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LIBERATED TERRITORIES SHOULD BE PLACED TO NAGORNO KARABAKH’S CONTROL:
NEW TIMES LEADER

YEREVAN, MARCH 18. ARMINFO. The Karabakh peace process should place
the liberated territories under Karabakh’s control and should discuss
both their and Karabakhs status, the leader of the New Times party
Aram Karapetyan at a conference held by the Justice opposition bloc
today.

The present Armenian authorities have no resources to settle the
Karabakh conflict favorably for the Armenian side. There has been
nothing but empty talk and fruitless meeting since the conclusion of
the truce 10 years ago, says Karapetyan.

The chairman of the political council of the Republic party Albert
Bazeyan said that the Karabakh conflict can be settled only by peace
talks. Military settlement has no prospects. The conflicting parties
should realize that the conflict can be settled through compromises
only. It is for the Karabakh people to decide what compromise the
Armenia party should make. Armenia’s development is a guarantee to any
agreements and compromises by Karabakh – and so Armenia needs restored
constitutional order and democracy.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Kommersant, Russia
March 18 2005

The Independent Cling to the Unrecognized

Moscow wants to strengthen ties with the CIS at the expense of the CIS

Georgian State Minister for Conflict Resolution Georgy Khaindrava
expressed alarm on Thursday over the meeting of the leaders of
Abkhazia, South Ossetia and Nagorny Karabakh that took place in
Moscow the day before, saying it `will not bring Russia and Georgia
closer.’ The meeting will have impact beyond Georgia. It indicates
that the Kremlin is implementing its plan to defend its interests in
the former Soviet Union. The main blow will be directed against
GUUAM, an organization that, with Western help, seeks to be an
alternative to the CIS, which is dominated by Russia.

Khaindrava was in Moscow while the meting of the leaders of the
unrecognized republics took place. He was taking part in a meeting of
the cochairmen of the Mixed Control Commission. On Thursday, after
two days of negotiations, Khaindrava was in high spirits and
characterized Russia’s role in settling the conflicts with the
breakaway republics as `constructive.’

Khaindrava even suggested that the long-awaited agreement on
friendship and cooperation between Moscow and Tbilisi might be signed
soon. He also mentions two impediments to the agreement that still
remain: Moscow’s support for North Ossetia and Abkhazia and the
Russian military bases remaining in Georgia. Khaindrava’s optimism is
not misplaced, however. Russia has almost convinced Georgia that its
bases will be gone by 2008. The foundation of a joint antiterrorism
center will allow Russia to retain some military presence in Georgia.
Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili’s only complaint is that he
wants the Russian withdrawal to be completed by 2007, before the 2008
elections.

Russia and Georgia are far from agreement on the issue of the
breakaway republic, however. Georgia’s cautious reaction to the
meeting of the Abkhazian, South Ossetian and Nagorny Karabakh leaders
suggests that Tbilisi does not yet suspect Moscow’s plans.

Settling the problem of the rebellious autonomies was one of the
Saakashvili’s main pre-election promises. So far, he has succeeded
only in Ajaria, which had never declared its independence. In Moscow,
as well as Tskhinvali and Sukhumi, they are concerned that he may
sanction the use of force there. They say it may happen even this
summer. It seems that Moscow has decided to take preventive measures.
Sources in the breakaway republics their leaders may have a new plan,
to set up a single government with Georgia on the principles of
federalism and equality, such as exists in Serbia and Montenegro.
Tbilisi has no such thing in mind, however. The timing for the plan
is not good either. Montenegro announced it intentions to separate
from Serbia a few weeks ago. Moscow seems to be counting on its
success, however. It is important to it that the settlement process
it is sponsoring be perceived as progressing. The proposal ideally
should soften Tbilisi’s tone in the negotiations.

This is not the end of Kremlin’s foreign policy plans.

