Month: April 2007

RUSSIA FAVORS SOONEST KARABAKH SETTLEMENT – LAVROV

ITAR-TASS News Agency, Russia
April 3, 2007 Tuesday

The Karabakh conflict is unique, as the interests of the United
States, Russia and the European Union in Karabakh do not contradict
one another, as well as the interests of the conflicting sides,
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said after negotiations with
his Armenian counterpart Vartan Oskanian.

"The OSCE Minsk Group has drafted an action plan, which makes it
possible to settle the conflict, yet the final say belongs to the
administrations of Armenia and Azerbaijan," he said.

"We value high the settlement efforts of the sides, and Russia is
ready to guarantee the fulfillment of agreements," Lavrov said. "We
want a quick solution of the conflict, and hope that an agreement
concerning Karabakh will be reached in the near future."

In the words of Oskanian, the next meeting of the Armenian and
Azerbaijani foreign ministers on the Karabakh issue will take place
in late April or early May. The ministers will prepare a meeting of
the Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents.

"The principles suggested by the Minsk Group cochairmen create a
broad framework for cooperation, but there is no consensus," Oskanian
said. He thinks that the Karabakh settlement may be achieved on
these guidelines.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIAN FOREIGN MINISTER PRAISES RUSSIA’S INVOLVEMENT IN KARABAKH CONFLICT SETTLEMENT

Panorama.am
18:25 03/04/2007

Russia plays a great and constructive role in Karabakh conflict
settlement, Vardan Oskanyan, Armenian foreign minister, told a joint
news conference with Sergey Lavrov, foreign minister of Russian
Federation. In his words, the Armenian side gives high credits to
Russia’s readiness to act as a guarantor.

Speaking about the meeting with his Russian counterpart, Oskanyan said
they have discussed issues of bilateral relations. The two discussed
also regional cooperation issues. Lavrov detailed Russia’s disposition
on Kosovo, Iran, OSCE and reforms in NIS.

Lavrov urged Armenia to step up its involvement in EurAsEs.

TURKISH MILITARY PREPARING AZERBAIJAN FOR NATO

Today.Az
03 April 2007 [15:02]

The Turkish military will continue to give assistance to Azerbaijan’s
military. In order to endorse Azerbaijan’s efforts for NATO membership,
the two countries will establish a joint commission.

Having been in territorial conflict with its neighbor Armenia over
Nagorno Karabakh since 1993, Azerbaijan’s military is preparing for
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) membership by 2015 with the
help of its traditional ally and NATO member Turkey. The Turkish Armed
Forces (TSK) and the Azerbaijan Armed Forces (ASK) have intensified
their co-operation in the last months with high-level visits and
another delegation from the Office of the Chief of General Staff will
pay a visit to Baku in April.

The Turkish delegation will meet with their counterparts in late
April, the Turkish Daily News has learned. Azerbaijan is asking
the Turkish military to give it more assistance on meeting NATO’s
standards for military training, know-how and usage of technology in
military operations.

After the visit, the two militaries are expected to establish a joint
commission to co-ordinate the ASK’s preparations for NATO membership.

With strong cultural ties to Azerbaijan, Turkey will continue to
hasten the reform process. Turkey is also planning to help Azerbaijan
establish an army company that meets NATO standards, Gen. Ergin Saygun,
deputy chief of the Turkish General Staff, announced during his visit
to Baku in February.

Baku decided to increase the number of Azerbaijan’s troops serving
with NATO in Afghanistan in March. In 2005, Azerbaijan had 22 troops
in Afghanistan, according to NATO figures.

Azerbaijan’s participation in NATO’s Individual Partnership Action
Plan (IPAP), a set of requirements that must be met by alliance
candidate-members, is scheduled to end in 2007. Azerbaijan aims
to continue the IPAP program for the next two-years. President of
Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev views NATO integration as a top foreign policy
priority for Azerbaijan, and a new strategic doctrine is expected to
be adopted by the Azerbaijan Parliament by mid-2007.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PRESIDENT KOCHARYAN RECEIVED RUSSIAN FM SERGEY LAVROV

ArmRadio.am
04.04.2007 13:06

President Robert Kocharyan today received the Foreign Minister of
Russia Sergey Lavrov. The parties highly appreciated the current
level of cooperation in all directions and noted that it provides
new opportunities for expansion of partnership.

Issues related to the development of Armenian-Russian relations were
discussed. In particular, reference was made to the perspectives of
implementation of joint economic programs, which can have not only
bilateral and regional scope.

RUSSIA PLAYS IMPORTANT ROLE IN KARABAKH CONFLICT SETTLEMENT-FM

ITAR-TASS News Agency, Russia
April 3, 2007 Tuesday

Russia plays a very important and constructive role in settlement of
the Karabakh conflict, Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian said
at a joint conference with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov
on Tuesday.

"We highly value the role and the stance of Russia that not only will
support accords of the sides, but is ready to act as a guarantor of
bilateral accords," he said.

Lavrov’s visit to Armenia coincided with the 15th anniversary of
diplomatic relations between the two countries, Oskanian said.

"His personal assessment of the road that we have gone is very high,"
he said.

"Over 15 years we have been cooperating very successfully in quite
new conditions – in a capacity of independent states. At present,
the agenda of the Russian-Armenian relations is very voluminous:
our countries cooperate in all spheres in a spirit of understanding
and partnership," Oskanian said.

He said that he had "discussed with the Russian colleague a wide
spectrum of the bilateral relations and a prospect for settlement of
the Karabakh conflict".

"Lavrov has informed about Russia’s stance on a number of international
problems, in particular in connection with Kosovo, Iran, reform of
the CIS and OSCE," Oskanian said.

AZERBAIJAN VALUES RUSSIA’S MEDIATION EFFORTS

ArmRadio.am
04.04.2007 13:20

"We agree with Russia that without rule of law in international
relations we are destined to the endless and useless discussion of
resolution of regional conflicts, and consider that with all its
significance the right for self-determination should not be commented
as promotion of any activity violating the territorial integrity
of sovereign and independent states," Azerbaijani Foreign Minister
Elmar Mammaryarov wrote in an article printed in today’s issue of
"Rossiyskaya Gazeta" on the occasion of the 15th anniversary of
establishment of diplomatic relations between Russia and Azerbaijan.

"Azerbaijan highly assesses the role Russia plays in the settlement of
the Karabakh conflict as an OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair country. Russia’s
mediation efforts are an essential element in the development of
progress in the negotiation process between Baku and Yerevan for the
accomplishment of the four UN Security Council resolutions, decisions
of the OSCE and other international organizations, which should lead
to the liberation of the occupied territories, return of refugees
to native lands and provision of a high-level autonomy to Nagorno
Karabakh within Azerbaijan," the Azerbaijani Foreign Minister wrote.

HATERK PEOPLE HAVE EXPECTATIONS TRGHE RIVER PROJECT

KarabakhOpen
04-04-2007 10:20:00

Every year the people of Haterk sow less grain. "The year before the
last we sowed 320 ha, last year 169 and this year only 130. Agriculture
develops slowly, extensively due to the shortage of machines, as well
as drought," said the mayor of the village Kolya Iskandaryan in an
interview with the KarabakhOpen. Only 1 thousand ha of 60 thousand
ha of land is irrigated in Karabakh. It means, only 5 percent of
agricultural land is used effectively, said Prime Minister Anushavan
Danielyan in an interview with the Azat Artsakh.

He also said the government has worked out a special program of
enlargement of the irrigation network. The personnel working on this
program say the water resources will allow accumulating 95 million
cu m water (excluding the reservoir of Sarsang) and irrigate about
21 ha of land.

The prime minister said the project of changing the direction of the
river Trghe into the reservoir of Sarsang is underway. The Base Metals
Company is going to build three mini water plants near the reservoir,
which will allow producing an additional 44 million kWh of power.

The people of Haterk are optimistic about this project. They say
800-900 ha of 1600 ha which will be irrigated after the project
finishes belong to this community.

According to the prime minister, it is foreseen to enlarge the
irrigation network and irrigate up to 8000 ha of land by 2010. This
year 2 million drams has been allocated for the irrigation program.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

RUSSIA URGES SPEEDY SETTLEMENT OF NAGORNO KARABAKH CONFLICT – FM

ITAR-TASS News Agency, Russia
April 3, 2007 Tuesday

The Nagorno Karabakh conflict "bids for unique status as in practice
the interests of the U.S., Russia and the EU do not contradict each
other as well as the interests of the conflicting parties," Russian
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said after talks with his Armenian
counterpart Vartan Oskanian on Tuesday.

"The Minsk Group drafted a concrete project that allows to untie the
knot, but the Armenian and Azerbaijani authorities will have a final
say," he said.

"We highly assess the parties’ efforts towards the conflict
settlement. We want speedy settlement of the conflict and hope that
Nagorno Karabakh will be able to come to agreement in the near future,"
Lavrov said.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

AZAT HAYRENIK PARTY WILL SUPPORT COMMON CANDIDATE

KarabakhOpen
04-04-2007 10:20:47

Member of Parliament Gagik Petrosyan, Azat Hayrenik Party, commented
on the position of the party in the upcoming presidential election.

"In summer 2006 our political party stated that it will take part in
the presidential election in 2007. On March 3 the party leadership
held a meeting and decided not to name a candidate (since the
majority thinks the political forces have an opportunity to support
one candidate) and instructed the presidium to prepare a decision
on the upcoming election for the conference of the party, which will
take place later this month.

Besides, the presidium of the party decided before releasing our
decision to consult other political parties to present our approach
and ideas. We have already consulted the leaders of the Democrats,
the ARF Dashnaktsutyun, the Moral Revival Party. Consultations are
underway," Gagik Petrosyan said.

NEW ASSESSMENT SYSTEM WAS TRIED OUT IN KARABAKH
Svetlana Khachatryan

Azat Artsakh Daily, Republic of Nagorno Karabakh [NKR]
04 April 07

On March 17 the first experimental exam in Armenian language and
literature with new grading system was held in two modes, final and
general. The final exam was held in 25 schools, and the general state
exam was held in Stepanakert. 492 took the exam, including 147 the
general state exam. The papers were sent to the knowledge assessment
and testing center in Armenia. The results came in two weeks, which
were presented by the minister of education, culture and sport Kamo
Atayan. The maximum score of the general state exam is 75 points, and
that of the final exam is 50. The best score in the final exam was
47 points (1 student) and the best score in the general state exam
was 68 points (1 student). The lowest score in the final exam was 3
(1 student), and the lowest score of the general state exam was 18
(1 student). The minister said 55 students who took the final exam
scored 0-15, four students who took the general state exam scored
0-25. It means 59 out of 492 students got an unsatisfactory mark and
may not get a certificate. On the other hand, the polls among teachers
and students suggest that they accept the new assessment system,
which reassures that until the exam on June 1 the number of students
at risk may go down in case of consistent work and analysis of the
results. The minister instructed to continue the exam at schools for
every student to take the test.