Author: Jabejian Elizabeth

DM VISITS GREEK MISSION IN KOSOVO

Athens News Agency, Greece
April 19 2006

Defence Minister Evangelos Meimarakis underscored the contribution
of the Greek armed forces to reinforcing peace and stability in the
Balkan region when he visited the Greek peace-keeping mission in
Kosovo on Wednesday.

Meimarakis met with the members of the Greek peace-keeping force in
Urosevac and Mitrovica and wished them a Happy Easter.

“Greece is not and should not be isolated from developments unfolding
in the broader region,” he said, noting that the stabilising role
Greece and its armed forces are playing in the region is being
recognised by friends and allies.

Meimarakis also visited the Armenian officers stationed at the same
camp as the Greek force in Urosevac.

MESROB II TO ATTEND ARMENIAN CONFERENCE

Hurriyet
Turkish Press
April 18 2006

Press Review

Mesrob II, the Armenian patriarch of Turkey, will attend for the
first time a conference on the Armenian issue entitled, “The Art of
Co-Existence in Ottoman Society: The Case of the Turkish-Armenian
Relations.” Mesrob II confirmed that he would attend the three-day
conference beginning Thursday in Kayseri and said, “I am going
to the conference this time because it’s been organized by young,
well-intentioned academics. They came to Istanbul and sincerely told
their stance.” Professor Metin Hulagu, deputy dean of the Faculty of
Science and Letters of Erciyes University, said that the participation
of the patriarch was very important for them, and added, “We spoke
face to face with Mesrob II in Istanbul. We told him our aim. We
told him that we’re not destructive but constructive. And he agreed
to attend the conference and give a speech.”

DM SAFAR ABIYEV RECEIVES US AMBASSADOR RENO HARNISH

Azeri Press Agency
April 17 2006

Azerbaijan’s Defense Minister, Colonel-General Safar Abiyev received
US extraordinary and plenipotentiary ambassador to Azerbaijan Reno
Harnish, the Ministry’s press service told APA.

After greeting the visitor, the Minister said during his mission as an
ambassador, Mr.Harnish made a lot of contributions to the development
of bilateral relations as well as the military cooperation relations
between Azerbaijan and the United States.

Touching on the settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict,
Mr.Abiyev said the United States should make much more efforts for
the settlement of the conflict within international law norms and
territorial integrity of the states.

“I hope American co-chair Steven Mann’s visit to the region will
have a positive impact in the solution of the conflict,” the Minister
underlined.

Ambassador Harnish said that there exists strategic cooperation
between the US and Azerbaijan. He noted that Azerbaijan’s President
Ilham Aliyev’s upcoming official visit to the United States will
give an impulse to the further development of relations between the
two countries.

The sides discussed the prospects of the relations between the two
states.

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
April 15 2006

Armenian armed forces break cease-fire in Gazakh and Terter

[ 15 Apr. 2006 12:49 ]

Armenian armed forces violated the cease-fire in Azerbaijan’s regions
of Gazakh and Terter.

The Defense Ministry told APA that the units of the Armenian forces
from their positions located near Mazam village, and occupied village
Ashaghi Askipara, Gazakh, fired on the opposite positions of
Azerbaijani armed forces and Mazam from 00.00 till 00.45 on 15 April.
The enemy forces from their positions located in north-east of the
Berkaber village of Armenia’s region of Ijevan fired on the positions
of Azerbaijani armed forces located near Gizil Hajili village,
Gazkah, with submachine and machine guns. Armenian forces fired on
the opposite positions of Azerbaijan from their positions near
Garmiravan village of Terter with submachine and machine guns from
05.30 till 05.35.
The enemy was silenced by response fire. No casualties were
reported./APA/

Senior Georgian MPs defend Russian base agreement

Imedi TV, Tbilisi
14 Apr 06

[Presenter] The parliamentary majority has responded to opposition’s
allegations about the agreement on the Russian military bases’
pullout.

The majority leader [Maia Nadiradze MP] said that the parliament’s
historic decision to ratify the agreement was another step towards
joining NATO. Nadiradze stressed that the agreement did not contain a
single clause harming Georgia’s national interests. She said that the
parliamentary opposition’s complaints about the agreement lacked any
common sense.

According to [senior pro-government MP] Giga Bokeria, Russia initially
wanted the agreement to include a clause on the need to create a
[joint] antiterrorist centre, which would be followed by the actual
pullout. However, the Georgian side only agreed to sign a clause which
says that Georgia and Russia will decide on the creation of the
antiterrorist centre after the pullout of the bases.

MP Kote Gabashvili [chairman of parliament’s foreign relations
committee] commented on complaints calling for monitoring of the
Gudauta military base [in Abkhazia]. He said that its monitoring would
be unacceptable until the runway in Gudauta was put out of operation.

As regards the clause on transit [from Russia to Armenia], Davit
Bakradze [chairman of parliament’s European integration committee]
said that the Georgian side would control the movement of Russian
military equipment through Georgia.

[Maia Nadiradze] This agreement, legally and at an international
level, made the Georgian people’s 200-year-old dream come
true. Unfortunately, our opponents used incredible epithets when
describing this event. But their attitude once again proves that our
policy is right. It is so right, and we are moving forward so quickly,
that our irritated opponents apparently lose common sense sometimes.

[Giga Bokeria] We are kindly asking the media to do its best and
finally clarify today: Who in fact is trying to stupefy the public?
Who is trying to justify their own political immaturity,
irresponsibility and incomprehensible political actions by lying,
slandering and diminishing Georgia’s victory?

So far, no agreement has been reached on the antiterrorist centre. An
agreement will be reached only if it is acceptable for the Georgian
side. The Russian bases will be withdrawn from Georgia regardless of
this issue.

[Kote Gabashvili] We will not agree to monitoring of the Gudauta base,
whether it is done under the OSCE supervision or by Germany alone,
unless these two conditions are met: The [monitoring] process should
be permanent, and the runway there must be eliminated.

[Davit Bakradze] Every year, the Georgian side will know exactly what
kind and how much freight will travel through Georgia. The types and
volume of cargoes must be coordinated with the Georgian side in
advance.

CYPRUS-ARMENIA TO BOOST COOPERATION IN BANKING

Reporter, Greece
April 13 2006

15:34 – 13 April 2006 – The central banks of Cyprus and Armenia signed
Thursday a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to boost cooperation in
banking sector. The deal was co-signed by Christodoulos Christodoulou
and Tigran Sargsyan, governors of the Cypriot and Armenian banks.

An official statement said the document defines a general framework
of mutual cooperation and exchange of information between the
two supervisory authorities over supervision of cross- border
establishments and credit institutions.

In the field of banking supervision, the Central Bank of Cyprus has
signed MOU with more than 10 countries’ central banks, which have or
may have presence in Cyprus.

Moreover, negotiations are ongoing with another 10 overseas banking
supervisory authorities on the signing of similar documents, the
statement added.

RUBEN SAFRASTIAN: TURKEY TRIES TO REANIMATE ITS IDEAFIX ABOUT MEDIATION IN NAGORNO KARABAKH SETTLEMENT

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Apr 13 2006

YEREVAN, APRIL 13, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. “In my opinion,
Turkey is trying to receive dividents from the fact that the U.S. is
interested in it in connection with the possible military operations
against Iran,” Ruben Safrastian, candidate of historical sciences,
Head of the Department of Turkey of the Institute of Oriental Studies
of RA National Academy of Sciences, declared in his interview to Noyan
Tapan correspondent. According to him, 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 reanimate its old ideafix, according
to which it can become a mediator in the settlement of the Nagorno
Karabakh conflict in spite of the fact that Armenia has always
treated this negatively. 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,” the scientist declared. 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”.

AKHUNDOVA: “NK CONFLICT CAUSES EDUCATIONAL PROBLEMS FOR NATIONAL MINORITIES”

Today, Azerbaijan
April 11 2006

A report on teaching of native language at secondary schools was
presented at the session of PACE which started yesterday.

The correspondent of the Europe bureau of APA reports from the session
that Azerbaijani parliamentarians Elmira Akhundova and Rafael Huseynov
delivered a speech on the issue.

Ms.Akhundova said that European Convention main recommendations on
protection of rights of national minorities in Azerbaijan has been
implemented successfully, and national minorities in Azerbaijan were
enjoying their right to receive education in their native tongues
without any restrictions.

“However, internally displaced Kurds from Lachin, Gubadli, Kalbajar,
which were occupied by Armenians as a result of the Karabakh conflict,
faced difficulties to get education in native language now.

If the conflict is solved on the basis of the principle of preserving
territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, the government can provide more
intensive assistance for the education of the national minorities,”
she said.

Azerbaijani MP Rafael Huseynov said that there were no problems on
national minorities in Azerbaijan and added that there were many
national minorities speaking different languages, and these nations
are provided great opportunities to read and write in their native
language in the country.

URL:

AZG Armenian Daily #064, 08/04/2006

Karabakh issue

IRANIAN AND KARABAKH ISSUES DRAW AZERI PRESIDENT TO
WASHINGTON

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev received an
official invitation to visit Washington in late April,
RFE/RL reports. Details of this meeting will perhaps
be discussed at the meeting between Azeri foreign
minister Elmar Mamediarov and US state secretary
Condoleezza Rice today. Though the Azeri side has not
yet confirmed this information, many experts consider
the visit of the Azeri president possible based on the
planning assault on Iraq and topicality of Karabakh
issue. Despite the assumptions of Azeri political
scientists that their president will not take part in
possible attack on Iran, Washington will try to draw
Azerbaijan into its alliance.

The Azeri printed media lively discusses this issue,
presuming that Washington looks down on Aliyev as an
illegitimate leader. Nevertheless, once this visit
takes place it will make the headlines in the context
of anti-Iranian campaign and Nagorno Karabakh issue.

As to the Karabakh issue, the United States is
striving to see a breakthrough in the dispute, and the
Azeri president’s visit can be viewed as a concrete
step in this direction. Following this logic, we can
expect that President Robert Kocharian will also be
invited to the US capital shortly after.

By Aghavni Harutyunian

United Press International (UPI)
April 7 2006

Russia’s Gazprom to take control of Armenian pipeline

MOSCOW — Russian gas giant Gazprom will take control of Armenia’s
pipelines along with a power station in exchange for lower gas prices
until 2009.

The price of gas is being nearly doubled from $56 per 1,000 cu.m
to $110 dollars per 1,000 cu.m. until 2009 under Thursday’s deal, but
that is still far lower than what most European nations pay for
Russian gas.

In return, Gazprom can control part of a 25-mile-long pipeline
that brings gas from Iran to Armenia. Russia can also export
electricity from the Razdan-5 gas-fired plant.

In Moscow Thursday, Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan
said the increase may have political consequences in his country.

“The increase in the price of Russian gas in Ukraine has had
political consequences,” he said. “I think this is also possible in
our country.”

A standoff between state-owned Gazprom and Ukraine early this
year resulted in the company turning off the taps to Ukraine,
affecting supplies to the rest of Europe, too.

Russia is Europe’s top provider of gas.