Author: Emil Lazarian

ARSON CHARGES AGAINST ARMENIAN SIDE – TYPICAL AZERI STYLE
Yerevan, September 4. ArmInfo. Azerbaijan’s recent arson charges
against the Armenian side are typical Azeri style, Armenian Foreign
Minister Vardan Oskanyan said during a press-conference today.
He said that the Armenian side inquires into each report of fire on
the contact line.
To remind, in the last few months the Azeri side has been alleging
at various instances that the Armenian side deliberately sets on fire
the territories controlled by the Karabakh armed forces.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

FESTIVAL OF ARMENIAN CULTURE HELD IN BARNAUL
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Sept 04 2006
BARNAUL, SEPTEMBER 4, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The Armenians’
Union of the region of Altai held in Barnaul a festival of the Armenian
culture entitled “Pomegranate Flower,” within the framework of the Year
of Armenia in Russia. According to the “Yerkramas” (country) newspaper
of Armenians of Russia, in the festival, one could see well-known
Armenian masters’ and gifted beginners’ paintings and sculptures,
listen to Armenian music performed by folk groups. For Armenians of the
Altai region, the festival became one of ways of keeping traditions
of the native land, telling about them to representatives of other
peoples. The festival had many guests: interest towards the Armenian
people’s history, traditions, culture is rather big. In the opinion of
Vladimir Farashian, the Armenians’ Union Board Chairman of the Altai
region, similar holidays assist strengthening mutual understanding
among peoples living in the Altai region.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIAN MINISTER SPEAKS ABOUT “OBSTACLES” FOR MEETING AZERI COUNTERPART
Arminfo
4 Sep 06
Yerevan, 4 September: Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan has
shied away from naming specific dates of his next meeting with the
Azerbaijani counterpart, Elmar Mammadyarov.
At a today’s meeting with journalists, he noted that he was aware of
statements by the Azerbaijani side, according to which the meeting will
allegedly be held on 13 September in Paris or on 15-17 September in
London. However, the minister said, the Azerbaijani side had recently
tried to transform the settlement process to the UN format. However
“some other processes” are under way in the UN at the moment.
It is difficult to make predictions on the meeting, if there are
obstacles for holding it, the Armenian foreign minister said.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIAN MINISTER URGES INTERNATIONAL KARABAKH TALKS INVOLVEMENT
Arminfo
4 Sep 06
Yerevan, 4 September: The Armenian public is satisfied with the
current state of talks on a peaceful settlement of the Nagornyy
Karabakh conflict, Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan has said
during a Yerevan-Stepanakert TV bridge organized by Armenian Public TV.
The problem is that the talks have reached a critical point, he said.
All depends on the involvement of the international community in
the process and on future developments. There is a document on the
negotiating table today which is based on the right of the Nagornyy
Karabakh people to self-determination. This is a major success of
Armenian diplomats since until recently the Armenian side has never
even dreamed about a referendum on the right to self-determination
of the Nagornyy Karabakh people.
Vardan Oskanyan said that Azerbaijan could not help noticing that
the situation was not developing in its favour and was trying to
reverse it. Azerbaijan has been toughening its position, therefore
the international community should intervene and make Azerbaijan stop
making bellicose statements and, taking into account the current
realities, hold negotiations and make compromises to settle the
conflict.
[Passage omitted: minor details]
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

EXHIBITION DEDICATED TO ARMENIAN NATIONAL CURRENCY OPENS IN IJEVAN
Arka News Agency, Armenia
Sept 4 2006
YEREVAN, September 4. /ARKA/. An exhibition dedicated to the history
of the national currency of Armenia – dram, opened in Ijevan (Armenian
city). The Press Service of the CBA informed ARKA News Agency that the
exhibition is aimed at familiarizing inhabitants of Tavush region of
the republic with the history of the Armenian national currency and
its circulation, activities of the Central bank of Armenia.
According to the press-release, pupils of Yerevan already have such
opportunity – visiting the CBA they get acquainted with the history of
its activity. This initiative is aimed at creating such opportunities
for pupils, students and people of different regions of Armenia.
Next year such exhibitions will be held in Gegharkunik regions as
well.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

SPEECH BY ALIYEV AT THE OPENING CEREMONY OF PERMANENT HEADQUARTERS OF THE ISLAMIC CONFERENCE YOUTH FORUM FOR DIALOGUE AND COOPERATION
AzerTag, Azerbaijan
Sept 4 2006
Esteemed Chairman of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey,
Esteemed Ministers!
Esteemed guests, ladies and gentlemen!
First of all, I would like to express my deep gratitude to my brother,
Prime Minister of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan for inviting me to
the opening ceremony of the Permanent Headquarters of The Islamic
Conference Youth Forum for Dialogue and Cooperation.
It is a great pleasure to be in Turkey again. When I was coming here,
I remembered the similar event that occurred in Turkey a month and a
half ago. One month and half ago in Istanbul, the strait, and later
in Ceyhan, we came together to inaugurate the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan
oil pipeline.
Today, we are marking the opening of the Permanent Headquarters of
the Islamic Conference Youth Forum for Dialogue and Cooperation.
These two events may be not directly linked to one another, but I
think the fact that both ones have occurred in a short period of time
is pretty symbolic.
Operation of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline will increase our
economic power, and strengthen our positions in the region. It will
bring us even closer to each other, and, as a result, will increase
our states’ economic and political weight. At the same time, the
successful activities of the Islamic Conference Youth Forum will
strengthen our positions in humanitarian sphere. It is not a secret
that powerful economy, huge potential is a major condition and a firm
basis for any business, and we must use this firm basis to convert
material values into human ones. At this point, start of activity
of the Islamic Conference Youth Forum is of great importance, and
I consider this event as the most remarkable of those occurred over
the past years in the Muslim world.
The organization has been very successful at the start. All the
organizational problems have been solved for the short period of
time, and the Youth Forum has started to work very actively. Today,
activity and future plans of the Forum have been widely discussed. It
has great programs and plans. I don’t doubt that all the plans will be
realized. At the same time, I would like to note that joint activity
of the Muslim youth is also of great importance for our future.
Youth occupies greater part of the populations of the member-states of
the Organization of the Islamic Conference. Youth is the most active
and powerful strata of the society. Cooperation between our countries’
youth will help us bring our activity up to a higher level, and will
make an important contribution to strengthening Islamic solidarity.
We have to represent ourselves to the world more comprehensively,
as we really are.
In some cases, false or, I can say, dangerous image of the Islamic
countries and Islam religion is formed in the world. From time to
time, we witness deliberate or casual manifestations of that, but
this is the fact. We have to demonstrate to the world that Islam is a
peaceful religion. Islam can never be associated with terrorism. It is
we who are subjected to terrorism. In Azerbaijan, nearly 30 terrorist
acts killing over two thousand innocent civilians were committed by
Armenian terrorist organizations in the early 1990s.
Azerbaijan has been under Armenian occupation for many years. All our
historical monuments have been destroyed in the occupied territories.
Our mosques, schools and historical buildings have been razed to the
ground. Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity is violated. The aggression
against Azerbaijan has led to occupation of 20% of its lands, and over
1 million people living in a refugee or internally displaced status.
All this is reality. We have always been the side subjected to
terrorism. We want justice to be restored. We want to have our
territorial integrity restored, and we will do achieve it as the
norms of international law, justice is on our side. We must be more
active, and use all possible means including political, economic and
democratic, and all others to obtain justice. And the role of youth
in this cause is really great.
It is with great satisfaction that I want to mention the Youth
Forum-initiated publication of the book about the Karabakh conflict,
for the first time, translated into the Arabic language. It shows
that the work of the Forum already gives practical results, and this
fact is worthy of praise. Actually, making youth better organized
and educated is the matter of paramount importance to the Muslim world.
Our young people should be actively involved in all progressive
processes taking place in the world. They should be well educated, and
have the access to advanced technologies. In Azerbaijan, we pay great
attention to this problem. All of the middle schools in Azerbaijan are
being equipped with computers having the access to the Internet for
our children and youth can watch and participate in the processes
taking place in the world. We have to play an important role in
forming a strong generation of youth, and we have to do a lot for that.
Encouraging education, sports, healthy life style on one hand, and
active involvement of the youth in socio-political life on the other
hand, are what will strengthen our countries, and solidarity of the
member-states of the Organization of the Islamic Conference.
The time will come when today’s young people will hold leading posts in
our countries, will run our countries. The very fate of our countries
will depend on their activities. It is very important that our young
generation be not only highly skilled, well-educated and modern-minded
but also remain devoted to our national and religious values, and
be grown up in the spirit of patriotism to ensure development of our
countries in the years to come.
I welcome the founding of the Forum, consider it as a very important
thing, and I am convinced that its activity will bring us closer,
and, as a whole, will consolidate the Organization of the Islamic
Conference.
Azerbaijan is a very active member of the Organization of the Islamic
Conference. Just recently, we have brought together the member-states’
foreign ministers in Baku. Within the few next days, tourism ministers
of the member-states will gather in Baku. In a word, I think our
activities in this direction are very important, and we are trying
to bring our countries much closer to each other.
Our political relations are on a very high level, but it is important
that our countries cooperate closer in economic sphere as well.
Dear friends, I am sure that great work will be done by the Youth
Forum, and there will be great results. Today, we have given our
blessing to the Forum, and demonstrated our support to it. Besides,
I would like this support to be reflected in the process of the Forum
organizing. To this end, the government of Azerbaijan has decided on
transferring $100 million to the Forum’s budget. I am sure this small
contribution will create a good basis for your activities to be more
successful. In the future, of course, all of our countries will provide
support to strengthen material and technical basis of the Forum.
I once again congratulate all of you on this wonderful event. I
express my love to the brotherly people of Turkey.
Thank you.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

EP TO VOTE ON TURKISH REPORT TODAY
Turkish Press
Sept 4 2006
Press review
The European Parliament Foreign Affairs Commission is expected
to vote on a report on Turkey this evening. The report prepared
by Dutch Christian Democrat Camiel Eurlings will be re-debated and
voted in September by the full EP. The draft report calls on Turkey
to speed up its reform process, especially on the issues of freedom
of speech, religious and minority rights, civilian-military relations,
women’s rights, unions, and cultural rights. Condemning the terrorist
PKK attacks, the report also urges Turkey to begin good neighborly
relations with Armenia and to open its ports and harbors to Greek
Cypriot ships, adding that including the Greek Cypriot administration,
recognition of all EU countries during the negotiation period is
compulsory.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

THE EU IS BECOMING A NEW FORCE ABLE TO BALANCE THE RUSSIAN AND US PRESSURE: INTERVIEW OF ALI ABASOV
Regnum, Russia
Sept 4 2006
Ali Abasov is doctor of philosophic sciences, head of department
of the Institute of Philosophy and Political-Legal Research of the
National Academy of Science of Azerbaijan (NASA).
REGNUM: Naturally, my first question is about the Nagorno Karabakh
conflict. The disclosure of the conflict settlement principles by
the US OSCE MG Co-Chair Matthew Bryza has been followed by a period
of lull. How will this conflict be settled?
I think that the only way to settle the conflict is to integrate the
South Caucasian countries into Europe. I had said that even before the
EU proclaimed its New Neighbors program and, when it did, it became
obvious that if our countries form a common political, economic,
cultural and defense space, they will solve not only this but also all
the other conflicts. As the program will develop, all the three South
Caucasian countries will become candidates for EU membership, and this
will lead to the (full) resolution of the problem of security and the
(partial) resolution of the problem of border crossing. And this will
pave the way for the resolution of ethnic-territorial problems. We
should not forget that in 1920 Karabakh also underwent strong shocks
but 2-3 years later there was already nothing to remind of them.
REGNUM: A few days ago political expert Ilgar Mamedov promulgated
Azerbaijan’s Action Plan under the New Neighborhood policy, which,
unlike the APs of Georgia and Armenia, does not clearly say that
Azerbaijan is going to join the EU. True, the Azeri Foreign Ministry
sweetened the pill by saying that this is just a draft but still it
seems that Euro-integration is being put off…
… In fact, the FM said that the Action Plan is a confidential
document and that the plan Mamedov got in hand was not the actual
plan. I personally have got the English version of the plan but I
would not say that this is the final version and I would rather no
blame anybody for the lack of the Euro-integration point in it. On
the other hand, in Georgia and Armenia the plan has been actively
discussed by the public and the authorities and, as a result, they
have got a voluminous package of public recommendations.
Unfortunately, we did not have such discussions and now have to use
our own judgement to draft relevant recommendations.
REGNUM: Perhaps, some officials are not interested in European
integration? As Euro-integration means enhanced public control over oil
revenues and official expenses, bigger role of local self-governments
and, most importantly, fair elections and certain restrictions on
the authorities…
This is a hard question. In fact, the West does control the inflow
of oil revenues and their spending. Simply, there is no strategic
mentality, realization of how important it is for the country to
become an EU member or, at least, to declare intention to become one.
Heydar Aliyev got our authorities out of the habit to think
strategically as he solved all such problems exclusively on his own.
And now nobody wants to take the responsibility even though
Euro-integration is a reasonable way for Azerbaijan out of the present
grip between Russia and the US. In fact, the EU is becoming a new –
non-conflict – force capable of balancing the pressure of Russia and
the US. EU membership will also help Azerbaijan to solve its economic
problems. Of course, Azerbaijan should realize that nobody will give
it a candy just “for nothing.” Unfortunately, we have yet no analytical
centers – either independent or governmental – in Azerbaijan.
REGNUM: Ronald Young, who directed the 1.5 year TACIS program on
state service and state administration reforms in Azerbaijan, says
that even in Uzbekistan, where he worked before, they do not solve
problems alone: they submit them for public discussion and solve them
on the basis of initiatives and proposals received – something Young
did not see in much more democratic Azerbaijan…
In Uzbekistan they still use the old Soviet system. In the Soviet
times, the USSR Constitution was discussed in institutes, factories
and farms, people made proposals and the authors considered some
of them. As regards Azerbaijan, Young does not know that many Azeri
laws, including those concerning elections, have been examined by the
Venice Commission. Of course, Uzbekistan cannot cooperate with the
Commission as actively as Azerbaijan can, but the main point is that
our civil society is weak and we cannot prove to the West that we are
a force that can change the situation. That’s why they prefer working
with the government, who, certainly, has competent lawyers. That is,
the CE and the Venice Commission ignore us because they believe that
it is much easier to agree with the government: indeed, it is much
easier to pressure one person than everybody. We should realize that
this situation will continue until we create health civil society.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

2 FROM 4 FREE STYLE WRESTLERS OF ARMENIA ARE OUT OF STRUGGLE FOR MEDAL
Noyan Tapan
Sept 04 2006
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 4, NOYAN TAPAN. Two representatives of Armenia,
Artur Arakelian (60 kg, Yerevan) and Khachik Amroyan (74 kg, Martuni)
performed on September 3 at the World Youth Championship of free-style
wrestling in Guatemala. They had one victory and one loss each and
lost the right to struggle for the medal. Representatives of Yerevan
Suren Adyan (66 kg) and Edgar Yenokian (86 kg) perform on September 4.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

REPRESENTATIVES OF A NUMBER OF POLITICAL FORCES DRAW ATTENTION OF ARMENIAN AUTHORITIES TO POSSIBLE RE-DRAWING OF NEAR EAST MAP
Noyan Tapan
Sept 04 2006
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 4, NOYAN TAPAN. The realization of the
English-American plan on creating a new Near East started during
the last Arab-Israeli conflict. Armen Avetisian, Chairman of the
Armenian Aryan Union Party, said this at the September 2 press
conference. He and another participants of the conference, including
heads of the Ukht Ararati and For the Sake of Homeland organizations
Tigran Pashabezian and Nerses Nersisian, as well as Chairman of the
Tsekhakron organization Gevorg Hovsepian, expressed bewilderment in
connection with the fact that the Armenian authorities in no way
reacted to the plan and map already known in the world, which was
published in all regional countries with the exception of Armenia. In
their words, one of the main directions of the plan is education,
including on the lands of the Western Armenia, the new state of
Kurdistan. Nagorno Karabakh is not mentioned at all on the map of
the new Near East. Instead, currently Turkish but formerly Armenian
cities of Ardahan, Kars, Igdir, as well as mount Ararat are returned
to Armenia. In A.Avetisian’s words, an attempt to form another state
is again made on historical Armenian lands. As the new state will
be created at the expense of the territories of another states as
well, including Syria and Iran, as he estimated, Armenia should
create a united front of struggle together with these friendly
countries. In the opinion of the press conference participants,
Armenia is vulnerable and is not ready for such challenges. They
called on the Armenian authorities to attend to this issue and to
take all necessary measures for strengthening the national security
system. In the respect of Armenia’s active involvement into regional
processes Armen Avetisian spoke for leaving of an Armenian military
contingent for the Lebanese-Israeli border. “Yes, we were against
sending our servicemen to Kosovo and Iraq, but with regard to leaving
for Lebanon, we consider this necessary,” Avetisian declared.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress