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KRAMER MET WITH PROTESTERS

AZG Armenian Daily
26/06/2008

US-Armenia

On the occasion of the U.S. Assistant Secretary for Democracy,
Human Rights and Labor David Kramer’s visit to Armenia partisans of
opposition staged a protest action near the US Embassy of Armenia on
June 24.

They were demanding from the American official to exhort the Armenian
authorities to release the political figures imprisoned in connection
with March 1 incidents, the liberator-fighters and the Editor-in-chief
of "Jamanak Yerevan" newspaper Arman Babajanian.

David Kramer met with the protesters and took their letter. "Each of
you has the right to raise a protest even near the US Embassy. I have
arrived in Armenia to see how the events develop here, and I cherish
the hope that Armenia will return to its democratic way. The task of
the USA is not to be with this or that side. We aim at establishing
strong democracy in Armenia", he said.

AZERBAIJAN SHOWS OFF MILITARY MIGHT TO FOE ARMENIA
Afet Mehtiyeva

Reuters
June 26 2008
UK

BAKU, June 26 (Reuters) – Ex-Soviet Azerbaijan staged its first
military parade in 16 years on Thursday in a show of strength
aimed partly at Armenia, its neighbour with which it is locked in a
territorial dispute.

Armenian forces took control of the Nagorno-Karabakh region,
internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan, in a war in the
1990s. Azerbaijan says it reserves the right to restore its control
by force if peace talks fail.

A resumption of hostilities could disrupt oil supplies from Azerbaijan,
which exports about 700,000 barrels of oil a day to world markets,
most of it via a pipeline operated by a BP-led (BP.L: Quote, Profile,
Research, Stock Buzz) international consortium.

Troops, multiple rocket launch systems, armoured personnel carriers,
tanks and unmanned reconnaissance planes were paraded in front of
the Soviet-built government headquarters in the capital Baku, watched
over by President Ilham Aliyev.

Attack helicopters, bombers and fighter jets later flew in formation
past the building on the shores of the Caspian Sea, in a parade that
lasted over an hour.

Much of the equipment on show was Soviet-designed but there was also
Western gear and troops were fitted out in NATO-style uniforms —
part of a modernisation of the armed forces funded with a ten-fold
rise in defence spending since 2003.

"The international community is worried by our policy in this area
and places the emphasis on this," Aliyev, who succeeded his father
as president in a 2003 election, said in a speech at the parade.

"But Azerbaijan continues to live in a state of war and is trying to
resolve the Karabakh issue," he said. "We are continuing negotiations
with Armenia, but they have been going on for a very long time and
the people are tired of them. They cannot go on for ever."

The war over Nagorno-Karabakh killed about 35,000 people and forced
over a million to leave their homes. Many of them are still living
as refugees.

The region, and several Azeri districts around it, are now run by
ethnic Armenian separatists with support from Armenia. No state
recognises Nagorno-Karabakh’s split from Azerbaijan.

Though a fragile ceasefire is in force, the two sides have never signed
a peace deal to formally end the war, and their armies are locked in
a tense stand-off. Soldiers are frequently killed in skirmishes.

Talks mediated by envoys from France, Russia and the United States
have failed to produce a peace agreement.

Aliyev said at the parade Azerbaijan’s annual defence spending was
now $2 billion. He said the increase was in line with an overall
growth in state spending in Azerbaijan, which has one of the world’s
fastest-growing economies.

Zardusht Alizade, a political analyst with ties to Azerbaijan’s
opposition, said the government’s threats to use force against Armenian
forces were not credible.

"The authorities have no intention of liberating Nagorno-Karabakh,"
he told Reuters. "If they had, their current internal and domestic
policies would be different."

KARABAKH SETTLEMENT MUST TAKE CURRENT REALITY INTO ACCOUNT – SARGSYAN

Interfax News Agency
June 25 2008
Russia

Armenia advocates a settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict with
due account taken of the current realities, Armenian President Serzh
Sargsyan said while in Moscow on an official visit.

