Author: Karabekian Emil

Mujgan Suver: “Turkey do not organize flights to Armenia”

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
March 17 2006

[ 17 Mar. 2006 17:56 ]

“Istanbul-Yerevan and the opposite direction flights are not organized
by the Turkish government but a private company,” head of Turkey
Marmara Strategic and Social Researches Foundation on European Union
and Human Rights Platform, Mujgan Suver told APA.

She stated that Istanbul-Yerevan and the opposite direction flights
that are held twice a week are for Armenians who are Turkish citizens,
and they travel to visit their relations in Armenia. Mujgan Suver
also added that Turkey does not violate the rights of Armenians and
other nations living in Turkey./APA/

ROGER ROBINSON: INCREASE IN PRICE FOR GAS WILL HAVE NO BIG NEGATIVE IMPACT ON ARMENIA’S ECONOMY
By Ara Martirosian

AZG Armenian Daily
17/03/2006

Roger Robinson, head of the World Bank Office in Armenia, expressed an
opinion that the increase in price for gas will have no big negative
impact on Armenia’s economy. The WB experts haven’t completed
the researches on the issue yet and the final conclusion will be
represented soon. Robinson stated that notwithstanding the increase
in oil price, the progress is still fixed in the economy of Armenia.

They also stated that RA Central Bank will manage to preserve the
inflation indicator within the framework of envisaged 3%.

2ND SESSION OF WORLD AZERBAIJANI CONGRESS OPENED IN BAKU

12:29 03/16/2006

On March 16 in Baku opens 2nd session of World Azerbaijani Congress. As
a REGNUM correspondent has been informed in the State Committee on
Relations with Azerbaijanis Abroad, around 600 delegates from 49
countries and 300 guests will participate in the Congress. They will
discuss current situation in the Azerbaijani Diaspora, new methods
of international community familiarization with modern situation
in Azerbaijan, strengthening of relations with other Diasporas. To
prepare the concept of the Azerbaijani Diaspora activity, participants
will discuss the organization of work group dedicated to development
of joint strategy development of the Azerbaijani and Turkish Diasporas.

On March 15, around 100 representatives from different countries,
including Germany, Switzerland, Hungary and other countries, met
the Alley of Shahids, where victims of Karabakh war and January 20
are buried.

U.S. URGES RETURN OF DISPLACED AZERIS

Journal of Turkish Weekly, Turkey
March 16 2006

The U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Europe and Asia, Daniel
Fried, today called for the return of all internally-displaced
Azerbaijanis to lands that have been occupied by ethnic-Armenian
forces since 1994, RFE/RL’s Azerbaijani Service reported.

Addressing reporters in Baku, Fried also cautioned against resumption
of hostilities between Azerbaijan and Armenia over the disputed
enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh.

“The process of Azerbaijanis returning to Azerbaijani lands should
begin as soon as possible and the war would be a catastrophe for
everyone.”

An estimated 600,000 Azeris and Kurds from areas surrounding Karabakh
were driven from their homes when Armenian forces moved into Azerbaijan
in the early 1990s.

The United States co-chairs the Minsk Group of nations that have been
charged by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe
(OSCE) to help Armenia and Azerbaijan settle their 18-year-old
dispute. France and Russia are the other co-chairs.

Steven Mann, the U.S. envoy to the Minsk Group, today said in Baku
that both Armenia and Azerbaijan have an opportunity to achieve some
of their demands this year.

Mann and Fried are expected to travel to Armenia later this week
before attending a Minsk Group meeting in Istanbul.

(with additional material from Turan, Day.Az, APA) Radio Free Europe /
Radio Liberty © 2006 RFE/RL, 14 March 2006

–Boundary_(ID_0gmQOBRbZ9OIGZNelzZ4LA)–

WE WERE UNAWARE OF THEIR PRESENCE, POLICE SAY
By Cyrus Ombati

Standard, Kenya
March 14 2006

The Kenya Airports Police Unit (Kapu) was not informed of the presence
of the two Armenians who addressed the press at the Jomo Kenyatta
International Airport on Monday morning.

Commandant Moses Nyakwama and his CID counterpart Judy Ndeda said the
unit did not know that the two foreigners were talking to journalists
at the VIP lounge.

Kapu is charged with security matters at all airports in the country
and the unit’s officers are usually informed of any event taking
place at the VIP lounge preserved for top Government officials.

A team of detectives, including Kenya Airports Authority and Kapu
officers, has been told to investigate those who arranged the press
conference.

The team had by last evening interrogated seven KAA employees over
the saga.

“There is still a lot to be investigated and officers need time.

Security officials were not aware of the events then,” said Nyakwama.

The police boss said the team sewould interrogate everyone who was
involved in the press conference.

Some of the members asked if journalists who went to interview the
Armenians got clearance from the KAA security desk.

ACCORDING TO TIGRAN TOROSIAN, PACE COMMISSION ON KARABAKH PROBABLY WILL CONTINUE WORKING

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Mar 15 2006

PARIS, MARCH 15, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The fate of the PACE
Ad Hoc Commission on Nagorno Karabakh will be discussed at the March
15 PACE Bureau sitting in Paris. The report of Chairman of Ad Hoc
Commission on Nagorno Karabakh Russel Jonston was heard in the evening
of March 13, at the sitting of PACE Commission on Political Issues.

As RA NA Vice Speaker, head of Armenian parliamentary delegation in
PACE Tigran Torosian informed radio “Liberty”, to all probability,
at the PACE Bureau today’s sitting it will be finally decided that
the Ad Hoc Commission on Nagorno Karabakh will continue working under
the aegis of the Bureau.

According to Torosian, the Chairman of the PACE Commission on Political
Issues objected at the previous sitting considering that it’s not
right that PACE Bureau establish an ad hoc commission on issues
within the interests of this or that PACE commission, in this case,
Commission on Political Issues.

Lord Russel Jonston expressed an opinion at the end of his yesterday’s
speech that it will be right that the Ad Hoc Commission on Nagorno
Karabakh preserves its status. “He emphasized that in the future the
Commission’s most important task will be to prepare the two peoples for
future solutions. I.e., the Commission will do its best for appeals
for war and hatred to cease,” the head of the Armenian parliamentary
delegation in PACE mentioned.

According to Tigran Torosian, the Armenian and Azerbaijani delegations’
opinions aroud the issue coincided: “it’s right that the Commission
should preserve its status and continue being engaged in these issues”.

BETTER LATE THAN NEVER?

Panorama.am
13:58 14/03/06

The editorial staff of “Mekh” student’s paper of Faculty of Culture
at Armenian State Pedagogical University had organized a contribution
the funds collected during which were handed in to the manager of
museum of Khachatur Abovyan Zatikyan.

An analogical donation was made by the pupils of School N 6 in Abovyan
city years ago. At those times $100 was great help to the museum. At
present, as the manager mentions, 200 million drams were let from the
budget which is enough to repair the building of the museum. Besides,
thanks to the financial assistance it will be possible to realize
an interesting idea: 4 monuments will be erected on the road to
the museum; Abovyan with Alamdaryan, Nazaryants, Ashtaraketsi and
Parrot. As they say, better late than never. It was high time for
the museum to be repaired.

RA MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS HIGHLY APPRAISES CONSTANT ASSISTANCE OF AMERICAN GOVERNMENT TO ARMENIA

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Mar 07 2006

YEREVAN, MARCH 7, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TOADY. On March 7, a
thorough discussion over the dynamically developing and saturated
Armenian-American agenda, as well as a number of international and
regional issues, was held at the meeting of Matthew Bryza, USA Deputy
Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs,
and Vartan Oskanian, RA Minister of the Foreign Affairs.

The Minister highly appraised the constant support of the American
Government to Armenia in the direction of the democracy, protection of
human rights and economic reforms. In that sense some details connected
with the decision of the U.S. Millennium Challenge Corporation to
give a big grant to Armenia were discussed.

Then the sides touched upon the energy issues of the territory within
the framework of correlation of energy possibilities with the other
countries of the region and of diversification of the energy sphere
of Armenia.

The Minister in short also presented some priority directions of the
foreign policy of Armenia, stressing out the process of implementing
of the Individual Partnership Actions Plan within the framwork of
Armenia-NATO cooperation, as well as the negotiations being held with
EU within the framwork of the New Neighborhood policy, the second
stage of which successfuly ended on March 6.

As Noyan Tapan was informed from the Press and Information Department
of the RA Ministry of Foreign Affairs, at the end of the meeting the
sides discussed issues over the regional cooperation, as well as the
situation formed after the last stage of the negotiations round the
peaceful settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.

POLICE FIND WEAPONS IN WESTERN AZERI DISTRICT AFTER TIP-OFF

Lider TV, Baku
6 Mar 06

[Presenter] A large batch of arms and ammunition has been found by
the side of a road between Xanlar and Goy Gol [western Azerbaijan].

The person who had left the weapons tipped off the Xanlar district
police.

[Correspondent, over video of cartridges, guns] A total of 4,500 5.45
mm bullets, four magazines, two Kalashnikov rifles, one sawn-off
16 mm shotgun, four F-1 hand grenades, a 32-mm hunting rifle, one
small-calibre pistol, 120 machine-gun cartridges and a bayonet were
found following an anonymous call to the duty unit of the Xanlar
police.

Police chief Maharram Quliyev said that the weapons had been left
by the side of the Xanlar – Goy Gol road. Some people resort to such
methods because they are cautious about handing over their weapons.

[Maharram Quliyev] Those were the weapons given to people at the
start of the war [for Nagornyy Karabakh] in 1990-91 when the state
was not strong enough. People are handing over the weapons that were
given to them during the war.

[Correspondent] A similar anonymous call was made to the Xanlar
police earlier this year. The police then discovered a five-shot gun
and cartridges.

UN RESOLUTIONS LEGALIZE NAGORNO KARABAKH AS NEGOTIATION PARTY

PanARMENIAN.Net
08.03.2006 20:59 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The UN resolutions maintain positive nuances,
as they not merely condemn the activities of local forces and urge
to abandon the seized regions. As a matter of fact the resolutions
legalize Nagorno Karabakh as a party to negotiations, chairman of
the RA National Assembly Standing Committee for Foreign Affairs in
1995-1999 Hovhannes Igityan told PanARMENIAN.Net reporter. In his
words, presently it’s very important not to make abrupt moves and
sharp statements. “Hostilities may change the format of the talks.

Countries wide of the conflict will settle the Nagorno Karabakh
problem. This is the purpose of Azerbaijan, which says that the OSCE
MG is already exhausted and tries to transfer the issue to the UN,”
he said.

Hovhannes Igityan also noted that the right to self-determination
of nations within the UN transformed in the right of peoples. “Any
change of format demands new juridical basis. In this case Armenia and
NKR can face the worst scenario – something like the Moscow Treaty
of 1921 between Russia and Turkey or the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact,”
Igityan emphasized.