Month: November 2006

AZERBAIJANI DELEGATION INTRODUCES AMENDMENTS INTO NATO PA REPORT ON SITUATION IN SOUTH CAUCASUS
Regnum, Russia
Nov 22 2006
“The report on the situation in South Caucasus was changed three
times during the 52nd session of NATO Parliamentary Assembly (PA)
carried out in Quebec (Canada),” Azerbaijani Parliament’s Deputy
Speaker, head of the Azeri delegation at NATO PA Ziyafet Askerov is
quoted by Azeri Press Agency as saying. He stressed that “issue of
Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity was the most important one for us
in the report on South Caucasus prepared by UK deputy Frank Cook.”
“The issue was mentioned superficially in the first draft report. We
made our proposals in that connection. We made our proposals concerning
the report’s second variant, too. As for the third variant, it
satisfied us comparing with previous ones,” he stressed.
According to Askerov, problems connected with the Azerbaijani economy,
presence of more than 1mln of refugees and IDPs, deportation of 200,000
Azerbaijanis from Armenia, construction of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan
oil pipeline, Baku-Tbilisi-Erzerum and Baku-Tbilisi-Akhalkalaki-Kars
railway were present in the report.
According to Askerov, “Armenians protested against giving certain
number of refugees and IDPs, as well as dimensions of the occupied
Azerbaijani territories.” “We provided in advance all official
representatives of NATO PA with decisions concerning recognition
of Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity adopted by international
organizations. We demonstrated to NATO PA documents proving arrival of
Armenians in Nagorno Karabakh 150 years ago, as well as a photograph of
a monument erected by them on the occasion. I believe it exerted big
impact. If the separate issue of Azerbaijan is discussed in future,
we will achieve adoption of a special NATO PA resolution,” the Azeri
first deputy speaker stressed.
According to him, instability of the situation in Abkhazia, South
Ossetia, Transdnestr, and Nagorno Karabakh was reflected in 13th
clause of report of NATO PA Committee on Security Civil Control on
cooperation with countries of the Black Sea basin.

8TH PRESENTATION OF PARTNER ENTERPRISES OF PEACE CORPS TO BE HELD IN YEREVAN TODAY
AZG Armenian Daily
22/11/2006
The eighth annual presentation of partner organizations of the Peace
Corps in Armenia is slated on November 22. According to the USA Embassy
to Armenia, the volunteers of the Peace Corps and their Armenian
colleagues will meet during the event with the representatives of
over 80 local and international enterprises, which contribute to the
process of Armenia’s development. The charge d’affaires of the USA
Embassy to Armenia, Anthony Godfrey, will hold a welcoming speech at
the presentation.

TRAIAN BASESCU: MOSCOW’S SUPPORT IN SETTLEMENT OF FROZEN CONFLICTS NOT FELT
PanARMENIAN.Net
21.11.2006 16:38 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Romanian President Traian Basescu bewares of the use
of Kosovo experience in the Post Soviet space. He said that Russia
gives little support to the resolution of frozen conflicts. He said
that despite Transdniestria is a part of Moldova, Russia’s warm
attitude towards the Igor Smirnov regime is felt.
“Although world powers have been involved in the settlement of the CIS
frozen conflicts over the last 10 years, none of them was settled,”
Traian Basescu said. Romanian President thinks that in order to
achieve positive results the conflicts should not be discriminated;
a unique method of approaching should be applied. “Each conflict is
approached differently.
I think it’s wrong. It also concerns the Kosovo region,” he said. The
President considers that the recognition of Kosovo’s independence
can be precedent for the resolution of other frozen conflicts. “If
the reason for the recognition of Kosovo’s independence is that 84%
of its population consists of Albans, this precedent can be applied
to Transdniestria and other conflict regions,” he said. Romanian
President said that the extent of autonomy, the preservation of culture
and traditions of national minorities but not “the establishment of
new states” can be discussed in the process of settlement of frozen
conflicts, reports APA.

VYMPELCOM GOING TO INTRODUCE BEELINE TRADEMARK IN ARMENIA?
PanARMENIAN.Net
21.11.2006 17:31 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ VympelCom/Beeline elaborates further moves on
ArmenTel’s public switched telephone network it has obtained recently,
VympelCom Vice-president Nikolay Pryanishnikov told a news conference
today. He also informed that VympelCom intends to re-brand the
cellular communication sector and introduce its Beeline trademark. As
for ArmenTel’s PSTN, the existing trademark will be maintained as a
‘national brand’. VympelCom has not decided yet whether to resell
ArmenTel’s PSTN or develop it by own strength.
When commenting on the other markets attractive for VympelCom
Pryanishnikov mentioned Azerbaijan, Moldova and Georgia, reports
PRIME-TASS.

