Author: Kalantarian Kevo

GARABAGH ARMENIANS MAY JOIN TALKS ON ‘CONDITIONS’

AzerNews Weekly, Azerbaijan
April 6 2006

Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov said on Thursday that Azerbaijan
may agree to the participation of Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh Armenians
in peace talks, but warned this is possible only after they recognize
themselves as Azerbaijani citizens and honor the country’s laws.

“Armenians living in Upper Garabagh must first recognize Azerbaijan’s
territorial integrity and admit that Baku is the Azerbaijani capital
and they are ready to negotiate with us,” he said, while commenting
on some statements by Armenian and European diplomats on a possible
involvement of the Armenian community in the negotiations.

“Then they should state willingness to cooperate and live in accord
with the country’s Constitution,” said Mammadyarov, elaborating on
the conditions put forth by official Baku. The minister also said the
Armenian community’s participation in talks at this point runs counter
to Yerevan’s interests and Armenian officials’ zealous statements
to that end simply represent a “diplomatic move”. “I believe Yerevan
itself does not want the self-proclaimed Upper Garabagh republic to
be involved in the negotiations now, as they are interested in holding
talks on their own.” Mammadyarov added that the talks are under way in
the existing format, which suits Azerbaijan’s interests. Meanwhile, the
OSCE mediators brokering settlement to the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict
still hope for a peaceful solution, despite the latest unsuccessful
round of talks between Presidents Ilham Aliyev and Robert Kocharian
in France in February, which was followed by belligerent statements
by both sides. President Aliyev has said on several occasions after
the talks that Azerbaijan would regain its territories no matter
what it takes. The American co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group Steven
Mann said he still hopes for a conflict resolution this year, which
was predicted earlier. “We will now analyze the situation and map
out further steps. I can say with hope after the last meeting of the
Azeri and Armenian presidents that we can find a way to resolve the
conflict. 2006 is ideal for this.”

Mann said the next meeting of the mediators may be held in April. He
also did not rule a meeting between the two countries’ foreign
ministers soon, but did not cite a specific timeframe. Political
analyst Vafa Guluzada regarded Mann’s statement as “not serious”.

“The conflict will be resolved only if the United States recognizes
Armenia as aggressor and demands it to withdraw from the occupied Azeri
land. We can’t bind any hopes with talks,” he said. Upper Garabagh,
which is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, has both
Azerbaijani and ethnic Armenian population. It was occupied by Armenia
in early 1990s, along with seven other Azerbaijani districts, after
large-scale hostilities that killed up to 30,000 people and forced
over a million Azeris out of their homes. The ceasefire accord was
signed in 1994, but peace talks have been fruitless so far and refugees
remain stranded.

ARMENIAN FM: NO NEED TO REPLACE MEDIATORS IN KARABAKH ISSUE

PanARMENIAN.Net
07.04.2006 00:47 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ There is no need to replace mediators on settlement
of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, Armenian FM Vartan Oskanian stated
in an interview with Rossiyskaya Gazeta. In his words, the current
format, which involves states that are well familiar with the region,
is the most optimal one.

“Russia US and France enjoy sufficient confidence of the parties. At
that their mediation mission attributes more responsibility to the
parties to conflict in searching for solution,” Oskanian said.

At that Vartan Oskanian underscored that the way of compromise
is very hard and it demands political will and resoluteness from
the parties, as well as political pragmatism. “As of Armenia,
which continues efforts to settle the issue as soon as possible,
we recently displayed sufficient flexibility and we expect a similar
approach from the other party,” the Armenian FM said.

ARAM KARAPETIAN: AUTHORITIES MUST BE CHANGED FOR HOLDING FREE AND JUST ELECTIONS

Noyan Tapan
Apr 05 2006

YEREVAN, APRIL 5, NOYAN TAPAN. If there are no radical changes in
Armenia till 2007, elections will be a farce, and any person or
party participating in them will support the authorities: today’s
authorities of the country must be changed for holding free and
just elections in Armenia. Aram Karapetian, the Chairman of the
“Nor Zhamanakner” (New Times) party made such a statement, making
a speech for participants of the April 4 open-air conference of the
party. According to Karapetian, country President Robert Kocharian’s
and Defence Minister Serge Sargsian’s “night” consultations are not
aimed to solution of the Karabakh issue: “Those are aimed to one thing:
for 18 people who have robbed the country, never stand in front of the
Armenian court.” According to the speaker, the authorities want to
protect themselves at any price. For reaching this goal, Karapetian
stated, the authorities are ready to agree with the variant of
giving the liberated territories of Karabakh and holding a referendum
concerning the status of Karabakh only in 10-20 years. Aram Karapetian
expressed confidence that nothing will change in the country till 2007
parliamentary elections. According to him, “all those opposing parties,
which will make an attempt to reach agreements for having presence at
the Parliament, will cheat the people.” It is also useless to wait
for a “coloured” revolution as the authorities will be mobilized at
the elections and make an attempt to fight on whole front. “Our year
is 2006,” Aram Karapetian stated. According to him, the outer world
will put pressures on the authorities of Armenia, connected with Iran,
Karabakh, gas tariff and other problems, and “when the outer forces
start to shake the authorities,” one must be ready for acting inside.

According to Aram Karapetian, he is ready to invest financial resources
necessary for those actions. “We don’t spare to use our own money
for activizing the people. Our goal will be to activize the people,
to take them to Yerevan, then, Baghramian street and resignation,”
the Chairman of the “Nor Zhamanakner” party stated. As for the other
opposing forces, according to Karapetian, they may join actions of
the “Nor Zhamankner” party if they want, joint with their resources:
“If they don’t, we’ll do as much as we can.” The foreign political
direction of the party is clear: future Armenia must be the closest
ally of Russia,” Aram Karapetian stated. According to him, Armenia must
be able to make use of the market of Russia, and it’s necessary for
this that roads coming through Georgia open. Otherwise, according to
the speaker, a very bad situation is expected in Georgia. “Today the
Georgian state stands at the edge of degradation, and if we are not
ready for that, a great disaster is expected there for the Armenian
inhabitation,” Karapetian stated.

ARMENIAN MIGRANTS APPLY FOR RETURN TO HOMELAND

Panorama.am
16:48 04/04/06

“About 70 Armenian migrants in Switzerland turned to Federal
Administration of Migration in Bern with the request to send them back
to homeland,” informed the representative of Swiss Administration
Philip Goley in the interview to Panortama.am. “At the moment
Switzerland is waiting for their passports,” P. Goley informed.

To note, the program of return of Armenian migrants on the basis of the
agreement between Armenian and Swiss Governments has been working for
6 years already. In the course of the first stage of the realization
of the program 9 families (24 people) returned to Armenia. As the
head of RA Migration Department Gagik Aghanyan mentioned 5 families
of the above mentioned 9 have already established their own business,
3 people passed courses of specialized education, 4 people received
the proper grants and pensions.

>From November 2005 the RA Government began realizing the same program
with French Government, whereas it is necessary to have interstate
agreements to be able to return migrants. Armenia has such agreements
signed with Litva, Denmark and Switzerland. At the moment negotiations
are conducted with a number of other countries. In the meantime, as the
OSCE representative in Armenia Ovsanna Babayn informed Panorama.am,
Armenian citizens generally leave for Russia (90%), the Ukraine and
Kazakhstan for work.

SHORTAGE OF A1+ AND FREEDOM OF SPEECH

Lragir.am
04 April 06

On April 2, 2002, when A1+ TV Company was closed down, 19 mass
media stated that freedom of speech is not endangered in Armenia,
thus revealing that freedom of speech is endangered in Armenia,
stated the director of A1+ TV Company Mesrop Movsisyan.

According to the director of A1+, today there is a demand of political
and information programs, but the heads of channels are guided by the
principle “better to earn money than inflict troubles on ourselves,”
and prefer to spend money on soap operas. The viewers go out to
protest, “but it is all ignored.” That is why the Armenian viewers
prefer Russian channels, and watch the local news after the Russian
news programs only. Mesrop Movsisyan thinks A1+ has become a symbol
of freedom of speech, and unfortunately, when closing down A1+,
the government could not imagine that it would turn into an issue of
freedom of speech. “When they were able to imagine, they started a
wrong struggle.”

Mesrop Movsisyan thinks that the problem of A1+ could be solved
by interference from the outside, for instance, on a ruling of the
European Court. However, since A1+ was closed down, there have been
several dozens of stipulations from outside, but A1+ still is not on
air. “Because these stipulations were formal. These were formulated
so as to do nothing,” thinks Mesrop Movsisyan.

For his part, Speaker Arthur Baghdasaryan stated on the same day that
he misses A1+ and would like to see it again on air.

ARMENIA AND RUSSIA MUST COME TO ACCORD ON FIXED PRICE FOR GAS DURING COMING 10-15 YEARS

ARKA News Agency, Armenia
April 4 2006

YEREVAN, April 4. /ARKA/. Armenia and Russia must come to an accord
on fixed price for gas during coming 10-15 years, as the Chairman of
the Christian-Democratic Union of Armenia Khosrov Harutyunyan stated
during the interview with the local “Armenia” TV-company.

“The fact that Russia raises the price for gas is not important today,
it could do this from pure economic viewpoint. In case with Armenia
the important thing is that Russia doesn’t want to see the difference
between its strategic partner and other consumers, which are not in
such allied relations and don’t have strategic agreements with Russia”,
Harutyunyan stated.

“Either Russia has unilaterally reconsidered the essence, content,
degree of its relations with Armenia or it proceeds along this path”,
Harutyunyan finds.

In his words, both of these cases must be taken as a reality and
don’t feel offended by Russia.

At the same time Harutyunyan finds that Armenia must take corresponding
steps, “in order gas price not to hang over it as sword of Damocles”.

“We must have principle approach to this problem and come to fixed
price for nearest 10-15 years”, he stated.

FM OF NKR: “MEDIATORS MUST REALIZE THEIR MORAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR PRESERVATION OF CEASE-FIRE REGIME”

Regnum, Russia
April 3 2006

Importance of realization by all mediators, and interested
international institutions and organizations their moral responsibility
for preservation of cease-fire regime, as well as inadmissibility
of resorting to force or this threat in Nagorno Karabakh conflict
zone, stressed Foreign Minister of Nagorno Karabakh Georgy Petrosyan
during meeting with co-Chairs of American-Russian Working group of
the Dartmouth Conference on regional conflicts Harold Saunders (USA)
and Vitaly Naumkin (Russia), who stayed in Nagorno Karabakh during
their regional visit.

As a REGNUM correspondent was informed at the NKR Foreign Ministry,
the parties discussed draft framework agreement on peace process,
developed in accordance with results of a nine-round dialogue between
Azerbaijan, Armenian, and Nagorno Karabakh public representatives
in the framework of the Dartmouth Conference. At the meeting, the
co-chairs presented main ideas and principles founded in the draft
document, mentioning its compromise character. According to them,
the project of the framework agreement does not propose a solution –
it is aimed at creating of conditions for a stable dialogue between
the conflict parties.

Appreciating efforts of the Working Group to find ways for mutually
acceptable conflict solution, the head of NKR Foreign Ministry
stressed as positive fact, participation of Nagorno Karabakh public
representative in dialogue within the framework of the Dartmouth
Conference.

PanARMENIAN.Net

Interview

Victor Krivopuskov:

Russia Responsible for fair Settlement of Karabakh
Conflict

The Nagorno Karabakh conflict has been much spoken
about recently. 2006 was declared the “year of final
deal”. In this view the opinion of a person, who was
in Stepanakert at the very beginning of the conflict
and is well aware of the history and development of
the opposition between Nagorno Karabakh is important.
PanARMENIAN.Net requested chief of the staff of the
investigation-operation group of the Nagorno Karabakh
Autonomous Region in 1900-1991 and presently President
of the Society of Friendship and Cooperation with
Armenia Victor Krivopuskov to answer a number of
questions.

31.03.2006 GMT+04:00

How well is the Russian political elite informed of
the Nagorno Karabakh conflict?

Information blockade over the Nagorno Karabakh problem
has been created in Russia. In general the Russian
political elite is badly informed of the Nagorno
Karabakh conflict. “Publications are few in number,
not to mention TV programs. The situation with
websites has improved a bit lately, but they do not
change the whole picture.

The Russian state media trying not to arouse
Azerbaijan’s discontent do not call things by their
proper names and thus prefer to write nothing about
the conflict. “Over this reason the major part of our
political elite and the society have poor knowledge
not only of Karabakh’s present problems but also of
the true causes of the conflict.

A new generation of Russians grew up during the recent
15 years. It means a new generation of politicians who
are unaware of the conflict. I have many times heard
people say that Karabakh is inhabited by Azerbaijanis
and that Armenians are Muslims. People are unaware of
the age-old friendship between the Armenian and
Russian people, of the significant role the Armenians
of Karabakh played 200 years ago in the liberation of
Armenia from the Persian and Ottoman yoke and
self-willed joining Russia.

What is the role of Russia in the conflict settlement?

I would like to believe that Russia deals with the
Karabakh settlement not only as the OSCE Minsk Group
Co-chair. Russia as no other party is first of all
interested inn maintenance of peace in the Caucasus.
Being the assignee of the Soviet Union Russia is
responsible for the alienation of Nagorno Karabakh
from Armenia in 1992 that took place through the fault
of Bolshevik Russia and consequently for the fair
resolution of the Karabakh problem.

I also regret over the exchange of welcome telegrams
between the Foreign Ministries of Russia and Turkey on
the anniversary of Moscow Treaty signed on March 16,
1921. “To put it mildly, it was odd to mark the date
when the Western Armenian territories as well as the
Kars region and Surmalu district belonging to Russia
were conveyed to Turkey

Everyone, who knows the history a bit understand that
it was a hazardous agreement concluded without
participation of representative of Armenia of that
time in order to involve young Turks in the promotion
of world socialist revolution in the Near East. As
result Turks behaved with traditional eastern
delicacy. They not only saved Sultan Empire from
division but also received from Soviet Russia new
territories and succeeded in smashing Eastern Armenia
to three pieces. And now it would be appropriate to
renounce the historical venture of Bolshevik
predecessors and keep silent. By the way I won’t be
surprised if October 13 our MFA will celebrate the
85th anniversary of the Kars agreement that confirmed
the outcomes of the shameful Moscow agreement.

In your opinion what can the Karabakh conflict
settlement model look like?

The conflict settlement model should necessarily
provide for reasonable and bloodless approach
proceeding from the true but not distorted history of
the region with the complete maintenance of human
right including the right to self-determination. As a
man well aware of the history of Karabakh and as the
author of “Rebellious Karabakh” book I want to believe
in a fair settlement model, the fairest model that
will bring people back to peaceful and friendly
co-existence. But such model seems to be doomed to
failure in the near future.

The history will severely punish the politicians, who
in response to fair aspiration of the Armenian
population of Nagorno Karabakh, provoked and allowed
bloody national collision between two peoples in
Azerbaijan since 1988.

Armenian lobby is active in the United States, France
and other countries. How strong is the Armenian lobby
in Russia?

Judging from the development of the Russian-Armenian
relations the Armenian lobby in Russia is probably
absent. Even if it exists its role is unnoticeable.
Despite the successful development of relationships
between the two states the potential of friendship is
not fully used, Armenians within the Russian public
and political elite are not to blame for it.

First of all because the notion of lobbying in Russia
is still too young. Lobbying implies open contribution
to the power bodies in taking favorable decisions
excluding bribery. Unfortunately, today pushing of
interests at any level in Russia has acquired the form
of shadow lobbying. At that Russia lacks the law on
lobbying and the attempts to introduce the bill to the
Russian State Duma in 1992, 1995 and 2000 were a
failure. Thus, with the transparent and public form of
lobbying it’s improperly to speak of the availability
of Armenian lobby in Russia, the Russian politician
considers. Armenians independently of citizenship are
always potential lobbyists of Russia’s interests both
within the society and at the international level.

“PanARMENIAN.Net”, 31.03.2006

Armenia hopes EU will pressure Turkey to open its border

ABHaber, Belgium
March 31 2006

Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian expressed Yerevan’s hope
that Turkey will be pressured by the European Union to open its border
with Armenia during the EU membership process.

Oskanian made the remarks at a press conference in Washington on
Wednesday following his contacts in the U.S.

Underlining that Armenia has no pre-conditions for the opening of the
border, Oskanian said, “Turkish-Armenian border is the only closed
border gate in Europe. We hope Turkey will be pressured to open it
during its bid to join the bloc.”

Turkey is considering reopening its border with Armenia on the
condition that Yerevan commits to a partial pullout from the occupied
Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan and within the process of
normalization of relations between Ankara and Yerevan. Ankara seeks
a withdrawal from four regions in Nagorno-Karabakh and believes that
such a move can facilitate a comprehensive agreement between Yerevan
and the Azeri capital Baku.

Oskanian also stated that Yerevan supports the establishment of
diplomatic relations with Ankara.

Touching on the Armenian genocide claims, Oskanian said that his
country doesn’t want any discussions on his country’s thesis. In a
move to lash out at Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s
proposal to establish a joint commission composed of Armenian and
Turkish historians to study the genocide claims, Oskanian said,
“Erdogan’s suggestion aims to give Europe the impression that
Turkey is “on trail” in this issue. First of all there is no need
to reinvestigate the issue which is proved by documents. Secondly,
it is apparent that Turkish historians won’t confirm the existence of
“genocide” as a result of their studies since in Turkey it is even
forbidden to voice the word “genocide”.”

PRESS RELEASE
The National Citizens’ Initiative
75 Yerznkian Street
Yerevan 375033, Armenia
Tel.: (+374 – 10) 27.16.00, 27.00.03
Fax: (+374 – 10) 52.48.46
Email: [email protected]
Website:

March 31, 2006

NCI Focuses on Armenia’s Informational Predicament

Yerevan–The National Citizens’ Initiative (NCI) today convened a
roundtable on “Ways to Surmount Armenia’s Information Crisis.” The
meeting brought together social and political activists, human rights
advocates, analysts, experts, and media representatives.

NCI coordinator Hovsep Khurshudian welcomed the audience with
opening remarks: “Today, when some politicians of the opposition
and independent analysts are hopeful that a real opportunity
has emerged for the upcoming parliamentary elections to be held
freely and in compliance with the standards of democracy, even
without the restoration of the right of the A1+ and Noyan Tapan
independent television companies to broadcast, reminds me of the year
2002. Following the closing down of these stations, a number of people
were then confident that the rule of law would be established in the
country as the result of the upcoming presidential elections and that
the violated rights would be restored. We recall all too well what
occurred then, and it appears that every condition now exists for a
repetition of the whole scenario.”

In his intervention on “The Effects of Shutting Down A1+ and Noyan
Tapan on the Right of Armenia’s Citizens to Receive Information
and the Means for Overcoming These Effects,” president of the A1+
Television Company Mesrop Movsisian briefly presented the history
of this matter. In his words, the 19 media organizations which after
the notorious contest in 2002 signed a joint declaration deeming the
contest as legitimate in fact signed the verdict not only against
their own freedom of speech but on that of the entire country.

Movsisian finds that the shutting down of A1+ and Noyan Tapan is a
concern not for television stations alone but for the entire population
of Armenia.

He stated that his television company’s petition submitted to
the European Court of Human Rights was now in the process of
examination. According to Movsisian, liberal competition among
electronic media has come to an end in Armenia and as a result there is
a setback not only in terms of unimpeded dissemination of information
but also in the appraisal of journalistic professionalism. And all
of this in its turn has brought forth a severe limitation on Armenian
citizens’ right to receive information.

During his talk concerning “The Impact of the Informational Emergency
on Armenia’s Political Establishment,” Noyan Tapan News Agency’s
analyst Davit Petrosian began his intervention with the words of
the prominent human rights advocate, Academician Andrei Sakharov,
who said that the ruling power ‘s “making a fool” of the people
with the help of the media is no less perilous than terrorism and
dictatorship. He criticized the policy of Armenia’s rulers in making a
“fool” of their own people, adding that the opposition likewise was
not presenting any specific program toward taking the country out of
this informational blockade. Petrosian called attention to the need
to prepare mechanisms for safeguarding the financial independence
of the press. He at the same time accepted Hovsep Khurshudian’s
assertion that in a free market competition television companies
that are professional would make more profitable use of commercials,
whereas the latter should be prohibited in public television, which
receives nearly the same amount from the state budget as the country’s
entire scientific domain, and even under such privileged conditions
and in line with all surveys its rating does not surpass the No 6 spot.

The remainder of the session was devoted to exchanges of views
and policy recommendations among the public figures and policy
specialists in attendance. Also noteworthy were interventions by
Armenia’s first Ombudswoman Larisa Alaverdian; chairman of the “Hetk”
Union of Investigative Journalists Edik Baghdasarian; attorney Vahe
Grigorian; research director of the Armenian Center for National and
International Studies Stiopa Safarian; chairman of Armenian Helsinki
Association Mikael Danielian; Aravot daily’s correspondent Anna
Israelian; Zhamanak daily’s special correspondent Carmen Davtian; A1+
journalist Diana Markosian; Noyan Tapan analyst Susanna Petrosian;
Artak Zeinalian of the Republic Party; Ruzan Khachaturian from the
People’s Party of Armenia; Zoya Tadevosian and Gevorg Kalenchian of
the Heritage Party; Catholic Relief Services Program Director Aida
Arutiunova; chairman Karen Hakobian of the “Huis” NGO; members of
other social organizations; university lecturers; and many others.

The National Citizens’ Initiative is a public non-profit association
founded in December 2001 by Raffi K. Hovannisian, his colleagues,
and fellow citizens with the purpose of realizing the rule of law
and overall improvements in the state of the state, society, and
public institutions.

The National Citizens’ Initiative is guided by a Coordinating
Council, which includes individual citizens and representatives of
various public, scientific, and educational establishments. Five
commissions on Law and State Administration, Socioeconomic Issues,
Foreign Policy, Spiritual and Cultural Challenges, and the Youth
constitute the vehicles for the Initiative’s work and outreach.

For further information, please call (37410) 27-16-00 or 27-00-03;
fax (37410) 52-48-46; email [email protected]; or visit