ASBAREZ ONLINE [09-09-2004]

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09/09/2004
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WEBSITE AT <;HTTP:// 1) Khatami Pays Respects to Armenian Genocide Victims 2) Russia Anxious to Resolve Karabagh Conflict Says Russian Ambassador 3) ARF's Mkrtchian Addresses Khatami Visit 4) ARF Representatives Meet with Iranian President 5) Russian Foreign Minister Says Tbilisi Impedes Cooperation 6) Correction 1) Khatami Pays Respects to Armenian Genocide Victims YEREVAN (Armenpress)--The President of Islamic Republic of Iran Mohammad Khatami, paid his respects to the victims of the Armenian genocide of 1915, as he placed flowers at Yerevan's Dzidzernagapert memorial in their honor. Armenia's chief of presidential staff Artashes Tumanian, Yerevan mayor Yervand Zakharian, Armenian deputy foreign minister Ruben Shugarian, and other high-ranking officials accompanied Khatami. The director of the Genocide Museum at Dzidzernagapert, Lavrenti Barseghian, briefed the Iranian president on the history of the museum, while employees presented him research work on the 1915 Armenian genocide, along with other momentos. 2) Russia Anxious to Resolve Karabagh Conflict Says Russian Ambassador BAKU (AzerTag)--Russia's outgoing ambassador to Azerbaijan Nikolay Ryabov, during a press conference marking the end of his tenure on Thursday, said that Russia is eager to find an immediate solution to the Mountainous Karabagh conflict. At a Wednesday meeting with the speaker of Azerbaijan's Milli Majlis (National Assembly) Murtuz Alasgarov--who insisted the conflict over Karabagh has placed serious obstacles for greater democratic reforms to be realized in Azerbaijan--the Russian ambassador said that there exists numerous long-running conflicts in the region, and Russia strives to resolve these issues. In the case of Mountainous Karabagh, Ryabov noted that Russia not only co-chairs the OSCE Minsk group, which is tasked with finding a resolution to the conflict, but is also the most authoritative country in the region to deal with the matter. He also revealed that Russian President Vladimir Putin has initiated a meeting between the presidents of Azerbaijan, Russia, and Armenia in Astana, Kazakhstan on September 16. 3) ARF's Mkrtchian Addresses Khatami Visit YEREVAN (Combined sources)--ARF leader Levon Mkrtchian said during a press conference on Thursday that ARF representatives and Iran's president Mohammad Khatami touched on the Mountainous Karabagh conflict during their meeting earlier in the day. Mkrtchian addressed Iran's support of Azerbaijan's territorial integrity saying that the ARF understands that no nation can oppose, in the international arena, the territorial integrity of another, "but there is also the right to self-determination," he added. "Thanks to that right, the Mountainous Karabagh Republic is an independent country today, and has never been a part of independent Azerbaijan." He explained that Iran is consistent in its readiness to serve as an impartial mediator. "We have always seen this," he added. Speaking of economic projects, including the gas pipeline that will link the two neighboring countries, Mkrtchian stressed the project serves both Armenia's political and economic interest. "Iran, however, has its interests too," he added. Khatami and his Armenian counterpart Robert Kocharian signed on Wednesday a framework treaty on the "principles and bases" of bilateral relations. They also formalized the release of a $30 million Iran loan to Yerevan to be used for the construction of a gas pipeline that will link the two neighboring countries. 4) ARF Representatives Meet with Iranian President YEREVAN (Yerkir)--An Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) delegation met with Iranian President Mohammad Khatami in Yerevan on Thursday, describing the president's official visit to Armenia as "a new stage" in Iranian-Armenian relations. ARF Bureau representative Hrant Margarian, Bureau member Albert Ajemian, ARF Armenia Supreme Body representative Armen Rustamian, and National Assembly's ARF faction leader Levon Mkrtchian represented the ARF who welcomed the Iranian president, reported the ARF press service. Margarian stressed to Khatami that the visit is significant not only for the advancement of Armenian-Iranian relations, but also for regional issues. Pointing to the projects that were conceived and agreements reached during the visit, Margarian conveyed confidence that this visit opens a new stage in the centuries-long friendship between the two nations. In turn, President Khatami presented his impressions of the visit, saying that Armenia plays a key role in the region, as well as a unique role throughout history. Addressing the role of the ARF, Khatami underscored its importance as a party and organization that unifies Armenians throughout the world and plays an important role in reinforcing political processes. 5) Russian Foreign Minister Says Tbilisi Impedes Cooperation TBILISI (Civil Georgia)--Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in an interview in the Russian newspaper Vremya Novostei, that the Georgian side is hampering more close cooperation between Tbilisi and Moscow. "Cooperation between Russian and Georgian special services takes place [in fighting terrorism]. We would like for this cooperation to be more effective," Sergei Lavrov said in a September 9 interview. He expressed regret that ties between the two counties are not as close as was agreed to during talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Georgian counterpart Mikhail Saakashvili, which took place in Moscow in February this year. "Unfortunately, in practice, the agreements reached in February are being torpedoed by the Georgian side. We hope the Georgian side will understand that unilateral, forceful steps towards the so called Ossetian and Abkhazia problems have no perspective. I hope Tbilisi will understand that seeking an external enemy in the form of Russia is counterproductive, to say the least," the Russian Foreign Minister added. He reiterated that the Russian side "has offered Tbilisi proposals" aiming at "normalization of all... bilateral relations." Earlier, the Russian Foreign Ministry issued a statement calling on the Georgian side to accept proposals offered by the Russian side. In a statement issued on August 27, however, the Georgian Foreign Ministry responded, saying that Georgia had not received any constructive proposals and "in order to publicly dispel any doubts," called on Russia to forward the package of constructive proposals to Georgian Authorities. Lavrov also stressed that Tbilisi should confirm its commitment to solve the situation in Abkhazia and South Ossetia through peaceful means. "Creation of this kind of normal environment in relations will increase efficiency of work of the special services [of the two countries] in fighting terrorism," Sergei Lavrov said. 6) Correction Iran's President Mohammad Khatami was elected president in August 1997, not May 1977 as reported by Asbarez on Wednesday. He was re-elected in 2001. 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