Month: November 2006

PARLIAMENT PASSES BILL ON PROPERTY CONFISCATION IN SECOND READING
By Astghik Bedevian
Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
Nov 15 2006
The Armenian parliament on Monday adopted in the second reading a
controversial bill that upholds the government’s powers to confiscate
real property and give it to private developers by citing ‘state and
public needs’.
The government-proposed legislation was passed with 67 votes to none,
with only three abstentions.
The draft law is supposed to regulate continuing demolitions of
old parts of central Yerevan that has been the scene of a massive
redevelopment in recent years. They have sparked angry protests by
scores of people who have been evicted from their now demolished
homes and claim to have not been properly compensated by the state.
The Armenian constitution stipulates that private property can
be taken away by the state “only in exceptional cases involving
overriding public interests, in a manner defined by law, and with
a prior commensurate compensation.” However, the process has so far
been regulated only by government directives. Armenia’s Constitutional
Court effectively declared it illegal in April, but stopped short of
ordering the authorities to return the increasingly expensive land
to their former owners.
As the lawmakers took the vote several dozen residents evicted from
their homes gathered near the National Assembly building to show
their attitude. Their protest passed in heavy police presence. Police
surrounded demonstrators not to allow them to approach passing
deputies.
“We have only one wish – to meet deputies elected by people and talk
to them. After all, we have elected them,” one protestor said.
Opposition deputies who have consistently opposed the passage of the
bill were welcomed with applause. Those who voted for the bill drew
a different reaction, with people scanning: “Shame on you!”
Many pro-government deputies decided to enter the parliament from the
backdoor. Some of them were accompanied by eight or nine bodyguards.
Among the parties that opted out of the vote today were Orinats
Yerkir, the Artarutyun alliance and National Unity. The parties and
groups that upheld the legislation included the Republican Party of
Armenia, the United Labor Party, the People’s Deputy parliamentary
group and businessmen’s groups. The Dashnak votes proved decisive
in the vote. All of the party’s deputies had abstained during the
previous vote on the bill. Only three of them did so this time around.
The bill is still to pass a third reading and is already on the agenda
of the four-day session.

THE RELATION BETWEEN HISTORY AND POLITICS ACCORDING TO HANIOGLU
Sahin Alpay
Zaman, Turkey
Nov 15 2006
No doubt M. Sukru Hanioglu is at the top of the list of historians
illuminating the last period of Ottoman history. Leaving aside the
articles he has written in various academic magazines and books,
a list of the books he has authored is enough in itself to show the
dimensions of his contribution:
“Preparation for a Revolution: The Young Turks, 1902-1908,” Oxford
University Press, 2000.
“The Young Turks in Opposition,” Oxford University Press, 1995.
“Kendi Mektuplariyle Enver Pasha (Enver Pasha in Light of His Own
Letters),” Der Publications, 1989.
Professor Hanioglu has been a faculty member at Princeton University,
one of the U.S.’s most distinguished universities, from the 1990’s to
date, and chairman of the Middle East Research Department for the last
three years. He is a source of pride for Turkey as a social scientist,
not only for being an extremely fastidious researcher and superior
analyst, but also with his intellectual character tied to independent
values and critical method.
His new book is entitled “Osmanli’dan Cumhuriyet’e Zihniyet, Siyaset
ve Tarih (World-view, Politics and History from the Ottomans to the
Republic, Baglam Publications, 2006), and it is comprised of articles
published in Zaman newspaper from the fall of 2002 to the summer
of 2006. I am very happy that a short time after I began writing for
Zaman, I encouraged my old friend Professor Hanioglu to write for Zaman
once every two weeks as well. His Zaman articles, which combine his
broad knowledge of history with an analytical logic, are the most
valuable contribution made in recent years to the understanding of
Turkey’s presence in light of the historical behind-the-scenes reality
of the transitional period from the Ottomans to the Republic.
In regard to the interest shown to these articles, Hanioglu says the
following: “These commentaries that were aimed at bringing different
perspectives to current issues received an unexpected amount of
interest. While messages related to my academic publications generally
don’t reach two-digit numbers, I received close to 50 notes after
each newspaper commentary. I had an opportunity to exchange ideas
with many people, even if it was in a virtual realm.” (p. 9)
In this article I want to dwell on his last piece, published in
Zaman in two parts, entitled “History, Politics and the 1915 Tragedy
in Light of the Vote in the French Assembly” (October 26-27), which
was not included in Professor Hanioglu’s book, but which is extremely
worthy of attention. Here Hanioglu interprets the relationship between
history and politics in view of the bill accepted on October 12th by
the French Assembly that makes denial of the “Armenian Genocide” a
crime. He takes this “denial” argument even further: It is impossible
to leave history to historians, and it is inevitable that politics
interpret history. The problem is not with politics’ interpreting
history; it is with imposing your interpretation, as the only truth,
on society and prohibiting debate. (In this respect, Hanioglu reminds
those supporting the thesis, “Let’s leave history to historians,”
that the Turkish Parliament declared May 27th as a “Constitution and
Freedom Holiday” on April 3, 1963, and that it made it a crime to
“insult the memory of Ataturk” on July 25, 1951.)
Hanioglu points out that it is past the time for producing politics
by means of free discussion instead of countering prohibition with
prohibition, when taking up the issue stemming from the question,
“What Happened to the Ottoman Armenians?” In other words, the most
important historian of the Union and Progress period says to stop
curtailing debate by means of Turkish penal code 301 and elsewhere
and, instead, allow for the production of new and result-oriented
politics by means of free historical debate to counter the campaign
for “recognizing genocide” and now “punishment for the denial of
genocide.” Actually, this is the task before us.
With this opportunity, I would like to note on the record that I am
one of those eagerly awaiting his book-in-progress on the Committee
for Union and Progress’ reign of power (1908-1918).

GUL SAYS TURKEY WORKING ON NEW INITIATIVE FOR ARMENIAN ISSUE
By Suleyman Kurt, Ankara
Zaman, Turkey
Nov 15 2006
Following Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s letter to Armenian
President Robert Kocharyan last year in which he proposed the
appointment of a joint commission of historians to discuss the 1915
incidents, Turkey intends on offering new initiatives.
Speaking at the Budgetary Commission of the Turkish National Assembly,
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said Turkish and foreign lawyers
were studying the issue. Gul noted that Turkey did not rule out
international adjudication, an option for which the views of both
domestic and foreign international lawyers were being sought.
Minister Gul also recalled that Turkey had invited not only Armenians
but also third parties to join the proposed commission of historians.
In his assessment on the situation in Iraq, Gul, strongly opposed
division scenarios: “If Iraq is divided, a dark period will begin.
Then, the attitudes of the neighboring countries would not be the
same as today.”
Also rejecting the claims that the government had made concessions
with regard to Cyprus issue, Gul asserted that in reference to the
Turkish part’s interaction with the world, Turkish Cyprus had been
recognized de facto. Minister Gul, who further denied that Turkey
would hand over Maras to the Greek Cypriots, clearly stated, “This is
something that only those who have lost their minds would do. Maras
is part of a comprehensive solution.” Gul also stressed that the
government would not compromise on anything that it would not be able
to reinstate within the negotiation period with the European Union.

NATO PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY ADOPTED DOCUMENT RECOGNIZING ARMENIA AS AGGRESSOR
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
Nov 15 2006
The document “Role of South Caucasus in NATO” recognizing Armenian
as an aggressor state was adopted in the 52nd session of NATO
Parliamentary Assembly held in Quebec, Siyavush Novruzov, the
Azerbaijani representative in NATO PA told the APA.
“The rapporteurs had been to South Caucasian countries and prepared the
report. We were discontent about the report and achieved fundamental
amendments to the document. After hard discussions in the Azerbaijani
side of the document adopted in the NATO PA the occupation of 20%
of our territories by Armenia, 1m refugees, not fulfilling the
UN Security Council and CE resolutions, committing arsons in the
occupied Azerbaijani territories were reflected in the document,”
Siyavush Novruzov said.
He said for the first time the fact of the occupation of 20% of
Azerbaijani territories is reflected in the international document.
Out of 26 participant countries 25 voted for the adoption of the
document. The parliamentarian said that the role of Azerbaijan in
the energy security of Europe was discussed at the session.

CHORUS ANNOUNCES 2 SHOWS TO END YEAR
By Sarah L. Sullivan
Asbury Park Press, NJ
Nov 15 2006
The Monmouth Civic Chorus is rehearsing to perform its program,
“4 Trumpets and a Chorus,” which will feature the U.S. premiere of
Henri Busser’s “Domremy Mass.”
