Author: Emil Lazarian

BANGLADESH BLAMES ARMENIA`S AGGRESSION TOWARD AZERBAIJAN
Author: S. Aghayeva
TREND, Azerbaijan
Sept 11 2006
Bangladesh condemns Armenian aggression toward Azerbaijan, and
advocates against Azerbaijan`s historic territories occupation,
Bangladesh`s Tourism Minister Mirza Fakhrul Ýslam Alamgir told
journalists today, Trend reports.
According to him, Bangladesh has always backed Azerbaijan in this
issue, and supported Azerbaijan`s position in all international
organizations. The Bangladesh`s Minister pointed out that he will
fully support corresponding items concerning this issue including
the resulting document of the Baku Conference of the Organization
for Islamic Conference (OIC) member-states` Tourism Ministers to be
adopted today.
“We have not backed any aggressive and terror policy against any
Islamic state”, stated the Minister.
–Boundary_(ID_esJDuvbMIF4+g01svT30pg)- –
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON INFORMATION AND TELECOMMUNICATION INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGIES TO LAUNCH SOON IN YEREVAN
ARKA News Agency, Armenia
Sept 12 2006
YEREVAN, September 12. /ARKA/. An international conference focused on
information and telecommunication innovative technologies to launch
on September 20 in Yerevan.
Enterprises Incubator Foundation, the event organizer, told ARKA
News Agency on Tuesday that the conference to be held as part of
the Month of Information Technologies and Armenia-Diaspora economic
forum in Armenia aims to present the country as the regional leader
in developing information and telecommunication technologies and to
discuss the current situation in the world.
Armenian Economy Minster Tigran Davtyan, Prime Minister’s Adviser Ara
Hakobyan, Enterprises Incubator Foundation Director Bagrat Yengibaryan
as well as Sun Microsystems, Alcatel, Microsoft and Sourcio companies’
representatives are expected to speak at the conference.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

GHOUKASYAN: ARMENIAN DIPLOMACY SHOULD BE MORE ACTIVE
DeFacto Agency, Armenia
Sept 11 2006
“First I would like to mention that it was our proposal, and only
after that Azerbaijan made a fuss. It is absolutely obvious that it
is an artificial fuss, as Azerbaijanis themselves are the “authors”
of both fires and propaganda”, stated Nagorno Karabakh Republic
President Arkady Ghoukasyan, while commenting on the resolution on
the fires on the territories controlled by the NKR adopted by the
U. N. General Assembly.
According to the NKR President, “the whole problem is that we have
repeatedly applied to the international instances to send an expert
group, as our concern is that the international community clearly
visualizes the situation in Karabakh, in part, in the border line”.
“We haven’t made official statements yet, but we are going to do it,
and we are ready to receive the OSCE mission. I am convinced the
mission’s conclusion will be impartial. As for Azerbaijan, it has
got one goal – to blacken everything referring to Karabakh”, Arkady
Ghoukasyan noted.
Answering the question concerning the NKR leadership’s attitude to
the fact that the Karabakh issue will be discussed in the U. N., the
President said it was a destructive approach. “It is absolutely clear
that the OSCE has been dealing with the issue all these years, so any
effort to discuss the issue at the other international organizations
may result in a fuss, which is unfavorable for the conflict parties and
the negotiation process. Armenia has precisely declared its position;
it is against the efforts to lead the discussions of the issues,
which are under the OSCE’s authority, to other instances. In my
opinion diplomacy is the best instrument, so the Armenian diplomacy
should be more active. Unfortunately, now the Azeri Diplomatic Corps
is constantly delivering assaults, and we have to constantly protect
ourselves. I believe it is time to launch a counter-offensive”,
A. Ghoukasyan stated.
According to the Nagorno Karabakh President, he does not think that
Baku pursues a goal to establish cooperation and create constructive
atmosphere for a dialogue. “Azerbaijan pursues other goals – to create
problems around Karabakh and make the international community condemn
what is going on in Karabakh. If Azerbaijan proffered cooperation,
we would gladly respond”, Arkady Ghoukasyan said.
“We think the more we communicate with Azerbaijanis, the more chances
we will have to settle the conflict. We have a lot of problems
connected with water, fires and other issues in the border line. I
am sure the inhabitants of Azerbaijan’s border regions are also
interested in the contacts, as the matter concerns problems, which
are urgent for them. However, the Azeri authorities that reject any
proposal on cooperation have always been against it”, NKR President
said, KarabakhOpen reports.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

FRANCE WELCOMES TURKISH CONTRIBUTION TO UNIFIL
The New Anatolian, Turkey
Sept 11 2006
French Ambassador in Ankara Paul Poudade said on Monday that his
country welcomed Parliament’s approval of a motion to send Turkish
troops to Lebanon.
“Turkey did well in joining the United Nations Interim Force (UNIFIL)
in Lebanon,” he added.
Asked by reporters about the deployment of Turkish troops in Lebanon
and Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul’s visit to Paris this week, Poudade
said that sending troops to Lebanon would be one of the main topics
of Gul’s trip.
Poudade added that Turkey has good relations with both Israel and
many Arab countries, and said that it would be the stabilizing force
in a troubled region.
Foreign Minister Gul will arrive in Paris today to participate in a
Mediterranean cultural workshop entitled “Dialogue Between Peoples
and Cultures,” to be held tomorrow.
Gul is also expected to meet his French counterpart Philippe
Douste-Blazy on the sidelines of the meeting.
The foreign minister’s visit to France comes after relations
were strained earlier this year by the French Parliament’s move to
criminalize questioning Armenian genocide claims, and several obstacles
from Paris impeding smooth progress for Turkey in its European Union
accession talks.
Gul is expected to remind Douste-Blazy of EU pledges to end the
international isolation of the Turkish Cypriots and express the
Turkish government’s expectation about finding a solution to the Cyprus
problem. The French minister is expected to brief Gul on the status
of a proposed French base in Greek Cyprus. The two ministers are also
planning to discuss current Middle East issues, including Iran.
Gul will also deliver a speech at the French International Relations
Institute on Thursday and leave the country on Saturday.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

AZERI FOREIGN MINISTRY SEES NO OBSTACLE IN CO-OPERATION IN PREVENTION OF FIRES IN AZERBAIJAN’S OCCUPIED TERRITORY
Author: A.Ismayilova
TREND Information, Azerbaijan
Sept 12 2006
Tahir Tagizade, the Head of Press & Information at the Azerbaijan
Foreign Ministry told journalists on 11 September that the Azerbaijan
Foreign Ministry does not face any obstacles with regards to its
co-operation on preventing fires in the Armenian-occupied Azerbaijani
territory, Trend reports.
In response to whether the recent UN Resolution on State in the
Occupied Territory of Azerbaijan awaits the same fate as the
previous UN resolutions on Nagorno-Karabakh, Tagizade said that
non-implementation of the resolutions and absence of mechanisms
is not only a problem of the UN, but also to other international
organizations. “Therefore, Azerbaijan supports the reformation of
the UN,” he emphasized.
The diplomat noted that a visit of the mission to investigate the
fact of fires in the occupied territory of Azerbaijan will become a
first step of what is a large-scale ecological operation.
“Azerbaijan, has taken all the necessary measures. The first meeting
of the inter-departmental working group was held last week,” he added.
With regards to reports on the sale of mass destruction arms by
China to Armenia, Tagizade stressed that the Azerbaijan Foreign
Ministry instructed its Ambassadors in Beijing and Moscow to study
and report back the situation. Only then will the Foreign Ministry
be in a position to comment.
With respect to visits of Azerbaijanis to Armenia, Tagizade said
that only upon completion of the first stage of the resolution of
the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict would such visits be acceptable.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIAN EXPORTS DECLINE BY 2.2% AND IMPORTS GROW BY 20.5%
Noyan Tapan News Agency, Armenia
Sept 12 2006
YEREVAN, SEPTEMER 12, NOYAN TAPAN. In January-July 2006, Armenia’s
foreign trade made 725 bln 817.1 mln drams or 1 bln 654.6 mln USD, with
exports making 228 bln 725.3 mln drams (522.5 mln USD) and imports –
497 bln 91.8 mln drams (1 bln 131.1 mln USD). According to the RA
National Statistical Service, in January-July 2006, exports declined
by 2.2% on the same period of last year, while imports grew by 20.5%.
In the indicated period, Armenia’s foreign trade balance was negative
by 268 bln 366.6 mln drams (609.9 mln USD), that without cargos
received as humanitarian aid – by 254 bln 700.3 mln drams (578.1
mln USD).
In January-July 2006, Yerevan accounted for 47.1% of the country’s
exports, while the index of the same period of 2005 made 54.8%. In
the first seven months of this year, Yerevan accounted for 69.8%
of imports against 65.4% in the same months of last year.
Exports from Armenia to CIS countries made 522 mln 502.5 thousand
USD or by 6.3% more than in the same period of last year. Imports
from CIS countries amounted to 300 mln 249.2 thousand USD or by 45.2%
more. Exports to Russia made 54 mln 778.5 thousand USD (5.8% decline),
imports from Russia – 174 mln 394.5 thousand USD (27.4%); exports to
Georgia made 31 mln 114 thousand USD (15.2%), imports from Georgia –
38 mln 86 thousand USD.
In January-July 2006, exports from Armenia to EU countries made over
271 mln USD (6.4%), imports from EU countries – over 347 mln USD
(4.7%), including exports to Belgium – 70 mln 759.6 thousand USD
or by 8.8% less than in the same period of last year and imports
from Belgium – 90 mln 515.7 thousand USD (11.6% decline); exports
to Germany – 83 mln 689.8 thousand USD (5.8% decline), imports from
Germany – 49 mln 932.8 thousand USD (5.6% decline); exports to the
Netherlands – 72 mln 377.3 thousand USD (11.5% growth), imports –
12 mln 808.5 thousand USD (48.2% growth).
Exports from Armenia to other countries declined by 18.6% in the
period under review to 148 mln 159.1 thousand USD, whereas imports from
these countries grew by 20.8% to 484 mln 844.5 thousand USD, including
exports to Israel of 53 mln 142.7 thousand USD (27.6% decline), imports
from Israel – 56 mln 675.3 thousand USD (13.2% decline); exports to the
US – 29 mln 715.2 thousand USD (10.6% growth), imports from the US –
7 mln 418.7 thousand USD (25.2% growth); exports to Iran – 17 mln
166.5 thousand USD (11.9% decline), imports – 66 mln 578.4 thousand
USD (40.3% growth); exports to Turkey – 1 mln 149.2 thousand USD (0.2%
decline), imports from Turkey – 40 mln 766 thousand USD (43.5% growth).
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

NUMBER OF TOURISTS ARRIVING IN ARMENIA GROWS BY 11.6%
Noyan Tapan News Agency, Armenia
Sept 12 2006
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 12, NOYAN TAPAN. 122 thousand 528 tourists arrived
in Armenia in 2006 January-June against 109 thousand 750 tourists in
the same period of 2005. The growth made 11.6%. According to the data
of reports received by RA National Statistical Service from hotels,
26.8% out of 21 thousand 825 tourists (against 20 thousand 474 tourists
in January-June 2005), who visited RA and stayed at 35 hotels, fell
to CIS countries (32.8% in January-June 2005), out of which the
share of tourists who arrived from Russia made 19.8% (19.9%), from
EU countries 30.4% (27.6%), out of which from France 11.2% (8.4%),
from Germany 5.3% (5.8%), from Great Britain 5% (5.1%), from other EU
countries 9% (8.3%). The share of tourists who arrived from another
countries made 42.8% (in January-June 2005 39.7%), from U.S. 22.4%
(19.5%), from Iran 5.7% (7.7%).
119 thousand 451 people left the country in the first half-year of
2006 for the purpose of tourism, which exceeded the index of 2005
January-June by 13.3%. 3 thousand 297 tourists left the country on
trips organized by tourist companies in this period, which is more
by 88.5% than the index of January-June of 2005.
30 thousand 633 tourists (RA residents) were accomodated in dwellings
for collective and individual tourists’ stay in the territory of the
republic in 2006 January-June. As compared with the same period of the
previous year the growth made 14.1%. 49.9% of internal tourists (15
thousand 291 tourists against 9 thousand 534 in 2005 January-June)
moved in the republic for the purpose of rest and leisure, 4.6%
for treatment (1418 against 1455 tourists) and 33.8% on business
(10 thousand 358 against 13 thousand 156).
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PUTIN: RECOGNITION OF KOSOVO INDEPENDENCE MAY HAVE NEGATIVE IMPACT ON CONFLICT SETTLEMENT
PanARMENIAN.Net
12.09.2006 16:38 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ In case of declaring independence of Kosovo against
Serbia’s will, Russia will veto the decision of the UN Security
Council, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated at a meeting with a
group of scientists from foreign countries in Moscow last week-end. In
the opinion of the Russian President recognition of Kosovo independence
may have negative impact on conflict settlement in Nagorno Karabakh,
Transniestria, South Ossetia and Abkhazia. “We should think of the
regional consequences of recognition of Kosovo independence,” the
Russian President said.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

AZERBAIJAN REJECTS KARABAKH ANY PROPOSAL ON COOPERATION
PanARMENIAN.Net
12.09.2006 18:12 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ “There were no requests for cooperation by Azerbaijan
and in general I do not think Baku aims at establishing cooperation and
forming a constructive atmosphere,” NKR President Arkady Ghoukassian
said. In his words, Azerbaijan has other purposes: to create problems
over Karabakh and attain the international community denouncing what
is going on in Karabakh. “If Azerbaijan had suggested cooperation,
we would agree with pleasure,” the NKR President said.
In the Karabakh leader’s words, NKR authorities have addressed
similar requests to the Azeri colleagues many times, but these were
in vain. “The more we are associated with Azeris, the more there are
chances to settle the conflict. We have many problems relating to
water, fires and other matters. I am sure that border area residents
of Azerbaijan are interested in contacts as well. However, Azeri
authorities were always against this,” Ghoukassian said, reports
KarabakhOpen.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

AZERBAIJAN HAS ONE GOAL: TO BLACKEN EVERYTHING RELATING TO KARABAKH
PanARMENIAN.Net
12.09.2006 18:09 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ “The proposal on monitoring over the fires was
our initiative and only after that Azerbaijan raised a clamor. It
is absolutely clear that this is artificial stir, as the Azeris are
the “authors” of the fires and propaganda,” NKR President Arkady
Ghoukassian said. In his words, the problem is that the NKR has
addressed international institutions for many times, asking to send
an expert group, as NK is interested for the international community
to have a clear notion of the situation in Karabakh.
“Azerbaijan has one goal: to blacken everything relating to Karabakh,”
the President said.
As of discussion of the Karabakh issue at the UN, the NKR leader
considered it a destructive approach. “It is absolutely clear that an
attempt to transfer the issue to international organizations other
than the OSCE will result in a mess, which is not favorable either
to the parties to the conflict or the peace process,” he remarked.
Ghoukassian regretted that NK is not represented in international
institutions. “Armenia has clearly stated its position and comes
against transfer of discussion to other institutions. In my opinion
diplomacy is the best tool, thus Armenian diplomacy should be more
active. Unfortunately, in the created situation the Azeri diplomatic
corps attacks constantly and we have to defend ourselves. I suppose
time has come for counter-attacking,” the NKR President underscored,
reports KarabakhOpen.