BAKU: Karabakh Settlement Depends On Azerbaijan – OSCE

KARABAKH SETTLEMENT DEPENDS ON AZERBAIJAN – OSCE

news.az
March 15 2010
Azerbaijan

OSCE The resolution of the Karabakh conflict depends on Azerbaijan,
in particular on President Ilham Aliyev.

The statement came from chairman of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly
Joao Soares, visiting Baku.

"I hope the leaders of both parties will demonstrate a political will
to take this decision. It is necessary to take decisive steps. I hope
President Aliyev will take such a step and thus enter the history
of not only Azerbaijan but also the whole region and the world as a
person that has settled the Karabakh conflict", Soares said.

The delegation headed by chairman of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly
Joao Soares has launched meetings in Baku. The OSCE representatives
first met members of the parliamentary delegation of Azerbaijan in
the organization. They also started negotiations with leaders of the
public association "Azerbaijani community of Nagorno Karabakh".

The OSCE representatives also intend to meet Milli Medjlis chairman
Oqtay Asadov, FM Elmar Mammadyarov, as well as country’s president
Ilham Aliyev. The meeting will mainly discuss prospects of the Karabakh
conflict settlement.

Chairman of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly said during the first
day of his visit to Azerbaijan that war and violence should be ruled
out in the resolution of the Karabakh conflict. He considered the
peace settlement of the conflict to be expedient. His position was
also supported by the OSCE special envoy on Karabakh conflict, Goran
Lenmarker, He also said that the agreement between the sides is more
expedient than the forced solution to the conflict.

BAKU: Azerbaijani Official: Armenia Most Of All Needs The Solution T

AZERBAIJANI OFFICIAL: ARMENIA MOST OF ALL NEEDS THE SOLUTION TO NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT

Today
64054.html
March 15 2010
Azerbaijan

Chief of Azerbaijani Presidential Administration’s International
Relations Department Novruz Mammadov believes Armenia is not going
to take a constructive approach in resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict to put an end to this problem.

"They can not do so for whatever reason. However, one should understand
that today a fair resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is
necessary for Armenia," Mammadov told the official website of the
ruling New Azerbaijan Party today.

According to Mammadov, the Armenians have to think about their plight
and to prevent future tragedies.

"The surest way for Armenia is to take a constructive attitude and give
guarantees in connection with the resolution of the conflict", he said.

Speaking about the current situation in the negotiating process,
the official said that the co-chairmen made their efforts in this.

"They plan to meet with the Armenian Foreign Minister. After the
meeting, the Co-Chairs may pay a visit to the region. They will pay
a visit to report to the presidents on the progress made during the
period since the Sochi meeting and the situation that followed it,"
he said.

http://www.today.az/news/politics/

EBRD EURO 15 mil for major reconstruction of Yerevan underground rai

TendersInfo
March 11, 2010 Thursday

Armenia : EBRD to provide EURO 15 million for major reconstruction of
Yerevan underground railway

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) will
provide EURO 15 million loan to Yerevan underground railway for a
major reconstruction. An agreement to that end was signed today in
Yerevan by Valeriu Razlog, head of EBRD Yerevan Office, Armenian
finance minister Tigran Davtian, Yerevan mayor Gagik Beglarian and
Yerevan Metro head Paylak Yayloyan.

Tigran Davtian said the signing of the agreement marked the end of
almost 18-month long talks with several European organizations.
According to him, the funding will be provided by the European Union,
the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the European
Investment Bank (EIB). He said the European Commission will grant 5
million euros of the sum, while the EBRD and the EIB will lend 5
million euros each to the state-owned subway.

The loan is repayable in 15 years with a three year grace prod and 1%
interest rate. The money will be spent on improving passenger safety
by upgrading its rail cars, escalators and network of underground
cables

This is the first project in its kind and we emphasize it greatly,
like the safe operation of the underground railway. I am sure that the
government should continue to invest in the facility because it is an
important infrastructure and we must preserve and develop it, the
minister said.

Yerevan mayor Gagik Beglarian also emphasized the importance of the
project saying it will raise the safe operation of the underground
railway.

The government formally agreed in 2009 to guarantee the repayment of
these loans. The metro, commissioned in 1981, has only one line
consisting of ten stations. Under Yerevan s existing architectural
master plan four new stations are to be built by 2020.

Two Azeri diversionist groups neutralized in Armenia – ministry

Interfax, Russia
March 12 2010

Two Azeri diversionist groups neutralized in Armenia – ministry

YEREVAN March 12

The Armenian military has neutralized two diversionist groups that
sneaked into the country from Azeri territory, the Armenian Defense
Ministry told Interfax on Friday.

One of the groups consisting of 3 men was eliminated in the Tavush
region of Armenia on March 3. The second group was neutralized on the
same day, it said.

"As a result of the measures taken, three militants that sneaked from
Azeri territory were killed on March 3. The bodies of two of them are
in Armenia," the ministry said.

"It is possible that they are Wahhabis. Personal items and tattoos on
the killed men give reason to say that they had connections to Azeri
special services and underwent special training," the ministry said.

L’Armenie menace de revenir sur ses accords avec la Turquie

Le Figaro, France
11 Mars 2010

L’Arménie menace de revenir sur ses accords avec la Turquie

Par Pierre Rousselin

INTERVIEW – Le président Serge Sarkissian, qui a été reçu mercredi par
Nicolas Sarkozy, a accordé un entretien au Figaro. En l’absence d’une
ratification turque des protocoles signés en octobre dernier, il se
dit prêt à retirer sa signature.

LE FIGARO. – Pourquoi le processus de normalisation entre l’Arménie et
la Turquie est-il bloqué ?

Serge SARKISSIAN. – Notre histoire est douloureuse. Depuis 95 ans, la
Turquie nie la réalité du génocide commis en 1915 par l’empire
ottoman. Lorsque j’ai invité le président turc à Erevan pour assister
au match de football entre nos deux équipes nationales, mon objectif
était d’établir des relations entre nos deux pays sans condition
préalable. Lors de la signature des protocoles d’accord, en octobre
2009, il était convenu qu’ils seraient ratifiés dans des délais
raisonnables et sans conditions préalables. Nous avons dit que
l’Arménie ratifierait l’accord aussitôt que le Parlement turc le
ferait. Or, la Turquie n’arrête pas de poser des conditions préalables
à cette ratification, dont le principal concerne le Haut-Karabagh.

Que peut faire l’Arménie pour aider à résoudre la question du Haut-Karabagh ?

Nous déploierons tous les efforts nécessaires. L’Azerbaïdjan tente de
créer l’impression que l’Arménie et le Karabagh ne sont pas intéressés
par un règlement mais ce n’est pas la réalité. Nous devons mettre un
terme au blocus dont nous souffrons. L’Azerbaïdjan est dans une autre
situation et compte sur ses ressources naturelles et ses pétrodollars
pour acheter des armes et régler le problème par la force. Ils ne
cachent pas leurs intentions.

Redoutez-vous la guerre ?

La guerre n’est jamais souhaitable mais nous n’avons pas peur de
combattre s’il n’y a pas d’autre option. Mais le conflit doit être
réglé par des moyens pacifiques sur la base d’un compromis mutuel.

Avec la Turquie, comment lever le blocage ?

Le problème doit être réglé par les Turcs. Il est inadmissible au XXIe
siècle qu’une frontière soit fermée et que l’on parle de conditions
préalables. Établissons d’abord des relations et ensuite parlons de
tous les sujets. Nos deux pays aspirent à approfondir nos relations
avec l’Europe et à partager une communauté de valeurs avec l’Europe.
Cela exclut tout acte d’hostilité. La communauté internationale doit
se prononcer sur ce sujet.

Doutez-vous de la possibilité de normaliser les relations avec la Turquie ?

Nombreux sont ceux qui doutent. Pas seulement en Arménie. Mon
initiative en faveur de la normalisation a suscité beaucoup de
contestation parmi les Arméniens partout dans le monde. À cause de la
prolongation du processus de normalisation, les partisans des accords
sont de moins en moins nombreux.

Vous y croyez encore ?

Mon désir d’établir des relations normales est grand mais les
déclarations récentes de la Turquie me font croire qu’ils ne
ratifieront pas les protocoles dans un avenir prévisible. Nous avons
prévenu que si nous constations que les Turcs utilisent le processus
de normalisation à d’autres fins, nous adopterions des mesures
adéquates. Dans ce cas, nous retirerons notre signature des
protocoles.

L’Administration américaine a annoncé qu’elle bloquerait un vote à la
Chambre des représentants de la résolution reconnaissant le génocide
arménien adoptée en commission. Qu’en pensez-vous ?

Bien sûr, notre vœu le plus sincère est que les États-Unis, mais aussi
la Turquie et tous les pays au monde reconnaissent le génocide
arménien. Mais le Congrès américain et le département d’État ne
prennent pas leurs décisions en se basant sur notre opinion ou sur nos
souhaits.

l/2010/03/11/01003-20100311ARTFIG00466-l-armenie-m enace-de-revenir-sur-ses-accords-avec-la-turquie-. php

http://www.lefigaro.fr/internationa

La guerre n’est jamais souhaitable mais l’Armnie n’a pas peur

RIA Novosti, Russie
11 Mars 2010

La guerre n’est jamais souhaitable mais l’Arménie n’a pas peur de
combattre (Sargsian)

Dossier: Règlement du conflit du Haut Karabakh

EREVAN, 11 mars – RIA Novosti

La guerre n’est jamais souhaitable mais l’Arménie n’a pas peur de
combattre, a déclaré le président arménien Serge Sargsian dans une
interview accordée au journal français Le Figaro, publiée jeudi.

"La guerre n’est jamais souhaitable mais nous n’avons pas peur de
combattre s’il n’y a pas d’autre option. Mais le conflit doit être
réglé par des moyens pacifiques sur la base d’un compromis mutuel", a
souligné M.Sargsian, cité par son service de presse.

Selon le président arménien, l’Azerbaïdjan tente de créer l’impression
que l’Arménie et le Karabakh ne sont pas intéressés par un règlement
mais ce n’est pas la réalité.

"Nous devons mettre un terme au blocus dont nous souffrons.
L’Azerbaïdjan est dans une autre situation et compte sur ses
ressources naturelles et ses pétrodollars pour acheter des armes et
régler le problème par la force. Ils ne cachent pas leurs intentions",
a-t-il relevé.

Le conflit du Haut-Karabakh a éclaté en février 1988, lorsque cette
région autonome principalement peuplée d’Arméniens a annoncé son
intention de se séparer de l’Azerbaïdjan.

En septembre 1991, les autorités régionales ont proclamé la création
de la République du Haut-Karabakh avec Stepanakert pour capitale. En
réponse, Bakou a annulé l’autonomie de la région, déclenchant des
hostilités entre l’armée azerbaïdjanaise et les formations arméniennes
du Haut-Karabakh soutenues par Erevan et par la diaspora arménienne.

Le conflit s’est poursuivi jusqu’à l’entrée en vigueur d’une trêve
entre les belligérants le 12 mai 1994. L’Azerbaïdjan a perdu le
contrôle du Haut-Karabakh et de sept districts adjacents à la région
sécessionniste.

Des négociations sur le règlement pacifique du conflit sont menées
depuis 1992 dans le cadre du Groupe de Minsk de l’Organisation pour la
sécurité et la coopération en Europe (OSCE) coprésidé par les
Etats-Unis, la France et la Russie.

L’Azerbaïdjan insiste sur son intégrité territoriale. Les intérêts du
Haut-Karabakh sont défendues par l’Arménie, la république
autoproclamée n’étant pas partie prenante des négociations.

20100311/186229061.html

http://fr.rian.ru/world/

BAKU: Azerbaijan’s Ruling Party Condemns Decision Of Swedish Parliam

AZERBAIJAN’S RULING PARTY CONDEMNS DECISION OF SWEDISH PARLIAMENT

news.az
March 12 2010
Azerbaijan

Mubariz Gurbanli Azerbaijan expresses its outrage at the decision by
the Swedish Parliament resolution on the so-called "Genocide".

‘We strongly condemn the resolution of the Swedish Parliament
to recognize of the so-called "Armenian genocide". We regard this
decision as a disrespect to the Turkish nation and the Islamic world".

The statement came to deputy executive secretary of the New Azerbaijan
Party, Mubariz Gurbanli, commenting on the decision of the Swedish
Parliament on the recognition of the so-called "genocide".

‘Unfortunately, we have faced the organized campaign by certain
countries against Turkey. If we view the list of all 23 countries
recognizing the so-called "genocide", we will see that all of them
are Christians. This fact proves that the Christian world is up in
arms against Turkey and the Islam world and Armenians are used in
all this adventure as a certain lever.

This is a conjuncture nation and it always builds its policy in
favor of others. During the Byzantine Empire Armenians supported it
but after it weakened they started to support the Ottoman Empire,
the Russian Empire and now they are flirting with the West. That
is this nation is used to being a tool in someone’s hands. In the
established situation we, the Muslim countries, have no other way out
than unite and strengthen to resist this smeary campaign imposed on
us’, Gurbanly said.

He also noted that by adopting such resolutions the parliaments of
the countries that calls themselves the supporters of democracy in
fact support aggressor Armenia.

Yerevan Takes Effective Steps To Establish Regional Peace: Baghdasar

YEREVAN TAKES EFFECTIVE STEPS TO ESTABLISH REGIONAL PEACE: BAGHDASARYAN

news.am
March 11 2010
Armenia

There are lots of conflicts in Caucasus and we can speak of
developments only if succeed in establishment of peace and tolerance in
the region, RA National Security Council Secretary Artur Baghdasaryan
stated at NATO PA Rose-Roth seminar in Yerevan.

Armenia takes effective steps in this direction and the country’s
initiative to reconcile with Turkey proves this despite the tragic
watersheds of the history, he emphasized. Baghdasaryan expressed a
hope that in spite of the difficulties, the two states will succeed
in mending fences.

Referring to Karabakh peace process, he declared that Yerevan adheres
to the diplomatic solution to the conflict based on nations’ right
to self-determination. He exclaimed at the fact that Azerbaijan holds
talks and meanwhile makes warlike statements.

Touching upon Armenia-Europe cooperation, RA NSC Secretary noted
that Armenia cooperates closely with European structures. According
to him, Armenia-EU and Armenia-NATO cooperation prove this. Armenia
is committed to its obligations to European structures and if all
countries in the region adhere to this principle, peace, stability,
tolerance and mutual understanding will be gained, Baghdasaryan
concluded.

March 11, NATO PA Rose-Roth Seminar opened in Yerevan with 41
participants from 16 countries.

Armenia-Russia Inter-Parliamentary Commission Session To Be Held In

ARMENIA-RUSSIA INTER-PARLIAMENTARY COMMISSION SESSION TO BE HELD IN MOSCOW

news.am
March 11 2010
Armenia

March 10, RA Ambassador to Russia Oleg Yesayan met with Co-chairman
of the Inter-Parliamentary Cooperation Commission RA NA and RF Council
of Federation Nikolay Rizhkov.

Rizhkov presented the agenda of the impending session of Armenia-Russia
Inter-parliamentary Commission, to be held on March 21-23 in Moscow,
RA Foreign Ministry press service informed NEWS.am.

The Commission made significant efforts in the enhancement and
development of Armenia-Russia historical, cultural and economic ties,
he said.

The officials exchanged views on issues to be discussed at the session,
as well as Armenia-Turkey reconciliation and Karabakh peace process.

BAKU: OSCE Envoy Says Time Ripe To Settle Azeri-Armenian Conflict

OSCE ENVOY SAYS TIME RIPE TO SETTLE AZERI-ARMENIAN CONFLICT

ANS TV
March 9 2010
Azerbaijan

In an interview with ANS TV Goran Lennmarker, the OSCE Parliamentary
Assembly’s special representative for conflicts in Georgia and
Nagornyy-Karabakh, said: "We are planning visits to Baku and Yerevan
after our meetings within the OSCE Minsk Group. We will be holding
very important meetings with the presidents of both countries. I
believe that it is time to find a solution to the Karabakh conflict…

The settlement of the conflict is more important for Azerbaijan
because Azerbaijan has many refugees and IDPs and they have the right
to return home."

Lennmarker said some progress had been reached in the settlement
of the conflict: "Yes, there is progress in the settlement of the
Nagornyy Karabakh conflict because meetings continue on the level
of foreign ministers and presidents based on the proposals of the
OSCE Minsk Group. I see the present situation as the time to make a
decision. Both presidents should consider the present possibilities
of reaching agreement."