MALTA: Deported Armenian journalist flies home via Malta

The Times of Malta, Malta
April 14 2006

Deported Armenian journalist flies home via Malta

TV reporter Gina Khachatryan was expected to board the flight from
Malta to Moscow early this morning en route to Yerevan, the Armenian
capital, unaware of her fate.

The Armenian journalist, who fled to the UK after allegedly
witnessing and exposing electoral fraud was deported yesterday, amid
a media frenzy calling for her protection.

Ms Khachatryan, who has been living with her family in Bury for three
years, claims her life will be in danger if sent back after blowing
the whistle on ballot-rigging.

Together with her husband and five-year-old daughter, Ms Khachatryan
was thrown out of the UK after their asylum appeal was rejected.

She says she will have to go into hiding on her return having
previously received death threats.

The Khachatryans arrived in Malta on board an Air Malta flight in the
afternoon but her nine-hour stay in Malta was kept under wraps.
Efforts to reach her were in vain.

Both the Home Affairs Ministry and the Refugee Commissioner told The
Times they could not do anything unless Ms Khachatryan applied for
asylum here.

In the meantime, the Journalists’ Committee called on the Maltese
government to seek the reassurances of the British government that Ms
Khachatryan will be free from any form of persecution and
intimidation by the Armenian authorities, and that the reason for the
removal of her asylum status is in full conformity with fundamental
human rights.

The committee also called on the government to seek the reassurance
of the British government that Ms Khachatryan has been granted the
right to contest her deportation, including access to the European
Court of Human Rights, as is the right of every refugee.

The Institute of Maltese Journalists yesterday called on the Justice
and Home Affairs Ministry to intervene in Ms Khachatryan’s case.

The institute also called on the British authorities to reverse their
decision not to extend Ms Khachatryan’s stay in the UK.

Neil Falzon, head of the UN Human Rights office in Malta, was in
touch with his foreign counterparts to try and find ways and means of
assisting her.

Though technically she has every right to apply for asylum, the EU’s
Dublin Convention means Malta need not reopen her case – especially
since her calls for refugee status were turned down in the UK. Her
only resort is to apply to the European Court of Human Rights, which
may call for the postponement of her deportation.

Sue Arnall, of the UK-based Castaways organisation, told The Times
the Armenian journalist was unable to fax her information to her
lawyer. This, Ms Arnall added, was crucial because the journalist did
in fact want to take the case to the Court of Human Rights.

Ms Arnall said Ms Khachatryan was very distressed before leaving the
UK.

"Gina was a very political journalist and because of her very high
profile she believes she will be imprisoned for escaping from
detention four years ago. She’s especially concerned about her young
daughter," Ms Arnall said. The 30-year-old journalist worked for the
public TV station Armenia 1, but had also supported the campaign of a
political candidate in local elections four years ago. While an
observer at a polling station, she and others spotted ballot boxes
being interfered with and alerted the police, according to British
media reports.

After purportedly being released from jail after 40 days in September
2003, she was warned by a lawyer that she faced charges likely to
lead to a lengthy prison term. Following a period in hiding, she fled
with her husband and daughter to the UK and asked for asylum. It was
reported that the Khachatryans actually spent a week or so in Malta
in 2003 before leaving for the UK.

British Home Office officials said the assessment by immigration
services and subsequent appeal hearings had deemed that the family
did not face sufficient risk. The family were moved from their home
in the early hours last Monday and taken to a detention centre in
Bedfordshire. Immigration officials would not allow The Times to
speak to Ms Khachatryan at Heathrow airport, yesterday morning.

.php?id=258171

http://www.timesofmalta.com/core/article

Contempt first step to hell

Toronto Star, Canada
April 14 2006

Contempt first step to hell

Bully mentality behind massacres, parenting guru says

Apr 14, 2007 04:30 AM
RON CSILLAG
special to the star

Barbara Coloroso’s latest book has a different look. There’s no warm,
fuzzy photo of the parenting guru, no shots of shiny, happy kids
ready to make their beds and eat their veggies.

Instead, the cover of Extraordinary Evil is jet-black austere,
anchored by a pile of skulls. Blood-red ink announces the jarring
subtitle: A Brief History of Genocide.

Coloroso, the U.S. author of bestsellers on nurturing and
non-violence, tackles the incongruous subject of 20th century
genocide and makes the claim, which may also cause a few double
takes, of a direct link between bullying and mass murder.

"It’s not a giant leap," Coloroso, a former Franciscan nun, says of
the progression from taunting to hacking a child to death. "It’s a
short walk. I wish this book had been called that, actually:
`Extraordinary Evil: A Short Walk to Genocide.’"

She’s hoping that change will be made for the U.S. edition. The book
will be launched next Saturday.

"It’s a short walk from being abusive on the playground – teaching
kids it’s okay to dehumanize another human being – to hate crime,
which, sad to say, is on the rise in both our countries, to
genocide," she says, speaking from her Littleton, Col.-based
educational consulting company, kids are worth it! (also the title of
probably her best-known book).

The other component is political, she says. Bullying turns into
genocide when there is unquestioning obedience to authority, when
cruelty becomes routine and when the targeted group is devalued. And
that has resulted in 60 million genocide deaths in the 20th century
alone.

Coloroso, who will speak Tuesday at Beth Tzedec Congregation, at 1700
Bathurst St., feels it’s important not to confuse bullying with
conflict.

"When you have the dehumanization of another human being, it’s not
about anger, not about conflict. This is about contempt for another
human being. The other person becomes an `it.’"

Coloroso discusses three genocides: the 1.4 million Armenians killed
in the Ottoman Empire between 1915 and 1918, the 6 million-plus Jews,
Roma and Sinti (Gypsies) murdered in the Nazi Holocaust, and the more
than 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus literally butchered in Rwanda
in just 100 days in April, 1994. It was a trip to Rwanda that led to
the book being written. Two years ago, Coloroso was invited to
lecture at the National University of Rwanda in Butare on her latest
release, The Bully, the Bullied and the Bystander. "It was such a
disconnect for me, that I would be speaking on the grounds where half
the staff had killed the other half, and half the students had killed
the other half."

The experience turned Coloroso inward.

She flew home and completely rewrote her next book, Just Because It’s
Not Wrong Doesn’t Make It Right, to reflect the horrors she’d
encountered in Rwanda. She was toasting the volume’s completion when
her publisher suggested she write a book on genocide. "I dropped my
glass," she recalls.

She had already touched on tough ethical and moral issues in all her
books but producing this volume was personally harrowing. "I actually
found myself emotionally shutting down during the time I wrote the
book. To be able to listen to people’s stories….I had to remind
myself: I’m only listening."

Coloroso’s main point is that all kinds of bullying and subsequent
brutality are learned behaviour.

"You have to be taught that somebody is less than you before you can
have contempt for them," she says. "But it can be caught as much as
it is taught. Children are hard-wired to manifest their aggression in
conflict. They are not hard-wired to have contempt for another other
human being."

It’s mainly up to teachers and parents to raise moral children, she
says.

"They have to create an environment for children to learn to care
deeply, share generously and help willingly. That is the key to
breaking this horrific cycle of violence."

And they have to be active against genocide. "We can’t afford to be
passive, inattentive, bored, alarmed or merely deeply saddened."

Put another way, "there are no innocent bystanders."

icle/202157

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

http://www.thestar.com/Life/art

Legislature recalls Armenian genocide

Burbank Leader, CA
April 14 2006

Legislature recalls Armenian genocide

Putting pressure on the United States Congress and president to
recognize the Armenian genocide, the California State Assembly voted
unanimously, 74-0, in favor of Assembly Joint Resolution 15, which
designates April 24 as California Day of Remembrance for the Armenian
Genocide of 1915-1923.

Assemblyman Paul Krekorian wrote the bill, which was co-authored by
state Sen. Jack Scott. Both represent Glendale and Burbank.
Assemblyman Anthony Portantino, whose district includes a portion of
Montrose, is also a co-author.

In addition to designated the day of remembrance, the bill pressures
Congress and the president "to formally recognize and reaffirm the
historical truth that the atrocities committed against the Armenian
people constituted genocide."

Globe trotting in Armenia

Taipei Times, Taiwan
April 14 2006

Globe trotting ?? Armenia

Famous for its hospitality, Armenia is a unique nation at the
crossroads of Europe and Asia. Some even speculate the Garden of Eden
was located here. Come take a closer look at Armenia.

A closer look 說?Ã`_?¡

Armenia is a land-locked country located in Eurasia’s Southern
Caucasus mountain range. The terrain is mountainous, summers are hot
and dry (reaching 36oC) and winters are snowy and as cold as -10oC.
The long autumns are marked by colorful foliage.

Armenia has been a center of civilization since antiquity, and people
have been living there and trading tools and metals since at least
6,000BC. The Armenian Empire was one of the strongest in the region
during it’s heyday around 50BC, but the country has also been invaded
and conquered by Greeks, Romans, the Ottoman Turks, Russia and
others.

Christianity is central to the country’s identity (over 93 percent
are church members). Armenia was the first nation to make
Christianity the state religion in 301, and legend holds that an
early Armenian leader, Hayk, was a great great grandson of Noah.

Ottoman Turkey ruled Armenia until the end of World War One, when the
victors drew new borders. Turkey rejected Armenian borders and fought
the Turkish-Armenian War in 1920, taking half of the territory. The
Soviet Union invaded what was left and Armenia did not regain
independence until 1991.

Since independence, Armenia has switched to a market economy and
seeks parliamentary style democracy, but elections are not yet
considered fair by international observers.

Favorite Armenian sports include soccer, chess, boxing and hockey.
The cuisine, influenced heavily by Russia and the Middle East,
features stews, breads, fish, grilled meat and pastries.

A LOOK AT CONTEXT
1. The foliage on the trees in autumn is bright orange, yellow, brown
and green though simply green in the summer.
Foliage means . . .
a. tree branches.
b. tree roots
c. plant or tree leaves.
d. tree trunks.

2. Since antiquity, Daoism has been a strong influence in China.
Antiquity means . . .
a. the modern era.
b. ancient times.
c. any time period.
d. a future era.

3. You cannot bring plants, wild animals or soil across the border
into another country.
A border is …
a. the line that divides two countries.
b. a line that cuts through a capital city.
c. something illegal to carry.
d. a kind of wild animal.

4. The government used to own all companies, but now we have a market
economy and the companies are privately owned.
A market economy is . . .
a. an economy where the government runs industry.
b. an industry which the government
takes taxes from.
c. a company with close a relationship
to the government.
d. an economy where private individuals
run industry.
ANSWERS: 1. c 2. b 3. a 4 . d

WHO KNEW 你’m`¹嗎
Armenian weddings have some unique practices. The process starts when
the man and his family visit the woman’s house to ask her father’s
permission to wed. If the father agrees, the man gives his future
bride a promise ring and her family begins planning for the
engagement party, which her family must organize and pay for. The two
families will then celebrate with a bottle of Armenian cognac. At the
engagement party, a priest prays with the couple and blesses them,
and the couple exchanges wedding rings that are worn on the right
hand. After about one year, the formal wedding takes place, where the
rings are switched to the left hand. Planning and paying for the
wedding is the groom’s responsibility, unlike traditions in most
European countries.

WHAT TIME ?»?Ý`ß – ¡?ôêy
The time in Armenia is currently three hours behind Taiwan. If it is
3:15pm in Taipei, it is 12:15pm in Yerevan.

ABOUT ARMENIA
Size: 29,800 km2; or about 80 percent of Taiwan’s size
Location: Eurasia
Border countries: Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Iran
Capital: Yerevan
Population: Around 3.2 million
Languages: Armenian
Government: Unitary republic
Currency: Armenian Drams; NT$1 = about 11 Armenian Drams

FLAG ? ?ø

The Armenian constitution says that the red sybolizes the Armenian
Highland, the peoples’ struggle for survival, maintaining the
Christian faith and Armenia’s independence and freedom. The blue
represents the will to live under peaceful skies. The orange
represents the talent and hard-working nature of the people.

ives/2007/04/14/2003356662

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/arch

Commemoration of 92nd ann. of Armenian Genocide to be held in Wisc.

DeFacto Agency, Armenia
April 14 2006

COMMEMORATION OF THE 92nd ANNIVERSARY OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE TO BE
HELD AT THE WISCONSIN STATE CAPITOL APRIL 24

On Tuesday, April 24, 2007, the Armenian National Committee of
Wisconsin, State Representatives Mark Honadel, Jeff Stone and Robin
Vos and State Senators Mary Lazich, John Lehman and Jeff Plale are
hosting a reception and program to commemorate the 92nd Anniversary
of the Armenian Genocide. This event will be held from 9:45 to 10:45
AM in the Assembly Parlor at the Wisconsin State Capitol, 2 E. Main
St, Madison, WI 53702. The program will feature remarks from
Representative Robin Vos, Senator John Lehman and Zohrab Khaligian,
representing the Armenian National Committee of Wisconsin.
The event hosted annually by the ANC of WI gives the Armenian
American community an opportunity to thank the members of the
Wisconsin State Assembly and State Senate for adopting Armenian
Genocide Resolution, which designates April 24 of each year as
"Wisconsin Day of Remembrance for the Armenian Genocide of 1915 to
1923" and to continue to educate and promote awareness of Armenia and
Armenian issues, particularly the Armenian Genocide.
The State Assembly had adopted Assembly Resolution 42 (AR 42) on May
2, 2000, while the State Senate adopted Senate Resolution 14 on March
7, 2002, thereby reaffirming the Armenian Genocide as a fact of
history. The Armenian National Committee of Wisconsin has organized a
commemorative event at the Wisconsin State Capitol every April (with
the exception of 2006), since the Assembly adopted AR 42.
In addition to the State Capitol event, a joint memorial service will
be held at 7:00 PM on Tuesday, April 24, at St. Mesrob Armenian
Church in Racine, 4605 Erie St, Racine, WI 53402. The memorial
service will include the participation of all four Armenian churches
in Wisconsin: St. Hagop and St. Mesrob in Racine, St. John the
Baptist in Greenfield and Holy Resurrection in South Milwaukee.
To note, the Armenian National Committee of Wisconsin is a part of
the largest and most influential Armenian American grassroots
political organization. Working in coordination with a network of
offices, chapters and supporters throughout the United States and
affiliated organizations around the world, the ANCA actively advances
the concerns of the Armenian American community on a broad range of issues.

Utahns Commemorate Holocaust Remembrance Day

KSL-TV, UT
April 14 2007

Utahns Commemorate Holocaust Remembrance Day

Today, several survivors of the Holocaust gathered with American and
Russian army liberators at the beginning of what are called "Days of
Remembrance".

Jews don’t have a monopoly of genocide. Someday, Americans may learn
why we never bombed the rail lines to NAZI death camps. I do know
America stopped accepting Jews escaping Nazi tyranny from entering
America. And American’s fear of a Jewish invasion after the war, lead
American to accepting the Balfour Declaration.

We should never forget. We have forgotten all but the Jews. We do
forget and we have chosen to forget that genocide goes on every day
in Darfur. We saved Iraq from a tyrannical murderous government. They
had oil. Darfur has none. The world turned their backs on the
genocide in Rwanda. This was when George was speaking out against
NATO stopping the genocide in Bosnia. Bush was against over extending
our military and becoming nation builders. That was a chance to bash
Clinton and lives don’t matter in Bush’s politics.

The Turkish government won’t admit to the Armenian genocide. We
aren’t going to push the issue because we need bases in Turkey. Few
Americans have read about the Artificial Famine in Ukraine. American
has the `trial of tears.’ Let’s not for get the Navaho. The largest
relocation of Navaho was at Black Mesa. Navaho beliefs clashed with
Peabody Coal and once more the Navaho lost thanks to a few Utah
lawyers and Hopi Mormons.

;sid=1101528& comments=true

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&amp

ANKARA: Most Turks to vote for Bayrou in France as landscape changes

Today’s Zaman, Turkey
April 14 2007

Most Turks to vote for Bayrou in France as political landscape
changes

The nearly 500,000 Turks living in France have a growing interest in
the country’s upcoming presidential elections. As opposed to their
past indifference to domestic political issues, Turks are now
unusually excited about the elections.

"Who are you going to vote for?" is the cliché question among them
these days. Affected by the growing anti-Turkey campaign in the
country, Turks became more aware of the issues surrounding them. The
Socialist Party, the Turks’ favorite in the last decade, is losing
its support base because of its insistence on the recognition of the
so-called Armenian genocide, and central-right candidate François
Bayrou is now the new favorite. Turkish associations are working hard
to encourage Turks to go to the polls. Even religious motives are
being used to ensure French Turks cast their votes. French Religious
Affairs Advisor Ömer Faruk Harman, in his address to the Turks who
participated in an event celebrating the birth of the Prophet
Mohammed, said those who do not vote will have committed a sin.

Recent public surveys indicate that immigrant voters prefer leftist
parties, which have proven traditionally to be more concerned about
the issues of immigrants. Turks have been no exception for a long
time. However, the Socialist Party’s (PS) emphasis on the Armenian
"genocide" and its apparent anti-Muslim stance have now distanced
Turks from the party.

Recalling that he previously considered voting for the Socialist
candidate Segolene Royal, statistical engineer Osman Yavuz, 26, says
he has recently changed his mind because of the PS attempt to draft a
bill that would penalize denial of the Armenian "genocide." In an
attempt to protest the Socialists, Yavuz will vote for the rising
star of the central right, François Bayrou, who is known for his
opposition to the bill. Yavuz has never considered voting for
Sarkozy, who he describes as an "authoritarian, manipulative liar and
dangerous man."

Seventy-five percent of the more than 50 Turks we surveyed about
their vote in the upcoming elections note that while they are
traditionally supporters of leftist parties, this time they will vote
for Bayrou. Member of the Goussainville City Council Sevgi Karaman
from the PS, confirming that Turks were "running away" from the
party, notes that the Armenian genocide issue in particular bothers
Turkish voters. Karaman asserts that despite the presence of
different opinions within the party vis-à-vis the Armenian issue, the
party administration is acting under pressure from the Armenian
diaspora in France. Karaman also contends that the party’s
indifference to immigrant issues, as reflected in its reluctance and
inability to develop effective policies to address them, is another
reason that is driving Turks away.

Ümit Metin from the Turkish Citizens Assembly (ACORT), a
nongovernmental organization dedicated to the promotion of political
participation among Turkish-French, noting that not only Turks but
also the French have shown interest in Bayrou, attributes the rise of
the conservative candidate to the reactionary electorate who want to
punish Sarkozy. Assuming that Sarkozy will become president if
Sarkozy and Royal qualify for the second round, they simply want to
block Sarkozy by voting for Bayrou. Metin notes that despite some of
its unpleasant policy plans, Turks should still support the PS.

It has been observed that the discussions in France on Turkey’s EU
membership have led the Turks to become more concerned and aware of
the issues; however, their participation in the political process is
still in its infancy. Estimates suggest that about 100,000 out of
500,000 Turks in France have dual citizenship. Hamit Bulut, chairman
of the Western Associations Union, an umbrella organization of 10
associations in western France, notes that they are waging campaigns
to encourage Turks to exercise their democratic rights. Noting that
there are 14,000 Turks with the right to cast a vote in their
district, Bulut recalls only 5,000 have registered as voters. But
this is actually a pretty amazing figure, especially considering that
it was about 800 in the past.

In reference to the growing political awareness among the Turks in
France, the chairman of Strasbourg-based Hybrid Culture Youth Council
(COJEP), Ali Gedikoðlu asserts that Turkish politicians will be
effective in France’s domestic political landscape in the years
ahead.

Turkey’s Ambassador to France Osman Korutürk, speaking at the
gathering marking the birth of the Prophet Mohammed, described
political participation by the Turks as the best way to contribute to
Turkey and the country in which they are living.

14.04.2007

ALÝ ÝHSAN AYDIN PARIS

ANKARA: Platform brings together intellectuals from France & Turkey

Today’s Zaman, Turkey
April 14 2007

Abant Platform brings together intellectuals from France and Turkey

The second `Turkey-France Conversations,’ the first of which was held
in Paris in 2006, organized by the Abant Platform, began yesterday at
the Ýstanbul Hilton.

A large number of academics, journalists and representatives of
nongovernmental organizations from both countries were in attendance
on the first day of the meeting, titled `Perceptions and Realities.’
During the two days of meetings, participants are discussing
important issues, from concepts to the media, from economics to
identity problems, from education to secularism and from politics to
history. Participants will deliver their papers in sessions titled
`Education and Culture,’ `Religion and Secularization,’ `Republic,
Secularism and Democracy’ and `Society and Identity Problem:
Openings, Closings and Media"

The opening speeches of the meeting were delivered by Professor
Niyazi Öktem, a member of the administrative board of the Abant
Platform, Professor Mete Tunçay and Jean-Louis Schlegel, editor in
chief of the French magazine Esprit. During the first panel
discussion titled, `History, Yesterday and Today: Rights and Wrongs,’
Galatasaray University’s Kenan Gürsoy, Professor Jean Pierre Azema
from the School of Political Sciences in Paris, Le Monde Editor in
Chief Sophie Gherardi, journalist-author Orhan Koloðlu and Professor
Zafer Toprak from Boðaziçi University addressed the audience.

Professor Azema said that both parties had to reveal everything in
the archives to be able to overcome the crisis over the alleged
Armenian genocide by the Ottoman state, a claim that caused tension
between Turkey and France. `People should get together to carry out
detailed studies on the subject. Lists should be made based on
documents and archives. And countries should contribute to the mutual
studies,’ Azema noted.

