EU official calls on Armenia, Turkey to improve ties

Arminfo
17 Mar 04

YEREVAN

If Turkey wants to become a European Union member, it should fulfil
all the requirements of this organization and normalize relations with
Armenia, the chairman of the European Parliament’s committee for
constitutional issues, Ursula Schleicher, told a news conference
today, devoted to the results of the sixth session of the commission
for Armenia-European Union interparliamentary cooperation.

She said that both sides should show the political will to normalize
Armenian-Turkish relations. Schleicher noted that both Armenia and
Turkey were attempting to normalize bilateral relations. She believes
these countries should start communicating at a higher level in order
to normalize ties. The agreement that was signed on the results of the
sixth session of the Armenian-European Union cooperation commission
called on Turkey “to gradually start unblocking the border” and remove
obstacles on the path to trade cooperation with Armenia.

The European Union called on the Armenian and Turkish governments to
create the conditions for establishing friendly relations. The
document also pointed out the need for dialogue between Armenian and
Turkish academics to “overcome the tragic experience of the past”.

OSCE chairman’s remarks give no prospect of Karabakh settlement – newspaper

Aravot, Yerevan
18 Mar 04

Text of Tigran Avetisyan’s report in Armenian newspaper Aravot on 18
March headlined “Is the NKR ignored?”

Today it may be reasonably said that the OSCE, which took the role of
key mediator in the Karabakh settlement, has finally and
unconditionally recognized only Armenia and Azerbaijan as the parties
to the conflict. Yesterday during a joint news conference of the OSCE
chairman-in-office, Bulgarian Foreign Minister Solomon Pasi, and
Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan, journalists asked the same
questions in different ways. The goal was to clarify how Mr Pasi sees
the role of the NKR in the negotiating process on its destiny. All was
in vain. Replying to all the cunning and not so cunning questions, the
OSCE chairman-in-office said almost the same thing: “The problem may
be settled only by the efforts of Armenia and Azerbaijan.” The only
exception in this “strategy” was that Solomon Pasi reported on his
meeting with the NKR president, Arkadiy Gukasyan, saying that he is
well informed about the fears of the Karabakh party.

As for the rest of Pasi’s remarks on the NKR conflict settlement, they
were as old as the conflict itself. Let us present some of them: “In
Azerbaijan as well as in Armenia I have seen a great desire and
readiness for a peaceful settlement,” “The OSCE cannot offer a ready
prescription to the parties to the conflict, it can only support
them,” etc.

As for the Armenian foreign minister, the latter was not original in
his answers either. They again touched on the decision of the new
leadership of Azerbaijan to start the negotiations from scratch and
Oskanyan again said that there had been definite agreements and if
Azerbaijan intended to start everything from a blank sheet, in that
case it should negotiate with the Karabakh party. Vardan Oskanyan
confirmed the information published in the Azerbaijani press that on
29 March he and his Azerbaijani counterpart would meet in Prague with
the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmen. “At that time we shall try to
clarify once again from what point Azerbaijan intends to continue the
negotiations,” the Armenian foreign minister said. It seemed that in
trying to justify the naive and predictable answers of Solomon Pasi on
the format of the negotiations, Vardan Oskanyan said that in the end
there is truth in his words and “each of you can draw his own
conclusion”.

Let us try to draw our own conclusion. Taking into account Arkadiy
Gukasyan’s statements immediately after his meeting with the OSCE
chairman-in-office that without the participation of Karabakh the
problem will never be settled, as well as taking into account that
today the key theme of conversation between Armenia and Azerbaijan has
turned to zero, in that case we can give up for lost the possibility
of an NKR settlement for a long time.

Armenian parliament rejects anti-smoking bill

AP Online
Mar 18, 2004

Armenia’s parliament rejected Thursday a bill that would have
restricted smoking in public places and sales of tobacco to minors.

The bill _ which would have banned smoking in government buildings,
hospitals, schools and universities and restrict it in cafes and
restaurants _ got just 41 votes in the 131-seat parliament, falling
short of the simple majority it needed for approval.

Most parliament members are smokers.

Students lead condemnation of Melkonian closure plan

Cyprus Weekly
Friday, March 19, 2004

A HURRIEDLY-written placard read: “WHAT TURKEY FAILED TO DO IS BEING
DONE NOW” as shocked students, many of them openly weeping, refused to
go back to their classrooms at the Melkonian Educational Institute in
Nicosia on Tuesday.

Instead, they poured out into the schoolyard and surrounded the marble
monument over the twin graves of the Melkonian Brothers, shouting
“unfair” and “cruel” whilst another placard came into view which
simply said: 1915-2004.

The spontaneous protest, extensively covered by local and worldwide TV
channels, came minutes after teachers and students were called into
the school auditorium to be told by the Headmistress, Ani Lachinian,
that the AGBU Central Board had decided to close down the school in
June next year. The shock news came almost 80 years from the day when
the first group of orphans of the Armenian Genocide, graduated from
what was to become the most important centre of “Hayabahbanoum” in
Europe and the Middle East.

The students drew themselves together to sing the Cyprus and Armenian
national anthems and the Melkonian school song to the sound of drums
which members of the school band had brought out. A third grade child
of mixed parents was numbed. She said: “I can’t describe what I
feel. I want to throw up”. Soon, other placards in Armenian, English
and Greek appeared saying: “Stealing the future of students is a
crime”, “Ataturk would laugh at us”, “This is a second genocide”.

Another placard read: “In Gordon We Trusted But Now We Are Busted”
(referring to the AGBU envoy Gordon Anderson). TV reporters on the
scene said Anderson refused to comment and indicated that a statement
would be released by a Cypriot advertising and public relations
company. A parents meeting on Wednesday developed into heated
discussion as angry reaction messages arrived from neighbouring
countries. The meeting was followed by a candlelight vigil by students
at the memorial of the founder brothers.

“We wanted to do this outside the main gate but we couldn’t,” said a
student from abroad. This was confirmed by Headmistress Lachinian who
said: “They were told not to demonstrate outside the school’s
boundaries. If they do they automatically become sanctionable. As
boarders they can only go outside with permission.” Both the parents’
union and the alumni, however, interpreted this as a threat of
expulsion, and warned students accordingly.

Cypriot Armenians said they planned to stage a demonstration on March
24 against the closure of the school, while the Melkonian alumni hope
to take legal action both on the island and in the USA.

“It is not just a matter of the sale of the land and the flight of
some 80 million dollars to the US in violation of a 1926 will by the
founders,” a spokesman of the alumni said. “It’s also abuse of the
rights of Armenian children who are being deprived of their human
right to a fair education based on their cultural heritage,” adding
that the AGBU Central Board had refused to discuss ways to save the
school because their main aim was “to take the money and run”.

“The ultimate objective is to lay their hands on the land and take the
funds out of Cyprus,” Shavasb Bohdjalian, head of the alumni, told
local journalists.

Since the controversy began, the Armenian community has managed to
have the Melkonian declared a listed historical building and has
persuaded the Forestry Department to file an application to declare
the wooded area in the grounds as a protected forest. Legal action is
now being considered, Bohdjalian said. If there is a case, it is
likely to be fought in the Cyprus and American courts, he said.

In a paid advertisement that appeared in local papers 10 days ago,
Gordon Anderson, the American representative of the AGBU, said that
“several options are being considered” to accommodate the 200 or so
students at other schools so that they can gain an education “that
will have an Armenian component”, though he would not elaborate. In
its 15 March announcement the AGBU said that “after extensive
deliberations and thorough assessment” the Central Board had resolved
“unanimously” to discontinue the school in June 2005.

“The Melkonian Educational Institute, as a significant and historical
institution within AGBU, has been a concern of the Central Board over
many years. This decision is based largely on the Board’s conclusion
that MEI no longer meets the challenge of its mission in the present
context of the Armenian world,” the AGBU said. It added that the
Central Board fully recognised and honoured the continued legacy of
the Melkonian Brothers, and “is determined to perpetuate their memory
through new educational programmes to be implemented within and
outside Cyprus, in line with the spirit of their donation to AGBU”.

However, the alumni said the AGBU’s talk of co-operating with other
institutions, research centres, and even universities was a public
relations gimmick.

The move by the AGBU, which said only three months ago that the 78
year old school was not for sale, has incensed the 3,000 strong
Armenian community on the island as well as Armenians in Lebanon,
Syria, Greece, Bulgaria and other countries who send their children to
the school.

Masis der Parthogh, vice-chairman of the alumni, pointed out that the
Melkonian had been a haven for decades for Armenian children in times
of war and upheaval throughout the Middle East.

“We and the parents’ association were plannning to help bring children
from war-torn Iraq. This plan obviously has been killed.”

In an extensive report to the Armenian Mirror-Spectator, one-time Vice
President of the AGBU Haygachen Ouzounian said, inter alia: “It will
be the most tragic move made by the AGBU, and will cause the most harm
to our nation. Those determining the current policy of the Central
Board will be subject to severe indictment by our people in the court
of history”, he said.

Ouzounian, one of the early graduates of the Melkonian, blamed the
Central Board for the decrease in the number of boarding students. The
school, he said, could accommodate up to 350 boarders but this was the
thwarted by the Central Board, who hiked the fees to such that
Armenians from East Europe, the Middle East and Armenia could not
afford.

Last month, Armenian Representative Bedros Kalaydjian headed a
three-member delegation to New York in an effort to persuade the
Central Board to stay the execution of any plans to either close down
or sell the Melkonian.

“The Central Board came up with a number of arguments but failed short
of any commitments. In fact we felt that we are being clearly
ignored”, he said. He added the Cyprus government had promised full
support.

AUTHORITIES OF EQUATORIAL GUINEA CAN EXECUTE ARMENIAN CITIZENS

YEREVAN, MARCH 18. ARMINFO. The authorities of Equatorial Guinea can pass a
death sentence on the 17 detained foreigners by charging them with
participating in a conspiracy aimed at assassination of the country’s
President. Among the detainees are six Armenian citizens.

The BBc News reports that the citizens of Angola, South African
Republic, Germany, Kazakhstan and Armenia have been charged with
unlawful purchase of arms and violation of the immigration laws in
Zimbabwe.

