Author: Talalian Arpi

Turkey Promises not to Open Armenian Border until Karabag is Solved

ZAMAN
04.13.2004 Tuesday

At the invitation of President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, Azerbaijan
President Ilham Aliyev is in Turkey for a two-day official
visit. Speaking to Zaman before the visit, Aliyev told ZAMAN before
the visit that Turkey has promised not to open the Armenian border
until the Mountainous Karabag problem is solved. He said the reaction
of the Azeri people has stemmed from the latest statements made by
American officials. Aliyev said that the promise given by Ankara is
enough for him, saying, “our power is our union.” The Azerbaijan
President stressed that he would maintain a policy of mutual
relations. Aliyev noted that they wanted Ankara to be a mediator for
the problem in Karabag, but said the Armenian side would need to
agree.

Aliyev called on Turkish businessmen to investment, noting that
Turkish high

schools have trained qualified people for Azerbaijan’s future. He
said,

“As President of the country, I want these high schools to continue
their activities”. Aliyev said the Baku-Ceyhan pipeline would be
completed on time, Aliyev added that Kazakhstan also wanted to join in
on the project.

President Aliyev thanked Zaman newspaper for its decent press policies
that have

brought the two countries closer together.

Aliyev’s first visit as President is significant as it is taking place
amongst rumors in Azerbaijan that Turkey will open its doors to
Armenia.

04.13.2004 Enes Cansever Baku

ARMENIA THIS WEEK
Friday, April 9, 2004

U.S. SELECTS NEW KARABAKH ENVOY
Ambassador Steven Mann will shortly replace Ambassador Rudolf Perina as the
American mediator for the Karabakh conflict, U.S. officials said this week.
Perina has been in the post since 2001. Mann will become the seventh U.S.
diplomat to serve as the State Department’s Special Negotiator for Nagorno
Karabakh and co-chair of the so-called Minsk Group of the Organization for
Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), which also includes French and
Russian envoys.

The group is expected to meet with Foreign Ministers from Armenia and
Azerbaijan in Prague next Friday. The meeting was earlier postponed by
Azerbaijan, whose officials claimed that the agenda was not “precise
enough.” Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has since sacked his
tough-talking Foreign Minister Vilayat Guliyev, appointing a cadre diplomat
Elmar Mamedyarov in his place. Mamedyarov was Azerbaijan’s Ambassador to
Italy since last December, and had previously served as Deputy Chief of
Mission with the Embassy in Washington.

The new U.S. envoy is a 28-year veteran of the foreign service, who was
charged with opening the U.S. embassy in Armenia in 1992. Mann later served
as the U.S. Ambassador to Turkmenistan (1998-2001), and for the past three
years as the Secretary of State’s Senior Adviser for Caspian Basin Energy
Diplomacy. In the latter capacity, Mann helped facilitate international
funding for the “Heydar Aliyev” oil pipeline, which is expected to bring
Caspian oil to the Turkish port of Ceyhan via Georgia starting next year.

Mann’s appointment was first announced by the U.S. Ambassador to Azerbaijan
Reno Harnish during his meeting with Azerbaijani Defense Minister Safar
Abiyev. Harnish observed that the appointment will serve as an impetus for
progress in negotiations and questioned Abiyev on his recent statement that
“war in Karabakh could resume at any moment.” Abiyev has been one of the
chief war-mongers in the Azerbaijani government, making threats to that
effect in nearly every public venue for the past several years.

One of the leading Azeri columnists, Rauf Mirkadyrov, noting the timing and
circumstances of the announcement, argued that the appointment of a diplomat
who has worked closely with Azerbaijan on oil projects, is designed to
placate Azerbaijan which has long been dissatisfied with prior mediators’
allegedly “pro-Armenian” proposals. He also asserted that the mediators may
even push for a “step-by-step” proposal requiring some Armenian withdrawal
prior to status talks, as favored by Azerbaijan. But Mirkadyrov believes
that actual implementation of such a proposal is impossible as long as
President Robert Kocharian remains in power in Armenia, and that Mann’s
priority mission is to prevent the resumption of fighting.

Finally, according to Mirkadyrov, the U.S. is genuinely worried that
President Aliyev may lose control over the army, leading to resumption of
fighting in Karabakh. An Azeri opposition daily reported last month on
disarray within the Azeri military. According to its sources, shortly after
the brutal murder of an Armenian officer in Budapest, an Azeri army post
close to the Line of Contact was raided by Armenian forces and destroyed.
The fallout from the incident resulted in a conflict between commanding
generals and the Defense Minister, with an Army Corps commander Gabil
Mamedov at one point drawing a gun on Abiyev. The conflict was defused
temporarily, with Mamedov arrested, and another senior General, chief of
military intelligence Talyb Mamedov dismissed. (Sources: U.S. State
Department; Azadlyg 3-15, 30; Azertag 4-6; Zerkalo 4-7; Arminfo 4-9)

ARMENIAN OPPOSITION RALLIES SUPPORTERS
Leaders of the parliamentary opposition began a series of public protests
this week calling for the resignation of President Robert Kocharian. The
protests are led by last year’s presidential candidates Stepan Demirchian
and Artashes Geghamian, as well as former Prime Minister Aram Sargsian, and
involve nearly all of Armenia’s opposition parties. The opposition continues
to refuse to recognize Kocharian’s victory in elections a year ago.

News agencies estimated that between ten and twenty-five thousand people
attended the opposition rally in Yerevan’s Opera Square this Friday, the
largest opposition-organized protest since the elections. Following the
rally, about one hundred hardcore opposition supporters began a sit-in at
the square. The opposition leaders promised to continue protests until
Kocharian resigns or faces a “referendum of confidence.”

Following last year’s elections, the Demirchian campaign, citing electoral
irregularities, sought the annulment of the vote by the Constitutional
Court. While the Court ruled that the extent of irregularities did not
affect the election outcome, it suggested holding a “referendum of
confidence” as a way to diffuse political tension in the country, but did
not make the suggestion binding. Kocharian and his allies dismissed the
suggestion as contrary to the Constitution and amounting to new elections.
But the opposition seized on the ruling to continue to put pressure on
Kocharian.

In February, the National Assembly, dominated by the three-party coalition
allied with Kocharian, turned down the opposition proposal to amend the
Referendum Law to allow for holding a presidential referendum. The
opposition has since been planning street protests, holding meetings in the
provinces and threatening to topple Kocharian in a “popular revolution.”

Kocharian has firmly rejected resignation, dismissing the opposition as an
“aggressive minority.” In a television interview this week, Kocharian said
the opposition was trying to copy last November’s events in Georgia that led
to the resignation of the long-time President Eduard Shevardnadze. But
Kocharian stressed that the situation was qualitatively different in
Armenia, and that his government would resist what it considers to be an
attempt at sedition.

In the past two weeks, the law-enforcement agencies launched an
investigation against opposition leaders on charges that they have publicly
called for the overthrow of the government, violence against officials and
several dozen opposition activists have been detained for alleged
“hooliganism.” Meanwhile, individuals whom the opposition media identified
as security guards for big businessmen loyal to the government, have
attempted to disrupt opposition rallies by throwing eggs at speakers and
intimidating protestors. During a protest earlier this week they attacked
journalists covering the event, smashing several cameras. That incident was
denounced by the entire political establishment, including the ruling
coalition, and Kocharian called on his supporters to exercise restraint.
(Sources: Armenia This Week 3-12; Arminfo 2-3/9; Noyan Tapan 2-3/9; Public
TV 2-8)

A WEEKLY NEWSLETTER PUBLISHED BY THE ARMENIAN ASSEMBLY OF AMERICA
122 C Street, N.W., Suite 350, Washington, D.C. 20001 (202) 393-3434 FAX
(202) 638-4904
E-Mail [email protected] WEB

KAZAKH DEFENCE MINISTER SAID TO PRAISE CIS AIR DEFENCE EXERCISES

Interfax-Kazakhstan news agency
7 Apr 04

ALMATY

The Kazakh defence minister, Army Gen Mukhtar Altynbayev, has praised
the interaction and coordination between the forces of the CIS joint
air defence system (of Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan,
Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Ukraine ) on ensuring security
in the Commonwealth’s airspace which were demonstrated at a joint
exercise today.

A press release circulated by the Kazakh Defence Ministry has
said. The press release says that during the exercises the alert
forces and the means of the CIS joint air defence system have drilled
the tasks of combat alertness under the circumstances of the
aggravation of situation in the regions of the (CIS) collective
security.

The press release says that Su-27, MiG-29, MiG-31 fighter jets, Su-25
attack aircraft, Su-24 front-line bombers and other air technologies,
command centres of the air defence systems of the CIS states,
subdivisions and units of the air defence missile and radar troops,
the troops of signals and logistics took part in the exercises.

According to the press release, air patrols, detecting and
intercepting an aggressor in the air, escorting and providing aid to
aircraft that were suffering damage were carried out during the
exercises.

The distinctive feature of the exercises, the press release
emphasizes, is that the forces and the means that are on combat alert
and ensuring the security of the CIS countries’ airspace took part in
the exercises.

According to the press service, troops from the Kazakh air defence
forces, subdivisions from Karaganda, Taldykorgan, Balkhash and
Zhetygen air bases and air defence missile and radar troops took part
in the exercises.

New Times Broward-Palm Beach (Florida)
April 1, 2004 Thursday

Oi Va Voi: Laughter Through Tears (Outcaste)

By Scott Medvin

It seems like every kind of traditional and ethnic music is ripe to
be mixed with modern electronica to form some new genre-warping
musical experiment. Oi Va Voi hopes that it can repeat Tabla Beat
Science’s success with Indian classical music and the Gotan Project’s
work with tango; the group wants to take klezmer, a traditionally
Jewish form of folk music from Eastern Europe, and make it accessible
to a new generation. The British group recently released Laughter
Through Tears, its debut album. It is often haunting, though upbeat
and danceable at times, full of the instruments — clarinet, violin,
accordion — that klezmer is known for. But there also are
Spanish-sounding classical guitar, steady funk bass grooves, and
inventive percussive arrangements. The album’s opening track,
“Refugee,” is based on a traditional Armenian folk melody and
features duduk player Tigran Aleksanyan; it begins as a ballad with
swelling, poignant lyrics by silky-voiced guest vocalist KT Tunstall.

“Yesterday’s Mistakes” sounds like a well-produced pop track but
veers East with a Hebrew chorus. Surprisingly, the intricate beats
fit perfectly with the bowed violin and the deep, melodic chants. “7
Brothers” and “D’or Yikra” both supply doses of bar mitzvah breaks
and other-worldly chanting. At times, the album veers into a bubbling
stew of post rock-esque ambience much like the music of Godspeed You
Black Emperor! but never for long, as Oi Va Voi evokes emotion
through powerful melodies and mysterious lyrics rather than
emotionally swirling compositions. Laughter Through Tears is worth
checking out for its novelty and worth listening to a second time for
its beauty.

Armenian president warns opposition against coup attempt

Arminfo
3 Apr 04

YEREVAN

“My main responsibility as the president is to ensure stability and
security and to guarantee the natural functioning of all the branches
of power,” Armenian President Robert Kocharyan said at a meeting with
representatives of the intelligentsia today, commenting on the recent
events linked to the opposition’s actions.

It is clear that the opposition should exist, he said, because its
actions stimulate the executive authorities’ activities. Under
Armenian law and international agreements signed by the Republic of
Armenia, the opposition is protected by the law. But when the
opposition issues certain calls and initiates a process aimed at the
unconstitutional overthrow of the authorities, it is regarded as a
coup attempt. In doing so, the opposition gives up its opposition
status and acquires the status of revolutionaries and those who are
trying to stage a coup. Having acquired this status, the opposition
loses all the privileges and protection it had before and has in all
the democratic countries. All the aforesaid is absolutely simple and
logical – “if you are in opposition and behave in a civilized way and
within the framework of the law, you are protected by the law. As soon
as you change your status of your own volition, you should expect that
in the new status of a coup plotter, you will face all the ‘delights’
of this status”, the Armenian president stressed.

He went on to say that for many months he had been rather patiently
responding to everything the opposition was doing, although many
citizens were perplexed – “why is he not intervening?”. It was not
cowardice, on the contrary, it is precisely calmness and patience that
are a demonstration of strength, whereas hysteria is a demonstration
of weakness. If someone does not understand this, then the state, with
all its agencies, will react to everything that is going on. “I expect
that our public, including the intelligentsia, will react to
everything that is going on as it concerns everyone and nobody will
benefit from that.” After the competent and appropriate implementation
of its functions, the state will demonstrate once again that it is
capable of overcoming another ordeal in the context of preventing the
actions of the aggressive political minority.

“Our response should correspond to the threat that might be looming
over us, and the country should overcome this ordeal and I am sure
that it will. The overwhelming majority of people have always been
able to find their bearings correctly, which is why Armenia is the
most stable country in the region, unlike its neighbours which had
many problems after gaining independence,” the head of state said.

The Daily Star, Lebanon
April 3 2004

Agreements signed, Hariri wraps up visit to Armenia
Council for businessmen to be created

By Karine Raad , and
Daily Star staff

Prime Minister Rafik Hariri wrapped up his visit to Armenia on Friday
by meeting with the country’s President Robert Kotcharian. Issues
such as bilateral relations between both countries and regional and
international developments were raised.

At 11am, the premier headed to the government house to sign a series
of agreements with his Armenian counterpart Andranik Gargarian. These
consisted of an agreement in the agricultural sector, an agreement in
the cultural sector and an agreement in the educational and
scientific sector.

The minutes of the first session of the Lebanese-Armenian Joint
Governmental Committee were also signed.

In a news conference, Hariri said that the agreements aimed at
developing bilateral relations and improving the economy in both
countries.

“We agreed to create a council for Lebanese and Armenian
businessmen,” he said, adding that the meetings were an occasion to
invite his counterpart to Lebanon.

Commenting on obstacles hindering the implementation of agreements
between Lebanon and Armenia, Hariri said the main obstacle was the
cost of the transportation of goods and merchandise between Lebanon
and Armenia.

The premier reiterated that Armenians in Lebanon contributed greatly
in politics

and are represented in Parliament and the government as well as in
the media, economic, banking, commercial and industrial sectors.

For his part, Gargarian said that direct meetings between officials
from the commerce and industry chambers and businesspersons from both
countries will be encouraged. As for tourism, Gargarian indicated
that experience was important for Armenia in this sector and that
they could benefit from Lebanon’s expertise.

He stressed that Lebanon constituted a link between Armenia and the
Arab world and neighboring countries.

The Lebanese delegation was entertained at the Marriott Hotel before
touring the capital city, Yerevan. Hariri and the Lebanese delegation
returned to Beirut in the evening.

TAJIKISTAN URGES UNITED EFFORTS AGAINST TERRORISM

ITAR-TASS news agency, Moscow
30 Mar 04

DUSHANBE

Confronted with increasing threats of terrorism, countries of the
Central Asian region should unite efforts and work out a clear action
programme in line with both bilateral and regional agreements, the
secretary of the Security Council of Tajikistan, Amirqul Azimov, said
in an interview with an ITAR-TASS correspondent commenting on the
latest events in neighbouring Uzbekistan today.

“We are deeply shocked at the actions of the terrorists who
jeopardized peace and stability in the region. We sympathize with the
innocent victims of those madmen. We also realize that if neighbours
have troubles we cannot sleep (peacefully) in our house (either),”
Azimov said.

“We cannot consider that if this happened in Uzbekistan, then
Uzbekistan itself has to tackle the problem,” he added.

At the same time, Azimov says the latest terrorist acts showed that we
are becoming “the clamp” (Russian: fiksator) of these kind of
events. (In fact), efficient proactive measures are needed, (he says).

It is necessary to use more effectively the mechanisms of such
regional structures as the CSTO (Collective Security Treaty
Organization of Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan
and Russia) and the SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organization) and
others.

Azimov says it is time to proceed from the tactics of combating
terrorists to the destruction of terrorism itself, and for this it is
necessary to identify its (terrorism’s) nature and the reason for
(its) emergence.

ARMENIAN PAPER LOOKS AT REASONS FOR US OFFICIAL’S VISIT TO REGION

Golos Armenii, Yerevan
30 Mar 04

The US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage arrived in Baku on
26 March after his visit to Yerevan. But although it may seem strange,
until 29 March there was little information from Baku about a visit by
a top official of the White House. By the way we think that the main
goal of his visit to the CIS three capitals (Kiev, Yerevan, Baku) was
Baku. Let us note that a visit by such a senior official as Richard
Armitage to the region is quite an exceptional case. As a rule it
means that the White House wants to see firsthand what is happening
here rather than rely on information given to the Washington
administration by the American embassies in these countries. The last
visit by the US Deputy Secretary of State to Armenia was in October
1999. It was by Strobe Talbott. The visit was connected with prospects
for the Karabakh conflict settlement.

We think that the current situation is slightly different. The US
assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs,
Elizabeth Jones, said on the eve of the visit that the Karabakh issue
would be one of the main topics at talks. But then she made a small,
but significant point: “Washington wants to find out about the
priorities of a new head of Azerbaijani state and its government.” An
interesting statement. “What are Ilham Aliyev’s plans?”, in all
probability this question is on the White House agenda.

Probably Ilham Aliyev’s aggressive statements made recently caused
certain anxiety in Washington. Let us remind you of the Azerbaijani
president’s statements. He said that he does not intend to settle the
Karabakh problem, he does not want to make compromises, he is
displeased with the Minsk Group activities, Turkey must not open its
border to Armenia, and finally, in spite of the obligation, taken by
Azerbaijan when it joined the European Union, about an exclusively
peaceful settlement of the problem, “peaceful talks may not continue
forever”.

