Armenian leader, OSCE head discuss Karabakh, Georgian crisis
Arminfo
17 Mar 04
YEREVAN
Armenian President Robert Kocharyan today met a delegation led by the
OSCE chairman-in-office, Bulgarian Foreign Minister Solomon Passi.
The press service of the Armenian president reports that Robert
Kocharyan welcomed the OSCE chairman’s visit and said that such visits
were already becoming a tradition. The president said that the visit
will allow the sides to sum up all the directions of bilateral
cooperation.
Touching on the Karabakh conflict, the sides agreed that there was no
alternative to a negotiated settlement.
The sides also spoke about the recent developments in the
region. Speaking about the situation in Georgia, Kocharyan said
stability in Georgia was extremely important to Armenia and that
Yerevan was interested in the speediest solution to all problems.
The president praised effective cooperation between the Yerevan office
of the OSCE and pointed to joint work on an anti-corruption programme
and the Armenian electoral code.

Armed Turks infiltrate Georgia’s Armenian-populated region – agency
Arminfo
17 Mar 04
AKHALKALAKI
Armed citizens of Turkey constantly infiltrate Georgia’s Akhalkalaki
region without official permission, A-Info news agency reports.
According to the source, the Javakhk section of the Georgian-Turkish
border is virtually unprotected. The Armenian-populated village of
Kartsakh in the Akhalkalaki region is particularly vulnerable.
The infiltration of Turkish citizens into Akhalkalaki has become more
frequent since the Turkish side started supplying Georgian border
posts with electricity.

Armenian PM regrets lack of OSCE condemnation of officer’s killing
Arminfo
17 Mar 04
YEREVAN
Official Yerevan deeply regrets the fact that the OSCE
chairman-in-office and the chairman of the Permanent Council have not
condemned the crime committed in Budapest, Armenian Prime Minister
Andranik Markaryan told the visiting OSCE chairman-in-office,
Bulgarian Foreign Minister Solomon Passi.
The Armenian prime minister said that this step would have been seen
as very appropriate, given the fact that the Azerbaijani authorities
are trying to justify the dirty move by their serviceman.
To recap, Azerbaijani officer Ramil Safarov hacked to death an
Armenian colleague, Gurgen Markaryan, in Budapest on 19 February. The
Hungarian police are completing the investigation into this
crime. Both officers were undergoing English language training in
Budapest.

Armenian opposition set to overthrow incumbent president in April
Noyan Tapan news agency
17 Mar 04
YEREVAN
Some members of Armenia’s Justice and National Unity opposition
factions, which are boycotting the parliament’s work, made rather
harshly-worded statements in the National Assembly on 16 March.
The secretary of the Justice faction, Viktor Dallakyan, said the
following: “As a result of the mounting nationwide movement in the
republic, in April we will overthrow the regime of [Armenian President
Robert] Kocharyan who has repeatedly violated the constitution and has
usurped power.”
According to a member of the same faction, Vardan Lazarian, the
Justice bloc, realizing responsibility for an organized and painless
change of power, has set up a coordinating centre. Having analysed the
current situation, the centre prepared a programme and submitted it to
the bloc for approval. It envisages meetings with the public. The MP
said that although the local authorities are doing everything in their
power to hamper the opposition’s meetings with the people, the
meetings are very popular.
According to another member of the faction, Shavarsh Kocharyan,
numerous meetings in different residential settlements have shown that
“people hate the illegitimate president and demand decisive steps”. He
said that the only way to establish legitimate authorities without any
shocks is to conduct a referendum on a vote of confidence, but that is
quite unlikely to happen because Robert Kocharyan and his entourage
are giving an unrealistic assessment of the situation in the country.
Members of the Justice faction, Aram Sarkisyan and Grigor Arutyunyan,
and a representative of the National Unity faction, Amayak Ovanesyan,
also made statements against the incumbent authorities.

Armenian nationalists condemn British envoy’s genocide remarks
Noyan Tapan news agency
16 Mar 04

YEREVAN
The faction of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation – Dashnaktsutyun
[ARFD] in the National Assembly has accused the British ambassador to
Armenia, Thorda Abbott-Watt, of violating the norms of diplomatic
etiquette. Speaking at a session of the National Assembly on 16 March,
the leader of the faction, Levon Lazarian, stated that according to
these norms, a diplomat has to respect the history and principles of
the people and the country in which he works. Mrs Abbott-Watt noted at
a press conference back in January that she did not think that the
recognition of the 1915 events as genocide “will be useful”.
“How can one explain the fact that she dares to make such remarks at a
time when one of the priorities of Armenia’s foreign policy is the
recognition of the Armenian genocide,” the MP noted.
Levon Lazarian recalled that in response to a query from the
editor-in-chief of the US newspaper California Courier, Harut
Sassounian, the ambassador answered that “the British government had
condemned the massacres, but the evidence was not sufficiently
unequivocal that what took place could be categorized as
genocide”. The head of the faction advised the ambassador to read a
letter from the British queen to Sultan Abdul Hamid to see for herself
that “the evidence was sufficiently unequivocal that what took place
could be categorized as genocide”.
“On what system of values does the ambassador of a country playing a
key role in European politics rely, considering the recognition of the
extermination of 1.5m people and the deportation of a whole nation
from its motherland to be not very useful? What moral principles does
the ambassador see in her remark about usefulness on the threshold of
the 21st century? And most importantly, how does she see her future
activities in the Republic of Armenia?” Levon Lazarian said.
He said that these questions will be also be addressed to the Armenian
Foreign Ministry, demanding that a special note be sent in connection
with the remarks and behaviour of Thorda Abbott-Watt.

Armenia against Turkey’s presidency in OSCE – premier
Arminfo
17 Mar 04
YEREVAN
Armenia is against Turkey’s presidency in the OSCE in 2007, Prime
Minister Andranik Markaryan told the visiting OSCE chairman-in-office,
Bulgarian Foreign Minister Solomon Passi.
According to the Armenian prime minister, Yerevan can reconsider this
position only if Turkey establishes full diplomatic relations with
Armenia and opens its borders.
Andranik Markaryan stressed the importance of establishing cooperation
with Turkey without any preconditions and prejudiced attitude. He said
that the Armenian and Turkish peoples are neighbours who have to live
side by side, and the sooner the existing differences are narrowed and
the more there is good will to do that, the better for both sides.
However, Andranik Markaryan said Turkey is reluctant to accept this
simple fact.

OSCE chairman conveys Azeri message on Karabakh to Armenians
BTA web site, Sofia
17 Mar 04
Yerevan, 17 March: The authorities in Armenia insist on respect for
the right of Nagorno-Karabakh to self-determination, Armenian Prime
Minister Andranik Markaryan and Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan said
when they conferred with Bulgarian Foreign Minister and
Chairman-in-Office of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in
Europe (OSCE) Solomon Pasi here on Wednesday [17 March].
Pasi conveyed to Yerevan Baku’s message on bilateral and vigorous
dialogue between Armenia and Azerbaijan on settlement of the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Bulgarian Foreign Ministry Information
Directorate Chief Viktoria Melamed told Bulgarian journalists in
Yerevan.
The Armenian prime minister and foreign minister told the OSCE
chairman-in-office that Yerevan is ready to consider the dialogue
alternative even though it finds disturbing certain recent statements
by Baku. According to Oskanyan, a more concrete European prospect for
Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan will encourage the finding of
solutions to a number of problems in the region. The Caucasus
countries need a positive signal to stimulate the leaders and peoples
in the region to look at the conflicts from a different angle,
Oskanyan said.
For his part, Pasi noted that OSCE is doing an enormous amount of work
in the Balkans and he wants the same attention and efforts to be
devoted to the Caucasus as well. “The Balkans were different 15 years
ago and I am sure that the Caucasus will become different, too,” Pasi
said.
Earlier on Wednesday, he visited the ancient Armenian capital of
Echmiazin, where he conferred with Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and
Catholicos of All Armenians.

Karabakh to be full party to talks – separatist leader
Mediamax news agency
17 Mar 04
YEREVAN
The Nagornyy Karabakh Republic (NKR) will be involved in the
negotiations to resolve the Karabakh conflict as a full party, the
Nagornyy Karabakh president, Arkadiy Gukasyan, told the OSCE
chairman-in-office, Bulgarian Foreign Minister Solomon Passi, in
Yerevan today.
Gukasyan said the fact that the NKR is not involved in the talks
between Armenia and Azerbaijan was temporary.
Commenting on the forthcoming meeting of the Armenian and Azerbaijani
foreign ministers in Prague, Gukasyan said “this format cannot
facilitate the Karabakh settlement”.
“All contacts are important but the problem can hardly be resolved
without Karabakh,” the NKR president said.

A1 Plus | 20:04:23 | 18-03-2004 | Politics |
ARMENIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN HAMLET GASPARYAN’S INTERVIEW WITH REGNUM
NEWS AGENCY
Armenian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hamlet Gasparyan is answering Regnum
news agency’s questions.
Question: What is the MFA response to the uproar over UK Ambassador Thorda
Abbott-Watt’s comment on the Armenian Genocide?
Answer: We regret such a position. Some countries have recognized the
Armenian Genocide, others have not done so yet. Of course each country has
its own position on this matter, based on its own strategic interests.
However, the ambassadors of those countries to Armenia should approach such
a sensitive issue with great caution and sensitivity. I would add that
Rafael Lemkin, who coined the term ‘genocide’ and who introduced the UN
Convention to prevent and punish the crime of genocide, based his analysis
on the Armenian experience.
Q: Have you taken any steps in this regard?
A: In such situations, as always, such issues are better dealt with through
diplomatic channels, not publicly. As in the past, this time, too, the
authorities expressed their position to the UK government, with a diplomatic
note.
Q: What has been your reaction to the public outcry?
A: In general, this demonstrates to the world that this issue continues to
be important for Armenians around the world. We’ve ourselves received mail
directly, as well as copies of correspondence directed to the Embassy of the
UK. Most of the notes – with a few unfortunate exceptions – were very
thoughtful and constructive.
—

THE AAE CALL UPON THE AGBU
Azat Artsakh–Republic of Nagorno Karabagh (NKR)
18-03-2004
Brussels, March 15th, 2004 – It is with deep regret that the Assembly
of Armenians of Europe learnt about the decision of the AGBU
Administrative Board to close gradually the Melkonian School of
Cyprus. The Boarding School of the Melkonian Educational Institution
will be the first to be shut down. It is undeniable truth that the
Armenian School is the stronghold that preserves the Armenian Diaspora
from being assimilated and keeps alive the Armenian spirit. Indeed,
since its foundation the Melkonian Educational Institution has not
been just a school, but the principle basis for the preservation of
our national identity outside of Armenia. Many political and cultural
figures have been educated here. Taking into consideration that many
young Armenians attend the Melkonian School, the closing of the latter
will have grave consequences not only on the Armenian Community in
Cyprus, but also in the countries of Middle East, Europe and countries
of ex-Soviet Union Republic. The Melkonian School offers the best
opportunity to the young Armenians to get acquainted with the Armenian
history, culture and traditions and inspires them with the Armenian
values. The fact that the Melkonian Educational Institution is the
only Armenian secondary school in Europe (besides the school, recently
established in France) emphasizes its importance. Such decision puts
under question the very principles and objectives of the AGBU
Administrative Board which for many decades has been administrating
the Melkonian School and their commitment to the preservation of
Armenian values. Therefore, the Assembly of Armenians of Europe calls
upon the Administrative Board of the AGBU to reconsider their decision
for the sake of the whole Armenian Diaspora. By applying such a
decision, the AGBU will definitely fail to fulfill its historical
mission, which is the preservation of the Armenian Identity and
Armenian values.
AAE.
18-03-2004