Author: Andres-Papazian

GATES BRINGS REASSURANCES TO AZERBAIJAN LEADER
By Craig Whitlock

Washington Post

June 7 2010
BAKU

AZERBAIJAN — This tiny country of 8 million people has two things
that command attention in Washington: lots of oil and, perhaps more
important these days, proximity to Afghanistan.

Thanks to an accident of geography, the United States relies heavily
on Azerbaijan’s railroads, ports and airspace to funnel troops,
fuel, water and other materials to the war in Afghanistan. So when
Azerbaijani officials complained recently that they were feeling a bit
taken for granted by the Obama administration, the response was swift.

On Sunday, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates arrived in Baku to meet
with Azerbaijan’s ruler, Ilham Aliyev, and reassure him that he had
friends in Washington. Carrying a personal letter from President Obama,
Gates told reporters that he wanted to dispel “concerns in Azerbaijan
that we weren’t paying enough attention to them.”

Officially, the Azerbaijanis had expressed displeasure in recent weeks
with what they said were $2 million in unpaid bills from contractors
who used Azerbaijan’s airspace to get to Afghanistan.

Unofficially, according to U.S. defense officials, the Azerbaijanis
were peeved that the Obama administration wasn’t doing more to help
settle their long-running feud with next-door neighbor Armenia over
the status of Nagorno-Karabakh, a disputed territory.

With the United States increasingly dependent on countries in the
Caucasus and Central Asia to keep supply lines to Afghanistan humming,
the Pentagon was quick to take notice. It promised that the debts
would be paid promptly and pledged that more high-level visitors from
Washington would follow Gates to Baku soon.

Of the 140,000 foreign troops in Afghanistan, only 90 are Azerbaijani.

But most of them — about 100,000 last year alone — flew over
Azerbaijan’s territory to reach or leave the war zone. Taking a more
southern route, over Iran, isn’t an option.

In addition, about one-quarter of the coalition’s nonlethal supplies
— fuel, food, construction material — go through Azerbaijan, cross
the Caspian Sea and move through Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan before
finally reaching Afghanistan.

Asked if that gave such countries outsize political leverage, Gates
replied: “Because of the multiple avenues we have developed, I don’t
think anybody in particular has us over a barrel.”

But U.S. defense officials are frequently reminded of how reliant they
have become on individual countries in the region. Last week, the
new government of Kyrgyzstan — which took power in a coup in April
— blocked fuel supplies to Manas air base, the only U.S. military
installation in Central Asia and a critical hub for troops flying to
and from Afghanistan.

The Kyrgyz government is seeking to renegotiate fuel contracts with the
U.S. military after complaining that previous deals lined the pockets
of the country’s deposed ruler, Kurmanbek Bakiyev, and his family.

Azerbaijan also has a reputation for government malfeasance. In
its annual human-rights report, the State Department noted the
“pervasive corruption” of the government; the CIA World Factbook
likewise describes corruption in the country as “ubiquitous.”

Gates said the Pentagon’s close ties to governments in the region
are not a sign that the United States is abandoning its support for
human rights and democratic values.

“We obviously have to balance our interests at the same time,” he
told reporters. “If you ask the leaders of these countries, they’d
say we have not ignored these issues.”

From: A. Papazian

REGIME CHANGE ‘TOP PRIORITY’ FOR DASHNAKS ARMENIA — ARMEN RUSTAMIAN, A LEADER OF THE ARMENIAN REVOLUTIONARY FEDERATION, UNDATED
Karine Kalantarian

07.06.2010

The Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun) on Monday
declared leadership change in Armenia a top priority but again stopped
short of demanding President Serzh Sarkisian’s immediate resignation.

In a declaration released after a congress that finished its work
at the weekend, Dashnaktsutyun’s organization in Armenia listed
“the formation of a new government” among the nationalist opposition
party’s four key aims.

The three others are “the establishment of social justice,” “defense
of civil rights,” and “the restoration of the national course.” The
latter objective implies a return to more hard-line policies on Turkey
and Azerbaijan that were pursued by former President Robert Kocharian.

Dashnaktsutyun was a key ally of Kocharian throughout his decade-long
rule. It quit the government in April 2009 in protest against President
Serzh Sarkisian’s policy of rapprochement with Turkey.

While strongly condemning that policy, the influential party, which
has branches in all major Armenian communities abroad, has been
careful not to campaign for Sarkisian’s ouster. The de facto head of
its Armenia branch, Armen Rustamian, made clear that Dashnaktsutyun
will continue to stick to that line in the months to come.

“We want to change the government by means of elections,” Rustamian
told a news conference. “That is the way to go. Regime change through
upheavals is always dangerous and harmful, especially given that
Armenia and the Armenians now faces an unfinished war.”

Still, the chairman of the Armenian parliament’s committee on foreign
relations did not rule out the possibility of pre-term presidential and
parliamentary elections sought by more radical opposition groups such
as the Armenian National Congress (HAK). “A force-majeure situation
can always arise in a country like ours, and any political force
respecting itself must always be prepared for such scenarios,” he said.

The Dashnaktsutyun statement contained a long of list of socioeconomic
and political problems facing Armenia, including include a culture
of electoral fraud, government abuse and widespread poverty.

“Today the state is not by the citizen’s side,” said Rustamian.

“Unfortunately, we have two types of states. One caters for the
interests of a minority, a privileged class, while the other has left
its citizens on their own.”

Rustamian also referred to “disgraceful” verdicts routinely handed
down by Armenian courts. “New authorities must be formed in Armenia.

These authorities are incapable of solving all these problems. This
is already a fact,” he added.

Rustamian insisted that his party is not responsible for the country’s
ills despite having been in government for eleven years.

Dashnaktsutyun never had enough powers to remedy them, he said.

Dashnaktsutyun at the same time claimed credit for what it sees as
positive changes that were effected by the Kocharian administration.

Among them are Kocharian’s “national” foreign policy, the 2006 reform
of the Armenian constitution and closer ties with the worldwide
Armenian Diaspora.

“Had Dashnaktsutyun not been a part of the government, those issues
would definitely not have been solved,” claimed Rustamian.

From: A. Papazian

AZERBAIJAN SENDS OUT NEW SIGNALS ON NAGORNO KARABAKH
Armen Hareyan HULIQ.com

HULIQ.com
June 7 2010
SC

The media in Azerbaijan is fully of the news about it’s foreign
minister’s meeting in Venice Friday with the Minsk Group co-charis who
mediate the Nagorno Karabakh conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Seems like a regular meeting and just a phase int the never-ending
negotiation process. However, this time Elmar Mammadyarov speaks of
“signals” and the media is not saying a word about the territorial
integrity.

Until now in the past few months Azerbaijan has been blaming Armenian
for not responding and not taking a clear cut position on the
Madrid Principles to resolve the Nagorno Karabakh problem. Armenia
had initially responded and said Madrid Principles are bases for
continuing negotiations. Azerbaijan itself had not fully accepted it
because it virtually leads to Nagorno Karabakh independence.

Azerbaijan looks the conflict and keeping or losing a territory.

Armenia views it from the point of view of people’s right to
self-determination.

Despite wrongly blaming Armenia for being silent on Madrid Principle,
today the foreign minister of Azerbaijan Mr. Mammadyarov admitted that
earlier this year when the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan met in
Sochi it was proposed to take a “pause” in the meetings, reports APA.

Thus, if there was a mutually agreed pause, what’s the talk about
Armenia dragging the process or not responding? Azerbaijan may want
to explain this nuance. Th co-chairs had simply suggested to the
sides to take a break in negotiations.

Now Mr. Mammadyarov talks about “common language” and “signals.” We
don’t know what he really means by that and if he is willing to go
any further to open the parenthesis, however; so far things look
promising and for the following reasons.

Today the two large online news media sources have published the press
conference of Mr. Mammadyarov and in both of them there is no word
about the threat of war and no word about the territorial integrity.

The extensive coverage of his words to the media can be read in
today’s News Azerbaijan and Trend News.

He said that he presented Azerbaijan’s position to the co-chairs of
the Minsk group (France, Russia and USA) and asked them to present
position to Armenia. “The co-chairs now will take the signals that
they have received from Azerbaijan to Armenia,” Mammadyarov said.

What are those signals? Hopefully they are positive and constructive
ones. News Azerbaijan in its coverage even lists all of the Madrid
Principles which in reality, among other things open a door for
Nagorno Karabakh’s independence as they call for a “legally binding
expression of will” of the people in Nagorno Karabakh to decide the
final status. Considering the fact that before the conflict the ration
of the Armenian and Azeri communities of Nagorno Karabakh was 80-20
respectively, it is clearly that the Armenian majority will vote for
its independence. Azerbaijan knows it.

Although, it was just very recently when the top authorities
in Azerbaijan were speaking of waving the flag of Azerbaijan in
Stepanakert as the final solution of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.

Armenia responded saying only in Stepanakert’s military museum.

If Azerbaijan understands that the Nagorno Karabakh problem is not
a land dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan, but rather peoples’
rights issue to be able to freely determine their future, then those
“signals” can be viewed as a positive state. But if Azerbaijan still
hopes to see its flag waving in the capital of Nagorno Karabakh as
the final solution, then there is no change in its position.

Hopefully things are positive. To be fair, this time Mr. Mammadyarov
speaks of “common language” that needs to be found. This entails
certain acceptance that common language means a compromise. A
reasonable concessions to reach an honorable peace. Mammadyarov also
added yesterday that “there is no alternative to finding a common
language between neighbors,” News Azerbaijan reports in the same place.

It is expected that Armenia will make a response to Azerbaijan’s
foreign minister’s announcements this week. We will just wait and
see how Armenia responds. From that response we will know what in
reality are those “signals” that Azerbaijan sent to Armenia yesterday.

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIA TO PARTICIPATE IN 31ST MEETING OF CIS ICAP

NOYAN TAPAN
JUNE 6, 2010
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, JUNE 6, NOYAN TAPAN. The 31st regular meeting of the CIS
Interstate Council for Antimonopoly Policy (ICAP) will be held in
the city of Suzdal, Russia on June 8-10. Chairman of the RA State
Commission on the Protection of Economic Competition Artak Shaboyan
will participate in the meeting.

A wide range of issues related particularly to the implementation of
the decisons taken at the ICAP’s previous meeting (held in Armenia)
and the policy on protection of consumer rights will be discussed at
the 31st meeting.

According to the press service of the RA State Commission on the
Protection of Economic Competition, at the meeting A. Shaboyan will
give a report entitled “Analysis of the Antimonopoly Policy Carried
Out in Armenia and the Proposals For Its Improvement Based on the
Best Experience of CIS Member States”.

From: A. Papazian

AZERBAIJANI LEADER RECEIVES US DEFENCE SECRETARY

news.az
June 7 2010
Azerbaijan

Aliyev receives Gates Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev received US
Defence Secretary Robert Gates yesterday.

They discussed military cooperation between Azerbaijan and the United
States, according to a report from state-run news agency AzerTAj.

Robert Gates handed the president a letter from Barack Obama.

He said that the US president was pleased to remember that Azerbaijan
was the first country he visited as a senator.

Ilham Aliyev asked the defence secretary to convey his thanks to the
US president for the letter.

Supplies for US forces in Afghanistan were expected to dominate the
defence secretary’s talks in Azerbaijan.

About a quarter of the supplies for US forces in Afghanistan pass
through Azerbaijan, according to the American Forces press service.

‘The secretary has not really had a chance to engage with them,’
Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said last week, ‘and this
is an opportunity for him to express our appreciation, and also to
figure out how we can work better together to maintain the level of
support that is now flowing through Azerbaijan.’

The Pentagon wants to make sure there are no problems that could
slow President Barack Obama’s 30,000-troop surge in Afghanistan,
Reuters commented.

Robert Gates told reporters on his plane before landing that the
trip was spurred, in part, by ‘concerns in Azerbaijan that we weren’t
paying enough attention to them’.

‘It’s important to touch base and let them know that in fact they do
play an important role in this international coalition,’ he said.

Gates will try to allay the Azerbaijan president’s concerns about
Nagorno-Karabakh, a US official told Reuters without elaborating.

Azerbaijan has criticizing the USA in recent months. Presidential
official Ali Hasanov in April accused the USA of bias on the Karabakh
conflict in favour of Armenia. He said that Azerbaijan was not
satisfied with the US role as a co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group and
said Washington was more concerned with helping Armenia economically
than with peace in the region.

His comments echoed remarks by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev
at a cabinet meeting. ‘Certainly, when our interests are ignored,
the occupation of our lands is not taken into account and attempts
are made to help the occupying country get out of its tough economic
state, the Azerbaijani community cannot accept this’, the president
said, without naming the USA.

Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili and Armenian President Serzh
Sargsyan were invited to the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington in
April, but Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev was not. US Secretary
of State Hillary Clinton said this was a ‘misunderstanding’ which she
had explained to the Azerbaijani president by telephone, Turkish PM
Recep Tayyip Erdogan told journalists.

Azerbaijan since postponed military exercises with the USA, which
were to have been held in May in accordance with the US-Azerbaijani
agreement on bilateral military cooperation.

From: A. Papazian

AZERBAIJANI FM: PROBLEM WITH ARMENIAN SIDE’S REJECTION FROM MADRID PRINCIPLES IS CONCEPTUAL

Today

June 7 2010
Azerbaijan

The problem with the Armenian side’s rejection from updated Madrid
principles is conceptual but not the linguistic complexity, Foreign
Minister Elmar Mammadyarov said.

“If there is a conceptual solution from the Armenian side, the question
can advance. If there are constant efforts to catch hold of something,
delay, then there will be difficulties,” Mammadyarov told media on
Saturday in Venice.

He said that Azerbaijan is ready to work further on the basis of these
updated principles to reach an agreed comprehensive peace agreement.

“Now we realize in Azerbaijan where we are stalled on a text.

Although, I think that the question is not linguistic, but conceptual,”
Mammadyarov said.

At a meeting of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs with Azerbaijani
Foreign Minister in Venice, the participants discussed moments that
are difficult to be adopted by the Armenian side, and determined
further actions. The minister said that moments, which are included
in the updated Madrid principles, were also discussed.

At the meeting of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian
President Serzh Sargsyan in Sochi in January, the OSCE Minsk Group
submitted the parties an updated version of the Madrid document,
which is the basis for negotiations. This document was prepared at
the OSCE summit with participation of Foreign Ministries in Athens.

The minister said that the co-chairs of the Minsk Group, presenting
the document in Athens, of course, expected that the Azerbaijani and
the Armenian sides would react positively to those documents, as it
was a result of two-year-work and meetings between the parties both
at the level of foreign ministers and the presidents.

Unfortunately, at the last moment the Armenian side claimed that it
had some obstacles, Mammadyarov said.

“Azerbaijan is ready to continue to meet, if the Armenian side has
a sincere desire to move on,” Mamedyarov said.

He expressed his desire to continue negotiations if there is a similar
desire from the Armenian side. Mammadyarov said that he understands
the desire of co-chairs to strengthen the negotiating process, as
there is already a document on the table prepared by representatives
of the United States, France and Russia. Azerbaijan has worked on
the document and it is ready to proceed, the minister said.

He also stressed that the document has some points which the
Azerbaijani side has proposed to modify.

“Using soccer terminology, I can say that the ball is on the field
of Armenia. Armenia must decide what to do next,” the minister said.

The co-chairs should convey the Armenian side the messages they
received from the Azerbaijani side, the minister said. Then, comparing
the situation, the co-chairs are likely to submit their proposals.

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIAN PRIME MINISTER STRESSES IMPORTANCE OF USING ITALIAN EXPERIENCE IN TOURISM SECTOR

NOYAN TAPAN
JUNE 7, 2010
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, JUNE 7, NOYAN TAPAN. Receiving on June 7 the delegation
headed by President of Milan State Council Bruno Dape, Armenian Prime
Minister Tigran Sargsyan expressed a high opinion about the current
state of cooperation between Armenia and Italy in economic and cultural
spheres. He considered it essential to fully use the whole potential
of cooperation and to ensure diversity of economic links.

The press service of the Armenian government reported that the sides
discussed the details of deepening the mutually beneficial bilateral
economic cooperation. The expansion of cooperation in IT industry,
tourism sector and light industry was considered perspective.

T. Sargsyan stated that Armenia is interested in examining Italy’s
experience in the tourism sector and using it. He underlined the
significance of establishing and developing direct links between Milan
province and Kotayk region with the aim of implementing mutually
beneficial projects. The prime minister welcomed the growth of
Italian companies’ investment capital in Armenia, in particular the
construction of a financial center in Dilijan. He also valued highly
the involvement of Italian experts in the programs underway in Gyumri.

B. Dape pointed out the role of Milan’s Armenian community in the
promotion of friendly ties between the two countries. Speaking about
his visit to the Tsitsernakaberd Memorial, he said that in 2006 the
Milan State Council adopted two documents condemning the Armenian
Genocide.

From: A. Papazian

AZERBAIJANI DELEGATION MEETS NATO PA LEADER

news.az
June 7 2010
Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan’s delegation to NATO Parliamentary Assembly has met with
President of the Assembly John Tanner in Riga, Latvia.

Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh conflict was key theme of the
meeting. They discussed ways of settlement of the conflict, reports
AzerTAj.

Head of the Azerbaijani delegation Ziyafat Asgarov said they achieved
the adoption of a decision on Nagorno-Karabakh conflict resolution
and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan in the NATO PA committees
for security and defense.

‘The delegation highlighted the current state of peace talks over
the problem, and submitted all documents concerning the conflict
resolution to NATO PA president.’

He said they proposed to include the Karabakh question into the
agenda of one of committee sessions and later to raise the issue for
discussion at the Assembly to adopt a relevant resolution.

Asgarov said: ‘Our goal is that the NATO PA voices its attitude to this
question. In fact, we achieved our goals in the committee for security
and defense, we also wish that NATO PA, like other international
organizations, expresses its position. This organization can give
it a political assessment, because NATO is the only organization to
control over security of the Euroathlantic region.’

Asgarov pointed out NATO officials made various statements over
the fact that Azerbaijan`s territories were invaded and the country
ultimately faced problems of refugees and IDPs.

According to him, the NATO PA president reiterated the problem should
be solved on the basis of principles of international law. Asgarov
said Azerbaijani MPs highlighted the importance of making pressure
on Armenia, which he described as an aggressor country, on the
international level.

He also said decisions and resolutions adopted by international
organizations give the right to Azerbaijan to liberate its lands from
occupation by any means.

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIA AVOIDING DISCUSSIONS, MP

news.az
June 6 2010
Azerbaijan

Samad Seyidov ‘The members of the Azerbaijani delegation will take
an active part in the summer session of the Parliamentary Assembly
of the Council of Europe’.

Head of the Azerbaijani delegation to PACE, parliamentarian Samad
Seyidov told journalists the agenda of the session had already
been publicized, discussions on Azerbaijan would be held within the
framework of the session.

‘Azerbaijan’s representatives will take an active part in the summer
session of PACE. We are planning several events. The Azerbaijani
delegation is also going to hold an exhibition to inform the European
structures about Azerbaijan’s truths. Our main aim is to reveal
the reality. The main thing is to reveal the truths about Nagorno
Karabakh,’ he said.

Asked about the negotiations on the resolution of Nagorno Karabakh
conflict, Samad Seyidov said Armenia was recently avoiding the
discussions.

‘This is a sign of weakness. Armenia is feeling weakness in its policy
and continues to weaken,’ he said.

From: A. Papazian

‘GERMAN FEDERAL GOVERNMENT RECOGNIZES NEITHER REGIME IN NAGORNO-KARABAKH, NOR SO-CALLED PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS IT HELD’

Today

June 7 2010
Azerbaijan

The left faction in the German Bundestag has addressed an
interpellation to the Federal Government to inquire about its stance
towards the “parliamentary elections” held on May 23 in Azerbaijan’s
territories occupied by Armenia.

The official answer by German Deputy Foreign Minister Werner Hoyer
to the interpellation says that the German Federal Government does
not recognize the existing regime in the Nagorno-Karabakh region,
as well as “elections” held by it.

It also says the Federal Government will not establish contacts with
the regime in the Nagorno-Karabakh and the “parliament” in the region.

On May 14, the German Bundestag adopted a resolution on strengthening
security, stability and democracy in South Caucasus. By adopting the
document, the Bundestag recognizes the territorial integrity of all
three South Caucasus countries and supports settlement of conflicts
in the region on the basis of the countries’ territorial integrity
and sovereignty.

In the resolution, the Bundestag called on the German government to
mobilize its efforts for implementation of resolutions adopted by
United Nations on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and OSCE`s relevant
documents.

The Bundestag also called on the German government to increase its
efforts to help refugees and IDPs return to their homelands.

From: A. Papazian