TURKISH DIPLOMAT: KARABAKH PROBLEM CLOSE TO US
PanARMENIAN.Net
10.12.2007 14:33 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ "The Nagorno Karabakh conflict is an acute problem
for Turkey," Turkish Ambassador to Azerbaijan Huseyn Avni Karslioglu
said at a winter session of the Azerbaijan-NATO International School.
"This problem is very close to us and we would like to discuss it at
the winter session," he said.
According to the diplomat, "Azerbaijan has good potential for new
projects," Trend reports.
REGISTRATION AND ENREGISTRATION
KarabakhOpen
05-12-2007 11:08:35
In the latest question and answer session of the parliament the
head of the Democratic faction Vahram Atanesyan voiced concern that
on a few days before the presidential election 20 people had been
registered in two villages of Kashatagh, which affected the outcome
of the voting. In addition, it was done on the instruction of the
chief of the police of the region.
The chief of the NKR Police Arshavir Gharamyan promised to address
to it.
The fact has not been addressed duly, however. Instead, information
was stated from the rostrum of the National Assembly about which
the independent media voiced concern during both the local and
presidential elections.
People were registered to immediately include them in the voters’
register. Then almost hundred percent results were released. Whom
are we cheating? The international community does not recognize our
elections anyway. Are we cheating ourselves?
Institute for War and Peace Reporting, UK
Dec 6 2007
Karabakh Peace Process Close to Breakdown
Last chance for two presidents to agree to framework document before
February.
By Thomas de Waal in London (CRS No. 422 06-Dec-07)
As the year 2007 slips away, hope is fading for a framework agreement
on the Nagorny Karabakh conflict, and there are fears that the peace
process may collapse altogether next year.
The deadlock coincides with the suspension of ceasefire monitoring
along the long line of trenches that divides Armenian and Azerbaijani
forces around Karabakh, and increased warnings that the dispute- in
which fighting was halted in 1994 – might once again lead to open
conflict.
When the OSCE met in Madrid last week, the foreign ministers of
Armenia and Azerbaijan, Vardan Oskanian and Elmar Mammedyarov, held
talks with leading officials from the three countries that co-chair
the `Minsk Group’ which oversees negotiations.
Their meeting with Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov, French
foreign minister Bernard Kouchner and United States Under-Secretary
of State Nicholas Burns, was widely perceived as a last chance to
agree compromises on a two-or three-page document called `Basic
Principles’, which could then be signed by the presidents of Armenia
and Azerbaijan setting out the fundamental ideas they have worked on
over the last three years.
But with no agreement in sight and presidential elections due in both
Armenia and Azerbaijan in 2008, time is running out, leaving the
bleak prospect that the peace process will die next year.
US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Matt Bryza, who is one of the
three co-chairs of the Minsk Group, told IWPR in answers to written
questions that he and his two colleagues planned to travel to the
region in mid-January to try to bridge final differences between the
parties.
`The co-chairs hope the two presidents will reach an oral agreement
on this document prior to Armenian presidential elections in
February,’ said Bryza.
`The current set of ideas on the table provides the only logical and
practicable way to advance toward a peaceful settlement of the
conflict.’
The hope is that both sides in the dispute are playing brinkmanship,
and will ultimately agree to a deal. There are concerns, though, that
if they fail to do so, it will be hard to recover any momentum for
negotiations next year.
`Both sides seem to acknowledge that abandoning the negotiations,
even for a short period, could have dangerous consequences,’ said
Bryza. `When each president recognises he and his counterpart have
driven the quest for concessions to the limit, both presidents will
face a crucial choice – agree on the fair compromise on the table, or
start from scratch and risk devolution toward possible armed
conflict.’
Many believe that the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan are too
cautious to sign up to a document that would be labelled at home as
compromise with the enemy.
`Putting a signature on a framework document puts the presidents in
terra incognita,’ said one international official who follows the
negotiations, and who asked not to be named.
At the same time the situation on the 200-kilometre-long ceasefire
line that divides the two parties is unusually precarious. The `line
of contact’, as it is known, has no international peacekeepers along
it, and is monitored only by roving OSCE ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk
and five field assistants.
Around 30 soldiers have lost their lives in incidents on the line so
far this year.
Owing to a diplomatic dispute between the OSCE, Baku and the
unrecognised Nagorny Karabakh Republic, all ceasefire monitoring is
currently suspended.
The latest phase of negotiations, called the Prague Process, began
with a meeting between the Azerbaijani and Armenian foreign ministers
in the Czech capital in April 2004. The two presidents became more
heavily involved the following year.
Under discussion has been a phased plan in which Armenian forces
would withdraw from the Azerbaijani lands they currently occupy
outside Nagorny Karabakh. The most sensitive issue, the status of
Karabakh itself, would be deferred, with the territory gaining some
kind of interim international status.
More difficult points – including how the Karabakh’s status should
eventually be decided, and the nature and composition of security
forces in the territory – are not addressed by the framework
document, which is intended as a first step.
Even discussions on the Basic Principles have turned into a marathon,
with the principal sticking point reported to be the status of
Lachin, the Azerbaijani territory through which the road connecting
Nagorny Karabakh and Armenia runs. The Armenians are reluctant to
cede a strip of land that they say is a strategic corridor.
Both sides say they have red lines they do not wish to cross.
In written comments to IWPR, Azerbaijani foreign minister Mammadyarov
said, `Azerbaijan has clearly defined and presented its position,
with options and limits and we hope that the Armenian side will
realistically assess the ongoing processes in the world and in the
region, and will withdraw her troops from the occupied territories of
Azerbaijan.’
Armenian foreign minister Oskanian stressed his side’s concerns,
telling IWPR, `Of course security is the number one issue. Security
concerns are what gave rise to the [Karabakh Armenian]
self-determination movement in the first place. Security will depend
on how strongly the status of Nagorny Karabakh and the status of
Lachin as a corridor are codified in the agreement.’
The enduring deep distrust between the two parties remains a
fundamental obstacle.
Over the last year, officials from Azerbaijan, which is growing in
confidence both economically and diplomatically, have said frequently
that their `patience is running out’ and they are considering the
military option.
On October 30, President Ilham Aliev said, `We should be ready to
liberate the occupied territories by military means at any moment.’
Aliev has said that his oil-rich country’s fast-growing defence
budget, which now stands at more than one billion dollars, should
increase to a point where it exceeds Armenia’s entire annual budget.
On November 27, speaking at a meeting of defence chiefs from
post-Soviet states, Azerbaijani defence minister Safar Abiev said,
"As long as Azerbaijani territory is occupied by Armenia, the chance
of war is close to 100 per cent."
This kind of talk has provoked an angry response from the Armenians.
`The Armenian concerns are not about the agreement, on which there is
more on which we agree than disagree,’ said Foreign Minister
Oskanian. `The Armenian concerns are about what is going on in
parallel – militaristic calls from Azerbaijan, increased levels of
hate propaganda within Azerbaijan, and aggressive efforts to derail
the talks.’
Asked to comment on this, Mammadyarov said, `Azerbaijan is very much
in favour of a peaceful resolution of the conflict and we will use
all and every opportunity not to engage in violence. But the
Azerbaijani public’s patience is running out, and given our good
economic performance, there are more and more calls on the government
of Azerbaijan to restore the territorial integrity of the country.’
Most independent experts say war is not immediately imminent, but the
risk is growing as the sides remain intransigent and Azerbaijan’s oil
revenues move towards a peak.
`There is a real and increasing danger of conflict in the coming
years," said Magdalena Frichova of the International Crisis Group,
which recently released a report entitled Risking War. "By about 2012
– after which Azerbaijan’s oil revenue is expected to decline – a
military adventure may be a good way for Baku to distract citizens
from economic disappointment and government failures.’
Alexander Iskandarian, director of the Caucasus Media Institute in
Yerevan, said no breakthrough is to be expected, because there is not
sufficient political will in either country to cut a deal.
`The death of the Prague Process was imminent from the day it was
born,’ said Iskandarian. `Its birth came as an attempt to revive the
Minsk process, which had been dead from about 2001 or even earlier.
Why it died is obvious to me – resistance from inside these societies
to resolution efforts is stronger than the pressure from outside.’
`I don’t think the Prague Process will die a legal death, as it does
not bother anyone very much, but it won’t solve the conflict. The
conflict will be solved when the parties in conflict want it, not the
mediators. At the moment, the parties have no such will.’
Thomas de Waal is IWPR’s Caucasus Editor.
Liverpool Leader (Australia)
December 5, 2007 Wednesday
Dora the subject of exploratory talks
ABOUT 13 children from Assyrian, Italian, Anglo-Celtic and Armenian
background met Rose Torossian recently at the Armenian Club,
Bonnyrigg.
Ms Torossian, who hopes to have a family of her own in the future,
said she asked them about Dora the Explorer.
”They answered ‘yes’ and asked me if I knew her,” she said.
”I said, ‘I watch Dora on television all the time with my niece and
nephew.’
”I said, ‘who wants to be in the picture with Aunty Rose?’
”Some of them replied ‘me’. One girl said ‘I’ve seen your photo
everywhere’. ” Ms Torossian was the Liberal candidate for the seat
of Fowler, where sitting Labor MP Julia Irwin was re-elected.
IS SILENCE THE SAFEST WAY OF BEHAVIOR?
KarabakhOpen
27-11-2007 10:52:35
Before announcing about his decision to run in the election, the
ex-president of Armenia Levon Ter-Petrosyan visited Karabakh and met
with President Bako Sahakyan. Some time later the acting president of
Armenia Robert Kocharyan arrived in Karabakh with a working visit. He
did not meet with Bako Sahakyan because he was visiting the United
States on those days but they say he "warned" everyone to make the
"right" decision on the election in Armenia.
The relations of Armenia and Karabakh are neither international nor
internal. Unlike Abkhazia where most people are citizens of Russia
and will be voting to the Russian Duma on December 2, the people of
Karabakh are not going to vote to the Armenian election. Nevertheless,
Karabakh is a political force for Armenia.
There are a few factors which turn Karabakh into a political
force. Firstly, the Karabakh issue. It is included in the election
programs of every candidate – the voters evaluate the approaches of
the candidates toward the settlement of the issue, and a defensive
attitude may cause them to reject the candidate. Secondly, the Karabakh
origin of the top government of Armenia and the struggle against the
"Karabakh clan". Thirdly, the interdependence of the economies of
Armenia and Karabakh. And so on.
In this context experts report some indifference, at least lack of
an active stance in Karabakh on the internal issues of Armenia. They
also say, however, that silence in this case is the safest way of
behavior, since the opinion of Karabakh means a lot. One of the pans
may weigh heavier if Karabakh – the society and the government –
express their stance.
PRESS RELEASE
The Armenia Fund
Governmental Buiding 3, Yerevan, RA
Contact: Hasmik Grigoryan
Tel: +(3741) 56 01 06 ext. 105
Fax: +(3741) 52 15 05
E-mail: [email protected]
Web:
27 November, 2007
The Armenia Fund Completes Sos – Sarushen Section of the North-South Highway
Yerevan, November 27, 2007 – Armenian President Robert Kocharyan attended
the opening ceremony of the12.4 km long Sos – Sarushen road section of the
North-South highway, rightly called the backbone of the country.
The Armenia Fund has been committed to the construction of the North-South
highway since 2001. Funds raised in Telethons 2001-2004 enabled to advance
with the completion of the 160.6 km highway which is of major strategic and
economic importance to the country.
"No talk about progress is serious unless we have good roads to walk and
drive on", president Kocharyan pointed out during the opening ceremony of
the road.
According to Ararat Khlghatyan, the Deputy Director of The Armenia Fund,
this was an important project to carry out since lack of the proper road
used to cause problems both for drivers and people living in nearby
villages. Now one can cover the road in 8-10 minutes and with mini buses
running back and forth farmers can commute between their home and the market
with no difficulty."
"Road construction is an important part of The Armenia Fund’s biography.
Thanks to The Armenian Fund, roads that were non-existent or in terrible
conditions, have turned into roads of life and hope. We now enjoy rather
than endure the long journey between Armenia and Karabakh, "said The Armenia
Fund Executive Director Vahe Aghabegians.
It is noteworthy that Sos-Sarushen is part of the Stepanakert – Karmir Shuka
road that links with a secondary road leading to Amaras, a remarkable 4th
century monastry located near the village of Sos in the Martuni region.
Hopefully the last km-s reaching the monument will be improved in the near
future and Amaras will no longer be considered a remote location to travel
to. Not only the North – South highway had its positive impact on the
political and socio-economic life of Karabakh, it helped gain easy access to
the great number of attractions in Karabakh that were difficult to access in
the past.
###
The Armenia Fund
"NEW TIMES" PARTY STATED THAT ITS LEADER WAS REFUSED TO BE GIVEN A CERTIFICATE ON PERMANENT RESIDENCE IN ARMENIA IN THE COURSE OF THE RECENT 10 YEARS
Mediamax
November 28, 2007
Yerevan /Mediamax/. "New Times" party stated today that the Passport
and Visa Department of the Police refused to provide for the leader
of the party Aram Karapetian, who is nominated for the position of
the Armenian President, a certificate on permanent residence in the
territory of Armenia in the course of the recent 10 years.
As Mediamax was told in the press service of the party, Aram Karapetian
is planning to appeal the decision in court and is ready to present
to the Central Electoral Committee all the necessary documents,
proving his right for registration as a candidate for the position
of the President.
Mediamax notes that Aram Karapetian participated in the presidential
elections of 2003 and the parliamentary elections of 2007. He was
refused registration as a candidate for the position of a deputy from
the oppositional "Justice" bloc during the parliamentary elections
of 2003, basing on the fact that during the prior 5 years he did not
permanently reside in Armenia.
ON THE IMPORTANCE OF TACTICAL FLEXIBILITY
Armen Tsatouryan
Hayots Ashkharh Daily
Nov 27 2007
Armenia
As we know, during the most recent rally, ex-President L. Ter-Petrosyan
advanced an "original" program aimed at the consolidation of the
most influential political forces of Armenia, prior to the February
19 elections. In return, he anticipated them to support his candidacy
during the elections and gave a promise to officiate for no more than
3 years and then give them the "green light".
At first sight, this seemed to be an invulnerable political technology,
since addressing to the leaders of Armenia’s more influential political
forces, i.e. Arthur Baghdasaryan, Artashes Geghamyan, Hrant Markaryan,
Vazgen Manoukyan and Raffi Hovhannisyan, Mr. Ter-Petrosyan modestly
placed himself at their disposal. "Just use us as a tool for getting
rid of the criminal administration and exercising your legitimate
right to striving for power. This will require that you remain patent
for no more than 3 years and maybe even less."
But now 11 years have passed after the October 16 rally, and despite
the titanic efforts of the advocacy machine supporting the Armenian
pan-National Movement, none of the above-mentioned leaders has given
a positive answer to the ex-Presidents proposal which seems strictly
attractive at first sight. Moreover, all the parties pointed out by
Mr. Ter-Petrosyan have actually expressed determination to run for
election with a candidate of their own.
The only exception among them is "Heritage" and its leader Raffi
Hovhannisyan, who cannot advance his candidacy on grounds of not
having 10 years’ citizenship. This, however, doesn’t mean that after
receiving the rejection of his appeal on changing the term of his
citizenship, Raffi Hovhannisyan and his party will automatically join
Mr. Ter-Petrosyan’s team.
However, even if in Raffi Hovhannisyan’s case we deal with a singular
exception, this won’t change the general panorama because, as it is
common to say, "An exception comes to confirm the regularity". And
the regularity is that Mr. Ter-Petosyan didn’t manage to consolidate
the influential political forces of Armenia and couldn’t but rely on
the insignificant support of some parties, deprived of reputation long
ago. They include but are not limited to the People’s Party of Armenia,
"Republic".
This is Mr. Ter-Petrpsyan’s third, more outstanding failure, after the
unsuccessful attempts of attracting the state-administrative machine
and businessmen, and it testifies to the skid of his persistent steps
aimed at turning the pre-election situation to his side.
At first sight Mr. Ter-Petrosyan seemed to be playing skillfully in
the "trench struggle"; however such impression slowly begins to fade
away in the course of time. More than one month has passed after his
political claim, but ever since no serious turning point has been
observed on our political arena.
Moreover, the fact that each of the influential political forces of
Armenia will run for election with a candidate of its own will upset
the ex-President’s political calculations still further. The reason
is obvious: although Mr. Ter-Petrosyan has promised not to enter into
a debate with the other candidates and forces, the latter reject his
"peace-loving goals" and, in order to have a place in the sun, they
are going to lead a struggle not only against the pro-Government
candidate but also against L. Ter-Petrosyan himself.
So, the ex-President can neither keep an endless silence nor accept
the new challenges.
We have no doubt that before the successive rally appointed on December
8 the ex-President is recording the obvious tendency of the downfall
of his own chances. Finding himself surrounded by the pro-Government
candidate and 10 other pretenders, Ter-Petrosyan has already lost
the chance of making any maneuvres. To attract the pro-Opposition
electorate, he has to prove on December 8 that all the candidates,
apart from S. Sargsyan and himself, are fictitious henchmen.
Or, feeling the inevitability of failure, Ter-Petrosyan will offer
a new, more "original" formula for consolidation.
However, considering that the previous "original" solutions had no
impact on the influential forces represented on the political arena,
and governing the country for a year more or less is not essential
for the "father of the Armenian democracy", we offer L. Ter-Petrosyan
to reduce his ambitions in a more consistent manner.
Thus, if on November 16 Mr. Ter-Petrosyan promised the other political
forces to govern the country for no more than 3 years in return for
their consolidating around him, on December 8 and then, each time
during subsequent rallies expected in January and February, he will
reduce this time-limit by one year and, on the eve of February 19 –
withdraw his own candidacy, as the "term of governance" he has promised
will have expired by that time.
SPECIFIC FACTS TO BE REPRESENTED
Hayots Ashkharh Daily
Nov 27 2007
Armenia
"I’m not going to support Levon Ter-Petrosyan. Even the probability of
my meeting Levon Ter-Petrosyan has become impossible, because of our
disagreements regarding national issues. In the near future I will
prove with facts – who was the one that used to hinder the progress
of Armenian troops, who was sent to Zangezur and Karabakh as an envoy
to fulfill this goal. Where and who used to stop the arsenal sent by
Serge Sargsyan.
Serge Sargsyan has never been exiled from Karabakh. This information
has nothing to do with the reality. He was absent from Karabakh
for only three months – from the end of May to August. In the near
future I will reflect on the reason of Serge Sargsyan’s departure,
with specific facts.
Once RA political figures and the political leadership used to commit
crimes in NKR, they didn’t let us liberate the territories. I will
point out certain names and surnames, what instructions they got and
what they exactly did." Samvel Babayan announced in the session of
"Dashink" union.
GENERAL AGRICULTURAL STOCK-TAKING TO BE CARRIED OUT IN ARMENIA FOR FIRST TIME
Noyan Tapan
Nov 29, 2007
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 29, NOYAN TAPAN. At the November 29 sitting, the
Armenian government approved the draft law on general agricultural
stock-taking. The head of the RA National Statistical Service Stepan
Mantsakanian told reporters folowing the sitting that a general
agricultural stock-taking will be carried out in Armenia for the
first time after the National Assembly passes the law. According to
him, a stock-taking is carried out for purely statistical purposes,
and data on agricultural produce, other material resources and human
potential is mainly collected.
S. Mnatsakanian said that general agricultural stock-takngs are
implemented every ten years. After the adoption of the law in Armenia,
it is envisaged to carry out a pilot stock-taking in 2009 and a
general one in 2010.