Month: December 2008

WON’T WORK WITHOUT KARABAKH

Azat Artsakh Daily
06 Dec 08
Republic of Nagorno Karabakh [NKR]

"I don’t think Karabakh conflict will soon be settled. The Ministers
also didn’t mention this in Helsinki," MP of RF State Duma, political
scientist Konstantin Zatulin announced yesterday.

He expressed surprise regarding the announcement made recently
by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliev saying that the military
settlement of the conflict is not excluded: "We are not naïve, we do
understand that peace is much more serious than simply signing under
the agreement. But anyway Azerbaijan has shouldered the obligation
of solving the issue peacefully. The same is about Armenia. And this
is very important.

Zatulin is sure that: "without Nagorno Karabakh, without the will
of the people of Karabakh, no one can decide the fate of Nagorno
Karabakh."

–Boundary_(ID_r350l83Ik6 Zvoj37e7cing)–

THE DAMAGES OF THE DIALOGUE

Azat Artsakh Daily
06 Dec 08
Republic of Nagorno Karabakh [NKR]

The Chairman of the European office of Armenian Cause Hilda Choboyan
said: "Armenia-Turkey dialogue is beneficial for those who refrain from
decisive actions towards the recognition of Armenian Genocide". She
underscored that after the establishment of Armenian-Turkish
Reconciliation Commission the issue has been speculated by the
political circles. And every time when they don’t want to "offend" or
"break the heart" of the Turkish government, they justify themselves
saying that they don’t want to hinder the process.

AZERBAIJANI COMMUNITY OF NAGORNO-KARABAKH OFFERED TO SUSPEND FUNCTIONING

Trend
Dec 6 2008
Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan, Baku, 5 Dec / Trend News corr I. Alizade / There is no need
for Azerbaijanis residing in the Armenian-occupied Azerbaijani region
of Nagorno-Karabakh to function as a community or public organization.

"Armenians are densely populated in Nagorno-Karabakh and they can
form there an Armenian community with Azerbaijan. But it is not
logical to form an Azerbaijani community within Azerbaijan itself,"
Elman Mammadov, co-founder of public association Azerbaijani Community
in Nagorno Karabakh and MP representing Khojali city of the region,
told Trend News on 5 Dec.

Nizami Bahmanov, head of the Azerbaijani Community in Nagorno Karabakh,
died on 13 Sep 2008. Bamanov was also the head of the Shusha District
Executive Committee. The both posts still remain unoccupied. In October
2006, the Justice Ministry registered the Azerbaijani Community in
Nagorno Karabakh led by Bahmanov. The founders of the community are
Bahramov and MPs from Nagorno-Karabakh – Elman Mammadov and Havva
Mammadova.

"Azerbaijanis residing in foreign countries can form a community
such as Azerbaijani community in Georgia or in Russia. However,
Nagorno-Karabakh is the territory of Azerbaijan and no Azerbaijani
community should exist there," Mammadov added.

Mammadov said that as Nagorno Karabakh Autonomous Province does not
exist, it should not have any Azerbaijani community either.

"We enjoy the same status as Azerbaijanis residing in other places of
the country. Why should we form a community then? It is nonsense. I
see no need for this community," Mammadov said.

According to Mammadov, Azerbaijanis and Armenians cannot form any
community unless Nagorno-Karabakh gets status within Azerbaijan.

"The negotiations between Azerbaijan and Armenia are underway and
the communities do not attend this process. The formation of the
community will be discussed as long as the negotiations reach the
stage when requiring the joining of Azerbaijanis and Armenians living
in Nagorno-Karabakh to this process," Mammadov said.

Mammadov said that the discussions over appointment of the new chairman
to the community remain are still to take place.

IN MEMORY OF EARTHQUAKE VICTIMS

Azat Artsakh Daily
06 Dec 08
Republic of Nagorno Karabakh [NKR]

Delegations from more than 20 countries of the world have arrived in
Armenia to participate in the events dedicated to the 20th anniversary
of the 1988 disastrous earthquake of Spitak.

Representatives from all the states which lent a helping hand to
Armenia after the great disaster have been invited. The guests are
from the former Soviet republics, Hungary, Vatican, Switzerland and
other countries. The relatives of the Serbian and Russian pilots who
died in a plane crash during those days will arrive in Armenia too.

The event will also be participated by more than 30-40 diplomats
accredited to Armenia.

On December the 7th, events dedicated to the great disaster will also
be organized in the towns of Spitak, Gyumri, Maralik and Ashotsk.

CONTRARY TO DEATH

Azat Artsakh Daily
08 Dec 08
Republic of Nagorno Karabakh [NKR]

December, 7th, 1988. This day has for ever entered into the history
of the Armenian people as mournful, tragical date. 20 years ago, in
northern areas of Armenia there was the terrible earthquake which has
wiped about the city of Spitak appeared in epicentre of tremors. It
also has not spared Leninakan, Kirovakan, Stepanavan, hundreds of
villages. In total for some seconds 25 thousand persons have become
victims of blind elements of a steel, thousand have been wounded,
over a half-million remained without a roof over the head. That day
the hands of the city clock of Leninakan from elements blow have
stood on a mark 11 hour 41 minutes However it seemed to the Armenian
people, that hours have stopped, but not the hands of the clock. The
life has stopped itself, and in Armenia the ghost of black death was
wandering freely. Perhaps, such monstrous shock the Armenian people
have tested only at the Genocide of 1915. It’s impossible to express
the pain by words. Armenia became epicentre of terrible human tragedy,
truly a universal trouble. But it became also epicentre of mercy,
compassion, partnership. The sympathy wave to the Armenian people
has swept worldwide.

Those days newspaper pages, television screens of the world have been
filled by messages on accident details.The evil news have responded
pain in hearts of20millions people. This pain became the general
for all, and not only Armenians. Blow of elements has left nobody
indifferent. In many countries the public and governmental centres
which were systemizing gathering of financial and other means for
rendering assistance to the victim,there were big turns at blood
transfusion points – people voluntary handed over blood for wounded
men. Artsakh also has stretched a hand of help to Armenia which during
this period was in heavy situation, testing powerful pressure of the
Soviet-azeri state machinery for suppression of national movement. In
Nagorno-Karabakh means collection has been also organised, groups of
rescuers have been urgently sent to the zone of disaster. Practically
all the Soviet Union helped the suffered population of Armenia.

"Practically"- because even in that heavy, disastrous for the Armenian
people time Azerbaijan has not stopped the hostile actions. The
Karabakh movement was in a heat, and the Azerbaijan party tried to use
even the elements for achievement of the political ends, suppression of
will of our people.All possible difficulties were done to the trains
with humanitarian cargoes – artificial detained on ways, not giving
in time to deliver so necessary means to the republic suffered from
the disaster. Many still remember, how cars with the cement, going
through Azerbaijan, were filled in with water, and they arrived to
Armenia already in the form of unnecessary20boulders. Remember, how our
neighbours even frankly celebrated this tragedy and sent congratulatory
messages to the Armenians.It was very cinic blasphemous. But the
cynicism was also in that, that according to the best traditions of
communistic preaching, page of the Soviet newspapers were dazzled
with messages that "the people of Azerbaijan have apprehended a
pain of the Armenian people as its own" that it "is ready to render
assistance in these difficult days for overcoming of destructive
consequences of elements". Similar pharisaic messages, including, at
the highest level – the Communist Party Central Committee, Presidium
of the Supreme body and Ministerial Council AzSSR. Fortunately, the
Armenian people have not depressed, have not lost courage. During that
fatal time the terrible trouble has consolidated them, has forced to
involve all potential for opposition of tragedy and liquidation of
consequences of the accident.

Owing to the unity, strong will, courage and firmness of all the
Armenians, owing to disinterested aid of the people of the USSR and
many countries of the world the trouble has receded. Our people,
as well as at different stages of the hard history, have found in
itself forces to stand, transfer, apparently, to restore the destroyed
and to rise from ashes. "Disaster zone" concept has fallen into the
past’s arms .Time for the Armenian people has not stopped. The life
which has=2 0 appeared more strongly than death has triumphed. But an
inescapable pain of huge, irreplaceable human losses has remained. As
the memory of victims of that terrible tragedy has remained and
lives. On December, 7th all Armenian people will give a tribute
of memory of our compatriots for which the day of 1988 became the
last. Let’s remember victims – for the sake of the live …

NAGORNO-KARABAKH – UNTIED TIES
Armen Ashotyan

"Noravank" Foundation
08 December 2008

Introduction: While speaking about "frozen conflicts" the international
analytical community, basing on various political and global interests,
often takes under a common umbrella the processes relating to the
international status of not recognized states of Post-Soviet territory.

However, the new factual classification of those conflicts has been
clearly outlined recently, according to which now they are observed
due to supremacy of the Russian component – Abkhazia, Predniester,
South Ossetia, and without supremacy of the Russian component –
Nagorno-Karabakh, problems.

Such a distinction is resulted by a number of factors, including
maximal independent position of the Armenian parties and characteristic
geopolitical peculiarities of the NKR conflict.

Independent of international diplomatic developments progressing around
the NKR, it is to be stated as a fact that the whole international
activity is directed not so much at the NKR conflict settlement as
at the issue of giving the already settled conflict international
status and recognition. To make this provision clearer we may state
as a fact that:

Civilization centers have once and for all realized inexpediency of
all the possible projects of returning the NKR to Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijan’s political elite has to put up with the idea of losing
the NKR, and all the martial and pathetic declarations are dictated
by internal political motivations and "phantom pains" connected with
the lose of the NKR.

Armenia agrees to leave the perspective of joining the NKR to the RA
for the future.

The NKR will join Armenia as an independent ethno-territorial,
ethno-political entity.

As for characteristic peculiarities of the NKR issue, I’d like to
analyze it on a few plains.

Legal: Although it has long been known that the norms of the
international right in up-to-date world predominantly work only for
or in case of protecting corresponding interests (I’ll later return
to these interests in the context of the NKR), nevertheless, it is
important to accurately formulate legal grounds/arguments of the
Armenian party, such as:

Formation of the NKR in the legislation of the USSR.

Proclamation of the Republic of Azerbaijan ("Proclamation of
reestablishing the Republic of Azerbaijan’s state independence")
as a successor of PRA, accordingly, without the territory of the NKR.

Taking into consideration the fact that the local analysts often turn
to the above mentioned legal norms, let me not to get in details).

The NKR conflict has been settled as realization of the rights
of nations for self-determination confirmed in the 8th principle
of the Helsinki Final Act, and, before that, in the UN "Universal
Declaration of Human Right s" and "International Convention on Civil
and Political rights."

I’d also like to repeat the thesis that there are no contradictions
with the principle of territorial integrity, as the first one
refers to intergovernmental relations, and the second one (right for
self-determination) applies to the nation living in the framework of
the very state.

And finally, even if we imagine for a minute that as a result of work
carried out by the Azerbaijani propagandistic machine Armenia will
be considered as a state encroaching upon territorial integrity of
the neighbor country, than in "Universal Declaration of Human Right"
(October 24, 1970) it is asserted that the principle of territorial
integrity is not applied to the countries which don’t ensure equality
of the nations living there and their right for self-determination. In
the very declaration it is mentioned that to carry out that rights
it is necessary creation of an independent state, unification with
another state or acquisition of another political status.

Geostrategy: Global political and economic characteristics traits of
the South Caucasus are:

Transit (energy carriers, railway and motor roads) Their own energy
carriers (Azerbaijani sector of the Caspian Sea) Control (Central
Asia, the Near East) Up-to-date functional roles of Nagorno-Karabakh
in global politics are the following:

Possible fulcrum against the Islamic Republic of Iran thanks to the
0D common land boundary.

Impediment to build a Pan-Turkic bridge: Potential threat
against security and uninterrupted functioning of regional energy
communications: A lever of effective influence on the Republic of
Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan: NKR is not only the "own"
problem of NKR, RA, RF, it is also the problem of international
political elite.

The NKR issue is "autonomous" but it is not "independent," it is
interconnected with other geopolitical and geo-economic conflicts.

Political: International political process around the NKR is paving
its way through the political pyramid consisting of corresponding
interested subjects on top of which is the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic,
in the basis – RF, USA and EU, and in the middle layer – RA-AR and
Turkey -Iran couples accordingly.

NKR.RF – AR.Turkey – Iran.Russia – USA-EU As one can notice,
the political process which began as a result of realizing the
NKR nation’s self-determination, spreads from its epicenter (NKR)
embracing a wider interested circle – RF, EU. US.

Turning this conditional pyramid upside-down we can figuratively
represent which interests in the process of international recognition
of the NKR status are compressed on top of the system – in the NKR
(from top to bottom).

Armenian axioms: International political process progressing around
the NKR, nevertheless, is to be placed in the20framework of axioms
laid down by the Armenian party.

Axiom of confirming the realization of the NKR nation’s right for
self-determination.

Axiom of common land boundary between the NKR and the RA.

Axiom of international guarantee of the NKR’s independence.

On regional public welfares. As we could see, realization of the
NKR nation’s right for self-determination as well as the process
of giving international legitimacy to it faces the necessity of
harmonizing approaches of many actors which have regional interests
often contradicting each other.

However stubborn synthesis of minimal acceptable interests of the
Earth’s geopolitical actors seems to be, I dare to suggest a universal
synthetic agenda of policy in South-Caucasian region potentially
acceptable for them (not only connected with the NKR) and call it a
Regional public welfares:

regional stability, regional security, economic development, regional
economic integration, a common market, civil liberties, political
right, conservancy, struggle against terrorism and radicalism.

Karabakh conflict settlement – art of what is possible The NKR
international process aims at preserving its present situation –
"All the ways lead to status quo." There are several prerequisites
for such a situation.

Necessity for "peaceful coexistence" of the NKR and Baku-Tbilis-Ceyhan
oil carrier.

Absence of new regional mega-projects.

Secondarity of the NK R as a base in case of possible operations
against Iran.

In the foreseeable perspective unreality of final victory "geopolitical
overstretching of South-Caucasian rope."

Circumstance of being interconnection with neighbor regions.

NAGORNO KARABAKH DISPUTE TO BE DISCUSSED IN GERMANY

State Telegraph Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan
December 6, 2008 Saturday

On December 9 the Konrad Adenauer Foundation of Germany will host
round-table meeting to discuss Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement,
Center of Strategic Studies under the President of Azerbaijan told
AzerTAc. Elkhan Nuriyev, Director of the Center of Strategic Studies
will make a keynote address on Models for solution of Karabakh
conflict.

Senior representative of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation Amos Helms,
German political scientist, Professor Johannes Rau, Ambassador of
Azerbaijan to Germany Parviz Shahbazov, diplomatic corps and press
are expected to take part in the conference.

TENTH ANNIVERSARY OF ARMENIAN EARTHQUAKE

BBC World Service
December 7, 2008

Tenth anniversary of Armenian earthquake

Armenia is marking the anniversary of the earthquake that killed more
than twenty-five thousand people ten years ago.

The country’s political leaders are due to attend ceremonies in the
worst affected areas in the north and west of the country.

Attention is expected to focus again on the two towns that suffered
the most serious casualities, now renamed Vanadzor and Gyumry, and
still bear the scars of the earthquaqe – ruined buildings and more
than twenty-thousand families homeless.

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT TO ATTEND FUNERAL OF PATRIARCH OF MOSCOW AND ALL RUSSIA

Noyan Tapan

Dec 8, 2008

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 8, NOYAN TAPAN. The Armenian president Serzh
Sargsyan is leaving for Moscow on December 8 in order to be present
at the funeral of Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Alexy II, NT
was informed by the RA presidential press service.

SERZH SARGSYAN GRANTS AN AMNESTY TO THREE CONVICTS ON MARCH 1 CASE

Noyan Tapan

Dec 8, 2008

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 8, NOYAN TAPAN. Under RA President Serzh Sargsyan’s
December 3 decree, an amnesty was granted to three convicts, Edward
Ashughian, Arman Margarian, and Artur Nazanian. They had been convicted
to 3-3.5 years’ imprisonment for participation in the mass disorders on
March 1 in Yerevan, making resistance to the Police, and carrying out
other violent actions. Samvel Farmanian, RA President’s Spokesperson,
reported in response to Aravot daily’s question. He said that when
making a decision on signing a decree of amnesty the President took
into consideration both the appeals for mercy addressed to him by
the above mentioned convicts and the circumstance of their having no
previous convictions, family and other circumstances.

According to S. Farmanian, the President has always been ready to
consider appeals for mercy. "There are no changes in these appoaches
today, as well," RA President’s Spokesperson said.