Author: Karakhanian Suren

NO GARABAGH ‘FRAMEWORK ACCORD’ ON AGENDA, AZERI OFFICIAL SAYS
Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
July 4 2006
Baku, July 3, AssA-Irada
Azeri Deputy Foreign Minister Araz Azimov has said no “framework
agreement” on the Armenia-Azerbaijan Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh conflict
is under discussion.
“There is no such document. I believe that in general, these statements
were rather hasty and of provocation nature. They were most likely
aimed to confuse the situation to see what happens next,” Azimov
said while commenting on a recent statement by the co-chairs of the
mediating OSCE Minsk Group.
US co-chair Matthew Bryza has told Radio Liberty that the mediators
submitted a framework accord to the conflicting sides, but the latter
have yet to accept it.
Azimov said talking of any final document is premature at this stage
of the peace process.
“But I can say with confidence that there is no agreement, as the
talks are still underway.
“The co-chairs’ statement was aimed to see how the developments unfold
and study public opinion. But in any case, it was inconclusive. Taking
some elements out of context only leads to misunderstanding.”
The deputy minister went on to say that Armenia has started taking
advantage of the “shock therapy” statements to make speculations.
“Everyone will be held responsible for their statements. Making final
statements is inappropriate in the absence of any results after two
years of discussions,” the diplomat said.
Azimov unequivocally dismissed the statements that the Azeri government
had agreed to hold a referendum on Upper Garabagh in the future. “The
Azerbaijani leadership will never act counter to the Constitution. This
is absolutely out of question.”
Azimov said a referendum could be held only in the entire territory
of Azerbaijan as a nationwide poll, in compliance with the relevant
provision of the Constitution. The deputy minister said any issue, and
the territorial integrity and inviolability of borders in particular,
must be solved through a vote in the entire country.
“The Azerbaijani leadership will never back away from its stance on
the referendum issue. Any speculations to that end are false. Our
position is clear. Discussions on political issues are possible only
after armed conflicts are eliminated,” the deputy minister said.
“The Armenians living in Upper Garabagh were not the only residents
of the region and Azerbaijanis lived there as well. If we are talking
about democracy, the demographic composition of the region is to
be restored and the Azeri community must return there. To make this
possible, a suitable peaceful environmental should be ensured, which
requires the withdrawal of Armenians. This is a normal and logical
process and the Armenian side has accepted this. Political issues and
determination of the status of the parties [residents] living in these
areas should be addressed in accord with the law.”* The Azeri official
noted that the “referendum” term should be used as rarely as possible.
“By using this word, we serve Armenian purposes, as the main goal
pursued by Armenians and representatives of some countries supporting
them is to put forth some kind of a term that they could materialize
this in the future by causing disputes around it.”

