ARCHERY COMPETITION IN MEMORY OF ARTSAKH HEROINE NUNE ABRAHAMIAN HELD IN YEREVAN
Noyan Tapan
Feb 26 2007
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 26, NOYAN TAPAN. The traditional republican archery
competition started on February 25 at complex sports school No 1 of
Yerevan’s Shengavit community. The competition is dedicated to memory
of Nune Abrahamian, a heroine of the Artsakh freedom war, master of
sports. 49 archers are participating in the competition which will
end on February 27.
MEDIATORS BLOCK AZERBAIJAN’S UN INITIATIVE
By Gayane Movsissian
Yerkir.am
February 23, 2007
The process of Armenian-Azeri consultations for the settlement of
the Karabagh conflict is frozen at an uncertain point.
The OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs are preparing for the meeting of the
Armenian and Azeri presidents hoping the meeting can be held in the
beginning of March. However, the Russian Co-Chair Yuri Merzlyakov
confesses there is still no success in getting the sides’ confirmation
for the meeting.
And this is not surprising. Yerevan is obviously tired of the
surprises that Baku offers making its position and demands stricter
every time. The Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian probably
informed the Co-Chairs about this at their meeting in mid-February in
Paris. During these meeting the Minsk Group Co-Chairs Mathew Bryza,
Yuri Merzlyakov and Bernard Fasiet and the OSCE Chairman-in-Office’s
personal representative Andrzey Kasprzyk held consultations on
Karabagh settlement.
Baku seems to be contemplating about the Co-Chairs’ joint statement
with which they presented the results of the consultations. In
this statement the mediators had called on the sides "requesting to
abstain from any actions in any structures, including the UN General
Assembly, that can interfere with the positive developments of the
recent months." The mediators expressed their hope that the sides
would manage to preserve the impetus that has been developed in the
negotiations during the recent months and that the Armenian and Azeri
Foreign Ministers would meet again in the nearest future to overcome
the outstanding differences around the main principles of the Karabagh
settlement agreement.
The mediators’ position was probably a surprise for Baku. Azerbaijan,
together with its VUAM partners, is presently working on a draft
formula on freezing conflicts on the post-Soviet space. VUAM managed
to include this issue on the agenda of the UN General Assembly’s 61st
session last year. But the mediators are now opposing the idea. The
Press Secretary of the Azeri Foreign Ministry Tayir Tagizade stated
that VUAM’s UN initiative does not mean that Azerbaijan is going to
change the format of the negotiations, "but it is necessary to take
into consideration that the UN is not a new forum for discussing the
Karabagh issue. We consider it necessary to continue actively working
with the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs in order to explain to them the
constructive impact that the discussion of this issue in the UN can
bring," Tagizade stated.
Baku will probably try to convince one of the Minsk Group Co-Chairs
who will visit the region before the Foreign Ministers’ meeting that
its actions are " constructive". It is not known yet which Co-Chair
will visit the region.
However, the Russian CO-Chair has already stated to the Trend news
agency in Baku that the initiative to take the Karabagh settlement
to the UN is hindering the negotiations process. "Efforts should be
directed at agreeing around the main principles and not deviating in
other directions," he noted.
Besides, Merzlyakov reminded that if the question is discussed in the
UN the Armenian side will demand that Nagorno Karabagh is also involved
in the negotiation process and this is not desirable. The Russian
diplomat who has repeatedly supported the idea of involving Karabagh in
the negotiations did not explain why the mediators believe involvement
of Karabagh in the negotiations process is not desirable. However,
his comment comes to confirm the opinion everything that has taken
place in the so-called Karabagh settlement process is nothing more
than geopolitical manipulations around the issue of Nagorno Karabagh.
Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
Feb 23 2007
U.S. Donates More Bird Flu Equipment To Armenia
By Ruben Meloyan
The U.S. government on Friday provided Armenia with laboratory
equipment and special vehicles which officials said will
significantly improve veterinary authorities’ ability to guard
against possible outbreaks of bird flu.
The $300,000 equipment, donated to the Armenian Agriculture
Ministry’s Central Veterinary Laboratory, is part of a $2.6 million
program implemented by the U.S. Agency for International Development
(USAID). The one-year aid scheme is aimed at helping Armenia cope
with the potentially lethal H5N1 virus. In addition to equipment
supplies, it envisages training of Armenian veterinary officials
charged with monitoring and controlling the disease.
`As of today, Armenia has more capabilities [to deal with bird flu]
that it had before,’ the U.S. charge d’affaires in Yerevan, Anthony
Godfrey, said during an official ceremony.
`With this equipment we will be able to diagnose the existence of a
bird flu virus in any place and help people guard against it,’ agreed
Agriculture Minister David Lokian, also present at the ceremony. `It
will make us feel safer.’
The equipment transfer came just a week after the World Bank approved
$2 million in similar assistance to Armenia. The sum will be released
from a special fund set by eight donor agencies, including the
European Union, to combat the worldwide spread of avian influenza.
The World Bank had already disbursed a $6.25 million loan to Yerevan
for the same purpose last July.
Armenia is the only country in the region that has not registered any
cases of H5N1 so far. Neighboring Turkey reported last week another
more such cases in eastern regions of the country that are not far
from the Armenian border.
`I think it would be wrong to dismiss the danger of a bird flu
outbreak [in Armenia],’ Lokian said. `That danger is grave, seeing as
the bird flu virus has already been detected in all of the
neighboring states. So we must be ready to quickly detect and
localize [a possible outbreak].’
DeFacto Agency, Armenia
Feb 23 2007
DIAMOND PROCESSING FACTORY TO BE BUILT IN STEPANAKERT
During last six years the amount of foreign investments in Karabagh
made $ 50 millions. Investments were mainly made by Lebanon,
Switzerland, the U.S., the U. K., Russia, Iran and Australia. In
2000-2005 the number of enterprises in the Republic grew 19, 2% due
to the investments. At the same time businessmen from Karabagh
invested $ 4, 1 million in the country’s economy.
The investments were made in the spheres of TV, bank activity, hotel
business, mining, production of raw materials and other spheres.
About 3,000 new jobs were opened in the Republic due to private
investments.
MicroCut Diamonds will build a diamond processing factory in
Stepanakert. The firm will invest approximately $ 1, 5 millions in
the project and open 200 jobs.
The NKR government believes tax field in Karabagh is quite favorable
for investors. However, according to the candidate of Economic
Sciences, docent Ruzanna Mangasarian, despite the fact the
investments made in the Republic were not much.
`’Such phenomenon testifies that the investors do not wish to invest
money in Karabagh, as it is a high risk zone, Artsakh is an
unattractive country from this viewpoint. Besides, the fact that
Karabagh’s status has not been determined and it has not been
recognized becomes a big obstacle for cooperation with the
international organizations and banks”, Ruzanna Mangasarian told
Karabakh Open.
SECOND EXHIBITION "INTERPRINT 2007" TO BE HELD IN YEREVAN ON MARCH 23-25
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 23, NOYAN TAPAN. The second international exhibition
"Interprint 2007" with the participation of 18 Armenian and foreign
companies will be held at the Moscow Cinema in Yerevan on March
23-25. NT was informed from the Logos exhibition center – the event
organizer that the exhibition will have the following sections:
printing, advertising, design and packaging. The exhibition’s sponsors
are RA Ministry of Trade and Economic Development, Union of
Manufacturers and Businessmen of Armenia, National Association of
Publishers of Armenia and Union of Writers of Armenia.
APPEAL COURT LEAVES UNCHANGED DECISION TO PROLONG ZHIRAYR SEFILIAN’S
ARREST BY TWO MONTHS
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 23, NOYAN TAPAN. On February 23, RA Appeal Court
left unchanged the decision of first instance court to prolong the
arrest of Zhirayr Sefilian, Coordinator of Defence of Liberated
Territories NGO, by two months.
NT correspondent was informed about it by initiative’s temporary
Coordinator Armen Aghayan. In his words, the Appeal Court made this
decision on the basis of the circumstance that the first instance
court had made this decision quite legally. A. Aghayan confirmed that
Z. Sefilian’s last message sent to Vahan (Vano) Aroyan who is also
imprisoned, in which Z. Sefilian asked about V. Aroyan’s health, is
presented by investigators as a fact confirming the "criminal"
connection between these two persons. In Aghayan’s words, this
argument of investigators causes a laughter. It was also mentioned
that they do not intend to appeal to the Cassation Court yet, as there
is an apprehension that this intance just will not accept their suit.
ARAM ISABEKIAN: PARTY WORK DOES NOT HINDER ME TO CREATE
Noyan Tapan
Feb 19 2007
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 19, NOYAN TAPAN. According to the characterization
of Aram Isabekian, the Art Academy Rector, such intellectuals are
involved in the "Bargavach Hayastan" (Prosperous Armenia) party who
did not join this or that party earlier and are not discredited among
the people. "And I confide in those people and "Bargavach" founder
Gagik Tsarukian. I am sure that this party will be able to solve the
problems which did not get any solution till now," he stated at the
February 18 meeting held at the "Urbat" debate club. And responding
the question "which point of the "Bargavach Hayastan" party program
is important for him," A.Isabekian did not give a clear answer:
"programs of all parties are almost the same. It is another issue
which will be able to implement them. I believe that all those
points will have an answer." At the same time, A.Isabekian, being
sure in success of the "Bargavach Hayastan" party, however, did not
exclude the variant of being disappointed, either, by saying that
"of course, it will be very bad." But, in the Rector’s words, living
in uncertainty is worse than believing nothing at all. The speaker is
not of the opinion that an artist must not be engaged in party issues,
and presented numerous examples: Picasso was also a partisan, Hugo
as well but they created high values for the mankind." And affirming
what he said, A.Isabekian facted that the exhibition of his new works
will open soon on the occasion of the 55th birthday anniversary. "So,
party work does not hinder me to create," he emphasized.
AZERI HACKER VOWS FRESH ATTACK ON ARMENIAN WEBSITES
Zerkalo, Baku
17 Feb 07 p 3
An Azerbaijani hacker called Bacioglu has promised to attack popular
Armenian websites, the Azerbaijani newspaper Zerkalo reported on
17 February.
The paper said that in his statement posted on the Internet, the
hacker said he would attack Armenian websites on 26 February – the
15th anniversary of the 1992 massacre of Azerbaijanis in the Karabakh
town of Xocali. "I think that by hacking into Armenian websites, I
will contribute to the Azerbaijani people’s common struggle against
the aggressors," the hacker said in the statement.
THE RECENT CRISIS BETWEEN THE ERDOðAN GOVERNMENT AND THE MILITARY: WHAT CRISIS?
Barin Kayaoglu
Journal of Turkish Weekly, Turkey
Feb 19 2007
Because of a want in professionalism and boredom, Turkish newspapers
have declared "a crisis between the civilian government and the
military" in the making for the past two days.
It all started the week before when the successive visits to
Washington by Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul and Chief
of General Staff Gen. Yaþar Buyukanýt drew attention from the
Turkish media (interestingly, but not surprisingly, this was not
the case for the American media). Both visiting dignitaries had come
to discuss security matters over Northern Iraq and to ask the Bush
administration to scuttle the resolution on the floor of the U.S. House
of Representatives recognizing the events of 1915 as a genocide
perpetrated by the Ottoman Empire against its Armenian citizens.
In many respects, both visits have bought enough time and patience for
Turkey. By meeting with his counterpart Condoleezza Rice and Pentagon
officials, Mr. Gul has conveyed to the American side that Turkey is
still considering diplomatic and political options in its dealings with
the government of the Kurdish Autonomous Region in Arbil. In fact,
Prime Minister Tayyip Erdoðan precisely made that point by stating
that Turkey would "develop relations with the Kurdish government…if
it would bring peace to us both."[1] Gen.
Buyukanýt, on the other hand, resorted to a more emotional discourse
and expressed his points in Washington to the order of "as a soldier
and as someone who fights the PKK, it is not my responsibility to
talk to the Iraqi Kurds who openly support the PKK."
And entered Turkish journalists with their typical thirst for
sensational news. Looking at this picture, many yelled "crisis"
and tried to point to a divergence between the civilian and military
branches of the government. Yet it was in the same press statement
that Gen. Buyukanýt maintained that fighting terror had economic,
armed, sociological, and psychological dimensions. He pursued this
point by further and asserted that "every mechanism, if it is to help
fighting terror, must be supported."[2]
Possible talks with Mesut Barzani and President Celal Talabani would
perfectly fit this description. What people need to see is that
both Turkey and the Iraqi Kurds are bogged down in a typical case of
"mutual insecurity." Under the straight-jacket of "mutual insecurity,"
every move to maximize one side’s security is reciprocated in kind
by the other side, which leads to a spiral of events that preserves
the balance of insecurity.
In order to start transcending this aura of insecurity, Iraqi
Kurds and the Turkish government need to sit down and talk. (The
central government in Baghdad has more existential problems and it is
doubtful if they have any resources to allocate to this question.) It
is crucial to note that these talks should be conducted in an
atmosphere of complete honesty (granted, this is not a common feature
in politics). But if it is to facilitate more open discussions, the
two parties should use reliable intermediaries, such as journalists
or academics. Turkey is expresses its unease about Kirkuk and Mt.
Kandil while the Iraqi Kurds are holding the PKK as a trump card in
case Turkey decides to intervene in Northern Iraq. It is in the best
interests of both Turkey and Iraqi Kurds to have a stable Northern
Iraq. Each party should calculate its moves very carefully and move
in a direction to increase their mutual security.
With this basic requirement at hand, the last thing that Turkish
newspapers should do is to exaggerate the statements made by Turkish
statesmen and Kurdish leaders. For their part, political figures need
to refrain from giving excuses to the members of the visual and print
media. As an ascribing historian of the Cold War, I now know that
many of the "dramatic" statements made by American and Soviet leaders
during the Cold War were in fact not as dramatic as they seemed at
the time. Notwithstanding this, a spiral of misunderstanding and
misperception led humanity very close to total annihilation. It is
up to Turks and Kurds to draw their conclusions from that lesson and
to decider whether they should choose a hot war or a cordial peace.
+++
Barýn Kayaoðlu is a Ph.D. student in history at the University of
Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia and a regular contributor to
the Journal of Turkish Weekly.
E-mail: [email protected] 18 February 2007
[1] Ferai Týnc, "Kurt hukumeti ile yakýnlaþýrýz" (We would get closer
to the Kurdish government), Hurriyet, February 15, 2007; available
from
[2] The full text of Gen. Buyukanýt’s press conference in Washington
can be reached in Turkish from
p?m=1&gid=112&srid=3601&oid=1.
–Boun dary_(ID_dR9EssJX5dm8qazBF2xSbg)–
arminfo
2007-02-16 13:10:00
GERMAN FEDERAL CHANCELLOR ANGELA MERKEL STRESSED NECESSITY OF ECONOMIC
AND DEMOCRATIC REFORMS IN AZERBAIJAN
Ties between Azerbaijan and EU are important both for Azerbaijan and
European Union, Angela Merkel, German Federal Chancellor, said
yesterday after the talks with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. "It
is necessary to conduct reforms both in economic and public-political
fields," said Merkel. Development of democracy was the second subject
of talks, said Merkel. Cooperation in energy industry was among
priority subjects of negotiations. Ties between EU and Azerbaijan in
this field will strengthen day by day. Germany will provide assistance
to Azerbaijan to diversify economy, said Merkel.
Tehran’s nuclear program has been also touched upon during the talks.
Aliyev expressed satisfaction with expanding of Azerbaijani-German
relationships in political and economic fields.
He added that joint efforts in deepening of democratic processes in
Azerbaijan and observation of human rights have been discussed at the
meeting.
Relationships between EU and Azerbaijan as well as threats and
conflicts in the region were a subject of talks, continued Aliyev.
"Azerbaijan is a participant of EU new neighborhood policy and hopes
that in the coming five years Azerbaijan will approach EU criteria in
all directions, added president.
Aliyev has positively assessed EU’s position to the conflicts in the
South Caucasus, which have arisen as a result of separatist intentions.
"I am sure that EU’s growing attention to these issues will contribute
to the conflicts settlement," said Aliyev.
Asked about perspectives of economic ties between Germany and
Azerbaijan, Merkel said she is satisfied with activity of German firms
in Azerbaijan.
"At present many German companies have been working in Azerbaijan and
they could contribute to creation of new infrastructure," said Merkel.
Aliyev stressed favorable investment climate in Azerbaijan. Over $30
billion has been invested in Azerbaijan during the past ten years. He
expressed confidence that the business- forum with participation of two
countries’ business circles, which is scheduled to be held on February
16, will help to conclude new contracts. Questioned how Azerbaijan
could contribute to European energy security, Merkel answered: "Oil
pipelines construction is in progress at present. These pipelines are
built through Ukraine and Poland to Europe. Azerbaijani gas will be
pumped through Greece via this pipeline." Therefore, energy carriers
>From alternative sources will be delivered to Europe, she added.
Aliyev added that this year Azerbaijan could deliver its gas to Europe
via the existing pipelines.