Author: Bedik Zaminian

MY DISCHARGE HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH KARABAKH CONFLIOCT SETTLEMENT: EX
COMMANDER OF NKR DEFENCE ARMY
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 3. ARMINFO. The ex commander of the Nagorno Karabakh
defence army, Lieut Gen Samvel Babayan says that his early discharge
from prison has nothing to do with the process of the Karabakh
conflict peaceful settlement.
In an interview to Iravunk he says that his discharge has no political
reasons. Nobody has negotiated with him on the matter. Babayan does
not think that the Karabakh problem is close to its resolution. He
says that the “Nagorny karabakh conflict” is a wrong term – this is a
pan-Armenian problem. “I would refrain to opine on the current talks
for the conflict settlement.” “We should find new ways to settle the
problem.” Stepanakert-Baku dialogue would be the best solution.
Stepanakert’s estrangement from the talks is the very obstacle to the
problem settlement, says Babayan.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

La responsabilité des hébergeurs devant le tribunal
Par Arnaud Devillard
01net , France
19 novembre 2004
Une association demandait à Wanadoo de couper l’accès à un contenu
estimé illicite sur le site du Consul général de Turquie, en
invoquant les dispositions de la LEN. Le TGI a rejeté cette demande.
L’article certainement le plus débattu de la loi pour la confiance
dans l’économie numérique, celui sur la responsabilité des
prestataires techniques en cas de contenu à “caractère illicite”,
vient de faire l’objet d’une nouvelle décision de justice.
C’est une association, le Comité de défense de la cause arménienne
(CDCA), qui s’en est servi contre Wanadoo et le Consul général de
Turquie à Paris. Le tribunal de grande instance (TGI) de Paris a
rejeté lundi 15 novembre la demande du CDCA, soit la suppression de
l’accès à un contenu sur le site officiel du Consul général, hébergé
par la filiale de France Télécom. L’association pointait du doigt un
texte intitulé “Allégations arméniennes et faits historiques”.
Selon le CDCA, “ce texte reprend sous forme de dix questions et
réponses, la thèse développée, depuis de longues années, par l’Etat
turc à l’égard du génocide des Arméniens”. A savoir qu’il n’y a pas
eu génocide en 1915. Or, par la loi du 29 janvier 2001, la France
reconnaît officiellement son existence. Pour le CDCA, le site du
Consul général relayait donc une “propagande négationniste”.
L’association a alors envoyé une notification à Wanadoo lui demandant
d’empêcher l’accès à ce texte en vertu de l’article 6 de la LEN. Le
FAI a d’abord préféré s’en remettre pour avis et recommandation à
l’Office central de lutte contre la criminalité liée aux technologies
de l’information et de la communication, organisme dépendant de la
police judiciaire. Après quoi, en juin, il a transmis la notification
du contenu incriminé au TGI.
Wanadoo joue la prudence
Début juillet, le CDCA déposait une assignation auprès du tribunal
contre le Consul général pour diffusion de propos négationnistes. Il
demandait la condamnation du diplomate et la suppression de l’accès à
son site par Wanadoo.
Il s’agit là de l’application point par point des dispositions de la
loi. Malgré, ou plutôt à cause de, la gravité de l’accusation du CDCA
(le négationnisme), Wanadoo a joué la prudence. De plus, le site
étant un site officiel, destiné à la communauté turque en France, il
propose une série de services pratiques. Satisfaire la demande du
CDCA en aurait empêché l’accès.
Plus délicat : le texte dénoncé par l’association relève d’une
position officielle d’un Etat. En interdire l’accès serait revenu à
contester la version officielle que cet Etat donne de sa propre
histoire. Drôle de position à tenir pour un fournisseur d’accès à
Internet– Mais pour le CDCA “l’absence de contrôle et de réaction de
l’hébergeur [du] site Internet [du Consul général] constitue une
faute majeure que la justice doit sanctionner”.
Cela n’a pas été l’avis du tribunal. Car si la France a reconnu le
génocide arménien, contester, nier ce même génocide ne constitue pas
un délit. “Si l’on n’aborde le sujet que d’un strict point de vue
juridique, c’est le ” génocide ” arménien qui a été reconnu par la
France dans sa loi du 29 janvier 2001, précise Sandrine Rouja,
juriste et rédactrice en chef du site Juriscom.net. À l’heure
actuelle, le terme ” négationnisme ” ne vise quant à lui
exclusivement que la remise en cause du génocide des juifs pendant la
seconde guerre mondiale”.
Quant au Consul, il est protégé par son immunité diplomatique. Le TGI
a donc adressé une fin de non-recevoir au CDCA sur les deux volets de
son assignation.
–Boundary_(ID_h6fQHX4tazgyBvnyZqQREQ)–
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Armenian Assembly of America
122 C Street, NW, Suite 350
Washington, DC 20001
Phone: 202-393-3434
Fax: 202-638-4904
Email: [email protected]
Web:
PRESS RELEASE
November 19, 2004
CONTACT: Christine Kojoian
Email: [email protected]

ARMENIAN ASSEMBLY WELCOMES SENATE PASSAGE OF ARMENIA PNTR BILL
President Bush Set to Sign into Law

WASHINGTON, DC – The Armenian Assembly of America hailed the vote by the
United States Senate today to extend permanent normal trade relations
(PNTR) to Armenia, ending a two year effort by lawmakers supportive of
Armenian issues to enhance trade and investment between the United
States and Armenia. The legislation was enacted as part of a
comprehensive trade measure, known as the Miscellaneous Trade and
Technical Corrections Bill (MTB.)
PNTR status would remove a nearly 30-year-old provision requiring
Armenia and other countries to periodically obtain presidential approval
for continued access to low tariffs. In so doing, it would signal an
upgrade in Armenia’s status as a trading partner and should lead to
additional trade agreements between the United States and Armenia.
“Well aware that a robust economy is critical to Armenia’s future
development, passage of Armenia PNTR was an instrumental part of the
Assembly’s legislative agenda,” said Armenian Assembly Board of Trustees
Chairman Hirair Hovnanian. “We would like to thank Senate Majority
Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) for his steadfast support of Armenia PNTR and
for allowing Senate consideration of this bill. Additionally, we thank
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Charles Grassley (R-IA) and it’s
Ranking Member Max Baucus (D-MT) for their active involvement and
support as conferees to resolve differences between the House and Senate
versions of the MTB.”
The House of Representatives, for its part, acted in early October to
grant Armenia PNTR as part of the MTB.
In addition to the heavy involvement of the Senators above, Hovnanian
also commended Majority Whip Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Senators Paul
Sarbanes (D-MD) and Barbara Boxer (D-CA) for introducing the PNTR bill
(S.1557) and thanked the Administration for fully backing its
enactment.
“A key element to congressional action was the Administration’s public
support which was first announced at a pan-Armenian conference held by
the Assembly, AGBU and Eastern and Western Diocese of the Armenian
Church,” said Hovnanian. “Community members were highly appreciative of
this endorsement.”
Board of Directors Chairman Anthony Barsamian saluted the hardworking
activists who played an integral role in the bill’s passage. “The
Assembly commends its nationwide network of grassroots activists and the
Armenian community at large for their efforts in rallying support among
congressional leaders,” said Barsamian. “Without their unwavering
advocacy efforts over the past two years, we would not have achieved
today’s success.”
The Assembly, since January, has been the only Armenian-American
organization working in conjunction with the Ad Hoc Coalition on
Tariffs, a group comprised of industries from almost every state that
stand to benefit from the duty suspensions and other miscellaneous
tariff provisions in the legislation. Last week, the Assembly and the
Coalition successfully encouraged over 65 Senators to sign on to the
Grassley-Baucus letter urging the Senate leadership to take the
necessary procedural steps to ensure that the bill is enacted before the
108th Congress ends.
The next step in the legislative process is for the bill to be enacted
into law by President Bush.
The Armenian Assembly of America is the largest Washington-based
nationwide organization promoting public understanding and awareness of
Armenian issues. It is a 501 (c) (3) tax-exempt membership
organization.
NR#2004-100
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

BBC News
Last Updated: Tuesday, 26 October, 2004, 13:33 GMT 14:33 UK
Q&A: Equatorial Guinea ‘coup plot’
Lawyers for Sir Mark Thatcher are arguing in a South African court against
an order for him to answer questions about claims he helped finance an
alleged coup plot in Equatorial Guinea.
Meanwhile, another 14 men are awaiting the resumption of their trial in the
Equatorial Guinean capital, Malabo, in connection with the suspected plot.
How was the suspected plot discovered?
In March, Zimbabwean police in Harare impounded a plane which flew in from
South Africa with 64 alleged mercenaries on board.
Simon Mann (second right) was jailed in Zimbabwe
The group said they were providing security for a mine in Democratic
Republic of Congo, but a couple of days later an Equatorial Guinean minister
said they had detained 15 more men who were the advance party for the group
captured in Zimbabwe.
Nick du Toit, the leader of the group of South Africans and Armenians in
Equatorial Guinea, said at his trial in Equatorial Guinea that he was
playing a limited role in a coup bid.
He told the court he was recruited by Simon Mann, the alleged leader of the
group held in Zimbabwe, and that he was helping with recruitment, acquiring
weapons and logistics for the attempt. He says he was told they were trying
to install an exiled opposition politician, Severo Moto, as head.
In September, Mann was sentenced to seven years in jail in Zimbabwe after
being convicted of illegally trying to buy weapons. Others arrested with him
were acquitted of any links to a suspected coup attempt after magistrates
said prosecutors had failed to prove their case.
Why organise a coup attempt?
Equatorial Guinea, a former Spanish colony, has been ruled by President
Obiang since he seized power from his uncle in a coup in 1979. His
government has been accused of widespread human rights abuses and of
ruthlessly suppressing political opposition.
Yet the discovery of oil several years ago has meant huge wealth and massive
investment flowing into this poor country of just 500,000 people.
Not much of this has trickled down to ordinary people. The United States
Senate is currently investigating the discovery of hundreds of millions of
dollars in US bank accounts belonging to the family of President Obiang.
And it is these massive oil revenues which could lend some credence to
President Obiang’s accusation that multinationals and foreign powers were
involved in a plot to overthrow him.
Both Mann’s trial in Zimbabwe and the Equatorial Guinea trial began amid
complaints of abuse and unfair treatment from relatives of those being held.
One suspect, a German, died in prison in Equatorial Guinea after what
Amnesty International claimed was torture.
So who was behind the apparent plot?
So far it remains unclear who was backing any plot, although the list of
suspects is growing.
Sir Mark Thatcher has denied any involvement
Mann, the old Etonian and founder of the mercenary firm Executive Outcomes,
has not been talking, although President Obiang has.
He has accused the Spanish government and the son of the former UK prime
minister, Sir Mark Thatcher, amongst others, of being behind the plot.
The South African authorities have arrested Sir Mark and charged him with
contravening two sections of South Africa’s Foreign Military Assistance Act,
which bans residents from taking part in any foreign military activity.
Sir Mark is being held in South Africa on suspicion of providing financing
for a helicopter linked to the coup plot. He denies the charges.
What is known is that Sir Mark has admitted to being good friends with Mann.
Others President Obiang alleges are involved are a former British cabinet
minister, whom he refuses to name, an oil tycoon, Eli Calil, and the exiled
politician Severo Moto, who lives in Spain. Both named men have strongly
denied involvement.
The BBC’s Newsnight television programme saw the financial records of Mann’s
companies showing large payments to Nick du Toit and also some $2m coming in
– though the source of this funding they say is largely untraceable.
What is South Africa’s role?
Mercenary activities were banned in South Africa several years ago after
complaints about security organisations like Executive Outcomes, in which
Mann was involved.
The majority of those alleged to have been the mercenaries planning to carry
out the coup are based in South Africa, with many being former members of
the apartheid-era security forces.
South Africa will be determined to be seen to be acting tough against any
attempt to destabilise another country.
