Author: Nalbandian Albert

Nothing new in Karabakh talks with Azerbaijan – Armenian leader

Mediamax news agency
20 Apr 04

YEREVAN

“There are no news regarding a settlement of the Nagornyy Karabakh
conflict,” Armenian President Robert Kocharyan told a briefing in
Yerevan today.

The meeting between the Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers
which took place in Prague on 16 April was mainly for familiarization
purposes, Kocharyan said.

Speaking about his meeting on 19 April with the new US co-chairman of
the OSCE Minsk Group, Kocharyan said that Steven Mann “is well aware
of the situation and developments in the region”.

HISTORIC RAISING OF ARMENIAN FLAG AT FRESNO CITY HALL

Armenian National Committee, Central California
Post Office Box 626
Fresno, California 93709

PRESS RELEASE

April 18, 2004

Contact: Hygo Ohannessian, Chairwoman
(559) 977-4894, E-mail, [email protected]

For the first time in Fresno’s history, to help commemorate the Armenian
Genocide, the City of Fresno will raise the Armenian flag to fly alongside
the United States and California flags in front of City Hall.

The flag raising ceremony is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. on April 24, 2004, at
the flagpole area of Fresno City Hall (corner of “P” and Fresno Streets).

Steven M. Vartabedian, Associate Justice, 5th District, California Courts of
Appeals, is the guest speaker and Fresno City Councilman Tom Boyajian is the
master of ceremonies. After the presentation of the flag, the Homenetmen
Scouts will raise the Armenian Tricolor alongside the U.S. and California
flags. Hygo Ohannessian, Chairwoman of Armenian National Committee Central
California will also address the audience.

Over the years, the Fresno City Council has appropriately commemorated the
Armenian Genocide through proclamations citing April 24 as Armenian Genocide
Remembrance Day. This year, Armenian National Committee took the initiative
to have the Armenian flag flown over Fresno City Hall to honor the victims
of the Armenian Genocide.

“The US and Armenian flags are symbols of hope, freedom and justice. This
gesture of good will honors the legacy Armenian-Americans share with the
City of Fresno, and it conveys a message that we stand shoulder to shoulder
to help resolve historic injustices, most notably the atrocities that befell
the Armenian people” said Hygo Ohannessian, Chairwoman.

The community is urged to attend this historic flag raising ceremony.
Parking is free at the designated North and South City Hall lots.

####

Campaign for Recognition of the
Armenian Genocide (CRAG)

w3.accc.org.uk / w3.24april.org
[email protected]

18 April 2004

Dear Friends & Supporters:

AA

SPECIAL REMINDER ONE

PENCIL IN YOUR DATES: 23, 24 and 25 April 2004 for the 89th
anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.

1) Friday, 23 April 2004, at 7:30 pm:

A 90-minute ARMENIAN GENOCIDE SPECIAL MEMORIAL SERVICE with the
theme WE SHALL NOT DIE takes place at St John’s Anglican Church, Lansdowne
Crescent, Ladbroke Grove, (closest to Notting Hill Gate, Ladbroke Grove or
Holland Park tube stations) in London W11 2NN.

Thematising the Armenian Genocide, the Memorial Service will include a mix
of short addresses by distinguished speakers with short performances by
internationally-acclaimed and British-based Armenian artists who will generously
blend spiritual dance (Shakeh Avanessian), poetry (Garo Toughtarian), violin
(Tatevik Khacahtryan), piano (Anna Saradjian), organ (Arthur Babikian),
song (Nicole Carapiet) and duduk (Ara Petrosyan).

CRAG invites you all to support this unique and outward-looking evening. It is
an open and free public event, and you are encouraged to invite your Armenian
and British friends to attend this special remembrance event and pay homage to
the victims of the first genocide of the 20th century and to the surviving and
prevailing spirit of Armenians worldwide today.

2) Saturday, 24 April 2004:

aa) MARCH from Marble Arch to the Cenotaph at Whitehall. The assembly
point is at 12:30 pm at Marble Arch (nearest tube station, Marble Arch
on the Central line), and the starting time will be at 1:00 pm sharp.

A prayer and commemorative wreath at the Cenotaph, will be followed
by the handing of a letter a letter to PM Tony Blair.

A coach service is available from Acton Town, near Hayashen / Acton
High School. It departs at 11:30 am.

bb) SILENT VIGIL outside the Turkish Embassy, 43 Belgrave Square,
Belgravia, London SW1, from 4:30 pm until 6:30 pm.

Nearest tube station is Hyde Park Corner.

cc) Requiem Service / HOKEHANKISD presided by HG Bishop Nathan
Hovhannisian, at St Sarkis Church at 7:00 pm.

3) Sunday, 25 April 2004, at 1:30 pm:

CRAG is also privileged to sponsor a lecture by the Armenian
American lawyer Vartkes Yeghiayan, and chaired by member
of BALA, the British Armenian Lawyers’ Association in the UK.

The timely topic will be the $20 million Armenian Genocide Insurance
Settlement. Mr Yeghiayan will elaborate on the proposed settlement
of class action lawsuit pending in the California Federal Court.

The venue is the Gulbenkian Hall, next to St Sarkis Church,
Iverna gardens, London W8. (Closest tube station, Kensington
High Street on the Circle and District lines).

CRAG invites all Armenian individuals and organisations to ATTEND
those commemorative and marking events.

BB

NEW YORK TIMES REVERSES POLICY ON ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

In a move aimed at reaffirming its past record on the first genocide
of the 20th Century, the New York Times has lifted its long-standing
policy against the use of the term “Armenian Genocide,” reported the
Armenian National Committee (ANC) of New York.

According to a news release by the International Association of Genocide
Scholars, The New York Times revised guideline for journalists states that
“after careful study of scholarly definitions of ‘genocide’, we have decided
to accept the term in references to the Turks’ mass destruction of
Armenians in and around 1915.” The policy goes on to note that “the
expression ‘Armenian genocide’ may be used freely and should not be
qualified with phrasing like ‘what Armenians call,’ etc.

For full details, log on

CC.

The Armenian Genocide and Historical Memory

A newly-published book in English, by Ethnographer Dr Vergine Svazlian,
consists of 650 survivors’ stories and eye-witnesses accounts of the
Armenian Genocide, methodically carried out by the government
of Turkey between 1915-1922.

This book is a heavy contribution to the history of the Armenian
Genocide. Published in 500 copies it will be distributed to foreign
embassies in Armenia, international organizations, researching in
Armenian history. Its Turkish-language edition will appear soon.

For full details, log on

DD.

Historic Maps of Armenia: The Cartographic Heritage

A new book by Rouben Galitchian, private scholar and collector, brings
together an extraordinary collection of maps from the earliest times into the
modern era. It reproduces the most important representations of Armenia,
and consists a work of reference and artistic distinction which will prove an
essential tool to all who follow the history of Armenia, the Caucasus, the
Ottoman and Iranian worlds, collectors and enthusiasts of cartography.

Publishers are I. B. Tauris, and you can access them for full information and
order forms at

For full details also, log on

EE.

Genocide and Minorities, Preventing the Preventable

CRAG refers to the advocacy briefing, Genocide and Minorities, Preventing
the Preventable, by John Packer and Erik Friberg, that was launched by the
UK-based Minority Rights Group International on 15 April 2004 at the United
Nations Office, Palais des Nations, Geneva.

To access directly, ,where you can
also read the full briefing (in pdf format). Again, for this document as well
as other events and documents, log on

o0o

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

***
The CRAG data-base network is constantly updated and edited.
If you received this message in error, or would like to be removed
from the list, send an e-mail with “Please Remove” in the subject
heading to [email protected] Kindly accept our apologies for any
inconvenience whatsoever this may have caused as we try to
deal with your request.

***
Kindly forward this message only to friends and family whom you
know would be interested in the issue. If you have received this
e-mail from a friend and would like to be included on our CRAG
network, send an e-mail with “Please Include” in the subject
heading to [email protected] – with your name and address.

***
Most of the news items, messages or documents that CRAG
shares with you on its data-base can also usually be found
on the CRAG link at w3.accc.org.uk (with regular updates) or
w3.24april.org for background events. CRAG remains thankful
to the ACCC Webmaster for keeping the CRAG page up-to
-date, and welcomes all constructive and helpful comments.

***
Given the numerous requests CRAG receives these days
for adding addressees to its data-base, we appreciate
your letting us know who you are as well since some of the
electronic addresses are totally incongruous. Thanks!

