Author: Hovhannisian John

AZERBAIJANI-UAE FOREIGN MINISTERS DISCUSS NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT & REGIONAL ISSUES

Trend News Agency
March 17 2008
Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan, Baku, 17 March /TrendNews corr S. Agayeva/ on 17 March,
Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov and UAE’s Sheikh
Abdallah Bin Zayid Al Nahyan discussed different aspects of bilateral
cooperation in Abu-Dhabi, Azerbaijan’s Embassy in UAE said.

The meeting took place during the Azerbaijani Foreign Minister’s
official visit to the Emirates, which began on 16 March.

The Ministers voiced satisfaction with the development of partnership
in different fields. They said both countries would use full potential
for the development of relationships, including those in the economic
field.

The two Ministers discussed the cooperation within the framework
of international organizations, settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict, as well as the regional issues.

Today as well as tomorrow, Minister Mammadyarov will meet with the
UAE officials.

DIRECTOR OF ORIENTAL STUDIES INSTITUTE UNDER ARMENIAN NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCE: AZERBAIJANI INITIATIVE ON NAGORNYY KARABAKH IN UN SUCCEEDED THANKS TO TURKEY’S SUPPORT

arminfo
2008-03-17 16:39:00

ArmInfo. Azerbaijani initiative on Nagornyy Karabakh in UN succeeded
thanks to Turkey’s support, director of Oriental Studies Institute
under Armenian National Academy of Science Ruben Safrastyan said at
the press-conference in Pastarq club, Monday.

He also added that in general Turkish diplomacy supports Azerbaijan
in various international organizations, but the given step will not
be important in the context of the Armenian-Turkish relations.

Ekho Moskvy radio, Russia
March 15 2008

RUSSIA REJECTS AZERI-SUBMITTED UN RESOLUTION ON KARABAKH

Baku is threatening to change the nature of relations with Russia.
This reaction followed after the UN General Assembly had passed a
resolution on Nagornyy Karabakh. Our country was among those who did
not support the documentsubmitted by Azerbaijan. In its turn, the
Russian Foreign Ministry called the document counterproductive. In
aninterview to our radio station, Andrey Krivtsov, the Foreign
Ministry’s official spokesman, said that Moscowbelieves this
resolution meets only Baku’s interest while ignoring Yerevan’s
position.

[Krivtsov] The draft resolution includes only some of the basic
principles of settlement, those which meetexclusively Azerbaijan’s
interests. They don’t mention, for instance, the establishing of
NagornyyKarabakh’s final legal status through holding a plebiscite
among its population in order to show the free andgenuine will of the
people. This approach made the draft unacceptable to the Armenian
side and worsened prospects forresuming as soon as possible top-level
talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan on the Nagornyy Karabakh
settlement afterthe first [as heard, presumably newly-elect] Armenian
president took office.

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
March 16 2008

Azerbaijani Ombudsperson addressed International Red Cross Committee

[ 16 Mar 2008 12:56 ]

Baku. Elbrus Seyfullayev – APA. Azerbaijani Ombudsperson Elmira
Suleymanova has addressed Martin Amasher, head of International Red
Cross Committee Baku Office on the release of Azerbaijani soldier
Yaqub Mukhtarov captured by Armenian armed forces in recent days.

Office of Ombudsperson told APA, E. Suleymanova informed that
Y.Mukhtarov was captured by Armenians on March 9 in the direction of
Tovuz region and has been a captive since then. The Ombudsperson said
regular capturing and taking a hostage of Azerbaijani military
servicemen and civilians by Armenian armed forces have triggered
concern among the society. `I ask you within your mandate to assist
the return of Y.Mukhtarov to Azerbaijani side in a short time and
prevent tortures and violations against him in captivity’.

ITAR-TASS, Russia
March 15 2008

Azerbaijan dissatisfied with Minsk Group voting at UN GA

15.03.2008, 17.36

BAKU, March 15 (Itar-Tass) – Azerbaijan expressed dissatisfaction
with the OSCE Minsk Group position on the voting on the U.N. General
Assembly resolution on Nagorno-Karabakh.

The Friday’s U.N. resolution on the situation on Azerbaijan’s
occupied territories `is an important document and should be
considered a principled base for the settlement of the Karabakh
conflict’, Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign Minister Araz Azimov said on
Saturday.

The high-ranking Azerbaijani official who is presidential special
envoy for the settlement of the conflict stressed that during
discussions, `Azerbaijan faced resistance, including from the
co-chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group for Nagorno-Karabakh – Russia,
France and the United States.’ Azimov explained this by their
unwillingness `to lose the leading role in the settlement of the
conflict’.

The deputy minister exposed Baku’s categorical position. In his
words, `the talks can’t continue in the dark on the base of the
priorities set up by the mediators and their pledges, which are not
always right.’

`They (the co-chairmen) can’t doubt that we’ll work further on the
base of our position supported by the U.N. General Assembly,’ Azimov
said. He disagreed with the co-chairmen’s statements saying the
resolution was aimed against the balanced package of mediators’
proposals.

In his view, `the co-chairmen’s proposals can’t be considered
balanced because they don’t involve plans on the liberation of
Kelbajar and Lachi districts in the west of Azerbaijan that border
Armenia in the south-west and on the return of Azeris to
Nagorno-Karabakh.’

Azimov recalled that the three co-chairmen of the Minsk Group had
been elected in 1997 under difficult conditions. In his words, `it
can be changed under certain circumstances.’ `The co-chairmen should
realise that they are not monopolists and that there are other
countries in the Minsk Group,’ the deputy minister stressed.

Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanyan said the majority of U.N.
member-states refuted a unilateral approach towards settling the
Karabakh confict.

Commenting on Friday’s voting on the U.N. draft resolution on
Nagorno-Karabakh submitted by Azerbaijan, Oskanyan said, `The
majority of U.N. member-countries rejected a unilateral approach’
towards settling the Karabakh conflict.

The minister said the purpose of the draft resolution `is to provide
international support for Azerbaijan’s position on the Karabakh
problem’.

He hopes that the results of the voting at the U.N. General Assembly
`will give Azerbaijan a clear signal’. The Armenian minister said he
showed interest in Azerbaijan’s next steps in this aspect – `if it
agrees to continue talks in order to search for a compromise’.

Oskanyan confirmed that newly elected president Serzh Sarkisyan `is
ready to meet Azerbaijani President Ilkham Aliyev at the earliest
opportunity whether the Minsk Group co-chairmen put forth such
proposal and whether Azerbaijan agrees’. `There is such an
opportunity and now it’s Azerbaijan’s turn,’ the Armenian minister
said.

The resolution was supported by 39 countries, the member-states of
GUAM (Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine) and the
member-countries of the Organisations of Islamic Conference.
Member-countries of the OSCE Minsk Group – Russia, France and the
United States, as well as Armenia, and some other states voted
against the document. Over 100 countries abstained and many states
did not take part in the voting.

Panorama.am

14:26 15/03/2008

TODAY CONSUMER RIGHTS SECURITY INTERNATIONAL DAY

Today is the international day of consumer rights.
Today `Consumers rights security’ NGO and the chairman
of it Abgar Eghoyan held a meeting with the
journalists. According to him `Consumers
International’ organization announced the day as
informing people about the foodstuff diseases.

As A. Eghoyan stated that as the bad quality food
causes so many diseases the decision was made to form
a group of 50 organizations to conduct an
international campaign.

`Besides, a proposal was made to be presented to the
World Health Organization. The participant countries
applied to their national Health Ministries to vote
for the document `Prohibit selling ban quality food to
children’ in a WHO international summit,’ he said.

Source: Panorama.am

SERZH SARGSIAN SAYS AUTHORITIES TO DO EVERYTHING TO RE-ESTABLISH STABILITY

ARMENPRESS
March 14, 2008

YEREVAN, MARCH 14, ARMENPRESS: Armenian Prime Minister Serzh Sargsian
received today the delegation headed by the Council of Europe Human
Rights Commissioner Thomas Hammarberg.

Governmental press service told Armenpress that during the meeting the
sides referred to the created post-electoral situation in Armenia and
the opportunities of getting out of it. Prime minister pointed out that
the Armenian authorities will do everything for the re-establishment
of the stability in the country.

The Human rights commissioner presented to the prime minister his
opinion formed as a result of the various meetings conducted in
Armenia.

In the created situation he considered the balanced approach very
important and agreed with Serzh Sargsian that only guilty people who
committed criminal crime must be punished.

Hammarberg noted that Armenia is a very important country for the
Council of Europe and expressed readiness to continue cooperation
which Serzh Sargsian after the latter assumes the responsibility of
the president of the country.

FOR DEFENDING THE HOMELAND…

KarabakhOpen
13-03-2008 13:18:38

On March 12 the NKR President Bako Sahakyan signed a decree on awarding
the medal for bravery to Karen Arustamyan, Naira Beglaryan, Erik
Grigoryan, Khachik Tavadyan, Haik Musayelyan and Arthur Petrosyan,
who were on sentry duty near the village of Levonarch in the night
of March 4.

On this day the Azerbaijani force attacked the outpost of the Army
of Defense near the village of Levonarch, Martakert region. After
the fight that lasted for several hours the Armenian force returned
the positions.

Rafik Harutiunyan was awarded the medal for service in battle for
defending the homeland bravely.

FUGITIVE OPPOSITION MP ARRESTED

Radio Liberty
March 13 2008
Czech Rep.

Armenian law-enforcement authorities announced on Thursday the arrest
of one of the two opposition parliamentarians who went into hiding
following the deadly clashes between security forces and thousands
of supporters of former President Levon Ter-Petrosian.

A spokeswoman for the Office of the Prosecutor-General said Sasun
Mikaelian was tracked down and detained by officers of the National
Security in an unspecified location in Yerevan on Wednesday. The
official, Sona Truzian, told RFE/RL that he was immediately
charged with organizing "mass riots" and attempting to overthrow
the government.

The charges stem from the March 1 clashes in Yerevan in which at
least seven protesters and one interior troop officer were killed.

The Armenian authorities say the violence was part of a coup plot
hatched by Ter-Petrosian and his allies. Dozens of them have been
arrested on corresponding charges.

As part of the crackdown, the government-controlled National Assembly
stripped Mikaelian and three other deputies allied to Ter-Petrosian
of their legal immunity from prosecution last week. Two of them,
Miasnik Malkhasian and Hakob Hakobian, had already been detained by
the police. The fourth lawmaker, businessman Khachatur Sukiasian,
as well as several other prominent oppositionists remain on the run.

Like Malkhasian and Hakobian, Mikaelian is a prominent veteran of the
war in Nagorno-Karabakh. All three men were elected to the parliament
on the ticket of the governing Republican Party of Armenia (HHK).

They defected from the HHK’s parliament faction and pledged allegiance
to Ter-Petrosian in the run-up to the February 19 presidential
election.

Mikaelian’s capture raised to at least 97 the number of Ter-Petrosian
supporters jailed by the authorities since the election. The opposition
leader has described them as political prisoners.

According to his spokesman, Arman Musinian, the unprecedented wave
of arrests dominated Ter-Petrosian’s meeting on Thursday with Thomas
Hammarberg, the Council of Europe’s visiting commissioner for human
rights. "Not only have the arrests not stopped but are continuing
today," Musinian told RFE/RL. He said Ter-Petrosian told Hammarberg
that some of the detainees have been ill-treated in custody.

But Truzian denied the torture allegations. She said Prosecutor-General
Aghvan Hovsepian assured Hammarberg that the law-enforcement
authorities are respecting the due process of law and giving all
detainees access to lawyers.

The Council of Europe official also met with outgoing President
Robert Kocharian. The latter was quoted by his office as defending
the use of force against the opposition protesters and promising to
"normalize the situation" in Armenia as soon as possible.

"I am concerned about the human rights situation in Armenia and the
consequences of the declaration of the state of emergency" Hammarberg
said in a statement issued before his trip to Yerevan. "It is urgent
to restore a situation where the activities of the media, political
parties and non-governmental organisations are not hindered."

PARTY LEADER: TWO ARMENIAN STATES PUT TO FIRMNESS TEST

ARKA
March 13, 2008

YEREVAN, March 13. /ARKA/. Today two Armenian states – Armenia and
Nagorno-Karabakh – are put to the firmness test, the leader of the
National Democratic Party of Armenia Shavarsh Kocharian said.

The ability of the two states to resist internal pressure is on
trial today, he said at the seminar of Kosovo precedent and whether
it is applicable to Karabakh. He considered it a blunder to think
that European countries and the USA adhere to an anti-Armenian or
anti-Azerbaijani position.

According to him, the Karabakh problem is to be resolved either
through a compromise or at the expense of the "weak" side. "Now a
test is under way to check whether it is the Armenian side who is the
weak party at the expense of which the problem could be resolved,"
Shavarsh Kocharian said.

He considered the recent attack of Azerbaijan against Karabakh
positions and the propaganda in favor of possibility of military
operations against Nagorno-Karabakh as tests.

"The publications of Azerbaijani and Turkish press about bases of
the Labor Party of Kurdistan allegedly allocated in Nagorno-Karabakh
Republic (NKR) are the preliminary stage of the possible aggression,"
he said.

According to Kocharian, the most dangerous is the statement of OSCE
Minsk Group Co-Chairs, which, in fact, acknowledges the territorial
integrity of Azerbaijan.

"When the violation of the cease-fire regime occurred they stated
that the NKR issue cannot be solved through use of force, but they
also made a statement on recognizing the territorial integrity of
Azerbaijan. This is repudiation of the Prague process where the
territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, but without NKR, was a basic
principle," Kocharian said. In this case the situation will turn to be
favorable to Azerbaijan and extremely unfavorable to Armenia, he added.

"So, now we are passing a test how we will get out of the situation,
will we be able to prove we are not that easy to bewilder and force
make concessions. We could make a number of steps advantageous
for us in the process of recognition of Kosovo’s independence,
but now we should prevent even greater worsening of the situation,"
Kocharian said.

Nagorno-Karabakh conflict started in 1988 when Nagorno-Karabakh
with prevailingly Armenian population declared its withdrawal from
Azerbaijan.

On December 10 1991, just a couple of days before the official collapse
of the Soviet Union, a referendum was held in Nagorno-Karabakh in the
presence of international observers where 99.89% of the population
voted for the full independence from Azerbaijan.

In response to it, Azerbaijan launched a large-scale war against
Nagorno-Karabakh. Active operations were ceased on May 12 1994 by
signing a cease-fire agreement that is maintained since then. Total
of 25-30,000 people were killed and about one million had to leave
their homes on both sides as a result of the operations.

Since 1992 negotiations have been held on peaceful settlement of the
conflict under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chaired by
the USA, Russia and France.