Author: Chalian Meline

"NEW TIMES" WILL ANSWER IN SEPTEMBER

AZG Armenian Daily
01/07/2008

Local

"New times" party, on behalf of the Chairman of the party Aram
Karapetian, sent a letter to the Chairman of the NA temporary
commission Samvel Nikoyan.

The letter states that the party on the whole shares the PACE
viewpoints and preoccupations; consequently it postpones its decision
on participation in the commission until September.

"Taking into account the fact that our country will be under PACE
monitoring in coming few months and the PACE officials will visit
Armenia in that context to follow the process of implementation of the
resolution 1609 demands to represent corresponding reports, "New Times"
party will also follow the functioning of the commission and will make
a decision taking into account the level of efficiency of those works".

AZERBAIJAN`S AMBASSADOR TO GREAT BRITAIN MEETS BRITISH PARLIAMENT MEMBER

State Telegraph Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan June 26,
2008 Thursday

Azerbaijan`s ambassador to Great Britain Mr. Fakhraddin Gurbanov met
with member of the British Parliament Angus Robertson.

The discussion focused on the relations between Azerbaijan and Great
Britain and other issues of mutual interest.

The Azerbaijani Ambassador told of the ongoing processes in his
country, as well as regional projects.

He also touched upon the Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
and negotiation process to settle the dispute peacefully.

Mr. Angus Robertson, in turn, stressed that parliaments have great
role in developing relations between the two countries. He also
emphasized the importance of reciprocal visits by the both countries`
representatives.

G8 FOREIGN MINISTERS CALLED ON AZERBAIJAN AND ARMENIA TO SOLVE NAGORNO KARABAKH CONFLICT PEACEFULLY

Azeri Press Agency
June 27 2008
Azerbaijan

Kyoto-APA. Foreign ministers of the G8 countries called on Azerbaijan
and Armenia to solve Nagorno Karabakh conflict peacefully at their
meeting in Kyoto, Japan.

The foreign ministers of USA, UK, France, Italy, Germany, Canada
and Japan said that they supported efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group
co-chairs towards the soonest solution to the conflict. The ministers
think that Azerbaijan and Armenia should show restraint and should
make serious steps. Spokesman for the Japan’s Foreign Ministry Kadzuo
Kodama said the Nagorno Karabakh conflict was not discussed in details.

REPRESENTATIVES OF AZERBAIJANI AND ARMENIAN POLITICAL SCHOOLS TO MEET IN STRASBURG

Trend News Agency
June 25 2008
Azerbaijan

France, Strasburg, 25 June / corr. TrendNews A. Maharramli/ The
Summer University for Democracy Administration, Power and Democracy
will begin in Strasburg from 30 June to 4 July 2008, Jean Luis Loran,
director general of the Council of Europe for politics and democracy
said to journalists.

According to Loran, the representatives of the political research
institutes of Azerbaijan and Armenia are expected to meet during
the summer university of democracy on 3 July. Loran added that the
similar contacts took place last year, for instance, in December 2007
in Sweden.

More than 600 delegates from 16 countries will attend summer university
for democracy Administration, Power and Democracy.

The first school for the political research was founded in Moscow
in 1992. At present these schools function in Azerbaijan, Armenia,
Albania, Bulgaria, Georgia, Moldova, Russia, Romania, Serbia, Ukraine,
Croatia etc. Supported by the Council of Europe, the political
research institutes aim at training new generation of leaders in
policy, economy, social sphere and culture for all countries with
transitional economy.

According to Loran, two events will be held in 2008 attended by the
Azerbaijani and Armenian schools, one of them during the conference
on media in Romania in September and the other in France in November.

Terri Devis, the secretary general of the Council of Europe, Philip
Vujanivich, President of Montenegro and Rolan Ris, mayor of Strasburg
are expected to attend the summer university and to make reports. The
participants of the summer school also include former Premier of
Canada Kim Campbell and that of Russia Yegor Gaydar, former chairman
of the Supreme Council of Belarus Stanislav Shushkevich and chairman
of the European Court on Human Rights Jean Paul Costa.

Various seminars will be held on various subjects during the 5-day
event.

Azerbaijan will join the similar events for the second time.

KARABAKH PROCESS TO BE DISCUSSED AT RUSSIA-EU SUMMIT

PanARMENIAN.Net

24.06.2008

The European Union will speak out for Georgia’s territorial integrity
during the Russia-EU summit due on June 26-27 in Khanty-Mansiysk,
according to Russia’s permanent representative to the EU.

Vladimir Chizhov informed that the summit will focus on the
Russian-Georgian relations. "The Nagorno Karabakh conflict will be
also discussed. The EU doesn’t conceal its wish to join the process
of conflict settlement in the post soviet area," he said.

Russia is ready for discussion, since it will not be a violation of
the negotiation format. "As to Nagorno Karabakh, being a co-chair
in the OSCE Minsk Group, France also acts as representative of the
European Union. There are appropriate formats for settlement of the
Georgian-Abkhazian and Georgian-South Ossetian conflicts. And we will
discuss the issues in this context," Chizhov said.

Touching on the summit’s international agenda, Amb.

Chizhov mentioned the situation in the Middle East and Balkans.

"Installation of the U.S. anti-missile defense shield in Eastern Europe
might also be addressed. Poland and Czechia are members of the EU,
which signed an agreement with a third state – not an EU member –
on a very delicate issue, avoiding any discussion in the Union. So,
what would you say about the European security system? We will ask
the question during the summit," he said, vsluh.ru reports.

PACE CHAIRMAN TO VISIT AZERBAIJAN, ARMENIA AND MOLDOVA

Trend News Agency
June 23 2008
Azerbaijan

France, Strasburg, 23 June / corr. TrendNews A. Maharramli/ The
chairman of the Parliament Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE)
Luis Maria Puig will visit Azerbaijan, Armenia and Moldova soon,
he said in press conference in Strasburg on 23 June.

According to Puig, the visit will take place after the summer session
of the Parliament Assembly which is expected to end on 27 June. Luis
Maria did not divulge details of the visit.

The five-day session of PACE began in Strasburg on 23 June. Democratic
institutes in Azerbaijan and situation after presidential elections
held in February in Armenia will be discussed during the session.

Luis Maria de Puig did not comment on the issues related Azerbaijan
and Armenia which will be discussed during the session. He called on
mass media to expect the results of the reports of the co-reporters
of the PACE Monitoring Committee on these countries.

The permanent representation of Azerbaijan to PACE said to TrendNews
earlier that Luis Maria de Puig will visit Baku on 30 June to 4 July.

SOME AZERI NGOS DEMAND TO STOP KARABAKH TALKS

PanARMENIAN.Net
20.06.2008 16:52 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ A number of non-governmental organizations in
Azerbaijan demand to stop peaceful talks on the Nagorno Karabakh
conflict.

"The pro-Armenian position of the OSCE Minsk Group and pressure of
international organizations on Azerbaijan question the possibility to
continue talks," says a declaration adopted on outcomes of a meeting
held on initiative of the Karabakh Liberation Organization (KLO).

The talks held under the OSCE Minsk Group mediation compel Azerbaijan
to concessions, according to KLO leader Akig Naghi.

"The talks should have time limitation. When it expires, Azerbaijan
should liberate the lands by use of force," Naghi said, Trend Azeri
news agency reports.

OPPOSITION RALLY TO BE HELD TODAY AT 6:00 PM IN YEREVAN IN FRONT OF MATENADARAN

arminfo
2008-06-20 11:38:00

ArmInfo. A rally organized by the All-national Movement, headed by
the first President of Armenia Levon Ter-Petrosyan, will be held today
in Yerevan at 6:00 PM in front of the Storage of ancient manuscripts
Matenadaran.

The statement of the All-national Movement Center received by ArmInfo
today, says: "We claim of readiness for cooperation with RA Police
and assurance of a normal process of the rally". The statement
also says that the opposition welcomes the statement of the Police
on intention not to allow "mass disorders and the cases of crimes"
during the rally and it agrees that a severe position should be kept
with respect to the provokers, and the citizens’ rights for a free
rally holding should not be trampled.

Organization of meetings and participation in them is a constitutional
right of any citizen of Armenia. This rally should become a paramount
retreat of our victorious struggle. The rally’s agenda includes the
issue of recovery of the democratic freedoms in Armenia, in particular,
discussion of the process of fulfillment of PACE Resolution N1609 by
Armenia before the Assembly’s summer session, the statement says.

TURKISH-ARMENIAN RELATIONS
Vahe Gabrielyan

Economist
June 17 th
UK

Sir-Norman Stone’s letter has several points that are simply untrue.

"The great bulk of specialists in the time and region" who refuse to
acknowledge the Armenian genocide, the peak of which was in 1915,
are in fact a handful of people of which almost all names he has
enumerated. Among those who call the things by their names are the
respected International Association of Genocide Scholars (1997 and
2005), 126 scholars of Holocaust (2001), the Nobel Prize laureate
Elie Wiesel and numerous others.

It is erroneous to believe that the Armenians in the diaspora-
primarily a consequence of the genocide- are the only ones who
pursue international recognition. The Republic of Armenia aims at its
recognition, and in the first place by Turkey, not only because it is
our moral responsibility, but also for the very sake of normalization
of relations and reasons of security. Nevertheless, the Armenian
Government does not demand that the recognition be a precondition
for opening the border and establishing bilateral ties.

It is true that a considerable number of Armenians have left the
country, partially because of the ground communications blockade
imposed by Turkey.

However, "precipitous decline in population" does not reflect the
precise picture: there are now more Armenians coming into the country
than leaving it. And the GDP growth has been steadily two-digit over
the recent 6 years, without any oil or gas.

It is also true that Armenian businessmen would benefit from
open borders and cooperation, as would their Turkish counterparts
benefit. However, it would be hard for them to do that at the expense
of history: almost every family in Armenia has some kin who were killed
in or banished from Western Armenia. Therefore, we believe the border
should be opened and trade should start while problems can be settled
in a following intergovernmental and public discourse.

As your readers will certainly know well, today in most places debating
the 1915 Genocide the question is no more whether it happened – there
is ample evidence – it is rather how much the recognition affects their
relations with Turkey, a convenient ally of the West in various anti-
or pro- campaigns in time and space.

ELMAR MAMMADYAROV RECEIVES CANADA-AZERBAIJAN INTERPARLIAMENTARY FRIENDSHIP GROUP

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
June 18 2008

Tamara Grigoryeva-APA. Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan Elmar Mammadyarov
has received Canada-Azerbaijan Interparliamentary Friendship
Group headed by David Smith, Foreign Ministry’s press service told
APA. Minister Elmar Mammadyarov said that the relations between Canada
and Azerbaijan were developing on low rate and offered Canada to open
embassy in our country. The Minister noted that Azerbaijan was the
leader state in the region and played the role of a center in terms
of relations with the region and the countries of Central Asia.

Canadian parliamentarians highly appreciated Azerbaijan’s economic
growth, social development and secular state building and underlined
that there was a need to inform Canadian people of the achievements
in the country and increase the interest of Canadian companies in
doing business in Azerbaijan. Answering the questions about Nagorno
Karabakh conflict Elmar Mammadyarov briefed about aggressive policy
of Armenia against our country. He said that giving up aggressive
policy and joining the regional cooperation meets the interests of
Armenia, which has no access to the sea and has deprived itself of
the regional projects.

They also discussed exchange of experience and technology in the
field of energy, prospects of cooperating in the field of agriculture,
food safety, education and other spheres.