Author: Kajoyan Gevork

PROSECUTOR GENERAL INFORMS PACE RAPPORTEUR ON POWs, HOSTAGES AND MISSING PEOPLE
AzerTag, Azerbaijan
June 11 2006
Prosecutor General of the Republic of Azerbaijan Zakir Garalov met with
visiting delegation of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of
Europe led by rapporteur of the organization’s Committee for Migration,
Refugees and Population for the South Caucasus Leo Platvoet.
He thanked Mr. Platvoet, as head of pre-election mission of the
PACE ad hoc Committee, for his unbiased approach to the re-run of
the parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan, as well as, for positive
appraisal of democratic reforms being implemented in Azerbaijan under
the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev, and the country’s honoring
of obligations and commitments to the Council of Europe, that was
given by COE Secretary General Tarry Davis during his meeting with
high-ranking Azerbaijani officials in Strasbourg.
The Prosecutor General described Mr. Platvoet’s mission as very
delicate question recalling that the Armenian policy of occupation
and genocide against Azerbaijan lasted over 200 years and continues
today with 20 percent of Azerbaijani territories under occupation,
that over a million of Azerbaijanis from Armenia, Nagorno-Karabakh and
surrounding regions are refugees and internally displaced, and that
the conflict cannot be resolved peacefully because of the Armenian
leadership’s destructive stance. In this context, according to him,
the issue of POWs, hostages and missing citizens still remains topical.
Zakir Garalov informed the visitors that the State Commission on
POWs, Hostages and Missing Persons, registered 4604 citizens of
Azerbaijan as missing, and that investigation formed three year ago
has questioned 1061 POWs and hostages, and fully proved the fact
that during occupation of the town of Khojaly, as well as Mesheli
and Garadgly villages, hundreds of people were brutally killed, taken
hostage and subjected to terrifying tortures. “Everyone proved guilty
of these crimes will appear in our country’s courts, and, if needed,
relating materials will be submitted to the international courts”
he said.
The Prosecutor General noted that not a single prisoner of war is now
in Azerbaijan, and that the country is open for any international
monitoring. “Should Armenian side has some facts, our republic is
ready conduct an appropriate investigation,” he said. He pointed out
the necessity for the Council of Europe Mission to investigate facts
in the uncontrolled territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, and suggested the
visitors to meet with family members of the Azerbaijani citizens,
who were subjected to torture in Armenian captivity, and were missing
for their report to be more detailed and objective.
Leo Platvoet expressed satisfaction with the meeting noting that not
a single document on Armenian citizens held captive or hostage in
Azerbaijan was presented to him, as the head of the Mission, during
their stay in Armenia. He added that information provided by Prosecutor
General of Azerbaijan Zakir Garalov and the questions raised by him
will be taken into account in his mission’s future activities.

Daily Nation, Kenya
June 10, 2006
The incident that sparked police action
Story by NATION Reporter
Publication Date: 6/10/2006
The arrests were triggered by an incident at Jomo Kenyatta
International Airport, Nairobi, in which one of the brothers
allegedly assaulted a Customs officer, who blocked their way as they
left the airport.
Mr Sargsyan and a woman colleague had arrived from Dubai and were to
be received by a business tycoon and Mr Margaryan in a convoy of four
vehicles. The tycoon had made arrangements for the brothers to enter
the arrivals section and clear a consignment of closed-circuit TV
cameras and monitors, which had arrived from Dubai as unaccompanied
luggage.
It was not established why the brothers were allowed into the
international arrivals lounge with firearms. A licensed gun holder is
required to surrender it to the security who hold it until he leaves
the airport.
But, according to a source, Customs officers who inspected the
luggage had turned away a courier the brothers had sent to collect
the consignment, demanding that they pay duty for the equipment.
Demand for duty
The source said the Armenians demanded to know on whose order the
officers were demanding duty, and vowed not to pay it. Mr Margaryan
was said to have pushed the officers out of the way and walked out,
saying that their bags were never searched.
Sources said their aide then grabbed the bags, placed them on a
trolley and pushed it out as Mr Margaryan drew a gun and threatened
to shoot anyone who dared block their way out of the airport.
A minister’s bodyguard who happened to be at the airport, also drew a
gun and dared Mr Margaryan to shoot. The Armenian put his gun back
into the holster and walked out.
Another Customs officer who tried to stop them was hit and injured by
one of the brothers before they walked to the main exit, jumped onto
waiting vehicles and sped out of the airport.
Police commissioner Hussein Ali summoned airports police boss
Beatrice Nduta to his Vigilance House office to find out how the
brothers and the businessman had driven out of the airport without
being intercepted.
The four-vehicle convoy left the airport past armed General Service
Unit officers and passed road-blocks on their way to Runda.

TREND, Azerbaijan
June 9 2006
Next meeting of PABSEC to be held in Baku

Source: Trend
Author: J.Shahverdiyev

09.06.2006

The next meetion of the Parlamenatry Assembly of Black Sea Economic
Cooperation (PABSEC) will be held in November in Baku,Trend reports
quoting deputy Asef Hajiyev, the head of the Azerbaijani delegation
in this organization.

During the 27th plenary meeting of PABSEC held on 7-8 June in
Armenia, the chairmanship for coming 6 months was presented to
Azerbaijan.
PABSEC includes 12 states. `Azerbaijan will be the chairman of the
organization – it is important. Because it will be possible to
deliver information about Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the occupied
territories of Azerbaijan to the attention of PABSEC
member-countries,’ told Hajiyev,
As an answer to the question `Will Armenia be invited to the meeting
that will be held in Baku?’ Hajivev said that `yet it is impossible
to say something exact’. `Because yet there is time. On the other
hand, this question should be decided by the head of Milli Majlis
[Azerbaijan Parliament],’ stressed Hajiyev.

What progress was achieved at Kocharyan-Aliev meeting in Bucharest?

ArmRadio.am
09.06.2006 16:28
What progress was achieved in the process of settlement of the
Karabakh issue during Kocharyan-Aliev meeting in Bucharest?
`The fact that Aliev compared the status of Nagorno-Karabakh with that
of the most ordinary Armenian community without considering the real
atmosphere established in Artsakh during all these years evidences
that Azeri authorities demonstrate a naive approach to the issue.
Similarly, it is naive to think that the delay of the negotiations may
be beneficial for any of the sides,’ said Seyran Avagyan, Adviser to
RA President.
As for Doctor of Philosophy Alexander Manasaryan, he turned today to
those diplomatic niceties, which the Armenian side often ignores, `We
should always emphasize that there are no territories occupied by
Armenia, there are liberated territories, which comprise part of
Nagorno-Karabakh. We forget to raise the issue of Azerbaijani-
Armenians, who are the main victims of this conflict,’ Alexander
Manasaryan said.
In Alexander Manasaryan’s opinion, the Bucharest meeting should be
generally considered from the viewpoint of the dynamics of the
negotiations process. As for the position of Azerbaijan, analysts see
some changes here.
Alexander Manasaryan considers there are no unimportant words in
diplomacy, all words here are important. Therefore, in Arthsakh issue
we should take this principle into consideration and should dispute
the questions important from the diplomatic point of view.

ARMENIAN DM: AZERBAIJAN LOSES ITS CHANCE TO SETTLE THE CONFLICT OVER
KARABAKH PEACEFULLY
Yerevan, June 7. ArmInfo. The Azerbaijani party loses its chance to
settle the conflict over Nagorny Karabakh peacefully, Defense Minister
of Armenia,
Serge Sargsyan, told journalists, Wednesday. The minister said he is
not informed of the details of the Armenian and Azerbaijani
presidents’ meeting in Bucharest as he was not present there.
However, the minister said the president informed him of the meeting
results. At the same time, Minister Sagrsyan disagreed with the
opinion that the situation in the conflict zone has become tense
recently and the threat of military actions has grown. The situation
on the contact line is as usual, the minister said. As regards the
model of Montenegro whose independence is likely to be recognized by
the international community sooner than expected, Minister Sargsyan
said: “Nagorny Karabak’s time will come as

Armenian minister hopeful Karabakh may be resolved in 2006
Mediamax news agency
8 Jun 06
Yerevan, 8 June: Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan does not
rule out that Armenia and Azerbaijan will manage to agree on the
principles of Nagornyy Karabakh conflict settlement in 2006.
The Armenian foreign minister said that “nothing can be ruled
out”. “As the saying goes, hope springs eternal,” Oskanyan said.
The Armenian foreign minister pointed out that the Armenian and
Azerbaijani presidents, Robert Kocharyan and Ilham Aliyev, did not
agree on a new meeting at talks in Bucharest on 4-5 June.
“The sides agreed that a meeting would be held between the Armenian
and Azerbaijani foreign ministers if the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmen
considered it necessary,” Oskanyan said.
He noted that there was no agreement yet on a possible meeting with
his Azerbaijani counterpart. “It is up to the mediators to decide,”
Oskanyan said.
“In Bucharest, like in Rambouillet, the presidents could not agree on
one very difficult issue,” Oskanyan said. Asked what the expectations
for a possible favourable outcome of the Bucharest talks were based
on, the Armenian minister said: “Every time there are new formulas and
approaches to major issues on the negotiating table, the sides hope
that they will manage to persuade the other side to soften its
position. This did not happen in Bucharest. We should try again.”
The Armenian foreign minister pointed out that the position of the
Armenian side remained unchanged – Yerevan is ready to discuss issues
related to the elimination of the aftermath of the conflict, but only
after Azerbaijan recognizes the Nagornyy Karabakh people’s right to
self-determination.
Oskanyan said that Armenia did not feel pressure from the [OSCE]
mediators and said he doubted they would face this kind of pressure in
the future.

ZORY BALAYAN: “SUCH BOOK DOES NOT EXIST”
DeFacto Agency, Armenia
June 8 2006
During two last years the Azeri sites have been often quoting passages
from a book titled “Our Soul Revival” written by an Armenian writer
Zory Balayan, as Azeris allege. The book, allegedly, “refers to
the Hojalu events”. We publish a letter by Zory Balayan, who is in
“Kilikia” sailboat at the moment, addressed to “all mass media,
including the Azeri ones”.
“My acquaintances and unfamiliar people are repeatedly calling
“Kilikia” sailboat asking me if I have written the book titled “Our
Soul Revival” published by Vanadzor publishing house. The point
is that one and the same dirty information has been appearing in
Internet more than two years quoting, to put it mildly, nonsense
allegedly taken from my book. I do not want to lower to the level of
those who even do not realize that they first of all discredit their
own nation by insinuations of the kind.
I request that all those who ought to investigate such statements,
violations of writer’s copyrights should show the above-mentioned book
to the readers just once. If there is such a book, it is another thing.
I am quite convinced and sure that a person’s rights are not a
hollow sound, but the reality necessary in our life, so they should
be protected”.

COUNCIL OF IABP TO SUPPORT ARMENIAN OFFICE IN LEGISLATIVE ACTIVITIES IN BUSINESS SPHERE
ARKA News Agency, Armenia
June 8 2006
YEREVAN, June 8. /ARKA/. The IABP Secretary General Frederick
Hyde-Chambers told journalists in Yerevan that the Council of the
International Association of Business and Parliament (IABP) will
render assistance to the Armenian office in legislative activities
in the business sphere.
“A separate businessman can’t understand the whole economy. We are
going to use business-skills of separate businessmen, generalize them
providing information about the European economy”, Chambers said.
According to his estimates, not only the Armenian economy is in
transitional period but also it politics and society.
“I am sure that the great potential of the Armenian people will enable
to overcome this period successfully”, Chambers finds.
He emphasized that the Council of the association is very serious
towards foundation of an Armenian office and intends to render all
kind of assistance.
In his turn the Vice Speaker of the European Parliament Edward
Macmillan Scott welcomed foundation of IABP Armenian office.
“We will support the activity of the national office taking into
consideration the fact that Eurointegration process is attached great
importance in Armenia”, he said.
On June 7, IABP Armenian office was opened in Yerevan. The
IABP office has the guarantee and support of the organizations’
structure functioning in Great Britain that secures transparacny and
uncorruptedness of its activities, and may be possible resource for the
RA National Assembly from the viewpoint of exchange of international
experience.
The coordinative council of the office is already formed, and it
includes deputies of almost all factions and groups of the RA National
Assembly, as well as representatives of small, medium and large-scale
entrepreneurship and NGOs, which will act on the basis of principles
and standards worked out by the IABP.

NKR SPEAKER CONGRATULATES TOROSYAN ON NEW APPOINTMENT AS ARMENIAN SPEAKER
ARKA News Agency, Armenia
June 8 2006
STEPANAKERT, June 7. /ARKA/. NKR Speaker Ashot Gulyan sent Tigran
Torosyan a letter of congratulation on his new appointment as the
Armenian Speaker.
“We appreciate your contribution to the building and establishment of
the Armenian statehood at its true value, and, in this context, to the
introduction and strengthening of democratic values in the Armenian
socio-political life and the sphere of formation of parliamentary
traditions in Armenia,” the NKR Speaker’s letter says.
Gulyan emphasized the considerable role of Torosyan as the leader
of the Armenian delegation in the EU Parliamentary Assembly and in
the development of statehood building in Armenia. The NKR Speaker
also pointed out the comprehensive presentation of realistic ways
of a fair resolution to the Karabakh problem to the European and
international community, and also protection of the right and will of
Karabakh’s Armenians in the issue of self-determination and creation
of independent statehood.
In the end of the NKR Speaker’s letter, he expressed confidence that
Torosyan’s new appointment will doubtlessly serve as an additional
incentive for closer mutual contacts in future and the development
of the current achievements in this sphere to the benefit of the
Armenian people.

VAHAN HOVHANNISYAN SPEAKS ON EFFECTIVE PARLIAMENT OF FUTURE
Panorama.am
15:42 07/06/06
International Association of Business and Parliament will open its
Yerevan office today. According to NA vice speaker Vahan Hovhannisyan,
“the association will try to promote small and mid size businesses
in Armenia.”
The Secretary General of the Association Federik Hair Chembers noted
that 20 countries have membership in the association. He also said
they are quite serious about Armenia’s membership. Edward Macmillan
Scot, European Commission vice chairman, also said that membership
to this organization is a serious step forward for Armenia to join EU.
Hovhannisyan shared his considerations on the presence of businessmen
in our parliament. In his words, until the people have trust in law,
businessmen will try to appear in the safest place – the parliament. He
thinks it is natural that big businessmen appear in parliament as
it is not difficult for them. “When the laws are equal for all, the
businessmen will understand that their presence impedes both their
businesses and the parliament.” Then economists, lawyers and other
specialists will come to the parliament and it will become much more
effective, Hovhannisyan said.