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KHAZAR IBRAHIM: "IT IS NECESSARY TO LEAVE THE BITTER PRACTICE OF MILITARY AGGRESSION AND ETHNIC CLEANSING IN THE PAST"

Today.Az
tics/49515.html
Dec 11 2008
Azerbaijan

The statement of Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan Elmar Mamedyarov
about the need to "forget the past with Armenians", which was as if
said during the visit of the Minister to Brussels, has recently been
discussed in Azerbaijani press.

Day.Az correspondent asked spokesman for the Azerbaijani Foreign
Minister Khazar Ibrahim to comment on the said situation.

In particular, Ibrahim noted that the Minister did not say that.

"He noted that "it is necessary to forget the sad practice when the
attempts to change borders by way of military aggression and ethnic
cleansing were taken", said Ibrahim.

At the same time, spokesman for Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry noted
that it is necessary to look to the future and settle the problem on
the basis of norms of international law and through the reasonable
analysis and today it is impossible to act by methods of the past
for some reasons.

He considers that external is among the reasons, as the international
community does not perceive military occupation and ethnic cleansings.

"Resolutions, decisions and declarations with a demand to stop
occupation have been adopted in the framework of UN, OSCE, NATO, OIC,
CE and other formats on the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict", said he.

As for the internal reasons, Ibrahim noted that time showed that
there is no chance that Azerbaijan will accept the loss of its lands.

"Moreover, Baku’s position is becoming tougher due to the protracted
resolution of the conflict and the public does not believe too much
in the peaceful result", noted Ibrahim.

As for the social-psychological reasons, spokesman for the Foreign
Ministry noted that the Karabakh conflict has no analogues in the
history due to its out-of-war implications".

"The country-occupant turned out to be in different leagues with a
victim of occupation by its development. Therefore, it is necessary
to settle the conflict quickly in line with international norms and
general values. After the conflict is resolves it will be possible
to establish comprehensive relations between the two countries with
opening communications, economic projects and so on. The whole region
with the full-scale development, not today’s disbalance will win from
it", said Ibrahim.

NUMBER OF CRIMES HAS INCREASED
Anna Nazaryan

"Radiolur"
12.12.2008 15:05

Head of the General Department of the Criminal Investigation Department
of the Police of the Republic of Armenia, Hovhannes Tamamyan, told
a press conference today that the number of crimes committed during
11 months of the current year registered a 7.4% raise as compared to
the same period of the past year. According to him, this is connected
with the fact of registering the crimes.

Along with growing number of crimes, the number of solved cases has
decreased. Hovhannes Tamamyan also gave clarifications on the cases
of March 1st.

NEXT MEETING OF AZERBAIJANI AND ARMENIAN PRESIDENTS MIGHT TAKE PLACE IN EARLY 2009

Today.Az
9532.html
Dec 12 2008
Azerbaijan

The next round of talks between the Presidents of Azerbaijan and
Armenia on the resolution of the Karabakh problem might be held
in early 2009, said chief of department of external ties of the
presidential administration of Azerbaijan Novruz Mamedov, according
to Interfax-Azerbaijan.

"It seems to me that the next meeting of the presidents might be held
in early next year", noted Mamedov.

He said the world community is interested in the resolution of the
Karabakh conflict in the framework of the territorial integrity
of Azerbaijan.

"On the whole, in the result of intensification of regional processes
and world community, Russia, Turkey, the United States, EU and
other international organizations – all of them are interested in
the resolution of the conflict in the framework of the territorial
integrity of Azerbaijan and Baku’s position in this direction has
consolidated.

Therefore, I consider that the resolution, adopted by each
international organization in this direction, must help us", noted
the representative of the presidential administration.

As for Russia’s role in the resolution of the conflict, Mamedov
noted that he does not consider that Moscow has occupied an opposite
position in the resolution of the Karabakh conflict in the framework
of the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.

"I think Russia attaches greater importance to the resolution of this
conflict in the framework of the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan
and norms of international law", noted Mamedov.

DURING MARCH 1-2 EVENTS, SNIPER SHOT ONCE BY ORDER OF FORMER COMMANDER OF POLICE TROOPS

Noyan Tapan

Dec 12, 2008

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 12, NOYAN TAPAN. The chairman of the RA National
Assembly Ad Hoc Committee on Inquiry into March 1-2 Events
in Yerevan and their Causes, secretary of "RPA" faction Samvel
Nikoyan has returned some of the documents given to the Committee
by the prosecutor’s office to the investigation group on the March 1
case. These documents establish the identity of the sniper included in
the police troops during the March 1-2 events. The chief investigator
for especially important cases of the RA Special Investigation Service,
head of the investigation group on the March 1 case Vahagn Harutyunian
applied to the Committee with the request to limit information on the
identity of that sniper and prevent further publication, S. Nikoyan
said at the December 12 sitting of the Committee.

According to S. Nikoyan, he again requested the U.S. embassy in
Armenia to help make an expert examination (at some international
expert examination center) of the discovered "Cheryomukha 7" capsules
which caused deaths and 4 KS-23 guns, from which these capsules were
shot. The purpose is to solve the problem of individual identification
of Cheryomukha’s use. This issue is important because out of the 8
civilians who died during the March 1 events, 3 died from Cheryomukha,
one person died from a blow by a blunt object, and another 4 persons
died from gunshot wounds.

The Committee’s chairman also said that the day before some members of
the Committee had had a working meeting with the former commander of
the police troops, Lieutenent General Grigor Grigorian, as a result of
which it was decided to ensure a closed-door hearing of G. Grigorian’s
explanations about the actions of the police troops – at the December
12 sitting. It was mentioned that by inviting a closed sitting,
the Committee complied with the request of G. Grigorian. S. Nikoyan
noted that G. Grigorian is the first former official who respected
the Committee’s request and came to its sitting.

During a press conference following the sitting, the members of the
Committee informed journalists about the explanations that G. Grigorian
had given at the sitting. It was mentioned that the weapons used by
police on March 1 were immediately seized and subjected to ballistic
examination, and so far there has been no fact that a person died
from these weapons. It was stated that the police troops used such
special anti-riot weapons as "Zarya" with a sound and light effect and
"Cheryomukha 7" gas, as well as fire-arms.

In the words of G. Grigorian, he had an impression that the attacks of
demonstrators on police troops had an organized rather than spontaneous
character, despite the attemps to present the attacks in this way.

Demonstrators used combat grenades, fire-arms which were, however,
used to frighten rather than kill policemen as they would fire into
the air, also "hedgehogs", and "Zarya" special weapon.

According to G. Grigorian, the police had 10 special weapons,
6 of which were used in Grigor Lusavorich Avenue, while 4
weapons at Monument to A. Myasnikian that had not been used were
returned. However, by G. Grigorian’s estimates, over 20 such special
weapons were used in the given area which makes one conclude that
demonstrators also had special weapons in their arsenal. He also
assured the Committee that the sniper fired only one shot, and all
the time he was standing beside him. The only shot of the sniper
was fired by order of G. Grigorian with the aim of neutralizing the
demonstrator who had fired at serviceman Tigran Abgarian.

GEORGI PIRINSKI MET WITH ARMENIAN PRESIDENT SERGE SARKISIAN

Focus News
Dec 10 2008
Bulgaria

Sofia. The Speaker of the Bulgarian Parliament Georgi Pirinski met
today with the President of Armenia Serge Sarkisian, who is on a formal
visit to Bulgaria, the press office of the Parliament announced. The
two expressed their satisfaction with the development of the bilateral
relations, the intensive dialog between institutions and outlined
that there is a ground for further cooperation in all areas.

RUGS WILL NOT RAISE ROLE OF NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

Lragir.am
15:53:08 – 11/12/2008

There is one way of raising the role of the National Assembly – free
and fair elections, stated Member of Parliament Victor Dallakyan at
the National Press Club on December 11 in answer to the question of
reporters if the speaker of the National Assembly Hovik Abrahamyan
has managed to raise the role and importance of the National Assembly
by which reason his becoming speaker was explained.

Victor Dallakyan said by replacing the old rugs of the National
Assembly or appointing one of the deputy speakers of the National
Assembly responsible of New Year celebrations the role of the
parliament will not rise. According to Dallakyan, the role of the
parliament will rise through free and fair elections, and the present
parliament does not reflect the wishes of the Armenian people and
the real political palette.

EDWARD NALBANDIAN: "ARMENIA AND TURKEY ARE INTERESTED IN ESTABLISHMENT OF DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS AND REOPENING BORDERS"

Azeri Press Agency
Dec 10, 2008
Azerbaijan

Brussels-APA. Belgium Royal Institute for International Relations
discusses Nagorno Karabakh conflict and Turkey-Armenia relations,
APA reports quoting Armenian News

Francois De Donnea, Belgian Minister of State, Peter Semneby,
EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus, Robert Simmons,
NATO’s first ever Special Representative for the Caucasus and Central
Asia, members of Senate and Parliament of Belgium, representatives of
diplomatic missions in this country, state bodies, scientific centers,
universities, analysts and journalists attended the debates.

Armenian foreign minister Edward Nalbandian addressing the event
charged Azerbaijan with delay of settlement process of Nagorno
Karabakh conflict. Nalbandian touching upon Turkey-Armenia relations
underlined that both of countries were interested in establishment of
diplomatic relations and reopening borders and accepted settlement of
the relations without any terms. Nalbandian highly assessing meetings
with his Turkish counterpart Ali Babacan mentioned that they were
coordinated to continue such meetings.

THE THIEF CRIES, "CATCH THE THIEF"
Vrezh Aharonyan

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

What is Seda Safaryan’s mission?

By proposing lawyer Seda Safaryan’s candidacy for the fact-finding
group, the radical activists knew from the very start that they were
grossly violating the laws. They did know about it and nevertheless
made that step.

Moreover, bringing to light the factor of Tovmas Poghosyan, a lawyer
who was involved in the fact-finding group by the coalition, they
made a "shocking disclosure". In the person of David Shahnazaryan,
they announced, "You know, Gevorg Tovmasyan’s presence in the fact
finding-group is a violation, as this person is a representative of
the ruling coalition."

Before touching upon the "shocking disclosure", let’s note that apart
from being a gross violation, the membership of Stepan Safaryan’s
sister in the fact-finding group may impede the further inquest of the
"March 1" case.

Who is lawyer Seda Safaryan, and what role is vested in her?

First, Seda Safaryan is one of the lawyers who has assumed the
duty of defending different individuals accused of the March 1
disorders. That’s to say, she is an interested party.

It has been announced many a time that the group of lawyers (consisting
of 4-5 people) dealing with the "case of 70 is not the only one. There
are also some "supporting lawyers", so to say. Although, these
people are not going to act in defense of the culprits, they will,
as a matter of fact, do the same thing "stealthily", by "supporting"
the defendants, as they say.

We have reliable information that Seda Safaryan is among the
individuals who are involved in the group of the "supporting
lawyers". That’s to say, she is actually acting in support of the
interests of the accused. So, what is Seda Safaryan’s mission in the
fact-finding group?

Just see. She is, on the one hand, a member of the "support group"
dealing with the "case of 7", and on the other hand, being a involved
in the fact-finding group, she is required to know what data the
inquest body has with regard to other criminal cases concerning
those individuals. Naturally, she will submit those materials to the
support group dealing with the "case of 7" (and there is no other
way of acting in support of these individuals).

This is an obvious violation. The problem here does not only consist
in Seda Safaryan’s being an interested party from the very start,
but also in the fact that being a lawyer and defending the interests
of the accused, she possesses certain data that may impede the further
inquest of the "March 1" case. And it s no secret that some people are
now being searched, and the inquest body has many a time announced
that certain steps still have to be undertaken towards finding the
culprits."

There were also people who died as a result of firearm injuries and
people who, despite having received bodily damages, escaped from the
healthcare institutions, so it is now necessary to find them. After
all, the inquest body possesses some information on the individuals who
used arms. By the way, all these data are not published, considering
the confidentiality of the inquest.

And it is not absolutely difficult to imagine Seda Safaryan making
haste to tell the ‘congressmen’ about everything she knows. As to what
the Armenian National Congress can do, it is quite easy to imagine it
based on the preliminary information we have. Especially, considering
the fact that the latter pursued certain goals in proposing Seda
Safaryan’s candidacy for the fact-finding group.

And what’s more, they realized from the outset that there would sooner
or later be certain problems with regard to S. Safaryan’s candidacy.

They realized it and that’s why, decided to launch the attack first,
by inventing certain ‘disclosures’."

And it is not accidental that the Armenian National Congress is just
now touching upon the information posted on the Web site of the General
Prosecutor’s Office back in Ma rch (in particular, he is reported to
be conducting direct control over the legality of the inquest of the
"March 1" case and directing the court proceedings). What’s more,
the Congress is doing that by publicizing pompous headlines such us
"Congress Submits Successive Shocking Document", "What has Congress
Disclosed?", "D. Shahnazaryan Discloses the Successive Disclosure of
Congress" etc.

Oh, boy! How can the information posted on the Web site of a state
agency back in March be a disclosure for the Armenian National
Congress? If that’s true, they can make similar disclosures every
day. All they have to do is just to visit the Web site of the General
Prosecutor’s Office at

And in general, the opposition is doing whatever it wants to. And
that’s quite right. It is, actually, violating the terms of the
agreement and announcing that the coalition is breaching the law. The
latter did not raise Seda Safaryan’s question in proper time; it
didn’t say, ‘Dear friends, you don’t have the right to propose an
interested party as a member of the fact-finding group.’

It didn’t say so and remained silent, and now the Armenian National
Congress can also accuse the coalition of representing the well-known
truths as disclosures.

THE PRESIDENT’S DECREE ON AMNESTY

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

And The Swamp Of The Snipes

The Press Secretary of the President S. Farmanyan informed us
yesterday: "According to the December 3 decree signed by President
Serge Sargsyan, three convicts Edward Garnik Ashughyan, Arman
Khachatur Margaryan and Arthur Suren Nazaryan, sentenced to 3-3,5
years imprisonment, for the participation in the March 1 disorder in
Yerevan and showing resistance to the police and other violent actions,
were granted amnesty.

Before taking the decision of granting amnesty, the President took
into account the request for amnesty addressed to the President by
the before mentioned three convicts, the fact that these people have
not been convicted before and many other circumstances linked with
their families.

The President has always been ready to observe the request for
amnesty. And even at present there are no changes in his approach
towards this issue."

Of course the before mentioned will be interpreted by the
neo-Bolsheviks as a consequence of the pressure by international
organizations and European officials.

But it is quite clear that neither the international organizations nor
the European officials have anything to do with this issue. Because
they didn’t ask Edward Garnik Ashughyan, Arman Khachatur Margaryan
and Arthur Suren Nazaryan, to address this letter of request to the
President. So the speculations here are absolutely not proper.

The radicals will always be dissatisfied with all the actions of
the ruling power. What they think is that the more detained, the
better. That is why they raise hullabaloo regarding any issue. Like
the snipes living in the swamp always disapproved of the surrounding,
but after the improvement of the lands they raise uproar. The snipes
can’t help raising uproar. This is their quality. People can think
that they are really disapproved of the swamps. But it is far not
like that, because the snipes understand that their existence is
impossible without swamps.

Thus any person that makes infringement towards the swamp is an enemy.

EU REACHES AIR SERVICES ‘BREAKTHROUGH’ WITH CANADA, INKS ACCORDS WITH ARMENIA, ISRAEL
by Aaron Karp

ATWOnline
Dec 10 2008
MD

The EU yesterday announced a far-reaching air services agreement
with Canada that includes reciprocal investment and signed new air
services accords with Armenia and Israel.

A European Commission statement hailed "a breakthrough in the EU-Canada
negotiations. . .[that] both completes the transatlantic market
started with the EU-US first stage aviation agreement and goes well
beyond it." Under terms of the agreement expected to be signed soon,
all EU airlines will be able to operate direct flights to Canada from
anywhere in Europe and all restrictions on routes, prices or weekly
flight numbers between Canada and the EU will be eliminated.

"Other traffic rights will be liberalized gradually in parallel with
the opening up of investment opportunities," the EC said, adding, "EU
nationals will be able to establish operations in Canada and freely
invest in Canadian airlines and vice versa." VP and Commissioner
for Transport Antonio Tajani called the accord "groundbreaking in
the aviation world as the agreement includes all possible aspects
of aviation, including investment." Air Canada commented that it
will open "a realm of new commercial opportunities. . .in Canada’s
second-largest travel market after the US."

The agreement signed with Armenia will allow all European airlines
to fly between Armenia and any EU state. The pact signed with Israel
"will remove nationality restrictions. . .[allowing] any EU airline
to operate flights between any EU member state and Israel where
a bilateral agreement with Israel exists and traffic rights are
available," the EC said.