This recently unearthed piece by the French composer features the
rare accompaniment of four trumpets commemorating the parish church
of Domremy, France, where Joan of Arc is celebrated. Interspersed
throughout the work are descriptive thematic readings from the text
of her trial, and the chorus will sing the Mass.
This nonprofit organization comprising 120 adults, 95 of whom are
performance artists, includes many who are classically trained.
“This group has really achieved artistically a very high level,” said
Artistic Director and Conductor Mark Shapiro. “It’s quite celebrated
in New Jersey for what it has done in terms of its repertoire and
the quality of its performances.”
Since its inception in 1949, the chorus has had seven European Tours
as well as performances at Carnegie Hall in New York and at the New
Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark with the New Jersey Symphony
to name a few.
“It is wonderful that this ensemble embraces people ranging in age
from seniors in high school to well in their 80s who contribute not
just their spirit but real talent,” Shapiro said.
The program also will include an unusual piece by an Armenian composer,
Arzas Voskanyan, that pays tribute to an Armenian battle from about
the same millennium as the Busser segment.
“It is an eerie piece with wailing trumpets and a brilliant finish,”
Shapiro said.
Although the chorus and Shapiro have never performed Gabriel Faure’s
Requiem together before, they are pleased to do so now. This portion of
the concert will feature soprano Jo Ellen Miller as a guest soloist.
Miller’s credits include performances at Tanglewood in Massachusetts
and being featured with the Sarasota Opera in Florida.
The chorus is funded with membership dues, varying levels of
sponsorships, and grants and ticket sales. Its operation is almost
entirely self-contained, said board member Susan Metz, with its
members managing it much like a business that performs about four
shows per year.
Mary Donnelly Pacheco, 75, past president and board member, has been
involved in one way or another for 37 years.
“Even though some members have moved away, they pay their dues and
keep in touch because it is like a family,” she said.
A member since 1980, Gerald Metz, 58, explained that although he
is retired now, “I had a job which I needed to earn money, but this
is what I live for – this is what life is really for – the arts and
expressing yourself and being with others who express themselves.”
In December, the Monmouth Civic Chorus will present Handel’s Messiah
at the Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank, along with Christmas Pops
Around the World. Additionally, subsets from the chorus can be hired
to sing carols at various locations including home, office or community
settings such as senior homes and tree-lighting ceremonies.
For more information, call (732) 933-9333 or visit

EXPERTS: AZERBAIJAN CAN ENSURE ITS FULL ENERGY INDEPENDENCE
Regnum, Russia
Nov 15 2006
Azerbaijan can ensure its full energy independence. That’s what most of
the experts said during the roundtable on Azerbaijan’s energy security
held in Baku last week. A REGNUM correspondent reports that the event,
organized with the support of the Azerbaijani Office of the Russian
Development Foundation (AORDF) “Caucasian Democracy Institute,” was
attended by independent experts from Russia Ilya Zaslavsky, Alexander
Karavayev, Georgy Nozadze, Azerbaijani MPs Agabek Askerov, Siyavush
Novruzov, Mubariz Gurbanly, Fazil Gazanfaroglu, political experts
Rasim Musabekov, Zardusht Alizade, Mubariz Ahmedoglu, Arif Yunusov,
Ilgar Mamedov, Leyla Aliyeva, experts Ilham Shabanov, Allay Ahmedov,
historian Valida Mustafayeva.
The event was opened by the head of the AORDF Rauf Gasanov.
The participants stressed that Azerbaijan’s energy potential is
steadily growing, and, already today, the country can be regarded as
a self-sufficient energy producer and an authoritative fuel exporter
in the region.
The Russian experts focused on the political, economic, ecological,
social and technical aspects of the gas supplies in Azerbaijan and
Russia. Alexander Karavayev approached energy security problems
geo-politically. He said that Azerbaijan has resolved these problems
due to own resources and complementary policy and, especially, due
to the launch of the oil pipeline Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) and the
gas pipeline Baku-Tbilisi-Erzerum (BTE). Today, the Azerbaijani gas
consumers – unlike those in Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, Georgia and
Armenia – are almost independent from Russia’s gas policy. Karavayev
noted that not only the CIS countries but also many people in
Russia are concerned that, sometimes, Gazprom rises its gas tariffs
quite unreasonably. Karavayev wonders if Russia’s gas tariffs are
economically conditioned – why exactly $110 or $130 and not $50 or,
say, $200?
In fact, the “gas stick” has not so far helped Russia to attain any
of its political goals, except for merely economic profit. On the
contrary, the last rise in the Russian gas tariff has pushed Ukraine,
Georgia and Moldova to drift even farther to the west and has caused
strong displeasure in Armenia, who has already found alternative
sources of gas. Karavayev believes that Moscow’s new, better-balanced
tariff policy is just a matter of time. Returning to Azerbaijan’s
energy security, Karavayev said that Azerbaijan effectively employs
its equidistant situation from all significant blocs in the CIS
territory and, at the same time, declares western orientation. All the
subjects of inter-action in the post-Soviet area, including Russia,
are influenced by the US policy. And the internal stability of each
of them strongly depends on their ability to successfully maneuver
under this influence. Azerbaijan also considers this influence but
is realistic about its limits.
Similar models of state administration have brought Russia and
Azerbaijan closer to each other. Russian-Azerbaijani relations have
significantly improved since Jan 2001, when the Russian President paid
a visit to Baku. At the same time, unlike Russia’s other CIS partners,
Azerbaijan is not a member to any structural organizations.
After returning into the CIS (one of the first decisions of Heydar
Aliyev), the Azerbaijani authorities stayed neutral towards other
integration structures (CES, EurAsEC). Azerbaijan cannot be a member
to the CSTO because of Armenia’s membership therein. Though involved
in some alternative unions, Azerbaijan is not very active there. The
role of GUAM’s energy locomotive is possible but hardly real for
Azerbaijan as its key export projects are aimed at markets outside
GUAM. The active attempts of the Ukrainian diplomacy to add Azerbaijani
oil to the Russian supplies have proved to be just illusions.
Exactly in the same way the Saakashvili administration has failed to
change the parameters of the Baku-Erzerum contract. Georgia’s quota
in the project has been left unchanged – 5% of potential transit.
Karavayev noted that during the 1st Summit (Dec 1 2005) of the new
promising anti-Russian bloc “Commonwealth of Democratic Choice”
(CDC), Azerbaijan was represented only on a FM level. Obviously,
small as it is, Azerbaijan is quite successfully balancing between
different vectors. In conclusion, Karavayev stressed that, unlike
Russia, Azerbaijan has decided to invest the money of its Oil Fund
in the economy and the social sector. According to the presidential
decree “On the Long-Term Strategy for Oil and Gas Income Management,”
the Azerbaijani Government allocates the money for the construction
and restoration of roads, schools and hospitals, the purchase of
energy equipment and other crucial projects. In Russia they believe –
without much reason – that such a policy may lead to high inflation.
Expert Ilya Zaslavsky noted that there are mutually exclusive views of
the export appeal of the Azerbaijani fuel. He reminded the audience
that during his last visit to Baku the Romanian President said:
“I think that Azerbaijan can be highly competitive on the European
markets.” On the other hand, Turkey is slow to buy the Azerbaijani
gas. Zaslavsky gave some statistics: the total length of the BTE from
Azerbaijan till the Georgian-Turkish border is 690 km (442 km via
Azerbaijan and 248 via Georgia). The length of the Turkish “corridor”
is 280 km. Experts say that Azerbaijan needs as much as 100mln c m
of gas to fill the whole pipe. Even though the Azerbaijani gas has
already reached Erzerum, Turkey is falling behind in laying its section
of the pipe and will finish it no earlier than by the end of this year.
Presently, in order to fill the BTE Azerbaijan uses the gas extracted
from the Azeri-Chirag-Gunashli deposit by AIOC and BP. In the third
quarter of 2006 Azerbaijan will start injecting gas from the Shah
Deniz deposit, where a consortium of western companies and their
partners, particularly, Lukoil, have built a unique deep-water
platform – a project costing a total of $1.3bln. The initial
resources of Shah Deniz are estimated at 178bln c m of gas and
34mln tons of gas condensate, while the total ones – at 1trl c m, of
which 600bln c m are recoverable resources. This is the biggest gas
condensate deposit in Azerbaijan. The BTE can transfer up to 30bln
c m a year. Initially, it will export 2.2bln c m a year and later
8.5bln-9bln c m a year. The full rate extraction will be started at
the second stage – in 2010-2012.
Zaslavsky pointed out that even though the world gas prices have
been steadily growing in the last decades, they may slump one day and
Azerbaijan may prove to be quite unprepared for that, just as it is
unprepared today to be fully independent from Russia in energy. The
Azerbaijani authorities will hardly be able to ensure their full energy
independence in the near future and will remain seriously dependent on
Russia and its behavior on the international fuel markets for quite a
long time. Consequently, Azerbaijan will have to consider this factor
in its foreign policy.
Rasim Musabekov disagreed with Zaslavsky. He thinks that the
influence of the political factor on the fuel price policy is
decreasing. Healthy market relations make the supplier and the consumer
equally responsible. The energy security of suppliers and consumers is
inter-dependent and inter-related and cannot be considered irrespective
of reality.
On the other hand, for each energy market participant reality is
different and, consequently, different is the degree of security. For
example, even though Azerbaijan is much more secure in energy than
Georgia and Armenia are, it buys from Russia twice as much gas as they
do. Azerbaijan may safely stop buying Russian gas as it has its own
energy sources and a ramified pipeline network (Baku-Novorossiysk,
Baku-Supsa and Iranian branch to Nakhichevan).
This all will allow Azerbaijan to become self-sufficient already
next year.
Musabekov said that next year Georgia and Turkey will substantially
raise their energy security. Today, Turkey is in a favorable situation:
it has three gas pipes from Russia, Iran and Azerbaijan.
Azerbaijan may sell its gas for just $120-130, which may influence
the prices of the Russian and Iranian gas. Besides, Turkey has good
capacities for gas transit to Europe. As regards Azerbaijan, the only
threat to its energy security is a possible pipeline damage caused
by acts of sabotage.
Ilgar Mamedov agreed that Azerbaijan is sufficiently secure in terms
of energy. He noted that the country is very much interested in the
sharp rise in the gas prices. The last rise by Russia has strongly
aggravated its relations with Armenia. The Armenian mass media and
public appeared with lots of anti-Russian statements and pro-western
slogans. As a result, Armenia has turned its face towards Iran. One
more rise will completely spoil Armenian-Russian relations, and
Armenia will start searching for ways-out of this situation, while
Azerbaijan will be able to turn it into own advantage “by returning
its occupied territories and, certainly, Nagorno Karabakh.”
The Russian experts pointed to Russia’s gas problem. Karavayev said
that the further rise in the Russian gas prices will not give Russia
any dividends. Each consumer country has the limit beyond which it
will refuse to buy gas. The present tariff policy, particularly,
the mechanism preventing Kazakhstan from supplying gas via Russia to
Europe, is incorrect and unpromising. Gazprom’s monopoly may create
numerous problems in Russia. “All we know about our real gas reserves
is what Gazprom tells us. Its further price policy is also a closed
book to us,” Karavayev said.
Zaslavsky pointed out that some Azerbaijan’s regions are short of gas,
while the Azerbaijani authorities are actively exporting gas abroad. He
noted that the laying of pipelines is a very expensive business, today,
but small territory allows Azerbaijan to do it with much less expenses.
Allay Ahmedov noted that Azerbaijan’s energy security may be annulled
by military factors – such as a new Karabakh war or possible US
campaign against Iran.
Ilham Shabanov reminded the audience that the price of the gas Turkey
receives from Russia is $262 and from Iran – $250, while Azerbaijan
is ready to sell its gas to Turkey for only $120. So, it is very
strange that Turkey is delaying the building of its section of the
BTE and has refused to buy Azerbaijani gas in the coming half-year.
The possible reason might be Russia’s offer to undertake part of
Turkey’s expenses and technical efforts to lay gas pipelines to Italy
and Israel – something that will make Turkey one of the biggest energy
knots in the region. One more factor is that a Russian-Turkish JV is
planning to build a huge gas storage in southern Turkey near Lake Tuz
for ensuring the stability of Russian gas supplies to Europe from the
south. This project is of strategic importance for Russia and fully
serves the interests of Turkey.
Shabanov noted that by the end of this year Azerbaijan will import
4.5bln c m of gas from Russia. However, it will extract more than that
in 2007. “So, why should we buy Russian gas?” The answer is in the
politics: Azerbaijan buys Russian gas because it wants to preserve
friendly relations with that country. Concerning the domestic gas
supply in Azerbaijan, Shabanov said that, in the Soviet times, 83%
of the country had gas, which was the highest index in Europe. After
the USSR collapse, this figure slumped, and only recently the AzeriGaz
managed to raise it to 45%-46%.
Mubariz Ahmedoglu welcomed the idea of roundtable and stressed that
it is very important to discuss the problem of unequal electricity
exchange between Russia and Azerbaijan, particularly, the fact
that Russia overprices its electricity for Azerbaijan. “We sell our
electricity to the Russians for 2 US cents per 1 KWh, but buy it from
them for 4 US cents,” Ahmedoglu said. Still, he believes that the
sides will equalize the situation. He noted that, today, even the
military circles in Russia see that they can no longer use pressure
and need to establish and develop mutually beneficial cooperation
with their neighbors. Azerbaijan’s last years’ efforts to ensure its
energy security have helped Turkey to become a big transit player. As
regards Armenia, it is in quite a difficult situation: Iran will not
close its eyes to the fact that it is going to sell to Russia the
gas pipeline built by Iranian specialists for Iranian money.
Zardusht Alizade noted that new times dictate new relations. In the
last 15 years Russia has seen that its “special” relations with the
post-Soviet republics lead to huge economic losses and affect the
living conditions of its own citizens. Almost all Russia has done
recently shows that that country is becoming more pragmatic and is
seeking to have normal market relations with its neighbors, like
everybody in the world has.
Arif Yunusov said that every time he is surprised to hear people
talking about the economic profit of one or another project as,
in all of them, political interests are prevalent and decisive. He
noted that it would be much cheaper for Azerbaijan to lay its oil
and gas pipelines to Turkey not via Georgia but via Iran. However,
this might cause some problems in the future and Washington’s strong
displeasure at present. As regards Russia, Yunusov thinks that Moscow
has no clear energy policy. Moscow is in euphoria over the last years’
rise in the world fuel prices. If one can understand Russia when
it punishes Ukraine, it is hard to understand it in the story with
Georgia as its actions hit Armenia too. Russia’s policy on Baku is
also contradictory. “I always say that Russia is doing its best to
be disliked in Azerbaijan but is not succeeding as the US is doing it
much better,” Yunusov said with irony. He agreed with the other experts
that Azerbaijan is self-sufficient and secure in terms of energy.
Georgy Nozadze is concerned for Russia and Azerbaijan as their
policies heavily rely on fuel prices. Even though in the last 100
years fuel prices have been growing, one should not forget that
once they slumped by as much as 80%. True, they rose again in some
3 years, but Russia and Azerbaijan will hardly survive such a long
period. Even stabilization fund will not help them. That’s why they
need a detailed state program on how to effectively use the revenues
they get from the rising oil prices. Another big threat is a global
ecological disaster in the Caspian Sea. Here Baku is better protected
than Moscow as it has involved many private foreign companies in its
fuel projects while Moscow has not. Nozadze noted that expertise and
healthy competition substantially reduce risks.
During the discussion Rasim Musabekov and Ilgar Mamedov pointed
out that Georgia’s energy security is exclusively important for
Azerbaijan. They stressed that if Russia stops supplying gas to
Georgia, Azerbaijan will do it. Zaslavsky and Gasanov summed up
the results of the roundtable. They urged the experts to meet again
in order to discuss the numerous problems of the energy and other
important spheres of Azerbaijan and Russia.
From: Baghdasarian

THERE ARE STILL DIFFERENCES IN SOLUTION OF NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT – AZERI FOREIGN MINISTER
Author: A.Ismaylova
TREND Information, Azerbaijan
Nov 15 2006
We discussed the proposals of the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group
that were put forward in Moscow and came to a conclusion to continue
the discussions, the Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadayarov
informed the Radio “Freedom”, commenting his meeting with Armenian
Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan, Trend reports.
Mammadyarov said that after November 20, the co-chairs will arrive
to Yerevan and then to Baku. They offered, after their visit to
the region, to organize the meeting of the Azerbaijani and Armenian
Presidents. The Minister said that after returning to Baku, he will
inform the President of Azerbaijan and a relevant decision will be
made on the proposal. The Foreign Minister considers that there is a
possibility to conduct the meeting of the Presidents on November 28 in
Minsk within the Summit of the CIS Heads. As for the negotiations with
the Armenian Foreign Minister, Mammadyarov said that the differences
still remain. In addition, he emphasized that over the recent two
years, the negotiations have been held within the Prague process and
Armenia understands the position of Azerbaijan. “Yet it is early to
speak about any progress.
It may be possible only after the meeting of the Presidents,”
Mammadyarov said.
He said that the talks will not be finished this year. If there is
any political decision, the question will be resolved. “As you know,
Azerbaijan is developing year by year. The position of Azerbaijan is
strengthenning. We need to continue the talks by using these arguments
and deliver out position to the attention of the world public, and
we will continue this course,” the Minister said.

NO COUNTRY THAT RESPECTS ITSELF WILL RECOGNIZE REFERENDUM IN NAGORNO-KARABAKH – AZERI SPEAKER
Author: S.Aliyev
TREND Information, Azerbaijan
Nov 15 2006
“I do not consider the referendum in Nagorno-Karabakh as a
referendum. No country respecting itself will recognize this
referendum,” the Speaker of the Azerbaijani Parliament Oktay Asadov
briefed the media on November 15 commenting on the referendum scheduled
to take place on December 10 in occupied Nagorno-Karabakh region of
Azerbaijan, Trend reports. The Speaker stressed that on November 16-17
it is planned to hold the meeting between the Head of Parliaments of
“Caucasus four” within the meeting of the Heads of the Parliaments
of CIS member-countries in Saint-Petersburg. “Azerbaijan will act so
that not to be conflict country in CIS. For this it needs to use the
force and experience of CIS countries to put pressure on the countries
that are guilty in these conflicts,” Asadov said.

ILHAM ALIYEV: WE ARE CLOSE TO RELEASE OUR TERRITORIES, THEREFORE ARMENIANS COMMIT ARSONS
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
Nov 15 2006
“20% of the Azerbaijani territories were occupied by Armenia. The
situation in the occupied territories is very bad. The forces occupied
the Azerbaijani territories not only destroyed our historical,
national, religious monuments but also damaged our nature,” Azerbaijan
President said during his speech in the presentation ceremony of the
prize set by Michael Zukov Fund of Germany.
The President said the nature was damaged, precious trees were cut,
and arsons were committed in the occupied territories.
“We have irrefutable facts. OSCE fact-finding mission held a monitoring
in the occupied territories. The report they made is very terrible,
everything, buildings, historical monuments were destroyed, precious
trees were cut. As a result of it several large furniture plants
function at the moment,” the President said.
Ilham Aliyev said that Armenians realize that they will leave our
lands; we are close to release our territories, therefore they commit
arsons. He said they raised this problem on the level of UN. We ask
all organizations and NGO to pay attention to this problem.
Committing arsons in the occupied territories is unbearable fact;
these actions cannot be made by the people living in the XXI century.

REPRESENTATIVES OF AZERBAIJANI EMBASSY TO HUNGARY WILL OBSERVE LEGAL PROCEEDINGS ON RAMIL SAFAROV’S CASE
Author: E. Javvadova
TREND, Azerbaijan
Nov 15 2006
Representatives of the Azerbaijan Embassy to Hungary will observe
the regular judiciary sitting on the case of Ramil Saffarov, Officer
of Azerbaijan Army. It will be held in the Pesht District Court
in Budapest on November 17, a source in the Azerbaijani Embassy to
Hungary told Trend
The court hearing is presided by judge Tot Dendosh. Lawyer Clara
Fisher, will defend the rights of the Azerbaijani Officer.
Azerbaijani Officer, Ramil Safarov, is accused in resistance to
guards while being under the investigation on the fact of murdering
Armenian Officer Gurgen Markaryan. In accordance to the accusation,
on June 19, 2004, guards came to Mr. Safarov and demanded to give
them his telephone card. The Azerbaijani Officer did not fulfill
their demands. Guards wanted to tie his hands, but he resisted them.
During the last judiciary sittings, Mr. Saffarov said that the guards
demanded his card in Hungarian, and he could not fulfill their demands
because of his lack of knowledge of Hungarian. He also said that
eight guards tied him down and beaten him. Mr. Saffarov forwarded
a complaint against them. They did the same thing and forwarded
a complaint against him. Mr. Saffarov’s complaint has not been
considered, but the guards were immediately considered by the court
Ramil Safarov was sentenced to life imprisonment for murdering the
Armenian officer, on April 13, 2006. The court hearing on this case
has started at 12:00 Baku time.