Minister warns of Azerbaijan’s “wrong perception” of Armenian events
Arminfo
19 Apr 04
YEREVAN
The domestic situation in Armenia has no influence over its foreign
policy, Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan said at a press
conference today.
The international community perceives realistically and understands
well the situation in Armenia, Oskanyan said. There is no pressure
from the international community. Oskanyan expressed concern about the
possibility of Azerbaijan’s wrong perception of the domestic situation
in Armenia.
The goals set forth by the opposition are wrong and run counter to
both the constitution and the Armenian legislation, he said. The
opposition must formulate its objectives in keeping with the
law. No-one has the right to call for a change of government by force.
Oskanyan expressed the hope that the opposition rally scheduled for 21
April will be peaceful and the demonstrators will not take any
anti-constitutional steps.

Armenian president says Iran pipeline to end energy dependency
Mediamax news agency
20 Apr 04

YEREVAN
Armenian President Robert Kocharyan said in Yerevan today that a gas
pipeline to link Iran and Armenia will only be used to meet Armenia’s
energy needs. “We do not discuss any other options with the Iranian
side,” Robert Kocharyan said in reply to a question about the possible
use of the pipeline for shipping gas to Europe.
Mediamax quoted Kocharyan as telling a news conference in Yerevan
today that “the construction of the gas pipeline is very important as
this will make Armenia independent in terms of energy supplies”.

Russian mediator upbeat about Azeri-Armenian Prague meeting
Azad Azarbaycan TV, Baku
19 Apr 04

Yuriy Merzlyakov, Russian co-chairman of the OSCE Minsk Group,
mediating between Armenia and Azerbaijan on Nagornyy Karabakh, has
welcomed new proposals and ideas voiced at the Prague meeting between
Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov and his Armenian
counterpart, Vardan Oskanyan.
In remarks to Azerbaijani commercial TV station Azad Azarbaycan over
the phone, Merzlyakov said: “We held consultations to discuss specific
proposals. Both sides and the co-chairmen made their proposals public
as the agenda was announced. In a word it was not just a protocol
meeting, but a working one”.
According to a TV reporter, Merzlyakov spoke highly about the outcome
of the meeting and said that the co-chairmen were optimistic. He
quoted Merzlyakov as saying that this was not only the opinion of the
co-chairmen, but of the ministers as well.
The latter will issue a statement on this in the near future.

Armenian Assembly of America
122 C Street, NW, Suite 350
Washington, DC 20001
Phone: 202-393-3434
Fax: 202-638-4904
Email: [email protected]
Web:
 
PRESS RELEASE
April 20, 2004
CONTACT: Christine Kojoian
E-mail: [email protected]
ADMINISTRATION ANNOUNCES SUPPORT FOR KEY U.S.-ARMENIA TRADE BILL
State Department Official Delivers News at Pan-Armenian, Non-Partisan
Conference
Washington, DC – The drive to extend trade benefits to Armenia gained a
major boost yesterday as the Bush Administration publicly announced its
strong support for a pending bill that would deepen the U.S.-Armenia trade
relationship during a national Armenian-American conference organized by the
Armenian Assembly of America.
Ambassador Elizabeth Jones, Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of European
and Eurasian Affairs addressed her remarks to Armenian-American activists
participating in a three-day conference sponsored by the Armenian Assembly,
the Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU) and the Eastern and Western
Diocese of the Armenian Church.
“We want Armenia to benefit from WTO membership and to do that we are
working toward permanent normal trade relations [PNTR] with Armenia, which
we will try to push through Congress,” Ambassador Jones said.
The keynote luncheon speaker that same day, Senate Majority Whip Mitch
McConnell (R-KY), and ardent supporter of closer U.S.-Armenia relations
said, “I hope we are able to move this legislation in the near future.”
Senator McConnell, together with Senator Sarbanes (D-MD) and Senator Barbara
Boxer (D-CA), last summer introduced S.1557, which would authorize the
extension of PNTR to Armenia.

Senator Paul Sarbanes (D-MD) who gave the keynote address at the National
Conference that evening said: “This is of course good news for all of us,
but now we must continue to press the Administration and the relevant
committees in Congress to expedite action on this important issue. We need
to carry through on this proposal.”
The bill, which has a counterpart in the House already passed as an
amendment to a larger tax bill, calls for the termination of the
Jackson-Vanik Amendment with respect to Armenia. If enacted, it would
remove the nearly 30-year-old provision requiring Armenia to periodically
obtain presidential approval for continued access to low tariffs.
“The argument we make is that the purpose of Jackson-Vanik was to encourage
religious freedom and free immigration,” Ambassador Jones said. “Obviously
there is no issue with Armenian compliance with that.”
The bill’s passage would also herald other benefits, such as strengthening
bilateral relations and allowing Armenia to fully avail itself of its
membership in the WTO. Increased U.S.-Armenia trade and investment will
also help offset the damaging impact of Turkey’s and Azerbaijan’s decade-old
blockade.
“One of the Assembly’s highest legislative priorities this year was to ask
Congress to extend PNTR to Armenia and we thank Ambassador Jones and the
Bush Administration for this long sought for news,” said Executive Director
Ross Vartian. He added that “the Administration’s choice of venue for this
announcement underscores the significant impact the National Conference has
had on U.S. policymakers.”
“Given the overwhelming bi-partisan and bi-cameral support of this bill, and
now the public call from the Administration for passage, we look forward to
Congress acting expeditiously and send this bill to the President,”
continued Vartian.
The three-day Conference was an opportunity for the Assembly, AGBU and
Eastern and Western Diocese of the Armenian Church and their respective
constituencies to speak for the first time with a collective, non-partisan
voice on issues of concern before the Administration and Congress.
The AGBU is the world’s largest non-profit, philanthropic organization
devoted to education, cultural and humanitarian programs. Headquartered in
New York, the organization has a budget of $28 million and serves some
400,000 Armenians annually.
The Diocese of the Armenian Church (Eastern) is the spiritual and
administrative head of the Armenian Apostolic Church in the Eastern U.S.
Together with the Western Diocese of the Armenian Church, it exists under
the authority of the ancient Mother See of the worldwide Armenian Church,
Holy Etchmiadzin, in Armenia.
The Armenian Assembly of America is the largest Washington-based nationwide
organization promoting public understanding and awareness of Armenian
issues. It is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt membership organization.
NR#2004-041
Photographs available on the Assembly’s Web site at the following link:
Caption: Ambassador Elizabeth Jones speaking at the Armenian Assembly’s
National Conference and Banquet in Washington DC on April 19.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Azerbaijan foreign minister calls for dialogue over war on Karabakh
Azad Azarbaycan TV, Baku
19 Apr 04

[Presenter Namiq Aliyev] Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar
Mammadyarov has said that the Prague meeting [with Armenian Foreign
Minister Vardan Oskanyan] was of a fact-finding character. In an
exclusive interview with Azad Azarbaycan TV, Mr Mammadyarov spoke
about the importance of meetings of this kind for a peaceful
settlement of the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict.
[Correspondent, over archive footage of Prague] The main result of the
Prague meeting between the Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers
is that the sides have agreed to continue the talks, Mammadyarov
said. The minister said that at the meeting the US president’s Caspian
envoy, Steven Mann, received a mandate [as OSCE Minsk Group
co-chairman] from his predecessor, Rudolf Perina. Mammadyarov said
that Mr Mann made a good impression. No specific proposals were
discussed at the meeting, he added.
[Mammadyarov] No, there are no new proposals for the time being. We
finished our fact-finding meeting.
[Correspondent] We should note that Armenian President Robert
Kocharyan said before the talks that Nagornyy Karabakh will never be
part of Azerbaijan and that its security will be guaranteed only in
two cases, either through Nagornyy Karabakh’s operation as an
independent state or its annexation to Armenia. But Mammadyarov said
that the Azerbaijani government stood firm on the issue.
[Mammadyarov] Every meeting certainly brings more hope. You are aware
of Azerbaijan’s position. We stand firm on this.
[Correspondent] Mammadyarov commented on bellicose statements from
both sides. The Azerbaijani government is going to solve the problem
peacefully and is confident that this is the most suitable way,
Mammadyarov said. He said priority will be given not to the military
option but dialogue.
[Mammadyarov] It is too early to speak about peace or war. For the
time being 20 per cent of the Azerbaijani lands are under
occupation. The point is what option should be used to liberate these
lands.
[Correspondent] Mammadyarov also said that the date of the foreign
ministers’ next meeting had not been specified in Prague. He said the
sides will decide on the issue depending on the situation.
Rasad Huseynov, Emil Aliyarli, “Son Xabar”.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Daily warns of attempts to incite ethnic discord in Azerbaijan
Zerkalo, Baku
20 Apr 04

Azerbaijani newspaper Zerkalo has reported that some forces might
attempt to incite ethnic discord in the country. The Russian special
services are planning to use the ethnic minorities in the north of
Azerbaijan as a destabilizing factor, the newspaper
reported. Conflicts on religious grounds cannot be ruled out either,
Zerkalo said. It warned of a possible attack by Wahabbi militants from
Dagestan and said that Iran’s policy was to blame for the upsurge in
Islamic organizations in Azerbaijan. The following is an excerpt from
A. Rasidoglu report by Azerbaijani newspaper Zerkalo on 20 April
headlined “Are Iran and Russia sowing ethnic discord in Azerbaijan?”
and subheaded “Certain forces benefit from drawing parallels between
‘Armenian separatism’ and ‘ethnic minorities'”; subheadings inserted
editorially:
The movement For Azerbaijan (it’s noteworthy that two groups claim to
have this name) has held a round table attended by the so-called
representatives of ethnic minorities in Azerbaijan. An obscure
criterion was used, for instance, to define that the editor of Axsam
newspaper, Valid Qardasli, was a “representative of the Talis people”,
this was how he was introduced at the round table. As is known,
neither he nor other “representatives” of ethnic minorities were
entitled to speak on behalf of these people. Well, there are other
more interesting issues.
Russian intelligence to inflame ethnic discord in Azerbaijan
For instance, what prompted Russia’s justice Gen Ilqar Qasimov to
(suddenly) hold a round table on the subject “Ethnic minorities in
Azerbaijan and the Nagornyy Karabakh problem”? Is someone, as
previously, “cannot afford to relax” or is trying to play the ethnic
card purposefully drawing parallels between “Armenian separatism” and
the so-called “problem” of ethnic minorities in Azerbaijan? We know
how easy it is to incite an ethnic conflict.
There is another interesting coincidence. Round tables of this kind
coincided with information circulated in a few mass media that the
Russian special services have started to actively operate to fan the
flames of ethnic discord in our country. Are these coincidences
incidental or planned? Are there not too many of them?
According to sources, the Russian special services are currently
looking into the implementation of “work” among Kurds, Talises,
Lezgins and Avars.
[Passage omitted: more details of Russian plans]
As we have learnt, new cultural centres of ethnic minorities will be
set up and these bodies will publish their own newspapers in the near
future. As a result of these centres’ “activities”, problems might
gradually arise among the ethnic minorities living in Azerbaijan,
which will give them a cue that they have a common enemy – an
Azerbaijani Turk.
According to the sources, at the first stage they will count on a
social basis of Russian ideologists in Quba-Qusar Districts [northern
Azerbaijan] with a mainly Lezgin population, as the Russian special
services report. Moreover, there are reports that the Kurdish Workers’
Party, which also seems to have major claims to the Azerbaijani state,
has intensified its work in a northern [Azerbaijani] district.
It goes without saying that what is going on is far from being
children’s war games.
Conflicts on religious grounds not ruled out
There is another aspect of the issue. Conflicts on religious grounds
are not ruled out either. According to some reports, a militant
Wahhabi group is currently in Dagestan, in a district bordering on
Azerbaijan, and is waiting for the right time.
The Azerbaijani coast of the Caspian Sea is rather a large area
populated also by non-Turks. It is early to make conclusions about the
role of Islam in the movement of these ethnic groups. However, one
should not disregard this, especially as the Russian special services
have long been viewing them as the “fifth column”, or to put it
simply, a destabilizing factor.
Iran’s policy to blame
Finally, here is the last remark. The main factor responsible for the
development of the leading Islamic organizations in Azerbaijan is
precisely the policy pursued by Iran. Our biggest neighbour opposes
the western oil export route and Azerbaijan’s entrance into the sphere
of the West’s interests.
One should bear in mind that Azerbaijan is a multi-ethnic
country. This fact has always been in the focus of the foreign and
internal forces interested in the escalation of tension in our
country.

Armenian president denies plan to dismiss parliament or prime minister
AP Online
Apr 20, 2004

President Robert Kocharian on Tuesday denied he had plans to dismiss
either his prime minister or his fractionalized parliament.
Kocharian told a briefing that “such rumors are spread deliberately to
create an atmosphere of distrust in the relations between the
president and the premiere and also within the ranks of the ruling
coalition.”
In a clear reference to the opposition, which has held a series of
large rallies in recent weeks demanding his resignation, Kocharian
said “despite the attempts of certain circles to disrupt us” the
authorities are working normally.
Kocharian won a second term in presidential elections a year ago that
sparked mass protests, including nearly daily demonstrations between
the first round and the runoff.
Opposition groups alleged widespread violations in both rounds of the
election, which was followed by a parliamentary ballot in which the
pro-government party won the most votes.

Renegade Georgian general accuses defence minister of “smear campaign”
Imedi TV, Tbilisi
20 Apr 04

[Presenter] Defence Minister Gela Bezhuashvili has made another
comment about the statement of the former commander of the 25th
Brigade [Roman Dumbadze who said that he took orders only from the
Ajarian leader].
Bezhuashvili has described Dumbadze as a traitor of Georgia. Dumbadze
has not confirmed the reports about a defence ministry being
established in Ajaria. He has blamed Gela Bezhuashvili for organizing
a campaign against him.
[Bezhuashvili, speaking to journalists] We should punish traitors of
Motherland with the full severity of the law.
Now, what is this about? As I said today, how can a man betray this
aspiration for the sake of selfish interest? How can he betray these
young boys, 17-18-year-old children who today spoke about the
country’s strength, the country’ future, the country’s present? This
is what it is all about. These are the values upon which our society
rests. I think that society should condemn all incidents of this kind.
[Dumbadze, interviewed] This is a total lie. Absolutely. I have not
heard such a thing in 14 years. Gela Bezhuashvili is the seventh
minister, but I have not heard such a thing from anyone, even from the
former president I have not heard such a thing. Absolutely.
I will never be a traitor. A traitor is someone who betrays his
origin, his nation. The defence minister himself is such a man. He
changed his surname and betrayed his nation. He was an ethnic
Armenian.
[Journalist] Are you speaking about Bezhuashvili?
[Dumbadze] Yes, I am speaking about Bezhuashvili.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Armenian foreign minister says next meeting with Azerbaijan over disputed
enclave will be in May
AP Online
Apr 19, 2004

Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian said Monday that he planned
to meet with his Azerbaijani counterpart in May to continue
discussions on resolving the countries’ dispute over Nagorno-Karabakh.
Oskanian said that the meeting he held last week in Prague with
Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mamedyarov was useful but did not
break new ground.
Nagorno-Karabakh is an ethnic Armenian enclave within
Azerbaijan. Ethnic Armenian forces drove out Azerbaijan’s army from
the region in the 1990s and ethnic Azeris fled. Since a 1994
cease-fire, Nagorno-Karabakh has been run by an internationally
unrecognized government.
Despite the cease-fire, shooting still breaks out sporadically across
the so-called “line of control,” a demilitarized strip separating
Azeri and Armenian forces.
The unresolved status of Nagorno-Karabakh keeps tensions high between
the countries and apparently discourages foreign investors fearful of
a new outbreak of fighting and instability.
The Armenian and Azerbaijani officials met under the auspices of the
“Minsk Group,” an arm of the Organization for Security and Cooperation
in Europe devoted to resolving the dispute. The Minsk Group is led by
a troika of diplomats from the United States, France and Russia.
The newly appointed top U.S. official for the group, Stephen Mann, met
on Monday with Armenian officials.
“What I will be doing in this position is representing the
U.S. national interests and it is in the American national interest to
work for a peaceful, negotiated settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh
issue,” Mann told reporters.

Armenian National Committee of New York
PO Box 693
Woodside, NY 11377
[email protected]
PRESS RELEASE
April 20, 2004
Contact: Tony Vartanian
[email protected]
CONGRESSMAN JOSEPH CROWLEY AND
ANC OF NEW YORK DISCUSS CURRENT ISSUES
— Current events in Armenia, Commemoration of the Armenian Genocide, and
US Aid to Armenia among other issues discussed
Woodside, NY–The Armenian National Committee (ANC) of New York met with
Congressman Joseph Crowley (D-NY 7) on Thursday, April 15 to discuss issues
of concern to the Armenian American community. The meeting also provided the
ANC with an opportunity to express the community’s appreciation for the
Congressman’s record of support for Armenian American issues.
During the meeting, Congressman Crowley talked about his ANC sponsored visit
to the Republic of Armenia last summer. The Congressman was also apprised
of current events in Armenia, expressing his desire to once again travel to
Armenia and make his first visit to the Republic of Nagorno Karabagh. The
ANC was also briefed on Congressman Crowley’s recent meeting with the
European Parliament.
“The Armenian American community of the Seventh Congressional District is
grateful to be represented by Congressman Crowley,” stated Tony Vartanian,
Chairman of the ANC of New York. “Throughout his tenure in Congress,
Representative Crowley had led and supported a number of issues of
particularly concern to the Armenian American community. This annual
meeting with the Congressman and his staff allows us to discuss issues of
mutual concern,” concluded Vartanian.
Congressman Crowley is a current cosponsor of House Resolution 193
(H.Res.193), legislation commemorating the 15th anniversary of the US
implementation of the UN Genocide Convention. In addition, he recently
co-signed a Congressional letter–initiated by the Congressional Caucus on
Armenian Issues–urging President George W. Bush to properly characterize
the Armenian Genocide as “genocide” in his April 24th statement.
He is a co-host of the 10th Annual ANCA Capitol Hill Observance of the
Armenian Genocide Observance, which will be held on April 28. The
Congressman has also been a leading voice in criticizing the exclusion of
Armenia from the routing of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil and gas pipeline.
In August 2003, the Congressman visited the Republic of Armenia where he
held various meetings and visited several cultural and historic sites. Upon
his return, the ANC sponsored a public forum for Congressman Crowley to
share his thoughts on his trip with the Armenian American community.
Finally, in 2003, Congressman Crowley cosponsored H.R.528, legislation that
would provide permanent normal trade relations status to the Republic of
Armenia. The PNTR resolution language was adopted in November 2003, as part
of HR 3521–the Tax Relief Extension Act of 2003–by a voice vote.
To thank Congressman Crowley for his long record of support, the ANC of New
York recently concluded a community-wide fundraiser for the Representative.
The Armenian National Committee (ANC) is the largest Armenian American
grassroots political organization in New York and nationwide. The ANC
actively advances a broad range of issues of concern to the Armenian
American community.
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