Azeri president hails Council of Europe resolution on Karabakh

ANS TV, Baku
26 Jan 05

[Presenter] Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev regards as victory the
Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe resolution which was
adopted at its winter session on 25 January.

[Ilham Aliyev interviewed by journalists] Of course, I regard this as
a big victory for us. It was our wish that the Council of Europe
prepare this report and pass a resolution on the basis of the report
which would reflect the Armenian policy of invasion, criticize Armenia
as an aggressor state and use the term separatist forces. In a
nutshell, a document which would reflect all the Armenian aggression
against Azerbaijan, including the ethnic cleansing and other issues.

Armenia has always been against it, employed all means possible to
avert this discussion and sought to incorporate changes into the
resolution. This was a process. Of course, I cannot say that I am 100
per cent satisfied with the resolution. But I am satisfied by about 90
per cent. If you take a look at Armenia’s reaction, you will see that
they are very upset at the adoption of this resolution because this
explains to the world once again the crux of the conflict.

This signifies a political assessment of the conflict. We expected
nothing else from the Council of Europe. The Council of Europe does
not have other mechanisms. This is simply a very important forum which
can give a political assessment of the conflict.

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Job Announcement from Project Harmony

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Azeri leader upbeat on peaceful solution to Karabakh – agency

Azartac news agency, Baku
27 Jan 05

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has said that he hopes that
concrete results will be achieved in the talks to settle the Nagornyy
Karabakh conflict mediated by the OSCE Minsk Group.

Despite the 10-year-long negotiations held within the framework of the
Minsk Group, no results have been achieved in the search for a
peaceful settlement to the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagornyy Karabakh
conflict, President Aliyev said at a meeting with the new French
cochairman of the Minsk Group, Bernard Fassier, on 27 January.
However, intensification of the activities of the group and the
continuation of talks between the foreign ministers give us hope that
some progress will be achieved in the settlement of the conflict, the
state-owned Azartac news agency quoted Aliyev as saying.

La Padania, Italia
giovedì 27 gennaio 2005

Il cancelliere Schroeder è accusato di tacere sullo sterminio per
compiacere la Turchia

«Berlino non cancelli dai libri il genocidio armeno»

BERLINO – L’intellettuale ebreo Ralph Giordano ha sollecitato il
cancelliere Gerhard Schroeder a non tacere sul genocidio degli armeni
e a ricordare ad Ankara che senza un riconoscimento morale delle sue
responsabilità la Turchia non può essere ammessa nell’Unione europea.
La Germania ha come nessun altro paese una responsabilità storica
perché in virtù della sua forza di potente alleato avrebbe potuto
impedire il massacro, ha dichiarato lo scrittore all’emittente
nazionale Deutschlandfunk: «il cancelliere non potrà sottrarsi, dovrà
saldare questo conto».
All’origine delle dichiarazioni c’è la decisione del Brandeburgo,
pare su pressione del console turco, di stralciare dai testi di
scuola il capitolo sul genocidio degli armeni. È una decisione che
rientra nella tradizione di tutti i governi tedeschi dal 1914: la
Turchia è da 90 anni il partner eterno della Germania, ha osservato
Giordano. Nel 1985 la Francia, ha ricordato, ha già ufficialmente
dichiarato genocidio i crimini dell’Impero Ottomano. La Turchia, che
ne è il diretto erede, non solo invece nega i fatti ma distorce la
storia.
«Al confine fra Armenia e Turchia un monumento ricorda non il
genocidio dei turchi contro gli armeni ma degli armeni contro i
turchi», ha criticato l’intellettuale. A suo avviso, a distanza di 90
anni dai crimini è l’ora di riconoscere la storia: «non potrà esserci
nessuna adesione della Turchia all’Ue senza un riconoscimento storico
e morale di quello che i turchi hanno fatto agli armeni», ha detto.
All’indirizzo del premier del Brandeburgo Matthias Platzeck (Spd),
che ha avallato la decisione di `epurare’ i libri di storia nel Land,
Giordano ha citato addirittura una frase di Hitler prima dell’inizio
della guerra: «Ci sarà una guerra contro uomini, donne e bambini,
senza pietà, tanto chi si ricorda del genocidio degli armeni».
Giordano che ha dedicato un film al genocidio armeno (La questione
armena non esiste più – La tragedia di un popolo) parteciperà il 24
aprile a Francoforte alle commemorazioni ufficiali per i 90 anni del
massacro degli armeni.