Le Monde’s Gherardi talked about the viewpoint on Turkey held by the
newspapers in France by giving examples from her own newspaper.
`Turkey is an interesting country. It has been of interest to France
for a long time. Le Monde has closely followed the political
instabilities, problems, elections, military coups and the course of
the Kurdish problem in Turkey in detail. Modern Turkey is in fact not
being subjected to unfair treatment,’ Gherardi noted.

Gherardi stressed that the Turkish economy was regularly covered by
Le Monde. `There is a certain amount of enthusiasm for Turkey. People
sympathize with this rapidly developing economy. We even envy Turkey.
France has been living under a weak economic regime for 15 years,’
she said.

She further noted that there were now positive articles published by
French newspapers, particularly by Le Monde, on Turkey’s EU
membership process, and added: `The sympathy for Turkey is very
visible in the columns. The comments made on Turkey’s EU process
almost always recall the promises made and not kept by the EU. Such
columns confess that the EU did not remain loyal to its commitments,
[acting] in a hypocritical way. Le Monde too, supports Turkey’s full
membership. A Turkey close to France is being looked at with deep
sympathy.’ In addition she recalled that there were also some news
reports and columns in which French journalists gave Turkey advice.
`They tell Turkey what to do: `If you want to join the EU and elevate
[yourselves] to the level of the democratic nations, of whom we are
the representative, do this and that’,’ the editor in chief of Le
Monde said.

Profesor Öktem, a member of the board of the Abant Platform, said the
meeting was meant to foster relations between France and Turkey. He
said important people from both nations had attended the meeting, put
on with support from the French Embassy. `Turkish-French relations
date back 500 years ago. Our goal is to take the relations out of the
current context spoiled by sentimental approaches and reveal what the
real importance of the ties between the two countries is.’

14.04.2007

Today’s Zaman Ýstanbul

BAKU: Azeri war planes in training flights over Armenian-controlled

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
April 13 2007

AZERI WAR PLANES IN TRAINING FLIGHTS OVER ARMENIAN-CONTROLLED AREAS

13 April: Several war planes of the Azerbaijani air forces carried
out flights over the front line in Agdam District at about 1530 Baku
time [1030 gmt]. According to APA’s Karabakh bureau, the planes made
manoeuvres over Armenian-controlled territories. The flights were
also observed by residents of front line villages.

During the flights, the positions of the Azerbaijani army near the
village of Bas Qarvand in Agdam came under fire from the Armenian
armed forces. The shooting lasted 15 minutes. The Defence Ministry
told APA that the war planes carried out training flights.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Foreign ministers to discuss Karabakh settlement on Apr 18

ITAR-TASS News Agency, Russia
April 13, 2007 Friday 02:29 PM EST

Foreign ministers to discuss Karabakh settlement on Apr 18

Foreign Ministers Vartan Oskanian and Elmar Mamedyarov will meet in
Belgrade on April 18 to discuss the Karabakh settlement, a source at
the Armenian Foreign Ministry’s press and information department told
Itar-Tass on Friday.

The Russian, French and U.S. cochairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group and
an envoy of the OSCE chairman-in-office will attend the meeting.

Armenia stands for the soonest peaceful settlement of the Karabakh
problem and the prevention of similar collisions and displacement of
people in the future, Armenian Prime Minister Serzh Sargsian said on
Friday. In his opinion, “the Karabakh conflict cannot be resolved by
force.”

“The question of Azerbaijani refugees requires a very careful and
comprehensive analysis and can be resolved only in case of a positive
outcome of the settlement negotiations. That must be done to prevent
new clashes in the return of refugees,” he said at a meeting with UN
Envoy on Human Rights of Internally Displaced Persons Walter Kalin.

Meanwhile, President Ilham Aliyev told the national government on
Friday that Azerbaijan will never grant independence to Karabakh.

“Karabakh will never join Armenia either,” he added.

The Armenian people already have their state – Armenia, Aliyev said.
“If anyone in Karabakh wants self-determination, they can move to
Armenia,” he said.

Aliyev disagreed with claims of the alleged plans to keep off Armenia
from regional projects. Armenia has isolated itself with claims to
neighbors and became “an economic and transport dead-end,” he said.

“If the Armenian administration offers a constructive attitude, the
Karabakh problem can be resolved,” Aliyev said.

He reaffirmed his “clear and invariable position: the territorial
integrity of Azerbaijan must be restored; the occupied lands must be
freed unconditionally; and refugees must return home.”