Author: Emil Lazarian

RUBEN SAFRASTIAN: TURKEY WANTS TO REVIVE ITS OBSESSION TO MEDIATE IN KARABAKH SETTLEMENT
Yerkir.am
April 14, 2006
“In my opinion, Turkey is trying to receive dividends from the fact
that the U.S. is interested in it in connection with the possible
military operations against Iran,” Ruben Safrastian, head of the
National Academy of Sciences’ Department of Turkey said in his
interview with Noyan Tapan.
He said Turkey is trying to derive benefit from the formed situation
and is carrying out bargaining, which in many respects is aimed at
satisfaction of its interests. In particular, Turkey is trying to
revive its obsession to mediate in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict
settlement despite the opposition from Armenia. Ruben Safrastian
reminded that in 2001 former Turkish Foreign Minister Ismayil Jem
offered Turkey’s mediation in the settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh
conflict.
“Today Turkey, making use of the interest of the U.S. in itself in
connection with the Iranian crisis, is trying to press upon Armenia
with the support of the U.S. and to squeeze itself into the process
of settlement,” Safrastian said. According to Ruben Safrastian,
in Turkey they consider that one of the main ways of strengthening
its influence in the South Caucasus is the mediation services in the
Nagorno Karabakh issue.
In this context Turkey is also interested in including its military
contingent in the peacekeeping forces in the zone of the Nagorno
Karabakh conflict. The scientist said that in the respect of increasing
its influence in the South Caucasus Turkey has made progress only in
Georgia that expresses willingness to join NATO. However, the Turks
have no progress either in Armenia or in Azerbaijan.
As for the latter, the expert reminded: “To all appearances, the
Turks have lost interest in Azerbaijan as they have no chances to
strengthen their influence in Azerbaijan, in any case, under Ilham
Aliyev. Of course, there is the Baku-Ceyhan oil pipeline, there is
Turkish capital in Azerbaijan, military and political cooperation,
but the influence of the U.S., Russia and Iran becomes more and more
strong in Azerbaijan”.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

JAVAKHK BEFORE THE CHALLENGES OF THE 21ST CENTURY
Yerkir.am
April 14, 2006
Armenian Revolutionary Federation’s Nikol Aghbalian Student Union
has published the first book of the Student Series. The book contains
the reports of the conference titled “Javakhk Before the Challenges
of the 21st Century,” and depict the complex developments unfolding
in Samtskhe-Javakhk.
The topics and suggestions made in the book by its authors are quite
beneficial for the normal relations between Armenia and Georgia and
aimed at resolving the problems in civilized manner.
The book contains Haykazun Alvrtsian’s “The Measures of the Republic
of Armenia in Preservation and Development of Armenians in Javakhk,”
Khacahtur Stepanian’s “Autonomy of Javakhk as Precondition of its
development,” Vahe Sargisan’s “Armenian Youth and Issues of Javakhk,”
and other articles.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

YES TO ABKHAZIAN, HOW ABOUT ARMENIAN
Lragir.am
17 April 06
Akhalkalaki, April 14, A-Info. According to the news agency RIA Novosty
information released on April 14 Georgian speaker Nino Burdjanadzeh
stated that everyone in Georgia must learn the Abkhazian language,
at least the elementary level. The speaker of the parliament said
this necessuty is motivated by the constitutional status of Abkhazian,
which requires honoring this language.
Khachatur Stepanyan, the representative of the Council of Armenian
NGOs of Samtskhe-Javakheti, in response to Nino Burdjanadzeh’s
statement, raised the question of the official status of Armenian
in the south of Georgia (Samtskhe-Javakheti and Tsalka), populated
with Armenians. According to Khachatur Stepanyan, if the country’s
government considers making the language of a de-facto independent area
with a population of 60 thousand official in this area and teaching
it at schools, it would be immoral to refuse an official status for
200 thousand law-abiding citizens (the Armenians of South Georgia).
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Budapest Court Has Sentenced Ramil Safarov

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15.04.2006
Final process concerning Azerbaijani Officer, Ramil Safarov, was held
on April 13, 2006 in Budapest City Court.
First, long-awaited verdict of the Court was delivered. Judge, Andras
Vashkuti, on behalf of Hungarian Republic, announced that Ramil
Safarov is sentenced to life in prison for killing an Armenian
officer, Gurgen Margaryan, with a 30-year minimum before parole
hearing.
After delivering the verdict, judge, A. Vashkuti, informed about the
details of the crime and results of investigation. To comprehend the
fact of the crime, judge informed about Armenian-Azerbaijan,
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. He underlined that the above conflict
caused numerous victims, and that Armenian military forces control the
territory of the Upper Karabakh. Accused, R.
Safarov, accordingly to judge, not partaking in military operations,
witnessed many killings and suffering of his compatriots. And these
facts inspired him to choose military profession.
However, despite these facts, the judge did not take into account
post-traumatic shock of the accused officer believing that R. Safarov
got the weapon earlier and was ready to commit a crime, and having
done it he voluntary gave himself up to representatives of law
enforcement authority.
After announcement of court decision, Public Prosecutor expressed her
consent with decision. The accused, said he did not agree with the
decision demanding appeal. R. Safarov’s lawyer, Gyorgy Magyar also
expressed his discontent and demanded appeal. Lawyer did not agree
with the final verdict of the judge as well as definition of the crime
as assassination committed deliberately and cruelly, in this
connection he said that appeal would be lodged immediately.
The judge announced that the court of appellate jurisdiction would
consider the case and R. Safarov would stay in the same detention
place until completion of court process.
Court meeting was over. Representatives of the Embassy of the Republic
of Azerbaijan to Hungary, our diaspora members, Azerbaijani students,
representatives of Hungarian, Azerbaijani, Turkish, Armenian etc. mass
media attended court meeting.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PanARMENIAN.Net
Kocharian: Armenian Police Fulfills Its Mission with Honor

15.04.2006 19:38 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian Police fulfills its mission of fighting
crime, protecting public order, human rights and citizen’s property
with honor, Armenian President Robert Kocharian stated in the course
of the celebration of the 5th anniversary of the Police of Armenia
today. «The Police should timely and neatly respond to all
incidents. Enhancing the professional level of policemen is important
in everyday work. Under the conditions of new challenges it is
necessary to cooperation more closely with international structures
for fighting money-laundering, drug trafficking and terrorism,» the
state leader said.
Mr. Kocharian also emphasized the need for more efficient struggle
against violations of public order and rules of the road. «During the
national liberation war in Artsakh the Police of Armenia fulfilled its
mission with honor on battlefields to guard state frontiers. Everyone
should be guided by the principle that the role of the police is very
important in a strong and developed state,» the Armenian President
said.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PanARMENIAN.Net
Baku Suggests Launching Nation-Wide Information Campaign
15.04.2006 20:20 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The war between Azerbaijan and Armenia takes place
not only at the contact line of fire, but also in the information
space. From time to time and sometimes regularly both countries commit
diversion and implement campaigns to provoke the adversary and convey
their truth on the developments to the international community. There
is a huge number of examples of Azerbaijan’s defeat in information war
against Armenia, writes the Zerkalo, a Baku-based newspaper.
Another matter is who is guilty of it, the newspaper asks.
«Undoubtedly, the state structures of Azerbaijan are guilty first of
all, e.g. the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the State Committee on
Affairs of Azerbaijanis Abroad. The Ministry and the Committee should
think over campaigns and work out their implementation.
«What do our Embassies do to disseminate the truth on the
Armenian-Azeri relations throughout the world? Judging from the
scarce information, received by Azerbaijan, our Embassies «do not
suffer» special activity. The same is true of the Diaspora,» the
Zerkalo writes.
The article authors see a solution as follows, «All state structures,
NGOs, political parties, citizens and all others, who care for the
image of our country, should start a nation-wide campaign
conditionally called Azerbaijan Starts Winning.» As initial actions
the newspaper recommends providing all international structures with
lists of cultural and historic values, which remained in the
«occupied» territories and attain monitoring of their state. At that
the newspaper underscores it is not «infected» with the idea that all
agitation of history and culture of Azerbaijan should be of
anti-Armenian nature.

PanARMENIAN.Net
Nagi: `Hungarian Courts Not Worth Trusting’
15.04.2006 20:59 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ `After all that happened we should not leave Ramil
Safarov’s fate to the mercy of Hungarian courts,’ said Akif Nagi, head
of Protection Committee of Safarov’s Rights. He said Budapest court
had issued `a very unjust and severe sentence’ regarding Azeri officer
Ramil Safarov. `This witnesses the lack of justice in
Hungary. Alongside the shame on Hungarian authorities and courts, this
case demonstrated their dependence on Armenian lobby. `Appealing to
the higher judicial instances of this country makes no sense any
more», Mr. Nagi said.
He said also `the first injustice’ was trying Safarov’s case not in
military tribunal but in a civil court. «Taking all this in
consideration we think Azerbaijan’s government should do its best to
return Safarov home. Each day of his stay in Hungary is a threat to
his life. Moreover, there is no necessity to try his case in other
judicial instances of Hungary as it should be done in a NATO military
tribunal or somewhere in neutral European country. We do not trust
Hungarian courts», Nagi stressed, reports Trend.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
April 15 2006
Separatist regime occupied Azerbaijani lands prepare for war
[ 15 Apr. 2006 14:12 ]
Separatist regime occupied Azerbaijani lands is holding military
training for troops. The trainings are being held within 2006 army
trainings.
The aim of training is to examine the fighting preparation of the
army. APA Garabagh bureau reports that the shots in the training are
clearly heard in the Azerbaijani Army’s positions. Besides, ordnance
and mine explosions in the training caused shake of houses and break
of windows in Azerbaijan residential zone. The information says that
voice of ordinance, mine and ammunition frightened the local
residents.
Trainings are being held under command of Armenian Armed Forces’
headquarters, colonel-general Mikhail Arutunyan. /APA/
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Agence France Presse — English
April 13, 2006 Thursday 10:39 PM GMT
Armenian, Azerbaijani leaders could meet again on Karabakh: French
negotiator
The presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan may meet again in the coming
months to resume talks over the contested Nagorno Karabakh region, a
French mediator in the conflict said here Thursday, expressing the
hope that negotiations between the leaders could take place in June.
“We are prepared to present the presidents with new ideas to renew
and develop the principles on which the parties are already working,”
Bernard Fassier, who co-chairs the Minsk group of Russian, French and
American mediators on Karabakh, told reporters.
The negotiation process continues, despite failed talks between
Armenian President Robert Kocharian and Azerbaijani leader Ilham
Aliyev at the Rambouillet castle near Paris last February, Fassier
said.
He said the Minsk Group’s co-chairmen would meet in Moscow in May,
before visiting the Caucasus region.
The Armenian-majority enclave of Nagorno Karabakh seceded from
Azerbaijan in the late 1980s, sparking a six-year conflict between
Armenia ad Azerbaijan that claimed that 25,000 lives and displaced
hundreds of thousands of people.
Despite a 1994 ceasefire, tensions remain high and the mountainous
region, surrounded by Azerbaijani territory, is separated by one of
the world’s most militarized zones.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Hungarian News Agency (MTI)
April 13, 2006 Thursday
AZERBAIJANI OFFICIAL SENTENCED TO LIFE FOR KILLING ARMENIAN
Budapest, April 13 (MTI) – An Azerbaijani army officer who killed an
Armenian classmate during a NATO Partnership for Peace course in
Budapest two years ago was sentenced to life imprisonment by a
Budapest Court on Thursday.
Ramil Safarov, when he was 27, used an ax to hack to death his
sleeping colleague Gurgen Markarian, 26, of Armenia, in the dormitory
of Miklos Zrinyi National Defence University, where both of them were
attending a three-month English-language course.
Safarov, who showed no repentance in court, said the murder had been
a revenge for a 1992 Armenian assault of Azerbaijanis in the
Nagorno-Karabakh region, which he witnessed as a child. The
Azerbaijani officer said that the Armenians he had met in the
dormitory “were smiling mockingly and were behaving the way members
of a victorious army usually behave towards the defeated.”
Safarov was charged with premeditated murder carried out with unusual
cruelty and vicious motives and sentenced to life in prison without
any chance of parole.
Safarov’s lawyer said they would immediately appeal the verdict.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress