Author: Zaminian Bedik

POLITICAL SCIENTIST DOES NOT EXCLUDE THAT DAYTON VARIANT CAN BE USED IN KARABAKH SETTLEMENT

Noyan Tapan
Apr 25 2006

YEREVAN, APRIL 25, NOYAN TAPAN. The considerable activity observed in
the process of Nagorno Karabakh settlement in the recent 4-5 months is
connected not only purely with the Nagorno Karabakh problem but also
with processes taking place in the world. Stepan Grigorian, Chairman
of the Board of the Analytical Center for Globalization and Regional
Cooperation, expressed such an opinion in his interview to Noyan Tapan
correspondent. According to him, even the failure in Rambouillet
“did not sober the most active participants, U.S. and a number of
European countries”, which, by the way, are interested in the quick
settlement of the problem. Such a position has its reasons. Thus,
the role of the South Caucasus increases day by day: a number of
gas and oil pipelines pass through the South Caucasus, in addition,
problems connected with the neighboring Iran and Iraq are set very
sharply, even serious actions against Iran are not excluded. On the
other hand, Armenia’s and Azerbaijan’s positions lack common verges,
the authorities of the two countries do not show a political will
of making concessions, the societies of the conflict parties are
not ready for a reconciliation and do not perceive the fact that
the concessions should be made by both of the countries. And the
most important circumstance showing that the problem will not be
solved soon, according to S.Grigorian, is that Karabakh is not a
part of the negotiations process up to this day, whereas in cases
of Abkhazia, Transdniestria and Southern Cyprus the non-recognized
parties took part in the negotiations. Stepan Grigorian said that
all these arguments show that indeed the parties of the conflict
are not ready for the settlement of the Karabakh problem. He gave
assurance that neither Aliyev nor Kocharian will sign any agreement
at the coming meeting. Thus, according to the political scientist,
the same old story will recur: a series of meetings that will not
yield any result, either. The political scientist expressed anxiety
that such processes can lead to a situation when the Dayton variant
will be applied towards the parties. The latter is known to be a
variant of forced peace, when the decisions are made by the powers
outside of the parties of the conflict. Stepan Grigorian does not
exclude that the pressure currently being exerted in the Nagorno
Karabakh process will lead to this variant.

ARMENIAN, LITHUANIAN PRESIDENTS DISCUSS BILATERAL TIES

Mediamax news agency
25 Apr 06

Yerevan, 25 April: Lithuanian President Valdas Adamkus has described
as “excellent” Armenian-Lithuanian ties and his personal relations
with Armenian President Robert Kocharyan.

Addressing a joint briefing with the Armenian president in Yerevan
today, Adamkus spoke about the need to develop interregional
cooperation between the counties of the South Caucasus and Baltic
states on the basis of the 3+3 formula.

“The time is ripe for our regions to speak with one voice,” Adamkus
said, expressing the hope that the initiative of Vilnius to develop
interregional cooperation “will become a reality”.

Kocharyan said that “the political dialogue between Armenia and
Lithuania has considerably intensified over the past years”. The
Armenian president said that Vilnius was greatly helping Yerevan in
implementing reforms. Kocharyan also said that Armenia counted on this
support, especially within the framework of the EU’s Neighbourhood
Policy.

The Armenian president said that an agreement had been reached
on holding Armenian-Lithuanian business forums in Vilnius and
Yerevan. These forums will make it possible to establish personal
contacts between the entrepreneurs and boost bilateral trade and
economic relations which are still unsatisfactory, he said.

[Armenian Public TV, Yerevan, in Armenian 1200 gmt 25 Apr 06 said that
after an official reception, the Armenian and Lithuanian presidents
held a one-to-one meeting at the presidential residency followed by an
expanded meeting. Agreements on encouraging investment and improving
mutual defence were signed between the two countries.]

ARMENIANS IN ESTONIA COMMEMORATED ARMENIAN GENOCIDE VICTIMS

PanARMENIAN.Net
25.04.2006 03:38 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Patarag liturgy was offered at St. Grigor Armenian
Church in Tallinn on the Day of Remembrance of the Victims of
the Armenian Genocide in Ottoman Turkey. Upon its completion those
present lit candles next to a khachkar in the yard and laid flowers,
reports Tsitsernak radio program of Estonian Radio 4. In the afternoon
a concert was held in the memory of the victims of the Genocide at
Rootsi-Mikhkli church. Soloist of Estonian men’s national choir Armen
Andranikyan performed Armenian motets. Yesterday Tsitsernak Armenian
program of Estonian Radio 4 aired a broadcast on problems on the way
of recognition of the Armenian Genocide and the Armenian Diaspora
worldwide, which appeared as a result of pogroms and then Genocide
in Ottoman Turkey.

Candles were lit and flowers were laid at a khachkar in Tartu Estonian
town as well.

ARGENTINA SENATE CONDEMNS ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

Yerkir
April 21, 2006

The Argentinean Senate passed a statement April 19 on the 91st
anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.

As reported by the Armenian National Committee of America, the
statement condemns the crime committed against Armenians and expresses
condolences to the heirs of the Armenian Genocide victims.

The Senate also regrets over the consistent denial that generates
impunity and repetition of crimes. The document calls to re-assess the
activities of the international human rights protection organizations
for prevention of crimes against humanity.

DEFENCE MINISTER INFORMS PUTIN OF FORTHCOMING CIS AIR-DEFENCE EXERCISE

ITAR-TASS news agency
24 Apr 06

Moscow, 24 April: CIS member states will hold a major air-defence
exercise on Tuesday [25 April], Russian Deputy Prime Minister and
Defence Minister Sergey Ivanov has told the Russian president.

Ivanov said that “63 aircraft, including helicopters, most of them
belonging to Russia” will be involved in the exercise. “Russian
aircraft will land at airfields in Belarus and Kazakhstan, and their
aircraft will land at our airfields,” the minister said.

The CIS unified air-defence system will hold a one-day command-post
exercise on 25 April, involving control bodies and duty units. Lt-Gen
Aytech Bizhev, deputy commander of the Russian air force, told
ITAR-TASS that air force, anti-aircraft and air-defence units of
the armed forces of eight CIS member states – Armenia, Belarus,
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Ukraine –
will be involved in the exercise.

“More than 10 tasks of various kinds aimed at reinforcing the air
borders of the CIS will be practised during the exercise,” he said.

“These will include preventing instances of airspace violation and
hijacking of an aircraft, and preventing terrorists from seizing an
aircraft”. According to Bizhev, “three A-50 aircraft will be involved
in the command-post exercise, the crews of four MiG-31 aircraft
will carry out an air manoeuvre flying from Kazakhstan to Russian
territory and from Russian territory back to Kazakhstan, and Su-24 and
Su-27 aircraft will perform an air manoeuvre flying from Belarusian
territory to Russia and in the opposite direction”. “Duty units and
assets designed to hit supersonic targets in the stratosphere will
be employed for the first time,” the general said.

According to Bizhev, “Russian air bases in Armenia, and at Kant
[Kyrgyzstan] and Dushanbe [Tajikistan] will be used, and over 80
frontline, fighter and army aviation aircraft, including helicopters,
will be involved in the exercise”. “Long-range aviation aircraft, as
well as all subunits of radio-radar troops and missile air-defence
troops, which are part of the CIS unified air-defence system, will
also be involved.”

Russian Air Force Commander-in-Chief Vladimir Mikhaylov will lead
the exercise from the central command post of the Russian air force.

Turkey reaffirms support on Garabagh conflict

Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
April 20 2006

Baku, April 19, AssA-Irada — Turkey has reaffirmed its support for
Azerbaijan on the Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh conflict.

“We will always stand by Azerbaijan. Official Ankara considers the
Armenian occupation of 20% of Azeri territories unacceptable and backs
a settlement to the dispute through peace and within the country’s
territorial integrity,” the visiting Turkish Interior Minister
Abdulkadir Aksu said in a meeting with his Azeri counterpart Ramil
Usubov on Wednesday.

Aksu said the secret services of Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey should
step up their efforts in fighting terror, recalling a joint statement
signed by the three countries’ ministers in Trabzon. “It is time to
outline future plans by holding serious discussions.”

The two ministers discussed a number of issues relating to
Turkish-Azeri relations, the current status and prospects for
cooperation in joint combat against crime. They said the two countries
support each other’s sovereignty and concur of ways of fighting terror,
drug trafficking, illegal proliferation of weapons and other forms
of trans-national organized crime.

The ministers signed a protocol on cooperation in conclusion of
the meeting.*

ARMENIAN FOREIGN MINISTER AND RUSSIAN DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER DISCUSS BILATERAL RELATIONS, AS WELL AS URGENT AND LONG-TERM REGIONAL ISSUES

Noyan Tapan
Apr 19 2006

YEREVAN, APRIL 19, NOYAN TAPAN. The dynamically developing bilateral
relations, and some international, as well as urgent and long-term
regional issues of mutual interest were discussed in detail at the
April 18 meeting of the RA Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian and the
RF Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin who is on a regional visit
to Armenia. According to the RA MFA Press and Information Department,
the sides paid special attention to the ways of settling the conflicts
in the South Caucasus and the opportunities of restoring the transport
network, underlining the importance of peaceful solutions through
negotiations. The recent developments in Iran and issues concerning
the Armenian-Turkish relations were also touched upon.