"The conflict cannot be settled if the Nagorno Karabakh Republic’s
current de-facto state independence status is lowered," Sargsyan told
Russian mass media executives in Moscow on Tuesday evening.

Nagorno Karabakh has never been part of Azerbaijan, "because the
decision on this issue was made by party bodies, not by state
agencies," he said.

"Nagorno Karabakh has today all attributes of a state," he also said.

Sargsyan highly appraised the outcome of his recent talks with Azeri
President Ilham Aliyev at the Commonwealth of Independent States’
informal summit in St.Petersburg.

"The conflict can be settled if based on consensus and compromise,"
the Armenian president said.

Sargsyan spoke at length about relations with Armenia’s other neighbor
Turkey.

Ankara continues the blockade of Armenia, motivating it by Armenia’s
demand to condemn the genocide of Armenia in the early 20th century
now, and by its support for Azerbaijan then. "The latter is more
realistic," he said.

While commenting on the idea to set up a commission on the genocide,
Sargsyan said that it could be formed after the borders have been
opened and diplomatic relations established. "We would be happy to
see Turkey a country complying with European standards," the Armenian
president said.

INTERNATIONAL YOUTH CHESS TOURNAMENT TO BE HELD IN JERMUK ON INITIATIVE OF CHESS ACADEMY OF ARMENIA

NOYAN TAPAN

JU NE 25

An International Youth Chess Tournament will be held between June
26 to July 6 for the third year in the resort city of Jermuk,
on the initiative of the Chess Academy of Armenia (Chairman Smbat
Lputian). The contest order is Swiss, the tournament consists of 9
tours, the participants will represent 5 age groups. Besides chess
players of Armenia, those from Russia, Georgia, and Iran will take
part in the tournament.

After the end of Jermuk Tournament, on July 10-20, a traditional
International Tournament under the title Lake Sevan will be held
in Martuni.

Ten strongest grand masters will take part in it. The prize fund is
6000 USD in drams. The winner will receive 2000 USD.

INVESTIGATION COMMITTEE SENDS ANTI-CORRUPTION PLAN TO RUSSIAN PRESIDENT

RIA Novosti
June 25
MOSCOW

The Investigations Committee of the Russian Prosecutor General’s Office
has submitted a blueprint for countering corruption to a presidential
anti-corruption working group, a committee spokesman said on Wednesday.

"The blueprint outlines… the general principles of government policy
in countering corruption… domestic and international experience
in fighting corruption, and mechanisms for its implementation,"
said Vladimir Markin.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, a former lawyer, has made the
fight against corruption one of his main goals since taking office
in early May.

He has headed a new anti-corruption council and has also given
instructions to draw up a national action plan to counter corruption.

Markin said Russian legislation still lacked a clear-cut definition of
corruption and should therefore be brought in line with international
legal practice and the provisions of those international treaties
and conventions that Russia had signed.

"To achieve these goals, the blueprint provides for an array
of measures designed to enhance the ‘transparency’ of executive
agencies… and take effective action as regards citizens’ complaints,"
he said.

The committee also proposes a system of incentives and safeguards for
individuals who have provided reliable information about corruption,
as well as mechanisms ‘stimulating anti-corruption behavior’ among
civil servants.

GROWING DEFENSE EXPENDITURES RESULT FROM AZERI DEVELOPMENT – DIPLOMAT

Interfax News Agency
June 24 2008
Russia

The regular enlargement of defense expenditures is not a goal in
itself but a trend reflecting the general development of Azerbaijan,
Foreign Ministry spokesman Khazar Ibrahim told a Monday press briefing.

"Azerbaijan is not only developing its military might, as this is
not the main goal of the country, we are developing all spheres,
including economics, politics and defense," he said.

The spokesman was commenting on a recent statement by U.S.

Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Fried, who said that Azerbaijan
should quit military rhetoric in the Karabakh conflict because the
possible resumption of combat in that region would be harmful for
everyone.

Ibrahim said that Azerbaijan would use the advantages of its
comprehensive development for the soonest resolution of the Karabakh
conflict.

"Azerbaijan has achieved the highest rates of growth in its region,
which naturally has an effect on various development aspects, among
them the military might. These measures are targeted for the soonest
release of the occupied lands," he said.

AZERI RULING PARTY PROTESTS US CONGRESSMEN OVER KARABAKH

Azeri Press Agency
June 24 2008
Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan’s ruling party has accused a group of US congressmen of
failing to give an "objective assessment" of the Nagornyy Karabakh
conflict during hearings on 19-20 June, APA news agency reported.

The New Azerbaijan Party (NAP) said in a protest letter that statements
by the congressmen Howard Berman, Joe Knollenberg, Brad Sherman, Adam
Schiff, Frank Pallone have "angered Azerbaijani society" as well as
the ruling party.

"We are sure that you and the congressmen who made these statements are
aware of the UN Security Council resolutions about the conflict," read
the letter carried by APA. "You know that 20 per cent of Azerbaijan’s
territory has been occupied as a result of the Armenian aggression,
and over 1m people have been displaced."

The NAP said that Armenia has excluded itself from all regional
projects by its ongoing occupation of Azerbaijani territories.

"If you protest any blockade, you should first protest Armenia. This
would be more correct and more logical," the letter read.

LEVON ARONIAN TAKES 12TH PLACE IN INTERNATIONAL CHESS FEDERATION CLASSIFICATION LIST

NOYAN TAPAN

JU NE 24

On June 21 the International Chess Federation made public the
classification table of chess players having higher than 2700
rating. Vishwanathan Anand (India, 2798 showing) is in the lead of
the classification list. He is followed by Alexander Morozevich and
Vladimir Kramnik (both from Russia, 2788 showing). Vasili Ivanchuk
(the Ukraine) takes third place with 2781 showing, Levon Aronian
(Armenia) takes 12th (2737) and Sergei Movsisian (Slovakia) 16th
place with 2723 showing.

TWO ARMENIANS DETAINED IN GEORGIA

A1+
24 June, 2008

It is already 15 days since RA residents of Deghdzavan Village Yura
Hovhannissian and Saribek Balian were detained in Georgia. The thing
is that the two residents had accidentally crossed the boundary line
and found themselves in the territory of Georgia while they were in
search of their lost cow.

According to the Governor of the village Rubik Hovhannissian the two
trespassers are each to pay 5.000 laries to the Georgian Government
otherwise they will be imprisoned for 2-5 years.

In order to help his countryman the Governor of Deghdzavan has paid
4000 laries to hire a lawyer in Georgia. He also turned to the Armenian
Embassy in Tbilisi but there has been no reply yet.

KARABAKH ANALYST: ‘AZERBAIJANI PROPAGANDA BECAME IMPUDENT AGAINST THE IMPUNITY’

ArmInfo
2008-06-24 12:53:00

‘Shifting its own blame on the Karabakh party, Baku not only tries to
escape responsibility for the crimes it committed but also to besmirch
us disorienting the world community>, Karabakh analyst David Karabekyan
told ArmInfo. He said that Azerbaijan tries to groundlessly blame
Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh for all the incidents in the conflict zone
– from fires in the fields to the death of peoples on the front line,
"while Karabakh party has multiply put forward initiatives on holding
joint events with participation of international organizations and
representatives of the conflict parties to investigate the reasons
of incidents, develop and apply a complex of preventive measures ,
hold monitoring, etc.", D. Karabekyan said. He also said that the
"international and regional organizations either view such steps as
actions aimed at escalation of the tension in the conflict zone and
decrease the level of trust or consider the campaign on blackmail and
discredit of Armenia and NKR as acceptable measures of the Azerbaijani
authorities’ propagandistic fight, especially against the forthcoming
October 2008 presidential election in Azerbaijan".