Author: Hambardsumian Paul

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE OFFICE AWARDS GRANT FOR AZERBAIJAN MINE ACTION

TREND News Agency, Azerbaijan
May 30 2007

Azerbaijan, Baku / corr Trend E.Huseynov / The Office of Weapons
Removal and Abatement in the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of
Political-Military Affairs has awarded a total of $187,084 to support
mine victims in Azerbaijan.

The funds will be transferred to the International Eurasia Press Fund
to support the Tartar Azerbaijan Mine Victims Association and establish
regional branches in the Aghstafa and Fizuly regions of Azerbaijan.

According to the Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action (ANAMA),
over 400mln sq m of Azerbaijani territory is mined or has unexploded
mines. Since September 2001, 53 people died and 122 received injuries
as a result of 83 mine explosions.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 due
to the territorial claims by Armenia against Azerbaijan. Armenia has
occupied 20% of the Azerbaijani land including the Nagorno-Karabakh
region and seven Districts of the country surrounding it. Since
1992 to the present time, these territories have been under the
occupation of the Armenian Forces. In 1994, Azerbaijan and Armenia
signed a ceasefire agreement at which time the active hostilities
ended. The Co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group ( Russia, France and USA)
are presently holding peaceful negotiations.

The United States has launched another effort to strengthen peace and
post-conflict recovery. The Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement in
the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs
has awarded a total of more than $2.2 million to 23 non-governmental
organizations to clean up former battle areas.

Pyunik change alerts Armenia
Wednesday, 30 May 2007
by Khachik Chakhoyan

FC Pyunik’s six-year reign as Armenia’s top team could
yet be under threat following the appointment of
inexperienced coach Armen Gjulbidagyants.

Inexperienced replacement
The eight-team league has been unusually competitive
so far, even though Pyunik won the title by a clear 16
points last season. To muddy the waters, defeat in the
Armenian Cup semi-finals at the start of May saw
Samvel Petrosyan dismissed as Pyunik coach, and his
greenhorn replacement Gjulbidagyants may not be able
to resist some stern competition from the chasing
pack.

MIKA change
While FC Kilikia and FC Ulis Yerevan are already
sinking to the bottom of the table, the remaining six
sides seem relatively evenly matched at the moment. FC
Banants, FC MIKA – who recently hired Arakdij
Andreasyan to replace coach Armen Adamyan – and FC
Ararat Yerevan are all within three points of the
leaders, while FC Gandzasar Kapan and FC Shirak are no
pushovers.

Banants resurgent
Banants made a drab start to the league season but
their spirits are soaring following their 3-1 win
against Ararat in the Armenian Cup final on 9 May.
They have won all three of their subsequent league
games to move up to second. The captain is Yegishe
Melikyan although fellow defender Ararat Arakelyan has
been impressive too, earning a national team call-up.

Ararat rally
By contrast, the disappointment of missing out in the
cup final – and losing the accompanying UEFA Cup first
qualifying round place – knocked Ararat off their
stride momentarily. However, following defeat by
Banants in the league, experienced coach Varuzhan
Sukiasyan has rallied his men, and after two 2-0 wins
in a row, they are back on song in fourth place.

In freefall
Buoyed by a number of foreign stars, MIKA are third
although their form has been changeable. At the foot
of the table, meanwhile, Ulis and Kilikia are heading
into freefall. Kilikia have conceded eight goals
without reply in their last two games while Ulis have
scored none and conceded eleven in their three most
recent fixtures. The break for UEFA EURO 2008′ action
has come at a good time for both.

©uefa.com 1998-2007.

Evangelical Society sponsors summer holiday of 1220 children

26-05-2007 13:36:18 – KarabakhOpen

400 children will spend their holiday at the Karkar summer camp of
Stepanakert from June 8 in two shifts. The summer camps of Stepanakert
and Shushi for children have been sponsored by the Armenian
Evangelical Society for many years now.

The children attending the activities of the Society, schoolchildren,
as well as children of the killed soldiers from Stepanakert, Shushi
and Askeran will spend their holiday in Karkar.

>From July 2 to August 2 600 children and teenagers from Karabakh and
Armenia will have a holiday in Shushi. Arsen Manasyan, the head of the
Stepanakert office of the Armenian Evangelical Society, told the
Karabakh Open 70 percent of children will be from Karabakh.

According to Arsen Manasyan, the Society intends to hold five-day
courtyard camps in Shushi and Askeran and involve 220 children.

The Armenian Evangelical Society organizes the summer holiday of 1220
children.

PERSECUTION AGAINST OPPOSITION PRESS CONTINUES IN AZERBAIJAN

PanARMENIAN.Net
24.05.2007 15:26 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ From May 18, 2007 bank accounts of Azeri opposition
"Baky-Kheber" newspaper are under arrest. Today press spreader
companies refused to pay to "Baky-Kheber" means from realizing the
newspaper, they explained their decision by the court’s verdict,
"Baky-Kheber" editor-in-chief Aydyn Guliev stated.

Guliev said judge Gurban Abasov from the Appeal Court annulled the
May 5, 2005 verdict of Sabail District Court on paying a 20 000 old
manat fine (4 000 new manats) part by part.

The verdict went into effect several days ago. All financial means of
the newspaper are frozen. The editor-in-chief noted the workers of the
"Baky-Kheber" will hold a meeting in near future to make decision
on the further activity of the newspaper. "Azerbaijan" publishing
house also demands from "Baky-Kheber" to pay debts, which creates
difficulties for activities of the newspaper.

Most recently Azeri opposition newspapers "Real Azerbaijan and
Gundalik Azerbaijan were forced to move from the building they
occupied. Ministry of Emergency Situations initiated that move,
Chief editor of "Gundalik Azerbaijan" newspaper Shahveled Chobanoglu
informed.

"Representatives of the ministry say that the lower stories of
this newly-built building are in breakdown situation and need
repair. Following the logic, if the lower stories are in breakdown
situation, it means that all residents of apartments in this building
must also be evacuated. But naturally, nothing similar will happen. We
are just forced to move from the territory we have rented and have
prepaid till December 1, 2007.

And still it is unknown if we will be able to receive back our
money. And we also do not know if we will be able to launch publication
of our newspaper," Chobanoglu said. Editor of Gundalik Azerbaijan
Uzeir Djafarov is going to ask for political asylum abroad as a
sign of protest against the attack on him, which took place in the
evening of April 20, and actions towards his newspaper. Stressing
that under the current situation it is impossible to work and live
in Azerbaijan, Djafarov added he is ready to return the country as
soon as the situation normalizes. Djafarov informed he wants to ask
for asylum in Canada, Norway, Austria and Finland and is going to
turn to diplomatic mission of those countries tomorrow. He said,
five more Gundalik Azerbaijan workers are going to follow his example.

TICKET TO PROSPERITY OF CAUCASUS CASPIAN REGION IS INTEGRATION: SLOVENIAN FOREIGN MINISTER

Trend News Agency, Azerbaijan
May 25 2007

Azerbaijan, Baku/ corr. "Trend" À. Gasimova/ Trend’s exclusive
interview with the chairman of Caucasus Caspian Commission, the
Minister of foreign affairs of Slovenia Dimitrij Rupel

Question: Could you inform about goals and tasks of the Commission?

What are the priority tasks?

Answer: The Caucasus-Caspian Commission was launched as a civil
society initiative to which eminent persons from Europe, the US,
Russia and from the wider Caspian region were invited to consider
improving and increasing the dynamics of the relationships – both
political and economic – in the region and between the region and
the EU. Given that both the EU and the region are in the process of
evolution we need to think of ways to capitalize on the new political
and economic opportunities. Not least, the region is important for
the EU as an energy source and it is a land link to Asia. In short,
Commission is reviewing the developments and may issue recommendations
in four areas: sustainable regional economy, political stability,
conflict resolution and Europe-Caspian affairs.

Question One of the objectives of the Commission is to define a
strategy to encourage regional cooperation on political, economic and
security platforms, taking into consideration the presence of several
"lingering conflicts" in the region, how do you see the chances for
such comprehensive cooperation?

Answer: I am optimistic. There is a real chance and a need to promote
cooperation in the broader Caspian Sea region. It is important that
the South Caucasus states have good relations with the EU. The region
will also benefit from a vibrant regional dynamic. The ticket to
prosperity is integration. At the same time, division, conflict and
political instability drives away investors, dries up profit margins
and undercuts productivity. The general public in the end pays the
price. EU is about stability and prosperity and the EU’s Neighborhood
Policy was designed to push this stability and prosperity beyond our
immediate borders. I see the South Caucasus as a real link for Europe
into Asia. The strategy to integrated Europe and the South Caucasus
has to be long-term based and predominantly economically driven.

Question: What are your views on failure of Azerbaijan, a country
imposed to Armenian aggression, to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict in a peaceable way, despite efforts taken for 10 years? What
essential role can the Commission, the EU and the international
community take in this respect?, a country imposed to Armenian
aggression, to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in a peaceable
way, despite efforts taken for 10 years? What essential role can
the Commission, the EU and the international community take in this
respect?

Answer: The Nagorno-Karabakh solution will have to be reached by the
parties. Armenia and Azerbaijan are neighbors, that is a fact and
that will not change. Both will be better off if they can resolve
this dispute, but I am aware of the fact that my friends from the
region know this. I also know that genuine political will exists on
both sides to move beyond the conflict phase and focus on the more
positive aspects of the inter-state relationship – like the chance to
develop a meaningful economic exchange. The solution will have to be a
peaceful one. Europe can play an important role in helping resolve the
frozen conflicts. The role of the Commission is not to produce magic
answers to the frozen conflicts – I don’t think we have them nor is
it up to us – but by helping through drawing international attention
to these regional issues, this region, and to the opportunities for
economic cooperation in the wider Caspian region.

Question: The Commission is reported to have an intention of
dispatching its fact-finding mission to Nagorno-Karabakh. What tasks
will be put set for the mission and when it might occur?Question:
The Commission is reported to have an intention of dispatching its
fact-finding mission to Nagorno-Karabakh. What tasks will be put set
for the mission and when it might occur?

Answer: Fact-finding missions have been a topic of our discussions.

However, no agreement has been reached to actually launch them. In
any case, I can assure you that the activities of the Commission will
be transparent and fully coordinated with the local authorities.

Question: How could the Caspian-Caucasus Commission help the region,
particularly, Azerbaijan in improvement of relationships with Europe?

What are the Commission’s plans in this respect?

Answer: The Commission Report will be released sometime at the end
of November. The matter of improved relations between Europe and the
region will be addressed in full in the Report. It is relevant only
to stress that the Caspian-EU axis is growing increasingly relevant in
the economic and energy exchange between the regions, and thus we need
a more comprehensive and streamlined political and security dialogue.

Question: Do you plan to act as a co-chair at an international
conference on "Role of media in encouragement tolerance and mutual
understanding" to be held in Baku in April? How do you estimate
Baku’s initiative on arrangement of such discussions and how much
are they significant?

Answer: Unfortunately due to prior NATO and other government
engagements I was unable to attend this year. The role of the media
in promotion of tolerance is an important issue and it is very good
to see Baku taking the lead on this. We need to find a way to balance
the principal of freedom of speech and protect free press, but at the
same time use our media to promote tolerance, intercultural dialogue
and peace. I hope to see Baku continue this great initiative and I
hope to have another chance of participating in the future.

–Boundary_(ID_G1HUF78GOUXcIVnLHmvHMA)–

ROBERT KOCHARIAN AGREED TO MEET ILHAM ALIEV IN SAINT PETERSBURG

PanARMENIAN.Net
24.05.2007 13:33 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ "Armenian President Robert Kocharian agreed to meet
with Azeri President Ilham Aliev in Saint Petersburg, and we hope
Baku will also give his agreement," OSCE Minsk Group Russian Co-Chair
Yuri Merzlyakov stated to journalists in Yerevan. The mediator said
a working document on basic principles of the settlement has been
worked out, which has certain progress. "If we orient ourselves
to the result and suppose that the meeting between both presidents
is successful, in other words, the working document is accepted as
a basis for working out an agreement, it is not excluded one more
meeting on high level," Merzlyakov underlined. The Russian mediator
noted if the basic principles are approved by both presidents, the
Co-Chairs will begin to work on the final agreement on the Nagorno
Karabakh conflict settlement.

"We shall not visit Nagorno Karabakh this time, we shall visit
there in a week, when American Co-Chair Matthew Bryza joins us,"
Yuri Merzlyakov underscored.

U.S. CONGRESSMEN: ARMENIA FOR HOLDING FREE AND FAIR PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS

PanARMENIAN.Net
23.05.2007 17:56 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Speaking on the floor of the House of
Representatives yesterday, Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), Co-Chair
of the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues, commended Armenia
for holding free and fair parliamentary elections on May 12.

"This is the first positive assessment of an election in the former
Soviet Republic since it gained independence in 1991," Pallone
said. "This encouraging outcome will most certainly enhance and deepen
U.S.-Armenia relations, while also elevating Armenia’s reputation
regionally and internationally."

Pallone noted that Armenia’s achievements address concerns raised by
the Millennium Challenge Corporation, and urged the MCC to fully fund
its five-year $235 million Compact with Armenia.