ELECTIONS WILL BE AN EXAM FOR DEMOCRACY

A1+
[02:38 pm] 20 April, 2006

“EU is concerned with holding fair and free elections in Armenia,”
in today’s press conference the EU delegation chief and the State
secretary of Australian Foreign Ministry Hans Winkler informed
the RA Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan. Winkler is in Yerevan on
regional call.

Vardan Oskanyan spoke of elections, “Elections are the first exam
for democracy, the EU thoroughly observed that procedure.”

One of the journalists, present at the conference claimed that
there were many frauds in the RA previous elections and wondered,
“Doesn’t this give a ground to assume that the EU applies dual
criteria?” “The criteria are the same in the EU, and your Minister
has already promised that the 2007 – 2008 elections will be fair and
just,” urged Hans Winkler avoiding the direct answer.

He also spoke of the HKR conflict and mentioned that the EU is eager
to solve the matter in peaceful way and will assist that procedure
with all possible means.

He avoided mentioning all the possible lingers which may be applied
by the EU towards militarist Azerbaijan, “That issue is to be solved
by the two sides; we only hope they will find a solution.”

The participants of the press conference also referred to energy
diversification issue. Hans Winkler claimed that the EU is concerned
with the Metsamor nuclear station closure as it is not in line with
today’s criteria from technical point of view. But it is upon the
country to decide whether to close or not the old nuclear station.

“For instance, Austria readily gave up the idea of having nuclear
energy,” announced the Austrian State secretary. Asked the question
whether the fact of giving the 5th energy block of the Hrazdan heat
generating plant to Russia is connected with the idea of energy
sources diversification, the RA Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan
answered that it doesn’t matter at all whom the energy buildings are
given or estranged.

“They cannot contravene the energy needs of the country,” said Vardan
Oskanyan. Hans Winkler maintained that each sovereign country makes
its decisions and the meditation of the EU is in vain.

As for the sell of the Armenian pipeline to the RF Hans Winkler didn’t
have any answer as, “The matter is still obscure, I cannot definitely
say that there is such a matter or not unless the deal is made.”

While speaking of Armenian-EU relations Hans Winkler voiced hope that
the activity program will be ready soon and the cooperation will
become firmer in the realm of “New Neighbors” program. He avoided
speaking of Turkish – Armenian relations and the Armenian genocide
acknowledgement and didn’t say that Turkey is to recognize the great
crime against humanity.

AZERI MFA: OSKANIAN-MAMMADYAROV MEETING NOT PLANNED IN MOSCOW

PanARMENIAN.Net
18.04.2006 19:42 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ There was no offer yet regarding arrangement of the
meeting between Foreign Ministers (FMs) of Azerbaijan and Armenia Elmar
Mammadyarov and Vartan Oskanian in Moscow, reported Tair Tagizadeh,
Head of Information and Press Department of the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs (MFA) of Azerbaijan. Mr. Tagizadeh said Elmar Mammadyarov,
the FM of Azerbaijan, was to leave for Moscow on April 20 in order to
partake in the next session of CIS Council of FMs scheduled for April
21. There are no arrangements made as of April 18 regarding possible
meeting in Moscow between Mr. Mammadyarov and Vartan Oskanian,
his Armenian counterpart, which means there will be no meeting,
he added. Alongside Mr. Tagizadeh stated the visit agenda includes
some meetings Mr. Mammadyarov will have with counterparts from other
countries.

To remind, yesterday Russian co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group Yuri
Merzlyakov reported April 21 he was going to meet with Armenian and
Azeri FMs Elmar Mammadyarov and Vartan Oskanian, who will take part
in the session of the CIS Council of FMs.

ARMENIAN LAWYER SAYS HUNGARY CANNOT EXTRADITE AZERI OFFICER

Mediamax news agency
18 Apr 06

Yerevan, 18 April: “Ramil Safarov does not regret killing Armenian
officer Gurgen Markaryan,” the lawyer of the Markaryans family,
Nazeli Vardanyan, said in Yerevan today.

Addressing a news conference in Yerevan today, the lawyer said that
Safarov had not regretted the cruel murder in his final plea in court
but only said that he had lost self-control, Mediamax reports.

Speaking about the possibility of Ramil Safarov being extradited
to Baku, the lawyer said that Hungarian legislation does not allow
extradition of criminals serving life imprisonment.