PACE OFFERS TO CREATE EU MODEL IN SOUTH CAUCASUS
PanARMENIAN.Net
21.11.2006 15:45 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Presently the chances of the South Caucasian
states to join the EU are vague, Armenian National Assembly Speaker
Tigran Torosian told reporters November 21. In his words, the Pact
on Stability in South Caucasus issued by the PACE Standing Committee
confirms this fact and offers to create an EU model in the South
Caucasus. Torosian also remarked that the creation of such a model
proves that the European structures exact the basic principles the
states of the region should follow on the way of European integration.
When asked whether the resolution urges the states to refrain from
military calls Torosian said that the issues had been already mentioned
in the PACE resolutions. “I do not think that it’s correct to transfer
demands from one resolution to another. The most important thing is
the consistency of the European structures towards the commitments
fulfilled by the state,” Torosian said. He underscored that the
resolution supports the idea of regional cooperation and European
integration of the states of the region.
The Speaker also informed that Azerbaijan rejected the idea while
Georgia supported it with some amendments, reports IA Regnum.

SWEDISH MFA: RECOGNITION OF KOSOVO INDEPENDENCE NOT TO BECOME PRECEDENT FOR OTHER CONFLICTS
PanARMENIAN.Net
21.11.2006 16:17 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ “I do not think that the recognition of Kosovo’s
independence by the international community can be rated as precedent
for the other conflicts, Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt stated.
In his words, such cases should be approached delicately. “The
situation in Balkans demands carefulness. All engaged in the regional
issues should keep in mind the great difference in positions and
jointly with the other states and UN Security members exert efforts
to bring the positions closer,” he remarked.
When touching upon the frozen conflicts Mr Bildt said that ‘territorial
integrity of states is very important but the problems should be
resolved via dialogue.’ “Burst of violence in Abkhazia, South Ossetia,
Nagorno Karabakh and Transdnistria will be in no one’s interests. I
think it’s in Russia’s interests to treat the situation in the region
with great cautiousness and respect towards international principles,”
he underscored, reports the BBC Russian branch.

TURKEY DOESN’T WANT TO YIELD TO EU IN CYPRIOT ISSUE
PanARMENIAN.Net
21.11.2006 17:40 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan
warned the European Union that his state will not make concessions
in the Cypriot issue. “We cannot take asymmetric moves on the issues
inadmissible for us,” he said. Earlier Erdogan reiterated that Turkey
will open her ports for Cyprus only after the lifting of international
isolation of the Northern Cyprus.
“A problem like the Cypriot one cannot be resolved via blackmail or
setting terms for its resolution,” Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah
Gul told NTV. The Turkish government stated that the Cypriot issue is
a political problem and its resolution is not a condition of the EU
negotiation process that bears a technical nature, reports RIA Novosti.

OSKANIAN AND OSCE MG DISCUSSED POSSIBILITY OF KOCHARIAN-ALIYEV MEETING IN MINSK
PanARMENIAN.Net
21.11.2006 17:47 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ November 21 Yuri Merzlyakov and Bernard Fassier,
the Co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group on the Nagorno Karabakh conflict
settlement met with Armenian Foreign Minister to proceed with the
discussion of the principles of the Karabakh settlement launched in
Brussels November 14. The parties also discussed the possibility of
the meeting of the Armenian and Azerbaijani Presidents November 28-29
within the CIS summit in Minsk. In the afternoon the mediators were
received by Armenian President Robert Kocharian, reported the RA MFA
press office.

ARMENIA READY TO ACTIVATE POLITICAL DIALOGUE WITH SERBIA
PanARMENIAN.Net
21.11.2006 18:03 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Today newly appointed Serbia’s Ambassador to
Armenia Liliana Bacevic (residence in Athens) handed credentials to
RA President Robert Kocharian, reports the RA leader’s press office.
During the meeting President Kocharian said Armenia is ready
to activate political dialogue and develop economic ties with
Serbia. Remarking that Serbia has passed through serious trials the
RA President said that the two states have much in common and this
can become a good basis for further cooperation. The interlocutors
also pointed out to the importance of frequent contacts between the
two republics.

BAKU AFRAID OF CHANGES ON FRENCH POLITICAL ARENA
PanARMENIAN.Net
21.11.2006 18:35 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Segolène Royal’s ascent can deal a painful blow
to France’s interests in the South Caucasus. The matter is that Ms
Royal was one of the initiators and authors of the bill penalizing
the Armenian Genocide denial adopted by the French National Assembly
October 12, 2006, reports Echo Baku-based newspaper.
The author of the article reminds that ‘France has already paid a high
price for this decision’. After accusing France of restricting the
liberty of conscience Turkey proceeded to consistent curtailment of
cooperation with France in many sectors, including the military one. In
2001 with the adoption of the law recognizing the Armenian Genocide
France deprived itself of contracts on delivery of tanks, rockets and
other military equipment. The history repeats,” the article says. Baku
also thinks that since 2001 the French right-wing and left-wing forces
have demonstrated unity as regards the Armenian-Turkish issues.
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