He also renewed his call for $75 million in economic assistance
to Armenia in Fiscal Year 2008. "This assistance demonstrates
our commitment to Armenia, which is a friend and a supporter of
U.S. policies for peace and security in that part of the world,"
he said.

Frank Pallone also entered into the congressional record a letter he
sent with Caucus Co-Chair Rep. Joe Knollenberg (R-MI) to President
Robert Kocharian and Prime Minister Serge Sargsyan, marking Armenia’s
achievement, the Armenian Assembly of America reports.

WOLFGANG TRIER GIVEN TITLE OF HONOURARY DOCTOR OF RA NAS

Noyan Tapan
May 23 2007

YEREVAN, MAY 23, NOYAN TAPAN. A decision was made at the May 23 sitting
of the RA NAS Chairmanship to give the RA NA Honourary Doctor’s title
to famous mathematician, Professor of the University of Trier (Germany)
Wolfgang Luh.

Noyan Tapan was informed about it by the RA NAS Information Service.

W. Luh actively initiated and participated in strengthening of the
cooperation among mathematicians of Armenia and Germany, among it he
did a great work in the sphere of organizing numerous conferences,
seminars, exchange of scientists and implementation of other programs.

SHUSHI "INDIGESTIBLE" FOR AZERBAIJAN IN ANY WAY
By Aghavni Haroutiunian

AZG Armenian Daily
22/05/2007

Sometimes following the behavior of Azerbaijani government, it seems
that the latter perceives everything from the aspect of making
any anti-Armenian announcements. Particularly, its attitude of a
"touchy woman" towards Human Rights speech of US Department of State
was not enough. These days Azerbaijan expresses its disappointment
on an announcement placed in the website of US Department of State,
which is about the "Role of Shushi in the Armenian history" conference
on June 20-25.

Probably Azerbaijan will again be sulky with the facts that the town is
mentioned as Shushi in the announcement and besides; it is represented
as an Armenian cultural center with its role in the Liberation war
of Karabakh.

The organizers of the conference are NKR Minister of Education Kamo
Atayan and rector of Artsakh State University Hamlet Grigorian.

ONE OF LISTS OF THOSE CARRYING OUT "CAROUSEL" APPEARED IN HANDS OF PPA

Noyan Tapan
May 18 2007

YEREVAN, MAY 18, NOYAN TAPAN. Well-organized fraud at the state
level played the main role in the past parliamentary elections. Felix
Khachatrian, CEC member from Ardarutiun bloc, stated at the May 18
press conference.

He introduced journalists a list including names of 225 voters of
polling station N 17/01. This is the list of those who carried out
so-called "carousel" at the polling station. In F. Khachatrian’s words,
groups of people were divided according to place of their work and
represented various organizations.

Passport data and even telephone numbers are mentioned in the lists. A
certain Elmira Zakarian is N 1 on the list. She is an employee of
Armrosgasprom’s local branch. The hours when the above mentioned
groups of people are to go to vote are also mentioned in the lists.

In F. Khachatrian’s words, this is a high level of committing
falsifications of elections. He did not exclude that such lists could
have been made up for another polling stations, too.

In F. Khachatrian’s words, the study conducted at all of 41 electoral
districts showed that the number of ballot-papers given by territorial
commissions to polling station commissions in total was less by 5539
than the number of ballot-papers received by them. For instance,
district electoral commission N 19 received 61 thousand ballot-papers
and the total number of ballot-papers sent to polling stations is 53
728. Khachatrian said that the ballot-papers that remained in the
territorial commissions (which is prohibited by the law) were used
for voting illegally.

PPA Spokesperson Ruzan Khachatrian expressed an opinion that
Yerevan’s polling station N 9/11 where RA President Robert Kocharian,
Prime Minister Serge Sargsian usually vote, must have been free
of violations. However, in her words, the examination of only one
page of electoral rolls of the polling station showed that only 8
of voters indicated there have the respective registration and the
right to vote at the above mentioned electoral district. Part of
addresses indicated in lists does not exist at all and some persons
are registered by some addresses, about which the owners of those
apartments have no information.

As F. Khachatrian said, PPA has many facts of the kind, in connection
with which it is going to apply to Prosecutor’s Office and to the
Constitutional Court. In response to the question, whether PPA is joing
to join Orinats Yerkir, which intends to apply to the Constitutional
Court, F. Khachatrian said that they should still discuss this issue.