Panorama.am
17:31 26/05/2007
PRESIDENT AWARDS VAHE YAKUBYAN WITH MKHITAR GOSH MEDAL
Vahe Yakubyan was awarded with Mkhitar Gosh medal by
the president’s decree on the Day of Republic.
Yakubyan is a well-known lawyer and due to his
professionalism our country has successfully engaged
in a number of international court proceedings. The
president was guided by point 16, article 55 of the
Armenian Constitution and RA Law on State Awards.
Source: Panorama.am
Georgian leader stresses country’s ethnic diversity in Independence Day
address
Imedi TV, Tbilisi
26 May 07
On 26 May Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili delivered an address
at a military parade in Tbilisi to mark Georgia’s Independence Day. In
the speech he focused on Georgia’s ethnic diversity, calling attention
to the role ethnic Ossetians have played in Georgia’s history and
noting that ethnic minorities are well represented in the country’s
military. He also touched on the conflicts in the country’s breakaway
regions and stressed the need to return Georgian internally displaced
persons to their homes in Abkhazia. Saakashvili concluded by touting
the Georgia’s army, which he said had never been so disciplined,
well-trained, well-equipped and dedicated. The following is an excerpt
from the 15-minute speech, which was carried live by Imedi TV and
other major Georgian television stations on 26 May. Subheadings have
been inserted editorially:
[Saakashvili] Your Holiness [Georgian Orthodox Patriarch Ilia II],
respected ambassadors, invited guests, respected public.
Praise for Estonian officer
I would like to welcome all of you and welcome all Georgian
patriots. I welcome all ethnic Georgians and non-ethnic Georgians
throughout the world who are celebrating their country’s Independence
Day today and for whom today is a day of pride, victory, progress and
unity. I welcome all of our allies and friends who share in Georgia’s
joy and who consider Georgia’s advancement to be their own success. We
have many friends today throughout the world. I want to express
special solidarity with the people of Ukraine, where political events
have been developing in recent days. I want to express special
solidarity with the people of Estonia, who have been under great
pressure over recent weeks and months. This small nation has very
resolutely and heroically withstood all manner of pressure.
In this connection I would like to welcome one of the participants of
our parade today, Ahto Lainevool. This is an exceptional person. In
1956, this son of the newly-conquered Estonian state was serving at
the Soviet military base in Gudauta [in Georgia’s Abkhaz Autonomous
Soviet Socialist Republic]. This is a very famous base, a very famous
place. In March 1956 in the streets of Tbilisi [changes tack] – I did
not know this before, but at the same time demonstrations began in the
streets of Sukhumi as well. Their protests grew into demands for
Georgia’s independence. I know this from my grandfather and
grandmother, who told me that at that time they saw the flag of
independent Georgia in Tbilisi for the first time in decades.
In Sukhumi as well the local people demonstrated and demanded
Georgia’s independence. The military unit in Gudauta was charged with
executing the demonstrating citizens in Sukhumi. The unit was
commanded by Mr Lainevool. In 1956, under the harsh Soviet regime, he
defied orders to open fire on Georgians and execute them. He was
imprisoned for this and served an eight-year sentence in Siberia.
All these years later I want to declare that we are in debt to this
man and to his people. I want to give him the Georgian state’s highest
civilian award, the Order of Merit. He is a man with an enormous sense
of honour and a representative of a people who also have a great sense
of honour and friendship. All these years later I want to thank him
in Estonian: tanan.
[Passage omitted: Saakashvili awards medal, Lainevool addresses
troops]
Responsibility to future
Today is the day when we must comprehend the great responsibility we
have to our past and our future. To our past, because before this day
came, there was a centuries-long history of our small but great
nation’s selfless struggle for independence, there were millions of
Georgian heroes who devoted and sacrificed their lives to ensuring
that there would come a day when Georgia would celebrate its
independence.
Today, we are responsible to the living and future generations. We are
responsible for the homeland that our ancestors left us in its current
borders thanks to their great struggle and bloodshed aimed at
maintaining it in the same borders in spite of immense pressure to
fragment Georgia into small parts. We are responsible to the 500,000
of our compatriots who have been expelled from Abkhazia. These are not
only ethnic Georgians but also ethnic Ukrainians, ethnic Estonians,
ethnic Jews, ethnic Greeks, ethnic Armenians and ethnic Abkhaz. We are
responsible to everyone for ensuring their dignified return to their
own homes and their own abandoned hearths, for returning to them and
their children what they have been deprived of illegally as a result
of ethnic cleansing, in violation of all international rules and
humane principles.
Today, it is on their behalf and on behalf of our ancestors and our
current generations that we have unfurled the banners of Georgia’s
victory. This is our responsibility to the past and to history, as it
is the lot of our generation to unfurl the banner of victory. It is
also our responsibility to future generations not to allow this banner
to be lowered ever again. Our responsibility to the future is to build
a firm foundation of such a state whose generations will never have to
long for Georgia’s independence and unity, which will never be in
question. It is our responsibility to preserve the multiethnic and
multi-religious Georgia that our ancestors have left us, because many
nationalities, many ethnic origins are only riches. These are bricks
for a new state building’s large construction plan.
I made a mistake when I spoke about the multinational nature of this
country because, although there are many ethnic groups, the nation and
the nationality are only one – Georgian, and it consists of Georgians,
Azeri-Georgians, Abkhaz-Georgians, Ossetian-Georgians,
Armenian-Georgians and so forth. I would like to greet our people in
Tskhinvali, Java, Znauri, Akhalgori, the Didi Liakhvi and Patara
Liakhvi gorges [places in South Ossetia], and many other settlements,
and I would like to tell them that the Ossetians have not only always
been a part of Georgian history, but they have been a heroic part of
Georgian history. The Ossetians have been a very important part of our
history. They have been, they are, and they will without fail be in
the future because this is one of the most important tasks of the
Georgian state. I would like to tell them on behalf of the Georgian
state and myself: [pronounces phrase in Ossetian, repeats in Georgian]
We love them. We respect them.
Clenched together
I would also like to say about today that it is a day of our pride,
because up to now Georgia has never been so strong, Georgia has never
had such an ability to protect its freedom and unity as it has today,
and because Georgia has never has such a disciplined, well-trained,
well-equipped and dedicated army of patriots. I would particularly
like to welcome those youths who are serving in our patriotic forces
with great enthusiasm, motivation and zeal. It was a surprise even for
me how they go there to enlist, how eager they are, what long queues
there are, and how enthusiastic they are, how often they demand that
they receive more intensive training, how many more of them would like
to enlist. Such a thing would have been absolutely unimaginable a
couple of years ago. It must pain Georgia’s ill-wishers greatly to
hear this information.
Georgian society has never been so free. It has never had such a sense
of dignity as today. However, today is first and foremost the day of
our unity because our strength is in unity, because when we are
clenched together as a single fist, no one and nothing will ever be
able to defeat us.
The main thing that our enemy is dreaming of is dividing us and
splitting us apart. It knows that Georgians are an ambitious and proud
people and that there are people among us who are greedy for fame and
they want to take advantage of this. They want to use certain people
with such ambitions to divide our society. This has been the only
method that has proven successful for our opponents in the course of
its efforts to fragment and divide Georgia.
They could not beat us by force even when they were a hundred times
stronger than us. They could not beat us even when they tried to
destroy our economy. Last year Georgia received what for any other
country would have been an economic knockout.
But because they could not divide us, we managed to save our economy
and are experiencing a rate of economic growth among the fastest in
the world. We have become the number-one reformer country in the
world. We have become one of the least corrupt countries in the
world. When we are united, this is how we respond to the challenges
that face us. They could not beat us by threatening us, not by
gnashing their teeth, not by sabre-rattling. Whenever we remained
united, it was impossible to defeat us, but as soon as we became
divided, that is when we faced problems and hardships.
Great challenges
Today as well we are faced with great challenges, very great
challenges. Sometimes I think some of our citizens do not understand
the scope of the tasks facing our nation, though 99 per cent of our
people understand perfectly well just what challenges we face, what
hurdles we must overcome and the fact that we must neutralize the
enormous force that is aimed against us.
But if we are clenched together as a single fist we will manage to
overcome anything. In a Georgia that bands together as a single
nation, a Georgia that belongs equally to all Georgians, all
Ossetian-Georgians, all Abkhaz-Georgians, all Armenian-Georgians, all
Azeri-Georgians, all Russian-Georgians, all Greek-Georgians, all
Georgian Jews, all people who were born in this land and live here,
all for whom this country is home, all will equally defend Georgia’s
unity and equally rejoice in Georgia’s victory. Now representatives of
all nationalities and all ethnic groups are serving in the ranks of
the Georgian military and are ready to defend Georgia from any
possible outside danger.
I want to say that our armed forces today are strong and that they are
becoming stronger every day, better equipped every day, more motivated
every day. Time is working in our favour. We have a precise vision of
how events should develop. We have precise tasks, very great tasks,
and we have utmost confidence that with God’s help and with St
George’s guidance we will fulfil these tasks.
We all must know and bear in mind that our main strength is not only
this army, which I am very proud of – and I am one of its soldiers –
not only in the weaponry that Georgia has, not only in our economic
development – last year we built more roads, more hospitals and
schools than were built in the past 25 years, and we will do much more
this year, not only in the investments being placed in Georgia – there
will be over 2bn dollars of direct foreign investment in Georgia this
year, which is a very high indicator – our main strength is in our
motivation and in our unity. Our strength is in unity [Georgia’s state
motto] and we will be united.
I congratulate all of you on this day. May God protect our Georgia,
our homeland. Gentlemen I congratulate you on Georgia’s Independence
Day.
Trend News Agency, Azerbaijan
May 26 2007
No progress Observed in Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict: Azerbaijani Foreign
Minister
Azerbaijan, Baku / corr Trend A.Ismayilova / Elmar Mammadyarov stated
on 25 May that as the Azerbaijani Foreign Minister he does not
supported the armed resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
Commenting on the talks held with the OSCE Minsk Group chairs in Baku
on 25 May, Mammadyarov said that the meeting was very important from
the aspect of viewpoints of both sides. At the same time he stressed
no progress has been observed in the talks, whereas it is necessary to
continue the negotiations.
The Azerbaijani diplomat stressed the necessity of discussing major
principles and development of an agreement. He added that talks are
carried out around the Lachin corridor and repatriation of Azerbaijani
refugees, which had been also coordinated during the meeting.
Mammadyarov stated that experts should mull the issue of security for
movement of both people and cargo via the Lachin corridor. The
diplomat noted that issue concerning the peacekeeping forces to be
placed in this area is still questionable.
On 6 June the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs will anew visit the region,
which will succeed a next meeting of the Presidents of Azerbaijan and
Armenia in St.-Petersburg on 9 June.
"KARABAKH IS ARMENIA, BUT NOT REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA"
A1+
[06:30 pm] 24 May, 2007
"Everyone who contributed to Nagorno-Karabakh being omitted from the
OSCE Minsk Group format, is carrying the responsible for Karabakh’s
not participating in the negotiations", announced NKR Presidential
Advisor on Political Affairs Arman Melikyan. Clarifying the names
of the responsible, Mr Melikyan mentioned the names of Co-Chairmen,
who caused the alteration of negotiation format and the conflict
settlement negotiations turned to the meeting of Armenian and
Azerbaijani presidents.
He finds this format "false", since it cannot express the essence of
the conflict entirely and find solutions to them. And as he noted,
the false format will become real when NKR re-establishes its rights
in the negotiation process. Arman Melikyan does not think that Robert
Kocharyan represents Karabakh in the negotiations, he represents
Armenia.
By the way, the Minsk Group Co-Chairmen also find the participation
of Karabakh in the negotiation process important. Melikyan also,
like the Co-Chairmen, was unable to mention the time when Karabakh
will be involved in the negotiations.
To the question of A1+ why in the US State Department’s Annual Report
on Human Rights Karabakh is presented as a territory occupied by
the RA, Armen Melikyan stated that the State Department often made
contradictory statements which were the result of the absence of a
concrete unified political idea on the problem.
Arman Melikyan also stated the responsibility of the
Armenian part pointing that no sufficient efforts were made
to prove that Nagorno-Karabakh should not be identified with
Armenia. "Nagorno-Karabakh is Armenia, but it is not the Republic of
Armenia", noted Arman Melikyan.
As to the return of the refugees, Arman Melikyan pointed out that the
Armenian part would agree with the return of the refugees, as well as
the return of the refugees from Baku, Kirovabad and Shahumyan. "If
a single principle is not agreed, then nothing is agreed", Arman
Melikyan almost repeated the idea of the Co-Chairmen.
OSCE MINSK GROUP CO-CHAIRS VISIT AZERBAIJAN
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
May 24 2007
OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs Bernard Fassier (France) and Yuri Merzlyakov
(Russia)- mediators in the settlement for the Nagorno Karabakh
conflict, have arrived in the Azerbaijani capital, Baku tonight,
APA reports.
Briefing journalists at the Heydar Aliyev International Airport
French co-chair said in Armenia, they have had constructive meetings
with President Robert Kocharian, Prime Minister Serge Serkisyan and
Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian.