,1,1

ANSA Notiziario Generale in Italiano
giovedì 27 gennaio 2005

ITALIA-ARMENIA: CIAMPI, APPOGGIAMO AVVICINAMENTO ALL’UE ;
COLLOQUIO E COLAZIONE AL QUIRINALE PER PRESIDENTE KOCHARIAN

ROMA

(ANSA) – ROMA, 27 GEN – “L’Italia appoggera’ l’Armenia
nell’avvicinamento all’Unione Europea”, ha detto Carlo Azeglio
Ciampi accogliendo al Quirinale il presidente della Repubblica
caucasica, Robert Kocharian, in visita ufficiale in Italia.

Ciampi ha accolto l’ospite nel cortile d’onore, dove i
reparti militari schierati hanno tributato gli onori militari.
Dopo i colloqui e l’incontro con i giornalisti, lo ha trattenuto
a colazione.

Il presidente della Repubblica ha definito promettenti le
opportunita’ di rafforzare i rapporti bilaterali sul piano
politico ed economico, e ha incoraggiato le autorita’ di Erevan
a consolidare le fondamenta dell’ economia di mercato, a
proseguire “con tenacia” sulla via delle riforme necessarie
per affermare lo stato di diritto e una democrazia matura; a
risolvere per via negoziale la crisi del Nagorno-Karabakh,
attraverso il dialogo e lo spirito costruttivo.

Nella Repubblica Armena, che fa parte della CSI (Comunita’ di
Stati Indipendenti che riunisce 12 dei 13 Stati ex Urss)) e ha
da sempre rapporti preferenziali con Mosca, il presidente
Kocharian ha avviato una politica che guarda verso Occidente e
in particolare verso Bruxelles. All’ospite Ciampi ha detto che
le porte dell’UE sono aperte a rapporti piu’ stretti, di buon
vicinato e di maggior cooperazione con Erevan. Ma ha anche
sottolineato che e’ difficile immaginare qualcosa di piu’,
perche l’Europa unita e’ una realta’ omogenea e percio’ non
puo’ estendere i suoi confini all’infinito.

“L’Unione Europea trae la sua forza dal superamento delle
divisioni del passato e – ha spiegato Ciampi – dalla vocazione a
costruire un futuro comune fra popoli che condividono la stessa
storia, la stessa cultura, e che perseguono comuni interessi. La
volonta’ di lavorare insieme, nel rispetto della dignita’ umana,
dei diritti delle minoranze, delle diversita’, e’ essenziale per
il successo dell’integrazione europea. Questo e’ lo spirito con
cui l’UE opera alle proprie frontiere: nei Balcani per
riportarvi dialogo e convivenza; nel Caucaso per rendere
duraturi la democrazia, lo sviluppo, la pace. L’adesione
convinta ai valori fondanti della Costituzione europea – ha
concluso – rappresenta le fondamenta dei rapporti di vicinato
con l’Unione Europea. Su queste basi l’Italia appoggera
l’avvicinamento dell’Armenia all’UE”.(ANSA).

ANSA Notiziario Generale in Italiano
26 gennaio 2005

TURCHIA: GERMANIA, SCHROEDER NON TACCIA SU STERMINO ARMENI ;
APPELLO INTELLETTUALE DOPO STRALCIO TESTI SCUOLA BRANDEBURGO

BERLINO

(ANSA) – BERLINO, 26 GEN – L’intellettuale ebreo Ralph
Giordano ha sollecitato il cancelliere Gerhard Schroeder a non
tacere sul genocidio degli armeni e a ricordare ad Ankara che
senza un riconoscimento morale delle sue responsabilita’ la
Turchia non puo’ essere ammessa nell’Unione europea.

La Germania ha come nessun altro paese una responsabilita
storica perche in virtu’ della sua forza di potente alleato
avrebbe potuto impedire il massacro, ha dichiarato lo scrittore
all’emittente nazionale Deutschlandfunk: “il cancelliere
non potra’ sottrarsi, dovra’ saldare questo conto”.

All’origine delle dichiarazioni c’e la decisione del
Brandeburgo, pare su pressione del console turco, di stralciare
dai testi di scuola il capitolo sul genocidio degli armeni. E’
una decisione che rientra nella tradizione di tutti i governi
tedeschi dal 1914: la Turchia e’ da 90 anni il partner
eterno della Germania, ha osservato Giordano.

Nel 1985 la Francia, ha ricordato, ha gia’ ufficialmente
dichiarato genocidio i crimini dell’Impero Ottomano. La Turchia,
che ne e’ il diretto erede, non solo invece nega i fatti ma
distorce la storia. “Al confine fra Armenia e Turchia un
monumento ricorda non il genocidio dei turchi contro gli armeni
ma degli armeni contro i turchi”, ha criticato l’intellettuale.

A suo avviso, a distanza di 90 anni dai crimini e’ l’ora di
riconoscere la storia: “non potra’ esserci nessuna adesione
della Turchia all’Ue senza un riconoscimento storico e morale di
quello che i turchi hanno fatto agli armeni”, ha detto.

All’indirizzo del premier del Brandeburgo Matthias Platzeck
(Spd), che ha avallato la decisione di ‘epurare’ i libri di
storia nel Land, Giordano ha citato addirittura una frase di
Hitler prima dell’inizio della guerra: “Ci sara’ una guerra
contro uomini, donne e bambini, senza pieta’, tanto chi si
ricorda del genocidio degli armeni”.

Giordano che ha dedicato un film al genocidio
armeno (La questione armena non esiste piu’ – La tragedia di un
popolo) partecipera’ il 24 aprile a Francoforte alle
commemorazioni ufficiali per i 90 anni del massacro degli
armeni. (ANSA)

ARKA News Agency, Armenia
Jan 27 2005

RA Prime -Minister participates in the international conference `Let
my nation live ‘ held in Krakow

RA Prime-Minister congratulates citizens of Armenia on the 13th
anniversary of the Armenian Army

The year of Russia in Armenia to be marked with some significant
arrangements in the economic and cultural areas

*********************************************************************

RA PRIME -MINISTER PARTICIPATES IN THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE `LET
MY NATION LIVE ‘ HELD IN KRAKOW

YEREVAN, January 27. /ARKA/. RA Prime -Minister Andranik Margaryan
participated in the international conference `Let my Nation Live ‘
held in Krakow and devoted to the 60th anniversary of release of the
Osventsum Nazi concentration camp. According to RA government’s Press
Service Department, the Presidents of Poland, Russia, the Ukraine,
Israel and vice-President of the USA and many other officials who
participated in the conference, discussed incredible cruelty on the
part of fascist Germany in Osventsum. They attached importance to
giving to the next generations historical lessons of Holocaust. In
the meantime they expressed their anxiety about the present cases of
terrorism, Nazism, anti-Semitism and national discrimination
threatening the humanity. The participants of the conference appealed
to all nations of the planet and the civilized humanity to unite
around the idea of promoting peace based on the values of security
and democracy. A.H. – 0–

*********************************************************************

RA PRIME-MINISTER CONGRATULATES CITIZENS OF ARMENIA ON THE 13TH
ANNIVERSARY OF THE ARMENIAN ARMY

YEREVAN, January 27. /ARKA/. RA Prime-Minister Andranik Margaryan
congratulated citizens of the republic on the 13th anniversary of the
Armenian Army. According to RA Government’s Press Service Department,
the greeting states that `the Armenian Army, formed during the
difficult years of the Karabakh war imposed on our nation, is the
best achievement of our independent state’. According to Margaryan,
the competitive spirit and military-scientific potential of the
newly-formed Armenian Armed Forces was based on the skills and
experience of Armenian cadre officers hardened in the Soviet Army, on
the bravery and self-sacrifice of volunteers faithful to their
motherland as well as on infinite firmness and .love of freedom of
the Armenian nation. `We cannot forget the heroic feats of our
friends, brothers and sons who are buried in `Yerablur’ which became
a saint pantheon. They are an excellent example of self-sacrifice for
the sake of our nation and our motherland for the future
generations’, according to the message of the Prime-Minister.
As the message states, the Armenian Army today not only successfully
defends state borders and the independence of Armenia, but also has
its input in international peacekeeping processes. Margaryan noted
that the authorities of the country will continue to care of the army
and strengthen the fundaments of independent statehood and unanimity
between the army, the state and the nation, which is an important
precondition for further strengthening of the Armed Forces of
Armenia.
By the RA Government’s decree as of January 28, 1992 RA ministry of
Defense was established. That was the first decree signed by the
first Minister of Defense of independent Armenia Vazgen Sargsyan. On
September 25, 2002, RA NA made additions to the law on festivals and
memorable days, according to which the Day of Army is celebrated on
January 28 and is acknowledged as legal holiday. A.H.–0–

*********************************************************************

THE YEAR OF RUSSIA IN ARMENIA TO BE MARKED WITH SOME SIGNIFICANT
ARRANGEMENTS IN THE ECONOMIC AND CULTURAL AREAS

YEREVAN, January 27. /ARKA/. The year of 2005 is announces as the
Year of Russia in Armenia. According to the Press Service Department
of RF Embassy to RA, campaigns in the areas of culture,
trade-economic relations, education, science, information, sport and
exchanges at the level of NGOs are represented in the program of the
Year. Organization of trade-industry exhibitions and fairs,
dissemination of the best experience in interaction among households
of the two countries, increase of the rate of exchange of economic
information, holding scientific conferences devoted to various issues
of bilateral and regional economic cooperation are planned to be
organized in the framework of the program. According to the
press-release, in the are of culture the Armenian public is supposed
to get acquainted with the best art collectives of Russia as well as
the achievements of Russian music, drama, and art schools, and the
achievements of modern Russian masters of art, including those of TV
and cinema. Meetings according to the `interests’ of literati, drama,
cinema figures, and those from other areas of culture are planned to
be organized. In all those cultural actions such world famous
collectives are expected to participate as the ballet group of
Bolshoi Theatre, RF National Philharmonic Orchestra, Moscow Art
Theatre after A.P. Chekhov, State Central Theatre of Puppets after S.
Obraztsov, Academic Ensemble of Russia after A. Alexandrov. A week of
Russian Cinema as well as exhibitions of modern art and
photo-exhibitions are planned to be held, too. Arrangements called to
contribute to the enlargement of inter-University relations of the
two countries, training and re-training of cadres as well as
arrangements stimulating scientific exchanges and campaigns to
strengthen the positions of Russian language in Armenia are to be
held in the area of education and science in Armenia. Arrangements in
respect of national Academies of Sciences of RA and RF, in
particular, different forums on priority subjects of modern
scientific researches may add to the program of the Year.
According to the press-release, the logical continuation of the Year
of Russia in Armenia will be the Year of Armenia in Russia in 2006.
The main idea of the Year is to open the way to public and business
initiative, to establish direct human communication, to enlarge
information and cultural exchange, and to make deeper bilateral
contacts. A.H. –0–

ITAR-TASS News Agency
TASS
January 27, 2005 Thursday 12:05 PM Eastern Time

Minsk OSCE group to promote progress in Karabakh settlement

By Sevindzh Abdullayeva, Viktor Shulman

BAKU

The intensification of the activity of the Minsk OSCE group for
Nagorno Karabakh and the continued negotiations between the foreign
ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia give hope for achieving progress
in the Karabakh conflict settlement, Azerbaijani President Ilkham
Aliyev said at a meeting with new co-chairman of the Minsk OSCE group
from France Bernard Fassier here on Thursday, Azerbaijani state news
agency AzerTAdzh reports.

Aliyev noted that Azerbaijan joint the UN within the borders that
include Nagorno Karabakh and seven Azerbaijani border regions that
were occupied by Armenian forces. Azerbaijan’s position in the
conflict settlement remains unchanged, the president emphasized. This
position is based on the principles of territorial integrity and
inviolability of borders. “The conflict settlement is impossible
without the observance of these principles,” Aliyev pointed out.

