Month: November 2009

‘SIGNIFICANT’ PROGRESS IN ARMENIA-AZERBAIJAN TALKS

Jane’s Intelligence
Nov 23 2009

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliev (left) and Armenian President Serge
Sarkisian (right), pictured with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in
2008, made ‘substantial progress’ in talks over Nagorno-Karabakh in
Germany on 22 November. (PA)Article ToolsFull Article for Subscribers

According to the French mediator Bernard Fassier, of the Organisation
for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), significant progress
was made in the meeting between Armenian President Sergh Sarkisian
and his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev. However, he also said
that "some difficulties" had been identified, and neither side has
committed to any difficult concessions, most likely relating to the
proposed withdrawal of Armenian units from some districts surrounding
Nagorno-Karabakh.

The talks were the sixth time the two presidents have met this year
as major efforts are made to find a solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh
dispute, which has remained unresolved since a 1994 ceasefire
ended fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan. On 20 November,
Aliyev stated that if the Munich talks failed, force could be used
to re-take the Armenian-occupied enclave, which is located within
Azerbaijan’s borders.

ARMENIAN LEADER CANNOT GO AS FAR AS AZERBAIJAN WOULD LIKE – COMMENTATOR

news.az
Nov 23 2009
Azerbaijan

Rasim Agayev News.Az interviews Azerbaijani political scientist
Rasim Agayev.

The latest meeting of the presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia was
held in Munich on 22 November as part of the process to find a peaceful
resolution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. At the meeting the heads
of state agreed to continue negotiations on the conflict settlement.

Speaking just after the meeting, the French co-chairman of the OSCE’s
Minsk Group mediators, Bernard Fassier, said that the negotiations will
continue at the level of the two countries’ foreign ministers whom the
presidents have instructed to work on outstanding issues. The ministers
will next meet in Athens in early December during the meeting of the
council of foreign ministers of OSCE member states. The Minsk Group
mediators say there is no alternative to a peaceful settlement of the
conflict, but President Ilham Aliyev said ahead of the meeting that if
Yerevan attempts to drag out a settlement, the negotiations will end.

Can positive changes be expected in Armenia’s position on the Karabakh
conflict?

The negotiations confirm our observations and since the foreign
ministers are involved at the next stage, the process will be
protracted. I think that the foreign ministers will meet, then it will
be the co-chairs’ turn and they will also have a hand in the document
that will be drawn up and the case will go on for a long time. I think
that during this period Turkish-Armenian relations will be clarified
and we will hear positive information about the coordination of
positions on a number of issues concerning Karabakh. It will help bring
Armenian-Turkish relations to actual normalization at a specific stage.

I carefully followed President Ilham Aliyev’s speech and noticed that
he accentuated the state of the negotiation process. It seemed to me
that he wants to inform the people about the complexity facing the
negotiators which is mostly caused by the stubborn position of the
Armenian side that still hopes to keep to its position. On the whole,
the position of the Armenian side is clear, but a new important
detail that hampers the manoeuvrability of Serzh Sargsyan and his
partners should be taken into account. This is that they have moved
forward on compromise with Turkey and now it is difficult for them to
make the same steps on settling the Karabakh conflict, though it is
necessary to take into consideration that it was Armenia who started
to accumulate these problems.

No one asked Armenia to make territorial claims on Turkey. No one asked
Armenia to make up some false historical myths of "genocide". No one
asked Armenians to conduct a policy of revenge on the Turkic world,
talk about the disasters that hit these unhappy people centuries
ago and connect this only with Turks. These are their fables, it is
Armenian intelligence that is to be blamed for everything. In fact,
they have made zombies of their own people. And now it is time to
overcome this situation. Serzh Sargsyan and his ideologists should
work towards this. Nevertheless, Sargsyan considers he cannot go as
far as the Azerbaijani side wants him to go.

But the Azerbaijani side seems to have reached its limit for
compromise. We have waited for so long and, in fact, we have rejected
the use of force to settle the conflict. We have also agreed on a
certain terminology that creates additional obstacles. In particular,
we repeat after the Minsk Group – the occupied territories and
Nagorno-Karabakh. Isn’t Nagorno-Karabakh occupied too? It has been
occupied by the Armenian army like the other seven districts. So
what is the problem? This is a compromise, a concession, a serious
concession that Azerbaijan once made.

We made concessions although we have four United Nations resolutions
and are patiently waiting for the Armenians to liberate these occupied
lands without any preconditions. Therefore, on the one hand Azerbaijan
made concessions and, on the other, Baku has the right to demand
concessions from Armenia.

Last week Araz Azimov, deputy foreign minister of Azerbaijan and
personal representative of President Ilham Aliyev on Karabakh, told
reporters that Armenia has two choices: either settle the conflict or
define the status of Nagorno-Karabakh after Azerbaijanis have returned
there. There is no other choice. Araz Azimov said that the territorial
integrity of Azerbaijan requires the return of the people to their
homes, the restoration of normal conditions for everyday life and the
creation of a normal atmosphere for the further definition of status.

But the next day, on Friday, Armenian Foreign Minister Eduard
Nalbandyan said the return of refugees to Karabakh can be discussed
only after the conflict is settled. The minister said this issue is not
being discussed at the moment as it can be considered only after the
final resolution of the Karabakh conflict when Karabakh has received
due guarantees of security in a wider context, including the return
of 400,000 Armenian refugees.

What Azimov said is also one form of compromise, one way to soften
positions and promote the negotiation process. But Nalbandyan’s
statement proves that Armenia is taking a tougher position. This
is bad.

Azimov’s statement allows for optimism, while Nalbandyan’s words prove
that positions have been hardened and we should not expect anything
good to come out of the upcoming negotiations. In response to these
400,000 Armenian refugees, Azerbaijan may put forward the claims of
over 200,000 Azerbaijanis driven out of Armenia. They left lands that
belonged to Azerbaijanis. We can raise this issue. And if this happens,
the talks will again reach deadlock.

But this is not so terrible. It is terrible that Armenia has in
fact turned to a new way of holding talks, their favourite way of
"historical excuse". Today they will speak of 400,000 and tomorrow
they will speak about something else and in the end we will return to
the problem of "genocide" , as well as the collapse and termination of
the Armenian state in 535. This is an unproductive approach. We need
to settle everything connected with Nagorno-Karabakh. Here, I think,
the possibilities for compromise are not limited for both parties. We
can protract this mediatory status, we can grant new powers on this
mediatory status. We can enhance and narrow down and say a great deal
here if we want to find the best solution for our compatriots.

Unfortunately, I have the impression that the Armenians are protracting
negotiations in the expectation of results on Turkey.

The Armenian-Turkish protocols will be submitted for ratification of
the Yerevan Constitutional Court on Monday 23 November.

As for the negotiations on Turkey, obstacles are possible there and
expectations are possible but I think the issue will advance there.

And it is possible that Serzh Sargsyan’s tactics aimed at holding
separate talks with Turkey and Azerbaijan will be satisfied in this
sense, and I wonder what Armenia will have to say to Azerbaijan.

Therefore, he is striving to accumulate a pack of claims in order
to deny obstacles and create the appearance of concessions. This is
his tactic.

Now he has made up 400,000 victims and said Azerbaijanis will be
able to return only after the conflict is settled. And then the new
round of talks will continue and at a certain stage they will say
"all right, we will forget the 400,000". And then they will have made
a concession on that too.

U.S. CANNOT PRESSURE ARMENIA TO WITHDRAW ITS OCCUPYING FORCES FROM KARABAKH
Leyla Tagiyeva

news.az
nov 23 2009
Azerbaijan

News.Az interviews Adil Baguirov, Ph.D., Managing Director of the U.S.

Azeris Network (USAN)

Please tell us about the upcoming USAN conference in Chicago on
December 4, what are its aims and objectives, and who will take part
in it?

USAN’s annual regional conference will be held in Chicago, because
despite having a sizeable Azerbaijani community there, and even an
Azerbaijani TV channel GunAz, that region has been neglected over
the years.

It should be noted that many of today’s U.S. political leaders,
including President Obama, hail from Chicago. Hence, we want to raise
the profile of the Azerbaijani-American Diaspora there, to get to know
other local communities (Turkish, Pakistani, Japanese), engage into
a regular dialog with state and local political officials there. USAN
regional conference will have a great number of well-known scholars,
academics, civic leaders as well as politicians.

We have received a proclamation from the Governor of the state of
Illinois, a welcome letter from the Mayor of Chicago Richard Daley,
will have another mayor and other officials speak at the USAN regional
conference. We have notified over 660 federal and state congressmen
and senators about the USAN conference from Illinois as well as nearby
states of Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin.

How would you comment on the recognition of USAN (and USTN) as the
official partners of the U.S. Census Bureau, who will be essentially
helping the government in carrying out the 2010 census. Undoubtedly,
this is a recognition by the U.S. government of the increased standing
and authority the Azerbaijani Diaspora has gained?

This is indeed a major achievement by the U.S. Azeris Network
(USAN) and the U.S. Turkic Network (USTN) – our organizations have
become the first-ever Azerbaijani and Turkic Diaspora organizations
to have been recognized by the U.S. Census Bureau (part of the
Department of Commerce) as its Official Partners for 2010 Census
USAN remains the only such organization
to represent the Azerbaijani-American community. This is very important
– it not only raises the profile of our organizations on the federal
and state levels, but would contribute to the more precise count of
Azerbaijani-Americans and all Turkic-Americans in the next year’s
census. As you know, results of Census determine the fate of billions
of dollars in U.S. government grants, various state and local projects,
as well as the number and borders of the Congressional districts
in each state (there are 435 such districts across United States,
with some states "losing" districts, whilst others "gaining", all
based on population growth).

Practice shows that it would be more effective for the Azerbaijani side
to work actively with the US Congress than with the local executive
powers mostly depending on lawmakers’ position. Do you share this
opinion? Which measures are taken in this direction?

As you know, the Azerbaijani-Americans have become much more
politically active in the last two years, and have sent via USAN over
100,000 letters to their elected officials (President, Vice-President,
Governors, Congressmen, Senators, etc). Dozens of USAN letters were
published in newspapers across the U.S., which in turn were read and
taken notice of by the members of Congress from those regions. USAN has
also been noticed by such Congress-specific analytical publications
as the POLITICO magazine. The membership in the Azerbaijani Caucus
has also risen significantly over the past years.

In general, the primary task of the Azerbaijani-American Diaspora is
to be in constant contact with their local elected officials, which
includes Congressmen and Senators from their electoral district,
as well as Governors, Mayors and state legislators. Since Diaspora
are living in those districts, are taxpayers and voters, these local
and state officials will be highly receptive to what they have to say.

Meanwhile, the Executive Branch, such as the White House, is less
involved with domestic community relations, and handles Azerbaijani
issues mostly through the prism of interstate relations with Baku.

Hence, of course Congressional relations are more of a natural priority
for the Diaspora.

The United States seem to concede to Russia in the mediation in the
Karabakh conflict settlement. Do you consider that in this case the
domination of one mediator country would be more effective or Russia’s
role should be balanced by the US policy that also has its interests
in the South Caucasus?

Having two such powerful mediators is arguably a plus, as well as
a natural necessity in the region. To achieve anything vis-a-vis
Armenia without engaging Russia is not even possible, because
Armenia is, in the words of the Russian Duma Speaker Gryzlov, the
"Russian outpost" in the region. Hence, as Azerbaijan is being able
to explain its position and view to all the major stakeholders, it
should yield better results. The simple reality is that U.S. cannot
pressure Armenia to withdraw its occupying forces from Karabakh with
the same effectiveness as Russia.

PSYCHOLOGIST: "TURK REMAINS A TURK"

Aysor
Nov 23 2009
Armenia

If the Turkish living in Europe can’t be enduring, then it shouldn’t
be expected from the Turkish living in their own country, said Davit
Jamalyan the military psychologist commenting on the story connected
with Mustafa Dogan, a schoolboy in France.

The mentioned above schoolboy had denied the fact of the Armenian
Genocide saying that, "If they have realized Genocide to Armenians
it means that they deserved it."

The directorate of the school as a punishment had given a homework
to the schoolboy to write about the Armenian Genocide threatening
that will exclude him from the school. At first Mustafa had refused
to do the task by the encouragement of a Turkish NGO in France but
then has apologized in a written form.

D. Jamalyan thinks that though the pupil has done this step by force
however the obligation against the Turkish living in Europe is very
important for seeding a tolerance in this issue.

According to the speaker, living out of their country the Turkish
preserve not only their traditions, but also the stereotypes which
do not change with the time.

"The Turk is a Turk in his country or in Europe", – mentioned the
psychologist.

TURKEY’S FM CALLS AZERI OFFICIAL AFTER ARMENIA TALKS

Nov 23 2009
Turkey

Azerbaijani President Aliyev and Armenian President Sargsian met in
Munich on Sunday.

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu talked to his Azerbaijani
counterpart Elmar Mammadyarov on the phone and received information
regarding the Munich meeting of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev
and Armenian President Serzh Sargsian, Anadolu news agency said.

Diplomatic sources said that Mammadyarov phoned Davutoglu and gave
information regarding the meeting of Aliyev and Sargsian in Munich,
Germany.

Mammadyarov told Davutoglu that the process will continue in the
upcoming term and that the co-chairs of the Minsk Group may meet in
Athens as part of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in
Europe (OSCE) meeting.

During the phone conversation, Minister Davutoglu expressed his
happiness over the developments (between Azerbaijan and Armenia)
and renewed his invitation to Mammadyarov to visit Ankara.

"Progress"

Azerbaijani President Aliyev and Armenian President Sargsian met in
Munich on Sunday.

Mediators said "important progress" was made at talks on Sunday on the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, but that difficulties were also identified.

The mediators provided few details after more than four hours of
talks. Both presidents left without talking to reporters.

"Some important progress has been reached," French mediator Bernard
Fassier told reporters. "At the same time we have identified some
difficulties." He said he and his co-mediators from the United States
and Russia would start work on preparing the next meeting, without
specifying when it might take place.

Turkey and Armenia had no diplomatic ties or economic relations since
Turkey closed its border with Armenia after this country invaded the
Upper-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan in 1992, until recently when the
two countries agreed about a month ago on a protocol to establish
relations after months-long Swiss mediated talks.

TURKEY MAY LOSE AZERBAIJAN

news.az
Nov 23 2009
Azerbaijan

Ali Hasanov The Turkish authorities may lose Azerbaijan if they open
borders with Armenia as this contradicts to Azerbaijan’s interests.

"Azerbaijan has never taken steps contradicting to Turkey’s interests
and we want Turkey not to take any steps against Azerbaijan’s
interests, too. Otherwise, Turkey will lose Azerbaijan", Ali Hasanov,
chief of department at Azerbaijan’s presidential administration, told
a sitting of the Azerbaijani and Turkish Diaspora representatives in
Germany on Saturday.

He said Azerbaijan is not against the opening of all borders in the
region but it may happen only after Armenian troops withdraw from
Azerbaijani lands.

He considers Turkey will not gain too much after opening borders with
Armenia but the authorities (Hasanov stressed the word ‘authorities’,
not the ‘Turkish state’ or ‘the people’) taking this decision will
lose Azerbaijan.

"The opening of the Armenian-Turkish border will not establish peace
in the South Caucasus. This step cannot ensure Turkey’s interests
in the South Caucasus. All borders should open for this purpose",
Hasanov considers.

He noted that anyone who attempts to interfere with the good neighbor
relations between Azerbaijan and Turkey will harm himself. "So,
tet’s safeguard these relations", Hasanov said.

MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE INVESTIGATES WHETHER BORDER OPENING CARRIES ANY RISKS

Aysor
Nov 23 2009
Armenia

As part of investigations in agricultural sector before opening the
Armenian-Turkish border, Armenia’s Ministry of Agriculture studied
whether there is a risk or which of them will appear if the border
opens.

"We’ve studied 46 major food goods in Turkey, and compared the
process. There is nothing to be afraid of as prices in Turkey are
higher than in Armenia. Just 6 or 7 pieces have lower prices in
Turkey than in Armenia," told journalists Deputy Minister of Armenia’s
Minister of Agriculture, Samvel Avetisyan.

Turkish government greatly supports local farmers and besides does
not comply with the rules of the World Trade Organization, according
to Samvel Avetisyan.

"Turkey government approved entering into WTO only if Turkey will
comply beyond the organisation’s rules. Turkey may implement
a discriminatory policy, if we don’t demand on banning of this
condition," he added.

"If we don’t implement a certain policy and programs of support
of farmers, customs and not only customs tools, then our farmers
may really face treats and danger when the border opens. It is very
important to adjust this sector, and carry out the get-touch policy
at the border. If Turkey says will not reduce taxes, then we’ll do
the same," said Samvel Avetisyan.

PROGRESS MADE IN AZERBAIJAN-ARMENIA TALKS, SAYS OSCE

Hurriyet Daily News
Nov 23 2009
Turkey

Progress is made at talks between the presidents of Armenia and
Azerbaijan on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, but difficulties are also
identified, mediators say. The meeting comes a day after Azerbaijani
leader raised the stakes warning that the meeting will be ‘decisive’
and that Azerbaijan’s military is ready to take back the region
by force In what have been called "last-chance" peace talks, the
presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan are said to have made important
progress over the disputed Azerbaijani enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Despite Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev raising the stakes
beforehand by threatening to take the region back by military force,
international mediators in Munich appeared upbeat.

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, or OSCE,
said a weekend meeting between Aliyev and his Armenian counterpart
Serge Sarkisian produced progress but no solution to the dispute over
the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave, according to a report by The Associated
Press. The four-hour meeting in Munich was the group’s sixth this year.

The OSCE said in a statement Monday that the two presidents discussed
proposals put forward by Russian, French and American co-chairs of
the so-called Minsk Group.

"In some areas progress was made. At the same time, some issues still
remain open," the OSCE said. Both presidents left without talking
to reporters.

OSCE mediator, Robert Bradtke said he was impressed. "I think today
what was impressive was the way the two presidents worked with us,
the depths of their discussion, the seriousness of the discussion,
their willingness to discuss points that are quite difficult and
controversial," Euronews television channel quoted Bradtke as saying.

"Some important progress has been reached," French mediator Bernard
Fassier told reporters. "At the same time, we have identified some
difficulties." He said he and his co-mediators from the United States
and Russia would start work on preparing the next meeting, without
specifying when it might take place.

Hours before the key summit in Munich, Aliyev said his nation
may resort to military force if talks with Armenia on resolving a
long-standing territorial dispute over the Nagorno-Karabakh region
produced no results. He said the talks were in the final hopes of
settling the dispute peacefully.

"If that meeting fails to produce results, our hopes for negotiations
will vanish," Aliyev said during a meeting with Azerbaijani refugees
from Nagorno-Karabakh on Saturday.

Nagorno-Karabakh is an enclave in Azerbaijan that has been occupied
by Armenian forces since the end of a six-year conflict that left
about 30,000 people dead and displaced 1 million before a truce was
reached in 1994. Its unilateral independence is not recognized by
the international community.

Aliyev said Azerbaijan wants a peaceful settlement but will not wait
indefinitely. "We have the right to free our land using military
force," he said in comments broadcasted on Azeri TV. There was no
immediate comment from Armenia’s government.

Aliyev has repeatedly made similar threats in the past. His latest
statement could be aimed at encouraging Azerbaijanis, who are concerned
that Turkey’s move last month to normalize ties with Armenia could ruin
hopes for regaining control over Nagorno-Karabakh. Turkey has assured
its ally Azerbaijan that it would continue supporting Azerbaijan in
the dispute.

Any reopening of the crossing should run parallel with resolving the
dispute over the mountainous enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh, Turkish
Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said after he inked a historic
diplomatic deal with his Armenian counterpart in October.

FM DAVUTOGLU TALKS TO AZERBAIJANI COUNTERPART ON PHONE

Anadolu Agency
Nov 23 2009
Turkey

ANKARA (A.A) – 23.11.2009 – Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu
talked to his Azerbaijani counterpart Elmar Mammadyarov on the phone
and received information regarding the Munich meeting of Azerbaijani
President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian President Serzh Sargsian.

Diplomatic sources said that Mammadyarov phoned Davutoglu and gave
information regarding the meeting of Aliyev and Sargsian in Munich,
Germany.

Mammadyarov told Davutoglu that the process will continue in the
upcoming term and that the co-chairs of the Minsk Group may meet in
Athens as part of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in
Europe (OSCE) meeting.

During the phone conversation, Minister Davutoglu expressed his
happiness over the developments (between Azerbaijan and Armenia)
and renewed his invitation to Mammadyarov to visit Ankara.

Azerbaijani President Aliyev and Armenian President Sargsian met in
Munich on Sunday.

ARMENIAN FORCES KILL AZERBAIJANI CIVILIAN: REPORTS

Agence France Presse
Nov 23 2009
France

BAKU — Armenian forces killed an Azerbaijani civilian near the
breakaway region of Nagorny Karabakh, Azerbaijani media reported
on Monday.

ANS television and the Azeri Press Agency said a 41-year-old man was
killed on Sunday when separatist forces opened fire on Azerbaijani
positions in the Goranboy region on the de facto border with Karabakh.

The Nagorny Karabakh administration denied its forces had killed a
civilian and accused Azerbaijani soldiers of repeatedly firing on
its positions over the weekend.

Officials with Azerbaijan’s defence ministry could not be reached
for comment.

Nagorny Karabakh’s armed forces said in a statement that Azerbaijani
soldiers had fired on its positions over the weekend and on Monday,
but called reports of the civilian being killed "propaganda" from Baku.

"This disinformation from Baku in no way conforms to reality," the
statement said.

Backed by Yerevan, ethnic Armenian forces seized control of Nagorny
Karabakh and seven surrounding districts from Azerbaijan in the early
1990s, in a war that claimed an estimated 30,000 lives.

Armenian and Azerbaijani forces are spread across a ceasefire line in
and around Nagorny Karabakh, often facing each other at close range,
and shootings are common.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev met with his Armenian counterpart
Serzh Sarkisian in Germany on Sunday for the sixth round of talks
this year on resolving the conflict.

The two former Soviet republics have cut direct economic and transport
links and failed to negotiate a settlement on the region’s status.