Month: June 2005

A1plus
| 18:57:44 | 20-06-2005 | Politics | PACE SUMMER SESSION |
VAN DER LINDEN FOLLOWING THE PACE VOICE ECHO
«I intend to visit the Southern Caucasian three countries – Armenia, Georgia
and Azerbaijan in a period when all the three Presidents are in their
countries. The Caucasus is one of the sensitive regions the countries of
which are members of the COE», announced PACE President Rene van der Linden
during the press conference.
Mr. van der Linden assured that the aim of his August visit to Southern
Caucasus is to pay attention to the procedures in the regions the countries
of which are members of the PACE. `I am authorized to make sure if the
countries hear the PACE voice or not’, mentioned PACE President Rene van der
Linden.

A1plus
| 18:15:14 | 20-06-2005 | Politics |
DEMOCRATIC KARABAKH CAN BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE FUTURE OF ITS PEOPLE
`Armenia welcomes the usual elections held in Nagorno Karabakh. With this
the people of Nagorno Karabakh express once more their political will to
form a government on their own, which will be responsible for Nagorno
Karabakh and its people’, announced RA Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan
during today’s press conference.
According to him, the authorities elected by means of democratic elections
contribute to the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, as
well as to the settlement of internal social problems. Minister Oskanyan
also found the evaluation of the observers which is mainly positive,
extremely important.

A1plus
| 18:09:03 | 20-06-2005 | Politics |
PARIS MEETING RECORDED NO PROGRESS
During the Warsaw meeting of the Armenian and Azeri Presidents certain
agreements had been reached about the settlement of the Karabakh conflict
which were to be given an official form by way of documents during the Paris
meeting of the Foreign Ministers. However, this did not take place, as the
two Ministers could not find a common language. NA Foreign Minister Vardan
Oskanyan announced about it during today’s press conference. He also
mentioned that the meeting was held in a constructive atmosphere.
Let us remind you that on June 17 in Paris by mediation of the OSCE Minsk
Group Co-Chairs Minister Vardan Oskanyan had a meeting with the Azeri
Foreign Minister Elmar Mamedyarov. During the negotiations held within the
framework of the Prague process the Ministers concentrated on the progress
reached during the Warsaw meeting of the Presidents. However, they failed to
come to an agreement and settled to continue negotiations.
All the efforts of the journalists to learn the details of the process were
doomed to failure. Vardan Oskanyan announced that `all the elements of the
package are included in the discussion agenda. The most important issue for
Armenia is the political status of Karabakh. Until we make this clear, I
consider the further discussion of other issues in vain’.
Then the Minister called the journalists `not to try to learn details as he
will tell nothing more’. Asked the question if the position of the Armenian
side in Paris was constructive or destructive Mr. Oskanyan only gave an
enigmatic smile and said nothing.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Regie rungsnahe Parteien in Berg-Karabach bestätigt
Oppositionsblock bekam in der armenischen Exklave lediglich drei Sitze
Eriwan – Regierungsnahe Parteien in der armenischen Exklave
Nagorny-Karabach haben bei der Parlamentswahl am Sonntag erneut die
Mehrheit gewonnen. Die Demokratische Partei von Arzach gewann nach
Angaben der Wahlkommission vom Montag zwölf der 33 Sitze; die
Mutterlandspartei kam auf zehn Mandate. Der Oppositionsblock Bewegung
Daschnakzutjun 88 bekam drei, unabhängige Kandidaten gewannen acht
Sitze. Die Wahlbeteiligung wurde mit 78 Prozent der rund 90.000
Wahlberechtigten angegeben.
Nagorny-Karabach ist eine armenische Exklave in Aserbaidschan, die
sich Ende der 80er Jahre für unabhängig erklärt hat und mit
armenischer Unterstützung einen sechsjährigen Krieg begann. Trotz
eines Waffenstillstands im Jahr 1994 dauern die Spannungen zwischen
den beiden ehemaligen Sowjetrepubliken Armenien und Aserbaidschan
an. (APA/AP)
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

A1plus
| 20:26:49 | 20-06-2005 | Politics |
DO NOT DICTATE TO ARMENIA
`No one must dictate to Armenia what form of governing we want to have’,
said RA Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan referring to the negative opinion
of the Venice Commission and the offer of the political Committee to include
the discussion of the Armenian Constitutional Reforms into the PACE session
agenda as an urgent issue.
He noted that we must admit the offers about the general European standards,
but the nation must decide itself what it wants. `It is the problem of the
nation’, said the Minister.
Naturally, Vardan Oskanyan preferred to speak about the RA policy directed
to the recognition of the Armenian Genocide. Oskanyan announced that Armenia
highly appreciates the resolution adopted by the Bundestag. This resolution
is especially important for the fact that Germany admits its fault in the
tragic events of 1915 and calls on Turkey to reconcile with its past.
`The Bundestag resolution is another important step in the inclusion of the
Armenian issues into the Turkish commitments to the EU the coming fall’,
said Vardan Oskanyan.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

A1plus
| 20:20:55 | 20-06-2005 | Politics |
EU NOT TO FINANCE PROGRAMS LEAVING ASIDE ARMENIA
Armenia which is included in the program `European Neighbors’ will get 100
million Euros from the structure, particularly for finding alternative
sources of energy. Today head of the EU Foreign Relations Administration
Hugh Mingarelli announced about it. Although, as Mr. Mingarelli notes, `EU
has not yet confirmed the 2007-2013 budget’.
The EU representative told the journalists about it in the press conference
held today in Yerevan concluding the Armenia-EU Cooperation Committee 6th
session.
According to the Committee Armenian co-chair, Commerce and Economic
Development Minister Karen Chshmarityan, in the session the closing of the
Metsamor nuclear power station has not been mentioned. Moreover, the
European side did not exclude the creation of a new nuclear power station.
This is an almost revolutionary point in the RA-EU relations.
Hugh Mingarelli also claimed that the EU will not finance regional programs
leaving aside Armenia.

A1plus
| 19:58:28 | 20-06-2005 | Politics |
ANOTHER STEP TO THE EUROFAMILY
Of all the official visit of last week Vardan Oskanyan found the one to
Brussels the most important. There he represented two documents. According
to him, they were extremely important in the Euro integration of Armenia.
One of them was Armenia’s Individual Partnership Action Plan (IPAP) which
Vardan Oskanyan represented to the NATO Council.
The other was the draft package of the Armenian offers about the EU-Armenia
Joint Actions within the framework of the European Neighborhood program.
Vardan Oskanyan handed it to Benita Ferrero-Waldner, Commissioner for
External Relations and European Neighborhood Policy.
Today Vardan Oskanyan voiced hope that the works on those two documents will
be brought to an end till the end of the year. Within the framework of the
visit to Brussels RA Foreign Minister also had a meeting with the EU Council
Secretary General Javier Solano.
Issues about the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict,
perspectives of the regional cooperation, including the opening of the
Armenian-Turkish border, as well as the processing of the new RA-EU joint
action within the framework of the European Neighborhood policy have been
discussed.

A1plus
| 19:28:55 | 20-06-2005 | Politics |
USA SEES TRANSPARENCY IN KARABAKH
The June 19 Nagorno Karabakh elections were held in an atmosphere of
transparency. This was the conclusion of the `Social International Right and
Political Fraction’ American non-governmental organization observers
observing the elections in 22 electoral areas.
Executive director of the NGO James Ruper announced during today’s press
conference in Yerevan that they have come to a conclusion that the NGR
authorities have made serious efforts to hold the elections up to democratic
standards. According to the observers, the elections passed peacefully. As
observer Spenser said, there were only minor errors in the electoral lists
in some villages.
By the way, the observers left Stepanakert today at 12 a.m. when the results
of the elections had not yet been announced; besides, that have not received
complaints from any political party, for instance from the Armenian
Revolutionary Federation. Asked if the democratic elections will contribute
to the recognition of the sovereignty of NKR the American observers laughed.
Then Mr. Spenser said that the democratic government is necessary but it is
not a precondition for recognizing the sovereignty.
The observers hope that «the nations and states will hear their voice» and
these democratic election will affect the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno
Karabakh conflict positively.

A1plus
| 21:39:30 | 20-06-2005 | Politics | PACE SUMMER SESSION |
`NO NEED TO WORRY’, SAYS ARMEN ROUSTAMYAN
`As Armenia is member of the COE, the issue of Constitutional reforms is
discussed in the COE from time to time. That is a normal procedure’; this is
the opinion of the Armenian delegation member Armen Roustamyan.
Mr. Roustamyan finds that the more quickly our country, including the
Constitutional reforms, correspond to the European standards, the more
quickly the country will develop, `The direction of the Constitutional
reforms is well chosen, cooperation with the COE continues, and the results
are satisfactory. I think this fact will be recorded by the COE too’,
mentioned Mr. Roustamyan.
The deputy advised not to forget that the conclusion of the COE Venice
Commission about the Constitutional reforms in Armenia is intermediary, `The
process has not finished yet. If we observe the process carefully, we will
see how much has been done for the draft after that conclusion’.
Armen Roustamyan assures that after the COE Venice Commission intermediary
conclusion the coalition has taken into account all the offers in its draft.

A1plus
| 21:19:53 | 20-06-2005 | Politics | PACE SUMMER SESSION |
REPORT ABOUT MASS MEDIA AND TERROR
The attempts of Azerbaijan to blame Armenia of terrorism on any occasion on
PACE are not new for anyone. The speeches of the Azeri delegation members do
not differ from one another independent of what is being discussed.
During today’s discussion «Mass Media and Terrorism» the Azeri delegate
Rafael Huseynov repeated without any change his speech which has sounded
many a time in PACE, «Armenia has occupied 20% of the territory of
Azerbaijan. For already 13 years our refugees are not able to return to
their houses. We have spoken in the PACE about Armenia being a terrorist
propagandizing it by the Armenia Mass Media». Mr. Huseynov blamed Armenia of
new calls for terror and demanded that PACE take proper steps to punish
Armenia.
In answer to the Azeri delegate, representative of the Armenian delegation
Artashes Geghamyan advised everyone to open several numbers of the newspaper
`Zerkalo’ and to read how the Azeri Mass Media propagandizes the killing of
Armenians, especially in Karabakh. He also reminded those present about the
cruel assassination of the Armenian officer Gourgen Margaryan by the Azeri
officer.
Drawing parallels between Azerbaijan and Turkey, Mr. Geghamyan referred to
the offer of the Turkish Prime Minister Erdoghan to investigate the events
in Turkey during the first World War and said that it is ridiculous, as
everyone knows what has happened in Turkey.
Shavarsh Kocharyan too made the speech about the theme. In his speech he
called the Azeris, as well as the other PACE delegates not to forget that
the theme refers to international terrorism which is propagandized by the
Mass Media to spread terror in people. He also mentioned that terrorism in
anti-humanitarian phenomenon which does not praise the human life as the
highest value.