All this could not but prick up White House administration’s ears,
which is hoping to gain progress in Armenian-Turkish relations and
find a solution to the Karabakh conflict during this year. In all
probability in the White House they are displeased with Ilham Aliyev’s
statements which shock the world community to some extent.

(Passage omitted: Armenian servicemen barred from attending
Baku-hosted Nato conference, Armenian officer killed in Budapest and
recap of recent remarks by Azeri officials and of an interview given
to the Azerbaijani newspaper Ekho by the leader of the Helsinki
Association, Mikael Daniyelyan)

Permanent Mission of the Republic of Armenia
to the United Nations
119E 36th street, New York, NY 10016
Tel.: 1-212-686-9079
Fax: 1-212-686-3934
E-mail: [email protected]
Web:

March 29, 2004

PRESS RELEASE

On March 25, Ambassador Armen Martirosyan, Permanent Representative of
Armenia to the UN, met with the representatives of the Armenian
non-governmental organizations accredited at the United Nations.
This was the first meeting of its kind aiming at getting more closely
acquainted with the work carried out by these organizations at the UN, their
concerns and the possibilities for cooperation with the Permanent Mission in
this respect.

At the beginning of the meeting Ambassador Martirosyan thanked the
participants for the enthusiastic response to the Mission’s invitation to
hold such a meeting. He noted that Armenia, after becoming a member of the
ECOSOC, had been trying to have a constructive input in the works of this
essential UN body in all those spheres that our country had some experience
in or had persisting problems. The NGOs have an essential role in this
respect as organizations participating in the activities of this body.
Mrs. Diane Paravazian from the Armenian Assembly of America, Mr. Aram Arkun
from the Diocese of the Armenian Church of America, Mary Toumayan and Mary
Melikian-Hayner from AIWA, Mrs. Anie Kalayjian from the World Federation of
Mental Health, Mr. Hrag Vartanian and Ms. Adrienne Alexanian from the AGBU,
Mrs. Hamesd Beugekian and Mrs. Penelope Giragosian from the Armenian Relief
Society and Mrs. Iris Papazian from the Armenian Prelacy took part at the
meeting.

The participants welcomed the idea of the meeting and spoke in favor of the
approach described by the Ambassador, which will enable us to present
Armenia to the international community in all the dimensions of its
activities and in the whole spectrum of the existing problems and concerns.
It will also allow the Armenian NGOs to more fully and comprehensively
present their activities and projects carried out in Armenia that fall
within the framework of the ECOSOC.

At the end of the meeting the representatives of the Armenian NGOs expressed
their willingness to continue this positive engagement and work in the areas
envisaged in a more coordinated way.

A1 Plus | 18:26:09 | 29-03-2004 | Politics |
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POLICEMEN PROVOKING AND APPEARING IN HOSPITAL

“Justice” Bloc held a meeting in Gyumri. Naturally, the meeting organizers
had beforehand appealed to Municipality for permission. {BR}

Gyumri Mayor Vardan Ghukasyan had informed the meeting organizers that
Municipality couldn’t guarantee safety of meeting participants.

Meeting took place irrespective of everything. “Justice” Bloc leader Stepan
Demirchyan, “Republic” Party Chair Albert Bazeyan, Arshak Sadoyan and other
bloc members partook in it.

Some women in the square were holding posters with “Go away! Leave us alone,
Stepan Demirchyan, Artashes Geghamyan!”.

Some police employees in civil clothes tried to provoke disorders.
Provocation was prevented but a few policemen received bodily injuries and
are now in hospital.

But the provokers didn’t stop. Eggs were thrown at the meeting organizers
from the building roof. It’s a new method of self-protection by Authorities
since no eggs had been thrown at Opposition leaders and no provocations had
occurred before serious steps directed to power change were announced for.

4 people – Karen Margaryan /Albert Bazeyan’s driver/, Hamlet Lazarian
/non-Party man/, Tigran Ter-Margaryan /People’s Party of Armenia/ and Karen
Lazarian /Republic Party/ were arrested after the incidents.

Albert Bazeyan and Viktor Dallaqyan are now in Gyumri to make more accurate
the legal bases and reasons for their arrest.

It is to state that a few days ago President Robert Kocharyan instructed all
the policemen to wear uniforms to keep the public vigilant.

Suren Surenyantc, head of Information Service of “Republic” Party, is sure
that Authorities are the masterminds of disorders. He said that Opposition
is ready to resist those provocations. He informed that after clarifying the
status of those arrested Bloc will appear with a political assessment.

—