According to Fassier, the unsettled Karabakh problem “inflicts great
damage to the cause of maintaining peace and stability not only in
the South Caucasus but also in the whole region, hampers the
implementation of large-scale economic projects on the broad space
including Middle Asia.”

The French diplomat together with his Russian and US colleagues is
included in the UN special mission that is investigating the facts of
resettling the Armenians to the occupied Azerbaijani territories. The
mission will begin working in the conflict region on January 28.
Representatives of other member-countries of the Minsk OSCE group –
Finland, Sweden, Germany and Italy are also included in the mission.

Associated Press Worldstream
January 27, 2005 Thursday 2:24 PM Eastern Time

Azerbaijan reports soldier killed by ethnic Armenian forces in
disputed enclave

by AIDA SULTANOVA; Associated Press Writer

BAKU, Azerbaijan

An Azerbaijani soldier was killed on the cease-fire line separating
government troops from ethnic Armenian forces controlling the
Nagorno-Karabakh enclave and a swath of surrounding territory in the
ex-Soviet republic, the Defense Ministry said Thursday.

The military chief in the disputed enclave, meanwhile, said
strengthened defenses on the cease-fire line mean that any
Azerbaijani attempt to take back the territory will be thwarted and
could prompt “successful counterattacks.”

The latest death on the dividing line and the bellicose warning added
to tension that persists more than a decade after a 1994 cease-fire
ended a six-year war over Nagorno-Karabakh that killed 30,000 people
and drove a million from their homes.

Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry said ethnic Armenian forces opened fire
near the village of Shurabad shortly before midnight Wednesday,
killing an Azerbaijani soldier.

Gunfire sporadically breaks out between the opposing forces, and the
dispute has raised fears of renewed war. International efforts have
failed to produce a settlement between Azerbaijan and Armenia, which
supports Nagorno-Karabakh’s internationally unrecognized government.

Also Wednesday, Nagorno-Karabakh defense chief Seiran Oganian said
that “large volume of construction work” done on the front line over
the past year would enable ethnic Armenian forces to “freely conduct
trench fighting in the case military action begins, turning aside all
attempts by the enemy to move forward.”

“We are prepared … not just to defend ourselves but to conduct
successful counterstrikes,” Oganian said.

Ethnic Armenian forces also control a large amount of adjacent
territory, including land that links the enclave with Armenia.
Disputes over the additional territory have been one of the factors
preventing Armenia and Azerbaijan from settling the conflict.

International monitors from the Organization for Security and
Cooperation in Europe, which has been seeking to foster a settlement
between Armenia and Azerbaijan for a decade, are due to tour the
ethnic Armenian-held territory in the coming days.

Oganian, who spoke at a news conference, said that Nagorno-Karabakh
authorities “cannot prohibit our citizens to farm in these
territories.”

Bernard Fassier, the French co-chairman of the OSCE’s Minsk Group,
said at a news conference in Baku on Thursday that the OSCE could not
resolve the dispute on its own.

The OSCE “can provide help in the process of dialogue, conducting
negotiations, creating productive atmosphere, but it cannot resolve
the conflict for you,” Fassier told Azerbaijan’s President Ilham
Aliyev.

Fassier said OSCE representatives would travel to Nagorno-Karabakh on
Jan. 29 for a fact-finding mission.

Associated Press writer Avet Demourian in Yerevan, Armenia,
contributed to this report.

PanArmenian News Network
Jan 27 2005

KARABAKH TALKS UNSUCCESSFUL DUE TO ABSENCE OF CONTACTS BETWEEN AZERI
AUTHORITIES AND KARABAKH REPRESENTATIVES, D. ATKINSON CONSIDERS

27.01.2005 18:57

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ “After the PACE passing the resolution on Nagorno
Karabakh we expect the Azeri government to start contacts with
representatives of the Nagorno Karabakh region and discuss problems
with them,” author of the Nagorno Karabakh resolution passed by the
PACE D. Atkinson stated in an interview with the BBC. He said that he
thinks that the talks do not have any results, as within the past
years there have been no actual contacts between the Azeri
authorities and Nagorno Karabakh representatives. In D. Atkinson’s
words, dialogue should be established between the parties to solve
the conflict and the Council of Europe works for that.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress