EMERGENCY AMBULANCE CALLS DID NOT GROW

Azat Artsakh – Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR)
18 Jan 05

According to the statistician of the Emergency Aid Service Armenuhy
Baghdassarian, from January 1 to 13 368 calls were registered. These
were mainly cases of hypertension and heart attacks. But, according to
her, mainly viral diseases are typical of the months of December and
January, which are often described by high temperature. As to the
cases connected with o veruse of alcohol, the statistician said there
were not any. In the end it should be mentioned that the emergency
service presently has only two operating ambulances.

AA.
18-01-2005

DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCIES

Azat Artsakh – Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR)
18 Jan 05

In everyday life emergencies may happen at any moment, at peace or at
war. Does everybody manage to take control of the situation, display
strong will power and save not only themselves but also others in
danger? The answer is negative. Surveys show that in accidents people
without the slightest injury become psychologically distressed and as
a result they easily surrender to further developments. Let alone old,
disabled people and children who need help by all means. In such
situations a group of people endowed with physical, moral and
psychological values, facing the imminent danger or in danger already
manage to remain coolheaded, evaluate the danger and save lives
forgetting about their own safety. These people are called rescuers.

Moreover, nowadays when our life is full of events, groups of rescuers
are established, financed, equipped by governments. The problem of
Artsakh and later the war imposed on us determined the necessity of
rescuers. The establishment of rescue teams did not start from
zero. The first steps had been done in 1984 when the graduate of the
Yerevan Institute of Physical Training Aslan Grigorian undertook the
establishment of a tourists club and a rescue team to help the
tourists who got involved in accidents in mountains. The terrible
earthquake in 1988 involved over one third of the territory of Armenia
causing destruction and heavy tall. The situation of the Armenians of
Artsakh was also difficult: they were making their first steps on the
way of the national liberation movement. Only several days after the
earthquake we saw our rescuers at the place of disaster. Working for
18 days with professional rescuers in destroyed Leninakan they
acquired significant experience in rescue works. Immediately after
returning from Leninakan our rescuers seriously started working on
their quality of work and the purposewas one – to create a strong
rescue team. The rescue team `Spitak’ of Armenia had a fundamental
contribution to the fulfillment of the plan (the head of the team was
Movses Poghossian). Recognizing the importance of the matter, the
regional executive committee of the Autonomous Region of Nagorni
Karabakh adopted the decision on the establishment of the rescue
team. A period of great changes was awaiting…

IMPOSED WAR

After the declaration of independence of the Republic of Nagorni
Karabakh Baku started bombing Stepanakert and several adjacent
areas. Everywhere there was need for rescuers. The war instigated by
Azerbaijan imparted the necessity of rescue service as a mobile
structure with new importance. Since January 1992 the rescuers’ group
was re-formed into a subdivision of the Defence Army. As a TV reporter
then I appeared at different parts were military actions went on and
witnessed the self-sacrificing work of rescuers who withdrew the
wounded and provided first medical aid. In total they saved 3 thousand
lives. The service also suffered losses. About twenty
rescuer-azatamartiks were killed during the war. S. Tovmassian
(posthumously), S. Yeremian were awarded the medal `Battle Cross I’,
the medal `Battle Cross II’ was conferred on V. Avagian, G. Gasparian,
more than thirty rescuers were awarded NKR military honours.