There have been ever growing doubts about Moscow’s foreign policy in
recent years. Moscow explains its setbacks in former Soviet countries
as the result of increasing Western influence in an area that had
been considered exclusively Moscow’s sphere of influence and sees the
goal of breaking up the CIS behind it all. The parliamentary
elections in Moldova, where the side supported by Moscow again lost,
showed that the tendency is becoming stronger. Meanwhile, Ukraine and
Georgia have declared a strategic partnership and drawn Moldova into
it as well.

The leaders if the Tbilisi-Chisinau-Kiev axis will try to draw in
still more CIS states. Even though Moscow managed to sow the seeds of
dissent in the GUUAM organization, founded in the late 1990s with
Georgia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan and Moldova, the idea of a
bright future without Russia remains alive. So Russia is acting more
decisively. The obvious weak spot in GUUAM is Uzbekistan. Its leader,
Islam Karimov, although he plays up to the West, is authoritarian and
not likely to become close to democratic revolutionaries Viktor
Yushchenko and Saakashvili. Karimov will be reminded of that when he
visits Moscow at the end of the month as well.

Russia has ways of influencing the other GUUAM members too. The
presence of Nogorny Karabakh President Arkady Gukasyan at the meeting
of the leaders of the Georgian breakaway leaders is a message to
Azerbaijan (Nagorny Karabakh is claimed by that country), where a
united opposition is preparing for parliamentary elections this fall.
Transdniestrian leader Igor Smirnov was unable to attend Wednesday’s
meeting, but he will be present at a similar meeting in April.

by Alexander Reutov

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Leader of Russia’s Azeri community survives gun attack on his car

RIA news agency
18 Mar 05

MOSCOW

A car carrying the president of the Azeri Cultural Federation in
Russia, Soyun Sadykov, came under automatic weapons fire outside house
No 15 on Khavskaya Ulitsa [street] in Moscow on Friday morning [18
March]. The press service of the Moscow prosecutor’s office has
informed RIA-Novosti of this.

Sadykov was not hurt, but Mikhail Zuyev, who was with him in the
Volkswagen car, received gunshot wounds in the shoulder and head. He
was taken to hospital.

The prosecutor’s office of Moscow’s southern administrative district
has instituted criminal proceedings under articles 30 (“conspiracy to
commit a crime”) and 105 (“murder”) of the Criminal Code of the
Russian Federation.

An investigation is under way and a search for the criminals has been
launched, the prosecutor’s office said.

For its part, the Azeri Cultural Federation expressed profound
indignation at the attempt to kill Sadykov.

“Sadykov has done his utmost to preserve and develop stable relations
between Russia and Azerbaijan and their peoples. He is well known as a
patron of the arts and a man who does a lot of charity work,” says a
statement from the federation which has been received by RIA-Novosti.

[A report by ITAR-TASS news agency, 1251 gmt 18 Mar 04, said Sadykov
was also chairman of the board of the international charitable
foundation Karabakh which assists Azeri refugees from Nagornyy
Karabakh. In the past he had been champion of the USSR for sambo
wrestling – which may account for the speed with which he took evasive
action when the car came under fire.

The same report identified Mikhail Zuyev as Sadykov’s driver.]

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Breakaway region interested in joining Russian Federation – Abkhaz leader

Interfax news agency
18 Mar 05

MOSCOW

The president of Abkhazia [a Georgian republic], Sergey Bagapsh, has
said that the issue of Abkhazia’s possible associated membership in
the Russian Federation remains on the agenda.

“This is a topical issue. It remains on the agenda and we will conduct
a dialogue, including here, in the parliament (of Russia – Interfax),
so that the issue gets a follow-up. It will not be stopped,” Bagapsh
told journalists when answering a question from Interfax.

In the State Duma today Bagapsh met the Duma deputy chairman, Sergey
Baburin, of the Motherland faction.

He said at a news conference after the meeting that the present
leadership of Abkhazia was interested in the issue of association with
Russia raised by the previous leadership of the republic. Bagapsh also
told Interfax that the issue of establishing a body for coordinating
cooperation between self-proclaimed republics and autonomous areas,
including Abkhazia, [Moldova’s] Dniester region, [Georgia’s] South
Ossetia and [Azerbaijan’s] Nagornyy Karabakh, was “being considered
practically”.

Bagapsh said that the recent meeting of the leaders of South Ossetia,
the Dniester region and Abkhazia was “impromptu”. “There will be an
official meeting. We will discuss the state of affairs,” he added.

The present news on South Ossetia and the Dniester region is causing
concern, Bagapsh said. “This is about a possible deterioration of the
conflicts (between Tbilisi and Tskhinvali, and between Chisinau and
Tiraspol – Interfax) in the spring-summer period,” he said.

“If someone is quite keen to unleash another conflict, we will try to
prevent this happening, using diplomatic measures for the time
being. If not, we will provide comprehensive support in this area,”
Bagapsh said.

He said he was primarily referring to “areas” such as South Ossetia
and the Dniester region. But “Abkhazia is also a possibility”, he
added.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ANSA Notiziario Generale in Italiano
March 18, 2005

RAITRE: IL GENOCIDIO DEGLI ARMENI TRA I TEMI DI ‘LEVANTE’

ROMA

(ANSA) – ROMA, 18 MAR – Nuovo appuntamento con ‘Levante’, la
rubrica settimanale della TGR in onda domani alle 11.30 su
Raitre. In questo numero: ‘Tabu’ Armenia’, di Costantino
Foschini. Svolta storica in Turchia: governo ed opposizione
mettono a disposizione degli studiosi di tutto il mondo gli
archivi sul genocidio degli armeni, finora sempre negato dalle
autorita’ di Ankara. Inoltre ‘Danubio Italia’, di Tito Manlio
Altomare. Dalla fine dell’800 nel delta del Danubio, in Romania,
vivono centinaia di famiglie italiane. ‘Montenegro in corsia’,
di Anna Rosa Macri’. Arrivano dal Montenegro le infermiere che
sono indispensabili per colmare i vuoti di organico negli
ospedali italiani. ‘Carmen gitana’, di Enzo Ragone. Goran
Bregovic racconta la sua Carmen. La prima vera opera zingara,
meta’ film, meta’ festa campestre, dove i dialoghi sono
registrati e la musica e’ dal vivo, come ai tempi del cinema
muto.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIAN PRODUCTION EXHIBITION TO BE HELD IN TBILISI IN LATE APRIL

YEREVAN, MARCH 18, NOYAN TAPAN. The first exhibition of the Armenian
goods and services, “Armenia Today Expo 2005”, will be held in Tbilisi
on April 21-23. It is organized with the support of the RA Ministry
of Trade and Economic Development, the RA Foreign Ministry and the
Union of Manufacturers and Businessmen. The exhibition will display
the main branches of Armenia’s economy – machine-tool construction,
stone working, chemical industry, electronics, electrotechnology,
production of foodstuffs, drinks, jewelry, building materials, paints
and lacquers, as well as tourism and passenger and cargo transportation.

The purpose of the exhibition is to increase exports of the Armenian
production, to establish a practical mutually beneficial cooperation
with Georgian businessmen and develop the already existing relations,
to strengthen the ties with the Armenian community of Georgia. NT was
informed from the Logos Expo Center that up to now 38 organizations
have submitted bids for participating in the exhibition.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ACADEMICIAN RAFAEL GHAZARIAN CONSIDERS NECESSARY PRESIDEN’T IMMEDIATE
RESIGNATION

YEREVAN, MARCH 18, NOYAN TAPAN. “President Robert Kocharian who
established the eastern dictatorship in the country poses the greatest
danger for the favorable solution of the Karabakh conflict,” Rafael
Ghazarian, RA NAS Academician, declared at the conference organized on
March 18 by the “In Defence of NKR” committee. According to him, the
problem is in the “deficit of ligitimacy” of the President because of
which the latter is ready to make concessions both to the West and
Russia in order to retain his “shaky” position. “But neither the sale
of our entities to Russia at very low prices nor the peace-makers’
sending to Iraq will help him.” In the academician’s opinion, the West
strives for exerting pressure on the Armenian President in order to
make the latter resign. Meanwhile Rafael Ghazarian mentioned that the
same “all-powerful West that can easily remove Kocharian from his post
delays this issue for some reason, perhaps, the West wants Kocharian
to sign the document on Karabakh settlement they need, that’s why
Robert Kocharian should resign until it is not too late.” In the
opinion of Lenser Aghalovian, another Academician of RA NAS, 11 years
that passed since the establishment of the truce were quite enough in
order to solve the issue on the resettlement of territories. And such
passive attitude of authorities to this issue gives him an occasion to
draw “quite an unequivocal” conclusion that starting from 1994 the
Armenian authorities have been adhering to the policy of return of
territories.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

RA PRESIDENT GREETS PROPOSAL TO PAY MORE ATTENTION TO COOPERATION
BETWEEN ARMENIAN AND BELORUSSIAN REGIONS

YEREVAN, MARCH 18, NOYAN TAPAN. The friendly relations between
Armenia and Belorussia exert a great influence on the development of
the whole range of inter-relations. The evidence of this is also the
considerable enlivening of cooperation especially in the sphere of
economy. RA President Robert Kocharian said this during the March 18
reception of Vladimir Konoplyov, Chairman of Belorussian House of
Representatives. According to RA President’s Press Service, Vladimir
Konoplyov said that though the commodity circulation between Armenia
and Belorussia increased for three times there is still a great
potential not used yet. He proposed that more attention should be paid
to inter-regional cooperation referring to the positive experience of
the contacts established between Sunik and Minsk. President Robert
Kocharian greeted the proposal.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PanArmenian News
March 18 2005

OSCE MINSK GROUP FACT-FINDING MISSION PRESENTED ITS REPORT TO OSCE
PERMANENT COUNCIL

18.03.2005 03:58

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The OSCE Minsk Group Fact-Finding Mission has
officially presented its report on the settling the territories
adjacent to Nagorno Karabakh to the OSCE Permanent Council, IA Regnum
reports. On this occasion the Armenian Foreign Ministry issued a
statement, which says in part, `Armenia appreciates the diligent,
hard work of the Minsk Group co-chairs and the members of the
Mission. We believe that their detailed, first-hand, objective report
clearly describes the situation on the ground in the region. Armenia
is pleased that it was able to facilitate the mission. Armenia also
wishes to thank the authorities of Nagorno Karabakh for their
logistical and practical contributions to the success of the Mission.
Armenia believes that the most important accomplishment of the Fact
Finding Mission Report is that it has laid to rest Azerbaijan’s
charges.’ The Fact Finding Mission Report affirms the following: a.
`Overall settlement is quite limited.’ `There is no clear organized
resettlement, no non-voluntary resettlement, no recruitment.’ b. The
co-chairs say, `The mission did not determine that such settlement
has resulted from a deliberate policy by the government of Armenia.’
The Report says, `The Fact-Finding Mission has seen no evidence of
direct involvement by the authorities of Armenia in the territories.’
c. Those settlers who have found refuge in these territories are
primarily from regions of Azerbaijan: `The Fact-Finding Mission has
concluded that the overwhelming majority of settlers are displaced
persons from various parts of Azerbaijan, notably, from Shahumian and
Getashen – now under Azerbaijani control.’ In light of these
conclusions, we note that the total number of settlers is
insignificant given that there are over 400,000 Armenian refugees as
a result of the conflict. Without those living in Lachin, then the
total number of settlers is indeed negligible. The co-chairs have
noted that `Lachin has been treated as a separate case in previous
negotiations.’ This is because Lachin is Nagorno Karabakh’s
humanitarian and security corridor. Without it, Nagorno Karabakh
would remain an isolated enclave. It is because of Lachin’s political
and geographic reality and security dimension, that it is viewed
differently in the negotiation process. Furthermore, the co-chairs
state: `…most settlers interviewed by the Fact Finding Mission
expressed a desire to return to the areas from which they fled…’
However, their old homes, in areas which were formerly
Armenian-populated, are today under Azerbaijani control, and their
homes have been appropriated by Azerbaijanis. According to the United
Nations Economic and Social Council Committee on Economic, Social and
Cultural Rights `The Committee is concerned about the illegal
occupation by refugees and internally displaced persons of properties
belonging to Armenians and other ethnic minorities.’ Armenia, at the
request of the authorities of Nagorno Karabakh, has requested that
the OSCE Permanent Council mandate a fact-finding mission for a
similarly transparent assessment of those regions which were formerly
largely-Armenian populated, and are today under Azerbaijan’s control:
the Northern Martakert and Eastern Martuni regions of Nagorno
Karabakh, and Shahumian. This process of the Fact Finding Mission
began because Azerbaijan claimed there was intentional, massive,
coordinated settlement policy, which would harm the negotiation
process. Armenia agreed to facilitate a fact-finding mission and
Azerbaijan agreed in return not to take any action on its UN
resolution and suspend the initiative.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