***
Sending unsolicited e-mail is considered “spam” and is therefore
deemed illegal according to both national and EU directives.

PENSIONS WILL BE RAISED

Azat Artsakh–Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR)
16-04-2004

According to the law adopted by the NKR National Assembly, the
pensions of the rank and file soldiers disabled during the military
actions, as well as during their service and the families of killed
soldiers will be raised by 20 percent, i.e. by 700-2000 AM drams.

NAIRA HAYRUMIAN.
16-04-2004

Security stepped up at Armenian nuclear plant, president says

Mediamax news agency
16 Apr 04

YEREVAN

Armenian President Robert Kocharyan said in Yerevan today that “the
work to step up security at the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) is
proceeding”.

Armenian President Robert Kocharyan said this addressing a meeting of
the council on nuclear power security under the president, Mediamax
reports.

“A number of important measures from the point of view of security
have been carried out at the NPP recently,” the Armenian president
said.

Barbara Bejoian, at 49; playwright, Red Sox fan*

The Boston Globe
4/14/2004

By Gloria Negri

The last play Barbara Bejoian wrote was about an elderly man who is
taken from his nursing home to attend what he knows will be his last Red
Sox game.

Like him, Ms. Bejoian, an accomplished playwright whose works have been
performed in the United States, Britain, and Armenia, was a lifelong Red
Sox fan.

Like him, she was also looking forward to what she sensed might be her
last Red Sox game, this Sunday, against the Yankees.

Ms. Bejoian, 49, formerly of Watertown, died Saturday at her home in
Barrington, R.I., after a long battle with metastatic rectal cancer.

A fleece Red Sox blanket given to her by a godchild kept her warm during
her final illness, her husband, Newell Thomas, said yesterday. It will
be buried with her.

Ms. Bejoian, winner of 10 National Endowment for the Arts awards, was a
professor of playwriting, English, and creative writing. Her students
ranged from children whose second language was English to undergraduates
and graduate students at Brown University, New York University, Rhode
Island School of Design, and Rhode Island College. One of her plays will
appear in a future anthology of Armenian writers, to be published by
Columbia University Press.

No matter what Ms. Bejoian undertook, friends said, she did it with a
zest for life, and always succeeded. “Barb was gorgeous inside and out,”
said Majorie Hatten of Medfield, a friend since both were 12. “She would
decide she was going to achieve something and, then, reach to the top
ring before figuring out how she was going to get there.” (One time Ms.
Bejoian was determined to meet playwright Neil Simon, and she did.)

She would always go the extra mile for a friend, Hatten said. “Barb
always brought out the best in people,” she said. “If she told you that
you were beautiful and talented, you believed it because she did.”

Ms. Bejoian was born and raised in Watertown. Her brother, Robert, still
of Watertown, said their mother made her take ballet lessons as a child,
“because with three brothers, mother didn’t want her to become a
tomboy.” Ballet is what got her started in a career in the arts, he said.

A cheerleader for the Watertown High School football team, Ms. Bejoian
was the school’s homecoming queen in 1972 and graduated a year later.
She was chosen as one of two women in the state to attend the Girl’s
Nation Assembly in Washington, D.C.

She was also an award-winning speaker at Voice of Democracy contests —
writing her speeches and then reciting them from memory. In the early
1970s, she played lead roles in Boston Children’s Theatre productions.

She graduated from Wheaton College in 1977 with a degree in English. She
held a variety of jobs in publishing and in television as an advertising
executive. During one period, she worked for the BBC in London while
researching a play about Virginia Woolf. Her works were later performed
at the New End Theatre.

Her “true love was always playwriting,” her brother said, and she
enrolled in courses at Radcliffe College. When she decided to get a
master’s degree in fine arts, Ms. Bejoian moved from Boston to
Providence and received her degree from Brown University in 1984.

She won many awards for her plays, including several artist-in-residence
posts, the Brown University Creative Writing Fellowship, a Rockefeller
grant, and the Critics Choice Award at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

She won a Fulbright Scholarship in 1995 to teach creative writing at the
American University in Yerevan, Armenia, where she was accompanied by
her husband and their two sons. Her plays were performed at Yerevan
State University and at the American Embassy in Armenia.

While there, the US Embassy asked Ms. Bejoian, who was fluent in
Armenian, to travel to the remote towns of Gumri and Vanadzor, which had
been devastated by an earthquake in the mid-1980s, to teach children
about democracy and other classroom subjects.

Before her illness was diagnosed in 2002, Ms. Bejoian traveled to New
York several days a week from Providence to teach at New York
University; she was an adjunct professor there at the time of her death.
The family moved to Barrington last year.

She wrote her Red Sox play three years before her diagnosis, ending it
with the old man’s words to the young man who had brought him to the
game. “Don’t worry, Tom,” the older man said. “Nobody can live forever.
We just have to make the most of every moment on earth.”

YEREVAN PRESS CLUB WEEKLY NEWSLETTER

APRIL 9-15, 2004

HIGHLIGHTS:

VIOLENCE REPEATED

PERPETRATORS OF APRIL 5 AND 13 EVENTS MUST BE PUNISHED

CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS INSTITUTED FOR ATTACKING JOURNALISTS ON APRIL 5

MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCES ON AIR

IOSIF VERDYAN PASSED AWAY

VIOLENCE REPEATED

On April 12 in Yerevan, the procession and rally organized by opposition
forces near RA National Assembly ended up in violence. The rally
participants demanded negotiations with Speaker of Parliament, Head of RA
Police, as well as live TV broadcasting for opposition leaders and live
reports of the event. Most probably, this demand provoked heavy guarding of
the TV companies buildings by the police in the capital that day.

At about 00:30, street lights went off on Baghramian Avenue, and at about 2
am, the picket was dispersed by police units using special devices – water
jets, explosive bags, rubber bludgeons, electroshock.

In the official April 13 statement of RA Police, the actions of the rally
participants were qualified as illegal, aggressive and uncontrollable,
presenting real threat to life and health of police and the citizens. It
induced law and order bodies to use physical force and special devices
against them in accordance with RA Law “On Police”. The police declared
about initiating criminal proceedings for organization of these public
disturbances.

Among the victims (according to official data, medical care was provided to
30 people), again were journalists similarly to the meeting of opposition
deputies with the voters a week ago (see YPC Weekly Newsletter, April 2-8,
2004). The evidence of the journalists, as well as their colleagues on the
spot contradict the official version of the events on early morning of April
13: picket participants were not aggressive, “some of them even settled for
the night”, therefore it may be viewed as an action planned by the
authorities.

That night “Haikakan Zhamanak” daily correspondents Haik Gevorgian and
Avetis Babajanian, as well as cameraman of Russian ORT TV in Armenia Levon
Grigorian and “Chorrord Ishkhanutyun” newspaper correspondent Mher
Ghalechian were beaten while on duty.

According to “Haikakan Zhamanak” correspondent Haik Gevorgian, Deputy Head
of RA Police Hovhannes Varian (who, by the way, controlled the forces
keeping law and order during the April 5 rally) personally took his photo
camera away, whereas the policemen nearby started beating the journalist
with their bludgeons and feet. Afterwards, Haik Gevorgian was transported to
the police department of Nor Nork community, and later to one of Yerevan
hospitals. At present, Gevorgian receives treatment at home.

Avetis Babajanian was not as seriously injured as his colleague and was also
taken to the same police department.

ORT cameraman Levon Grigorian’s story was that civilians approached him and
tried to take the camera away (later the damaged expensive equipment was
discovered at police press service). These persons dragged the resisting
journalist to the group of special forces who started beating him with
batons using electroshock. It is only in an ambulance that Levon Grigorian
recovered consciousness.

“Chorrord Ishkhanutyun” correspondent Mher Ghalechian was exposed to
violence at about 3 am, when the journalist, on the instructions of the
editorial office, investigated into the data on the search at opposition
“Republic” Party headquarters. According to Ghalechian, he was about to
leave after taking pictures when he was assaulted by four representatives of
special forces. He was beaten, and later taken to the police department of
Erebuni community where he was detained for 16 hours.

During the raid to the headquarters of another opposition party – Popular
Party of Armenia – its press secretary Ruzan Khachatrian was arrested. The
law and order bodies broke open the door of her private office and escorted
her with beating to the police department of Center community. On April 14,
Ruzan Khachatrian was released.

PERPETRATORS OF APRIL 5 AND 13 EVENTS MUST BE PUNISHED

On April 13, Yerevan Press Club, Journalists Union of Armenia and Committee
to Protect Freedom of Expression made a statement condemning violence
against media representatives.

“On early morning of April 13, journalists were also among the victims of
the rally dispersed by police forces on Baghramian Avenue in Yerevan.

Yerevan Press Club, Journalists Union of Armenia, Committee to Protect
Freedom of Expression state that law and order bodies have not yet revealed
and punished the perpetrators of April 5 violence against the journalists.
Moreover, this time the police themselves used force towards journalists on
their duty: several media representatives were exposed to beating; their
equipment was snatched away or crashed.

We once again stress that impeding journalist activity by any person even
the police is criminal offence.

We condemn this display of violence and declare that we will be consistent
in our demands, namely to track and punish, on Article 164 of RA Criminal
Code, the persons using violence against the journalists on both April 5 and
April 13 early morning, as well as to compensate the damage caused to the
media”, the statement of three journalistic organizations runs.

Committee to Protect Journalists also appealed to the Armenian authorities
“to investigate these attacks against our colleagues and bring those
responsible to justice”.

Repeated violence against media people on duty was condemned by a number of
local journalistic associations.

The April 14 statement of CE Secretary General Walter Schwimmer expresses
concern over anti-democratic decline in Armenia and stresses the necessity
for dialogue among all political forces. “There is incomplete and
conflicting news of excessive use of force by the police, of arrests –
including of members of parliament – and of a media blackout. This confirms
one thing: if there was complete freedom of the media, we would have a clear
picture of the situation”, CE Secretary General notes.

“Haikakan Zhamanak” initiated a peculiar action. In April 14 issue, the
daily accompanied all materials devoted to the events with the same photo of
RA Police Deputy Head Hovhannes Varian. Besides, the newspaper reported that
it intends to file a petition to General Prosecutor’s Office for bringing
him to criminal responsibility.

CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS INSTITUTED FOR ATTACKING JOURNALISTS ON APRIL 5

Criminal proceedings are started on violence against media representatives
during the opposition rally on April 5, RA Police press secretary Sayat
Shirinian informed Yerevan Press Club. The journalists were attacked by a
group of “strong guys” when trying to shoot the scene of egg throwing at
rally participants (see detail in YPC Weekly Newsletter, April 2-8, 2004).

The proceedings were instituted on Article 258, Point 2 of RA Criminal Code
(“gross violation of public order with extreme cynicism”). According to
Sayat Shirinian, the case is in execution at RA Police investigation
department.

MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCES ON AIR

On April 9 in Armenia, broadcasting of Russian NTV channel was interrupted.
On April 8, the sound disappeared, whereas the next day there was no
picture. “Paradise” company (retransmitting NTV) accounts for disappearance
of the Russian channel from Armenian air by technical reasons – mainly
transmitter problems.

Meanwhile, there is an opinion that technical obstacles were not accidental
but induced by NTV’s covering of the opposition rallies in Yerevan. An
indirect proof of this may be the last year’s blocking of NTV in similar
situation. The broadcasting was interrupted on February 26, 2003 and resumed
only on March 17 – in hardly two weeks after the second round of
presidential elections (see YPC Weekly Newsletter, March 15-21, 2003). This
time, even AATV satellite network subscribers were deprived of NTV programs.

Mysterious disappearances from air afflicted several programs of Armenian TV
companies. In particular, on April 9 “Burg” program of “Yerevan” TV was no
longer on air. Previously, “Tesankyun” program on “Kentron” TV was shut.

IOSIF VERDYAN PASSED AWAY

On April 9, Chief Editor of “Urartu” newspaper Iosif Verdyan suddenly passed
away. Starting journalistic activity in 1969, Iosif Verdyan worked in local
media, for many years he was correspondent of several Moscow publications,
prize-winner of “Golden Pen” Award of Journalists Union of Armenia.

Yerevan Press Club expresses deep condolences to the relatives of the
diseased.

When reprinting or using the information above, reference to the Yerevan
Press Club is required.

You are welcome to send any comment and feedback about the Newsletter to:
[email protected]

Subscription for the Newsletter is free. To subscribe or unsubscribe from
this mailing list, please send a message to: [email protected]

Editor of YPC Newsletter – Elina POGHOSBEKIAN
____________________________________________
Yerevan Press Club
9B, Ghazar Parpetsi str.
375007, Yerevan, Armenia
Tel.: (+ 374 1) 53 00 67; 53 35 41; 53 76 62
Fax: (+374 1) 53 56 61
E-mail: [email protected]
Web Site:

Putin urges Armenian leader to uphold rule of law amid protests

AFP
MOSCOW, April 15

Russian President Vladimir Putin has urged his Armenian counterpart
Robert Kocharian to uphold stability and the rule of law amid a spate
of opposition protests aimed at his rule, the foreign ministry said
Thursday.

During a phone call with Kocharian, Putin “expressed his certainty
that Armenia’s leadership will be able to use a substantial saved-up
potential of democratic reforms to uphold stability and the rule of
law,” the ministry said in a statement.

The talks followed a police breakup of an anti-government
demonstration in the capital Yerevan on Monday, using water cannon and
reportedly injuring dozens of protestors.

Armenia’s opposition, which claims that Kocharian rigged a run-off
presidential vote in March 2003 to secure a second term in office, has
been staging almost nightly protests in Yerevan for the past week,
demanding that the Armenian leader resign.

Armenian authorities claim the protests are an attempt to copy the
“rose revolution” that toppled the leadership of Eduard Shevardnadze
in neighboring Georgia late last year.

Azeri president praises ties in address to Turkish parliament

Space TV, Baku
14 Apr 04

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has said that relations with Turkey
are a priority to Azerbaijan. In his address to the Turkish Grand
National Assembly broadcast live on Azerbaijani Space TV, Ilham Aliyev
pointed out that his first official visit to this country would play a
great role in developing relations between the two nations. At the
same time, the Azerbaijani president noted the importance of regional
energy projects, saying that they would bring stability and security
to the region. Ilham Aliyev also touched on the Nagornyy Karabakh
problem and accused Armenia of occupying Azerbaijani territory and
violating the norms of international law. Azerbaijan will never put up
with the loss of its territory and will liberate it at all costs, he
said. The following is the text of the report by Azerbaijani Space TV
on 14 April; subheadings have been inserted editorially:

Dear Turkish Grand National Assembly!

Dear Mr Chairman! Dear MPs!

Ladies and gentlemen!

Dear friends!

Relations with Turkey priority

It is a great honour for me to address the Turkish Grand National
Assembly. I want to express my thanks to you for giving me this
honour.

This is the second day of my official visit to Turkey. I can already
say that this visit has been very successful. All our negotiations and
conversations convinced us again that friendly and fraternal relations
between Turkey and Azerbaijan are continuing, developing and
strengthening. These relations are a priority to Azerbaijan.

As you know, Turkey was the first to recognize Azerbaijan after it
gained its state independence. Since then, at all times, Turkey has
always sided with Azerbaijan and has always supported Azerbaijan. We
rate this very highly, and hope and are confident that from now on,
our fraternal countries will always side with each other. Our power is
in our unity. Turkey’s power is Azerbaijan’s power and Azerbaijan’s
power is Turkey’s power [applause].

Difficult years of independence

Over the last 12 years, since Azerbaijan gained its independence, it
has gone a very difficult way. In the first years of our independence,
our country faced great dangers. As a result of Armenia’s aggressive
policy against our country, Azerbaijan lost part of its territory. In
addition, the domestic situation was unstable and there was a reign of
instability. Thus, Azerbaijan was left face-to-face with great
disasters. After Azerbaijan’s national leader Heydar Aliyev returned
to rule Azerbaijan at the demand of the people in 1993, the situation
in the country gradually normalized and Azerbaijan managed to overcome
this crisis.

I can tell you that from 1993 to 1996, the domestic public-political
situation in Azerbaijan was very tense, several coup attempts were
made, a civic war had already started and illegal armed units were
taking illegal actions in Azerbaijan. And of course, a lot of efforts
were made in order to prevent all these unpleasant situations.

In 1996, I can say, stability was established in Azerbaijan. Since
that year, our country has been developing and strengthening its
potential, and our economy has been developing. From 1996 to 2003, our
economic growth reached 10 per cent per year on average. Last year’s
growth in the gross domestic product, the growth in the main indicator
of the economy, was 11 per cent. Over the last seven years, inflation
in Azerbaijan has been 2 to 3 per cent. According to the amount of
foreign investment per capita, Azerbaijan is the leader among the
former Soviet republics, and 17bn dollars have been invested in our
country over the last few years.

Economic reforms

Economic reforms are being successfully conducted in Azerbaijan, a
privatization programme is being implemented, land has been privatized
and other industrial enterprises and the services sector have been
almost completely privatized. Today the share of the private sector in
Azerbaijan’s GDP and economy accounts for 74 per cent. This goes to
show that market economy principles have been completely established
in Azerbaijan, the country is developing on the basis of market
economy principles and we are confident that Azerbaijan will benefit
greatly from this in the future.

At the same time, our policy is socially-orientated. Although
Azerbaijan is living in a new system now and is living a period of
transition from the communist system to a new system, in spite of all
this, great attention is being paid to social justice in
Azerbaijan. The main part of our budget revenue is channelled into
solving social issues. The payment of salaries, pensions, scholarships
and other social allowances and increasing them is a priority issue
for our government.

Political reforms

Political reforms are also being conducted successfully. Azerbaijan is
a modern and secular state. The process of democratization is being
successfully conducted in Azerbaijan. Our country has made great
progress in the sphere of protecting human rights. Our country is
quickly appropriating values common to all mankind and at the same
time, it is making its own valuable contribution to world
civilization. Azerbaijan has a very ancient history and very rich
cultural heritage. And of course, we are giving this heritage and
history to world civilization as a valuable contribution.

For more than three years, Azerbaijan has been a member of the Council
of Europe. Over this period, serious changes have taken place in our
country, and changes have taken place in our legislation, which, in
turn, makes our country even more democratic. Azerbaijan’s activities
in the Council of Europe have been very successful, and the Council of
Europe, in its official documents, has recognized Armenia as an
aggressor. This is our great success, and we believe that this will
prepare strong grounds for the future negotiating process.

At the same time, our relations with the European Union are developing
and strengthening. It is very pleasing that the European Union has
appointed its special representative in the South Caucasus, and this
shows that the European Union is increasing its attention to our
region. We are confident that the whole international community will
continue its successful cooperation with Azerbaijan, and Azerbaijan
sees its future in integration into the world community and Europe.

We have many plans and programmes. The recently-adopted socioeconomic
programme of our country is being successfully implemented. At the
same time, the recently-adopted regional programme of our country is
being implemented as well and thus, Azerbaijan’s economy will develop
comprehensively. Azerbaijan will develop comprehensively and regions
will derive greater benefit from the implementation of this programme.

Important energy projects

Our country has wonderful prospects. As you know, the
Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline project, which is of great importance
not only to Azerbaijan, but also to the whole region and Europe at
large, is being successfully implemented, and we are sure that it will
be put into operation in time. The initiator and author of the
Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline was Azerbaijan’s national leader
Heydar Aliyev. It is not by chance that the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan
company has named this pipeline after Heydar Aliyev. It is thanks to
Heydar Aliyev’s successful oil strategy that a great amount of
investment has been made in Azerbaijan and its oil sector. Azerbaijan
is independently conducting its policy without depending on anyone,
and at last we have achieved what we wanted – the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan
oil pipeline has turned out of a dream into a reality [applause].

We encountered many difficulties and obstacles in this way. There were
great dangers to Azerbaijan’s future. But despite all this, the will,
resolve and courage of the Azerbaijani leadership and personally
President Heydar Aliyev prevailed over everything. We are sure that
after this oil pipeline is put into operation, the entire situation,
atmosphere and climate in the region will change and must change. This
pipeline will bring stability and security to our region and will link
Azerbaijan and Turkey even more closely. The positions of Turkey and
Azerbaijan in the world will get even stronger. That’s why we are all
looking forward to the commissioning of this pipeline, and we are sure
that we will mark the solemn opening of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil
pipeline in time – in the first quarter of the next year.

At the same time, the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum gas pipeline, which is of
great importance to our countries, is successfully progressing. This
project is being implemented as well and will enable us to transport
Azerbaijani gas to Turkey in a comfortable and secure way and send it
to other European countries from Turkey. Thus, Azerbaijani gas will be
of great importance to European consumers. On the one hand, this gas
will be cheaper than other gases because its transport expenses are
lower and on the other, an alternative source is very important for
every consumer, and we will provide this source. In a word, after the
implementation of all these large-scale regional projects in a few
years, Azerbaijan and Turkey will make successful headway together. No
cooperation – regional cooperation – is possible without Turkey and
Azerbaijan in the region. This is our great achievement [applause].

Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict

>From this point of view, in order to make the region even more secure
and eliminate danger, it is necessary to solve the
Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagornyy Karabakh conflict. This conflict has not
been solved for many years.

You know that as a result of Armenia’s aggressive policy, 20 per cent
of Azerbaijan’s territory are under occupation. As a result of this
occupation, over 1m of our citizens have become refugees. And
unfortunately, the international community is not being decisive. In
this situation, this conflict is not being resolved. Azerbaijan’s
position is fair and this position is based on the norms of
international law. The norms of international law should be restored.
Azerbaijan recognizes the territorial integrity of all other
countries, and of course we demand that our territorial integrity be
recognized and restored. This is our fair demand, and I am sure that
there have to be and will be achievements in this direction because we
live in the 21st century. In the 21st century, one country cannot
occupy the land of another country.

Armenia’s position is not based on any logic and violates all the
norms of international law. What is Armenia’s demand? In a nutshell,
their demand is that the Armenians of Nagornyy Karabakh should
determine their fate themselves. First, I have to say that the
Armenians living in Nagornyy Karabakh came to Nagornyy Karabakh, the
ancient Azerbaijani land, as guests. They came there in the 1820s and
in this connection, a monument was erected in the Nagornyy Karabakh
capital of Xankandi to mark the 150th anniversary of the Armenians’
arrival in Nagornyy Karabakh. This is the historical aspect of the
issue. Another aspect is that there is an Armenian state and the
Armenian people have already determined their status within the
framework of the Armenian state. If the Armenians want to determine
their status in all the countries they populate, how many Armenian
states will emerge in the world? Armenians live in Georgia, Russia,
America, France and other countries. Why, among all the countries they
populate, have they chosen Azerbaijan to determine their status? This
principle is against the norms of international law. If the Armenians
who live in Nagornyy Karabakh want to determine their status, let them
do so within the framework of the Armenian state. Nagornyy Karabakh is
Azerbaijani land, has always been Azerbaijani land and will be
Azerbaijani land in the future [applause].

Azerbaijan will never put up with the loss of its territories and will
liberate its lands at all costs [applause].

I am very pleased that our fair position is being accepted by the OSCE
Minsk Group which has been dealing with this issue in the recent
period. And I am confident that important steps can be taken in this
direction in the near future.

One nation, two states

Dear friends!

As I said, this is the second day of my official visit to Turkey as a
president. I have been to Turkey many times. I am very attached to
Turkey and love this country very much. I regard Turkey as my
homeland, but this is my first visit as a president and I was looking
forward to this visit. I can say with full determination today that
this visit will play a great role in developing relations between the
two countries and will turn into a new stage. Owing to the efforts of
our national leader Heydar Aliyev, relations between our countries
have risen to a very high level. Like in all the other spheres, I am
loyal to Heydar Aliyev’s policy in this sphere too, will continue this
policy, will not give up on this policy and will do everything
possible to base Turkish-Azerbaijani relations on principles of
friendship and fraternity.

Our historical roots and origin are the same. As Heydar Aliyev said,
we are one nation, two states. Our power is in our unity. I am
confident that from now on, at all times – 50, 100 or 200 years later,
our fraternal states will always be together.

Dear friends!

I want to express once again my profound thanks to you for giving me
this chance and for inviting me here. Long live the eternal and
irreversible unity and fraternity of Turkey and Azerbaijan! Long live
the great Turkish state!

Thank you.

GLOBEANDMAIL.com

Armenian demonstrators demand President’s ouster

Tuesday, April 13, 2004 – Page A14

Yerevan — Thousands of Armenians marched on their country’s seats of power
yesterday to demand that President Robert Kocharian step down.

The protest was the latest in a wave to hit the former Soviet republic.

As many as 9,000 demonstrators filled the streets of Yerevan carrying signs
with slogans such as “Down with the illegitimate president!” and “Robert, go
away.” It was the fourth demonstration in a week against Mr. Kocharian, who
was re-elected a year ago last month in a vote the opposition says was
rigged.

“We are going to organize a sit-in in front of the seats of power and if the
police stop us, we will install ourselves where they stop us,” said Albert
Bazeiyan, a leader of the opposition Justice Party. AFP