PEACETIME

The cease-fire brought peace to the Artsakh land but the post-war
period offered new problems for the rescuers. On January 13, 1995 the
government adopted a decision on the establishment of the NKR
Department for Emergencies. The new status and the attention of the
government towards the department were very important. This was a new
period of accomplishment, creation of subdivisions. In the past 10
years the management of the department took special measures for
professional qualification, improvement of effectiveness of rescue and
restoration works. Special attention was paid to the right orientation
of the population in emergencies and their ability to fight the
danger. For this purpose the workers of the department organize
training exercises during which the effectiveness of bodies dealing
with organization of evacuation, security of people is checked. People,
and especially children involved in training acquire practical
skills. At the same time the representatives of the republic
headquarters of civil defence and heads of communities check the
air-raid shelters and other buildings for sheltering people. The
department cooperates with the British humanitarian organization `The
HALO Trust’. The result of cooperation with this and other
organizations is the disposal of land mines at a number of areas of
the republic. The years of cease-fire became a period of
accomplishment for the department. Presently the Department for
Emergencies has departments of crisis management, training of rescue
forces, instruction of the population, fire rescue forces, etc which
are equipped with modern equipment. The activity of the National
Department for Emergencies was commended by similar organizations
abroad. The NDE of NKR is a full member of the International
Confederation of Rescuers. In October 2004 the team of rescuers of the
special subdivision of the NDE took part in the traditional tournament
in Armenia and won the third prize. And in separate events our team
was leading. Recently the department became ten years old.

NIKOLAY BAGHDASSARIAN.
18-01-2005

Jones statement result of Turkish and Azeri lobbying

19.01.2005 17:42

YEREVAN (YERKIR) – Speaking to Yerkir, Vahan Hovhannisian, Armenian
National Assembly vice speaker and a member of the Armenian
Revolutionary Federation (ARF) Bureau said that outgoing US Assistant
Secretary of State Elizabeth Jones’ statement over the Karabakh
conflict was the result of the Turkish and Azeri lobbies.

Jones was quoted as saying that US President George W. Bush is
concerned that Russian president Vladimir Putin does not exert strong
enough pressure for resolution of post-Soviet conflicts in
Transdniester, South Ossetia, Abkhazia and Nagorno Karabagh, and that
“It is in the interest of Russia that these four regions be stable,
clean of corruption and their corrupt separatist authorities removed.”

Hovhannisian told Yerkir that Jones’ statement is both obnoxious and
baseless. “For the beginning, Jones is an outgoing official, and had
never made such a statement before though she was in the office for
quite a long period.

This means that her bosses, including the top officials of the US
Administration, had not authorized her to make such statements.”
Hovhannsian said that this was not the official position of the United
States. Due to some reasons, people, who are about to resign, make
such statements, he added.

“Don’t forget Terry Davis’ report, which was made after he was no
longer a member of the parliament and the Council of Europe’s
Parliamentary Assembly rapporteur on Karabakh; the same goes for the
next rapporteur, David Atkinson,” Hovhannisian said.

“This is becoming a tradition, and we should not take this lady’s
statement seriously as it indicates she never understood the essence
of the Karabakh issue.”
From: Baghdasarian

POLITICAL MASS-MEETING IN FRONT OF US EMBASSY

A1+
19-01-2005

Representatives of several youth organizations carried out political
mass- meeting from Opera square towards US embassy in Armenia
today. The action was guided by `Baze’ union. Main participants were
the representatives of youth branches of Republican, RAF and Orinats
Erkir parties and NGOs.

The main goal was that several youth organizations express their
indignation with the statement of Secretary of State Elizabeth Johns
that – It is necessary to stop the corruption in Nagorno-Karabakh and
remove the ruling criminal chains. Thus as far us the participants of
the mass-meeting were the representatives of Armenian ruling parties
this meeting can be considered as `mass-meeting of the government of
Armenia in front of US Embassy».

The whole action was controlled by police forces; the participants
closed the Bagramyan Avenue. The police was protecting the
participants by forming a life chain around them and controlling the
traffic.

The following statement could be seen on the posters `Shame on
Elizabeth Johns ‘, `No, to double standards’ which attracted the
attention of people who three months ago participated in mass meeting
`Against Terrorism’. It is noteworthy that the mass meeting in the
memory of victims of October 27 organized by `Ardarutyun’ union last
year also took place on Bagramyan Avenue close to US Embassy but there
was no police protection from traffic or any other accident.

RECENT STATEMENTS OF US ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE ELIZABETH JONES
PLAY INTO HANDS OF AZERBAIJAN: ARMENIAN MP

YEREVAN, JANUARY 19. ARMINFO. The recent statements of US Assistant
Secretary of State Elizabeth Jones play into hands of Azerbaijan, said
Representative of the ARFD Supreme Body, Head of the Permanent
Parliamentary Commission for Foreign Relations, MP Armen Roustamyan,
Tuesday.

It should be noted that Elizabeth Jones made a statement recently,
wherein she said that it is within the interest of Russia that the
Dniester region, Abkhazia, South Ossetia and Nagorny Karabakh be
stable and uncorrupted and that the criminal separatists regimes
ruling there be liquidated.

Armen Roustamyan said that the US state official must respect the
whole way passed towards resolution of Karabakh conflict, attentively
study it and understand that the conflict in Karabakh and those in
Abkhazia, South Ossetia and Dniester region are quite different. What
Elizabeth Jones said is a good present for those politicians of
Azerbaijan who try to live the year 2005 under militarist flags,
threatening with war and speaking with ultimatums, the Armenian MP
said.

The same day, Hay Dat Office make condemnations of Elizabeth Jones’
statements and pointed out that it will demand the US executive power
to correct the disrespectful statements of its official.

DRAFT RESOLUTION ON NAGORNY KARABAKH CONFLICT TO BE DISCUSSED AT
PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY WINTER SESSION 24-28 JANUARY

YEREVAN, JANUARY 19. ARMINFO. CE Rapporteur on Nagorny Karabakh David
Atkinson will present a draft resolution on Karabakh conflict at PACE
Winter Session on January 28. According to PACE web-site, the main
themes on the agenda of the Assembly’s plenary session are relations
between Europe and the United States, Genetically Modified Organisms
and the Third Summit. Other reports include observation of
presidential elections in Ukraine and in the Palestinian Authority,
the circumstances of the arrest and prosecution of leading Yukos
executives, the Nagorno- Karabakh conflict, the protection of human
rights in Kosovo and Georgia’s honouring of its obligations and
commitments. Destruction of the Armenian cultural heritage in the
autonomous Republic of Nakhichevan of Azerbaijan , Urgency to prevent
the destruction of cultural monuments in the Armenian-occupied town of
Shusha of Azerbaijan.

PUBLIC MOVEMENT “STABILITY” DEMANDS US ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE TO
REFUTE HER STATEMENT ON KARABAKH IN PUBLIC

YEREVAN, JANUARY 19. ARMINFO. The public movement “Stability” has sent
a letter to US Ambassador to Armenia John Evans today expressing
protest against the recent statement of US Assistance Secretary of
State Elizabeth Jones on the necessity of liquidation of ‘criminal
separatist regime’ ruling in Nagorny Karabakh.

The organization demands Elizabeth Jones to refute her statement in
public by January 23. Otherwise, the public movement “Stability” will
organize mass actions of protest starting from January 24. At the same
time, the public movement expresses hope that such statements will not
have negative consequences for US-Armenia relations.

USA RECOGNIZE THAT CIRCUMSTANCES OF EACH CONFLICT UNIQUE: US EMBASSY
IN ARMENIA

YEREVAN, JANUARY 19. ARMINFO. “We recognize that the circumstances of
each conflict are unique,” the statement of US Embassy in Armenia in
connection with the statement by US Assitance Secretary of State
Elizabeth Jones on the necessity of estbalishing stabiliy, preventing
corruption and liquidating the criminal separatits ruling the
territories of “the self-proclaimed” Nagorny Karabakh, South Ossetia,
Abkhazia and Dniester region.

The Embassy further states that “U.S. policy with respect to the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict has not changed. The United States does not
recognize Nagorno-Karabakh as an independent country, and its
leadership is not recognized internationally or by the United
States. The United States supports the territorial integrity of
Azerbaijan and holds that the future status of Nagorno-Karabakh is a
matter of negotiation between the parties in the Minsk Group
process. The United States remains actively engaged in advancing a
peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict through the Minsk
Group process. We are encouraged by the continuing talks between the
Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Assistant Secretary Jones’s comment quoted in the Moscow Times was
directed at the need for the U.S. and Russia to work together to
resolve the conflicts and advance transparency and rule of law in the
conflict areas. We recognize that the circumstances of each conflict
are unique.”

MULTISTAGE SETTLEMENT-SCHEME OF KARABAKH CONFLICT AND FORMULA
“TERRITORIES FOR SECURITY” MORE REALISTIC THAN OTHERS: FORMER RUSSIAN
CO-CHAIRMAN OF OSCE MINSK GROUP

YEREVAN, JANUARY 19. ARMINFO. The multistage settlement-scheme of
Karabakh conflict and the formula “territories for security” are more
realistic than others, writes the former co-chairman of OSCE Minsk
Group on resolution of Karabakh conflict, Ambassador Vladimir
Kazimirov in a new article published on the web-site of Regnum News
Agency.

He said that Baku will not be able to adopt the status of Nagorny
Karabakh demanded by Armenians in the “package,” it is necessary to
leave it for the best time. “At the first stage, it is necessary to
start release of the region outside the borders of Karabakh in
exchange for return compromises. But first of all, a number of issues
must be made clear,” Kazimirov says. In his words, return of the
territories requires, first of all, a guarantee that military actions
will not be resumed (in the course of the negotiations of 90s, a
number of guarantees were on question, in particular, deep
demilitarization of the liberated territories for the whole period
before determination and granting the status to Karabakh). “If anyone
plans to make the returned territories a base for military actions, it
is also naivety. The territories will be released only in case of a
system of guarantees with a large international component,” Kazimirov
writes. That is why the threats to resolve the conflict in any way are
counter-productive, he writes. However, Kazimirov thinks that there is
much shorter way to withdraw the troops, quite an opposite way,
i.e. serious commitments of the parties to settle any disputable
issues, including the status of Karabakh, by exclusively peaceful
means. Then “security zone” will not be necessary either.

According to the Ambassador Kazimirov, Nagorny Karabakh itself is a
special point. Demanding withdrawal of troops from there is possible
only together with the native population. The persistence of Ilham
Aliev in this issue is perceived only as a requesting position. If the
parties really seek for a peaceful resolution of the conflict, they
should recognize Karabakh both the subject and the object of the
dispute. In the essence, the whole world recognizes this fact, except
the parties, Kazimirov says. It is necessary to search for a new
border, and it is impossible without Stepanakert. Protraction of this
issue means protraction of withdrawal of the troops. It is time for
the parties to stop the dispute around the circle of the negotiation
participants. The more so as the resolution of OSCE Summit in Budapest
(1994) has not been cancelled, Kazimirov says.

He writes that the Azerbaijani leadership put the main stress on the
force resolution on the conflict and not on the negotiations. He says
that the reasons of the reconciliation are quite other: the result of
military failure of Azerbaijan on the one hand, an opportunity to
avoid a collapse of the power, on the other hand.

There are still so many issues waiting for agreements between the
parties, that one fails to declare the successes of 2004. They are too
insignificant in this background, Kazimirov writes for conclusion.-m-

EVENTS TIMED TO THE 90TH ANNIVERSARY OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE IN OTTOMAN
TURKEY WILL START IN THE SECOND HALF OF FEBRUARY, 2005

YEREVAN, JANUARY 19. ARMINFO. Events timed to the 90th anniversary of
Armenian Genocide in Ottoman Turkey will start in the second half of
February, 2005. The state commission for organization of events timed
to the 90th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide headed by Prime
Minister Andranik Margaryan made such a decision, Wednesday.

The Governmental Press Service told ARMINFO that in conformity with
the above decision, a Commemoration Evening Meeting will be held on
April 23, 2005 at the Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet after
Alexander Spendiarov. Under the programs, an international forum
devoted to Armenian Genocide and protection of Human rights will be
held. Publication of books on genocide is planned. Solemn liturgies
are expected at all the churches in the country.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress