Author: Chakhmakhchian Vatche

WILL POVERTY BECOME HISTORY?
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| 11:50:28 | 12-09-2005 | Social |
On September 14-16, 2005, in New York the summit of the UN Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs) will take place. Thousands of people in New
York will call to the UN summit delegates to put an end to poverty
in all over the world.
At the same time millions of people in about 180 countries of the
world will demand the participant of the summit to reach the MDGs,
to provide democracy and fair conditions of international commerce,
and to allot international aid to poor countries.
On September 10-16 the participants of the movement will wear white
ribbons on their hands showing their concern in this global poverty
problem.
The British Benevolent organization Oxfam and the Armenian coalition
“World Call against Poverty” calling everyone to join the motto
“Let’s Make Poverty History”.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PRESS OFFICE
Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern)
630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Contact: Jake Goshert, Coordinator of Information Services
Tel: (212) 686-0710 Ext. 60; Fax: (212) 779-3558
E-mail: [email protected]
Website:
September 9, 2005
DIOCESAN ZOHRAB INFORMATION CENTER TO HOLD NIGHT OF EXPLORATION
In the heart of New York City is a treasure trove of priceless
artifacts, precious manuscripts, and a wealth of literature steeped in
the culture and history of our ancient Armenian civilization. But this
valuable collection is easily accessible to transport visitors to their
Armenian roots.
At 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, September 22, 2005, the New York Armenian
Students’ Association invites its members and guests to join an evening
of exploring the Zohrab Information Center of the Diocese of the
Armenian Church of America (Eastern).
The center — located at the Diocesan Center (630 Second Ave. at 34th
St. in Manhattan) — is a vibrant and rare resource for researching and
studying all things Armenian. Attendees to the special evening will
hear from three researchers about their findings at the center, and will
then have an opportunity to join a guided tour, while asking questions.
The evening will also feature a wine and cheese reception.
This unique evening will benefit serious scholars and prospective
students of Armenology, as well as members of the general public who
relish a sense of discovery. Participants will learn about the center’s
holdings of more than 15,000 books and periodicals, rare 19th- and early
20th-century Armenian newspapers, a collection of early printed Armenian
books, several thousand rare books available on microfiche or microfilm,
and a collection of audio and video taped interviews with survivors of
the Armenian genocide.
Visitors will also meet with some of the center’s specialists in
Armenian history who are available to assist all users with their
inquiries. Aram Arkun, coordinator of the center and a specialist in
19th- and 20th-century Armenian history, will lead the tour of the
center and be available to answer any questions.
TESTIMONY OF EXPERTS
Speaking at the event will be historian Dr. Sylvie L. Merian, scholar
and playwright Ben Alexander, and Lerna Ekmekcioglu, a current doctoral
student at New York University. Each will speak about how their work
has directly benefited from the resources found in the center.
Dr. Merian, the reference librarian at New York City’s Pierpont Morgan
Library, received her doctoral degree from Columbia University, writing
her dissertation on medieval Armenian bookbinding. She has published
and lectured on Armenian codicology and manuscript illumination, and has
organized small exhibitions on Armenian manuscripts and printed books.
Ben Alexander recently completed a doctoral dissertation at the City
University of New York Graduate Center dealing with Armenian ethnic
identity and diasporan nationalism in America. He now teaches U.S.
history at St. Francis College and New York City College of Technology,
both in Brooklyn.
Lerna Ekmekcioglu, originally from Istanbul, is preparing her doctoral
thesis at New York University with an emphasis on comparative Armenian
and Turkish nationalism and feminism in Istanbul during the 1920s.
BRINGING IN YOUNG ARMENIANS
The evening’s activities are free and open to the public. Please RSVP
to [email protected]. Donations will be welcome and greatly
appreciated.
The September 22 event is being organized by the Armenian Students’
Association in an effort to get the next generation of Armenian scholars
and researchers oriented with the facility.
The ASA is a nationwide membership organization promoting Armenian
culture and education by providing Armenian communities with social,
academic, and educational events. All funds raised by the regional
branches contribute to the ASA’s scholarship fund for Armenian students
studying in the United States.
For more information about the New York Armenian Students’ Association,
please visit For details on the Zohrab
Center, contact Aram Arkun by e-mailing [email protected] or
calling (212) 686-0710, ext. 26.
— 9/9/05
# # #
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

AZG Armenian Daily #161, 09/09/2005
‘Cilicia’
IMPRESSIONS AND MEMORIES COMING FORM ‘CILICIA’S’ DECK
A Meeting at Daily Azg Publishing House
On September 7, the crew of “Cilicia” sailing vessel visited daily Azg. The
sailors that were just back from the second navigation shared with their
impressions and memories with the editorial staff of daily Azg. The
crewmembers were thankful to the newspaper for continual coverage of the
vessel’s tour. Captain Karen Balayan presented editor-in-chief of daily Azg,
Hakob Avetikian, a unique photo of “Cilicia”. To shoot the vessel in the
open sea, the sailors needed to sail away from the vessel in a boat.
Writer and publicist Zori Balayan, who was on the Vessel for most of the
time, shares with his memories from the first navigation. “The sails got
ripped, the rows broke down and it seemed that there is no way out. But
there were experienced people among us who could steer “Cilicia”. The
sailors tell that both interested Armenians and foreigners used to gather
around the ship in every harbor. A Swede woman even approached the vessel in
Rhodos and kissed it. In some harbors, “Cilicia” attracted thousands of
spectators. In Beirut, numerous aged Armenians from local community who
already had no hope to tread the soil of the fatherland went aboard the
ship, some even on wheelchairs.
Asked which storm was the most awful one, the captain said, “There was no
time to think of the storms and gales. You have no time to scare when there
is work to do. You pay attention to nothing”.
Spirits, cigarettes and even cross words were banned on the ship. “Only on
some occasion would the captain order the cook to pour some drinks for us
but the youngest crewmembers got no alcohol. As to cross words, I heard only
doctor Gevorg Grigorian swearing at the 4-day-long storm”, Zori Balayan
recalls. The doctor performed a sailor’s role on the vessels, as the boys
were too trained and prepared to resort to medical help. Gevorg Grigorian
had an interesting pastime aboard the ship. He brought back home a
collection of plants, a kind of “laboratory” made on way back home. “He used
to put the unique fish that we caught in formalin that we did not need any
more and grew interesting plants”, Zori Balayan says.
Captain Karen Balayan says that the he does not think that the return of
“Cilicia” back to Armenia will not be easy either (it is now anchored in
Portsmouth, England). “The first stage was difficult because it was
unprecedented. In the second stage we had a primary goal to cross the ocean.
It is very likely that the northern seas will not let us out easily. So,
it’s a serious trial too”.
Zori Balayan does not consider the third stage (return) much of navigation.
“The vessel has to return home. We have already proved that we are able to
cross 20.000 miles. Now, if we even cross 1 million miles, it won’t be
anything new. We will perhaps get the ship on a plane from Sochi not to
damage it. The whole nation should accompany the ship from airport to the
Lake Sevan”, he says.
By Tamar Minasian

EQUIPMENT OF 500.000 EUROS FOR ARMECONOM BANK
By Ara Martirosian
AZG Armenian Daily #160
08/09/2005
Economy
Lloyds TSB Bank to Realize the Project Financed by Eurobank
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) plans to
provide ArmEconom Bank with technical support amounting to 500.000
euros. The Lloyds TSB Bank of the Lloyd Group Inc. will realize the
project. The executive director of ArmEconom bank, Ashot Osipian,
and the head of international consulting department of the Lloyds
TSB, Edward Hayter, signed an agreement yesterday launching thus
the project. It’s worth reminding that the EBRD is the owner of 25+1
percent of the ArmEconom’s shares.
Ashot Osipian informed that 6 organizations competed in London for
the right to realize the project of technical aid to ArmEconom Bank,
emphasizing that he is glad that an influential bank as the Lloyds
TBS became the winner. The aim of the project is to ArmEconom a
bank matching international standards. The executive director also
mentioned that together with the Eurobank they will realize a project
of financing 5 enterprises to the sum of $1.5 million.
Edward Hayter said that thanks to the efforts of the bank he
represents and exports he has elaborated a plan of institutional
reconstruction of ArmEconom Bank, which aims at developing risks
managing system, improving the structure of corporative management,
installing streamlined technologies and methodologies and raising
the qualifications of the staff etc. The Lloyds TSB representative
noted that they were impressed to see ArmEconom Bank occupying a firm
position in Armenian market. It’s not strange, he said, that such a
bank captured Eurobank’s attention.

ARMENIA PROVIDES HUMANITARIAN AID TO HURRICANE-HIT US AREAS
By Tigran Liloyan
ITAR-TASS News Agency
MOSCOW, September 6
September 8, 2005 Thursday 12:39 PM Eastern Time
Armenia has provided 200,000 U.S. dollar humanitarian aid to residents
of the U.S. areas affected by Hurricane Katrina, the government press
service told Itar-Tass on Thursday.
Armenian President Robert Kocheryan conveyed his condolences to his
U.S. counterpart George W. Bush on the tragedy.

AZERI SOLDIER KILLED, CIVILIAN WOUNDED IN ARMENIAN TRUCE VIOLATION – TV
ANS TV Baku
6 Sep 05
An Azerbaijani soldier has been killed and a civilian wounded in
Tapqaraqoyunlu village of the country’s Goranboy District as the
Armenian armed forced violated the cease-fire on the front line,
Azerbaijan’s ANS TV said on 6 September.
The Armenian armed forces subjected the Azerbaijani village to
intensive fire from automatic guns at about 1100 gmt, ANS correspondent
said in a live telephone link-up with the studio. The firing lasted
over two hours and sounds of explosion were heard, he said.

VODKA LEMON
DVDTimes.co.uk, UK
Sept 7 2005
Vodka Lemon takes place in a Kurdish village in Armenia. It’s the dead
of winter, with temperatures twenty below zero and more. Hamo (Romen
Avinien) is a widower in his sixties, who visits his wife’s grave
and talks to her there. While there he meets Nina (Lala Sarkissian),
a widow with a daughter, and finds himself drawn to her.
It’s fair to say that examples of Armenian cinema are not thick on the
ground. In what reaches British release at least, it’s represented
almost entirely by the Canadian-based Atom Egoyan, who in films
such as Ararat has dealt with his Armenian heritage. Vodka Lemon
is very different. Hineer Saleem is an Iraqi Kurd based in Paris,
and as he makes clear in the documentary that accompanies his film,
Vodka Lemon is as much a Kurdish story. The situation in Iraq made
filming there impossible, so the story was written about the large
Kurdish population in Armenia. In terms of inspiration, this is
a world away from Egoyan’s frequently rather cerebral cinema.
Instead, Saleem aims north, aspiring to the low-key, deadpan
miserablist humour of Finnish director Aki Kaurasmaki. The result
is certainly a warm-hearted film, but to me it doesn’t equal its
inspiration. It shares its leisurely pace and poker-faced comedy with
Kaurismaki’s work, but the danger of working in a minor key is that of
slightness and inconsequentiality. And that’s where Vodka Lemon falls
down. There are certainly consolations, such as the performances and
the occasional shaft of humour. Christophe Pollock’s cinematography
makes the obviously bitterly cold settings strangely beautiful. And
the sheer novelty of seeing a film from this part of the world makes
this worth a look. The title, by the way, comes from an exchange that
Nina has with a customer at her roadside liquor store. When asked why
a drink is called vodka lemon when it tastes of almonds, she says:
“That’s Armenia!”

OSCE HEAD SEES SIGNS OF RAPPROCHEMENT BETWEEN ARMENIA, AZERBAIJAN
Mediamax news agency
6 Sep 05
Yerevan, 6 September: The OSCE chairman-in-office, Slovenian Foreign
Minister Dimitrij Rupel, said in Yerevan today that there are
“certain signs of rapprochement between Armenia and Azerbaijan”
on the Karabakh settlement.
Speaking at a briefing in Yerevan today, Dimitrij Rupel noted that
“the main problem in the talks lies in details”, Mediamax reports. The
OSCE chairman-in-office said that “I did not get the impression that
the forthcoming constitutional referendum in Armenia might influence
the peace process”.
Commenting on the Azerbaijani leadership’s bellicose statements,
Dimitrij Rupel said that “my interlocutors in Baku had a peaceful
and conciliatory position and I did not hear any calls for war”.
Asked by Mediamax about Dimitrij Rupel’s reaction if he receives
factual proof of the bellicose rhetoric of the Azerbaijani authorities,
Dimitrij Rupel said: “I do not welcome calls for war, we are seeking
peace. If I hear such a statement, I’ll try to urge its author to
change his mind.”
For his part, Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan described as
“extremely dangerous” Azerbaijan’s illusions that the inflow of oil
dollars will ensure Baku’s superiority in resolving the Karabakh
problem in a military way. “If the Karabakh problem had a military
solution, we would not be discussing settlement issues today, as the
Armenians have won the war,” Vardan Oskanyan said. Asked about the
possible influence of the Baku-Ceyhan pipeline on the settlement
process, the Armenian foreign minister said that “we prefer to
consider this project as an additional factor in the cause of
maintaining peace”.
“We proceed from the fact that numerous countries and companies are
involved in the Baku-Ceyhan pipeline and Azerbaijan will not be able
to make a unanimous decision to resume hostilities,” the Armenian
foreign minister said.

Yerevan Press Club of Armenia presents `MediaDialogue” Web Site as a
Regional Information Hub project.
As a part of the project web site is maintained,
featuring the most interesting publications from the press of Armenia,
Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey on issues of mutual concern. The latest
updates on the site are weekly delivered to the subscribers.
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CONFLICTS
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PROGRESS OF NEGOTIATIONS HINGES ON SECRECY
—————————————— ———————————
Source: “Azg” newspaper (Armenia) [September 03, 2005]
Author: Tatul Hakobian
In the course of Rupel’s visit, the sides will give assessment of the
current stage of negotiations
On his regional visit, OSCE Chairman-in-office, Dimitrij Rupel will
visit Yerevan on September 5-6. Foreign Minister of Slovenia will
meet Presidents of Armenia and Mountainous Karabagh, Foreign Minister
Vartan Oskanian, as reported by RA MFA.
After Kazan negotiations of Presidents Robert Kocharian and Ilham
Aliev, OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairmen left for the capital of Slovenia,
Ljubljana with information on the details of Kazan meeting. It is
important to note that in his public statements, Rupel separates the
MK issue from all other interethnic conflicts on CIS territory,
considering MKR a disputable territory.
After the visit of OSCE Chairman-in-office to Yerevan and Baku, the
Co-chairmen will start preparation to the next stage of meetings on
the level of Armenian and Azerbaijani Foreign Ministers, likely to
take place by the end of September beginning of October. As reported
by `Mediamax’, Russian mediator Yuri Merzliakov answered the question
`Why the sides are so reserved after the Kazan meeting?’ in the
following manner, `There was an agreement on keeping the details of
discussion secret’.
`Recent negotiations of the Presidents were very useful, the
discussion was detailed and predictable’, Yuri Merzliakov stated to
Azerbaijani ANS TV Company. Russian Co-chairman refused to answer the
question whether new proposals were made in Kazan, noting only that
the `progress of negotiations hinges on secrecy’.
Merzliakov noted that the Co-chairmen will take all effort for
conducting another meeting Kocharian-Aliev until the end of the
year. The visit of the Co-chairmen to the region should take place by
December.
Yesterday Foreign Ministry of Azerbaijan expressed concern over the
visit of Armenian President to Mountainous Karabagh, qualifying it as
a step impeding the process of settlement. `Regretfully, Yerevan is
taking steps that do not contribute to activation of the
negotiations’, Head of MFA Press and Information Department Tayir
Tagizade stated. Yesterday, Turkish `Hurriyet’ newspaper published an
interview with President of Azerbaijan, in which Ilham Aliev notes,
`Each Azerbaijani is deeply convinced that the day will come when the
occupied territories will be liberated and the Azerbaijani flag will
flutter over Karabagh’. Commenting on the Kazan meeting, Aliev
stated, `There are no results yet. Armenians expect that we will give
them independence, however it is impossible’.
Robert Kocharian, on a visit to Stepanakert to celebrate the 14
anniversary of Karabagh independence, stated to the journalists
yesterday that he has positive impressions of the meeting with
President of Azerbaijan in Kazan. `Positive tendencies are traced in
the negotiation process’, he stated and added, `Mountainous Karabagh
cannot be an object of bargaining, and the Armenian people are
unanimous about it’.
On his behalf, MKR President assured that MKR authorities are for a
peaceful settlement of the conflict, emphasizing that no one will
succeed depriving us of Artsakh and its independence, achieved at the
cost of inevitable losses’.
Azerbaijan is unable to protect even the rights of its own people to
say nothing of ethnic minorities living in this country. This fact is
enough to recognize the rights of Mountainous Karabagh people for
their own, sovereign state, independent from Azerbaijan’, Arkady
Ghukasian stated.
THE FACT OF AZERBAIJAN GETTING EMPTY IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN KARABAGH!
—————————————————————————-
Source: “Star” newspaper (Turkey) [August 31, 2005]
Author:
We always tried to cover the real situation in the Turkic countries of
the post-Soviet space.
Azerbaijan is closest to us from all the aspects. If you allow, we
will postpone the process of settlement of Karabagh conflict, which
seems to be endless, and will present to you the demographic problems
requiring attention.
On August 27, after CIS summit of August 26 in Kazan, the meeting of
Presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia, Aliev and Kocharian took place
there.
The recent meeting of the two leaders was held on May 16 in
Warsaw. Before each meeting, there is some information of the type,
`prior to each meeting there are details that resolution of the
conflict is close’. This time we had the same situation, however, no
concrete agreements were reached.
In compliance with the decision of UN Security Council, by April 30,
1993 the Armenians were to have liberated Kerebejer. The withdrawal of
the troops was fixed for July 15. After the coup and dismissal of
Elchibey, the troops were still there. First and foremost, the new
authorities of Azerbaijan started to withdraw the troops of Popular
Front that were fighting in Karabagh, and to dismiss them. Heydar
Aliev then stated, `Our army does not fight’. From the period of July
to October that year, the Armenians occupied 5 more regions in
Karabagh besides Kerbejer and Lachin: Agdam, Jebrail, Fizuli,
Zangelan, Kubatli.
Empty Talk
On May 1994, a truce was signed. The situation was quite uncertain. It
was not clear if Azerbaijan capitulated, lost or won.
Aliev the senior met Kocharian 22 times with no result. During OSCE
summit in Lisbon Heydar Aliev stated that Armenia occupied Azerbaijan
and put veto on OSCE decision. This event was presented as a heroic
deed; as a result, the baby boys born on these days were named after
Lisbon. Genje governor once stated, `President was a hero at Lisbon
summit’, thus entering the anthology of Azerbaijani humor.
Making a speech at the refugee camp, Heydar Aliev stated that the
Armenian Diaspora is very strong and therefore Azerbaijan will be
unable to fight against them. (2002). Armenian Foreign Minster Vartan
Oskanian constantly avoided concrete agreements, putting unacceptable
conditions for Azerbaijan and categorically rejecting Turkish
mediation.
During the two-day session at Armenian Parliament (18-19 April, 2005)
Defense Minister Serj Sargsian stated, `To strengthen second Armenian
state, we should do our best and should not allow interference of our
enemy – Turkey’.
At EU summit May 15-17, the Presidents of the two countries vested
additional powers with their Foreign Ministers to continue
negotiations. Special representative of Azerbaijan on Karabagh Araz
Azimov stated, `In August, we might probably reach an agreement’. On
August 23-24 on the eve of Kazan meeting, Foreign Ministers met in
Moscow for empty talk. Half Departed In other words, the negotiation
process was constantly underway with no result. Armenia proved
stronger in this aspect with Russia constantly at its back.
Half Departed However, let us consider the most important
aspect. There are numerous publications that only 2 million people are
left in Armenia. Still, there is the reverse of the medal. Azerbaijan
is also getting empty. Since 1993, 3 million Azerbaijanis have moved
to Russia. Even Sweden has more refugees from Azerbaijan than other
countries – over 2 thousand people. In European countries, 200
thousand Azerbaijanis enjoy a refugee status. Turkey has 200 thousand
of them, Ukraine – 300 thousand, Iran – 100 thousand Azerbaijanis.
Thus, the 8 million population of Azerbaijan is already reduced almost
twice.
The elections in Azerbaijan are close. We will still raise this issue.
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ECONOMY
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ABKHAZIAN RAILWAY IS OF NO SPECIAL SIGNIFICANCE TO GEORGIA
—————————————— ——————————–
Source: “Rezonansi” newspaper (Georgia) [August 25, 2005]
Author:
The Russian side formed a group of specialists that will take up study
of the railway in Abkhazia. As you know, the railway linking Russia to
the South Caucasus countries stopped functioning because of the recent
events in Abkhazia. Up to recently, the negotiations on restoring the
railway faced an impasse. The Georgian side was categorical in
relating this issue to the return of the refugees back to the
uncontrolled autonomy. It encountered if not resistance, at least
silent disagreement of the other parties to negotiation – the
Abkhazian and Russian sides. However, the situation changed recently –
though Tbilisi thinks return of the refugees is a priority, it is more
tolerant to the issue of restoring the railway than previously.
Expert Gia Khukhashvili holds the unilateral study of the Abkhazian
segment of the railway is accorded with the Georgian side. `Our
authorities have changed their position? The refugees have not yet
returned, why don’t the authorities express their protest?’ he
asks. Thus, the expert holds that the initiative of restoring the
railway communication is fully seized by the Russians and the
Abkhazians, whereas the Georgians may finally end up in a difficult
situation necessitating constant minor and major concessions, for
instance, in such important issues as opening of the checkpoint on
Psou-Inguri segment. Khukhashvili is uncertain over the main issue too
– who will take the responsibility, and to put it directly, who will
own this segment of the railway – Russia or Georgia.
Gia Khukhashvili also traces a menace in clarifying financial
issues. He thinks the situation is quite strange. From the very
outset, Georgia insisted on purely economic nature of restoring the
railway. However, it is obvious that this issue acquired strong
political implication, given the fact that functioning of the railway
will bring maximum efficiency to Russia and particularly Armenia but
not Georgia, as Khukhashvili holds. `There is a situation of giving a
lot but getting a little. Though we do have questions – for instance,
how can the railway be restored without the involvement of the
Georgian side. Obviously, our opponents calculated everything – they
will propose something and we will agree. If it actually happens, the
suspicions about illogical behavior of our authorities will come
true’, Gia Khukhashvili holds. In his opinion, Georgia does not have
problems with cargo transportation even without this railway. The
additional railway, certainly, will never be supe! rfluous, however
it will be significant to Russia and Armenia and not Georgia. Besides,
Khukhashvili thinks it is not clear why prior to the railway recovery
the issue of regulating parallel car route, in good condition, was not
even mentioned. Besides, Khukhashvili holds it would be possible to
find out how secure the route is before starting restoration of the
railway. All this points to lobby intrigues with a different
motivation. `We are more in the political than economic field’,
Khukhashvili thinks
===========================================================================
NEIGHBOURS
=========================================================================
BAKU WILL DO ITS BEST FOR REMOVING ISOLATION OF NORTHERN CYPRUS
———————————————– —————————–
Source: “Zerkalo” newspaper (Azerbaijan) [September 05, 2005]
Author:
Head of the State Holds that No One Has a Right to Exert Pressure on
Azerbaijan
‘Azerbaijan is very strong, so Armenia will give in. However, we do
not want war, since many people will die. I believe that sooner or
later we will get our lands back. No one should ever doubt
it’. President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliev stated about it to Turkish
`Hurriyet’ newspaper, published on September 2, as `Trend’ agency
reports.
“Each Azerbaijani strongly believes that the time will come when the
occupied lands will be liberated, whereas the Azerbaijani flag will
again flutter over Karabagh’, President Aliev emphasized, commenting
also on the results of the Kazan meeting with President of Armenia
Robert Kocharian. `There are no results yet. Armenians are expecting
independence from us. However, it is impossible! Our priority is
preserving territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. I told Kocharian that
we are ready to guarantee security of the Armenian community of
Karabagh. I emphasized that Baku will not allow the community to face
any danger’, Ilham Aliev stated, adding that `however, they (Armenian
armed forces) are unwilling to liberate our lands’.
At the same time, I. Aliev noted that in the course of the recent
telephone conversation US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice stated
that Washington wants the sides to resolve the conflict. `I do not
understand why Armenia, as an occupier state, is not punished, though
I do understand that the Armenian lobby is strong. The current
situation is extremely unfair”, I. Aliev stated. He noted that after
this conversation he felt some softening in the position of Robert
Kocharian, though it was not sufficient for settling the problem.
‘We took all possible steps. However, Armenia does not heed the
opinion of the international community. Over a million Azerbaijani
citizens were left homeless. The West aspires to fast settlement. We
will do our best to this effect. Further on, we will sit down to think
it over’, I. Aliev summed up.
President of Azerbaijan also raised the issue of pressure on official
Baku as regards settlement of economic ties with the Turkish Republic
of Northern Cyprus. First steps towards Azerbaijan were taken by the
Greek authorities, summoning our ambassador to MFA and giving him a
note. However, we did not pay attention to this. Further on, a letter
was addressed to Baku from the Republic of Cyprus, which I put aside
without opening. No one has a right to exert pressure on Azerbaijan’,
I. Aliev noted.
The Azerbaijani President also emphasized that he pays no heed to
international pressure, noting `he does not even remember the author
of the letter addressed to him from Greek Cyprus”. The Head of State
reminded that many doubted his statements on breaking the isolation
regime of the Northern Cyprus. `There were many critical articles on
my behalf. However, I kept my word. The time has come for other Turkic
states to support Azerbaijani position on this issue. Now it is their
turn to take similar steps’, I. Aliev stated.
The question of whether Azerbaijan will take new initiatives in this
direction was answered by Aliev, `We will do our utmost, since we do
believe that the isolation of Cyprus should be removed. The injustice
should be put an end to. Strangely, the punishment is put to the side
supporting UN plan on unification of the island. It is impossible
either to understand or accept’.
***************************************************************************
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OSCE NOT IN HURRY TO SOLVE KARABAKH CONFLICT
A1+
| 13:53:30 | 06-09-2005 | Politics |
“We are friends both to Armenia and Azerbaijan”, OSCE
Chairman-in-Office, Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel upon
completion of the meeting with NKR President Arkady Ghkasyan in
Yerevan Hotel yesterday.
According to A. Ghukasyan, the meeting was longer than it was
scheduled. Is there a possibility for Nagorno Karabakh to take part
in the negotiations? “There are several formats, these being the
dialogue between the Presidents, the Minsk Group, the talks held by the
Foreign ministers. I am ready to negotiate with all the conflicting
parties including the NKR,” Mr. Ripel said. The ongoing negotiation
process D. Rupel characterized as a “good idea”. “We still have time”,
he added.