The authorities of Equatorial Guinea call the detainees “mercenaries”
and claim that they intended to stage a coup in the country, in
cooperation with an identical group that was simultaneously detained
in Zimbabwe. A Government official stated that the 17 foreigners can
be sentenced to death. The detainees deny all charges as trumped up.

The RA Foreign Office reports that it is taking diplomatic steps to
help the Armenian citizens. The RA Foreign Office applied to the third
countries for assistance in this matter.

POLICE CHIEFS SAY ETHNIC CRIME GROUPS IN MOSCOW DO NOT SUPPORT TERRORISTS

Rossiyskaya Gazeta, Moscow
12 Mar 04

Moscow police officials have rejected suggestions that the capital’s
ethnic criminal groups finance terrorists as this is not in their
interest. A newspaper article provides overview of main ethnic
criminal gangs in Moscow. The following is the text of report by Petr
Verigskiy and Ilya Zubko, headlined “Moscow’s criminal ethnic
communities” by Russian government newspaper Rossiyskaya Gazeta on 12
March. Subheadings have been inserted editorially:

Moscow is controlled by ethnic criminal groupings, most of which were
set up by former residents of the North Caucasus and
Transcaucasus. Ethnic gang members committed more than 4,300 crimes in
the capital city last year. Yesterday (11 March), staffers of the
Moscow GUVD (Main Directorate of Internal Affairs) UBOP (Directorate
for Combating Organized Crime) spoke about police efforts to
counteract ethnic criminal groupings.

“We cannot say that a particular ethnic criminal grouping in Moscow
occupies the leading position or is the most powerful,” Andrey
Bolshakov, chief of the First Operational Investigative Unit of the
Moscow GUVD UBOP, stated: “In addition, a considerable number of
crimes committed by members of these groupings have a latent character
and are directed against their fellow countrymen. Members of various
diasporas are, so to speak, stewing in their own juice and prefer to
sort out their internal problems without anybody’s
help. Specialization of gangs from Caucasus

Naturally, it is pointless to speak about the specific number of
members of particular criminal groupings: Gangs do not issue
membership cards to their members. However, one can state that each
gang set up based on the ethnic principle has its own
“specialization.”

According to police data, the Azeri gang is the largest criminal
grouping operating in Moscow. Its members, in particular, control drug
trafficking in the capital. More than 30 Azeri organized criminal
groupings currently operate in Moscow, mostly on the local
markets. The groupings are also involved in currency exchange frauds,
car thefts, and trading in stolen cars.

One of the oldest groupings – the Armenian one – “tackles” contract
murders and controls hotels and the gambling business. Some groupings
do not shun armed robberies and thefts.

The Georgian-Abkhazian grouping has the largest number of so-called
“kingpins.” The Georgian-Abkhazian conflict had absolutely no impact
on the ethnic unity of these two groupings. Its members specialize in
robberies, thefts, extortions, and financial frauds.

Chechen criminal grouping “goes beyond rules”

The Chechen criminal grouping is considered the most odious in
Moscow’s criminal world. The point is that this grouping does not
recognize the peculiar code of the criminal world set by “kingpins”
and always “goes beyond rules.” The Chechens’ activities are very
diverse and include extortion, kidnapping, arms trade, drug
trafficking, and control of banks, hotels, casinos, entertainment
centres, and markets. This organized criminal grouping is more unified
than any other gang.

Asian gangs

The groupings comprising guests from Asia – Chinese and Vietnamese –
are among the most “closed” ones. The Chinese associate exclusively
with members of their narrow circle and promptly transfer profits to
their homeland.

The Chinese grouping is divided into several smaller groups based on
the territorial principle: “Beijing,” “Harbin,” and “Shanghai” (the
“Beijing group” is considered the cruellest one). Members of the
Vietnamese organized criminal grouping, just as the Chinese, mostly
control the activities of their fellow countrymen legally residing in
Russia. Both the Chinese and the Vietnamese also trade in precious
metals and often get involved in the sale of “slaves” to the European
countries through Russia. The peculiar features of the Asian gangs are
very strict discipline, implicit obedience to leaders, and mutual
protection. Apprehended members of the “brigades” are sometimes so
scared of their leaders that they categorically refuse to testify.

Criminals transcend ethnic barriers

“Criminal groupings divided Moscow’s territory a long time ago,”
Yevgeniy Guzar, a section chief in the Moscow GUVD UBOP stated. “The
criminal war that was waged in the 1990 is over. Nevertheless, the
division of the spheres of influence continues all the time. New
people come and demand their spot under the sun. Curiously, ethnic
animosity is no longer as important as in the past. We happened to
detain Slavs and persons from the Caucasus, Armenians and Azerbaijanis
who jointly committed crimes. They place the lust for gain and profit
above all.”

Police reject links between Chechen terrorist and criminals in Moscow

Many people say that Chechen gunmen, for instance, are provided with
money by their fellow countrymen living in Moscow. In particular, some
people believe there is a link between the ethnic criminal groups and
the terrorist attack in the Moscow subway. Investigation officers
categorically reject these claims.

“It is disadvantageous for the groupings operating in Moscow,
including the ones from the North Caucasus, to support terrorists,”
Yevgeniy Guzar stated with confidence. “They have their families and
businesses here, and there is no guarantee that they will not be
damaged during terrorist attacks. Naturally, members of the diaspora
support their relatives in the hostilities zone. However, what
happens to the money after that is a different story. In any case we
do not have any information that they are intentionally ‘feeding’
terrorists.”

Armenian Foreign Ministry bemoans British envoy’s “genocide” remarks

Arminfo
18 Mar 04

YEREVAN

The Armenian Foreign Ministry has expressed its regret over the
position of the United Kingdom on the Armenian genocide, the press
secretary of the Foreign Ministry, Gamlet Gasparyan, has said,
commenting on the public reaction to the statement by British
ambassador to Armenia Thorda Abbot-Watt that the slaughter of
Armenians at the beginning of the last century could not be recognized
as genocide.

Gasparyan told Arminfo that some countries had recognized the genocide
of Armenians, but some had not. There is no doubt that each country
has its own position on this issue that stems from its strategic
interests. However, foreign envoys in Armenia should have sympathetic
attitude and be particularly careful when it comes to this sensitive
issue, Gasparyan said.

Passage omitted: background details

Georgia will tame Ajaria, wants strong Ukraine, security chief says

Den, Kiev
17 Mar 04

Georgia will force Ajaria to respect Georgian laws, Vano Merabishvili,
the Georgian security chief, has said, speaking in an interview. There
is a perception in Georgia that the situation in the country would
improve if Ukrainian peacekeepers replaced the Russian soldiers in
Abkhazia, Merabishvili said, adding that Georgia did not think that
Russia supported the Ajarian separatists, although there is a Russian
military base in the area. Agreement had, he said, been reached with
Russia on joint patrolling of the Chechen section of their common
border. Merabishvili also spelt out the Georgian position on NATO and
the Single Economic Space. The following is the text of the interview
by Serhiy Solodkyy, entitled “Vano Merabishvili: It is in Georgia’s
interests for Ukraine’s role to be enhanced” and published in the
Ukrainian newspaper Den on 17 March; subheadings have been inserted
editorially:

One of the electoral promises that Georgian President Mikheil
Saakashvili made was to reintegrate the state by resolving the
Abkhazian and South Ossetian conflicts. The issue involves the
interests of Russia and the USA. But Tbilisi the Georgian capital is
also looking to Ukraine’s participation as a mediator. The first
serious crisis in Georgia following the “pink revolution” occurred
last weekend, when the president’s motorcade was not allowed into the
Ajarian autonomous area. Saakashvili responded by issuing an
ultimatum, which led many experts to talk about the risk of a new
civil war. At the moment, the country’s central leadership is
promising to confine itself to an economic blockade of the
recalcitrant area.

The secretary of Georgia’s National Security Council, Vano
Merabishvili, has been visiting Ukraine. In an exclusive interview
with Den, he said that it was probably no coincidence that his first
foreign visit as secretary of the Georgian Security Council was to
Kiev. “Your country is Georgia’s biggest partner in terms of military
cooperation – both in training new personnel and in repairing military
hardware. We should like to expand and improve our cooperation, while
retaining all the achievements gained previously. We think that
Ukraine is a very influential state,” Mr Merabishvili emphasized.

“Ajarian question will be resolved shortly”

Solodkyy Your visit has occurred at a difficult time for Tbilisi
because of the Ajaria situation. There are different views on what is
happening in that autonomous area. Some maintain that Tbilisi intends
to transfer its power change scenario to Batumi the Ajarian capital ,
while others say that, in this way, the new leadership is carrying out
its plans to reintegrate the country. Which version do you incline
towards?

Merabishvili First of all, I should like to stress that Ajaria is just
as much a part of Georgia as any other Georgian district or town,
whether it be Kutaisi in central Georgia or Tbilisi. The regime of
Ajarian leader Aslan Abashidze has now been in existence for 13
years. The forces that have no interest in reform or in unifying the
state will, naturally, try by any means to hinder the central
authorities’ efforts to see that the Georgian constitution operates
throughout the country. A state cannot be regarded as successful
unless everyone in that state is following its constitutional
guidelines. Accordingly, the central authorities of Georgia will do
everything they can to see that the constitution is in force
throughout the country. The fact that the leader of the autonomous
area has presented claims regarding freedom of movement to the
president speaks for itself. But I think that the Ajarian question
will be resolved shortly. Legality will reign throughout Georgia,
especially since parliamentary elections will be taking place soon, on
28 March. Free elections cannot be expected in Ajaria if even the
country’s president, let alone opposition representatives, is unable
to meet the public. It is probably no secret to you that several dozen
members of the opposition have been arrested or expelled from
Ajaria. Such things must not and cannot happen in Europe in 2004.

Solodkyy To what extreme measures may Tbilisi resort in order to
resolve the Ajarian question?

Merabishvili I don’t think that any very serious measures are needed
to see that the constitution is in force throughout Georgia, including
Ajaria. We have every opportunity to do that.

Solodkyy Do you mean talking to Aslan Abashidze or removing him?

Merabishvili The actual question of removing Abashidze is not on the
agenda. But by various means we shall force the authorities in Ajaria
to carry out the laws of Georgia.

Ukraine as a mediator; relations with Russia

Solodkyy Do the new authorities in Georgia see Ukraine as a mediator
in resolving conflicts with the authorities in its autonomous areas?

Merabishvili In Georgian society there is a perception that, if the
Russian peacekeepers who are now in Abkhazia were to be replaced by
Ukrainian soldiers, no problems would arise at all. It is hard for me
to comment on that view at the moment, but it does exist. It is a
question of neutral peacekeeping forces that will not violate the
obligations they have assumed, and guarantee a resolution of the
Abkhazian and South Ossetian problems. Ukraine’s participation could
change a great deal both in Abkhazia and in South Ossetia. As for
Ajaria, the problem there is quite different. I think that Ukraine
will make its political view known on that issue too.

Solodkyy At the moment, though, Russia’s view carries more
weight… ellipsis as published .

Merabishvili We are trying to make the peacekeeping mandate in Georgia
as internationalist as possible. Let us honestly admit that Moscow
alone is not responsible for the conflicts and problems between
Georgia and Russia. Georgia’s former leadership did not have a clear,
precise policy on the development of relations with Russia. That
policy changed very frequently. Sometimes Russia was considered to be
Georgia’s sworn enemy. At other times, it was the most important
partner. These “lines” might change three times a month. The Georgian
leadership would violate some accords, but the same can be said of
Russian policy too. During the two months in which President
Saakashvili has been in power, the Russian and Georgian leaderships
have proved to one another that points of contact can be found, and we
have found them.

Solodkyy Can Tbilisi’s current policy towards Russia be called clear
and precise?

Merabishvili We shall honour all the commitments we have
undertaken. For example, several understandings were reached during
the Georgian president’s visit to Moscow – particularly on the
question of the joint patrolling of the Georgian-Russian border in the
Chechen sector. The Georgian leadership rejected joint patrolling for
many years. What was more, Tbilisi used to declare that there were no
Chechen fighters in the Pankisi Gorge, but time has proved that,
unfortunately, the Georgian leadership paid insufficient attention to
the question and that terrorists could move about freely. The question
has now been virtually solved. Russia’s trust in Georgia will grow
when there is joint patrolling of the border between Georgia and
Chechnya. It will then be impossible to accuse Tbilisi of helping
foreign citizens to infiltrate into Chechnya.

Another point of cooperation concerns Russia’s entry to the WTO World
Trade Organization . Previously the Georgian parliament decided to
link Georgia’s consent to Russia’s entry to the WTO to other political
issues. Three weeks ago, at the request of President Mikheil
Saakashvili, the Georgian parliament altered that decision and
consented to assist Russian entry to the WTO, since it was in
Tbilisi’s interests. If Russia joins the WTO, new markets will open up
for Georgian goods, and Russia will not introduce any artificial
restrictions. I have quoted just two instances for you, but there are
far more. The main thing is to prove to each other that we shall
honour all the commitments undertaken.

Russian bases not seen as threat

Solodkyy But why doesn’t Russia honour its commitments to remove its
bases from Georgian territory?

Merabishvili We appreciate that it is virtually impossible to resolve
these matters quickly. But, in many of the actions undertaken by the
Russian president, we have seen that not only this problem, but others
too can be resolved very simply. The main thing is that there is no
longer a threat to Georgia from these military bases. There is a
Russian base in Ajaria too, and, during the last conflict, there was
no serious reaction from the Russian military. That is highly
indicative. Previously the slightest panicking by Aslan Abashidze
would lead to tanks emerging from the Russian base and taking up
position on Ajaria’s administrative border.

Solodkyy Are you sure that the Russian leadership will not support
Aslan Abashidze?

Merabishvili We take the view that the Russians are not at the moment
supporting the separatist movement in Ajaria. This is probably the
first time over the past 10 years. I hope that the phrase “at the
moment” does not imply that this is a short-term Russian policy. We
shall count on the Russians’ understanding. We think that it is also
in Moscow’s interests to have a stable neighbour that will take
account of Russian interests. A strong Georgia is of benefit to Russia
because a weak neighbouring state is an additional factor for
destabilization.

Georgia and international organizations

Solodkyy Georgia and Ukraine used to cooperate actively within the
GUUAM association a loose alliance of Georgia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan,
Azerbaijan and Moldova so as to carry out various projects. Since the
“pink revolution”, cooperation in that direction has slowed down
somewhat. Has the country’s new leadership lost interest in GUUAM?

Merabishvili The Georgian government, which was formed only two weeks
ago, needs a certain amount of time in which to carry out its policies
steadily. I consider that serious progress will be made on the GUUAM
issue, since all of the new president’s steps are proving
successful. I think that here too Tbilisi will help to enhance the
role of all the international organizations in which Georgia has
participated and will participate.

Solodkyy Ukraine and Georgia are seeking to join NATO. Was the
question of Euro-Atlantic integration discussed at your meeting with
Ukrainian Defence Minister Yevhen Marchuk?

Merabishvili Ukraine and Georgia are two twins who are knocking on the
NATO door together. I think that we must come to be a kind of tandem
facilitating the resolution of internal problems. NATO’s Istanbul
summit in June will be very important for both Ukraine and
Georgia. During the meeting with the Ukrainian defence minister, we
agreed to coordinate our actions in that field.

Solodkyy How does Georgia view Kiev’s official intention to integrate
with the SES Single Economic Space ?

Merabishvili We think that Georgia should not reject any kind of
cooperation. Economic cooperation is in the interests of any state. A
viable, free economy helps to resolve many issues, including political
ones.

Solodkyy Some experts in Ukraine are rather wary in their view of the
SES… ellipsis as published .

Merabishvili The SES accords do not pose a threat in themselves if the
leaders of the states abide by the principle of equality and honour
the commitments they have assumed. Unfortunately, in Russia there are
certain sentiments that put politics above economics and free
trade. Needless to say, that prevents Russia itself from resolving its
own problems, since such policies come with too high a “price
tag”. The economy loses out, the state loses out, people lose out and,
all in all, politics lose out too. I think that all the states –
Russia, Ukraine and Georgia – must realize that free trade will open
up fresh opportunities for businessmen and help their countries’
interests to really draw closer together, and this, in turn, will help
to solve the political problems.

Solodkyy Does this mean that Georgia is prepared to join the SES?

Merabishvili That question has yet to be discussed seriously by the
new government. We think that Russia’s entry to the WTO will remove
the need to set up economic coalitions of any kind, since all the
obligations that a WTO member country undertakes will enable
businessmen to operate effectively. If joining some new economic
formation will help Georgia, Tbilisi will not say no. But Georgia does
not currently see that as a topical matter.

Saakashvili to visit Ukraine shortly

Solodkyy Is it known when the Georgian president will visit Ukraine?

Merabishvili It has so happened that, during the two months of his
presidency, Mikhail Saakashvili was obliged, for various reasons, to
visit Russia, the USA, Azerbaijan and Armenia. I think that one of the
president’s next visits will certainly be to Kiev. Ukraine is one of
Georgia’s most important partners. The fact that Saakashvili studied
in Ukraine is highly indicative. In Georgia, people often say,
jokingly: the “Ukrainian clan” now runs Georgia, since the president,
the defence minister and many other officials were educated in Kiev.

Solodkyy Why is it that the visit hasn’t taken place yet? Is it
because the president’s schedule is overloaded, or is there something
else?

Merabishvili He’s got a heavy schedule. I think that, when the Ajarian
“conflict”, as it were, is resolved and the elections that will take
place on 28 March are over, that will enable a visit to Kiev by our
president to be organized over the next few weeks. Ukraine is one of
the great states that is very close to Georgia. It is in Georgia’s
interests for Ukraine’s role to be enhanced. If Ukraine’s role is
boosted, there will be no more of the problems that there have been in
Georgia – the Abkhazian, South Ossetian and Ajarian conflicts.

Azeri ex-premier says his imprisonment was illegitimate

ANS TV, Baku
18 Mar 04

Former Azerbaijani Prime Minister Surat Huseynov, who has been
released from prison under a presidential amnesty decree, has said
that he was sentenced illegally and has described the accusations of a
coup attempt in 1993 as completely “illogical”. In a live interview
with ANS TV, he said that he had never had conflicts with former
Azerbaijani President Heydar Aliyev and that certain people in the
president’s entourage wanted to sully his reputation by making
negative remarks about him. Touching on ways of resolving the Nagornyy
Karabakh conflict, Huseynov said Azerbaijan has always had a strong
army, and added that a military solution required the approval of the
international community. The former prime minister also spoke about
the war with Armenia prior to the cease-fire and accused Russia of
helping Armenia to occupy Azerbaijani lands. The Azerbaijani army was
not defeated on the battlefield, but was destroyed from within, he
added. The following is the text of report by Azerbaijani TV station
ANS on 18 March. Subheadings have been inserted editorially:

Presenter The Azerbaijani president released 129 people from prison
yesterday 17 March . Among those freed was former Prime Minister Surat
Huseynov. He is the guest of our studio today. Welcome, Surat bay form
of address and please accept our congratulations on your release. Did
the news come as a surprise or were you expecting to be released?

Huseynov Thank you very much. It was rather unexpected. I heard the
news from ANS radio that the president had signed an amnesty decree
and that former Prime Minister Surat Huseynov is among those
pardoned. But prior to the radio report I had no information about
that.

Presenter And were you released immediately after the news was
announced or did you have to undergo certain procedures?

Huseynov It took them one day to release me. I came out this morning.

Presenter Were you expecting the release deep in your heart? Were you
hoping that this year or this month you could be freed? Prisoners
always cherish hopes, don’t they?

Huseynov Prisoners always live with hope, that’s right. And I was
hoping too that sometime I would be pardoned. I had this hope too.

Life in prison

Presenter Over these years did you keep in touch with your friends and
relatives?

Huseynov Yes, I was in touch with my relatives and through them with
my friends.

Presenter What was the situation like in prison?

Huseynov It was not too bad. It is prison and one has to adjust to
prison conditions while there. I spent seven years in prison, in
solitary confinement. But maybe because I was the prime minister or
maybe because of my other qualities everyone respected me. They held
me in high esteem as an elder. I have no complaints about that.

Presenter What was it like to be alone in a cell?

Huseynov I got used to it. I can’t say anything about that, but I
spent seven years alone.

Presenter When people are alone, they usually communicate with someone
inside them. People even communicate with their enemies. Who did you
communicate with?

Huseynov That is true, it is difficult to be alone all the time. I was
reading a lot. No-one in the prison read as much as I did in the seven
years.

Presenter What kind of books?

Huseynov Foreign and Azerbaijani classics, scientific and medical
literature.

Presenter Did you read medical books because you did not feel very
well or because prisoners have this survival instinct and have to take
care of themselves?

Huseynov You know, when someone is ill, they want to know what their
problem is. And to know that, they have to read about it from
books. Therefore, I have thoroughly studied medical literature and
cured myself of all health problems I had. I have got rid of all my
maladies and am a healthy man now.

Goodwill decree

Presenter It has been said that initially your name was not on the
list of those pardoned and that it was the president’s initiative to
include you on it. Do you know anything about that?

Huseynov I do have this information.

Presenter Why do you think you have been released?

Huseynov What can I say? First of all, I would like to take this
opportunity to express my condolences to the family of the late former
Azerbaijani President Heydar Aliyev. I also thank Azerbaijani
President Ilham Aliyev for having signed the goodwill decree. I think
the more such decrees, the better for our country. Because there are
still people behind bars who are described as political prisoners. I
hope the esteemed president will take further steps in this direction
to free these people too so that they could rejoin their families.

Presenter What do you think about the fact that starting from December
of the last year people like former Interior Minister Isgandar Hamidov
and others, who may be not as popular but are also described by the
Council of Europe as political prisoners, have been released from
prison? Do you think that this may alleviate tension in society or
whip it up even more?

Huseynov I don’t think that goodwill gestures can ever foment tension
in the republic. This can certainly reduce tension. This is the only
assessment I can give to this. I think this is the right step.

Presenter Did you watch TV or read newspapers in prison?

Huseynov I read newspapers. I also listened to the radio.

Presenter Could you follow the developments in the republic?

Huseynov Yes I could, thanks to the radio. I listened to the news.

“Illogical sentence”

Presenter But you were never described as a political prisoner. You
must have heard this from the radio, human rights champions, the
Council of Europe and other organizations. Why was their attitude to
you different? And did you complain to the Council of Europe or to the
OSCE?

Huseynov You know, I have never complained in my life. When my
sentence was pronounced, I silently went to prison and spent seven
years there, no matter whether the sentence was fair or not. I served
my sentence. All I complained about was the fact that I thought that
my sentence was illegitimate. Because it said that Prime Minister
Surat Huseynov attempted to stage a coup d’etat in Ganca. This is
completely illogical. How can the prime minister stage a coup in a
city 360km away from Baku? The prime minister’s office, the Cabinet of
Ministers, is in the same courtyard as the presidential
administration. There was no logic in the sentence. To understand
this, one doesn’t have to be an expert in law. One can ask a secondary
school pupil whether there is any logic in this accusation. There is
no logic at all.

The prosecutor’s office and courts have proven so incompetent that
there is hardly anything I can say to them. I don’t know whether they
should be sent to secondary schools again or whether they should study
their profession again and receive their diplomas anew. I don’t know.

Presenter Is this a matter of the past for you?

Huseynov It is a matter of the past, but since I have been freed, the
issue of my rehabilitation has come on the agenda. I know that the
president has started reforming the judiciary and at some point, I
will appeal to him for rehabilitation. Because I think I was arrested
illegally and spent seven years in prison. Therefore, I have to be
rehabilitated.

Heydar Aliyev

Presenter As soon as you left the prison, you visited Heydar Aliyev’s
grave. But you were said to be implacable enemies. Did you want to
acknowledge anything by visiting Heydar Aliyev’s grave?

Huseynov You know, there has never been a conflict between me and
Heydar Aliyev. I am the kind of man who always remembers who he has
broken bread with. People may say different things about us. People
may say different things about why I visited Heydar Aliyev’s grave. We
have broken bread together. I paid my tribute and respect to him, to
his wife and then to all our martyrs.

Presenter What are your recollections of the two years that you spent
working with Heydar Aliyev?

Huseynov I worked with Heydar Aliyev for 16 months. And I think there
were many people who wanted to undermine our relations. But let that
be judged by God. Let no-one think that I am blaming someone for
having been imprisoned. I think it was my fate to be put behind bars
and I don’t think it was because of Heydar Aliyev or anyone
else. Therefore, I bear no grudges against anyone.

No place to live

Presenter Surat bay, you have returned after seven years. Do you have
a place to live in?

Huseynov I had a house but a former employee of the prosecutor’s
office, someone who used to deal with civil affairs, is living there
now. I have nowhere to live at the moment. I hope the law-enforcement
bodies will deal with the issue?

Presenter But how could someone move in your house? Is it officially
yours?

Huseynov It is mine. When I was the prime minister, Heydar Aliyev
personally gave it to me. But after that, this woman occupied it. She
worked at the Prosecutor-General’s Office then. She must have liked
it.

Presenter But where have your family been living since then?

Huseynov At our relatives’ home.

Presenter So what do you intend to do?

Huseynov We will see. I will probably ask the law-enforcement bodies
for help. What else can I do?

Politics, Karabakh, war

Presenter What is your assessment of the political situation in the
country? How have Baku and Azerbaijan in general changed over these
years? Is there any change at all?

Huseynov I think there are changes for the better. And if it goes on
like this, the republic will see reforms and democratic changes, and
that will inevitably lead to better living standards. There must also
be changes in the economy.

Presenter You have a favourite topic for discussion – the Karabakh
issue. Many years have elapsed since then but the issue has yet to be
resolved. Hasn’t your attitude towards the issue changed? What was
done right and what was done wrong?

Huseynov You know, the international situation has shaped in such a
way that all the countries keep such conflicts in focus. Therefore, I
believe we should pursue the path of negotiations. If the negotiations
prove ineffective, we may have to start thinking about other
alternatives.

Presenter Do you think Azerbaijan is capable of that?

Huseynov I think it is and it has always been. The point is that the
military option requires the approval of international
organizations. And I don’t believe international organizations will
ever allow a war to flare up in any part of the world.

Russia’s role

Presenter What was the role of Russia in those developments and how
strong was Moscow’s influence on the developments?

Huseynov It was obvious then that Russia was on the Armenians’
side. This is an undeniable fact. Many politicians may certainly deny
or conceal any knowledge of this in order not to set anyone against
themselves. But I can say openly as someone who took part in the war,
as someone who used to hold an official post, that Russia was directly
involved in the war on the side of Armenia and in the occupation of
our districts. This is a fact.

Presenter But it is said that Russia was helping both sides in order
to stir things up. It is also said that you maintained contact with
Russia. With whom?

Huseynov This was made up by the then activists and members of the
People’s Front. Let me say that my great grandparents provided a lot
of help, both financial and material, in the establishment of the
Azerbaijani Democratic Republic in 1918. The Russians killed three of
my great grandfathers and two of my great grandmothers. How could I be
the Russians’ man? They have killed my ancestors. When the Azerbaijani
Democratic Republic was destroyed in 1920, they were killed. I
actually paid my money to the Russians and they worked for my country
as mercenaries, which is practised in all wars. I am trying to say
that those were all rumours about me. They hoped to tarnish my
reputation by saying that I was the Russians’ man. I am the son of the
Azerbaijani people and I am the servant of my nation. And no-one in
Azerbaijan has helped the poor as much as I have. Let anyone come here
and say that they have helped the destitute as much as Surat Huseynov
has. God has given me something and I have always passed it on.

Presenter When you were on the run in Russia, did anyone help you?

Huseynov No, I was using another passport and living in different
regions of Russia for two months each. I was thus hiding from the
Russians and Azerbaijanis. I was not arrested in Moscow, I was
arrested in Tula Region. I did not ask anyone for political asylum. I
only wanted to go to the West from there, but it didn’t work, I was
arrested and brought back to Azerbaijan.

Presenter Is there anything in the 1993 developments that has not been
uncovered yet?

Huseynov Yes.

Presenter Will that ever be uncovered?

Huseynov I think it will. But that can only happen when those
currently in prison are released so that we can all sit at a table and
let the nation know what happened in 1993, when the war was in full
swing. That will be uncovered and the people will know that the
Azerbaijani army has never been defeated. The Azerbaijani army was
destroyed from within. When people understand that, they will know who
is who.

Presenter What are you up to now?

Huseynov I want to take some time to restore my health, to put things
into perspective. Then we will see.

Presenter Thank you very much for coming to our
studio. Congratulations again and all the best to you.

Huseynov Thank you.
From: Baghdasarian

Karabakh Premier Slams Azeri “Rumpus” About Chess Tournament

Mediamax news agency
18 Mar 04

YEREVAN

The prime minister of the Nagornyy Karabakh Republic (NKR), Anushavan
Daniyelyan, said today that “all the actions of Azerbaijan resemble
the times of the medieval Inquisition”.

According to our Mediamax correspondent, the prime minister said this
while commenting on the reaction of the Azerbaijani authorities to the
international chess tournament that came to an end in Stepanakert on
17 March.

“Azerbaijan has shown its true colours to the world again. The
authorities of this republic, protecting their serviceman who hacked
to death a sleeping Armenian officer with Stone Age brutality, have
now turned all the might of their state propaganda machine to an
innocent sporting and cultural event, causing a rumpus about the chess
tournament in Stepanakert.

In connection with the aforesaid, there is a question – how can one
talk with a state whose actions resemble the times of the Inquisition?
The further we move, the more Azerbaijan antagonizes us, irrevocably
distancing itself from us. Although we are de facto destined to live
side by side with Azerbaijan, we are morally very far from each
other,” Daniyelyan said.
From: Baghdasarian