Author: Kalashian Nyrie

REPORT ON FIRES WAS EXTENDED TO NKR FOREIGN MINISTRY
Lragir.am
21 July 06
NKR Ministry of Foreign Affairs reports that on July 20, Deputy Foreign
Minister of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic Masis Mayilian received Field
Assistant of Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office
(PRC-i-O) Gunter Folk.
During the meeting Mr. Folk delivered NKR Deputy Foreign Minister a
report of the Office of the OSCE PRC-i-O on inflammations, which took
place in the contact-line zone of Azerbaijan and Nagorno Karabakh
armed forces.
As it was informed before on June 15, 2006, the NKR Ministry of Foreign
Affairs addressed to the Office of the OSCE Personal Representative
Chairman-in-Office with a request to conduct a monitoring in bordering
with Azerbaijan zone for giving real estimate to the situation and
making certain of the strained accusations of Baku on the alleged
burnings of the adjoining settlements on the territories controlled by
the Nagorno Karabakh Republic. On July 3-5 the OSCE mission conducted
a series of monitorings in the bordering zone. By the results of the
monitorings a corresponding report was prepared.
At present the document is being studied at the NKR Ministry of Foreign
Affairs and one can already ascertain that the OSCE mission did not
reveal any facts of damage caused by fire to the settlements, situated
in the NKR security zone, as the Azerbaijani side tried to present.

MILITARY SERVICE DODGERS MAKE BUDGET RICHER $2.4 MILLION
Armenpress
YEREVAN, JULY 19, ARMENPRESS: Armenian authorities have collected 1.1
billion Drams ($2.4 million) in a little more than two years as fines
from Armenian males who dodged mandatory military service since 1992.
Under a law passed by the Armenian parliament and enforced in 2004
Armenian males who escaped obligatory military service can be exempted
from criminal prosecution if they pay a penalty equivalent to more
than $3000 at present prices.
Sedrak Sedrakian, a senior officer of the defense ministry, said
they had received 1,722 applications from dodgers, but only 1,612
were approved.
Sedrakian said the majority of applicants are those who have reached
the age of 27, beyond which males are not called up and who have two
children, which also exempts them from military service.

USA, France, Russia in Secret Talks on Karabakh – Azeri Daily
Ayna Baku
19 Jul 06
Ekspress, Baku
19 Jul 06
Washington, Moscow and Paris are in secret talks on expanding the OSCE
Minsk Group which is mediating peace negotiations between Azerbaijan
and Armenia, Baku-based daily Ayna reported on 19 July.
“Washington has already started secret talks on this with Moscow and
Paris. The conflicting sides and the public in the two countries will
be informed of the talks if its results are positive… The USA wants
to see the UK, Turkey and Germany among the co-chairs [of the OSCE
Minsk Group],” Ayna quoted a diplomatic source as saying.
The source explained the secrecy of the talks with possible protests
from the conflicting sides, especially from Armenia. Ayna said that
Azerbaijani political analysts and experts supported the idea of
involving more countries in the mediation mission but it doubted that
this would be made possible soon because of Yerevan’s objections.
In an interview with Azadinform news agency, carried by Ekspress
newspaper on 19 July, the head of the foreign relations department
at the Azerbaijani presidential administration, Novruz Mammadov, said
that the international community should not be critical of Azerbaijan’s
desire to liberate its lands from Armenian occupation through war.
Mammadov added that the international community should spare no
effort in resolving the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict since this was
important for the regional security. Commenting on reports that the
problem could not be resolved militarily due to the launch of the
Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline, he said that Azerbaijan had the
right to independently liberate its lands from Armenia’s occupation
and that it could use this right any time.

Nagorno Karabakh foreign ministry: “Solutions can be found only with
participation of legally elected NKR authorities”
Regnum, Russia
July 18 2006
“One may only welcome the statement of the Great Eight countries on
support of mediation efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group and on necessity
to coordinate basic principles of peaceful resolution of the Nagorno
Karabakh conflict,” stated Nagorno Karabakh Foreign Minister Georgy
Petrosyan, when commenting on statements made during the G8 summit
in St. Petersburg to REGNUM.
In his words, “Nagorno Karabakh has always advocated peaceful
resolution of the problem and is ready to spare no effort to come to
agreement over establishing long-term peace in the region.
Unfortunately, not everything depends on the mediators.” “Considering
Azerbaijan’s extremely destructive position and its unwillingness to
be in any contact with Nagorno Karabakh it is very difficult to find
an acceptable and fair solution to date,” the minister said.
According to him, the president of the Russian Federation has fairly
noted that Russia is not going to impose any solutions on the parties
to the conflict and that the compromise must be reached by people.
“Taking into account the Russian Federation’s readiness to become
a guarantor of fulfillment of the agreements, we remind once more
that the achievement of solutions, directly concerning the future of
our country and our people, is possible only with participation of
representatives of legally elected authorities of the Nagorno Karabakh
Republic, the main and the most suffered party to the conflict,”
Petrosyan said.

Azerbaijan’s stability and development is stability and development of entire Caucasus – deputy FM of Japan
TREND Information, Azerbaijan
July 14 2006
Source: Trend
Author: S.Agayeva
14.07.2006
Azerbaijan’s stability and development is stability and development of
entire Caucasus, Trend quotes Akino Yamanaka, deputy Foreign Minister
of Japan, who was speaking July 14 in Baku at the briefing on the
totals of bilateral meetings with Azerbaijan’s governmental officials.
Japan, she said, pays much attention to development of bilateral
relations with Azerbaijan. Diplomat highly appraised democratization
processes in Azerbaijan and transition to market economy. Normal
development of Azerbaijan’s economy, she said, requires parallel
progressing both oil and non-oil sectors. “We are ready to help
Azerbaijan and provide technical assistance to the government in
personnel training”.
Issues of regional an international nature, as well as economic
cooperation development, Ms Yamanaka discussed with Prime Minister
Artur Rasizadeh, Vice-premier Abid Sharifov, Foreign Minister Elmar
Mamedyarov and chief of President’s Administration Novruz Mamedov.
Ms Yamanaka said Japan is ready to develop economic cooperation
and implement new projects in Azerbaijan. “In order to identify new
economic opportunities, in the closest time an economic conference
will take place with participation of the two countries businessmen”,
Ms Yamanaka said.
Speaking of the settlement of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Japanese
official stated Japan’s hope for its peaceful ending and settlement.

Le Monde, France
14 juillet 2006
Kirk Kerkorian L’homme de tous les jackpots;
Vendeur de journaux, boxeur, pilote d’avion, joueur de poker et
financier intraitable, le principal actionnaire individuel du
constructeur automobile americain, General Motors, est un homme
presse
par Eric Leser
C’est un joueur ne avec un sixième sens hors du commun pour detecter
de la valeur “, explique Lee Iacocca, ancien president de Chrysler.
Fils d’immigres armeniens, ne il y quatre-vingt- neuf ans en
Californie, le milliardaire Kirk Kerkorian est de son vivant un mythe
du capitalisme americain. Secret, reclus, craint, souvent compare a
Howard Hughes, il fuit comme la peste les mondanites et les medias.
Meme s’il possède un Boeing 737 et un yacht de 60 mètres et a un
faible pour les costumes Brioni, il cultive la discretion. Les
bureaux a Los Angeles de sa holding Tracinda, contraction des prenoms
de ses deux filles, Tracy et Linda, sont situes dans une petite rue
de Beverly Hills. Le nom de la societe ne figure meme pas sur la
porte. Il est pourtant l’archetype du capitaliste aventurier, du
joueur de poker avec des mises de centaines de millions de dollars.
Surnomme par la presse ” Capitaine Kirk “, il a reussi le tour de
force de vendre deux fois sa compagnie aerienne (Trans International
Airlines) et quatre fois la Metro Goldwyn Mayer (MGM), le celèbre
studio hollywoodien dont a meme fini par heriter un temps le Credit
lyonnais. Utilisant le produit de la vente de la MGM en 1989 au
mafieux Giancarlo Parretti, il entre en decembre 1990 dans le capital
de Chrysler pour en devenir le principal actionnaire. Il veut en
prendre le contrôle, echoue, mais ramasse tout de meme un benefice de
plus de 1,7 milliard de dollars lorsque Chrysler est finalement
rachete par l’Allemand Daimler. Son irruption l’an dernier dans le
capital de General Motors (GM) semble obeir a la meme logique.
Les traits burines et la chevelure grise ondulante sur les rares
photographies, il apparaît dans le classement du magazine Forbes a la
19e place des fortunes americaines avec 10 milliards de dollars.
Selon la legende, elève turbulent, il est chasse de plusieurs ecoles
avant de multiplier les petits boulots pendant la Grande Depression
pour aider sa famille a survivre. A 9 ans, Kerkor vend des journaux.
A 13, il devient boxeur et americanise son prenom en Kirk. Sa
première vraie passion est l’aviation. Il obtient sa licence de
pilote de ligne en 1940 et fait voler pendant toute la guerre des
Mosquito flambant neufs du Canada a l’Ecosse pour la RAF britannique.
A la fin des annees 1940, il prend son essor, amenage un bimoteur et
transporte des accrocs du jeu, comme lui, de Los Angeles a Las Vegas
dans le Nevada. Il achète en 1947 pour 60 000 dollars une petite
compagnie qu’il rebaptise pompeusement la Trans International
Airlines. Il la vendra une première fois en 1962, la rachètera et la
cedera definitivement en 1968, realisant au passage une copieuse
plus-value.
Avec l’argent de la première vente en 1962, il realise une formidable
operation immobilière. Il met la main sur 32 hectares de terrain a
Las Vegas pour moins de 1 million de dollars. Il y construit trois
hôtels casinos, a l’epoque les plus grands du monde, et fait de cette
ville perdue au milieu du desert la capitale mondiale du jeu. Deux de
ces etablissements, le MGM Grand et le Hilton, brûlent
mysterieusement en 1980. Kirk Kerkorian prend alors ses distances
avec Las Vegas.
Entre-temps, il s’est lance dans le cinema. Il acquiert en 1969, pour
82 millions de dollars, 40 % des studios MGM. A la faveur d’une OPA
(offre publique d’achat) hostile, il prend en 1979 le contrôle de la
totalite du capital du studio, qu’il fusionne avec United Artists.
Selon une technique bien rodee, il vend et rachète ensuite a quatre
reprises la Metro Goldwyn Mayer, a Ted Turner en 1985, au groupe
australien Quintex en 1989, a Giancarlo Parretti, en fait le Credit
Lyonnais, en 1990, et a Sony l’an dernier. Il a constitue une bonne
partie de sa fortune avec ses allers et retours.
Avant de ceder le studio, a chaque fois, Kirk Kerkorian le vide d’une
bonne partie de sa substance financière. Cela lui permet de financer
ses aventures dans l’automobile et son retour a Las Vegas. Il est
redevenu le roi de la cite du jeu en mettant la main en 2000 sur le
groupe Mirage et en 2004 sur Mandalay Bay Resorts. Il contrôle la
moitie des grands hôtels casinos du ” strip ” (la grande avenue de la
cite du jeu).
” Quand vous etes un self-made-man, vous commencez tôt dans la vie.
Je ramenais de l’argent a la maison a l’âge de 9 ans. Vous avez alors
une volonte differente, bien plus forte qu’un heritier “, declarait
Kirk Kerkorian dans une rare interview accordee il y a de nombreuses
annees au Los Angeles Times. Il est fidèle a ses origines et a donne
des centaines de millions de dollars a l’Armenie pour construire des
routes, des ponts, restaurer l’Opera d’Erevan. Le gouvernement
armenien a voulu baptiser une avenue et meme un aeroport a son nom,
il a toujours refuse.
” Il est timide. Il n’a pas fait d’etudes. A la maison, ses parents,
qui ne savaient ni lire ni ecrire, parlaient l’armenien. Il a appris
l’anglais dans la rue. Cela ne l’empeche pas d’etre dans les affaires
le personnage le plus redoutable qui soit. Il ne fait aucun sentiment
et possède une determination incroyable. Ce n’est meme plus l’argent
qui le motive, mais le succès “, souligne l’economiste en chef de la
Comerica Bank, David Littman.
Après avoir pris, en 2005, 9,9 % du capital de GM, il entend
rentabiliser au plus vite son investissement de 1,5 milliard de
dollars. Carlos Ghosn, le patron de Renault et Nissan, encense par
les analystes financiers, est l’homme qu’il lui faut a la tete de GM.
Pour forcer la main du conseil d’administration de GM, Kirk Kerkorian
n’hesitera pas sur les moyens. Il ne l’a jamais fait.
Une semaine seulement après le dîner du 15 mai a Nashville dans le
Tennessee, où il evoquait pour la première fois avec Carlos Ghosn la
possibilite d’une entree dans le capital de GM, le magazine Business
Week s’interrogeait sur la possibilite de voir le patron de Renault
devenir le sauveur de General Motors. Les fuites avaient ete bien
organisees. Elles n’ont pas suffi.
Le milliardaire a alors adresse quelques semaines plus tard une
lettre au PDG de GM, Rick Wagoner, rendue publique a la fin du mois
dernier. Cette fois, General Motors, Renault et Nissan ont ete
contraints de negocier selon le calendrier dicte par Capitaine Kirk.
Eric Leser
–Boundary_(ID_042bARksPvWA4jTnvzzXTQ)–

European Parliament Postponed Vote on Turkey’s Accession till September
PanARMENIAN.Net
12.07.2006 14:11 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Vote on the draft resolution on “Turkey’s
progress toward accession” which should have been voted on
Wednesday, July 12th by the Committee for Foreign Affairs of
the European Parliament was postponed due to practical reasons,
reported the European Armenian Federation for Justice and Democracy
(EAFJD). The major reason for delay was the late translation of the
numerous amendments. These amendments were submitted only on Monday
afternoon to the various political groups, which did not leave time
to them to prepare for the vote. The European Parliament resolution
will finally be voted on the first week of September (4-7/09) by the
Foreign Affairs Committee and eventually on the last week of September
in the plenary session.
To remind, the other day members of the leading European Parliament
factions offered to introduce the Armenian Genocide issue and opening
of borders with Armenia without any preconditions as the items of
the agenda of the EU-Turkey talks.

Journalist’s Sentence Confirmed in Turkey
NRC Handelsblad (Dutch Daily Newspaper)
12 July 2006
Istanbul, 12 July- The Turkish Court of Appeal confirmed the sentence
of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink because of “insulting the
Turkish identity”. In October last year Dink was given a suspended
prison sentence of a half year by a lower court. In his newspaper
“Agos” he had written that Armenians should distance themselves from
hating Turks, saying that it “poisons your blood”. Earlier this year
Dink told NRC Handelsblad that his intention had been to say that
Armenians should face the future instead of the atrocious past of the
Turkish Genocide of the Armenians. But according to the court Dink’s
pronouncements came down to saying there is poison in Turkish blood.
(AFP – Dutch News Agency)

ARMENIA: FEW OBJECTIONS TO MEDIATORS’ KARABAKH STATEMENT
Haroutiun Khachatrian 7/10/06
EurasiaNet, NY
July 10 2006
Senior Armenian government officials and political leaders appear to
have reconciled themselves with a top American diplomat’s disclosure
of details of a draft peace agreement covering Nagorno-Karabakh.
In a June 22 interview with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, US
Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs
Matthew Bryza revealed the existence of a framework agreement that
would resolve the 18-year conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
[For background see the Eurasia Insight archive]. The framework
envisages the withdrawal of Armenian forces from the occupied
territories around Karabakh, as well as “a vote at some point in the
future” on Karabakh’s status, and a “normalization of Armenia’s ties”
that would allow an international peacekeeping presence and economic
assistance to the disputed region.
In a July 5 interview with the Haykakan Zhamanak daily newspaper,
Bryza explained that his comments were part of a new strategy
endorsed by the Minsk Group’s French and Russian co-chairs to promote
public discussion of the peace framework. “It is not my decision
to disclose the [framework agreement’s] principles,” said Bryza,
recently appointed as US co-chairperson of the Minsk Group, the body
tasked by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe
with moderating talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan. “It was the
decision of the three co-chairs, taken even before I became co-chair.”
In Armenia, initial government reaction to the interview was
emotional. Anger appeared targeted more at what was perceived to have
been left unsaid, than at what was actually disclosed about the draft
agreement. On June 26, the official newspaper Hayastani Hanrapetutiun
published a story on Bryza’s comments under the title “Provocation
or Pressure?” In the piece, the Armenian Foreign Ministry cited what
it perceived as the gaps in the information provided by Bryza. The
ministry stated that the regions connecting Armenia with Karabakh,
Lachin and Kelbajar, are expected to remain under Armenian control
until a referendum on the enclave’s status is held. During the period
preceding the vote, Karabakh, according to the ministry, would also
be given an internationally recognized status.
Following Bryza’s disclosures, President Robert Kocharian stated that
Armenia was ready to adopt the document as the basis for further
negotiations, whereas Azerbaijan appeared reluctant to endorse the
draft agreement. The Armenian side, however, has denied a July 3
report on the Azerbaijani news site Day.az, which quoted Azerbaijani
Deputy Foreign Minister Araz Azimov as saying that Kocharian and
Aliyev would meet July 17 to discuss a Karabakh settlement.
Notably, no political party or public organization in Armenia has
objected to the proposed Armenian withdrawal from the seven occupied
territories, often termed “liberated” by Armenian organizations and
politicians. The prospect of such a swap has been called “reasonable”
by opposition leader Aram Sargsian, head of the Hanarpetutiun
(Republic) Party and brother of the late defense minister Vazgen
Sargsian, founder of the Yerkrapah organization of war veterans.
In Armenia, public debate on the issue has intensified amid speculation
about possible new disclosures about the peace negotiations. On June
26, presidential spokesperson Viktor Soghomonian told the Mediamax
news agency that Yerevan may make public all documents relating to
the peace talks over the last seven to eight years, including papers
covering the 2001 presidential summit in Key West, Florida. It was
at that meeting that Kocharian and the late Azerbaijani President
Heidar Aliyev reportedly agreed in principle on a peace deal, only
to see the supposed agreement unravel within weeks. [For background
see the Eurasia Insight archive].
Hayots Ashkharh, another pro-government daily, commented that by
disclosing such documents, Yerevan would “restrict the room for
maneuver” for Baku. The commentary went on to claim that Azerbaijan
is a frequent source of inaccurate information concerning the peace
talks. Despite the urgings of politicians and analysts, however,
the Armenian government has not yet released the documents.
In their absence, key questions about the proposed framework agreement
linger. In a July 6 editorial entitled “Let’s Discuss, But What?,” the
daily newspaper Aravot wondered whether the referendum on Karabakh’s
status would be held among the enclave’s actual population, as proposed
by Armenia, or among the residents of Azerbaijan, as advocated by the
Azerbaijani government. The newspaper also queried whether Lachin and
Kelbajar would remain under the control of Armenian forces before
the referendum is held, or whether they would be demilitarized,
as proposed by Azerbaijan.
Analysts seem sharply divided about the known features of the
framework peace deal. For example, scientist Alexander Iskandarian
was quoted by the Hayots Ashkharh daily on July 6 as saying framework
agreement favors Armenia as never before. But others, including 168
Zham newspaper columnist Armen Baghdasarian, maintain that war with
Azerbaijan seems inevitable since Baku would not risk a legitimate
referendum on the enclave’s status.
Editor’s Note: Haroutiun Khachatrian is a Yerevan-based writer
specializing in economic and political affairs.

Azeri political analysts downplay Iran’s Karabakh mediation offer
Yeni Musavat, Baku
9 Jul 06
Text of M. Qasimbayli’s report by Azerbaijani newspaper Yeni Musavat
on 9 July headlined “Can Iran be a mediator” and subheaded “Aydin
Mirzazada: ‘Tehran provides extensive assistance to occupying
Armenia'” and also subheaded “Rasim Musabayov: ‘This proposal is
unfeasible”
The recent statements by Iranian ambassador to Azerbaijan Afshar
Soleymani on the settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict has
caused a lot of interest in the country. During his visit to the
villages of Tovuz District bordering Armenia two days ago, the
ambassador said that all the countries bordering the conflicting
sides – Azerbaijan and Armenia – should be involved in the mediation
effort.
The ambassador even proposed Iran’s inclusion in the OSCE Minsk
Group. Soleymani said that the group has failed to properly fulfil
its mission and Azerbaijan may ensure its territorial integrity if
peace talks on the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict collapse.
The mediation proposal of the Iranian ambassador is viewed as
positive, but unfeasible.
An MP from the [ruling] New Azerbaijan Party, Aydin Mirzazada, said
that Soleymani’s statement is interesting and shows that Iran is
interested in the settlement of the Karabakh conflict as soon as
possible. But he said that Iran is not a member of the OSCE. This
issue can be legally addressed only if another international
organization receives a mandate to broker the settlement of the
Karabakh conflict, he said.
“Turkey’s membership of the OSCE Minsk Group was discussed, but
rejected because both conflicting sides should agree to a country’s
mediation as a co-chair. It was not possible because Armenia did not
agree to Turkey’s mediation. In any case it is a positive fact that
Iran has put forward a proposal to mediate the talks. But we should
not forget that Iran’s extensive assistance to the occupying country
is one of the reasons why Armenia keeps Azerbaijani territories under
occupation. It is true that they [Iran] explain it by a desire to
maintain good relations with its neighbours. Anyhow, there is
something wrong about this issue. Iran recognizes Azerbaijan’s
territorial integrity and declares Armenia’s occupation of our
territories. But at the same time Armenia has access to the world
through Iran. Armenia would have liberated our territories a long
time ago, had it not been for Iran’s gas and military assistance and
commercial relations with that country. We must be open about this –
we would be very happy to see Iran, a country that wants to mediate
the Karabakh talks, put pressure on Armenia.”
Mirzazada believes that the Azerbaijani government may react to
Iran’s official appeal for the mediation in the Karabakh conflict.
“An official appeal may have already been made, but I am not aware of
this. But a response will be given if such an appeal is made,” he
said.
Political analyst Rasim Musabayov also stressed that Iran is not a
member of the OSCE Minsk Group and cannot be represented in it. Rasim
bay [form of address], recalled that Iran actually mediated between
Armenia and Azerbaijan in 1992 and the bitter experience of that
mediation can still be felt.
“They organized talks at the highest level and invited the
presidents. The Armenians occupied our territories before the ink on
the signed document dried up,” he said.
Nevertheless, the political analyst said that by and large Iran’s
mediation initiative could be regarded as a good sign.
“Iran borders both Azerbaijan and Armenia. The ambassador’s remarks
should be viewed as normal although they can be taken as Iran’s
desire to influence the peace talks. But this proposal is unfeasible.
Everybody understands that it has no future.”