Month: November 2009

‘Good progress’ in Karabakh talks

Story from BBC NEWS:
europe/8372747.stm

Published: 2009/11/22 20:04:37 GMT

Azeri and Armenian leaders have made significant progress in talks on
the disputed enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh, a French mediator has said.

But Bernard Fassier, of the Organisation for Co-operation and Security
in Europe, said "some difficulties" had been identified.

A fragile ceasefire has been in place in the region since a brutal war
there in the 1990s.

Both nations lay claim to the enclave, currently under Armenian control.

Earlier Azeri President Ilham Aliyev warned he could use force to
seize the enclave if the talks failed.

He said the talks, in Munich, Germany, were the final hope of settling
the issue peacefully.

Military threat

Mr Fassier said he and fellow mediators would prepare a new meeting,
but gave no indication of when it might take place.

"The discussion [led] the presidents and us to identify problems that
still have to be resolved," he said.

"But what is important, that we have been instructed to resolve these
problems."

US mediator Robert Bradtke said he was impressed by the political will
to seek a settlement.

"I think today what was impressive was the way the two presidents
worked with us, … their willingness to discuss points that are quite
difficult and quite controversial and I think, as someone who is
relatively new to this process, that is what impressed me the most,"
he said.

President Aliyev and his Armenian counterpart Serzh Sarkisyan left the
talks without making any comment.

But in remarks broadcast on Azeri TV on Saturday, Mr Aliyev said that
if the Munich talks failed to reach agreement he would be "left with
no other option".

"We have the full right to liberate our land by military means," he said.

Some 30,000 people died in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, which
erupted after the mountainous region declared independence in 1991.

The region and seven surrounding Azeri district have been under
Armenian control since the Russian-brokered ceasefire in 1994.

Azerbaijan has never ruled out military action to take back the land
and has spent billions on dollars on building up its military.

The meeting was the first since Armenia and Turkey – an ally of
Azerbaijan – normalised diplomatic relations after a century of
hostility.

That move has left Azerbaijan feeling isolated, says the BBC’s Tom
Esslemont, in the South Caucasus region.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Azerbaijan military threat to Armenia
Azerbaijan and Armenia held a presidential summit on Sunday amid
warnings that a full blown war is brewing over a festering territorial
dispute.

By Andrew Osborn in Moscow

middleeast/azerbaijan/6631572/Azerbaijan-military- threat-to-Armenia.html
Published: 8:28PM GMT 22 Nov 2009

By Andrew Osborn
in Moscow

Azerbaijan and Armenia held a presidential summit yesterday amid
warnings that war was brewing between the countries over a festering
territorial dispute.

Ilham Aliyev, the president of Azerbaijan, said the negotiations in
Munich were a final attempt to avert a military confrontation.

They were convened by the Organisation for Security and Co-operation
in Europe as part of efforts to find a peaceful solution to a problem
that has divided the two former Soviet republics since the 1991 fall
of the USSR.

About 30,000 people died in a war in the early 1990s after ethnic
Armenians living in the Nagorno-Karabakh region inside Muslim
Azerbaijan declared their independence.

Christian Armenia backed the secessionists and supplied them with
money and troops. In 1994, the two sides agreed a ceasefire that left
Armenian forces in control of Nagorno-Karabakh as well as seven
surrounding Azeri regions.

Azeris have never forgiven or forgotten the loss. They have been
talking on and off to Armenia for the past 15 years about clawing back
at least some of the territory.

At the weekend, Mr Aliyev said that his patience was running out. "If
this meeting ends without a result then our hopes in the negotiating
process will be exhausted in which case we will not have any other
choice. We have the full right to liberate our lands by military
means," he added.

It is unclear what concessions Armenia would be willing to make,
especially as it is backed by the Russian military, which is
permanently stationed on its territory.

Progress reported as Armenian, Azerbaijani leaders meet in Munich

BAKU, November 22 (RIA Novosti)

Mediators reported progress on the Nagorny Karabakh settlement as
Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents Ilham Aliyev and Serzh Sargsyan
exchanged opinions on the issue at a meeting in Munich on Sunday.

Nagorny Karabakh, a region in Azerbaijan with a largely Armenian
population, has been a source of conflict between the former Soviet
republics since the late 1980s. The mountainous province has its own
government and is de facto independent.

French mediator Bernard Fassier said Sunday "some important progress"
was reached but outlined certain "difficulties."

The presidents met for the sixth time since the start of the year.
Their previous meeting took place on October 8, during the CIS summit
in Chisinau.

The war between Azerbaijan and Armenia over the mountainous enclave in
1988-1994 left an estimated 35,000 people dead. Sporadic violence on
the border has continued ever since.

The Madrid principles on the Karabakh settlement, put forward in
November 2007, stipulate that the occupied Armenian territories
surrounding Nagorny Karabakh should be brought back under Azerbaijan’s
control. They also envision a future referendum of self-determination
in Karabakh.

The conflict is mediated by the Minsk Group of the Organization for
Security and Cooperation in Europe, comprising the U.S., Russia and
France.

Armenia’s representative Luara Hayrapetyan wins 2nd place at Junior
Eurovision 2009
22.11.2009 15:49 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenia’s representative Luara Hayrapetyan won the
2nd place at Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2009, gaining 116 votes.
The second place was shared between little Armenian singer and
Ekaterina Ryabova of Russia.

An artist form Netherlands, Ralf Mackenbach became the winner of
Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2009, gaining 121 votes for his `Click
Clack’ song.

Ukrainian Singer Andranik Aleksanyan won the 5th place with his `Try
Topoli, Try Surmy’ song.

Young stars from 13 countries gathered at the contest in Kyiv.

Junior Eurovision Song Contest Final was attended by Ukraine’s’
President Victor Yushchenko.

Armenia-Turkey rapprochement tendency raises serious concerns in Baku
22.11.2009 15:50 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Obviously, recent aggressive statement of Azeri
President is an attempt to pressure Armenia and blackmail
international mediators. Azerbaijan’s actions are explained by the
fact that Munich meeting is the first one after protocol signing
ceremony in Zurich, NKR Foreign Policy and Security Social Council
Chairman Masis Mailyan told PanARMENIAN.Net reporter.

`Armenia-Turkey rapprochement tendency, in isolation from NKR conflict
settlement, raises serious concerns in Baku. Also, the statement on
withdrawing from negotiation process was voiced during the meeting
with South Artsakh settlers. I believe Armenia has to continue talks,
trying to achieve trilateral negotiation format and developing
effective principles for conflict settlement. Should Azerbaijan
dislike the results of consultations, it will have to withdraw from
the process, assuming full responsibility for the decision taken,’
Mailyan emphasized.

Azeri President believes time is on Azerbaijan’s side
22.11.2009 16:10 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Ilham Aliyev often notes that 7 regions around
former Nagorno Karabakh Autonomous Republic will be returned to
Azerbaijan, and the only questionable issue is to determine where the
former NKAR belongs. Azeri President believes time is, in any case, on
Azerbaijan’s side, RA National Neo-conservative Movement Leader Eduard
Abrahamyan believes.

According to Eduard Abrahamyan, the policy of systematic settlement of
all 7 regions will not only resolve security issue in KNR and subdue
Baku’s arrogance, but will also make the world community face the
irreversible fact, caused by Azerbaijan’s non-compliance and
revanchist policy.

Turkey will lose Azerbaijan in case of Armenia-Turkey border opening
22.11.2009 16:12 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ `Azerbaijan never acted to the detriment of Turkey’s
interests and we seek the same response from Turkey,’ Echo of Moscow
radio station reported Ali Hasanov, Chairman of Social and Political
Department of Presidential Administration as saying.

Today, Munich residence of French consul general is hosting the 6th
meeting between Armenian and Azeri Presidents, Serzh Sargsyan and
Ilham Aliyev. The meeting was initiated by MG OSCE Co-Chairs (US,
France and Russia).

Iran launches large -scale military training
22.11.2009 16:49 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Today, Iran has launched large -scale military
training, aiming at supervision of combat readiness in case of
American or Zionist missile attack.

"Even if one American or Zionist missile hits our land, before the
dust has settled, Iranian missiles will blow up the heart of Israel,"
Mojtaba Zolnur, Khamenehi’s representative to the Pasdaran, said
earlier, commenting on Israel’s possible attack on Iran, Echo of
Moscow reported.

Armenia -Azerbaijan presidential meeting launches in Munich
22.11.2009 17:13 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The meeting between Armenian and Azerbaijani
Presidents, Serzh Sargsyan and Ilham Aliyev has launched in Munich.
Presidential meeting will cover NKR conflict settlement negotiations,
Interfax reported.

This has been the 6th meting between Serzh Sargsyan and Ilham Aliyev
over the year 2009.

Turkey offers to help reach diplomatic solution for Iranian nuclear standoff
22.11.2009 18:03 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Turkey has offered to help reach a diplomatic
solution for the Iranian nuclear standoff, saying it would undermine
the stability of the entire region. "We believe that a diplomatic
solution to Iran’s nuclear issue is achievable and necessary. Given
the already volatile situation in the region, diplomacy is the only
viable avenue for a solution," Turkish foreign minister Ahmet
Davutoglu told Gulf News in an interview.

He said Ankara believes that Iran has the right to peaceful nuclear
energy but within the norms of the International Atomic Energy Agency
(IAEA).
He said Turkey "will be ready to assume an active role if needed in
order to facilitate a diplomatic solution".
said.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress