Author: Arpi Talalian

THE US DEPARTMENT OF STATE EVALUATED THE ROLE OF AZERBAIJAN AS A TRANSIT TERRITORY
Source: TURAN news agency (Baku), March 4, 2006
Translated by A. Ignatkin
Agency WPS
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
March 9, 2006 Thursday
According to the annual report “2006: International Drug Control
Strategy” by the US Department of State, Azerbaijan is located along
the traffic routes from Afghanistan and Central Asia to West Europe
and from Iran to Russia and West Europe. Local production of drugs
does not amount to too much but consumption is growing. Role of
Azerbaijan as a transit territory grew enormously several years
ago when the so called Balkans Route was closed. According to
the government of Azerbaijan, drugs shipped via the country are
mostly drugs made in Afghanistan. The main routes run in the
following manner: Afghanistan-Iran-Azerbaijan-Georgia-West
Europe; Afghanistan-Iran-Nagorno Karabakh and occupied
territories of Azerbaijan-Armenia-Georgia-West Europe;
Afghanistan-Iran-Azerbaijan-Russia; Afghanistan-Central Asia-Caspian
Sea-Azerbaijan-Georgia-West Europe. Azerbaijan has 611 kilometers of
state border with Iran, but its border guards are poorly trained or
equipped for proper border protection. Iranian and other traffickers
make use of this situation.
The Azerbaijani police force lacks equipment for and experience in
combating terrorism. Authors of the report maintain that control of
the Azerbaijani-Iranian border is not sufficient to dam the flood
of drugs. Corruption in Azerbaijan is blamed as one of the serious
reasons impeding the war on drugs. Anti-corruption structures of the
Azerbaijani prosecutor’s office are quite limited in their capacities
and understaffed. Azerbaijan subscribed to the major international
conventions and accords on the wars on corruption, organized crime,
and traffic. In 2005, the United States provided advice and material
assistance to the Azerbaijani Service of Border Guards and Customs
Committee to boost efficiency of control over illegal traffic and
proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Official Washington
intends to continue its assistance to Azerbaijan in these spheres,
the report stated.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

International mediators urge Armenia, Azerbaijan to prepare for peace, not war
Turan news agency, Baku
10 Mar 06
Washington, 10 March: The OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmen have expressed
regret over the failure of the recent talks between the Armenian and
Azerbaijani leaders and urged them to make efforts to achieve peace in
2006.
In a special statement on the results of their meeting in Washington
on 7-8 March, the co-chairmen said that they discussed the results of
the 10-11 February talks in Rambouillet. Assessing the current state
of affairs in the region, the co-chairmen said that “great progress
has been achieved over the past six months”. They expressed regret
that this progress did not continue in the past weeks “despite great
opportunities”.
The co-chairmen called on both sides “to lay the basic principles” for
a future settlement in order to reach an agreement in 2006.
The co-chairmen still believe that objective conditions make 2006 the
most favourable year for stable progress and urge the governments of
Armenia and Azerbaijan to work energetically to achieve a result. The
co-chairmen also called on the governments of the two countries “to
prepare their people for peace rather than war”.
The co-chairmen will visit the region after they assess the sides’
readiness. The next meeting of the co-chairmen is scheduled to be held
in Istanbul on 20 March, the statement said.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

IF ABKHAZ RAIL IS LAUNCHED PROGRESS IN OPENING ARMENIAN BORDER POSSIBLE
Pan Armenian
18.10.2005 20:05 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Secretary of the National Security Council at the
President of Armenia, Defense Minister Serge Sargsyan has answered
affirmatively to a question on possible progress in lifting the
blockade of the Armenian-Turkish border and launching traffic via
Kars-Gyumri route in case of resumption of the functioning of the
Abkhaz part of the Transcaucasian railway. Being asked whether the
Armenian and Turkish parties could make use of the same model,
which is worked over to restore the rail communication through
Abkhazia, S. Sargsyan said, “if Armenia and Turkey had formed an
intergovernmental commission, these issues would be possible to
solve. Unless there is a structure like that I find it hard to speak
about it.” It should be noted that a tripartite group of specialists
from Abkhazia, Georgia and Russia works over restoration of the
Abkhaz railway.
The parties have agreed not to link the issue of restoration of
communications with complex political issues, including the return
of refugees, reported IA Regnum.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

YEREVAN AND ROSTOV-ON-DON BECAME TWIN CITIES
Pan Armenian
11.10.2005 13:31 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Yesterday an agreement on the Armenian capital
and Rostov-on-Don becoming Twin Cities was signed in Yerevan
Administration.
Besides, the Don delegation headed by Governor Vladimir Chub took part
in festivities in Yerevan marking the opening of the memorial complex
to Hero Cossacks killed during Russian-Persian and Russian-Turkish Wars
in 19th century. It should be reminded that the memorial is erected at
the place where once Cossack regiments were stationed. The seven-meter
stele is embraced with plates that have names of Cossack regiments on
them. The proverb on the monument reads: “To Cossacks of Russia from
Grateful Armenian People.” The raising of the monument was initiated
by Cossack circles of Rostov region and Nakhichevan Armenian community.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ONCE UPON A TIME: KUMKAPI
Turkish Press
Sept 26 2005
Fishing, a Bohemian life style and taverns were things which went
together in the ports of the past. In Istanbul the pungent smell
of wine and sound of music rose on the air of the fishing districts
between Samatya on the Marmara Sea and Poyrazkoy on the Bosphorus.
Kumkapi has been home to a fishing community and taverns for many
centuries. During Byzantine times it was known as Kontascalion (Small
Quay), and had a busy harbour and a shipyard. After the harbour silted
up the beach was a convenient source of sand, and the city gate near
here became known as Kum kapi or Sand Gate.
Following the conquest in 1453 the area was mainly settled by
non-Muslim Karamanlis, and by the seventeenth century was famous
for its taverns according to the Turkish writer and traveller
Evliya celebi. His contemporary and author of a history of Istanbul,
Ereemya Celebi Komurciyan, records the district’s Greek and Armenian
churches and fires which destroyed it. In his Topography of Istanbul,
Hovhannnesyan describes the grand houses of Kumkapi, a royal palace
here, katir Han (an urban kervansaray) and bazaar.
Little remains from the pre-19th century buildings of Kumkapi due
to fires, but it remains a district famous for its taverns and fish
restaurants.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

RUSSO-ARMENIAN ARMY EXERCISE IN SOUTH-EASTERN ARMENIA
By Tigran Liloyan
ITAR-TASS News Agency
TASS
September 13, 2005 Tuesday
A military exercise to check the combat readiness of the
Russian-Armenian group of troops, formed on decision of the Collective
Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), are being currently held for the
tenth year running on the Marshal Bagramyan training ground in the
south-eastern part of Armenia. Armenian President Robert Kocharyan
and CSTO Secretary-General Nikolai Bordyuzha will watch the exercise.
Taking part in it are units of the Armenian Armed Forces and troops
manning the Russian military base in the Armenian republic. Their
coordination is patent proof of the effectiveness of Russo-Armenian
cooperation. However, Moscow and Yerevan have repeatedly declared
that this military cooperation is not spearheaded at any other country.
The armed forces of Armenia were formed in 1991-1992 after the
republic’s independence was proclaimed. Officers of the former Soviet
army made up its backbone. Today, the majority of Armenia’s future
officers are being trained at Russian military schools. Armenia is
taking active part in the work of the CSTO and of the CIS Joint
Anti-Aircraft Defence System. Armenian soldiers had earned high
praise at the recent CIS anti-aircraft defence exercises on the
Ashuluk training ground in Russia’s Astrakhan Region.
The 102nd military base of the Russian Defence Ministry is deployed
in Armenia on the basis of several bilateral inter-state agreements
and is in high favour among the local population. It is the successor
of the Leninakan motorised infantry division of the Seventh Guards
Army of the Trans-Caucasian Military District. The main part of the
base is in the town of Gyumri (former Leninakan) and is subordinated
to the North Caucasian Military District’s Group of Russian Troops
in Transcaucasia. It is manned by five thousand officers and men.
The Armenian authorities regard the presence of the Russian military
base and of Russian border guards in the republic as an important
guarantee of national security and regional stability.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

DURING TODAY’S GOVERNMENT SITTING – HUMANITARIAN AID
A1+
| 18:14:37 | 08-09-2005 | Politics |
The Armenian government has assigned $200 thousand as a humanitarian
assistance to the U.S. population, who suffered from Katrina hurricane
in August 2005.
To note, Azerbaijan has offered assistance amounting in $500 thousand.
NEW REALIZATION ZONE
The RA government has confirmed the zones of amortization (lands,
buildings, constructions) called for state use with a total area of
12.2 hectares.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

RUSSIA, EX-SOVIET ALLIES AGREE ON DRAFT BUDGET FOR COLLECTIVE FORCES
ITAR-TASS news agency, Moscow
30 Aug 05
Moscow, 30 August: Member countries of the Collective Security Treaty
Organization [CSTO, Russia-led military-political alliance] have agreed
on the draft 2006 budgets of the Collective Rapid Deployment Forces
[CRDF] command and the standing CSTO staff group stationed in Bishkek
[capital of Kyrgyzstan], Russian ITAR-TASS news agency was told by
the CSTO headquarters.
Military officials from Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kirgizia
[Kyrgyzstan], Russia and Tajikistan have agreed to set aside R1.547m.
“The sum exceeds the previous year’s budgets by R347,000. The
increase is stipulated by the rising prices and the need for capital
investments in the modernization of the CRDF mobile command centre,”
the CSTO headquarters said.
Russia provides 50 per cent of the CRDF budgets, Kazakhstan 30 per
cent, Tajikistan and Kirgizia allocate 10 per cent each.
“The agreed documents will be submitted to the nearest meeting of the
CSTO’s permanent board of plenipotentiary representatives,” the CSTO
headquarters said.
CRDF comprise two Kazakh, two Kyrgyz and two Tajik battalions, three
Russian battalions and the [Russian] Kant air base outside Bishkek.

PACE CHAIRMAN URGES DIALOGUE BETWEEN GOVERNMENT, OPPOSITION AND CIVIL SOCIETY
YEREVAN, AUGUST 20. ARMINFO. PACE President urges dialogue between
government, opposition and civil society in Armenia Council of Europe
Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) President Rene van der Linden today
completed a two-day visit to Armenia, as part of his visit to the
South-Caucasus from 18-23 August at – as he stressed – “a crucial
time for the country”. He held frank and constructive discussions
with all the relevant actors including representatives of civil
society. The main issues discussed were constitutional reforms. The
press office of Council of Europe informs.
The President urged dialogue between the government, opposition and
civil society. The constitutional reform was a test case for further
democratic development in Armenia and of its willingness to fulfil
its obligations and commitments to the Council of Europe, he said.
The success of the referendum would depend in particular on the
revision of voters’ lists, media independence and the organisation of
an effective public awareness raising campaign. The President
appealed to government and opposition parties to use the coming days
to reach an agreement on joint amendments, so as to attract the
broadest support for reform. He said that failure of the reform
process would have negative consequences for the country as a whole.
On the issue of Nagorno-Karabakh the President stated his intention
to enhance the possibility for parliamentary diplomacy available to
the countries’ PACE delegations as a complement to the primary means
of bilateral diplomacy and the Minsk Group process. He added that
democratic development in the two countries would create a better
climate for finding a solution. He urged all political actors to
enhance their efforts to ensure good relations with Armenia ‘s
neighbours.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

The New Anatolian
Aug 8 2005
Swiss Senate: Leave Armenian question to historians
ANKARA – A Swiss House of Representative banning the rejection of the
so-called Armenian genocide damaged relations between Turkey and
Switzerland. Taking Turkish reactions into consideration, the Senate
decides to leave the subject to experts.
‘The genocide claims will never be an issue for the Swiss Senate,’
says Swiss foreign affairs committee President Briner. He says that
other countries ‘have no business pointing the finger at Turkey, 90
years after the disputed events’
The Swiss Senate will not debate or make any decision related to the
Armenian genocide, said the president of the Senate foreign affairs
committee, Peter Briner in a statement on Saturday, a move decidedly
opposite to that of the Swiss House of Representatives who recognized
the So-called genocide in 2003.
The controversial events of the early 20th century between the
dissolving Ottoman Empire and its Armenian minority “will never be an
issue for the Swiss Senate,” Briner was quoted as saying by
Swissinfo.
Briner said that other countries had no business pointing the finger
at Turkey 90 years after the disputed events.
Noting that the foreign affairs committee had decided that the death
or deportation of Armenians between 1915 and 1919 would not be the
subject of a plenary session, Briner said the committee agreed with
the government that it was not Parliament’s job to decide on the
whether the events constituted genocide.
The Armenians’ claims have been recognized as truth by the
parliaments of several countries, including Canada, France, Russia
and Italy.
Although Switzerland’s House of Representatives recognized the
so-called genocide a few years ago, the Swiss government however does
not officially speak of “genocide” but rather of “mass deportations”
and “massacres.”
Briner said that the committee believed that it was more important
for the parties involved, namely Turkey and Armenia, to reach an
agreement.
Support for PM Erdogan’s proposal
Briner, backing the earlier proposal by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan, said that a mixed commission of historians should “work
through the terrible events,” just as Switzerland had reappraised its
history during the World War II.
Attempts by international scholars to determine once and for all what
really happened between 1915 and 1919 have never got much further
than agreeing on which two peoples were involved.
In June, Alev Kilic, the Turkish ambassador in Bern, told Swissinfo
that during Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey’s visit to Turkey in
March, her counterpart Abdullah Gul talked about establishing a
commission of historians from both sides and opening all files and
archives.
“Of course the proposal was also made to the Armenian government, but
we can’t establish anything without their agreement,” Kilic said. “We
have still not received a positive reply.”
Genocide decision shadow over Turkish-Swiss relations
The decision by the Swiss House of Representatives recognizing the
so-called genocide greatly damaged relations between Turkey and
Switzerland. Another of their decisions which bans the rejection of
the so-called Armenian genocide only throws fuel on the fire.
At the end of July, the Swiss ambassador in Ankara was forced to
deflect a barrage of diplomatic flak concerning the Swiss
investigation of a Turkish politician who had proffered revisionist
views about the Armenian genocide in 1915.
Last Friday Turkish authorities announced the indefinite postponement
of a visit to Turkey by Swiss Finance Minister Joseph Deiss scheduled
for September, citing agenda problems of his Turkish counterpart.
During the First Woorld War years the Armenians rioted against the
Istanbul Government in order to establish an Armenian State. The riot
caused an ethnic conflict and more than 520,000 Turks were massacred
by the Armenian armed groups while many Armenians were also killed or
died due to the clashes and war circumstances.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress