Month: September 2008

REMARKS BY VICE PRESIDENT CHENEY AND PRESIDENT ALIYEV OF THE REPUBLIC OF AZERBAIJAN AFTER MEETING

MarketWatch
Sept 3 2008

PRESIDENT ALIYEV: Dear Mr. Vice President, I’m very glad to see you
again, and welcome to Azerbaijan. We pay very big importance to your
visit, and today we’ve had the good opportunity to exchange views on
our bilaterals on our relations, issues, on regional development. And
once again, the successful development of our relations continues
and empowers many more areas.

Our relations really have a long history, and they started mainly with
energy issues, and those were projects which were implemented in our
region, initiated by Azerbaijan with the strong support from the United
States — and so are implemented. It’s a real success story. And we
are working now on the further development of energy partnership and
diversification of energy supplies, which is important not only for
consumers but also for producers like Azerbaijan’s.

And after that, relations between our countries started to develop also
in different areas. Now, they cover a very broad orbit of cooperation:
political relations developed successfully, are very strong; economic
ties; relations in security issues, in defense issues; relations in
peacekeeping operations in Nagorno. Of course, issues of settlement
of Armenia and Azerbaijan in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict are very
important for us, and the United States as — along with the Co-Chairs
of the Minsk Group plays a very important role in helping both sides
to find a solution to the conflict. But, of course, solution must be
based on international laws, as every other conflict, with respect
to the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan and to the territorial
integrity of all the countries in the region and in the world.

Of course, regional development here was discussed, and Azerbaijan
initiated many projects which have a broad regional dimension, and
maybe importance even beyond the regional scale. And here also,
relations between the United States and Azerbaijan play a very
important — I should say, decisive — role in implementing of all
these projects.

So far we’ve been very successful, and worked with plans we
implemented, and I’m sure that a strong partnership between the United
States and Azerbaijan and other countries in the region will lead to
more successes in the future, will lead to a strengthening of security
measures, peace, stability, and prosperity for all of us.

VICE PRESIDENT CHENEY: Well, thank you very much, Mr. President, and
it is a pleasure to see you again. And we remember very fondly your
visit to the States two years ago. Of course, we met some years in
the past when we were both in the energy business. It’s a pleasure
to be here and to take up a longstanding invitation to visit. This
is a trip that was planned some time ago. I want to thank you for the
hospitality you’ve shown me, and my wife, and our delegation. And I’m
honored, as well, to bring good wishes to the people of Azerbaijan
from President Bush and the people of the United States.

The U.S. and Azerbaijan have many interests in common. We both seek
greater stability, security and cooperation in the vital region of
the world. We share the goal of energy security for ourselves and
for the international community. And we are both devoted to the
cause of peace. One of the basic foundations of security and peace
is respect for national borders — a principle that is endangered
today. Mr. President, although we decided on this visit months ago,
we met this evening in the shadow of the recent Russian invasion of
Georgia — an act that has been clearly condemned by the international
community. President Bush has sent me here with a clear and simple
message to the people of Azerbaijan and the entire region: The
United States has deep and abiding interests in your well being
and security. For almost two decades, we have stood by you to help
your people build and consolidate their independence, sovereignty
and integration as valued, respected members of the international
community. Today, we reaffirm that commitment, and our determination
to strengthen relations between our countries — not just today,
but for the long term.

America strongly supports the sovereignty and territorial integrity
of Azerbaijan. We are committed to achieving a negotiated solution
to the Nagorno–Karabakh conflict — a solution that starts with
the principle of territorial integrity, and takes into account other
international principles. Achieving a solution is more important now
than ever before; that outcome will enhance peace and stability in
the region, and Azerbaijan’s security, as well.

America also appreciates Azerbaijan’s commitment to working with
Western countries on energy issues. All peoples are best served when
market principles are allowed to work; when there is transparency of
information; when energy export routes are diverse and reliable. The
United States strongly believes that, together with the nations of
Europe, including Turkey, we must work with Azerbaijan and other
countries in the Caucasus and Central Asia on additional routes for
energy exports that ensure the free flow of resources. Energy security
is essential to us all, and the matter is becoming increasingly urgent.

Finally, Mr. President, I want to express my country’s appreciation
for the brave contributions that Azerbaijan is making to the
fight against the global terrorism problem. Our forces have worked
together in Afghanistan and Iraq. We cooperated to foil plots by
violent extremists. Our countries are united in recognizing the
threat posed to Azerbaijan and the world by the proliferation of
nuclear weapons to dangerous regimes. America deeply appreciates
Azerbaijan’s contributions to the cause of peace and security, both
in this volatile region and internationally. And we support the people
of Azerbaijan in their efforts, often in the face of great challenges,
to strengthen democracy, the rule of law, and respect for human rights,
and to build a prosperous, modern, independent country that can serve
as a pillar of moderation and stability in this critical part of the
world. Thank you very much.

TURKISH FOREIGN MINISTRY ENVOY BRINGS ABDULLAH GUL’S LETTER TO YEREVAN

Regnum
Sept 3 2008
Russia

A meeting of Armenian Foreign Minister Edvard Nalbandian and Deputy
Undersecretary of Turkish Foreign Ministry Unal Cevikoz was held in
Yerevan September, 3.

REGNUM reports referring to sources in Armenian government that,
besides the subject of proposed visit of Turkey’s President Abdullah
Gul to Armenia, the sides also discussed the Turkey’s initiative
to create a new regional security platform in the format of the
"Caucasian Five" — Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Russia, and Turkey.

Cevikoz has not so far commented to journalists the outcome of
negotiations with FM of Armenia, reporting he intended to hand a
letter from Abdullah Gul to the Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan,
responding invitation to visit Yerevan. Earlier, Sargsyan had invited
his Turkish counterpart to a football match between Armenian and
Turkish national teams during a World Cup 2010 qualification.

RUSSIA MAY GET SUPPORT AFTER ALL

Kommersant

Sept 3 2008
Russia

Russia expects the Collective Security Treaty Organization to form a
common position on the events in South Ossetia in time for its summit
in Moscow, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev announced yesterday at a
meeting in Sochi with Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan. Sargsyan is
among the CSTO leaders whom Russia is making efforts to sway before
they meet in the Russian capital on Friday. The foreign ministers of
the CTSO countries meet tomorrow.

"A significant number of our partners are ready to support the
peaceful steps of the Russian side," a Russian diplomatic source
said, "but we would like harsher condemnation of Georgia. So far,
it is reminiscent of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization option,
where they supported us in words, but supported the priority of
territorial integrity in the final declaration."

Moscow is pressing for the passage of a broad position piece on Friday
that will condemn Georgia and unambiguously stress the unacceptability
of the expansion of NATO on the borders of CSTO countries and the
placement of American missile defense elements in the zones of interest
of CSTO members. Russian diplomats are also hoping for support for
the idea of a European Security Treaty, which Medvedev introduced in
his new concept for Russian foreign policy in July.

The CSTO summit was to be held in Kyrgyzstan, but Russia asked that
it be allowed to host the event as an exception, due to the conflict
with Georgia. Russia will have a lot of convincing to do, since not
all CSTO members are eager to complicate their relations with the
West with such a position. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko
was the first to feel press on August 20.

TURKEY PRESIDENT SAYS VISITS ARMENIA FOR SOCCER GAME

Reuters
Sept 3 2008
UK

ANKARA, Sept 3 (Reuters) – Turkish President Abdullah Gul will visit
Armenia at the weekend for a soccer match, the president’s office
said on Wednesday, in a major diplomatic step for the two states
which have no diplomatic ties.

Turkey severed diplomatic relations with Armenia in protest against
Yerevan’s control of Nagorno-Karabakh region over which Armenia fought
Turkey’s ally Azerbaijan in a war in the 1990s.

Armenia and Turkey will play against each other in the Armenian capital
Yerevan on September 6 in a qualifying match for the 2010 FIFA World
Cup. (Reporting by Selcuk Gokoluk; editing by Sami Aboudi)

US VP CHENEY ASSURES AZERBAIJAN OF U.S ‘INTEREST’
By Aida Sultanova

Associated Press
Sept 3 2008

BAKU, Azerbaijan (AP) — U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney assured
Azerbaijan on Wednesday of America’s "abiding interest" in the
region’s stability. It was the first stop on a tour of three ex-Soviet
republics that are wary of Russia’s intentions after its war with
Georgia last month.

Russia was watching the trip with suspicion, and a top Russian security
official accused Cheney of an ulterior motive: seeking to secure
energy supplies in the South Caucasus in exchange for U.S. support.

Cheney met with U.S. Embassy officials and international oil executives
before going to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliev’s residence on the
Caspian Sea.

Cheney said the principle of territorial integrity was endangered
today, noting that they were meeting "in the shadow of the Russian
invasion of Georgia."

He added that U.S. President George W. Bush had sent him with a clear
message that the United States had a "deep and abiding interest"
in the stability and security of countries in the region.

Azerbaijan has some of the largest oil and gas reserves in the former
Soviet Union.

The U.S. vice president later was to go to neighboring Georgia,
where Washington is trying strengthen support for President Mikhail
Saakashvili’s U.S.-allied government, battered by last month’s short
war with Russia. The U.S. administration was to announce a US$1
billion economic aid package to help Georgia rebuild.

Cheney also planned to visit Ukraine, whose Western-leaning governing
coalition has been plagued in infighting and growing wariness about
Russia’s intentions.

The head of Russia’s powerful presidential Security Council criticized
Cheney’s planned tour, saying his real goal was to trade U.S. support
for energy supplies in the region, and to make sure these countries
had governments sympathetic to Washington.

"Cheney, during his visits to Georgia, Azerbaijan and Ukraine, will
try to instill in them confidence that they will receive support
of the U.S., and (he) will do it in such a way that the U.S. will
continue to wield influence on them," Nikolai Patrushev said during
a visit to neighboring Armenia.

Russia’s relations with Washington have become increasingly
tense. Since the war in Georgia, Russia has boldly asserted its right
to exert clout over what it says is its historic sphere of influence —
including many former Soviet republics.

Russia has also objected strongly to U.S. plans to place components
of a missile defense shield in Poland and the Czech Republic —
both former Soviet satellites — as well as to Western support for
Kosovo’s independence from traditional ally Serbia.

Both Georgia and Ukraine have sought to pull themselves out from
under Russia’s shadow, pushing for membership in Western structures
such as the European Union and NATO — much to Moscow’s consternation.

Washington also has courted Azerbaijan, trying to ensure its oil
wealth is exported to the West bypassing Russia. Many European capitals
are wary of Russia and its vast oil and gas wealth after disruptions
in European-bound Russian gas and oil shipments exported via other
former Soviet republics.

The U.S. Embassy in Baku said in a statement that Cheney on Wednesday
met with local representatives of British Petroleum and Chevron
who briefed him on their "assessments of the energy situation in
Azerbaijan and the broader Caspian region — especially in light of
Russia’s recent military actions in Georgia."

Azerbaijan’s government has often been criticized by rights groups
for heavy-handed treatment of independent media and opposition
groups. International observers have said past elections were flawed.

NORWEGIAN TEENAGER IS STAR OF GRAND SLAM CHESS FINAL IN SPAIN

Agence France Presse
Sept 3 2008

MADRID (AFP) — A 17-year-old Nowegian chess prodigy, Magnus Carlsen,
is the star of the Grand Slam Chess Final Masters currently under
way in Spain which features five other top players including world
number one Viswanathan Anand of India.

Carlsen, who is currently number six in the official world rankings,
could become the youngest-ever world number one chess player if he
wins the tournament which wraps up in the northeastern city of Bilbao
on September 13.

He defeated Armenia’s Levon Aronian and took the lead of the tournament
during the first round played on Monday inside a huge sound-proofed and
air-conditioned glass enclosure set up in the centre of the historic
Basque city.

The other two games — between Anand of India and Vassily Ivanchuk
of Ukraine and Teimour Radjabov of Azerbaijan and Veselin Topalov of
Bulgaria — were drawn.

The prize fund for the event totals 400,000 euros (582,000 US dollars)
with the winner receiving 150,000 euros. The second place winner
will receive 70,000 while the sixth place player will be getting
30,000 euros.

COLLECTIVE SECURITY MEASURES TOPS AGENDA OF CSTO SESSION IN YEREVAN

National Legal Internet Portal
Sept 3 2008
Belarus

A session of the committee of the chiefs of the security councils
of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) member states
opened in Yerevan on September 3. The session is attended by State
Secretary of the Security Council of the Republic of Belarus Yury
Zhadobin, BelTA learnt from the Embassy of Belarus to Armenia.

The session is an important preparation stage ahead of the upcoming
session of the Collective Security Council at the level of the
heads of state. The chiefs of the security councils will discuss the
military-political situation in the zone of the CSTO responsibility
and analyse the course of implementation of the resolutions passed at
the Minsk (2006) and Dushanbe (2007) sessions of the CSTO Collective
Security Council. The situation in the Caucasian region in the wake of
Georgia’s aggression against South Ossetia will be on the agenda too.

At a plenary meeting the chiefs of the security councils will discuss
a set of the documents aimed at creating an effective system of
collective response to new challenges and threats.

On September 3 the chiefs of the delegations of the states – CSTO
members will be received by President of the Republic of Armenia
Serzh Sargsyan.

TURKISH PRESIDENT GUL TO PAY A HISTORIC VISIT TO ARMENIA ON SATURDAY

Hurriyet
Sept 4 2008
Turkey

President Abdullah Gul will on Saturday become the first Turkish head
of state to visit Armenia, his office said, taking an important step
to restart diplomatic relations between two neighboring countries.

Gul will go to Yerevan to attend a football match between the two
countries, which do not have diplomatic relations

Armenia’s President Serge Sarkisian invited Gul last month to attend
the qualifying match for the 2010 World Cup finals to mark "a new
symbolic start in the countries’ relations". Turkish diplomats
and security officials have been in Yerevan this week making final
preparations.

"A visit around this match can create a new climate of friendship
in the region," the Turkish presidency said in a statement posted on
its website. "It is with this in mind that the president has accepted
the invitation.

"This match could lift the obstacles blocking the coming together
of two peoples who share a common history and can create a new
foundation," it said.

The Turkish presidency said it hoped the visit means "an opportunity
for a better mutual understanding."

Gul will arrive in Yerevan two hours before the match and go directly
to the office of Sargsyan. The meeting of two presidents is expected
to last for one hour.

Gul is expected to discuss the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute and Turkey’s
proposal for establishing a Caucasus alliance with Sargsyan. If they
do, this would be the first time that the Nagorno-Karabakh issue is
on the agenda of a bilateral meeting.

Turkish delegation will leave Yerevan as soon as the match ends.

Turkey is among the first countries that recognized Armenia when it
declared its independency. However there is no diplomatic relations
between two countries, as Armenia presses the international community
to admit the so-called "genocide" claims instead of accepting Turkey’s
call to investigate the allegations, and its invasion of 20 percent
of Azerbaijani territory despite U.N. Security Council resolutions
on the issue.

ARMENIA WELCOMED

Sarkisian earlier welcomed a Turkish proposal for a new forum in
the volatile Caucasus region after meeting a senior Turkish envoy to
prepare the visit.

"Armenia has always welcomed and welcomes all efforts directed at
the strengthening of confidence, stability and security, and at
deepening cooperation in the region," Sarkisian said in a statement
after meeting Gul’s special envoy Unal Cevikoz.

He added that Guls special envoy Unal Cevikoz’s visit "raises the
possibility of talks to settle mutual relations" between the two
countries.

A warming period had started between two neighboring countries when
the two presidents exchanged letters after Sargsyan’s election
victory. Gul’s visit raised hopes that the two major problems,
Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia’s genocide claims, could be solved
through dialogue.

In 2005, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan took a tentative
first step towards resolving the thorny genocide issue by mooting
that a joint commission of historians launch an investigation and
publish their conclusions.

The proposal was rejected by Yerevan. Turkey hopes the establishment
of such a commission would enlight the 1915 incidents.

Armenia, with the backing of the Diaspora, claims up to 1.5 million
of their kin were slaughtered in orchestrated killings in 1915. Turkey
rejects the claims, saying that 300,000 Armenians along with at least
as many Turks died in civil strife that emerged when Armenians took
up arms for independence in eastern Anatolia.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

TURKISH PRESIDENT TO STAGE HISTORIC VISIT TO ARMENIA

Agence France Presse
Sept 3 2008

ANKARA (AFP) — President Abdullah Gul will on Saturday become
the first Turkish head of state to visit Armenia, his office said,
fuelling hopes of easing almost a century of hostility over massacres
by Turkish Ottoman empire forces.

Gul will go to Yerevan to attend a football match between the two
countries, which do not have diplomatic relations and have spent
decades at loggerheads over Armenia’s attempts to get the massacres
classified as "genocide."

Armenia’s President Serge Sarkisian invited Gul last month to attend
the qualifying match for the 2010 World Cup finals. Turkish diplomats
and security officials have been in Yerevan this week making final
preparations.

"A visit around this match can create a new climate of friendship
in the region," the Turkish presidency said in a statement posted on
its website. "It’s with this in mind that the president has accepted
the invitation.

"This match could lift the obstacles blocking the coming together
of two peoples who share a common history and can create a new
foundation," it said.

The Turkish presidency said it hoped the visit means "an opportunity
for a better mutual understanding."

The trip, which comes amid heightened tensions in the Caucasus region
following the conflict last month between Georgia and Russia, will
only last a few hours, a Turkish diplomatic source said.

Sarkisian earlier welcomed a Turkish proposal for a new forum in
the volatile Caucasus region after meeting a senior Turkish envoy to
prepare the visit.

"Armenia has always welcomed and welcomes all efforts directed at
the strengthening of confidence, stability and security, and at
deepening cooperation in the region," Sarkisian said in a statement
after meeting Gul’s special envoy Unal Cevikoz.

He added that Cevikoz’s visit "raises the possibility of talks to
settle mutual relations" between the two countries.

Turkey has refused to establish diplomatic relations with Armenia
since it became independent from the Soviet Union in 1991. The key
reason is Yerevan’s campaign for the deaths of Armenian civilians in
1915-1917 to be classified as genocide.

Armenia says up to 1.5 million people were killed in orchestrated
massacres during World War I as the Ottoman Empire fell apart before
being dismantled in 1920.

Turkey rejects the genocide label and argues that 250,000-500,000
Armenians and at least as many Turks died in civil strife as Armenians
fought for independence in eastern Anatolia and sided with invading
Russian troops.

About 20 countries have recognised the events as genocide. The European
parliament recognised the "genocide" in 1987 and France in 2001 became
the first major European nation to publicly recognise the Armenian
genocide but did not explicity blame the Turks.

In 2005, Turkish prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan took a tentative
first step towards resolving the thorny genocide issue by mooting
that a joint commission of historians launch an investigation and
publish their conclusions.

The proposal was rejected by Yerevan.

A Turkish diplomatic source said Gul’s visit would last only a few
hours and expectations that he would announce his agreement were not
welcomed by opposition deputies and nationalist militants in Turkey.

"I would have preferred to go to Baku for a match and not to Yerevan,"
said opposition chief Deniz Baykal, referring to Turkey’s traditionally
warm ties with Azerbaijan.

In 1993, Ankara closed its border with Armenia over Nagorny
Karabakh, an Armenian-majority region in Azerbaijan which proclaimed
independence.

Backed by Armenia, ethnic Armenian forces took control of the
mountainous territory during a war in the early 1990s that left nearly
30,000 dead and sparked an exodus of around one million.

TURKISH PRESIDENT TO MAKE HISTORIC VISIT TO ARMENIA

ABC Online
Sept 4 2008
Australia

President Abdullah Gul will become the first Turkish head of state
to visit Armenia on Saturday, and Ankara hopes his trip to attend a
football match will heal old wounds over the massacre of Armenians
by Turkish forces.

Mr Gul goes to Yerevan to watch a 2010 World Cup qualifying match
with counterpart Serge Sarkissian at the latter’s invitation, the
Turkish presidency said.

"A visit around this match can create a new climate of friendship
in the region," said a statement by the Turkish presidency posted on
its website.

"It’s with this in mind that the President has accepted the invitation.

"This match could lift the obstacles blocking the coming together
of two peoples who share a common history and can create a new
foundation," it said.

The presidency added that it hopes the visit means "an opportunity
for a better mutual understanding."

Mr Gul’s trip represents a key step towards ending almost a century
of animosity over the massacre of Armenians under the Turkish Ottoman
empire.

Turkey has refused to establish diplomatic relations with Armenia
since it became independent from the Soviet Union in 1991.

The key reason is Yerevan’s campaign for the deaths of Armenian
civilians in 1915-1917 to be classified as genocide.

Armenia says up to 1.5 million people were killed in orchestrated
massacres during World War I as the Ottoman Empire fell apart before
being dismantled in 1920.