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06/06/2006
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WEBSITE AT <;HTTP://WWW.ASBAREZ. COM 1) Chess Team Returns to Armenia after Winning Gold 2) Armenia And Azerbaijan Announce No Progress in Karabagh Talks 3) US Replaces Co-Chair of OSCE Minsk Group for Karabagh Settlement 4) MKR Draft Constitution to Be Introduced before Parliament 5) Leader Says Independent Kurdistan is Kurds' Right 1) Chess Team Returns to Armenia after Winning Gold YEREVAN (RFE/RL/Armenpress)--The Armenian National Chess team and their coach Arshak Petrosian received a hero's welcome in Armenia, after winning the 37th Chess Olympiad over the weekend in Turin, Italy. Five of the six men--Vladimir Hakobian, Gabriel Sarkisian, Artashes Minasian, Smbat Lputian, and Karen Asryan--arrived at Yerevan's Zvartnots airport shortly after midnight on Tuesday. Levon Aronian could not return to Armenia immediately after the Olympiad, citing personal reasons. They were greeted at the airport by Defense Minister Serge Sarkisian, Prime Minister Andranik Markarian, most members of his cabinet, as well as top police and army generals. Armenia, bronze medalist of three previous Olympiads, won the game's most important team competition, which drew to a close on Sunday, for the first time in its history. Its six top grandmasters, led by the world number three Levon Aronian, were the only undefeated team among 148 participating nations and finished far ahead of tournament favorite Russia. "We've made history," Petrosian said. "This is a great achievement for Armenian chess. We are very happy to have achieved that result." "We were anxious, happy and cheerful. It was great," said Gabriel Sargsian, the youngest member of the Armenian team. The 19 year old grandmaster's strong performance at Turin--8 wins in 13 games--proved crucial for the overall Armenian victory. The Olympic champions then headed to the city's Freedom Square where more than a thousand people waving Armenia's red-blue-orange flags and chanting "Armenia! Armenia!" gathered to cheer them on. The celebration, featuring speeches by senior officials and performances by Armenian pop singers, was broadcast live on state television. Defense Minister Serge Sarkisian, who also heads the Armenian Chess Federation, stayed with the Armenian players in the northern Italian city throughout the two-week tournament. "Our chess players have managed to justify our nation's hopes," he said. "Your support from Yerevan was the most important thing for the guys," he told the jubilant crowd in Freedom Square. "This was only our first major victory. More victories lie ahead." 2) Armenia And Azerbaijan Announce No Progress in Karabagh Talks (AP/Yerkir)--The Foreign Ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia said Tuesday that talks between their countries' leaders had made no progress toward a settlement of the dispute over Karabagh, but that they had instructions to continue negotiations. Armenian President Robert Kocharian and Azeri President Ilham Aliyev discussed the conflict on the sidelines of a Black Sea summit in Bucharest, Romania, on Sunday and Monday. Representatives of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group, which is trying to broker a resolution of the 18 year old conflict, were also present. Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian told state television that the talks had been conducted "in a normal atmosphere, but they did not succeed in registering progress and giving a positive impulse to solving the problem of the Karabagh conflict." Still, he said that he and Azeri Foreign Minister Elmar Mamedyarov had orders to try to find points on which they could bring the two countries' positions closer. Mamedyarov said that, in spite of the lack of a breakthrough, the Aliyev-Kocharian meeting had seen a "wide discussion" of the details of a settlement. "We decided to continue the process and, if necessary, to hold another meeting at the level of Foreign Ministers," Mamedyarov said. However, Mamedyarov added that, "there is still hope for the peaceful resolution of the conflict and we are eager to continue efforts in this direction." The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group said that the meetings took place in a good atmosphere and expressed hope that the conflict can be resolved this year. "The co-chairs still believe that 2006 is the window to reach an agreement regarding Karabagh, and I don't want to characterize exactly where we might be in that process," said Steven Mann, the co-chair representing the US in Bucharest. Mann also said that the mediators believe that the Karabagh conflict can still be resolved this year. "The co-chairs still believe that 2006 is the window to reach an agreement regarding Karabagh," he said. Russian co-chair Yuri Merzlyakov said that the responsibility for the conflict resolution should not be laid on the two sides only. "They should themselves reach an agreement but with the support of the mediators," Merzlyakov said. 3) US Replaces Co-Chair of OSCE Minsk Group for Karabagh Settlement (Yerkir/Armenpress)Another diplomat will replace the American co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group Steven Mann, who has been appointed Deputy Assistant Secretary of State on Central and South Asian Affairs. According to Mann, it is a usual rotation. "Another co-chairman will represent the US during the talks about the settlement of the Nagorno Karabagh conflict," said Mann. Azeri Foreign Affairs Minister Elmar Mamedyarov said that changing the American co-chairman will not have a negative impact on negotiations. He told journalists that his conviction is based on the professionalism of American diplomats. "The important thing is that the Americans remain in the regulation process and want to continue it," said Mamedyarov, noting that one or two months will be enough time for the new chairman to become involved in the process. 4) MKR Draft Constitution to Be Introduced before Parliament YEREVAN (Yerkir)Mountainous Karabagh Republic (MKR) held a meeting of its Constitutional Commission working group in Stepanakert, to discuss the introduction of a Draft Constitution to Parliament. During the meeting, MKR President Arkady Ghoukassian said that the Draft Constitution will be introduced before the Parliament. He also commissioned the working group to continue their activities to study and discuss proposals that have been received. Ghoukassian said he appreciated the activities of the MKR Constitutional Commission, noting that their work has received positive feedback from experts. 5) Leader Says Independent Kurdistan is Kurds' Right ERBIL (The New Anatolian)President of the Iraqi Kurdistan region, Massoud Barzani, said Monday in an interview with Al-Arabia television that an independent Kurdistan is the right of Iraqi Kurds, but for now remaining within the borders of a federalist, democratic Iraq serves their interest. Asked whether Iraqi Kurdish groups might seek an independent state, Barzani said that struggling for and dreaming about independence is "a right of every Kurdish individual" and further that "nobody can deny this right to the Kurds." "But for now, remaining within the borders of a federal, democratic Iraq fructifies the Kurdish interest. Presumably the dream and desire of an independent Kurdistan for the next generation or even in our time will be realized," Barzani said. Barzani also expressed optimism about the resolution of the Kirkuk issue by the new Iraqi Government and stressed that pursuing the issue is a priority of the regional government in Iraqi Kurdistan. The Iraqi Kurdish leader further expressed his belief that "the Kurdish question of neighboring countries" can be solved by democratic and peaceful means, through dialogue. Barzani's remarks are likely to cause concern in Ankara, which fears a civil war in Iraq and wider regional instability should the country fall apart and the Iraqi Kurds seek independence. All subscription inquiries and changes must be made through the proper carrier and not Asbarez Online. ASBAREZ ONLINE does not transmit address changes and subscription requests. (c) 2006 ASBAREZ ONLINE. All Rights Reserved. ASBAREZ provides this news service to ARMENIAN NEWS NETWORK members for academic research or personal use only and may not be reproduced in or through mass media outlets. From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress