Author: Kajoyan Gevork

NO COUNTRY AGREES TO ACCEPT ARMENIAN POWS IN AZERBAIJAN

Trend
Oct 3 2011
Azerbaijan

The Armenian POWs and five civilians, members of one family, have not
agreed to return to Armenia since the first day of their capture and
expressed a desire to be transferred to a third country, a competent
source told Trend on Monday.

The captives’ appeals were submitted to the UN High Commissioner for
Refugees, the source said.

Although an appeal was sent to several countries to accept Armenian
citizens in captivity, these countries refused, but work is still
being conducted in this direction, the source said.

At present, three Armenian soldiers and five civilian family members
are being kept in captivity in Azerbaijan.

Previously, Azerbaijan transferred three Armenian soldiers to another
country at their behest.

Armenia transferred Azerbaijani POW Roman Huseynov to a third country
in late September.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian
armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan since 1992,
including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and 7 surrounding districts.

Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The
co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group – Russia, France, and the U.S. –
are currently holding the peace negotiations.

Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council’s four
resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the
surrounding regions.

PENTAGON WARNS ISRAEL BECOMING INCREASINGLY ISOLATED

PanARMENIAN.Net
October 3, 2011 – 10:07 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta warned that
Israel is becoming increasingly isolated in the Middle East, and said
Israeli leaders must restart negotiations with the Palestinians and
work to restore relations with Egypt and Turkey.

The Associated Press reported that in a blunt assessment made as he was
traveling to Israel, Panetta said the ongoing upheaval in the Middle
East makes it critical for the Israelis to find ways to communicate
with other nations in the region in order to have stability.

“There’s not much question in my mind that they maintain that
(military) edge,” Panetta told reporters traveling with him. “But the
question you have to ask: Is it enough to maintain a military edge
if you’re isolating yourself in the diplomatic arena? Real security
can only be achieved by both a strong diplomatic effort as well as
a strong effort to project your military strength.”

Panetta is scheduled to meet this week with Israeli and Palestinian
leaders, and then travel to a meeting of NATO defense ministers in
Brussels. His visit comes as Mideast negotiators push for a peace
deal by the end of next year, amping up pressure for the resumption
of long-stalled talks.

The Pentagon chief said Israel risks eroding its own security if it
does not reach out to its neighbors.

“It’s pretty clear that at this dramatic time in the Middle East, when
there have been so many changes, that it is not a good situation for
Israel to become increasingly isolated. And that’s what’s happening,”
he said.

Panetta said the most important thing now is for Israel and its
neighbors “to try to develop better relationships so in the very least
they can communicate with each other rather than taking these issues
to the streets.”

ARONIAN CURRENTLY 3RD AT SAO PAULO GRAND SLAM

PanARMENIAN.Net
October 3, 2011 – 10:51 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Armenian grandmaster Levon Aronian is currently
3rd with 6 points at Sao Paulo Grand Slam Final Masters.

Vasili Ivanchuk of Ukraine keeps the lead with 10 points, followed
by Hikaru Nakamura (7 points). India’s Viswanathan Anand and Norway’s
Magnus Carlsen have the same number of points

Francisco Vallejo Pons of Spain, whom Aronian will face in round 6,
bottoms the standings with 3 points.

DAVID HARUTYUNYAN: ARMENIAN DELEGATION TO PACE AND PACE PRESIDENT ENGAGED IN OPEN CONFRONTATION

arminfo
Monday, October 3, 20:29

Head of the Armenian delegation to PACE David Harutyunyan has agreed
with ArmInfo’s correspondent that the Armenian delegation to PACE
and President of PACE, Turkish parliamentarian Mevlut Cavucoglu are
engaged in open confrontation.

“Yes, we are in confrontation with Mr. Cavucoglu, who is obviously
trying to arrange the work of the PACE Ad Hoc Committee on
Nagorno-Karabakh,” Harutyunyan said.

He said that the Armenian delegates first proposed a moratorium on
mutual accusations during the meetings with their Azeri counterparts in
early 2011. “We said that we had first to discuss what the committee
would do or to create conditions for the moratorium. But none of our
proposals have been given attention. And so, we doubt the impartiality
of the whole process,” Harutyunyan said.

ARMENIAN BOXERS ATTACKED WITH STONES IN BAKU: GABRIELYAN CONFIRMS

Panorama
Oct 3 2011
Armenia

In Baku-hosted World Boxing Championship the members of Armenian team
have been attacked. The news spread by the Azerbaijani mass media, has
been soon confirmed to Panorama.am by the head of Armenian delegation
to Baku Derenik Gabrielyan.

According to Azerbaijani qafqazinfo.az when an Armenian boxer took the
ring, a group of activists from “liberation of Karabakh” organization
attacked the Armenian boxers throwing stones against them.

The Azeri threatened Armenians to leave Baku. The bouts were soon
stopped and the Armenian boxer and team of jury left the gym.

“Everything is fine, our boxers haven’t been injured, but are pressed
by the Azerbaijani side,” said Mister Gabrielyan.

BAKU READY TO GUARANTEE LEVON ARONIAN’S SECURITY

news.am
Oct 3 2011
Armenia

BAKU. – Azerbaijan intends to apply for hosting the Candidates
Tournament to be held next year, said Azerbaijani Chess Federation
representatives at meeting with FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov,
reports Azerisport.

Baku is ready to guarantee the security of Armenian player Levon
AronÑ~Han, whose refusal to play in Baku moved the tournament to
Kazan last year.

AMATEUR FIGHTER FORCED TO LEAVE THE RING

WBN – World Boxing News

Oct 3 2011

According to reports in Azerbaijan, an Armenian boxer has been
attacked with stones as he attempted to take part in a bout at the
World Amateur Boxing Championships in Baku.

Website qafqazinfo.az explained that the fighter entered the ring and
was subjected to a targeted attack by activists from the “liberation
of Karabakh” group and was forced to abandon the fight.

Head of Armenian delegations in Baku Derenik Gabrielyan confirmed the
reports earlier today in an interview with panorama.am and security
is set to be stepped up at the event as an investigation gets underway.

“Everything is fine, our boxers haven’t been injured, but are pressed
by the Azerbaijani side,” stated Gabrielyan.

PACE PRESIDENT CALLS ON ARMENIA TO JOIN KARABAKH SUBCOMMITTEE

news.az
Oct 3 2011
Azerbaijan

‘Establishment of the Subcommittee on Nagorno Karabakh by PACE is
first of all demonstration of the political will.

PACE adopted the resolution on Nagorno Karabakh in 2005 and PACE Bureau
passed a decision to establish a Subcommittee on Nagorno Karabakh. But
after the death of Lord Russell-Johnston, the first chairman of the
committee, PACE Bureau reconsidered the issue and passed a decision
to resume its activity. The Armenian side did not accept it.

But I must reiterate that any decision passed by the PACE and its
Bureau must be accepted by the member states, this decision must be
respected,’ President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council
of Europe (PACE) Mevlut Cavusoglu said at the press conference in
Strasbourg while answering Armenian journalists’ question about the
activity of the Subcommittee on Nagorno Karabakh.

Cavusoglu reminded once again that PACE Bureau passed a decision on
restoration of the Subcommittee’s activity in January 2011:

‘If the Bureau has passed such a decision everybody must observe it. I
consider it important to repeat once again that this committee will
be engaged mainly in the humanitarian results of the issues and make
efforts for strengthening the dialogue between the delegations of both
countries in the organization. PACE doesn’t intend to replace other
organizations in this issue. The settlement ways of conflicts in the
region must be found. The next meeting of the committee will be held
today and I hope the Armenian delegation will participate in its work’.

Despite the restoration of Subcommittee, the Armenian MPs refused to
participate in its work at the previous session of PACE.

NKR MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS: AZERBAIJAN’S ATTEMPTS TO DEPRIVE NAGORNY KARABAKH OF ITS RIGHT TO DEMOCRATIC DEVELOPMENT IS USELESS

arminfo
Monday, October 3, 14:19

The September 18, 2011 municipal elections in the Nagorno Karabakh
Republic were another successful demonstration of the democratic
process. The authorities were formed via free voting, which was
evaluated as such by numerous international observers. The elections
were called to continue the permanent process of increasing the
Karabakh people’s self-organization and consolidating the principles
of an open and democratic society, which is being developed our
Republic, says the Statement of the Foreign Ministry of the Nagorno-
Karabakh Republic.

“The NKR citizens enjoyed the right to free choice – the inherent
right of all the nations in the world. In this context, we consider
any criticism of the democratic processes in the NKR as groundless
and contradicting the modern tendencies of developing international
relations.

Besides, the NKR MFA considers it necessary to remind Azerbaijan that
its attempts to deprive the people of Nagorno Karabakh of the right
to democratic development and consolidation of a civil society are
doomed to failure, as well as expresses its concern about the lack
of similar processes in the neighboring Republic.

Also, the NKR Foreign Ministry appeals to the international community
for displaying a constructive and successive attitude towards all
the processes in the NKR, which contribute to the formation of an
open and democratic region of the South Caucasus,” the statement says.

PACE FALL SESSION GETS UNDERWAY IN STRASBOURG

armradio.am
03.10.2011 11:16

The 4th part of the 2011 Ordinary Session of the Parliamentary Assembly
of the council of Europe kicked off in Strasbourg.

An address by the President of the Palestinian National Authority,
Mahmoud Abbas, on Thursday 6 October 2011 will be one of the highlights
of the autumn session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council
of Europe (PACE), which will continue through October 7.

On Tuesday, 4 October the Assembly will consider the request for
Partner for Democracy status submitted by the Palestinian National
Council, whose President, Salim Za’noun, will address the Assembly
the same day. A report by Jean-Charles Gardetto (Monaco, EPP/CD) on
co-operation between the Council of Europe and the emerging democracies
in the Arab world, which calls on them to intensify and broaden their
co-operation, will be debated on Wednesday 5 October.

A debate on prenatal sex selection will be another highlight of the
session. The draft resolution presented says that recourse to this
practice has reached “worrying proportions” in several Council of
Europe member states, asks for it to be prohibited unless it is used
to prevent a serious hereditary disease, and proposes to European
governments that doctors withhold information about the sex of
the foetus.

On Friday, October 7, Co-rapporteurs of the Committee on the
Honouring of Obligations and Commitments by Member States of the
Council of Europe (Monitoring Committee) will present the report on
“The functioning of democratic institutions in Armenia.”