EU asked to intervene in crisis in Caucuses
18.05.2004 – 14:12 CET | By Andrew Beatty

EU Observer
May 18, 2004.

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS – Amid threats of war, the president of
Azerbaijan today called on the EU to step up its involvement in
solving a 16-year old ethnic and border dispute with Armenia.

During a visit to Brussels, Ilham Aliyev asked the Commission
President, Romano Prodi, to help resolve the crisis in the southwestern
region of Nagorno-Karabakh that has seen the two countries at
loggerheads for more than a decade.

The territorial dispute has remained unsolved since the majority
Armenian population tried to secede after the break up of the Soviet
Union.

The ensuing war was thought to have cost 30,000 lives.

Although there has been relative peace since a ceasefire accord was
signed in 1994, it has been an uneasy truce and recently tensions
have appeared to be on the rise.

Before his visit to Brussels on Tuesday, Mr Aliyev was reported to
have remarked that another war with their Caucasian neighbours was
a possibility if ongoing talks fail.

In Brussels however he was more conciliatory – just.

“Azerbaijan intends to continue its policy to peaceful resolution
of the conflict, but at the same time this resolution must be on the
recognised principles of international law, the territorial integrity
and sovereignty of Azerbaijan”, he said.

At the table

Talks are currently being shepherded along by the Organization for
Security and Cooperation in Europe’s Minsk group lead by the Russian
Federation, the United States and France.

And with six other EU countries participating in the process, there
is reluctance on the part of the EU to be seen to be undermining
its members.

“We are worried that the peace process is stopped”, Mr Prodi said
today, before adding, “Clearly we do not want to interfere with the
Minsk Group but we are urging and pushing that the Minsk Group has
some result”.

But the Azeri government now wants a bigger role for the EU, something
which has the potential of stepping on the toes of the European
members of the Minsk Group.

President Ilayev said, “Of course the Minsk group will also actively
continue its activity in finding a resolution, but at the same time
Azerbaijan is very strongly interested that other important European
organizations; first of all the European Union, would take a more
active stand”.

And as Brussels recently decided to include Armenia, Georgia and
Azerbaijan in the ‘European Neighbourhood Policy’ – which aims to
deepen ties with countries bordering the Union – the Commission may
seem to be cautiously edging towards playing a greater role.

But the Commission’s attempts to deepen ties have brought critics.
Mr Aliyev came to power in last October’s elections, replacing his
father, amid allegations of widespread election fraud and the EU has
been accused of turning a blind eye to the poor human rights situation
in the country, because it is seeking to tap into the countries vast
oil reserves.

Armenian dissidents go on hunger strike in Baku

Interfax
May 18 2004

Baku. (Interfax-Azerbaijan) – Two Armenian dissidents have gone
on a hunger strike in Baku to protest international organizations’
disregard for their request for political refuge in “a third country,”
the Azerbaijani National Security Ministry told Interfax on Monday.

They said they would continue their protest until the United Nations’
Baku office fulfills their request.

On April 8, Artur Apresian and Roman Terian, both born in Baku,
illegally arrived in Baku through Turkey. They argued that they had
done this to demonstrate their disagreement with the policy pursued
by the Armenian leadership, headed by President Robert Kocharian.

So far, not a single international organization accredited in Baku
has given a definitive response to the Armenians’ request for being
moved to “third countries.”

Azerbaijan calls on EU to solve Karabakh dispute
By Sebastian Alison

Reuters AlertNet, UK
May 18 2004

BRUSSELS, May 18 (Reuters) – Azerbaijan called on the European Union
to help solve a long-running row with Armenia over the disputed region
of Nagorno-Karabakh on Tuesday, apparently catching the EU’s executive
Commission off its guard.

The Commission this month added Azerbaijan, with Caucasus neighbours
Armenia and Georgia, to its New Neighbourhood programme, which seeks
closer ties with countries around the bloc following its expansion
eastwards on May 1.

Azeri President Ilham Aliyev lost no time in challenging Commission
President Romano Prodi to translate this into action by asking the
EU to take a leading role in the conflict.

Nagorno-Karabakh is a territory wholly inside Azerbaijan, populated
by Christian ethnic Armenians, which broke away from Baku’s rule as
the Soviet Union collapsed. The Azeris, their country controlling
large oil resources, want it back.

Prodi told journalists after meeting Aliyev that the EU had expressed
“our disposal to help if requested”. He insisted he could not give
details as no request had been made.

Not so, shot back Aliyev. “We already asked, and during today’s
meeting once again,” he said.

A ceasefire, ending a six-year conflict that killed about 35,000
people, has held for a decade. However, the Minsk Group of 11
countries, led by France, the United States and Russia under the
mandate of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe,
has so far failed to settle the problem.

Aliyev, who succeeded his father as president last year, backed the
Minsk Group but said he wanted more.

“Azerbaijan is very strongly interested that other important European
organisations, first of all the European Union, take a more active
stand,” he said.

“If Azerbaijan and Armenia are now in the New Neighbourhood policy, the
occupation by one country of the territory of another must be stopped,”
he added, demanding the immediate withdrawal of Armenian troops.

His remarks suggest the EU may face problems by rolling out the new
policy, which could mean “importing” several conflicts — notably
in Moldova, another New Neighbour, where a stalled war pitting
Romanian-speaking Moldovans against ethnic Russians has also rumbled
on for a decade.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Khachaturian Centenary Concert In New York

Soundgenerator.com, UK
May 18 2004

“Homage to Aram Khachaturian”, part of the International Aram
Khachaturian Festival in celebration of the Centennial Year of the
birth of Khachaturian concert will take place on Sunday, May 23rd
2004 at 2:15 pm at Alice Tully Hall.

The concert at New York’s Lincoln Centre is being presented by pianist
Lucy Ishkanian and is only one of a series of events that have taken
place in Yerevan, Moscow, New York and Los Angeles over the past
season. The concert will benefit the Armenian Scholarship Fund at
The Juilliard School.

The program will include the Sonata Monologue for Violin Solo, which
is the New York premiere and will be performed by Stefan Milenkovich;
the Concerto Rhapsody for cello performed by Ani Aznavoorian;
four songs performed by tenor Yeghishe Manucharyan; the Poeme for
piano performed by Lucy Ishkanian; and the Trio for violin, clarinet
and piano performed by Sami Merdinian, Dimitar Moskovsky, and Evan
Solomon. The program will conclude with the New York premiere of
the Suite for Two Pianos from the “Gayaneh Ballet” performed by Lucy
Ishkanian and Jerome Rose.

The Festival, organized and presented by Armen Tertatevosian,
President, Master Classes International, in collaboration with pianist
Lucy Ishkanian, has been officially endorsed by Armenia’s ‘State
Jubilee Committee of the Khachaturian 100th Anniversary’, as well as
by President Robert Kocharian and the First Lady of the Republic of
Armenia, and has been included in UNESCO’s list of Jubilee events.

The International Aram Khachaturian Festival Centenary events began
with a spectacular presentation of the masterpiece ballet, “Spartacus”,
performed by the Yuri Grigorovich Ballet Company on September 19th
and 20th, 2003, at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium.

Future events will continue in February 2005, with the Gala
International World Premiere of a sensational new production of the
“Gayaneh” Ballet by Yuri Grigorovich and his company with new costumes,
scenery, choreography, and libretto, set to the musical score of the
ballet by Aram Khachaturian. This event will take place in Los Angeles,
followed by a US and world tour.

The opening of the ballet in New York is scheduled for March 2005
where the International Aram Khachaturian Festival will present
“Spartacus” and the “Gayaneh” Ballet.

Tickets, which range from $25.00 to $75.00, can be purchased at the
Alice Tully Hall Box Office or at

PRESS RELEASE

May 18, 2004

American University of Armenia Corporation
300 Lakeside Drive, 4th Floor
Oakland, CA 94612
Telephone: (510) 987-9452
Fax: (510) 208-3576

Contact: Gohar Momjian
E-mail: [email protected]

US LIBRARY OF CONGRESS AREA SPECIALIST DR. LEVON AVDOYAN SPEAKS AT AUA

Yerevan – On Tuesday, May 11, 2004, Dr. Levon Avdoyan, an Armenian and
Georgian Area Specialist of the United States Library of Congress’ African
and Middle Eastern Division, visited AUA and discussed the Near East Section
of the Library of Congress and the Armenian portal within their website.

Avdoyan described the Library’s rich depository of materials in over 40
languages about the area known as the Near East, including the countries and
peoples of the Caucasus and Central Asia. The Armenian portal has a
comprehensive collection of materials published in the Republic and the
Diaspora, including manuscripts, books, serials, newspapers, electronic
media, motion pictures, music, etc. and encompasses subjects related to
Armenian life and culture. Avdoyan noted that while there is much material
on the Armenian Genocide, the portal does not use the term Genocide. He
expressed hope that with Armenian-American lobbyist efforts that will soon
change.

AUA Papazian Library staff and other library representatives participated in
the lively exchange. This includes representatives from Armenia’s National
Library, Gladzor University Library, National Assembly Library, Ministry of
Foreign Affairs Library, Yerevan City Central Library, National Academy of
Sciences Fundamental Library, US Embassy’s Information Resource Center, and
students from the Yerevan State University’s Library Department.

Satenik Avagian, the AUA Papazian Library Director, thanked Dr. Avdoyan for
his informative presentation. The AUA Papazian Library is a major
participant in the region’s development of Library Sciences, providing
innovative services and utilizing technological advances in the field. It
is currently the only fully automated library in the region and has an open
access policy for most of its collection, serving students and scholars from
other institutions and the community at large. AUA also developed the Alice
Ohanasian Digital Library of Classical Armenian Literature, which makes
original works from the 5th – 18th centuries available online.

—————————————-

The American University of Armenia is registered as a non-profit educational
organization in both Armenia and the United States and is affiliated with
the Regents of the University of California. Receiving major support from
the AGBU, AUA offers instruction leading to the Masters Degree in eight
graduate programs. For more information about AUA, visit

Picture: Dr. Levon Avdoyan with AUA Papazian Library Director, Satenik
Avagian

Armenia wants to continue negotiations with Azerbaijan

Interfax
May 18 2004

Yerevan. (Interfax) – Armenia thinks it necessary to continue
Nagorno-Karabakh settlement negotiations with Azerbaijan, its Foreign
Minister Vardan Oskanian told a press conference in Yerevan on Monday.

“We believe in the efficiency of negotiations, including meetings
between the Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents. We think it is still
possible to find common approaches to the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement,”
the minister said.

“It is not yet clear for Armenia whether Azerbaijani is ready to
provide for the succession of the negotiations and confirm the
commitments approved by the late president Heydar Aliyev,” Oskanian
said.

The Azerbaijani initiative on opening transport routes in exchange
for the return of Azerbaijani lands currently under Karabakh control
is unacceptable for Armenia, the minister said.

ASBAREZ ONLINE
TOP STORIES
05/18/2004
TO ACCESS PREVIOUS ASBAREZ ONLINE EDITIONS PLEASE VISIT OUR
WEBSITE AT <;HTTP://

1) EU’s Prodi Caught Off Guard by Aliyev’s Request
2) Rustamian Calls on Opposition to Show True Colors For Sake of Reform
3) US Details Armenia Responsibilities for MCA Participation
4) ARS Festival Celebrates Armenian Heritage with All

1) EU’s Prodi Caught Off Guard by Aliyev’s Request

BRUSSELS (Reuters)–Azerbaijan called on the European Union (EU) to help
resolve a long-running dispute with Armenia over Mountainous Karabagh,
apparently catching the EU’s executive Commission off its guard. The
Commission
this month added Azerbaijan, with Caucasus neighbors Armenia and Georgia, to
its New Neighborhood program, which seeks closer ties with countries around
the
bloc following its expansion eastwards on May 1.
Azeri President Ilham Aliyev lost no time in challenging Commission President
Romano Prodi to translate this into action by asking the EU to take a leading
role in the conflict.
Karabagh is a territory wholly inside Azerbaijan, populated by Christian
ethnic Armenians, which broke away from Baku’s rule as the Soviet Union
collapsed. The Azeris, their country controlling large oil resources, want it
back.
Prodi told journalists after meeting Aliyev that the EU had expressed “our
disposal to help if requested.” He insisted he could not give details as no
request had been made.
Not so, shot back Aliyev. “We already asked, and during today’s meeting once
again,” he said.
A ceasefire, ending a six-year conflict that killed about 35,000 people, has
held for a decade. However, the Minsk Group of 11 countries, led by France,
the
United States, and Russia under the mandate of the Organization for Security
and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), has so far failed to settle the problem.
Aliyev, who succeeded his father as president last year, backed the Minsk
Group but said he wanted more.
“Azerbaijan is very strongly interested that other important European
organizations, first of all the European Union, take a more active stand,” he
said.
“If Azerbaijan and Armenia are now in the New Neighborhood policy, the
occupation by one country of the territory of another must be stopped,” he
added, demanding the immediate withdrawal of Armenian troops.
His remarks suggest the EU may face problems by rolling out the new policy,
which could mean “importing” several conflicts–notably in Moldova, another
New
Neighbor, where a stalled war pitting Romanian-speaking Moldovans against
ethnic Russians has also rumbled on for a decade.

2) Rustamian Calls on Opposition to Show True Colors For Sake of Reform

YEREVAN (Noyan Tapan)–In an interview with Noyan Tapan, ARF’s Armen Rustamian
said that if the opposition is sincere in its claims that a power shift is not
an end in itself and that it seeks reforms, then it must opt for dialogue.
Rustamian, Chairman of the National Assembly’s foreign relations commission
and the chairman of ARF Armenia’s Supreme Body, said that dialogue, on the one
hand, allows for achievements to date to be preserved, while opening the doors
to resolving existing problems.
The only alternative to political confrontation, Rustamian stressed, is the
resolution of issues through political consent. He proposed that the
opposition
accept the offer to participate “as an equal side, with rights of veto” in
working to reform Armenia’s electoral code and constitution, and struggling
against corruption–generally in implementing obligations assumed by Armenia
[before the Council of Europe].
Part of the opposition, said Rustamian, opposes dialogue because it does not
grasp that proposals put forth are, in fact, very realistic.
“Working with that part of the opposition, and extending the idea of
political
consent, we must present the idea–not as an empty declaration, but a concept
that has serious potential.”
“Another portion of the opposition simply will not opt for dialogue
because of
its fundamental desire to increase its electorate on the threshold of possible
elections,” Rustamian added.
Rustamian said that the possible collision of authorities and the opposition
weaken the nation, and the government becomes the responsible party.
He revealed that the opposition, while considered “a persecuted political
force carrying out an unshakable struggle for democracy,” is void of ideas and
programs. For this reason, Rustamian said, they must enter into the political
process and work constructively, instead of putting forth far-fetched,
artificial reasons, pre-conditions, and ultimatums–anything to avoid
dialogue.

3) US Details Armenia Responsibilities for MCA Participation

YEREVAN (Armenpress/RFE/RL)–The 8th session of US-Armenia Task Force
continued
on Tuesday with detailed discussions on Armenia’s responsibilities for
participation in the US-funded Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) program.
Ambassador Carlos Pascual, a senior State Department official coordinating US
aid to Europe and the former Soviet Union, reviewed criterion for the
selection
of countries eligible.
Armenia is among 16 countries of Africa, Asia, Latin America and the former
Soviet Union selected for the MCA earlier this month on the basis of 16
indicators of political and economic reforms. Six of those indicators,
including protection of civil rights and freedom of expression, deal with what
is defined as one of the three main objectives of the scheme: promotion of a
“just government rule.”
Pascual said that by qualifying, countries are not guaranteed funding, and
that allocation of funds will be based on the quality of program proposals,
and
on a compulsory basis. Their financing will depend on the economy’s fair
management, addressing investment in social issues, as well as the quality of
programs presented.
“As you know, there have been issues here in Armenia that have raised
questions about political and civil liberties in the past few months,” Pascual
told a news conference in Yerevan. “The expectation, in order to be able to
move forward with the program, is that there would be progress on these issues
and not movement backwards.”
Pascual, who co-chaired a two-day session of the US-Armenian
intergovernmental
“task force” with Finance Minister Vartan Khachatrian, said that Yerevan would
further increase its chances of securing MCA funding by combating endemic
corruption in earnest. “We had some very frank discussions about struggle to
fight corruption in Armenia and the importance of translating the
[government’s] anti-corruption strategy into specific steps,” he said, calling
for “concrete examples that can show the population the seriousness of the
will
to fight corruption.”
Khachatrian agreed, saying: “We must do a lot of work to get that
assistance.”
He confirmed that the Armenian government has “in effect” already drawn up a
number of strategic Poverty Reduction programs to submit to the Millennium
Challenge Corporation, a US government agency in charge of the MCA’s
implementation. He said those programs will be discussed in detail with a team
of other US officials who are due to visit Yerevan later this month. The
government will also initiate public debate on its proposals, Khachatrian
added.
The task force also discussed the ongoing regular US aid to Armenia, which
has
exceeded $1.5 billion since 1992 and, according to Pascual, will total $94
million this year. More than half of the 2004 funds are to be spent on job
creation, poverty reduction, and social services, while $15 million is
earmarked for “security and law enforcement,” officials said.

4) ARS Festival Celebrates Armenian Heritage with All

GLENDALE–The third annual Armenian Relief Society (ARS) festival proved to be
yet another year of success, providing delicious food, rousing music, arts and
crafts, and spontaneous dancing. Over 7,000 people passed through the doors of
the Glendale Civic Auditorium, for the two-day weekend festival, May 15-16.
The festival drew in a mixed crowd of both Armenians and non-Armenians who
shared the rich Armenian cultural experience with their children,
grandchildren, and friends. The upper level of the auditorium was filled to
capacity with people eager to watch the dancing and view the Armenian clothes
modeled by local teenagers.
Vendors lined the auditorium, selling artwork, ceramics, jewelry, T-shirts,
food, drinks, books, clothes, and desserts. Informational displays were
available on the lower level of the auditorium, filled with postcards and
stamps from Armenia and pictures of the country’s men and women and their
fashion from different eras.
Through the festivities, the ARS was able to fulfill a sense of pride and
tradition for Armenians and non-Armenians alike.

All subscription inquiries and changes must be made through the proper carrier
and not Asbarez Online. ASBAREZ ONLINE does not transmit address changes and
subscription requests.
(c) 2004 ASBAREZ ONLINE. All Rights Reserved.

ASBAREZ provides this news service to ARMENIAN NEWS NETWORK members for
academic research or personal use only and may not be reproduced in or through
mass media outlets.

Azer Tag, Azerbaijan State Info Agency
May 18 2004

PARLIAMENT SPEAKERS OF SOUTH CAUCASUS: FURTHER EUROPEAN INTEGRATION A
STIMULATING FACTOR FOR THE REGION
[May 18, 2004, 15:58:00]

“Further European integration is a stimulating factor for the South
Caucasus,” the Speakers of the Parliaments of Azerbaijan, Armenia and
Georgia said at the end of a meeting organised by Assembly President
Peter Schieder on the margins of a Parliamentary Summit bringing
together more than 60 Speakers of Parliament from 17 to 19 May in
Strasbourg.

They stressed that “parliamentarians have an important role to play
in developing regional cooperation and creating an atmosphere of
confidence in the South Caucasus”.

The Speakers welcomed the readiness of the Parliamentary Assembly to
develop concrete cooperation programmes with different groups of
society with a view to promoting contacts in the region and assisting
the implementation of democratic reforms.

The Assembly President and the Speakers will pursue contacts in order
to work on concrete proposals for cooperation to be discussed by the
parliamentary delegations of the three countries during the
Assembly’s October session. In this framework, the Secretary General
of the Assembly will visit Baku, Tbilisi, and Yerevan at the
beginning of July.

Interstate aviation committee to inquire into China plane crash

ITAR-TASS, Russia
May 18 2004

MOSCOW, May 18 (Itar-Tass) – The Interstate Aviation Committee will
investigate this Tuesday’s Il-76 plane crash near the Chinese airport
of Urumqi.

Under the ICAO regulations, the intergovernmental agreement on civil
aviation and the CIS regulations for air accident investigation and
since the incident concerns four states — Azerbaijan (the state
of registration), Ukraine (the owner of the plane), Russia (the
aircraft designer) and Uzbekistan (the producer), the Interstate
Aviation Committee is an authorized organisation to investigate the
crash with the participation of the countries concerned, IAC sources
told Itar-Tass.

The Azerbaijani embassy in Beijing confirmed that among the seven
crewmembers killed in the crash was an Azerbaijani citizen, a
technician, and the other six were Ukrainian citizens.

Chinese representatives have already handed over a list of the names
of the crewmembers to Ukrainian diplomats.

Ukrainian embassy representatives declined to give comments on the
information, but only said the Ukrainian consul left for Urumqi to
clarify the crash circumstances.

It is unclear so far to what airline the plane belonged.

According to the Azerbaijani embassy in China, the Il-76 belonged to
the Azerbaijani private company Silk Way and was leased by a Ukrainian
air transport company.

However, Azerbaijani Airlines sources said the owner of the Il-76
was a Ukrainian company.

The plane loaded with commodities was on a chartered
Taiwan-Urumqi-Baku-Riga flight.

According to some sources, the cargo was destined for a Russian
company.

The plane fell from a height of 100-150 metres ten kilometres from
the airport two minutes after the takeoff.

Searching for the cockpit voice recorders is under way.

The airport resumed working after the three-hour halt.

Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova,
Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Ukraine set up the
Interstate Aviation Committee on the base of the intergovernmental
agreement on civil aviation and use of air space, which was signed
on December 30, 1991.

The IAC is included in the list of international intergovernmental
organisations of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).

Collective Security Treaty officials hold consultations in Moscow

ITAR-TASS, Russia
May 18 2004

MOSCOW, May 18 (Itar-Tass) – Consultations of deputy foreign and
defence ministers and deputy Security Council secretaries of the
Organisation of the Collective Security Treaty (CST) member states
were held in Moscow on Tuesday.

CST Secretary General Nikolai Bordyuzha and Russian First Deputy
Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Trubnikov attended the meeting.

The press service of the CST secretariat told Itar-Tass the
consultations participants exchanged views “on the development of the
situation in the CST responsibility zone and realisation of measures
to fight modern challenges and threats.”

The officials devoted special attention to “the situation formed
in Afghanistan, as well as strengthening of cooperation of the
organisation members in the post-conflict settlement in the country,”
said the press service.

The sides discussed the fulfilment of decisions adopted at the Dushanbe
session of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation and priorities
in the organisation’s activities.

CST members are Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan
and Tajikistan.

The press service also said the meeting participants “on the whole
approved drafts of the documents planned to be considered at the June
CST session in Astana.”