Author: Jagharian Tania

NICOLAS BURNS: WE HAVE ELABORATED A FUNDAMENTAL APPROACH, WHICH WILL HELP RESOLVE THE CONFLICT

ArmRadio.am
05.12.2006 13:05

"A fundamental approach has been elaborated with Armenian and
Azerbaijani leaders, which promises to settle the conflict," US Under
Secretary of State for Political Affairs Nicolas Burns declared during
the OSCE Ministerial meeting in Brussels, Mediamax agency reports.

The American diplomat said that "the OSCE must urge the leaders of
Armenia and Azerbaijan to turn these ideas into a n agreement."

Nicolas Burns noted that the unsettled Karabakh conflict "hinders
the return of hundreds of thousands of refugees and displaced persons.

"This conflict keeps Armenia and Azerbaijan in a "no war no peace
situation, " their borders remain closed, the alienation between
ever friendly populationsgrows," the US Under Secretary of State for
Political Affairs declared.

OSCE SAYS NAGORNO-KARABAKH TO BE RESOLVED WITHIN A YEAR

Islamic Republic News Agency, Iran
Dec 5 2006

Belgian Foreign Minister Karel De Gucht who currently chairs the
Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) said Monday
that a solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is "in reach within
one year."

"We have made really substantial progress if not a breakthrough with
respect to Nagorno-Karabakh," de Gucht told a press conference in
Brussels Monday night following the end of the first day of the 2-day
OSCE ministerial meeting.

The Belgian foreign minister said he has held several meetings with
the Presidents of both Azerbaijan and Armenia.

"The trust between the two countries has grown considerably," he noted.

On other "frozen conflicts" in former Soviet states such as Abkhazia
and South Ossetia regions in Georgia, in Moldova , de Gucth said no
text was possible because of Russian opposition.

"There is a clear refusal on the Russian side even to discuss it.

No text possible," he said.

Foreign ministers from the 56 OSCE member states are holding their
annual Ministerial Council in Brussels on Monday and Tuesday.

The OSCE is a western security organisation founded in 1973, which
is concerned with conflict prevention, election observing and the
rehabilitation of post-conflict areas.

SERGEY LAVROV ON KARABAKH: EXCESSIVE PUBLICITY HARDLY WILL HELP THE JOB

PanARMENIAN.Net
06.12.2006 13:25 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ "To sweeten the bitter pill of OSCE FA Ministers’
futile session as current chairmen of OSCE the Belgian tried to
declare about progress at Nagorno Karabakh talks " says the Russian
newspaper "Vremya Novostey". "Confidence between Azerbaijan and
Armenia has essentially grown, and it is very important since you
will see the settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict next year",
declared the current president of OSCE Karel de Gukht . During the
session was coordinated a statement on Nagorno Karabakh, "which
is acceptable for Armenia and for Azerbaijan", Russian FA Minister
S. Lavrov said. But obviously this statement Moscow accepts without
particular enthusiasm. Sergey Lavrov approved it as a political signal
for supporting the negotiation process, pointing out, " Any excessive
publicity, any promises to reach an agreement during a certain period
of time hardly will help the job", the newspaper writes.

NATO REP.: ARMENIA ACTIVE PARTICIPANT OF NATO PARTNERSHIP FOR PEACE PROGRAM

Yerevan, December 4. ArmInfo. The Individual Partnership Action Plan
(IPAP) of Armenia with NATO is mainly aimed at security sector, NATO
expert Evert Somer told journalists in Yerevan, Monday. E. Somer is
in Armenia to participate in a seminar devoted to crisis management
that has got underway today, on December 4.

He said IPAP consists of numerous components, including the
cooperation with the Rescue Service of Armenia and the role of crisis
management. NATO expert said that Armenia is an active participant
of the EuroAtlantic Partnership Council and NATO PfP program. It
takes an active part in the events organized. That is why, he and
his colleagues from the USA and the Netherlands are in Armenia and
hope for a successful meeting, the expert said.

BAKU WILL NOT RECOGNIZE THE RESULTS OF THE REFERENDUM IN NKR

ArmRadio.am
04.12.2006 13:49

"Azerbaijan will not recognize the results of the Constitutional
Referendum in Nagorno Karabakh," says the statement of the Azeri MFA
disseminated in Baku.

"Any constitutional document on the autonomy of the population of
Nagorno Karabakh region can be applied only through a thoroughly
elaborated legal, democratic and peace process, in which both the
Armenian and Azerbaijani communities of the region will have equal
legal rights to participate," the statement notes.

NO XENOPHOBIA IN RUSSIAN-ARMENIAN RELATIONS – MEDVEDEV

ITAR-TASS, Russia
Dec 2 2006

ST. PETERSBURG, December 2 (Itar-Tass) – There can be Xenophobia
in Russian-Armenian relations, First Vice-Prime Minister Dmitry
Medvedev said.

Speaking at a closing ceremony devoted to Year of Armenia in Russia on
Saturday, Medvedev said, "Russia and Armenia have always understood
each other and preserved a centuries-long experience of tolerant
relations."

He noted that in recent years Russia faced Xenophobia. In his
words, "such ideas cannot be supported by the state where over 100
nationalities live. Over centuries we lived in one state. It is not
only a geopolitical moment – we have a common history, joint labour,
and common tests and achievements."

"The fates of Russia and Armenia are closely inter-related," Medvedev
stressed.

At the end of his speech Medvedev spoke the Armenian language that
was welcomed by hot applauses.

AZERI LEADER, EUROPEAN OFFICIAL DISCUSS KARABAKH CONFLICT

TREND, Azerbaijan
Nov 30 2006

Baku, 30 November: Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev received Lord
Russell Johnston, head of the subcommittee on Nagornyy Karabakh of
the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), on 30
November, Trend reports.

During the meeting, they discussed the situation concerning the
settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagornyy Karabakh conflict
and cooperation between Azerbaijan and PACE.

THE RETURN OF TERRITORIES IS NOT VERY LIKELY

A1+
[06:47 pm] 29 November, 2006

Defense Minister Serge Sargsyan does not consider it very likely
that an agreement is being reached to return territories. As for the
probability of giving Qelbajar, he said, "I have never spoken about
a concrete territory. I have spoken about compromise only and about
dignified. This is what is most important to me".

Asked by "A1+" why they do not discuss the issues of Shahoumyan and
Getashen during the negotiations if in the Dortmund conference an
agreement has been signed about equivalent compromise, like territory
in return for territory, Serge Sargsyan tried to refer to the second
part of the question, "I don’t know what conference you are talking
about, I mainly engage in security issues and not in conferences".

ARMENIAN PARTY POSITIVELY ASSESSES KOCHARIAN-ALIYEV TALKS IN MINSK

PanARMENIAN.Net
30.11.2006 13:27 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian and Azeri Presidents Robert Kocharian
and Ilham Aliyev positively evaluate the talks in Minsk, Armenian
FM Vartan Oskanian told journalists Wednesday. In his words, upon
completion of the meeting the two leaders indicted the constructive
nature of the talks. "I cannot give a specific estimate now whether
progress is registered," Oskanian said.

The FM stated that the two Presidents focused on the provisions of the
circulating document on settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict,
on which agreement is not reached. "I believe the Presidents will
analyze everything in the coming days and then will give commissions
to FMs," Oskanian said. The Minister also noted positive trends in
the Karabakh talks in 2006.

In his words, though there was no serious progress in the settlement of
the conflict in 2006, "however there were no steps back." In Oskanian’s
words, during the OSCE Council of FMs to be held in Brussels December
3-4 there will be an opportunity to make an annual summary of the
talks. He also believes the elections in Armenia and Azerbaijan in
2007 and 2008 can tell on the talks from the point of view of time,
but not content. "I am convinced we will continue our meetings,"
he summed up, reports Novosti-Armenia.

NKR REPRESENTATIVES PARTICIPATED

Azat Artsakh, Republic of Nagorno Karabakh
Nov 30 2006

The foreign minister of NKR Georgy Petrossian and Semion Afiyan, head
of the protocol service of the NKR foreign ministry, took part in the
inaugural ceremony of the president of South Ossetia Edward Kokoyti.

Over ten delegations of different countries of the world arrived in
South Ossetia to take part in the ceremony of inauguration.