Semneby: Karabakh Conflict Won’t Be Finally Resolved After President

SEMNEBY: KARABAKH CONFLICT WON’T BE FINALLY RESOLVED AFTER PRESIDENTIAL MEETING

PanARMENIAN.Net
02.06.2008 18:45 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ EU Envoy to the South Caucasus, Mr Peter Semneby will
discuss in Baku the issues referring to the EU-Azerbaijan relations,
the ongoing political reforms, preparations for the presidential
election, energy cooperation and the Nagorno Karabakh conflict
settlement.

The presidential meeting is very important, according to Mr Semneby.

"We are hopeful that the Presidents will agree to continue
talks. However, it’s unreal to expect a final resolution now," he said.

As to the post-election situation in Armenia, he said it’s improving.

During a 2-day visit, Mr Semneby is expected to meet with the
Azerbaijani President, Foreign Minister, CEC chairman, NGOs
representatives and party leaders, the Azeri Press Agency reports.

BAKU: Matthew Bryza: "The Meeting Of Azerbaijani And Armenian Presid

MATTHEW BRYZA: "THE MEETING OF AZERBAIJANI AND ARMENIAN PRESIDENTS IS A MEETING OF FAMILIARIZATION"

Azeri Press Agency
June 3 2008
Azerbaijan

Baku. Tamara Grigoryeva-APA. "The meeting of Azerbaijani and Armenian
presidents is a meeting of familiarization", American Co-Chair of OSCE
Minsk Group Matthew Bryza told journalists, APA reports. He said that
it was early to speak about the results.

"Everything depends on the mood of the sides and the level of the
presidents’ relations", he said.

Matthew Bryza said OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs and Deputy Foreign
Minister of Russia Grigori Karasin would discuss Abkhazia conflict,
alongside with Nagorno Karabakh conflict.

Actions dismissed

A1+

ACTIONS DISMISSED
[08:54 pm] 29 May, 2008

Today the Administrative Court dismissed the claim of
the 4 diplomats that demanded that the 25 February
decision of former FM Vardan Oskanian be annulled. On
25 February Vardan Oskanian relieved 10 diplomats of
their posts for they had expressed concern about the
post-election situation in Armenia and had called to
both sides to beware of the temptation of solving
problems through fights.

However, the claims of Vladimir Karapetian, Marta
Ayvazian, Karine Afrikian and Arakel Semirjian to
reinstate their posts and compensate the loss were
dismissed by the Court on the grounds that -…the
diplomats’ declarations were political and they abused
their position-.

The diplomats are going to protest the resolution in
the Court of Appeal.

President of Cyprus Opens Monument to Armenian Genocide Victims

PRESIDENT OF CYPRUS OPENS MONUMENT TO ARMENIAN GENOCIDE VICTIMS

NICOSIA, MAY 29, ARMENIANS TODAY – NOYAN TAPAN. The president of Cyprus
Dimitris Christofias performed the opening of a monument to the victims
of the Armenian Genocide in the city of Larnaca.

Anadolu news agency reported that in his speech during the opening
ceremony, the Cyprian president underlined that "the monument is an
expression of gratitude to the Armenian community" and stated that he
"dedicates it to the memory of the Armenians who were cut off from
their roots and survived that great disaster".

D. Christofias also pointed out the serious constribution of Armenians
to the development of trade, arts and crafts in Cyprus.

http://www.nt.am/news.php?shownews=113898

Arthur Abraham received champion ring

Panorama.am

16:36 31/05/2008

ARTHUR ABRAHAM RECEIVED CHAMPION RING

World Champion Armenian boxer Arthur Abraham received
a champion’s ring in boxing international federation
congress in Hamburg. The award which is given to the
champions for gaining and keeping the champion’s belt
for more than thrice and Abraham was awarded it by
Mariam Muhhamad. In order to get the award Abraham was
to stop his trainings in one of the islands in the
Baltic Sea. Note that Abraham gained the title of the
champion in 2005 and managed to keep it for seven
times.

Source: Panorama.am

The Shushi knot is

The Shushi knot is

Anahit Danielyan
31-05-2008 16:17:32 – KarabakhOpen

Recently certain progress has been reported in Shushi in the sphere of
construction. Recovery from the state of coma in which the town was
over the past few years is felt immediately on arriving in the town.
There are several signs on the road marking construction sites.

The change of the attitude of the government toward the town is felt
first of all by the inhabitants of Shushi. `One can notice change with
the naked eye. Over the past few months the president, the prime
minister visited here, who discussed definite issues here with us. The
officials even responded to media reports,’ said an elderly inhabitant
of Shushi in an interview with us, who returned to his native town
immediately after the liberation.

Today, 16 years after the liberation, Shushi reminds of a town at war.
Very little has been done to reconstruct the town after the war,
despite innumerable pledges. What has been reconstructed was thanks to
the people who moved to Shushi, repaired apartments which the
administration provided to them. There were also people and companies
who used the opportunity to acquire several houses and buildings and
did nothing to repair them, hoping to sell them expensively in future.

Now apparently the attitude toward those people has changed. The head
of the regional administration of Shushi Vardan Gabrielyan said in an
interview with us that it is time to reconstruct the town.

Besides the programs of the Rebirth of Shushi Foundation, a lot of work
is funded from the state budget (compared with last year, subsidy for
building went up by 60 percent). A number of government agencies and
offices will sit in Shushi, apartment buildings will be repaired.

One of the important actions is the denationalization of apartment
buildings which were taken up by separate people or organizations at
one time for one reason or another. The first example is the building
at 1 Manoogian Street two floors of which the owner provided to the
government to repair and accommodate people who wish to move to Shushi.

According to the head of the regional administration, soon it is
foreseen to repair and sell a building of 62 apartments, which is now
owned by a company, through a mortgage loan program.

Vardan Gabrielyan thinks that a serious approach to the settlement of
Shushi is necessary, preventing breaches and misappropriation. He
promised that as long as he occupies this post, there will be no
breaches.

Now there are no vacant apartments and even half-ruined houses in
Shushi, and a person who wishes to move to Shushi can only get land for
construction of a house. In addition, part of houses is owned by one
person. The head of the regional administration said they will be
trying to address to this issue in accordance with the law.

Homenetmen Toronto Reps Graduate From Military Arts Institute

HOMENETMEN TORONTO REPRESENTATIVES GRADUATE FROM MILITARY ARTS
INSTITUTE

845

TORONTO, MAY 27, ARMENIANS TODAY – NOYAN TAPAN.

Martial Arts Graduation Ceremony took place on May 18. About 300
parents and friends came out to watch Homenetmen Toronto’s largest
group put on their annual Graduation Ceremony and show everybody some
of the lesson’s and moves they have learned over the last year.

http://www.nt.am/news.php?shownews=113

Congratultions from the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin

Congratultions from the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin

armradio.am
28.05.2008 13:10

His Holiness Garegin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All
Armenians congratulated the nation on the Republic Day:

"On the occasion of the Republic Day, when we are celebrating the 90th
anniversary of proclamation of the Republic of Armenia, we convey our
greetings from the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin and render our
blessing to our beloved people of Armenia, Artsakh and Diaspora.

The restoration of the Armenian statehood on the days of the May
battles was a great event for our people, the saved Motherland, to
which the Armenian nation devoted all its strength, creating its
national-state life.

The memories and achievemnets of those days inspire and encourage us in
our devotion to the Motherland and the love for Church, serving our
Motherland and the bright future of our people.

We offer our sincere prayers to the Almighty, asking Him to grant peace
to our Motherland and bless the fair efforts of our people and devotion
for the sake of prosperity of Armenia and Artsakh and the happy life of
our world-spread compatriots.

May the Divine Grace be with us and everyone today and forever. Amen. "

Absence of NK Rep from from negotiations will not bring resolution

PanARMENIAN.Net

The absence of the representatives from Karabakh in
the negotiations will not bring to the resolution of
the problem

Baku spoke so much of its intention to "return their
lands by any means and even by war", that the country
has become the hostage of its own rhetoric.
24.05.2008 GMT+04:00

The Karabakh movement started 20 years ago. The first
stage of the national-liberation war of the people of
Artsakh for independence ended with the declaration of
the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. At present a rather
complicated process of the legal recognition of NKR is
underway, which, for some unknown reasons, is referred
to as the process of regulation of the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict between Armenia and
Azerbaijan.

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ In Karabakh from the very beginning
this conflict has been referred to as one between
Karabakh and Azerbaijan, and Armenia, quite fairly,
has been considered an interested party, who is the
guarantor of security and independence of NKR. It has
been said more than once, that the absence of the
representatives from Nagorno-Karabakh in the
egotiations within the frames of the OSCE Minsk Group
will not bring to the resolution of the problem.
Though, if thinking twice, there is no resolution: the
people of NKR with weapon in their hands stood up and
won its independence and the possible peace agreement
between NKR and Azerbaijan must simply fix a status
quo. Naturally, this kind of agreement will not be
handy for Azerbaijan. Baku spoke so much of its
intention to "return their lands by any means and even
by war", that the country has become the hostage of
its own rhetoric. "Azerbaijan is an advocate of
peaceful resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict,
but if needed, it is ready to go for other ways of the
resolution of the problem," said the Deputy Minister
of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan Vagif Sadikhov, and
then added that Azerbaijan is not going to endure the
created situation for decades.

According to his words, Azerbaijan which is developing
its economy very fast and is getting big profits by
realization of projects in the energy sphere and by
supplying its own energy recourses to the world market
has to spend a lot of money on the military
necessities. But is Azerbaijan indeed as successful as
the image-makers from Baku at the head of President
Ilham Aliyev say? According to the Head of the General
Board of the CIS countries and RIA "Novosti" Alan
Kasayev, Azerbaijan is now forming up an image of
investment appeal, trying to solve the problems with
Iran and etermine the status of the Caspian. "The
pre-election situation in Azerbaijan is becoming
complicated because of the instability in the country.
This is the basic reason of the anti-Armenian and
explicit militarist rhetoric, which is used by the
authorities to unite the nation. However, it should
not be forgotten that 60-70% of the population of
Azerbaijan is comprised by villagers, frequently
almost illiterate. On the whole, Azerbaijan is an
underdeveloped and a poorly educated country, living
on the expense of oil income, which sooner or later
will be exhausted. There is no rural economy in the
country, there is no industry, with the exception of a
couple of oil factories in Baku. One cannot fit the
entire population of the country in the capital. So,
the actively developing image of the enemy is one of
the elements of society consolidation," emphasized the
Russian expert.

According to the Russian diplomat Vladimir Kazimirov,
who is one of the best known experts on regulation
process, no country ever announces the stake on the
power like Baku. Perhaps, it is not by chance that
Azerbaijan is recognized one of the most aggressive
countries in the world.

At present the recognition of the independence of the
self-proclaimed republics became a more complicated
process because of the Kosovo precedent. "After the
recognition of Kosovo the international opinion is
against the right on self-determination. It was
announced everywhere that Kosovo must not become a
precedent, and these are not simply words, but the
disposition of the international community. This will
become a big prohibition on our way. Besides, the
intensification of the contradictions between the USA
and Russia will have a negative impact on our region.
However, I think that the document, which is now on
the desk for the negotiations, is the most optimal
one, I hope. Azerbaijan will not give it up," said the
former Minister of Foreign affairs of Armenia Vartan
Oskanyan, who has been holding the negotiations with
the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan within
the frames of the OSCE Minsk Group.

Meanwhile, the OSCE Minsk Group on the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict regulation had serious fears
about the negotiations and the end of the peaceful
regulation of the conflict. "However, the fears of the
OSCE were scattered away after the meeting with the
heads of Azerbaijan and Armenia, as well as with the
official representatives of two conflicting parties.
At present negotiations on returning 5 regions,
including the Nagorno-Karabakh safe haven are being
held. After that the OSCE suggests determining the
status of the Nagorno-Karabakh. After returning the 5
regions, Karabakh is ready to
start the negotiations with Azerbaijan regarding the
status," said the French Co-chair.
«PanARMENIAN.Net» analytical department

Armenian, Georgian, Azeri Parliamentarians To Meet In London In June

ARMENIAN, GEORGIAN, AZERI PARLIAMENTARIANS TO MEET IN LONDON IN JUNE

armradio.am
23.05.2008 17:40

The recurrent meeting of Armenian, Georgian and Azerbaijani
parliamentarians will take place in London in June, Denis Samust,
Head of the South Caucasus Parliamentary Initiative, informed.

The South Caucasus Parliamentary Initiative was created on the basis
of the Memorandum of Understanding signed by the Parliaments of the
three countries in 2003. It aims to promote the exchange of views
and development of dialogue between the Parliaments of Azerbaijan,
Armenia and Georgia.