AN ENTIRE MECHANISM OF REPRODUCTION IS DISSOLVING
Hakob Badalyan
Lragir.am
04 July 06
Armenia and Azerbaijan reacted to the revelation of negotiations
for the Karabakh conflict by the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair Mathew
Bryza rather strangely. Official Yerevan complained of Mathew Bryza’s
statements more than Baku. It would not seem strange if there were
not for a circumstance. Complaining of the publication of the proposal
on the table of negotiations, Yerevan announced that it approves the
proposal. Baku did the contrary; it did not complain of publication but
it announced that the proposal was unacceptable for Azerbaijan. This
situation is a little strange, we should confess.
But I wish this situation were only strange. Because when after the
death of Heidar Aliyev Ilham Aliyev sat at the table, Azerbaijan
demanded to start from zero, and Armenia demanded to start from Key
West. In fact, everything started from Prague. It is difficult to
tell whether Prague is closer to Key West or zero, but most probably
Prague is close to neither of them, it is closer to the reality.
Perhaps because the leaders of the conflict sides constantly tried to
present their reality to their societies. No doubt, it is not helpful
for the settlement of the Karabakh issue and other problems, which
have accumulated so far. The presidents of both countries avoided
the reality, inventing another reality, and the problem of Karabakh
was a wonderful opportunity. Therefore, perhaps, Mathew Bryza and the
other co-chairs of the Minsk Group decided to reveal the reality to the
societies to protect them from manipulation by presidents, especially
that elections are drawing nearer in both Armenia and Azerbaijan.
The Karabakh issue has always been a core issue in these elections,
both directly and indirectly. Even when it was not discussed, it was
always taken into account. Moreover, the Karabakh issue served the
governments of both countries as a peculiar shield against outside
intervention in home political processes. In fact, with regard to the
internal situation in Armenia and Azerbaijan the West was also guided
by the light of the Karabakh conflict, expecting that if reproduction
of power in both countries is bad in terms of democratization, it
may serve as a factor of stability in the conflict over Karabakh.
Perhaps, it was also expected that by guaranteeing reproduction of
power the parties would come closer to the resolution of the Karabakh
conflict. Otherwise, it is difficult to explain in Armenia and
Azerbaijan that it was delicately instilled in public consciousness
in both Armenia and Azerbaijan that only Kocharyan and Aliyev could
resolve the issue of Karabakh, and any other circumstance would cause
the war to ignite. In Armenia it went even farther. In addition,
the representatives of some traditional parties announced that only
a president, who comes from Karabakh, can settle the Karabakh issue.
The minister of foreign affairs went farther and shifted this thesis
to the level of a right, announcing that the fact that Robert Kocharyan
comes from Karabakh gives him the right to act on behalf of Karabakh.
In fact, by a single interview Mathew Bryza destroyed the entire
mythology, which used to protect governments of Armenia and
Azerbaijan with the laurel of a settler. To say that Bryza did not
do it on purpose or he did it unconsciously, or not as seriously as
we think he did means to be at least an Armenian politician. By their
statements Bryza and the other co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group let
Kocharyan and Aliyev know that they are unlikely to foster their
reproduction because they used to foster it to achieve reforms in
internal policies rather than only resolving or not only resolving
the Karabakh issue. If it fails, the West does not see a point in
overlooking electoral fraud using delicately the Karabakh issue with
expressions like “What democracy are you talking about? Look out,
they may take Karabakh away from us.”
In other words, it is certain that the settlement of the Karabakh
issue is not as urgent for the West and namely the United States as
the promotion of democracy in Armenia and Azerbaijan. Therefore,
on the one hand, Armenia is disturbed by Bryza’s statement, and
on the other hand, it endorses talks based on the proposals on the
table. Armenia is troubled because it realizes that Karabakh is not
the problem. They are not going to take Karabakh away from us, they
are not going to take away anything, some people are losing power
rather. Therefore, they are worried. If in Azerbaijan Aliyev has
oil resources, which might be a lever in negotiating with the West
to keep power, in Armenia Karabakh has always been the only resource
of Robert Kocharyan for keeping power, which is now checked out from
the agenda by the Americans. There are two things to do: to rely
on the short-term effect of accepting the proposals on the table
of negotiation or to look for a more reliable and modern resource,
such as democratization of the government system.

MP ARMEN ASHOTYAN CALLS ASHOT BLEYAN TRAITOR TO THE NATION
ArmRadio.am
04.07.2006 16:38
The interview of the US Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group Matthew
Bryza and the famous statement of the mediators continue to stay in
the center of attention and become subjected to various comments. A
dispute over the current state of the Karabakh conflict was launched
today between President of the “New Way” NGO, former Deputy Ashot
Bleyan and young Republican Armen Ashotyan.
According to Bleyan, Yerevan should establish friendly relations with
neighboring Baku, thus promoting Armenia’s development.
Republican Armen Ashotyan assimilates Ashot Bleyan’s suggestion with
a conspiracy.
“You have blurred the Karabakh issue, now go and find edges of
peace with Baku,” suggested Ashot Bleyan, who considers Azerbaijan
a potential strategic partner and wants to go to Baku not through
Vienna, but via a direct Yerevan-Baku highway.
Armen Ashotyan sincerely confessed that he is very surprised with
the on-line contact with Bleyan and named him a traitor to the nation.
“We should respect our neighbor Azerbaijan,” Bleyan confirmed. In
his opinion, Armenia is a loser in the Karabakh issue, and out loss
is irretrievable.
For Armen Ashotyan maintenance of the status quo in Karabakh is
acceptable.
He will stand for the deployment of peacekeeping forces if a referendum
is held in Karabakh parallel to the withdrawal of our forces.

THE AZERBAIJANI SIDE HAS THROWN FORTH VARIOUS STATEMENTS
Lragir.am
04 July 06
Acting Press Secretary Vladimir Karapetian Replies to
Question by Arminfo News Agency
– During the last several days, the Azerbaijani press is flooded with
statements and information by deputy ministers, the press secretary,
regarding recent developments in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict
resolution process, and those statements often contain contradictory
judgments and interpretations. How do you interpret this behavior?
– It’s true that in this recent period, the Azerbaijani side has
thrown forth various statements and interpretations, which do in fact
contradict each other.
However, the reality is very clear – the Minsk Group co-chairs,
with their second confirming statement, presented the principles
for resolution which are on the negotiating table, together with
their assessments.
Perhaps the reason for such contradictory interpretations is that the
Azerbaijani diplomats you mention are not familiar with the content
of the negotiations between the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan.

“MR. SEZER, DO NOT RATIFY THE TERROR LAW”
Tolga Korkut
BÝA, Turkey
July 3 2006
Representatives of 15 organizations send letter to President Sezer
asking him not to ratify amendment in Turkey’s Anti-Terror Law:
“The law surrenders personal rights and freedoms to the conscience
of security forces; eliminates all basic human rights”.
BÝA (Istanbul) – Representatives of 15 organisation including political
parties and democratic mass organisations have sent a joint letter
to President Ahmet Necdet Sezer requesting him not to ratify the
amendments in Turkey’s Anti-Terror Law (TMY).
Referring to last week’s Parliament General Assembly approval of the
controversial draft, the letter said the new TMY “surrenders personal
rights and freedoms to the conscience of the security forces and
eliminates basic human rights”. The bill will go into force only if
the President ratifies it.
The letter stressed that the law had dangers to democracy and human
rights by listing a number of serious drawbacks and possibilities:
Disappearances under detention could be revived: “The law severely
restricts the right to defence. Personal safety is endangered with
the republic prosecutor being authorised to order for a suspect not
to be allowed to contact relatives or receive the assistance of an
attorney as of the moment of detention. This situation raises concern
that ‘disappearance under detention’ incidents could be revived.
Those thinking differently cannot express their opinion, organise:
“It is known that the whole of the society does not think in the
same way on issues such as the ‘Armenian Genocide, Cyprus Question,
Kurdish Problem’ which are the red points of the state. The law totally
abolishes the right of persons, intellectuals and institutions that
think differently [on these] to share their views with the public. Any
individual who expresses their opinion, organises according to their
opinion, can be put on trial for a terrorism offence under this law”.
Gangs, killers encouraged: “Article 15 of the law rules that even
if an arrest is required, anti-terrorism officials on trial for
killing people, evacuating villages, torture, can be tried without
being remanded in custody. This article is an arrangement intending
to encourage the killers and gangs”.
Tax pays for cost of offending officials: “The state will meet the
legal defence costs of security officials who commit an offence. The
limit of this payment has not been determined. It is disturbing that
the crimes of these officials will be paid for with our taxes”.
Prof. Dr. Ibrahim Kaboglu told bianet in an exclusive interview
last week that due to articles in violation of the constitution,
he expected President Sezer to return the law to Parliament rather
than ratify it in its current form.
The organisations that have undersigned the letter to Sezer are:
Human Rights Association Ýstanbul Branch, Labout Party Istanbul
Provincial Organisation, Freedom and Solidarity Party Istanbul
Organisation, Democratic Society Party Istanbul Provincial
Organisation, Socialist Democracy Party Istanbul Provincial
Organisation, Initiatives of 78’s, Labour Movement Party, Peace
Mothers, Initiative Against Thought Crime, Socialist Platform of
the Oppressed, Young Civilians, Halkevleri Istanbul Branch, Kurdish
Institute, Socialist Solidarity Platform, Association to Assist
Prisoner Families.
–Boundary_(ID_86+boKChzSDQXDrFgXgCDA)- –

STATEMENTS OF ARMENIAN SIDE REGARDING REFERENDUM, KALBAJAR AND LACHIN TAKE SPECULATIVE AND PSEUDO CHARACTER – AZERI DEPUTY FM
Author: S.Agayeva
TREND Information, Azerbaijan
July 3 2006
Many statements of the Armenian side, as well as regarding the
referendum, status of Kalbajar and Lachin take speculative and pseudo
character, Araz Azimov, the deputy foreign minister of Azerbaijan,
told journalists on July 3, Trend reports.
According to Azimov, the Azeri side has repeatedly stated that only
national referendums may be held in the territory of Azerbaijan
and this position has been exactly defined in the Constitution
of Azerbaijan. Azeri government is not going to stand beyond this
position and all speculations in this direction are lie, told Azimov.
He remembered that the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh didn’t live
alone, but together with the Azerbaijanis, and if we speak about
the democracy, then the demography of the region should be restored
and Azerbaijanis should return to Nagorno-Karabakh. For this it is
important to ensure the relevant peaceful conditions and release of
Azerbaijan’s occupied territories. “It a normal logical process,”
Azimov added. “The settlement of political questions – appointment of
the status of both peoples’ joint living should be made democratically,
within Law,” Azimov told.
Azimov emphasized that the statements about the issue that as though
Kalbajar and Lachin will remain under the control of Armenian side is
absurd because the talks on release of these districts have been held
from the first day to the present time. Nobody will allow Armenians
to keep any territory of Azerbaijan under control, Azimov stressed.
According to Azimov, Lachin problem may be resolved through the joint
use of the road infrastructure of the district for relation between
Armenia and Azerbaijan, Armenians and Azerbaijanis in Nagorno-Karabakh,
as well as with Nakchivan Autonomous Republic.
“The statements regarding Kalbajar will be lie because the exits
from this district to Nagorno-Karabakh will be kept under a proper
control. An international peaceful contingent or controller will be
placed there, and there will be no danger and threat,” Azimov added,
mentioning the importance of ensuring the security of Azerbaijanis
in Nagorno-Karabakh. “There could be no one-sided demilitarization
in the control zone. And the demilitarization should be mutual,
and Armenian armed forces’ remaining there is impossible,” told Azimov.

Armenpress
REPUBLICAN MP PREDICTS NO MAJOR CHANGES IN NEXT
PARLIAMENT

YEREVAN, JUNE 30, ARMENPRESS; A senior member of
the governing Republican party of prime minister
Andranik Margarian has downplayed media speculations
and expert forecast that the next Armenian parliament
will be made of quite different forces, saying to a
news conference today that all those forces which are
now in it will win seats as well in 2007 polls.
Galust Sahakian, head of the party’s parliamentary
faction, even made his own forecast saying the
opposition will win as many as 30 seats or even more.
Sahakian did not rule out that the Prosperous Armenia
of Gagik Tsarukian, a recently set up, but rapidly
expanding party and other out -of -parliament forces
may also win seats in the parliament given they choose
a right strategy.
Sahakian said he had no doubts that his Republican
Party will win more seats than any other party, but
said the decision to form an alliance could be made
only after the polls. Sahakian also ruled out pre-term
parliamentary elections because ‘there is no such
need.” Sahakian said it was not yet clear whether
defense minister Serzh Sarkisian will join the
Republican party.
Armenian media has been speculating that Sarkisian
will announce his joining the Republican party at its
congress slated for July 22. Local newspapers also
claimed Sarkisian will co-chair the party and top its
list of candidates for next year’s parliamentary
elections.

NKR FM AND PARLIAMENT SPEAKER MET WITH MATTHEW BRYZA
PanARMENIAN.Net
30.06.2006 14:14 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Within the framework of the U.S. visit NKR National
Assembly Speaker Ashot Ghulyan and Foreign Minister Georgy Petrosyan
met with the OSCE Minsk Group U.S. Co-chair Matthew Bryza. The
interlocutors discussed the current stage of the Nagorno Karabakh
conflict settlement and regional developments. The NKR officials
briefed on Nagorno Karabakh’s position on the settlement process
and pointed out to the necessity of legal aspect of the problem. The
parties agreed on continuation of consultations, in Stepanakert as
well, reported the NKR MFA press office.

NO FACTS OF ARSON REPORTED
Lragir.am
28 June 06
The news agency ARKA, referring to the NKR Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
reports that no violations of the ceasefire were reported during the
monitoring of the Karabakh and the Azerbaijani front line near Aghdam
on June 28. On the side of Karabakh the monitoring was conducted
by the field assistants to the Personal Representative of the OSCE
Chairman-in-Office Peter Keen, U.K., Jiry Aberlen, Czech, and Gunter
Volk, Germany. They were accompanied by the representatives of the
NKR Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Defense.
Despite Azerbaijan’s statements, the participants of the monitoring did
not find facts of arson of settlements in the territories controlled
by the Armenian forces.

ARONYAN WILL PLAY WITH SVIDLER
A1+
[05:24 pm] 28 June, 2006
Best chess player of Armenia Levon Aronyan will play with Peter
Svidler from Russia on 15-10 August in Mainz, Germany. They will play
for the title of the champion of “Chess-960”.
Secretary of the Armenian Chess Federation Gagik Hovhannisyan told
“A1+” that in contrast to common chess the rules of “Chess-960”
are different. Before each game the computer chooses positions for
the players. There are 960 such positions, hence the name of the
tournament.
Last year Aronyan participated in this tournament and won the right
to compete with the present champion, Peter Svidler.