ASBAREZ Online [05-31-2006]

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05/31/2006
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WEBSITE AT <;HTTP://WWW.ASBAREZ. COM 1) Azerbaijan Flattens Sacred Armenian Site 2) Armenia and Turkey Hold Secret Talks 3) Parliament Postpones Election of New Leadership 4) Kocharian-Aliyev Meeting to Take Place in Bucharest 5) Oil Reaches Turkey through BTC Pipeline 6) Another Armenian Reportedly Killed In Moscow 1) Azerbaijan Flattens Sacred Armenian Site (The Independent)--Fears that Azerbaijan has systematically destroyed hundreds of 500 year old Christian artifacts have exploded into a diplomatic row, after members of European Parliament were barred from inspecting an ancient Armenian burial site. The predominantly Muslim country's government has been accused of "flagrant vandalism" similar to the Taliban's demolition of the Bamiyan Buddhas in Afghanistan. The claims center on the fate of rare "khatchkars," stone crosses carved with intricate floral designs, at the burial ground of Julfa in the Nakhichevan region of Azerbaijan, an enclave separated from the rest of the country by Armenia. The works--some of the most important examples of Armenian heritage--are said to have been smashed with sledgehammers last December as the site was concreted over. The Azeri Government, which denies the claims, is now at the center of a row with MEPs, some of whom it accused of a "biased and hysterical approach." Its ambassador to the EU also says the European Parliament has ignored damage to Muslim sites in Armenia. Azerbaijan has refused to allow a delegation of Euro MPs permission to visit the 1,500 year old Julfa cemetery during their trip to the region last month. Most of original 10,000 khatchkars, most of which date from the 15th and 16th century, were destroyed by the early 20th century, leaving probably fewer than 3,000 by the late 1970s. According to the International Council on Monuments and Sites (Icomos), the Azeri Government removed 800 khatchkars in 1998. Though the destruction was halted following protests from UNESCO, it resumed four years later. By January 2003 "the 1,500 year old cemetery had completely been flattened," Icomos says. Witnesses, quoted in the Armenian press, say the final round of vandalism was unleashed in December last year by Azeri soldiers wielding sledgehammers. The president of Icomos, Michael Petzet, said: "Now that all traces of this highly important historic site seem to have been extinguished all we can do is mourn the loss and protest against this totally senseless destruction." Some MEPs believe that, boosted by its oil revenues, Azerbaijan is adopting an increasingly assertive stance in the region. Charles Tannock, Conservative Foreign Affairs Spokesman in the European parliament, argued: "This is very similar to the Buddha statues destroyed by the Taliban. They have concreted the area over and turned it into a military camp. If they have nothing to hide then we should be allowed to inspect the terrain." When MEPs passed a critical resolution in February, Azerbaijan's Foreign Minister, Elmar Mamedyarov, made a formal protest. Then, when the parliament's delegation for relations with Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia, asked to combine a mission to Armenia with a visit to the Julfa archaeological site, their request was refused. The Council of Europe's Parliamentary Assembly hopes to visit the site and its Secretary General has offered to set up an expert group to examine cultural sites in Azerbaijan and Armenia. MEPs insist that the authorities in Azerbaijan should open their doors if they have nothing to hide. Hannes Swoboda, an Austrian socialist MEP and member of the committee barred from examining the site, said he hopes a visit can be arranged in the autumn. He added: "If they do not allow us to go, we have a clear hint that something bad has happened. If something is hidden we want to ask why. It can only be because some of the allegations are true." And he warned: "One of the major elements of any country that wants to come close to Europe is that the cultural heritage of neighbors is respected." 2) Armenia and Turkey Hold Secret Talks (PanArmenian)--Secret talks between Turkey and Armenia, launched after Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan wrote a letter to Armenian President Robert Kocharian, have failed to make any headway coming out of their third round. A part of the third session of secret talks was held on the sidelines of the Turkey-European Union meeting in Vienna, Austria last March. The Turkish side proposed the establishment of two committees to simultaneously hold talks on political issues and the Armenian genocide. In response, Armenia rejected the preconditions set by Turkey. It underlined that scholars can debate the issue in conferences. Nevertheless Armenia did request the revival of political talks between the two countries. Following Yerevan's objection to the establishment of the two committees, Ankara is now preparing for the fourth round of secret talks. The New Anatolian reported that Ankara will exert an effort to solve its problems with Yerevan. 3) Parliament Postpones Election of New Leadership YEREVAN (Armenpress/RFE/RL)--An emergency parliament session convened Wednesday to elect a new Parliament Speaker and heads of two committees, vacated following the resignation of former Parliament Speaker Arthur Baghdasarian and the pullout of his Orinats Yerkir party from the governing coalition, decided to put off the elections until June 1. Deputy Parliament Speaker Tigran Torosian--widely expected to replace Baghdasarian--said to journalists that it was his decision to postpone the election. He said under the parliament statutes it is the person who chairs emergency session who decides the order in which issues on the agenda are considered. Torosian, who is affiliated with Prime Minister Andranik Markarian's Republican Party (HHK), did not deny that he is Baghdasarian's most likely successor. He said he will consider his new job as "yet another duty." On Monday, Baghdasarian formally ceased to perform his duties, reaffirming his decision to step down. "In accordance with the National Assembly statutes, I am relinquishing the duties of National Assembly chairman," he told reporters in the halls of Parliament. Baghdasarian refused to answer any questions, saying that he wants to "leave in peace." 4) Kocharian-Aliyev Meeting to Take Place in Bucharest (Combined Sources)--A spokesman for President Robert Kocharian said that the Armenian leader and his Azeri counterpart, Ilham Aliyev, will meet on the sidelines of a summit of Black Sea nations which is scheduled to take place in Romania's capital Bucharest on June 5. The French, Russian, and American mediators have expressed hopes for advancements in Karabagh conflict settlement following talks in Romania. Diplomats from the foreign ministries of the Minsk Group co-chairing states, as well as co-chairs themselves visited Baku and Yerevan in late May, setting up the latest meeting between the two presidents. 5) Oil Reaches Turkey through BTC Pipeline ANKARA (UPI)--Azeri oil began flowing through the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) oil pipeline and reached Ceyhan, Turkey, over the weekend. Oil reached the Turkish Mediterranean port on Saturday, according to the Azertag news agency Sunday. The BTC pipeline is designed to take Azeri and Kazakh oil through Georgia and Turkey to international markets. The $4 billion, 1,000 mile pipeline is aimed at reducing Western dependence on the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries. The pipeline, which runs from Azerbaijan via Georgia to Turkey, avoids Russia. Construction of the pipeline began six years ago. 6) Another Armenian Reportedly Killed In Moscow (AFP)--A Russian man of Armenian origin has been stabbed to death by a group of young people on a train in a Moscow suburb, Moscow Echo radio quoted a lawyer as saying Tuesday. Simon Tsaturian, who represents the family of another ethnic Armenian killed in Moscow last month, said the stabbing of Artur Sardarian, 19, took place on May 25 and cited witnesses as saying the attackers were chanting "Glory to Russia!" The attackers then stopped the train by setting off an alarm and escaped, Tsaturian said. Moscow police said the incident was being investigated and the Armenian Union of Russia confirmed the murder had taken place. All subscription inquiries and changes must be made through the proper carrier and not Asbarez Online. ASBAREZ ONLINE does not transmit address changes and subscription requests. (c) 2006 ASBAREZ ONLINE. All Rights Reserved. ASBAREZ provides this news service to ARMENIAN NEWS NETWORK members for academic research or personal use only and may not be reproduced in or through mass media outlets.