However, it also will want to protect its nationals, and has vowed to
intervene if any of the alleged mercenaries are sentenced to death.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ASBAREZ ONLINE
TOP STORIES
11/15/2004
TO ACCESS PREVIOUS ASBAREZ ONLINE EDITIONS PLEASE VISIT OUR
WEBSITE AT <;HTTP:// 1) Estonian President Visits Armenia 2) Kocharian Pessimistic about Karabagh Peace 3) Armenia Denies Kurdish Rebel Link 4) Georgia Warns Moscow to Stay Away from Abkhazia Conflict 1) Estonian President Visits Armenia YEREVAN (RFE/RL)--President Robert Kocharian and Estonian counterpart President Arnold Ruutel decided to bolster commercial contacts during an official meeting in Yerevan on Monday. Following their talks, the two officials said they discussed means to revive bilateral economic ties that existed before the collapse of the Soviet Union. They presided over the opening session of an Estonian-Armenian business forum later in the day. According to Armenian government figures, the volume of Armenian-Estonian trade over the past four years is a meager $1.5 million. Ruutel, who had for years headed Soviet Estonia's parliament before spearheading its independence drive in 1988, said his country's recent accession to the European Union (EU) and Armenia's inclusion in the EU's New Neighborhood program should boost commercial exchange. "Estonia is very interested in developing cooperation with Armenia," the 76-year-old president told a news conference. He also said Estonia is ready to share with Armenia its highly successful experience in the transition to democracy and a market economy. The tiny Baltic state is the most economically developed in the former Soviet Union and is considered an established democracy in the West. Estonia is also known for its widespread use of information technology by government agencies and business community. Over 90 percent of Estonians have access to the Internet, making their economy one of the most IT-oriented in Europe. 2) Kocharian Pessimistic about Karabagh Peace YEREVAN (REF/RL)--President Robert Kocharian voiced skepticism on Monday about the long-awaited resolution of the Mountainous Karabagh conflict, citing Azerbaijan's refusal to negotiate with the Karabagh Armenians and engage in joint economic projects with Armenia. "I don't have much optimism at the moment," he said at a joint news conference with the visiting Estonian counterpart Arnold Ruutel. Kocharian stressed that internationally sponsored peace talks will lead nowhere unless they include representatives of the Mountainous Karabagh Republic (MKR). "I think that this format is not quite correct and does not reflect the essence of the conflict," he said. Azerbaijan, however, refuses to recognize MKR as a separate party to the conflict, saying that the disputed region and Azerbaijani territories surrounding it are controlled by Armenia proper. An Azeri Foreign Ministry spokesman repeated last week that Baku will not negotiate with MKR representatives. He also rejected Armenian warnings not to raise the Karabagh issue with the United Nations. The UN General Assembly is expected to discuss Azeri claims about a massive resettlement of Armenians in the occupied Azeri lands later this year. Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian warned last week that Azerbaijan risks reversing "serious progress" made during a series of talks earlier this year between him and Azeri counterpart Elmar Mamedyarov. The Minsk Group of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, he stressed, must remain the sole international mediator of the Karabagh peace process. Azerbaijan will have to deal with MKR if it insists on bringing the UN into the picture, he added. Kocharian likewise stressed that the Minsk Group, which is co-chaired by the United States, Russia and France, represents the optimal mediation framework. He said the co-chairs have been "objective" to this point and should not be blamed for the lack of progress. 3) Armenia Denies Kurdish Rebel Link YEREVAN (Combined Sources)--The Armenian Foreign Ministry immediately dismissed allegations that members of a Kurdish rebel group arrested in southern Netherlands, were planning to be sent to Armenia to fight for the PKK following their training session. On Friday, Dutch police raided a suspected paramilitary training ground for Kurdish militants, arresting close to 30 people. "It is not apparent what grounds the Dutch press has to even link these 'militant trainees' to Armenia, or what the suspects have themselves said to Dutch officials," announced Armenia's Foreign Ministry Press Secretary Hamlet Gasparyan. According to press reports, the detainees are all alleged members of the former Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, a rebel group which now calls itself KONGRA-GEL. The group seeks to carve out an independent Kurdish state in the mountains of Iran, Iraq, Syria and Turkey. "Certain Political motives have, in the past, prompted the circulation of similar assertions which have not been substantiated. As in the past, this 'revelation' is considered not serious," stressed Gasparyan. According to prosecutors' statements, more than 20 people were being trained for armed conflict. There were also indications that "a number of the trainees were destined for Armenia," it said. Other detainees allegedly arranged money transfers, passports, and passed along information to PKK members in Turkey and Armenia, prosecutors said. The detainees, whose names were not released, included 33 men and five women. Prosecution spokesman Wim de Bruin said the group had been under observation for several months and that "the course was nearly finished." "We wanted to prevent the group from leaving the country and putting to use the knowledge they had gained," he said. It has been on Europe's list of terrorist organizations since April. Dutch prosecutors said those arrested Friday will likely be charged as members. The suspects apparently did not use weapons or explosives in their training, which were described as "more theoretical." According to prosecutors, the suspects said they were Kurdish but were considered Turkish nationals by the Dutch state. On Monday, The Hague's district court blocked the extradition of alleged PKK leader Nuriye Kesbir to Turkey for her suspected role in a series of bombings in the 1990s. The Turkish justice ministry said it would appeal the decision. 4) Georgia Warns Moscow to Stay Away from Abkhazia Conflict (Financial Times/Itar Tass)--Georgia has warned Russia not to interfere in a continuing political stalemate in its breakaway republic of Abkhazia. The warning came after Georgia's foreign ministry summoned Russia's ambassador to protest the movement of a small group of Russian military forces towards the Abkhaz capital Sukhumi on Saturday. The troop movement came after supporters of Sergey Bagapsh--the opposition leader who won a disputed presidential election on October 3--took control of the parliament and presidential administration buildings in Sukhumi. The occupation, which began on Friday, is in protest of the government's decision to order a reelection that would null the October 3 vote. Georgia urged Russia not to intervene in the Abkhaz power struggle after Russia's foreign ministry issued a statement saying Moscow would "take the necessary measures to defend its interests" if Bagapsh's supporters "illegally" seized power--a reference to Friday's seizure of the public buildings. Meeting with the candidates separately, Abkhazian Prime Minister Nodar Khashba, told Itar Tass on Monday, that an understanding had been reached, and that "the events of past Friday" have transcended the boundaries of legality." He expressed confidence about bringing the two men together in the coming few days, or even hours, to "work out the only correct common decision, which will make it possible to leave behind a political crisis in Abkhazia." All subscription inquiries and changes must be made through the proper carrier and not Asbarez Online. ASBAREZ ONLINE does not transmit address changes and subscription requests. (c) 2004 ASBAREZ ONLINE. All Rights Reserved. ASBAREZ provides this news service to ARMENIAN NEWS NETWORK members for academic research or personal use only and may not be reproduced in or through mass media outlets. From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIA THIS WEEK
Monday, October 25, 2004
KOCHARIAN COMPLETES GEORGIA VISIT AMID TERRORISM SCARE
Armenian President Robert Kocharian was on a three-day official visit to
Georgia last week for talks with President Mikhail Saakashvili and other
Georgian leaders. Kocharian’s otherwise successful visit was marred when
weapons were found in a Tbilisi music hall, where both Presidents were due
for a jazz concert. Kocharian and Saakashvili went to the concert despite
the find.
Security guards discovered a sniper rifle and an AK-74 machine gun with
ammunition at the “Ajara” music hall on Saturday, an hour before the
Presidents were planning to arrive. Georgia’s Interior Minister Irakly
Okruashvili said that Georgian investigators were treating the case as
attempted terrorism. The country’s Ministry of State Security, which is
conducting an investigation, has so far refused to comment. Deputy Speaker
of the Armenian Parliament Tigran Torosian urged a thorough investigation,
noting that it is so far unclear if either or both Presidents were targeted.
Kocharian began his visit traveling by car the 120-mile road from Yerevan to
the Georgian border, where he was met by Saakashvili. The two Presidents
then continued by helicopter over the remaining 40-mile section of
Tbilisi-Yerevan road, which is due to be repaired later this year.
Transportation issues continue to top the bilateral agenda, with most of
Armenia’s surface trade with the outside world passing via Georgia’s Black
Sea ports and a smaller portion through the Georgia-Russia highway. That
highway had been closed by Russia for almost two months after increased
terrorist attacks in southern Russia, but according to a Georgian official
was opened on the day of Kocharian’s arrival in Georgia. Two days earlier,
Georgia also allowed two buses and several trucks that had been stuck in
South Ossetia to pass into Armenia.
Last March, Saakashvili promised to improve Armenia-Georgian transportation
routes and reduce tariffs for Armenian goods. While in Tbilisi, Kocharian
noted improvement in the treatment of Armenian travelers by Georgia’s
traffic police. The tariff issue has yet to be resolved, however.
Saakashvili also said that he was “indebted to the population of Javakheti,”
a largely Armenian populated province, long ignored by Georgian governments.
He promised to visit the province, when he succeeds in securing necessary
foreign loans for re-building a dilapidated road between Javakheti and the
Georgian capital. Last week, the two Presidents agreed on a cooperation plan
for the province’s development.
Meanwhile, according to Arsen Ghazarian, the head of Armenia’s main business
association, Armenian companies were invited to bid on the Georgian ports of
Poti and Batumi. Also last week, Georgia requested a resumption of Armenian
electricity supplies as Tbilisi was again forced to ration electricity
following an apparent diversion on one of its main power lines. These
supplies have comprised a bulk of bilateral trade, which stood at $54
million last year, under 3 percent of Armenia’s total foreign trade.
(Sources: Armenia This Week 1-16, 3-12, 10-18; Arminfo 10-21, 25; RFE/RL
Armenia Report 10-21; Regnum 10-22, 24, 25)
MAJOR U.S. CONFERENCE FOCUSES ON ARMENIA, REGION
Leading Caucasus experts gathered at the University of Michigan (UM) last
week for a four-day conference to discuss the state of affairs in that
region and challenges it faces. The event was organized through the efforts
of UM’s Armenian Studies Professors Gerard Libaridian and Kevork Bardakjian.
Prior to returning to the U.S., Libaridian served in President Levon
Ter-Petrossian’s administration between 1991-97.
Nagorno Karabakh’s Foreign Minister (FM) Ashot Goulian, Armenia’s Deputy FM
Ruben Shugarian, the U.S. State Department’s Caucasus and Central Asia
Director John Fox and Ambassador of Finland to the Caucasus Terhi Hakala
were among the participants. According to press reports, Azeri Deputy FM
Araz Azimov refused to participate after failing to exclude Karabakh
Minister’s presence. Azerbaijan was instead represented by former FM Tofig
Zulfugarov and half a dozen students from around the United States.
Former U.S., Russian and Turkish officials led a candid exchange on the
reasons why efforts to achieve a Karabakh settlement have been a failure so
far. They claimed that the parties to the conflict have not been ready for a
resolution. Former Caucasus Director at the Turkish Foreign Ministry Omer
Ersun said it was a mistake for Turkey not to establish full diplomatic
relations following Armenia’s independence in 1991, and that peace was not
achieved due to disarray in Azerbaijan and policy disagreements in Armenia.
Russia’s former negotiator Vladimir Kazimirov accused the U.S. of
prioritizing its own perceived interests over peace settlement.
Armenia’s former Karabakh envoy David Shahnazarian and several other former
Ter-Petrossian administration officials also took part. (Sources: Ekho
10-23; R&I Report 10-25)
A WEEKLY NEWSLETTER PUBLISHED BY THE ARMENIAN ASSEMBLY OF AMERICA
122 C Street, N.W., Suite 350, Washington, D.C. 20001 (202) 393-3434 FAX
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“Nagorno Karabakh: Realities and Prospects for Development”
Presentation of the NKR Foreign Minister Ashot Goulian
at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)
October 19, 2004
Dear Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is a great honor for me to address the Center for Strategic and
International Studies (CSIS), an institution known worldwide for its work on
issues of global concern and particularly on international security.
When contemplating the state of present-day South Caucasus, the
international community, including American policy-makers and policy
analysts, frequently express anxiety about stability and security in our
region. Establishment of normal civilized relations between Nagorno Karabakh
and Azerbaijan is, without a doubt, a necessary condition for the long-term
stability and security in the South Caucasus. For these reasons, the
attention you are granting me and the people of Nagorno Karabakh that I
represent is especially worthwhile. That is even as the entire United States
and much of the world are preparing to hold their breath over the
unnervingly close context in the Presidential elections, just two weeks
away.
The South Caucasus today is region of competing geopolitical and
geo-economic visions and designs. It would seem that the attention accorded
by great power interests would contribute to the region’s stability.
However, with the long-running conflicts still unresolved, the region
remains a powder keg and any misstep might risk turning it into an area of
chaos and instability. Any conflict resolution effort in the South Caucasus,
particularly in Nagorno Karabakh, demands careful analysis and consideration
of all local interests.
In the past 15 years, a number of delegations, among them American diplomats
and members of Congress, as well as regional experts, have visited Nagorno
Karabakh, met with its leaders and public in an effort to understand the
conflict and its roots. For our part, it was a pleasure to hear that the
approach we have adopted – to build a statehood based on democratic
institutions and respect for human rights – corresponds to their vision of
what our region should look like.
It can be argued that the violation of human rights and the rights of a
whole nation were and are precisely the factors at the root of the Nagorno
Karabakh conflict.
I would like to remind you that the Nagorno Karabakh issue first became an
international problem in 1918 after the fall of the Russian Empire and as
newly independent Armenia and Azerbaijan began to demarcate their borders.
Karabakh was at the time internationally recognized as a disputed area.
But in the end through a decision of a political party organization of a
third state – the Caucasus bureau of the Russian Communist Party – the
overwhelmingly Armenian population of Nagorno Karabakh was denied its
natural territorial and national unity and transferred to Soviet Azerbaijan.
Through the entire period of this forced and unnatural incorporation, the
rights of the Karabakh Armenians were systematically violated by the Soviet
Azerbaijani government. In spite of this pressure, the local population
continued to defend its right to free development and preservation of its
unique culture.
A new stage of the movement for Karabakh’s freedom began at the end of 1987,
with massive meetings and demonstrations involving tens of thousands of
local people. These actions of the Armenian population were strictly
peaceful and constitutional in nature. Unfortunately in response, the Soviet
Azerbaijani leaders tried to provoke inter-ethnic clashes. Azerbaijan
responded to Karabakh’s democratic demands with pogroms and mass murders of
ethnic Armenians throughout Azerbaijan, including in Sumgait, Ganje and
Baku, and a complete blockade of Nagorno Karabakh, which remains in effect
today. An all out war was unleashed in 1991, which continued until 1994,
when in May of that year a cease-fire agreement came into effect and
continues to hold to date.
The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) began to deal
with the Nagorno Karabakh conflict in 1992, when the present format of the
peace process was established. While giving due credit to the OSCE and its
Minsk Group for all of their efforts towards resolution of this long-running
conflict, I would nevertheless have to note that in seeking a political
settlement of the conflict, the mediators have paid little attention to the
legal aspects of the issue. All through the peace process, Nagorno Karabakh
leaders repeatedly stressed that the basis for our separation from Soviet
Azerbaijan in 1991 was so legally sound that it could provide an important
foundation and support to an eventual political settlement of the conflict.
