Month: November 2006

RA FM RECEIVED UK DELEGATION
PanARMENIAN.Net
09.11.2006 13:37 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ November 7 Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan
Oskanian received the British delegation led by Sir Brian Fall,
the UK Special Representative for the South Caucasus, RA MFA press
office told PanARMENIAN.Net. The delegation included UK Ambassadors
to Armenia and Georgia, who are in Yerevan to participate in the
conference initiated by the RA Foreign Ministry jointly with the
Wilton Park. The sides expressed satisfaction with the high level
and efficiency of the conference and discussions and remarked that
an event of the kind was organized in the South Caucasus for the
first time. The meeting participants also referred to the regional
problems including the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement talks
and the Russian-Georgian relations.

AZERI ARMY CAN LIBERATE ‘SEIZED TERRITORIES’ DURING ONE WEEK, AZERI EXPERT SURE
PanARMENIAN.Net
08.11.2006 13:44 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ “I am convinced that but for Russia’s support to
Armenia, Azerbaijan could liberate the seized territories,” Azeri
military expert Uzeir Jafarov said in an interview with Day.az. “As
for the fact that Armenia can buy Russian weapons at a lower price,
one should remember that Armenia is a member state of the Collective
Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) and this allows buying arms at a
reduced price,” he said. When touching upon the defeat of Azeris is
1990-ies the expert said, “Now Armenians are idealizing the events of
that time and forget that they also met defeat at some periods. Now,
despite certain shortcoming of the Azeri army there are forces that can
fulfill the task quickly. It’s not a secret that during the Karabakh
war Russia was actively supporting Armenia. But time has passed and
a big deal of work has been carried out,” Jafarov said.

PROCEEDING FROM ITS INTERESTS EUROPE CANNOT ALLOW DESTABILIZATION IN SOUTH CAUCASUS
PanARMENIAN.Net
08.11.2006 18:17 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ With assuming presidency in the EU during the
intial half of 2007 Germany will try to make the integration of the
South Caicasian states more real using the European Neighborhood
Policy, transatlantic fellow at the German Marshall Fund doctor Jorg
Himmelreich said. In his words, the German government is aware of the
problems available in the South Caucasus, which ‘represent immediate
danger for the European security.’ According to Dr Himmelreich,
Europe cannot allow destabilization in the South Caucasus proceeding
from its own interests. Besides the European Neighborhood Policy
the EU can use extra instruments for regional cooperation, he said,
reports Mediamax news agency.

ELECTIONS AMERICAINES: “TRèS GRANDE VICTOIRE” POUR LES DEMOCRATES (ERDOGAN)
Agence France Presse
8 novembre 2006 mercredi 1:15 PM GMT
Le Premier ministre turc Recep Tayyip Erdogan a estime mercredi que
le resultat des elections parlementaires americaines constituait
“une très grande victoire” pour le Parti democrate.
“Le resultat aux Etats-Unis etait attendu, mais les scores qui ont
emerge sont bien plus eleves qu’on ne l’avait initialement estime”,
a declare M. Erdogan lors d’une conference de presse au siège de son
Parti de la justice et du developpement (AKP). “Les Democrates ont
remporte une très grande victoire”.
“Pour la première fois, une femme sera presidente de la Chambre des
representants, et pour la première fois il y aura un representant
musulman”, a note le Premier ministre, issu de la mouvance islamiste
mais qui se definit aujourd’hui comme “conservateur”.
Il faisait reference a l’elue californienne Nancy Pelosi, pressentie
a la tete de la Chambre des representants, et a celui du Minnesota
Keith Ellison, tous deux Democrates.
M. Erdogan a rejete l’hypothèse qu’une majorite democrate relance
au Congrès les initiatives pour une reconnaissance du caractère
genocidaire des massacres d’Armeniens commis en 1915-1917 dans l’empire
ottoman, un sujet très sensible en Turquie.
“Quelle que soit la majorite au pouvoir (republicaine ou democrate),
notre relation avec les Etats-Unis est vouee a etre bonne”, a-t-il
estime. “Nous nous entendons bien avec les deux”.
La Turquie, membre de l’Otan, est un allie fidèle des Etats-Unis meme
si les relations entre les deux pays ont connu un refroidissement après
le refus par le Parlement turc, lors de l’invasion de l’Irak en 2003,
de laisser transiter des troupes americaines en territoire turc.
–Boundary_(ID_HZ7bcvdBAU4W1nHwQmJ/9w)–
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIA AND FRANCE WILLING TO DEEPEN COOPERATION IN ALL SPHERES
Public Radio, Armenia
Nov 8 2006
November 8 the newly appointed Ambassador of France to Armenia Serge
Smessov handed copies of his credentials to RA Foreign Minister
Vartan Oskanian.
Greeting the guest, Minister Oskanian wished success to the Ambassador
in his high mission.
During the meeting the Ambassador noted he is well familiar with the
CIS region. Mr. Smessov informed about the metings with different
official and public structures of France and representatives of the
Armenian community he had before arriving in Armenia.
Later the interlocutors referred to the broad agenda of bilateral
cooperation, emphasyzing the readiness of Armenia and France to deepen
cooperation in all spheres.

EXPERTS SAY AZERBAIJAN IS AN “ILLEGITIMATE”
Public Radio, Armenia
Nov 8 2006
The Republic of Azerbaijan has reached today’s status quite illegally,
violating all the norms of international and Soviet law.
Contrary to this, the Nagorno Karabakh Republic has declared its
independence in compliance with international and Soviet law.
Therefore, the solution to the Karabakh conflict should be searched
for only in the frames of international, and the settlement process
should be transferred to the legal field. Political scientist
Levon Melik-Shahnazaryan and lawyer Ashot Khachatryan expressed
the above-mentioned opinion in the Russian-language “The Nagorno
Karabakh Republic in the Light of International Law.” According to
the authors, those in Azerbaijan understand pretty well that from the
legal perspective their positions are very shaky, therefore they do
everything to keep the resolution of the issue on the political layer.
“When seceding from the USSR, Azerbaijan violated the laws of that
country. Particularly, it did not follow the law on “The rules of
seceding from the USSR,” which says that the Republic having autonomies
and regions, must hold separate referendums in every autonomy, and in
those regions where ethnic groups comprise majority, results of the
referendum are considered separately,” the authors mention, adding
that according to Article 15 of the same law, USSR citizens residing
on the territory of a country seceding from the USSR are granted
citizenship and the right of choosing the place of residence and job.
It is mentioned in the law that the USSR and the seceding Republic
should come to an agreement on the status of territories, which did
not belong to the given Republic at the moment of entering the USSR.”
“The given provision directly refers to the Armenian autonomous regions
of Utik, Artsakh, as well as Nakhijevan regions. “Illegally born”
Azerbaijan illegally annexed these territories, since before Azerbaijan
entered the Soviet Union on April 28, 1920 the above-mentioned
territories did not comprise part of its land.
Moreover, severely violating the USSR Law on “Self-determination of
nations” and ignoring the civil and ethnic group rights, on August
30, 1991 the Soviet Socialistic Republic of Azerbaijan unilaterally
declared its independence,” noted Levon Melik-Shahnazaryan and Ashot
Khachatryan.
Today three questions should be posed when discussing the Karabakh
issue: What to give? Whom to give? Why give? The authors note that
Armenia is required to give lands not belonging to any of the sides.
Concession of lands will mean inclusion of Armenian Utik and Artsakh
States within Azerbaijan.

ANDRZEJ KASPRZYK: THE SITUATION AT THE CONTACT LINE IS MORE OR LESS QUIET
Public Radio, Armenia
Nov 8 2006
The recent situation at the contact line of the Armed Forces
of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Nagorno Karabakh is somewhat quiet,
Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Ambassador
Anrdzej Kasprzyk told the journalists. In the Ambassador’s words, the
initiative of the meeting between the Foreign Ministers of Armenia
and Azerbaijan Serge Sargsyan and Safar Abiev was dictated by the
aspiration to maintain and improve the situation, providing the
opportunity to the Ministers to discuss the issue of maintenance of
the cease-fire regime. As for the meetings of other representatives
of defense structures of the two countries, the Ambassador reminded
that meetings take place during almost all the monitorings of the
contact line.

ECONOMIC INTERESTS OF ARMENIA AND KAZAKHSTAN COINCIDE
By Ara Martirosian
AZG Armenian Daily
09/11/2006
Kazakhstan Imports Goods That Armenia Exports
Kazakhstan is a multiethnic country, and the Armenian community
plays a unique role in that culture. Head of the community, Artyusha
Karapetian, is included in the Association of Peoples of Kazakhstan
affiliated to the country’s president.
On the second day of his official visit to Kazakhstan Armenian
president Robert Kocharian met our countrymen and told about
the results of his meeting with his Kazakh counterpart Nursultan
Nazarbaev. He said the last bilateral meeting took place in Armenia
in 2001.
Though the leaders of both states occasionally get in touch at the
CIS summits, there are still obstacles preventing development of
relations. Meanwhile, in Armenian president’s words, economic interests
of the two states coincide, which means Kazakhstan imports goods
that Armenia exports and vice versa. The main problem is connected
with goods transportation that will hopefully be settled thanks to an
agreement on automobile transportation of goods signed by the leaders
of the states.
Robert Kocharian underscored the necessity to attract Kazakh capital
to Armenia.
After the meeting with community representatives, the Armenian
president headed for Kazakh president’s cultural center and then laid
a wreath to the monument of defenders of the motherland.
The last even in the visit agenda was the business forum with
the participation of the presidents and Armenian and Kazakh
businessmen. Once again the presidents highlighted economic
cooperation.
The Kazakh president emphasized that the Armenian economy is
one of the most liberal ones in the world, which opens doors for
investments. Kazakhstan as well as Armenia is rapidly developing. The
country’s GDP has increased 3.5 times as against that of 1997.
Currency reserves amount to $25 billion, all debts from international
economic organizations were liquidated. In Nazarbaev’s words,
living standards in Kazakhstan are the highest in CIS. In regards to
Armenia, he said that despite the blockade Armenia is developing with
astonishing pace.

EUROPEAN COMMISSION DEMANDS THAT TURKEY OPENS ITS AIRPORTS AND PORTS TO CYPRUS BY DECEMBER
By Hakob Chakrian
AZG Armenian Daily
09/11/2006
The European Commission confirmed yesterday its report and strategy
document on Turkey. Contrary to Ankara’s fears no proposal of freezing
talks with Turkey because of the Cyprus issue cannot be found in them.
Instead, the European Commission demanded that Turkey opens its
airports and ports to Cypriot planes and ships otherwise it will adopt
additional document with suggestions of partial or total freezing of
the talks.
Hurriyet newspaper writes that president of the European Commission
Jose Manuel Barroso assured that despite discords over the Cyprus
issue, the EU will not freeze talks with Turkey. The paper also
informs that France suggested holding referendums in EU member states
on Turkey’s accession but “this immoral suggestion was turned down.”
The above documents demand that Turkey revises its article 301 of
its Penal Code, enlarges the rights of Armenian, Greek and Jewish
communities, improves the socio-economic condition of Kurdish
population in the south-eastern regions of the country and regulates
the relations between army and civil authorities in accordance with
the European standards.

SERGE SMESOV TO REPRESENT FRANCE IN ARMENIA FOR NEXT 4 YEARS
By Nan Petrosian
AZG Armenian Daily
09/11/2006
Newly appointed French ambassador to Armenia, Serge Smesov, handed
the copies of his credentials to Armenian foreign minister Vartan
Oskanian yesterday.
The new ambassador said that he is well familiar with the CIS
region. The minister wished good luck to Mr. Smesov in accomplishing
his mission.
Serge Smesov, 59, represented France in a few CIS countries and speaks
French, English, German, Russian, Spanish and Romanian.