AZERBAIJANIS THINK TURKEY HELPS THEM THE MOST IN KARABAKH ISSUE

Azg/arm
19 March 05

Public Polls of Region Center In Armenia and Azerbaijan

They think in Azerbaijan (1000 people) that Turkey helps them more
than other states in Karabakh issue (78%), then comes Georgia and
CE. Here, in Armenia, they think that fist of all Russia (33,8%), then
France and the OSCE Minsk group help them in Nagorno Karabakh issue.

These data are accumulated according to the public polls held in
Armenia and Azerbaijan in November and December of 2004. The poll was
carried out by Region Research Center of Investigating Journalists
with the assistance of European Committee’s offices in Armenia. And
Georgia. The Peace and Democracy Institute assisted to carry out the
poll in Azerbaijan.

Laura Baghdasarian, head of Region center represented other
interesting details of the poll to the journalists. In response to the
question what hinders the settlement of Nagorno Karabakh issue, they
said in Azerbaijan that the main reason is the behavior of the
Armenians, the fact of historical enmity, the strictness of the
Armenians’ positions, the unwillingness to make concessions. The
Armenian people also think that the main obstacle is the historical
hostility, as well as the regional contradictions that are indirectly
connected with the Azeris.

The Azeris think that the Nagorno Karabakh conflict can threat their
country most of all (76,1%). They also pointed out the corruption and
some economic issues. In Armenia the Nagorno Karabakh issue is on the
fourth place, according to the scale of the danger it bears. The
Armenian first of all pointed out corruption (75,9%), the home
political instability and economic issues.

The poll found out that both the Armenians and the Azeris think that
their countries have definitely higher chances to win the war if the
military actions in Karabakh are resumed.

The Azeris said that their first friend is Turkey and then Georgia,
Russia, Germany and the US. Armenia occupied the first place in the
list of Azerbaijan’ s enemy countries. Then come Iran, Russia and
France. In fact, the Azeris display double standards to Russia.

The Armenians think that their friends are Russia, France, Iran, the
CIS countries and the US. According to the poll, the enemies of our
state are Azerbaijan, Turkey, Georgia, the US and the Great Britain.

The Azeris treat the Armenians with scorn, anger and hatred. They
called the Armenians guileful, nationalists and aggressive.

The Armenians also feel hatred, anger and scorn towards the
Azeris. They called the Azeris guileful, malicious, insincere and
aggressive.

The news about Nagorno Karabakh settlement and Armenia cause the
indignation of the Azeris, then concern and interest. While the
Armenians treat the information on NKR settlement and Azerbaijan with
interest, first of all, then with anger and concern.

When speaking of themselves the Azeris say that they are hospitable,
kind and patient. While, the Armenians think that they are hard
working, hospitable, talented and patriotic.

By Tatoul Hakobian

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress