Assembly
only. This is very important, as the President will not be able to control
the Government. The NA is not obliged to take the offer of the President to
resign the Prime Minister.

– And as for the appointing of judges, does the President have to accept the
offers of the Security Council?

– As you know, the order of forming the Security Council is already
regulated. The President and the NA appoint two members each, and the rest
of the members are elected by the Judges. The President is not to appoint
the head of the Council, and the sessions of the Council will be presided
over by the Judge of the Court of Appeal who will not have the right to
vote. We agreed that the President of the country cannot appoint or resign
judges without the offer of the Security Council. At present CoE is working
on the Law on the Court System together with the RA authorities, and now we
cannot discuss the way of appointing the Judges. That must be regulated by
the law.

– And did you clear up when the Constitutional reforms must enter into
vigor?

– This is a very important issue, and the PACE called the RA authorities to
enter the Constitutional reforms into vigor immediately. Technically it is
impossible to do it immediately after the referendum, as many laws must be
changed in order to do it. We have not yet decided which Parliament must
realize the changes – this or the following one. We have come to an
agreement that several changes, for example – the issues about the Human
Rights Defender and the Court system, must enter into vigor immediately. As
for the issues about state structures, an agreement must be reached with
CoE.

– The Venice Commission has expressed its disappointment with Armenia. If
the agreements reached today are not included into the draft Constitution,
will the Venice Commission continue cooperating with Armenia?

– CoE wants Armenia to realize Constitutional reforms, but this is not an
end in itself. If the changes are not included in the draft Constitution,
CoE will be disappointed. Of course, it will leave its negative influence on
Armenia in CoE.

DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTIONS BEING STRENGTHENED

Azat Artsakh – Nagorno Karabakh Republic [NKR]
22 June 05

On the eve of the parliamentary election the representatives of the
mass media of Nagorno Karabakh met with the observers of the British
Helsinki Human Rights Group and other monitoring missions at the Press
Centre of the Central Election Committee. The meeting was special
because instead of the journalists asking questions the international
observers asked questions to the representatives of the official
newspaper Azat Artsakh, and the newspapers Demo and Aparazh to find
out their standpoint concerning the parliamentary election. All the
previous elections in Karabakh presidential, parliamentary, local were
held on a high level, which allows to hope that the results of this
election will be reassuring as well. The fact that there are observers
from different countries of the world to monitor the parliamentary
election proves once again that strengthening of democratic
institutions in Karabakh is going on, and on the other hand, the
interest of the world towards Nagorno Karabakh is increasing, said the
representative of Azat Artsakh, adding that hopefully after the
election the international community will take definite steps to
recognize the independence of Nagorno Karabakh. The international
community will, indeed, take into consideration the opinion of
Karabakh and finally become convinced that Karabakh is not part of
Azerbaijan but an independent entity, a newly independent state with
all the typical attributes, said the journalist. He also informed that
as a journalist he visited the electoral districts of the regions of
Hadrut, Martakert, Martuni with the chairman of the Central Election
Committee. My impression was that the preparation work in the
electoral districts was highly organized. No irregularities were
reported, and from the talks with the voters one felt that they would
be active at the parliamentary election, said the representative of
AA, adding that the people of Artsakh are politically mature people
and, therefore will make the right choice, proving by their votes that
they are the real masters of NKR. The representatives of the
oppositionist press mentioned about irregularities in the election
campaign, and certain candidates involved in bribery. In answer to the
question of the observers if AA had received complaints from
candidates or voters about irregularities, the representative of the
official newspaper said AA had received no complaints.

AA.
22-06-2005

Pan Armenian News

PROTEST OF AZERIS IN GERMANY AGAINST BUNDESTAG ARMENIAN GENOCIDE RESOLUTION

21.06.2005 03:54

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Azerbaijanis, who live in Germany, have held a procession
rally in protest against Bundestag Resolution on the Armenain Genocide,
reported APA Azeri agency. The procession planned in Adenauer Square,
finished with reading a resolution in front of Gedaechtnis Kirche church.
The rally, in which the majority of the Turkish community in Germany took
part, was held with the slogan `Turkey cannot be a tool in the hands of
German politics,’ `German policy falsifies history,’ `Want to turn Turkey
into means during election? You won’t manage,’ `Parliaments are not courts,
politicians – not judges,’ `Parliament 2005. We will vote, too.’ The rally
resolution notes that `MPs shut their eyes to the annihilation of tens of
Turkish diplomats by Asala terrorist organization financed by the Armenian
Diaspora, occupation of Azeri territories by Armenia and facts of
annihilation of tens of thousand Azeri Turks in Nagorno Karabakh by
Armenians.’ By stating that the Resolution adopted by the Bundestag has a
negative impact on the posture of 2.8-million electorate of Turkish origin,
those taking part in the rally demand that the MPs take into account the
stand of those voters.

COURT FINDS TWO POLICEMEN GUILTY OF AUTHORITY TRANSGRESSION COMBINED WITH VIOLENCE

YEREVAN, JUNE 16, NOYAN TAPAN. The court of the first instance of Lori
marz chaired by Vladimir Aslanian sentenced the deputy commander of
the State Premises Protection Regiment of the RA Police Ruben Sahakian
and an assistant officer on duty of the RA Police Erebuni Department’s
Nubarashen Unit Gurgen Arushanian to 3 years in prison, depriving them
of the right to engage in certain type of activities for two years. The
two above mentioned persons, however, did not serve thier sentences,
since the incident happened in 1998, and the amnesty declared in 2001
on the occasion of the 1700 anniversary of the adoption of Christianity
by Armenia applied to them. The accused were found guilty of exceeding
their official authority combined with violence. R. Sahakian who
was at the time the deputy head of the Lori regional department of
the Ministry of Interior Affairs, and G. Arushanian, a policeman of
the Vanadzor department, committed violence against Armen and Artur
Poghosians in order to make Armen Poghosian confess in the rape and
murder of the 11-year-old Geghetsik Ghandilian. As a result of this,
in 1999 Poghosian was sentenced to 15-year imprisonment, but in 2004,
during an investigation into a similar case it emerged that the
crime had been actually committed by Boris Khasoev, based on which
the criminal prosecution against A. Poghosian was stopped.

ARMENIAN FOREIGN MINISTER PRESENTS ARMENIA’S ACTION PLANS TO NORTH ATLANTIC COUNCIL AND EU

BRUSSELS, JUNE 16, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The Armenian Foreign
Minister Vartan Oskanian presented on June 16 in Brussels two documents
that represent a landmark in the process of Armenia’s integration into
Europe. According to the RA MFA Press and Information Department,
Minister Oskanian submitted the presentation document of Armenia’s
Individual Partnership Action Plan (IPAP) to the North Atlantic Council
for approval. Following a speech of welcome made by NATO Secretary
General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, the minister presented the document in
general outline, Armenia’s approaches to cooperation prospects, as well
as the foreign policy priorities of the country to the ambassadors
of the 16 NATO member states. The document was developed by the RA
Interdepartmental Commission co-chaired by the Armenian Foreign and
Defence Ministers. The documents reflects Armenia’s objectives aimed
at further developing the relations between Armenia and NATO, as
well as the mechanisms for efficient cooperation in the defence and
security spheres. The document submitted by Armenia was appreciated
by the ambassadors who welcomed the country’s consistent efforts
to increase the cooperation, acclaimed its active participation and
cooperative spirit displayed in various fields, particularly during
the peace-keeping operations with NATO. Then Minister Oskanian
addressed in detail a number of issues raised by the ambassadors
and related to the development of the democratization process in
Armenia, prospects for the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement,
the Armenian-Turkish relations, the Armenian-Russian cooperation,
as well as cooperation within the framework of the Collective
Security Treaty Organization. Early June 16, prior to the sitting
of Council, NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer met with
Minister Oskanian. Attaching inportance to Armenia cooperation with
NATO, Secretary General expressed confidence that IPAP will open
new opportunities and perspectives for further cooperation. At the
request of Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, Minister Oskanian informed him
about the current stage and opportunities of the Nagorno Karabakh
settlement process, as well as about a number of issues related
to the regional developments and security. After the approval of
the document by the North Atlantic Council, the action plan for
the program’s implementation will be worked out. On the same day
Vartan Oskanian submitted the draft EU-Armenia Action Plan within
the framework of the European Neighborhood Policy to the Benita
Ferrero-Waldner, Commissioner for External Relations and European
Neighborhood Policy of the European Commission. The sides discussed
the opportunities of cooperation between Armenia and the EU within
the framework of the European Neighborhood Policy, touched upon the
issues of Armenia’s relations with the neighboring countries, the
Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement process. The Armenian Foreign
Minister also had a meeting in Brussels with the Secretary General of
the Council of the EU, HIgh Representative for CFSP Javier Solana. At
the meeting, the sides discussed such issues as the Nagorno Karabakh
problem solution, the regional cooperation perspectives, including the
reopening of the Armenian-Turkish border, new initiatives regarding
the regional transport and energy to be undertaken under the aegis
of the EU, as well as issues related to working out the EU-Armenia
Action Plan. A wide range of issues was also discussed with Deputy
Director General for the External Relations of the European Commission
Michael Lee, with opinions being exchanged about the development of
the EU-Armenia Action Plan within the European Neighborhood Policy,
as well as about the processes taking place in Europe. On June 17,
Vartan Oskanian will leave Brussels for Paris in order to meet there
with the Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mamedyarov with the
mediation of OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs.

Zaman, Turkey
June 19 2005

‘Turkey Will Continue on Its Way’
By Ali Akkus, Celil Sagir
Published: Sunday 19, 2005
zaman.com

Although the European Union (EU) is experiencing the deepest crisis
in its history, Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, watching the
developments closely, stressed that Turkey is determined to continue
its reform process.

Commenting on the EU crisis to Zaman, Gul said: “We are looking
to our own business. The EU is the spurfor Turkey’s transformation
process. Turkey has not achieved this on its own in 80 years so it
is doing this with the support of an external political power.” Gul
also spoke against attempts to produce scenarios of disaster from
the EU crisis. Reminding that Turkish people still have the right
to say “no” to the membership process after the negotiations start,
the Foreign Minister referred to the case of Norway. Touching upon
the headscarf scandals at graduation ceremonies in Turkey, Gul noted:
“It is like making the water flow uphill to implement a ban, which
exists nowhere in the world, at Turkish universities.”

Describing the German Parliament’s decision on the Armenian genocide
allegations as “unacceptable”, Gul expressed that Germans themselves
feel guilty of cruelties towards Jewish people. “They are in a
psychological search for a partner for themselves. If you ask them
‘What is Armenian issue?’ they cannot give an answer. There are three
million Turks in Germany and this is a decision that would cause strong
animosity against them,” Gul assessed. Gul also evaluated Turkish
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer’s veto of bureaucrats appointed by the
Justice and Development Party (AKP) government and remarked that
if definitive appointments are not approved then they will continue
with proxies.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Gul said Turkey would
not step back from its reform program despite the deep crisis within
the EU. “We are looking to our own business,” he added. Minister Gul
made crucials statement to Zaman on a series of issues, from the EU
to the Extended Middle East Project and Armenian issue to headscarf
and appointments.

There are interpretations that Turkey will be affected negatively from
the collapse of the EU summit. Do you have any concerns about this?

It is sure that what has happened in the EU will have some effects,
but we have to look at the broader picture. There is confusion in
main countries of the EU regarding the enlargement. Europe is in a
great trouble. We have to accept this as normal.

Surveys show that people have concerns regarding their future. They
feel unsafe and worried about their economic and social problems. If
you check European economic performances, there are indicators that
confirm this. These should be acknowledged. The EU leaders are facing
these but there are promises that they have given. There are both
conjectural problems and strategic targets and realities. How would
they balance these? Negotiations with Turkey will start on October
3rd. One cannot ignore the troubles within Europe. Criteria, standards
and thresholds will be increased during the negotiation process. In
fact, opportunities that were missed should be thought of. Those,
who criticized us on December 17th, are an example of lack of vision.

Aren’t those who criticized your policy at that time, such as
Republican People’s Party leader Deniz Baykal, continuing their
criticisms more strongly right now?

Of course they continue but that just confirms their lack of vision.

If you listened to them, Turkey would become an introverted country
with no connections to the outside world and always fighting with
imaginary internal problems. That’s why they are also split into two
within their party. There are people who have vision in their party
as well, but of course, I have no right to interfere in their internal
relations within the party.

There is a feeling in Turkey ready to accept a privileged
partnership. What is your comment on this?

We have no time to listen to these. First, it is important to
grasp what the EU is. The EU is the spur for Turkey’s transformation
process. Turkey has not achieved this on its own in 80 years so it is
doing this with the support of an external political power. We should
judge this for whether it will benefit or damage Turkey. Because these
overlap with our own program, we see them as benefiting Turkish people
and Turkey. We basically believe that more democracy, more freedom,
more liberty mean more benefits to Turkey and to Turkish people. If the
Copenhagen Criteria were against Turkey, we would never have complied
with them. This is exactly what we meant when we said ‘If for any
reason the EU process breaks off, we would continue with the reforms’.

Has the negative wind blowing from Europe led to calls for early
elections?

No, no. Is Turkey getting worse? Are the interest rates rising again,
is inflation rising, are shops and factories closing, is the export
rates decreasing, are new bans starting to appear against Turkey,
are freedoms being restricted? Under these conditions, the opposition
gets to call for early elections. But are any of these things happening
in Turkey?

I do not understand why everybody has set their hearts on the
EU issue. I have not set my heart on it. When Turkey finishes the
negotiation process, the Turkish public, the British public, the French
public will decide at that time whether Turkey will be a full member
or not. We are just dealing with our own business. We will continue
until the end. Perhaps, the French public will need Turkey more in
10 years time. Perhaps, the Turkish public will say ‘no’.

Didn’t the Norwegians act in this way? I just think about how I can
realize my economic development, social development, and cultural
development in this process. As a government, we just think about this.

Do you agree with the idea that the cost of EU crisis will be paid
by Turkey?

They are experiencing a big earthquake. Will they come and make
statements about Turkey? Their making a statement about Turkey means
a worse effect in the eyes of their public. Turkey’s flag was not
there. We didn’t go, we were not invited. Other countries in the
same situation as us weren’t there either. The EU has entered the
most violent dispute in its history and ended in a fight which they
could not make up. Was I going to go there to wait in the hotel for
two days? Their meeting finished towards morning, and then they called
us to tell us what happened inside.

Even French leader Chirac who is in the worst situation says the
negotiations will start on October 3. What more can he do? Will he
speak like the Turkish Prime Minister? We will work day and night,
our friends are mobilized, and we do our best. If the French had said,
‘we will stop enlarging’. Would that be end of the world for us?

Is this the nightmare scenario?

Of course, anything could happen. If such a thing occurs, will we say
we sank? We will run our own reform process ourselves. Under such a
hard period, they confirmed the December 17 decisions. We cannot just
sit tight and wait. When they have a discussion among themselves,
I will concentrate on my own business. When I increase the life
standards of Turkish public, then everybody can decide what to do.

‘I called for reforms before Bush’

Most of the meetings in the US were much like the one about the
Extended Middle East Project. Is there any consensus at issue?

Our government never does anything in which it does not believe, either
by pressure or by giving concessions. Before the US President Bush
made statements about the strengthening of democratic reforms in the
region, I made an important speech about this issue in the OIC meeting
in Tehran. I told all the Muslim countries that we should tidy our
own houses, if we do not do this, our own public will suffer. Tidying
our houses means more democracy, transparency and a better style of
administration. It means the administrators giving account of their
actions. It means more equality between men and women. These are not
unfamiliar to us. They are a part of our belief.

As Turkey, we give great support for these. Those who do not understand
us make comments according to their own understandings, but we do
not give any credit to them.

You brought the anti-Islamism to the agenda by putting it in a written
document. Are new steps taken about this issue?

Due to exaggerations after September 11, there are disturbing practices
taking place against Muslims in the world. Muslims should not remain
silent. They should struggle in a civil and brave way. Our government
has raised these issues bravely in Paris, London and Washington. An
ambassador was charged for this issue for the first time in the level
of Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). The
ambassador is Turkish. Non-governmental organizations should support
this.

‘Germans look for partners for their genocide guilt’

Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul also showed a severe reaction towards
the German Parliament for its approval of a draft bill relating
to the alleged Armenian genocide. “In Germany, Parliament took an
unacceptable decision. The Germans bear the guilt of the tortures
they made on the Jews. They are trying to find partners for their
guilt. If you ask them, what the Armenian issue is, they cannot even
say a few words. The decision is full of mistakes. They talk about
the declaration of the United Nations (UN) about this issue. There are
no declarations of international organizations on this issue. We want
them to show their evidence, they cannot show anything. There are no
court decisions or anything like this. While Erdogan’s letter to the
Armenian leader Kocharyan was passed over lightly, the speech Justice
Minister Cemil Cicek made in Parliament and the postponed conference
were given a large place. Our reaction was great. Our relations with
Germany are certain. There are three million Turkish people living
there. The biggest issue is to provide the integration of Turks. This
is a decision, which will encourage hostility towards Turks. The
present government of German Chancellor Schroeder is against these,”
Gul explained.

‘Imposing a ban on headscarf is like making water flow uphill’

When asked about the sacrifice of a mother who was not allowed into
the graduation ceremony of her child in Erzurum due to the headscarf,
Gul said, ‘this is embarrassing’. Saying that the headscarf is
the belief of public, Gul said: “This issue will be solved in a
way leaving the least abuse possible. Let me speak openly. The
Erzurum case is something, which reveals the shame. The headscarf
is something coming from inside our society, not a superficial thing
taken from outside. It is a part of our own belief and culture. The
headscarf is an outcome of Turkish conservatism and modernization. It
is meaningless to show Turkey as a country, which restricts basic
rights and principles. Imposing the headscarf ban in Turkey, which
is not implemented anywhere in the world is like making water flow
uphill. There is no such a ban in Paris, I say Paris, no ban in Moscow,
no ban in Brussels, Washington and Cairo and there is such a ban in
Turkey. This is something, which cannot happen.”

Gul also finds the debates over early elections and presidential
elections meaningless. “I just laugh before this kind of debate,
opened by people who have nothing to do with it. When the time comes,
we can sit and talk about these. If Turkey starts to deteriorate,
if everything goes wrong, if black clouds appear, then these kinds
of things can be mentioned.

‘If definitive appointments are not approved, we can go on with
deputies’

Evaluating the veto of bureaucrats appointed by the government by the
president Ahmet Necdet Sezer, Gul has called everybody to look into
this. “We have many general managers whose definitive appointments
were not approved, but we should consider their success. This should
be questioned. You just look at our general managers who carry out
their jobs with definitive appointment. Those in the past just made
Turkey go downhill. This should be questioned. We came to power not
with the approval of 4 or 5 politicians but with the votes of public.

We have to work. So, we want to work with people we trust and
believe. This is our right. If definitive appointments are not
approved, we will continue to contest this,” Gul said.

RELEASE OF ARMENIAN-TURKISH BORDER TO CONTRIBUTE TO PROMOTION OF USA
INTERESTS IN REGION: ARMENIAN FM

YEREVAN, JUNE 15. ARMINFO. At a press-conference in the National
press-club in Washington, Armenia’s Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan
once again called upon to Turkey’s authorities to release a border
with Armenia.

As ARMINFO was informed in Armenian Assembly of America (AAA), Oskanyan
noted that it will affect positively the situation in the region as a
whole and will help to promote interests of the USA there. He repeated
the position of the official Yerevan and the readiness to normalize
relations with Ankara without preconditions. Oskanyan stated that
one should not involve the legislative power on Armenian Genocide in
Ottoman Turkey in both the normalization process of bilateral relations
and the issue of borders’ release. Minister called upon to the White
House to exert influence on Turkey in this issue. The source informs
that the US President George Bush called upon to Turkey earlier to
restore economical, political and cultural relations with Armenia.

Armenia accuses Azerbaijan of violation

Newsday, NY
June 15 2005

YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) – Armenia on Wednesday accused neighboring
Azerbaijan of pursuing a weapons build-up in violation of the
Conventional Forces in Europe treaty.

Armenia’s chief of staff, Col. Gen. Mikael Arutyunyan, said that
Azerbaijan had more tanks and artillery than permitted.

“I would like officially to state that Azerbaijan has more
equipment and armaments than it should under the CFE treaty,” he told
reporters. The treaty regulates the deployment of military aircraft,
tanks and other heavy non-nuclear weapons around the continent.

The two Caucasus neighbors are locked in dispute over the enclave
of Nagorno-Karabakh. The mountainous region inside Azerbaijan has
been under the control of ethnic Armenians since the early 1990s,
following fighting that killed an estimated 30,000 people.

A cease-fire was signed in 1994, but the enclave’s final political
status has not been determined and shooting breaks out frequently
between the two sides, which face off across a demilitarized buffer
zone.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliev on Wednesday boasted of his country’s
military muscle at a rally of the ruling party in the capital of Baku.

“Azerbaijan has recently got the upper hand in negotiations with
Armenia over the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,” he said.

“Military and economic potential are on our side. We will get our
lands back,” Aliev said.

Russia pledges to be guarantor of Karabakh settlement

Interfax news agency
14 Jun 05

Moscow, 14 June: Russia is ready to act as a guarantor of a Karabakh
settlement if Azerbaijan and Armenia find a compromise agreement,
Aleksandr Yakovenko, the Russian Foreign Ministry’s official spokesman
said on Tuesday [14 June].

“Russia would be ready to give its backing to a solution to the
problem which would suit both parties involved, and if a compromise
agreement is reached, it would act as a guarantor of the settlement,”
the Foreign Ministry spokesman said.

Aleksandr Yakovenko said that Russia intended to continue to promote
actively the search for solutions to the Karabakh tangle and that
this position on the issue remains unchanged.

“We are against imposing any blueprints from outside on the parties
to the conflict. We proceed from the understanding that the main
responsibility for a final choice must rest with Azerbaijan and
Armenia,” The Foreign Ministry official spokesman said.

Touching upon Moscow-Baku bilateral contacts, Aleksandr Yakovenko
mentioned active growth in trade and economic relations. According to
his information, trade between Russia and Azerbaijan increased by 50
per cent in 2004 and by 40 per cent in the first five months of 2005.

“The positive tendency of high growth in trade is there, and this gives
us the hope that the top-level agreement on doubling it to reach 1bn
dollars within the next few years will be implemented successfully,”
Aleksandr Yakovenko said.