"We are preparing a scene for negotiations, and we achieved to build
a brick in Yerevan. We believe we will be able to build several bricks
in Baku as well," the co-chair underlined.
Mr.Fassier said the meetings with Azerbaijani authorities will
cover discussions on several issues regarding the settlement of the
conflict which have not yet been agreed. He said they will give a
press conference in Baku tomorrow.
Russian co-chair Yuri Merzlyakov did not comment on anything to
journalists in Baku.
THE MEDIATORS PROMISE A "FAIR, BALANCED SETTLEMENT BASED ON MUTUAL CONCESSIONS"
Tatul Hakobyan
"Radiolur"
24.05.2007 12:23
For the first time after the parliamentary elections the OSCE Minsk
Group co-Chairs are in the region to prepare the meeting of the
Armenian and Azerbaijani Presidents on June 10 in the framework of the
CIS non-official summit in Saint Petersburg. On May 23 the Russian
and French Co-Chairs had meetings with President Robert Kocharyan,
Prime Minister Serge Sargsyan and Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian.
Before leaving for Baku, on May 24 they summed up the results of their
visit at a press conference in the French Embassy in Yerevan. Bernard
Fassier said they will return to the region early June, and this time
Matthew Bryza will join them.
Merzlyakov said President Kocharyan has given a positive answer to
the suggestion to hold the recurrent meeting of the Presidents of
Armenia and Azerbaijan in Saint Petersburg. In Yerevan the discussions
focused on the main principles of the working document on the Nagorno
Karabakh conflict settlement. "We think there is certain progress,
and we hope that it will further develop in Baku," said Merzlyakov,
underlining that the positions of the parties still diverge on a
number of details of the settlement. The Russian Co-Chair did not
clarify which details he was speaking about.
"I dislike the concept "new suggestions," because everyone lays his
own sense in these words. The matter is not about new suggestions,
the basic principles are known. At least during the past year and
a half these principles have been the same, but there are some
nuances. Today the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan are
negotiating the details of settlement, but we expected a more global
political approach on the part of the Presidents," Merzlyakov said.
"The Presidents should display political will. We cannot make decisions
instead of them," Fassier added.
On behalf of France, Russia and the US, the French Co-Chair assured
that none of the mediator countries views war as a way of conflict
settlement. "There is no resolution other than peace talks. War is
not a solution," Fassier underlined.
Will the meeting in Saint Petersburg be the last this year? Merzlyakov
said everything depends on the forthcoming meeting and it’s not
ruled out that another meeting will be needed to agree upon the basic
principles of settlement.
Merzlyakov said the question does not refer to signing the final
document by yearend. "We are working on the basic principles of
settlement. If it is approved by both sides, it will enable us to start
preparing the agreement," he said and added that after accepting the
basic principles, the parties will not be able to deny the suggestions
of settlement as it was the case before."
Merzlyakov said "the future agreement will not be 100% satisfactory
for all the parties, but as we think, it will be fair, balanced and
based on mutual concessions."
In response to the question about the involvement of Nagorno Karabakh
in the negotiations, Bernard Fasssier and Yuri Merzlyakov asserted
that after a certain point in the negotiations "the participation of
Nagorno Karabakh will be useful; and necessary."
RUSSIA CONTINUES MILITARY PULLOUT FROM GEORGIA
RIA Novosti, Russia
May 24 2007
TBILISI, May 24 (RIA Novosti) – Another train carrying Russian military
hardware from a Soviet-era base in Georgia left the Caucasus state
Thursday, the Georgian Defense Ministry said.
The train from the Akhalkalaki base, about 30 kilometers (19 miles)
from the border with NATO member Turkey, is transporting trucks and
communications equipment to Russia via Azerbaijan, the ministry said.
It is the third train loaded with military equipment to leave Georgia
this year under Russia’s March 2006 agreement with the ex-Soviet
state, which has sought closer ties with Western organizations,
including NATO.
Russian troops and hardware are to completely withdraw from Georgia’s
two Soviet-era bases in Akhalkalaki and Batumi by 2008. The pullout
from Akhalkalaki is to be completed in the fall of 2007.
The bulk of Russia’s weapons will return to Russia, and the rest will
be delivered to a Russian base in Armenia.
RAMIZ MEHDIYEV: IF SURVEY IS CARRIED OUT WE WILL SEE THAT 98 PERCENT OF POPULATION SUPPORT ILHAM ALIYEV’S PRESIDENCY
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
May 23 2007
"Recent events occurred in Azerbaijan press is not related to
forthcoming presidential elections. Accepting reality we can see
groundlessness of thought on the relation between presidential
elections and newspapers’ issues", Ramiz Mehdiyev, President Office’s
head was quoted by APA as saying. Ramiz Mehdiyev sure of Azerbaijan
president’s authority said "I am sure if survey is carried out we
will see that 98 percent of population intends to vote for Ilham
Aliyev’s presidency".
"So explaining press events with forthcoming elections is groundless.
We wait for normal, cultural, democratic opposition in the country.
We also want our press have the level of press of civil countries
not being source of offensive ad insulting articles. The newspapers
are publishing many rumors and disinformation. This does not coincide
with Azerbaijani mentality".
Touching upon the pardon on journalists Ramiz Mehdiyev said President
issues several pardon decrees a year. He said he hoped for the soon
release of journalists.
Ramiz Mehidyev commented on the issue of number of journalists
imprisoned in Azerbaijan. "Everyone should obey the law. Journalists
are not allowed to do anything they wish even selling the interests
of Azerbaijan. Oppositions in neighboring countries do not libel their
government in spite of much worse situation in Armenia. We all should
try to have a democratic patriotic, cultural opposition.
Everyone should settle its personal problems in accordance with law."
NZHDEH TEAM BECOMES WINNER OF ARMENIAN VOLLEYBALL WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP
Noyan Tapan
May 21 2007
YEREVAN, MAY 21, NOYAN TAPAN. The second tour of Armenian Volleyball
Ladies’ Championship finished on May 20 at Yerevan’s Kilikia sports
ground. The Nzhdeh team of Yerevan State Base Medical College won
the title of the champion in the competition among four teams. The
national team of Sisian took the second place, of Stepanakert third
place, of Artik fourth place.
The second tour of Armenian Volleyball Men’s Championship will be
held on May 24-26 at the Kilikia sports ground.
TO MORE EFFECTIVELY ORGANIZE WORK AT PARLIAMENT AND GOVERNMENT, RPA TO ATTEMPT TO INVOLVE OTHER FORCES REPRESENTED AT PARLIAMENT AS WELL
Noyan Tapan
May 17 2007
YEREVAN, MAY 17, NOYAN TAPAN. Emphasizing the fact of activization
of the political dialogue between the two states during the recent
years, what was also displayed by implementation of a number of mutual
visits of high level, RA Prime Minister Serge Sargsian and Ambassador
Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Federal Republic of German
to the RA Heike Peitsch spoke at the May 16 meeting for continuing
and more deepening that process.
The RA Prime Minister mentioned that Armenia attaches importance
to the political dialogue with Germany within the context of both
bilateral relations and development of the European and Euroatlantic
cooperation. In S. Sargsian’s words, Germany, as the present presiding
country of the European Union as well as one of the biggest donor
countries of the EU, can have a considerable contribution at the
stage of implementation of the EU-Armenia Actions Plan.
Touching upon the parliamentary elections held in Armenia, the German
Ambassador said that estimations of different monitoring missions,
in general, prove that free and fair elections were held which are a
rather big progress compared with the previous ones. Heike Peitsch
expressed a hope that the presented remarks and proposals, noticed
defects about which the RA President as well mentioned, will be taken
into consideration and corrected till the next elections.
S. Sargsian, expressing gratitude for the presented estimation,
attached importance to opinions and observations of all those
countries, international organizations which assisted and assist
Armenia on the way of solution of the existing problems and with
which Armenia cooperates.
Responding the Ambassador’s question, if the political force headed by
the Prime Minister which having the absolute majority at the parliament
will form a government without other political forces represented
at the parliament, the Prime Minister said that possibilities of
the Republican Party are quite enough for taking that step but, to
organize work both at government and at parliament more effectively
and to use possibilities of all capable forces in the interests of the
state and people, they will attempt to make them as well participant
of that work.
The interlocutors expressed their satisfaction concerning the
Armenian-German bilateral relations as well, mentioning that there is
still great unused potention in the sense of economic cooperation as
well in the direction of what an active work is done. Heike Peitsch
mentioned that the German side is pleased with all the programs
implemented in Armenia with the assistance of the German government and
will continue mutual cooperation with the government of Armenia in the
direction of liberation and reforms of the market, development of the
hypothecary market and in a number of other directions. The Ambassador
stated that the agreement on military cooperation is also at the
final stage of development and will be ready for signing very soon. He
assured that after the end of the term of presiding at the EU in late
June, his country will continue deepening the cooperation with Armenia
within the framework of both bilateral and EU Neighbourhood Policy.