The establishment of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR) was declared on
September 2, 1991, shortly after Azerbaijan announced its own independence,
in full conformity with basic norms and principles of international law.
Creation of NKR did not contradict the “Declaration of re-establishment of
the state independence of the Azerbaijan republic,” since Azerbaijan was
re-established in the framework of the 1918-20 republic, which did not
include Nagorno Karabakh.
NKR’s independence was supported by a popular referendum, in which the vast
majority of Karabakh’s population voted for complete independence from
Azerbaijan, whose leaders had in turn proclaimed their independence from the
USSR. That referendum was conducted on the basis of the Soviet law “On the
procedure of secession of a Soviet Republic from the Union of Soviet
Socialist Republics.” Article 3 of that law demanded that should a republic,
such as Azerbaijan, decide to leave the Soviet Union, autonomous entities
and compactly settled national minorities, such the Nagorno Karabakh
Autonomous Region and adjacent Armenian-populated districts, have a right to
decide their own legal and political future through a referendum.
Negotiations with participation of mediators began just as the major
fighting was getting underway. The Nagorno Karabakh leadership participated
in these negotiations from the beginning, pursuing two major goals: to stop
the bloodshed and to convince the international community that subordinating
Nagorno Karabakh to Azerbaijan was impossible. Our principle and position
from day one and to date is that there is no alternative to a peaceful
settlement of this conflict.
As you know, the current stage of the peace process is not marked by
intensive negotiations. Recent meetings between Presidents of Armenia and
Azerbaijan, as well as their Foreign Ministers, certainly facilitate the
peaceful dialogue. However, as the most recent meetings in Prague and Astana
confirmed, not much progress has been made in terms of content of these
talks. Moreover, considering the recent unfortunate experience with the
Paris and Key West negotiations, when Azerbaijan disowned principles reached
at those talks, we are not overly optimistic about Azerbaijan sticking to
whatever new approaches we may agree on. A logical question is therefore
should the parties agree to another set of principles, would they share the
fate of Paris and Key West principles.
Regarding our own participation in negotiations, our position is clear –
Nagorno Karabakh cannot remain outside the process of settlement that
relates directly to its own fate. Mediators recognize this quite well and
they continue to insist on Karabakh’s participation in the process. Only
with Karabakh’s participation, can these negotiations become truly effective
in the way of achieving the soonest and most viable settlement. I would
recall that the May 1994 cease-fire agreement, which marked the most
tangible progress towards resolution of the conflict so far, was achieved
with direct participation of Nagorno Karabakh as a full party to the talks
that undertook and delivered on a set of commitments in terms of
establishment and preservation of the cease-fire regime.
We are also convinced that a successful continuation of the peace process
depends on stability in our region, which in turn is the sum of stable
conditions in all of the regional entities. In the years of independence, we
have succeeded in creating a functioning and politically stable state and
society, which is perhaps one of the most successful in the Caucasus. We now
have an established state institution including a legitimately elected
Parliament and President that enjoy popular confidence and command influence
throughout Karabakh. The Army of Defense of Nagorno Karabakh, which
protected our people from Azerbaijani aggression, today is under civilian
control and serves as the main and real guarantor of the security of our
statehood and our people.
Additionally, Nagorno Karabakh has embarked on the way of reform aiming to
establish a market-based economy. This is in spite of the estimated
multi-billion dollar damage the war caused our infrastructure. Due to
fighting, and especially due to Azerbaijan’s indiscriminate aerial and
artillery shelling, close to half of all of Karabakh residents lost their
homes, that is more than 18,000 private houses and apartments; destroyed
also were some 200 schools and kindergartens, about 170 healthcare
facilities, close to 85 percent of our manufacturing capacity and hundreds
of other facilities.
To rebuild and, at the same time, reform our economy, we had to rely mostly
on our own resources, long-term credits from Armenia and humanitarian aid
from our Diaspora. We did not just survive. We have established a legal
system that regulates economic relations, which allows us to make a gradual
and balanced transformation to a market economy. We have completed
privatization of land and small and medium enterprises. Today, Karabakh has
become an attractive place to work for foreign investors, thanks both to our
natural riches and liberal tax laws, as well as our stability and security
of investments.
Just in the past four years, foreign investments in Karabakh have twice
exceeded the size of our budget, resulting in the overall economic recovery
and development. Today, the private sector makes up for 80 percent of our
industrial output, while that figure was only 20 percent in 1999, just five
years ago. Major foreign investment programs have focused on mining (which
we did not even have in Soviet days), agribusiness, communications, tourism
and other services.
Using this opportunity, I would like to again extend our gratitude for the
humanitarian assistance from the United States, which since 1998 has helped
the victims of war in Nagorno Karabakh. This assistance is allocated through
the USAID and its non-government contractors. The first portion of this
assistance in the amount of $20 million has already been spent. The second
stage of the program, worth $15 million, is currently underway. The funded
projects include restoration and construction of pipes for drinking water,
healthcare facilities, micro-financing and de-mining. This assistance has
eased the lives of thousands and I would like to assure you that every
tax-payer dollar allocated by Congress to Karabakh has served its intended
purpose.
Confident of the international community’s desire to establish stability and
viable peace in our region and interest in the development of the South
Caucasus, we have always been ready for dialogue to achieve these goals. We
remain committed to this constructive approach today, even though we have
yet to see reciprocity from our counterparts in Azerbaijan. Specifically, a
set of confidence-building measures (CBMs) in the conflict area, which our
leadership proposed in 2001, was rejected by Azerbaijan, even as the U.S.
Congress repeatedly offered to fund such measures. These CBMs are designed
to establish basic cooperation between Azerbaijanis and us, even before the
final settlement of the conflict. One example is water resources sharing
that could potentially benefit both sides and require only modest finances.
Such CBM’s remain of utmost importance considering the near total absence of
mutual trust and recently stepped-up militarist rhetoric in Azerbaijan.
The Azerbaijani leadership, while avoiding all contact with Nagorno
Karabakh, goes as far as to try to prevent any contact between
non-government organizations and even individuals. Azerbaijani peace
activists who have visited Nagorno Karabakh have been harassed and assaulted
upon their return to Azerbaijan.
Capitalizing on Nagorno Karabakh’s absence from international organizations,
Azerbaijan tries to discredit us through baseless accusations and
insinuations. There is really no limit to their propagandistic zeal. To
believe our opponents, Karabakh is straight out of the Mad Max movies, with
chaos reining, nuclear waste buried from around the world, slaves traded,
terrorists roaming free and illicit drugs plentiful. Even though it is
well-documented that it was Azerbaijan that enlisted the forces of chaos and
xenophobic hatred, such as the international terrorist Shamil Basayev and
radical Afghan mercenaries that later made up the core of the Taliban, in
its war against us in the early 1990s.
We have repeatedly requested that international organizations and
governments, including the United States, send monitoring groups to Karabakh
to study on location the baseless allegations made by Azerbaijani officials.
Not surprisingly, Azerbaijan for its part does all it can to prevent such
visits.
The goal of the Azerbaijani government is to maintain a verbal smokescreen
over Karabakh so that the international community and Azerbaijan’s own
citizens remain ignorant of Karabakh’s realities particularly that Karabakh
is well ahead of Azerbaijan in terms of democratic development. At the same
time, Azerbaijan also tries to avoid exposure of the baseless nature of its
accusations. In this regard, we would like to see a principled position of
foreign governments and international organizations, which, we are certain,
are interested in objective information out of Karabakh.
The United States, in particular, as a co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group and
a country playing a leadership role around the world, certainly realizes the
importance of building mutual confidence in the region and are capable of
influencing the Azerbaijani leadership so that it backs off its military
threats, works towards promotion of tolerance within their country and
eventual peace throughout our region.
Today, we are witnessing the formation of an open society in Nagorno
Karabakh. We have the necessary legal framework and political climate for
continued democratic development. Since the declaration of independence in
1991, we have conducted several presidential, parliamentary and local
elections, which were observed and positively evaluated by independent
observers, including monitors from the United States. Most importantly, this
is a reflection of the commitment of our people to democratic principles and
our will to move forward as an independent state.
Our position on the peace process and foreign policy in general is based on
the fact that we are representatives of a democratically elected government
of Nagorno Karabakh, whose purpose is to serve and, most basically, provide
security to our citizens.
Democratically developing Nagorno Karabakh cannot be subordinated to an
Azerbaijani state, with its wholesale violation of the rights of
Azerbaijanis themselves and its history of genocidal policies against
Armenians. The Azerbaijani government, which has made not even a single
positive gesture towards Nagorno Karabakh since this conflict began, makes
it abundantly clear that Nagorno Karabakh’s independence from Azerbaijan has
no alternative.
Our position is also based on realities of the world today. We believe that
the international community can serve as a guarantor of Nagorno Karabakh’s
existence and security of its population by recognizing Nagorno Karabakh
Republic as a subject of international law. The non-recognition of NKR is
frequently explained by reluctance of setting a precedent. But these
precedents have already been set. New trends in international relations show
that nations that are forcefully incorporated into newly-established states
and suffer from pressure from central – in fact, colonial, – undemocratic
governments, have a natural right for a separate existence. We have seen
this in East Timor and Eritrea. Finally, in Kosovo it took the U.S.
leadership to stop ethnic cleansing and attempted Genocide and to establish
a de-facto independent entity, something, we as a nation succeeded in doing
almost exclusively on our own.
Based on this fundamental right, we will continue to seek international
recognition of NKR’s independence. Our demand is legally sound and is
grounded on a simple human desire to live freely in peace and dignity. We do
not want what is not ours but we can not compromise on our basic right to
exist. In this effort we count on the understanding of the international
community, which is, without a doubt, interested in the long-term stability
and security of the South Caucasus. It is by taking into account the rights
and fundamental interests of all nations of our region, including Armenians
in Karabakh, that this important goal can be reached.
Thank you for your attention.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Azer Tag, Azerbaijan
Oct 20 2004
FOREIGN MINISTER MEETS WITH CIS EXECUTIVE SECRETARY
[October 20, 2004, 22:42:48]
Minister of Foreign Affair s of Azerbaijan Elmar Mammadyarov met on
October 20 with Chairman of the CIS Executive Committee, Executive
Secretary Vladimir Rushaylo.
Updating the Minister on his visit to Belarus in connection with the
nationwide referenda in this country, Vladimir Rushaylo called the
fact that elections monitoring within the Commonwealth became
traditional. He also pointed out the importance of strengthening
member states cooperation in fighting terror, migration problems,
ecology and other spheres including resolution of conflicts.
Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov also noted the need to widen the
cooperation with international organizations and observers to acquire
more experience and knowledge in holding elections.
Touching upon the issue concerning conflicts resolution, the Minister
noted that economic cooperation between Azerbaijan and Armenia is not
possible until the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is settled. He also
called on the CIS member state to express their resolute stance with
respect to settling people in Nagorno-Karabakh and adjacent
territories of Azerbaijan.
The parties have also discussed a number of other issues of mutual
interest.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Russia-Georgia tensions worsen following Beslan siege
By Simon Wheelan
World Socialist
Oct 11 2004
The school siege at Beslan in the Russian republic of North Ossetia
has exacerbated tensions between Russia and Georgia, its neighbour
in the South Caucasus.
The Russian administration headed by President Vladimir Putin has
utilised the tragedy in a manner similar to that adopted by the
Republican administration in the US after the destruction of the
World Trade Centre on 9/11. The Kremlin has also threatened to
make pre-emptive military strikes outside its own borders against
its enemies. Yuri Baluyevsky, Russia’s top general, declared that
military forces “will carry out all measures to liquidate terrorist
bases in any region of the world.”
The shift towards pre-emptive strikes outside of Russia is not an
idle threat. It already carries out an assassination policy like that
employed by the Israeli government of Ariel Sharon and endorsed by
Washington. In February Russian agents assassinated the prominent
Chechen Zelimkhan Yandarbiyev whilst he was residing on the Arabian
Peninsula in Doha, Qatar. The murder was in response to a previous
bomb attack on the Moscow metro, which the Kremlin blames on Chechen
separatists.
Sentencing two Russian agents to 25 years in jail this week, a Qatari
judge stated, “The Russian leadership issued an order to assassinate
the former Chechen leader Yandarbiyev.”
The Russian government has denied any knowledge of the attack.
Putin and other leading government figures have identified Georgia’s
Pankisi Gorge as a possible target for pre-emptive attacks. Thousands
of Chechen refugees live in wretched conditions after having fled
Russian atrocities and are currently seek shelter in the difficult
to penetrate region.
Russian sources claim the refugee community provides the ideal cover
for Chechen rebels to enter Georgia from the Russian republic and to
re-enter other Russian provinces like North Ossetia through Georgia’s
porous and frequently lawless northern borders. Georgia shares its
borders with the impoverished and troubled republics of Ingushetia,
Dagestan, Chechnya and North Ossetia. Russia has since closed all
its borders with Georgia.
Attempting to deflect criticism and avoid a confrontation with superior
Russian military forces, the Georgian authorities have repeatedly
claimed that the Pankisi no longer harbours Chechen rebels. The
current government led by Mikhail Saakashvili blames the deposed
administration of Eduard Shevardnadze for previous incursions by
rebels into and out of Georgia.
The Bush administration in Washington has sent out conflicting
signals. The US State Department backed the claims of the Tbilisi
administration, stating that the Pankisi Gorge was free from rebel
activity. Spokesman Richard Boucher said the Pankisi Gorge “is no
longer a haven for terrorists.” But the US ambassador to Georgia,
Richard Miles, says some international terrorists are still present
in the Gorge.
Seeking to link Georgia to the Beslan tragedy, Russia’s Foreign
Minister Sergei Lavrov suggested that events in South Ossetia, where
the two countries have recently come to blows in a series of military
skirmishes, might well be connected to the school siege. The Russian
media has also sought to draw in the other breakaway Georgian republic
of Abkhazia by suggesting that one of the Beslan hostage takers
is hiding in an area on the border between the two warring parties
controlled by Georgian forces. The Kodori Gorge is held by the Georgian
military and Abkhazian ethnic Georgian forces loyal to Tbilisi.
Presently Russia is on the offensive, but the situation prior to the
Beslan siege was somewhat different. Saakashvili, fresh from wresting
back control of the coastal region of Adjaria from the regional warlord
Aslan Abashidze, decided to chance his luck on the weaker of the two
remaining breakaway republics—South Ossetia.
But just days after entering South Ossetian territory and mounting
repeated exchanges with Russian and South Ossetian troops, Georgian
forces withdrew. Saakashvili tried to rally nationalist sentiment
by warning of a possible war with Russia. But the rout of his South
Ossetian campaign is now derided in parliament as a “fiasco” by the
opposition. Newsweek magazine, which had previously sang Saakashvili’s
praises, predicted that the new president’s star may have already
waned and the opportunity to unify Georgia vanished.
Putin has framed the conflict over South Ossetia as a threat to Russian
sovereignty. But since Beslan, he has gone further and questioned the
very geographical viability of Georgia. Putin declared that Georgia was
“put together very artificially in a similar manner as other creations
in the former Soviet Union”, before blaming Tbilisi for “unfreezing”
the South Ossetian conflict. He added, “No one asked Ossetians and
the Abkhaz whether they want to stay in Georgia.”
In addition to the recent skirmishes over South Ossetia, Moscow has
further enraged the Saakashvili government by reopening train links
between the Russian capital and the Abkhazian capital Sukhumi for
the first time in 11 years. Russia has also stopped Georgian airlines
from using its airspace until some $3.6 million in debts is paid. The
essentially bankrupt state of Georgia was underlined by its recent
loss of voting rights at the United Nations because of unpaid bills.
Meanwhile, Tbilisi continues to strengthen ties with the western
powers and to push for eventual membership of NATO and the European
Union. Robert Simmons, the newly appointed Special Representative for
the Caucasus and Central Asia, recently announced that a NATO liaison
officer will be stationed in Tbilisi and will work closely with the
Defence Ministry “to assist with their defence reform.” European
Commission President Romano Prodi recently encouraged Georgia and
the other Trans-Caucasus nations Armenia and Azerbaijan to continue
their pursuit of EU membership.
Since the ignominious retreat from South Ossetia, Saakashvili has
sought to internationalise the conflict by drawing upon support from
his Western sponsors. In the immediate aftermath of the Beslan siege,
few wished to be seen openly supporting Russia’s enemies. Britain’s
Home Secretary Jack Straw, for example, described the Russian desire
for pre-emptive strikes as “understandable” in the circumstances.
But in contrast, the Bush administration has developed a bellicose
response both to Russia’s policy in Chechnya and in Georgia.
Washington has reiterated its calls for Russia to withdraw its troops
from Georgia, continues to train and equip Georgian forces and is
set to increase its financial assistance to Georgia threefold. In
return Georgian Defence Minister Giorgi Baramidze announced that more
Georgian troops would possibly be sent to bolster American forces
occupying Iraq.
Russia has a vital strategic interest in maintaining control over the
northern Caucasus region and extending its influence into the southern
Caucasus to break a possible US encirclement through its support for
Saakashvili’s Georgian administration and the ruling Aliyev dynasty
in Azerbaijan. Russia aims to thwart US attempts at monopolising the
vital Caspian Sea oil reserves and it should not be forgotten that
Chechnya also possesses significant oil reserves.
America has long sought control over oil supplies from the Caspian
Sea by installing or cultivating compliant regimes in the southern
Caucasus, including Azerbaijan, where the oil is extracted, and
Georgia, across which the $1.5 billion Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline
passes. Consequently the US government is committed to thwarting any
attempt by Russia to expand its influence in the Caucasus. Therefore
while the Bush administration has in the past made a show of supporting
Russian efforts to “curb terrorism”, its essential policy is hostility
to all attempts by Russia to dominate the region.
The State Department criticised the August 29 Chechen elections
as being “neither free nor fair” and it has granted asylum to
Ilyas Akhmadov, the foreign minister of Ivan Maskhadov’s opposition
government. Such support has allowed Akhmadov to pursue diplomatic
relations aimed at winning international support for a Republic
of Ichkeria.
Both the US and the EU have called for Russia to negotiate with what
they often describe as the “moderate” Chechen separatists. But France
and Germany are seeking to distance themselves from the US by endorsing
the validity of the August 29 election whilst simultaneously urging
negotiation. Their ambivalence is based on their desire for stronger
relations with Russia to counter American influence in Eastern Europe
and to build lucrative economic relations, particularly in the oil
sector. But they too must seek to free Caspian Sea oil from Russian
hegemony.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA
—————————————— —-
PRESS AND INFORMATION DEPARTMENT
375010 Telephone: +3741. 544041 ext 202
Fax: +3741. .562543
Email: [email protected]:
PRESS RELEASE
11 October 2004
Minister Oskanian Receives Members of Eurasia Foundation Board of Trustees
On 11 October, Minister Oskanian received Eurasia Foundation’s President
Charles Maynes and members of the Board of Trustees.
The Eurasia Foundation board members noted that a 10-year grants programme
in Armenia covers almost all aspects of civil society development. The
Foundation supported numerous pioneering initiatives including development
of university curriculum for business administration, the first large scale
municipal development program, the first small enterprise lending program,
the first public dialogue campaign and pioneering support for independent
print media.
Minister Oskanian welcomed the Foundation’s mission in Armenia and
acknowledged the importance of its operations in the context of Armenia’s
transition to market economy and democratic society.
Upon request of Eurasia Foundation Board members, Minister Oskanian briefed
them on the current situation in the region focusing on the status of the
Nagorno Karabagh conflict settlement and regulation of Armenia – Turkey
relations.
Eurasia Foundation (with headquarters in Washington) operates in Armenia,
Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgystan, Moldova, Russia and
Tajikistan. The Foundation started its program in Armenia in 1995. The key
programs implemented by the Foundation include Izmirlyan – Eurasia Small
Business Loan Program, Public Dialogue, Media Strengthening Program, South
Caucasus Cooperation Program and Caucasus Research Resource Centers.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ASBAREZ ONLINE
TOP STORIES
10/05/2004
TO ACCESS PREVIOUS ASBAREZ ONLINE EDITIONS PLEASE VISIT OUR
WEBSITE AT <;HTTP:// 1) Armenia, Bulgaria Discuss Closer Ties Amid Growing Trade 2) Exxon Abandons Flagship Azeri Well 3) Rare Arshile Gorky Paintings at Paris Auction 4) Resettlement in Karabagh on the Rise 1) Armenia, Bulgaria Discuss Closer Ties Amid Growing Trade YEREVAN (RFE-RL)--President Robert Kocharian and his visiting Bulgarian counterpart, Georgi Parvanov, pledged on Tuesday to step up cooperation between their nations "in all spheres," singling out bilateral trade that has grown dramatically over the past year. Parvanov arrived in Yerevan late on Monday on a two-day official visit, which is part of his tour of the three South Caucasus states. "The presidents express their determination to promote the deepening of political dialogue and bilateral cooperation in all spheres," the two leaders said in a statement. It said Bulgaria, which is expected to join the European Union by 2007, welcomes Armenia's integration into European structures and in particular its inclusion in the EU's New Neighborhood program. "Our commercial exchange has tripled over the past year," Parvanov announced at a joint news conference with Kocharian. Economic issues dominated his talks with Kocharian. "Both sides noted that since my visit to Bulgaria last, there has been a fairly serious upswing in our bilateral economic relations," Kocharian said. "I believe that the Bulgarian president's visit will also give a serious impetus to that process." He added that the Armenian and Bulgarian governments can build on that progress by doubling or even tripling the current volume of trade. That, according to Parvanov, requires the facilitation of the existing ferry link between Bulgarian and Georgian Black Sea ports. Armenia uses it for trading with Bulgaria and other European countries. The presence of businessmen in the Bulgarian delegation led by Parvanov underscored the economic emphasis of the visit. A special Armenian-Bulgarian business forum was held on that occasion. The two sides discussed regional issues including the unresolved Karabagh conflict, with Kocharian saying that Sofia is contributing to its peaceful resolution in its current capacity as the rotating president of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. The Bulgarian government has a special envoy tasked with facilitating the peace process. 2) Exxon Abandons Flagship Azeri Well BAKU (Reuters)--US oil major ExxonMobil's hopes of a big oil strike on its flagship Azeri offshore field faded on Monday after it said it had shut down the first ultradeep well there after failing to find commercial deposits. "We discovered that the first well on Zafar-Mashal does not contain commercial hydrocarbon reserves and we decided to shut it down," Exxon's spokeswoman Leila Rzakuliyeva told Reuters. "It's premature to talk about drilling new wells on the field," she added. At 7,087 meters, the well was the deepest in the Caspian and Azeri geologists have said it was the most expensive too, costing Exxon more than $100 million. The results of drilling on the Zafar-Mashal field had been expected to give a big clue as to whether the Caspian country's shelf contained more significant reserves or whether its potential has been overestimated. Exxon's block is currently the only active new exploration project on the Azeri shelf, despite the existence of over 20 production-sharing agreements between Baku and multinationals. The Azeri oil boom was fueled by the "contract of the century," when a BP-led group agreed 10 years ago to develop three mammoth offshore fields, known as Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli (ACG), set to become a major source of crude for a pipeline to Turkey. Oil will start flowing next year with shipments gradually rising to over one million barrels per day. The confirmation of ACG's reserves prompted many experts and Azeri officials to forecast further multi-billion barrel discoveries. But investors have found only one big offshore gas field in the past decade, Shakh-Deniz, while a number of projects were shut down after having failed to strike oil. Many investors have postponed tapping their blocks, partly due to the scarcity of drilling equipment on the land-locked sea. Further gas discoveries will also raise questions about the import capacity of the only potentially attractive neighboring market, Turkey. Exxon leads the $3 billion Zafar-Mashal (Victory Torch) project with a 30 percent interest. State Azeri firm SOCAR holds 50 percent and US ConocoPhillips owns the remaining 20 percent. The block is 100 km (62.114 miles) offshore from Baku. Exxon is involved in four Azeri projects and has already invested around $1.5 billion. One of the projects is a 50/50 PSA with SOCAR on the neighboring Nakhichevan field, where the first well discovered only gas several years ago. Zafar-Mashal is the only Azeri block which was supposed to produce major exploration news this year. After having completed drilling on Zafar-Mashal, Exxon will send a $250-million newly-built Lider platform to Russian oil major LUKOIL, which will operate it closer to the Russian border, with exploration expected to last at least six months. 3) Rare Arshile Gorky Paintings at Paris Auction PARIS (International Press Service)--A major three-day auction sale by François Tajan, who is among the most famous of Paris auctioneers, began in Paris on October 5-7. On sale will be part of the massive private collection of New York art dealer Julien Levy, in whose gallery Arshile Gorky had a number of shows in the 1940s. Among the more than 800 paintings and drawings to be placed on the block are four paintings and eleven drawings by Gorky, a few of which are barely known to the public. The scores of artists whose works are in the sale are: Hans Arp, Dali, Toulouse-Lautrec, Marcel Duchamp, Max Ernest, Fini, Lichtenstein, Magritte, Man Ray, Matta, Naguchi, and Tanguy. The highest estimated price for any single item in the sale is a painting by Gorky titled Pirate 1 of 1942, with a suggested price of 1,300,000-1,600,000 euros (close to two million dollars). Pirate II of 1943 is estimated at 1,100,000-1,300,000 euros. Articles in the French press on this major sale have featured Gorky's paintings, emphasizing the rarity of his works on the art market. Marcel Fliess and his son David organized the sale and prepared the massive 515 page large format catalogue, "Hommage à Julien Levy." A couple of years ago, Fliess also had an exhibit and sale in his own Galerie in Paris of Gorky's works from the collection of famous surrealist and a friend of Gorky, André Breton. The auction will take place at the Espace Tajan, 37 rue des Mathurins, 75008 Paris. Information is available by phone (33) 1 53 30 30 30, fax (33) 1 53 30 30 31, or at <; 4) Resettlement in Karabagh on the Rise STEPANAKERT (A1plus)--An estimated 23,000 people have moved to the Mountainous Karabagh Republic (MKR) since 1994, with 150 reconstructed settlements, according to chief of MKR department for refugees, migration, and resettlement Serge Amirkhanyan. He said that 623 people (120 families) moved to MKR in January and February 2004, more than in the same period of 2003. Legislative reforms are also being drafted to resolve the problems of Armenian refugees deported from Azerbaijan in 1988-1992, Amirkhanyan said. All subscription inquiries and changes must be made through the proper carrier and not Asbarez Online. ASBAREZ ONLINE does not transmit address changes and subscription requests. (c) 2004 ASBAREZ ONLINE. All Rights Reserved. ASBAREZ provides this news service to ARMENIAN NEWS NETWORK members for academic research or personal use only and may not be reproduced in or through mass media outlets. From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress