Author: Kamalian Hagop

ARAM SARGSYAN CALLS

A1+
| 19:11:13 | 07-09-2005 | Politics |

If the opposition decides to return to the Parliament, the Republican
party will not participate in the sessions. And it means that the
idea of mass deprivation of mandates will not stop the authorities
and issue of depriving Aram Sargsyan and Smbat Ayvazyan of mandates
can be easily put to discussion.

Nevertheless, Aram Sargsyan is not worried about it. Moreover, he calls
the authorities to do it. “If they are so strong let them deprive me
of mandates. I have no problems and I do not think in that direction”.

Asked the question if he was ready to resign he said, “I do not resign,
let them evict me from the NA if they want”.

AGENTS PROVOCATEURS
by Khadija Ismayilova

Transitions Online, Czech Republic
Sept 7 2005

The Azeri opposition alleges the government has trying to bribe its
members to act as agents provocateurs. From EurasiaNet.

With two months of campaigning remaining before Azerbaijan’s
parliamentary election, President Ilham Aliev’s administration appears
to be on a collision course with the country’s leading opposition
parties.

The country’s opposition has come under increasing pressure in
recent weeks. Several opposition and youth group activists have been
arrested – some of them accused of planning action aimed at undermining
political stability. Meanwhile, a lawsuit filed by the Popular Front
Party of Azerbaijan (PFPA) against the Ministry of National Security
for allegedly attempting to orchestrate the ouster of party leader
Ali Kerimli suggests that what is already a contentious campaign
atmosphere could become explosive.

At a 22 August news conference, Ramiz Tagiev, a former political
prisoner and advisor to Kerimli, alleged that Security Ministry
agents offered him $1,000 to foment discord within Kerimli’s PFPA. If
party infighting culminated in Kerimli’s ouster as leader, Security
Ministry officials indicated that they would pay him a bonus, Tagiev
said at the news conference. “I was promised full support, money
for recruiting people inside the party and all benefits, after the
successful completion of the operation,” he said.

According to Tagiev, ministry agents told him that the 3 August arrest
of Ruslan Bashirli, leader of Yeni Fikir, a youth group with ties to
the PFPA, was among the “provocations” planned against the opposition
party. Bashirli was imprisoned on charges of attempting to stage a
coup with the help of the Armenian special services. After Bashirli’s
arrest, violent pickets took place for several days outside the PFPA’s
headquarters. Baku police have since faced criticism for doing little
to prevent the attacks.

Tagiev’s accusations do not target the government alone. The PFPA
advisor claims that Igbal Agazade, leader of the opposition Umid
Party, invited him to meet with two Security Ministry agents,
identified as Ilgar Agaev and Elchin Guliev, to discuss the plan.
Agazade, released from prison in 2005 for allegedly helping to incite
the riots that followed President Aliev’s October 2003 election,
has since denied any collaboration with the Security Ministry,
attributing the accusation down to a PFPA bias against his party.

Appearing at the news conference with Tagiev, Kerimli stated that
he had been informed about the actions planned against the PFPA, and
had, therefore, told party members not to respond to the attacks on
PFPA headquarters that followed Bashirli’s arrest. “It is a flagrant
illegality and violation of the law by the country’s special services,”
Kerimli said. “Instead of fighting threats to national security,
the ministry is involved in a dirty struggle against the nation.”

Commenting on the charges, ministry spokesperson Arif Babaev called
Tagiev’s allegations “nonsense.” The fact that the Tagiev-Kerimli
news conference coincided with a visit to Azerbaijan by Parliamentary
Assembly of the Council of Europe President Rene van der Linden was
not accidental, Babaev argued. “They [the opposition] always prepare
some ‘provocations’ for such guests,” Babaev said. The PFPA has since
filed a lawsuit against the ministry in Sabayil District Court in Baku.

Some human-rights activists support Tagiev’s charge that the
government is attempting to interfere in the election process.
Isakhan Ashurov, chairman of the Independent Lawyers League and a
member of the opposition Musavat Party, told EurasiaNet that Elchin
Guliev came to his office in June 2005 to arrest Pirali Orujev, a
Musavat activist, on charges of allegedly planning a terrorist act
against Bakhram Shukurov, an appeals court judge and president of
the pro-government Azad Azerbaijan television station.

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) strongly
condemned the attacks on the PFPA headquarters, which took place amid a
breakdown in OSCE-sponsored talks between the government and opposition
parties on ways to foster a peaceful campaign environment. Like the
Council of Europe, the OSCE has put strong pressure on President
Aliev to hold free and fair parliamentary elections, scheduled for
6 November.

At a 1 September news conference in Baku, the Council of Europe’s
special representative to Azerbaijan, Mats Lindberg, expressed
optimism for a free and fair vote, noting that, aside from delays in
issuing identity cards and voter cards, the registration of candidates
appeared to be going largely according to plan. “No one has been denied
registration, and it seems that this process will finish according
to schedule,” Lindberg said, the news agency Bilik Dunyasi reported.

Nonetheless, opposition members and activists continue to be harassed
and arrested. In recent weeks, scores of young members of the PFPA,
Musavat and Democratic Party of Azerbaijan have been arrested for
disseminating leaflets urging people to check that their names are
correctly listed on official voter lists. Individual activists in
the regions, particularly the autonomous republic of Nakhichivan,
have been arrested on a variety of minor charges, and in May 2005,
Almaz Gulieva, a British national and the niece of the exiled chairman
of the Democratic Party of Azerbaijan, Rasul Guliev, was arrested at
Baku airport on suspicion of carrying a gun.

Of late, opposition rallies have been held with little interference
by authorities. Attendance at the latest demonstration, on 27 August,
was estimated at about 15,000, the Russian news agency ITAR-TASS
reported. “The last opposition rally gathered even more people than
the opposition had in their rally before the [Ruslan] Bashirli case,”
noted Hikmet Hajizade, head of the Far-Center.

The recent arrest of Merab Jibutia, a Georgian citizen identified by
the Azeri government as one of the alleged Armenian agents working
with Bashirli, has further aroused PFPA suspicions. On 26 August,
Azeri border guards arrested Jibutia crossing into Azerbaijan from
Georgia, allegedly to “meet with Bashirli and clarify the situation,”
according to a statement issued by the prosecutor-general’s office.

Fuad Mustafayev, deputy chairman of the Popular Front, argued that
the prosecutor’s statement was flawed: “Why would a person declared
by the Azeri government to be an Armenian spy come to Azerbaijan?
Where would he meet Bashirli? In jail? The authorities have stirred
up trouble, and now . . . are sinking into the lie more and more.”

International organizations have not responded to charges of government
provocation against the opposition. Rather, their focus remains on
encouraging authorities to hold an above-board vote. Said Lindberg:
“We very much hope and expect that the [November parliamentary]
election will be free and fair and that the presidential instruction
in this regard will be implemented in full.”

Khadija Ismayilova is a freelance journalist based in Baku. This is
a partner-post from EurasiaNet.

ARMENTEL PAYS $400,000 FINE

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 5. ARMINFO. The ArmenTel telecom company has paid
to the state budget 157.6 mln AMD (almost $400,000) as a fine.

The press service of the State Commission for Economic Competition
Protection says that the relevant document was submitted to the
commission today.

To remind, Aug 1 2005 the Armenian Government fined ArmenTel for 1%
of its turnover of 2004 ($400,000) for monopoly abuse and low quality
mobile service.

Armenia 0 Holland 1

Sporting Life, UK
Sept 4 2005

Holland kept themselves on track for qualification to the 2006 World
Cup but were indebted to a single strike from Ruud van Nistelrooy
that gave them a slender victory over Armenia.

The victory was justified but Marco van Basten’s men were deeply
unconvincing as they struggled to penetrate the Armenian defence.

Holland had 74% of the possession in both halves of the match, but
no more than six shots were fired at Armenia keeper Roman Berezovsky.

The Dutch goal was scored in the second half by Manchester United
star van Nistelrooy, who played well but was unlucky in front of goal.

Van Nistelrooy’s strike came in the 63rd minute after Khalid Boulahrouz
sent a long ball to substitute Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink, who had
only entered the field of play a minute earlier.

The rangy striker headed the ball towards Van Nistelrooy, who turned
away from his marker and rifled the ball into the back of the net.

The Oranje started well and had three chances in the first 15 minutes,
only for Van Nistelrooy, Philip Cocu and Robin van Persie to have no
luck with their shots.

However besides a header from Dirk Kuyt and a shot from Van Persie,
Holland offered little else in the first period.

In the second half Holland faced even more problems getting through
the wall of Armenian players.

After the goal their passing game fell apart and the match fizzled out.

Armenia only looked to the counter attack during the game and never
really upset the Dutch defence or goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar.

But they were undoubtedly hampered by the loss of the focal point
of their attack, Ajax striker Edgar Manucharian, to a 17th minute
hamstring injury.

HELSINKI FINAL ACT PUBLISHED IN ARMENIAN

A1+
| 19:00:38 | 02-09-2005 | Politics |

In connection with the 30th anniversary of the signing of the Helsinki
final act, on the initiative of the RA Ministry of Foreign Affairs
and the Helsinki office in Armenia today the presentation of the
Armenian translation of the act took place. The Helsinki final act
was signed in 1975 and it is considered the OSCE starting point.

Meeting in Helsinki the Governments of 35 countries finished the summit
with the signing of the final act which put an end to the cold war and
contributed to the uniting of Europe. The act is a collection of 10
main principles which are followed by the OSCE member countries. In
1992 after declaring independence Armenia joined the OSCE. Now it
has 55 members.

According to the OSCE Yerevan office head Vladimir Pryakhin, the OSCE
contributed to the development of peace, stability and democracy in
its member countries.

BORDER TRESPASSER DETAINED IN AZERBAIJAN

ANS TV, Baku
29 Aug 05

[Presenter] A border trespasser has been detained in the Samkir
section of the Georgian-Azerbaijani state border when trying to
penetrate Azerbaijan’s territory, the press service of the State Border
Service has reported. The trespasser had no ID card. A total of 9,000
Armenian drams [19 dollars], a piece of paper with the names of Ruslan
Basirli [who was arrested on charges of collaborating with Armenian
special services], Osman Alimuradov and Said Miriyev and their mobile
phone numbers, and Internet and e-mail addresses of the Yeni Fikir
[New Thought] youth organization were seized from the trespasser
who introduced himself as Georgian citizen (?Kurami Georgiyevich
Akhveldiani). The investigation established that he actually was
a resident of the Georgian town of Gori, (?Merabi Vakhtangovich
Dzhibutia), 49.

Dzhibutia said that he met Basirli and his interpreter Alimuradov in
Tbilisi on 28-29 July and then went to Armenia for a private business
trip, the State Border Service said in the report.

After returning from Armenia, he phoned home from Tbilisi and
his brother-in-law, (?Tamari Muxadze), told him that the Georgian
Prosecutor-General’s Office and the special services were searching for
him in connection with the guests from Azerbaijan. Dzhibutia was afraid
of being brought to book. He decided to come to Azerbaijan and meet
Basirli to clarify the issue. He crossed the state border illegally
with help of a person named (?Georgiy) who had been introduced to
him by his friend (?Andro Chelidze).

The investigation department of the State Border Service instituted
legal proceedings against Dzhibutia on charges of illegal crossing
the state border. The investigation into the case has already ended
and he was arrested on 29 August under a ruling of Baku’s Sabayil
district court.

ASBAREZ ONLINE
TOP STORIES
08/30/2005
TO ACCESS PREVIOUS ASBAREZ ONLINE EDITIONS PLEASE VISIT OUR
WEBSITE AT <;HTTP://

1) France Pushes Ahead with Cyprus Question pre Turkey-EU Talks
2) ANCA Sets Record Straight in Face of Continued Azeri Misinformation on
Mountainous Karabagh
3) No Breakthrough in Kazan, Says FM Okanian
4) Cascade Credit Issued Armenian Bonds Gain USAID Guarantee
5) Heated Debates on Proposed Constitutional Reforms Continue in Armenia’s
Parliament
6) Parliament Chairman to Participate in State Department Program for Emerging
Leaders

1) France Pushes Ahead with Cyprus Question pre Turkey-EU Talks

(AFP/RTE News)–French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy has raised the
pressure on Turkey over Cyprus, saying it is inconceivable that a country
seeking to enter the EU could fail to recognize all its members.
Turkey is due to start EU entry talks on October 3, but has angered the union
by saying that its signing of a key EU protocol does not signify
recognition of
the Greek Cypriot government.
The EU recognizes the Greek Cypriot government of the divided island of
Cyprus, while Turkey has long supported the breakaway Turkish Cypriot northern
region.
“It is hardly conceivable that a country that is asking to enter a community
refuses to recognize one of its members,” Douste-Blazy told a conference of
French ambassadors.
France “does not want to start a new crisis in Europe” but as an EU member it
“is within its rights in asking Turkey to clarify its position” on Cyprus,
Douste-Blazy said.
Turkey was high on the agenda of the ambassadors’ meeting, whose theme this
year was the implications of the May 29 referendum in which French voters
rejected the proposed EU constitution treaty.
Opposition by some French parties to Turkey joining the EU was used as an
argument during the campaign for the constitution referendum, although the
issue was unconnected with the treaty itself.
French President Jacques Chirac said on Monday Turkey had to clarify its
stance on Cyprus and added it must offer assurances that it will carry out all
its commitments to the European Union. Chirac has promised to put the issue of
Turkish membership to a referendum; the European Commission repeated on Monday
its position that Turkey did not have to recognize Cyprus in order for
accession talks to begin.
EU President Jose Manuel Barroso said in an interview published on Tuesday
that no European Union members have suggested delaying the start of EU
membership talks with Turkey.
“So far, no country has signaled to me that it wants to delay the start of
talks [from the Oct. 3 target date],” Barroso was quoted as saying by Polish
daily Gazeta Wyborcza.
“The European Commission prepared a project of negotiations with Turkey.
It is
up to the countries in the EU to decide [to back it or not],” he said.
Douste-Blazy said France wanted to “respect its commitments but expects
Turkey
and other candidate countries to respect theirs and satisfy the conditions for
joining the Union

2) ANCA Sets Record Straight in Face of Continued Azeri Misinformation on
Mountainous Karabagh

“At the heart of this issue is Nagorno Karabagh–a democracy defending itself
against a corrupt monarchy that blockades its neighbors and abuses its own
citizens.”

–ANCA Memo to Congress, August 26, 2005

WASHINGTON, DC–In letters sent last week to every Member of Congress, the
Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) responded to the recent
escalation of Azeri Embassy’s misinformation campaign by outlining the
long-standing United States record in support of Mountainous Karabagh.
In an August 26th memo to Congressional offices, ANCA Executive Director Aram
Hamparian explained that, “the Azerbaijan government–on the defensive about
its own record on democracy and freedom–is again resorting to misstatements
and outright falsehood to advance its agenda.” The ANCA letter came in
response to an August 17th letter by Azeri Ambassador Hafez Pashayev, which
misrepresented the progress of democracy and free elections in Mountainous
Karabagh. Erroneous statements in the letter included false assertions that
“Nagorno Karabagh was never independent nor a part of Armenia,” as well as
untrue charges about Armenian aggression.
The ANCA memo highlighted several key points concerning United States support
for Mountainous Karabagh:

– Declassified CIA reports from the seventies, eighties, and nineties
reveal a
pattern of official –although confidential-acknowledgment that Mountainous
Karabagh is a historic part of Armenia. ()

– In the late 1980’s, the United States welcomed Mountainous Karabagh’s
historic challenge to the Soviet system and its leadership in sparking
democratic movements in the Baltics and throughout the Soviet empire.

– The US Senate, in November of 1989, adopted SJ Res 178, recognizing that
“Nagorno-Karabagh has continually expressed its desire for self-determination
and freedom.”

– The US State Department’s representative to the OSCE “Minsk Group”
regularly
visits Mountainous Karabagh, which is an official party to the peace process,
and consults with its democratically elected leaders.

– The US Government, since 1992, has been on record officially condemning
Azerbaijan’s blockades and other uses of force against both Armenia and
Mountainous Karabagh (Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act).

– The US Government, over Azerbaijan’s protests, has provided direct
humanitarian assistance to Mountainous Karabagh since 1998.

– On August 3rd, Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chairs Frank Pallone (D-NJ)
and Joe Knollenberg (R-MI) initiated a Congressional letter to President Bush,
drawing attention to “the important progress being made by the people of the
Nagorno Karabakh Republic, Artsakh, towards freedom, peace and prosperity.”
This letter, which is currently gaining signatures during the Congressional
recess, notes that, just as, the US champions “freedom for all peoples around
the world, we should also continue supporting the aspirations of the people of
Artsakh to live in freedom, particularly in the strategically important South
Caucasus.”
ANCA chapters and activists have been contacting their legislators over the
past month in support of the Congressional letter to President Bush, set to
delivered to the White House on September 30th.

3) No Breakthrough in Kazan, Says FM Okanian

YEREVAN (RFE/RL/Yerkir)–Armenia’s foreign minister Vartan Oskanian indicated
that though talks between the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan were
positive, there were no breakthroughs resulting from their weekend meeting in
Kazan.
“True, no breakthrough was achieved during that meeting, but we do
consider it
positive and believe that the negotiations are following a positive
course,” he
told a news conference on Tuesday.
“The most important thing is that the presidents’ meeting in Kazan enables
the
[foreign] ministers to continue their work. I think that there will be a
meeting of the ministers in the near future.”
He pointed out that the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group may also be
visiting
the region.
“I think that we have some work to do regarding the results of the
presidents’
meeting and that there is now new room for continuing the process,” Oskanian
said.
Oskanian’s Azeri counterpart Elmar Mammadyarov seems to agree. He told
reporters on Monday that though each presidential meeting is a step
forward, it
is too early to talk about progress. “We have not yet reached a point where we
need to inform our public about details,” he explained. “We are still not
there. That is why it is not worth thinking about that,” he told reporters on
Monday.
Talks between Armenian President Robert Kocharian and Azeri President Ilham
Aliyev were held on the sidelines of the August 27 summit of the Commonwealth
of Independent States in Kazan, the capital of Russia’s Tatarstan.
Oskanian provided to reporters an overview of that summit as well as
Armenia’s
integration process into Europe, emphasizing joint projects carried out by
Armenia, the European Union, and NATO.

4) Cascade Credit Issued Armenian Bonds Gain USAID Guarantee

YEREVAN (ArmenPress)–Cascade Credit CJSC and the United States Agency for
International Development (USAID) signed a loan guarantee agreement on
Tuesday,
whereby USAID has agreed to guarantee Cascade Credit CJSC issued bonds.

US Ambassador John Evans, USAID Country Mission Director Robin Phillips, and
Cascade Credit Executive Director Garegin Gevorgyan signed the agreement at
Cascade Capital Holding headquarters in Yerevan, Armenia.
This agreement will provide a partial guarantee of Cascade Credit bonds to be
issued and traded on the Armenian Stock Exchange (ARMEX).
If necessary, the guarantee will cover up to 50 percent of the principal
amount of Cascade Credit’s public debt. The proceeds from the bond issuance
will be primarily used for financing Armenian exports.
A subsidiary of Cascade Capital Holdings, Cascade Credit CJSC is a
non-banking
credit organization actively engaged in developing the Armenian Public
Corporate Debt market, by introducing a range of financial products and
concepts specifically tailored for Armenia. It aims to become a major
mediating
financial player in Armenia, focusing on identifying market inefficiencies and
eliminating them through profitable strategies. Cascade Capital Holdings is
100% owned by the Cafesjian Family Foundation (CFF), a United States 501(C) 3
organization.
According to Garegin Gevorgyan, Executive Director of Cascade Credit, “the
USAID partial guarantee for bonds to be issued by Cascade Credit will pave the
way for development of capital markets in Armenia by illustrating the
viability
of public corporate debt market.”
“It is also a major step towards Cascade Capital’s goal to become a financial
market leader in Armenia and the Caucasus,” elaborated Jonathan Stark, Deputy
Director of Cascade Capital Holdings.

5) Heated Debates on Proposed Constitutional Reforms Continue in Armenia’s
Parliament

YEREVAN (ArmenPress/Yerkir)–Armenian lawmakers continued to debate
constitutional reforms proposed by the President and the coalition government,
but failed to meet the vote deadline, after their second and final reading.
The draft was harshly criticized by members of the opposition “National
Unity”
and “Justice” factions, who called on Armenians to reject the proposed
amendments during a national referendum in October.
But Levon Mkrtchian, the leader of Armenian Revolutionary Federation faction
in parliament rejected the oppositions arguments that the proposed draft would
be “tantamount to losing an opportune chance to advance reforms.”
“These draft amendments will enable us to become the most democratic country
of the region,” Mkrtchian told the parliament’s extraordinary session on
constitutional amendments.
He also noted that when presenting the amendments to the public, politicians
should be truthful in mentioning both the positive and the negative aspects of
the charter.
“Today, we are determining the country’s future and not the issue of
tomorrow’s rulers,” Mkrtchian told the opposition.
The proposed reforms enjoy the backing of the Council of Europe, particularly
its advisory body on constitutional law, the Venice Commission.
But the opposition Justice alliance’s Shavarsh Kocharian insisted that the
draft does not include 16 of the key proposals by the Venice commission,
including the issue of electing the capital’s mayor via direct polls.
The head of the Council of Europe office in Armenia, Bojana Urumova told
parliament on Monday, however, that the Venice Commission “believes in [the]
text and supports it fully.” She was speaking on behalf of the Commission’s
secretary Gianni Buquicchio.
The European Union and the United States also back the reforms. “The United
States supports the efforts of all those who have been involved in the process
of attempting to amend the current Armenian Constitution, and encourages all
parties to engage in responsible and constructive debate on this issue,” US
Ambassador to Armenia John Evans said in a statement published by Yerevan
newspapers on Saturday.

6) Parliament Chairman to Participate in State Department Program for Emerging
Leaders

YEREVAN (Armenpress)–The US Embassy in Armenia said the US Department of
State
will host a series of meetings for Armenian Parliament Chairman Arthur
Baghdasarian during the Washington, DC portion of his trip to the United
States.
Baghdasarian will be in the US August 31 to September 7, as a part of the
State Department’s International Visitor Program, and will meet with
government
officials, NGO representatives, and the press.
Baghdasarian is scheduled to hold meetings with Speaker of the House of
Representatives J. Dennis Hastert (R-Illinois), Democratic National Committee
Chairman Howard Dean, and Congressmen Knollenberg (R-MI) and Pallone (D-NJ) of
the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues, as well as with various
high-level
Department of State, National Security Council, US Agency for International
Development and Millennium Challenge Corporation officials.
Baghdasarian is also expected to give a presentation at the Center for
Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).
Launched in 1940, the US Department of State International Visitor Program
seeks to build mutual understanding between the United States and other
nations
through professional visits to the US for current and emerging foreign
leaders.
Over 180 current and former heads of government and state and other world
leaders in public and private sectors have participated in Program.

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CHARLES AZNAVOUR IN SAMARKAND TO ATTEND MUSIC FESTIVAL

Armenpress
Aug 29, 2005

SAMARKAND, AUGUST 29, ARMENPRESS: Acclaimed French singer of Armenian
origin, Charles Aznavour, has arrived in Samarkand in the former
Soviet republic of Uzbekistan, to attend Eastern Melodies international
music festival.
He was welcomed by Uzbekistan’s president Islam Karimov. Aznavour
traveled today from Samarkand to Bukhara to see its famous
architectural monuments and came back the same day. He was quoted
by Aida Ibrahimova from the festival steering commission as saying
that he had realized his youth dream when at the age of 12 he had
read a book called Let Us Go to Samarkand. The festival has brought
musicians from 50 countries.

Azerbaijan News Service
Aug 24 2005

CAPTIVE AZERBAIJANI ENSIGN RETURNED
2005-08-24 20:44

The Armenian side delivered on 24 August the Azerbaijani military
serviceman Ramil Khudaverdiyev, detained earlier this month, reported
Baku representative office of the International Red Cross Committee
(IRCC). The delivery took place at the Armenian-Azerbaijani border
between Tavush and Gazakh regions. IRCC took part in this process as
the neutral mediator based on the appeals of the relevant bodies of
the governments of Armenia and Azerbaijan. The report notes, to be
sure the military wants to come back home the IRCC representatives
met with him prior to delivery.

From: [email protected]
Subject: Report: Armenian, Azerbaijani foreign ministers to meet on NK talks

Report: Armenian, Azerbaijani foreign ministers to meet on
Nagorno-Karabakh talks

.c The Associated Press

MOSCOW (AP) – The foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan were
scheduled to meet Monday for talks on the latest efforts to resolve
the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute, news agencies reported.

Ethnic Armenian forces seized the mountainous enclave during a war in
the 1990s that killed thousands and displaced millions. A tense
cease-fire has held since 1994 and efforts to finally resolve its
status have repeatedly failed.

The two foreign ministers were expected to lay the groundwork for a
meeting of the countries’ two presidents later this week, Interfax
news agency reported.

The return of refugees, withdrawal from some territories and
introducing peacekeeping forces are among the issues being discussed.

Presidents Ilham Aliev of Azerbaijan and Robert Kocharian of Armenia
were slated to meet on Friday in Kazan on the sidelines of a meeting
of leaders from several former Soviet republics.

08/22/05 03:38 EDT