Author: Emil Lazarian

TSALKA AND NINOTSMINDA CONSIDERED PROBABLE REGIONS FOR RESETTLEMENT OF MESKHETIAN TURKS

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Jun 14 2006

AKHALKALAK, JUNE 14, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. In the opinion of
Teymuraz Lomsadze, Adviser on Issues of Repatriation of Meskhetians
of the Georgian State Minister on Issues of Conflict Settlement, the
most part of the territories where the Meskhetian Turks lived have
become ruined and their restoration will require large exenditures.

The State Minister’s Adviser mentioned that besides turning into ruins,
these territories are not rich in land, either, and the Turks should
be resettled in more convenient territories. According to the A-Info
agency, Georgians from different Georgian regions were resettled in
the most part of the Meskhetians’ territories and the lands of the
ruined territories were also given to them.

By the way, according to unofficial data, Tsalka and Ninotsminda are
considered as probable regions for resettlement of Meskhetians as
part of the houses of Greeks and Russians who have left these regions
are vacant.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

U.S. RECOGNIZED NEWLY INDEPENDENT NATION OF MONTENEGRO

PanARMENIAN.Net
14.06.2006 18:50 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The United States has recognized Montenegro as
an independent state, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said
June 13. Montenegrins voted May 21 to end their 88-year-old union
with Serbia, becoming the fifth republic to gain independence from
the former Yugoslavia. Montenegro declared independence on June 3
after international election monitors validated the results of its
peaceful May 21 referendum. Serbia on June 5 declared itself to be
a separate sovereign state and the successor to the State Union of
Serbia and Montenegro. The European Union and numerous other states
are also issuing formal statements of recognition for Montenegro. "The
United States has formally recognized the Republic of Montenegro as
a sovereign and independent state," Secretary of State Rice said in
a statement read aloud by State Department spokesman Sean McCormack
during the June 13 daily press briefing.

The decision to recognize Montenegro was made "following the request of
its government and consistent with the provisions of the constitutional
charter which established the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro,"
Rice said. "The charter between Serbia and Montenegro explicitly
provided means by which the people of Montenegro could express
their will with respect to independence. We congratulate the people
of Montenegro for the peaceful and democratic manner in which they
conducted their May 21 vote on independence The honor of being counted
among the free and independent states of the world brings with it
the challenge of protecting and advancing the freedom, rights and
prosperity of all the people of Montenegro and the responsibility
to make a positive contribution to the community of nations," Rice
said. "The United States will be considering in the coming days
Montenegro’s proposal to begin a process of establishing diplomatic
relations. We look forward to continued friendship and cooperation with
the people of Montenegro," Rice said, reported the U.S. International
Information Programs Bureau.

It should be also noted that June 12 Russian President Vladimir Putin
also recognized the independence of Montenegro.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

TEHRAN USES KARABAKH ISSUE AS “TRAMP CARD” AFTER UNREST – AZERI ACTIVIST

Yeni Musavat, Baku
7 Jun 06

The press secretary of the World Azerbaijani Congress, Ali Nicat,
has said that Tehran is trying to exert pressure on Azerbaijan, by
using Karabakh as its “tramp card”, the Baku-based opposition paper
Yeni Musavat has reported.

In an interview with the paper on 7 June, Nicat said that “the Persian
regime started to doubt Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity after the
developments in southern Azerbaijan”.

Quoting sources in northwestern Iran, Nicat said that “Iranian state
TV channel Iran TV-1 insulted the dignity of Azerbaijanis in its
newscast in the afternoon of 5 June. The TV channel carried a report
on the Bucharest meeting between [Azerbaijani President] Ilham Aliyev
and [Armenian President] Robert Kocharyan and later dwelled on the
Karabakh problem. It said that ‘the independent Nagornyy Karabakh
republic announced its independence 15 years ago. However, Azerbaijan
has territorial claims to the independent Nagornyy Karabakh republic.”

In reaction to the issue in question, a spokesman for the Iranian
embassy in Baku told Yeni Musavat: “The official position of our state
on this issue is known. I do not think that anything like this will
happen. We cannot comment on the remarks by every passer-by. If you
have facts, we will be happy to discuss them.”

Yeni Musavat said that the Southern Azerbaijan information centre had
been set up in Baku on 6 June to keep the public properly informed
about the developments in northwestern Iran.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ALIYEV: “IT IS NECESSARY TO CARRY KARABAKH PEACEFUL RESOLUTION THROUGH”

PanARMENIAN.Net
08.06.2006 18:29 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ “I am sure the Nagorno Karabakh conflict will be
settled within the framework of international norms and principles,”
Azeri President Ilham Aliyev told NBC TV channel. In his words,
terms of settlement of the Karabakh issue depend not only on
Baku. “Territorial integrity of Azerbaijan is recognized by the
international community and all countries, except Armenia. We will
never agree to secession of NK, we will provide it widest autonomy
within territorial integrity of Azerbaijan,” Aliyev underscored.

“They advice our country not to think of settlement by force. We
believe that until there is an opportunity to settle the conflict
peacefully, it is necessary to carry that way through,” Aliyev said.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

“ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO SETTLE THE CONFLICT IN PEACEFUL WAY WAS MISSED”

A1+
[03:44 pm] 08 June, 2006

“The window is open, we mustn’t exclude any development, hope dies
but last; we must anchor hope that we shall be able to come to an
agreement on the matters of principle,” RA Foreign Minister Vartan
Oskanian announced in today’s press release.

The latter didn’t exclude the possibility of meeting with his Azeri
counterpart at any moment but he didn’t go into details and didn’t
inform anything about that forthcoming meeting. “Every meeting is
held when there are new approaches and new offers,” noted Vartan
Oskanian and added that he didn’t see any ground for new offers
yet. He connected the efficiency of the Bucharest meeting with the
offer which is in the process of discussions and with the complication
of the matter. “Unfortunately we failed; the matter under question
was rather complicated. It was also put in front of the Presidents
in Rambouillet and it was again a failure. The new approaches were
not approved either.”

Yesterday the Azeri deputy informed the Armenian journalists that the
Armenian side refused to take the Armenian forces out of 6 regions
and turned down the offer to allocate the peace-keeping forces
instead though they had agreed beforehand. Asked the question by
“A1+” whether the announcement of the Azeri deputy was grounded and
whether the offer was finally turned down Mr. Oskanian answered, “Today
all the questions connected with the conflict settlement are put on
the table. Our foremost task is the recognition of Nagorno-Karabakh
status. As for the elimination of the consequences it must be done
after the NKR recognition.”

By the way, if one-page document was put in front of the presidents
during the Paris meeting, it turned into two-page document in
Bucharest. Asked the question what the length of the document is
determined by Vartan Oskanian answered jokingly, “Not by the budget”
and then added that there were no many changes in the contents only
the length of the document changed.

As for Serge Sargsyan’s announcement that Azerbaijan is likely to lose
its chance to settle the conflict in peaceful way Oskanian answered
diplomatically, “After each negotiation we think that another chance
to settle the conflict in peaceful way was missed.”

Vartan Oskanian once more claimed that the NKR conflict has no military
solution; if it had it would have been settled long ago. The Armenian
side frequently announces about the necessity of peaceful negotiations.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

“NAGORNO KARABAKH HAS NEVER BEEN PART OF AZERBAIJAN”

A1+
[04:42 pm] 09 June, 2006

Today in club “Mirror” leader of the Democratic Liberal Union of
Armenia Seyran Avagyan and political scientist Alexander Manasyan tried
to find ways of settling the Karabakh conflict favorable for Armenia
and to comment the results of the last two meetings of Kocharyan
and Aliev.

According to Seyran Avagyan, Armenia tries to bring about peace in
the region, whereas Azerbaijan tries to delay the settlement of the
conflict which was especially obvious during the last meeting. The
international community is well aware of the approaches of the two
countries. “The delay has nothing to do with diplomacy. It is just a
way to hide their inability”, said Seyran Avagyan and added that the
coming generations must not be charged with the task of settling the
conflict as that would not be moral.

Alexander Manasyan thinks that there have been changes in the
negotiation field and in the policy of Azerbaijan. For example,
during the last meeting the two Presidents were offered documents
to sign which testifies to the fact that the mediators have adopted
a new strategy. “We must underline that historically, legally and
factually Nagorno Karabakh has never been part of Azerbaijan “,
the political scientist claims.

As for the delay of the settlement, Mr. Manasyan is not worried about
it. “If we can change the overall impression of the conflict in favor
of us, there will be no other problems”, he mentions.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

BAKU, YEREVAN AGREED TO KEEP ON TALKING ON PEACEFUL SETTLEMENT OF NK CONFLICT IN PARIS
Author: S.Agayeva

TREND Information, Azerbaijan
June 14 2006

Azerbaijan, Armenia agreed to keep on talking for peaceful settlement
of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Head of press and information policy
with Foreign Ministry Tahir Tagizadeh told Trend the agreement has
been reached at recent meeting between Azeri and Armenian Foreign
Ministers Elmar Mamedyarov and Vardan Oskanyan.

Consultations were led between 100 and 500PM in Paris at French
Foreign Ministry. The conversation issue were those which the parties
did not agree upon. As a result, the parties agreed to go on with
conversations, Tagizadeh said.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIA UNDERSTANDS ITS LOSS IN WAR – AZERI MP
Author: J.Shahvediyev

TREND Information, Azerbaijan
June 14 2006

The Azerbaijani delegation at the Parliamentary Assembly of the
Council of Europe (PACE) have drafted 8 documents in connection with
the Armenian damage on the nature of occupied territory of Azerbaijan,
MP Rafael Huseynov, the Azerbaijani parliamentary representative to
the PACE, told Trend.

He noted the poisoning of water, burning and cut of forests, burial
of nuclear wastes, as well as establishment of dangerous laboratories
in the Azerbaijani areas occupied 15 years. "Along with the military
aggression Armenia still pursues policy directed at damaging the
genetic fond of Azerbaijan," he stressed.

Armenians well understand that hey have lost the war though they
still keep under control the occupied areas with the help of foreign
forces. "Realizing their loss, they allow such cases of vandalism and
through committing provocation hinder the talks. But it is senseless,"
he emphasized.

Huseynov said that in case the vandalism acts continue it will be
necessary to take reply steps. "In time consideration of the issue
at the Council of Europe and support by this organization will make
Armenians to step back from taking muddy steps," Huseynov underlined.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

MPS DENY CONGRATULATING ARMENIAN SPEAKER

AzerNews Weekly, Azerbaijan
June 14 2006

The reports suggesting that the Azeri parliament speaker Ogtay Asadov
has congratulated his Armenian counterpart Tigran Torasian on being
elected to the post are wide of the mark, says an Azerbaijani MP who
attended a meeting of the regional organization in Yerevan last week.

Armenian media reported on Thursday that the Azeri speaker’s message of
congratulation was read out by a member of the Azerbaijani delegation
at the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization (BSEC) Parliamentary
Assembly, Asaf Hajiyev, at a plenary session in the Armenian capital.

Hajiyev called these reports a "flagrant lie" and yet another
provocation by Armenians, saying that such a letter was never
presented.

"The speaker’s father, Sabir Asadov, struggled against Armenian
atrocities all his life and wrote several books on Armenian
vandalism. In such case, what congratulatory letter by Asadov can we
talk about?" he enquired.

The MP dismissed speculations that the Armenian delegation had been
individually invited to the next meeting of BSEC PA due in Baku on
November 22-23.

"After Azerbaijan assumed chairmanship in the organization, I invited
all members of the Assembly to the gathering, but no special invitation
was forwarded to Armenians."

Another MP who attended the session, Musa Guliyev, dismissed the
Armenian media reports alleging that he spoke of possible economic
cooperation between the two countries in his interviews. "I said such
collaboration could be possible only after the sides sign a peace
accord," he stressed.

Guliyev added that he had underscored that if the Garabagh conflict
is not resolved in peace, Azerbaijan will free its territories from
Armenian occupation through military action.

Following the statement, the Armenian speaker warned that Azeri MPs
should not resort to belligerent rhetoric.

"He told us that this could create problems to our security,"
Guliyev said.

ANNUAL CAMP OF “YOUTH FOR ACHIEVEMENTS” ARMENIAN NGO TO BE HELD IN TSAGHKADZOR FROM JULY 17 TO AUGUST 1ST

Noyan Tapan
Jun 13 2006

YEREVAN, JUNE 13, NOYAN TAPAN. About 600 pupils of comprehensive
schools of Armenia will participare in the camp to be organized by the
“Youth For Achievement” Armenian NGO which will be held this year from
July 17 to August 1 in Tsaghkadzor. As Susanna Manukian, the Press
Secretary of the organization informed the Noyan Tapan correspondent,
this program has been implemented since 1995.

The “Youth For Achievement” Armenian NGO is an organization
implementing educational programs which has functioned since
1992. On the initiative of Armenuhi Hovhannisian, the Executive
Director of the organization, “Human Rights,” “Civil Education,”
“State and Right” subjects were involved in the education programs of
the comprehensive schools of the republic. According to S.Manukian,
children will deepen in the camp theoretical knowledge got on those
subjects by educational games.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress