Author: Karapetian Hovik

US MEDIATOR TO VISIT AZERBAIJAN

Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
April 18 2006

The US co-chairman of the OSCE Minsk Group brokering settlement to
the Armenia-Azerbaijan Upper (Garabagh) conflict is due to arrive
in Baku from the Armenian capital this weekend, according to the
spokeswoman for the US embassy in Armenia, Elizabeth Santos.

Steven Mann’s visit was earlier scheduled for Tuesday and the reasons
for the postponement are not disclosed.

Santos said that prior to the visit, Mann is expected to meet with
the Russian mediator Yuri Merzlyakov. He will leave for Yerevan on
Thursday and further visit Azerbaijan.

While in Armenia, Mann is scheduled to meet with President Robert
Kocharian and Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian. He may hold a news
briefing in conclusion of the discussions, the diplomat said.

Armenia earlier claimed that the US mediator’s visit to the region
would be confined to his meetings in Azerbaijan.

This will be the second visit by Mann to the region since the fruitless
round of talks between Presidents Ilham Aliyev and Robert Kocharian
in Rambouillet, France in February. He paid his last visit to Baku
jointly with the US Department of State Assistant Secretary for
European and Eurasian Affairs, Daniel Fried, on March 13.

WITHER AZERBAIJANI DEFENSE MINISTRY PRESS SERVICE CONTRADICTS TO ITSELF?

Yerevan, April 17. ArmInfo. The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry
press-service in the person of its employee Ilgar Verdiyev accuses
Armenia “of violating the cease-fire and killing Azerbaijani soldiers”
again. “Since the establishment of the cease-fire regime majority
of soldiers have died from the bullets of Armenians and not from
harassment among servicemen,” I. Berdiyev told Interfax- Azerbaijan.

Commenting on PACE report on the situation with human rights at
armies of CE member-states which indicates that about 5 thousand
of soldiers died due to harassment among servicemen at Azerbaijani
armies since 1994, I. Verdiyev said: “70% of Azerbaijani armies are
located on the front line, so the greatest part of deaths are recorded
there. A few soldiers die for other reasons i.e. from careless use of
weapons, different types of accidents. Such cases result in a criminal
investigation. There is no harassment among servicemen in Azerbaijan.”

Probably, Mr. Verdiyev is unaware of the information of Day.az dated
April 4 2006. Thus, the monitoring held by the Azerbaijani agency
APA and approved by the Azerbaijan Defense Ministry (DM) says 18
servicemen were killed and 6 were injured for different reasons at
the Azerbaijani army within the first three months of 2006. Four
servicemen were killed in fire, 5 in an accident, 2 in a snow-slide.

One committed a suicide, whereas “6 were killed by the enemy bullets.”

Five officers, 2 warrant officers, 1 sergeant and 10 conscripts died,
including outside the military action zone.

OSCE MEDIATORS TO PRESENT NEW PROPOSALS TO AZERI, ARMENIAN LEADERS

Interfax-AVN military news agency website, Moscow
14 Apr 06

Yerevan, 14 April: The Russian, French and US co-chairmen of the
OSCE Minsk Group on the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict over Nagornyy
Karabakh are planning to present new ideas on a settlement and adapt
the negotiating format, the group’s French co-chairman Bernard Fassier
told reporters in Yerevan.

“In May, the three co-chairmen are planning to meet in Moscow in a
bid to work out joint proposals to be presented to the conflicting
parties,” Fassier said.

“When we speak about a possible new meeting of the Armenian and
Azerbaijani presidents, this means we are ready to present them
with new ideas on the Nagornyy Karabakh settlement and to expand the
already existing ones worked out beforehand,” he said.

New ideas will be suggested, but not a change of format, the French
diplomat said.

Talks on the Nagornyy Karabakh settlement will stay within the format
of the OSCE Minsk Group, he said.

“However, it is now possible to speak about adapting the current
negotiating format,” Fassier said, adding that the Minsk Group’s
co-chairmen would like to use every opportunity to pay both collective
and independent visits to the region.

AZG Armenian Daily #069, 15/04/2006

Home

SADOYAN’S SUPPOSITIONS ABOUT ARTASHES TUMANIAN’S
RESIGNATION

Arshak Sadoyan, deputy of RA National Assembly, states
that the resignation of Artashes Tumanian from his
position of the head of RA President’s Staff was
conditioned by the negotiations with Iran for
construction of the fifth block of Hrazdan HPP.
According to him, in January of 2006, the
Armenian-Iranian Interparliamentary Commission led by
Tumanian achieved an agreement to hand the
construction of Hrazdan -5 to Iran. As a result,
certain problems aroused with “Gazprom.” That’s why
the Armenian authorities decided to fire Tumanian,
explaining this decision by Tumanian’s determination
to found a party. But already on March 16, Tumanian
withdrew the leadership of newly founded party. While
Ra president signed the decree on resignation of
Tumanian from his position on February 24.

By Nana Petrosian

NATO OFFICIAL, AZERI LEADERS MULL US-IRAN TENSION

AzerNews Weekly, Azerbaijan
April 13 2006

The US-Iran tension, the Armenia-Azerbaijan Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh
conflict and cooperation prospects are in focus of the ongoing visit
by a NATO official to Baku.

The representative of NATO Secretary General to South Caucasus
and Central Asia, Robert Simmons, said the alliance and Azerbaijan
are successfully collaborating. The first stage of the Individual
Partnership Plan is drawing to a close and implementation of the next
stage has been discussed with Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov,
he said.

Simmons said NATO backs a peaceful settlement to the Garabagh dispute
and sees mutual efforts by the conflicting sides as pivotal to reach
peace. During the visit, the NATO official will also monitor the
country’s progress in fulfilling its commitments on the Partnership
Plan.

OSCE MINSK GROUP CO-CHAIRS TO ASSEMBLE IN MOSCOW: RUSSIAN AMB AT OSCE MG
Author: E.Huseynov

TREND Information, Azerbaijan
April 12 2006

The OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs on the resolution of the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict are going to hold a next round of
consultations in Moscow, Russian Ambassador Yuriy Merzlyakov, the
co-chair of the OSCE Minsk, told Trend.

The meeting will focus on results of April visits of the OSCE Minsk
Group co-chairs – French Ambassador Bernard Fassie and US Ambassador
Steven Mann. Moreover, it is planned to discuss the agenda of the
co-chairs’ forthcoming visit to the region in May.

Merzlyakov noted that the exact date and program of the visit
were still to be defined, but the tour will more probably start
from Baku and then continue in Yerevan and Khankandi. They will
also discuss opportunities for OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs with the
Foreign Ministers, which is expected to take place in one of the
foreign countries.

Merzlyakov refuted reports on his private tour of the conflict zone
after the relevant visits of Fassie and Mann.

ARMENIAN-POLISH ASSOCIATION FORMED IN POLAND

PanARMENIAN.Net
12.04.2006 23:08 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ An Armenian-Polish Association was formed in
Poland, Association Chairperson, Armenian language tutor of the
Warsaw University Margarita Yeremyan-Wozniakowska told PanARMENIAN.Net
reporter in Poland. In her words, Armenians have for a long time lived
in Poland but they have not formed a community yet. Presently there
are some unsettled problems mostly connected with the financial state
of the Association. According to Yeremyan-Wozniakowska, the membership
fee amounting in 20 zlotys cannot solve even the tiniest problems. “We
hope for grants,” she said noting that a slide show on the Armenian
Genocide will be the first event organized by the Association.

The event will take place in the Center of Culture in Warsaw April 24.

ARMENIA AND RUSSIA DIDN’T DISCUSS IRAN-ARMENIA GAS PIPELINE SELLING

PanARMENIAN.Net
13.04.2006 19:40 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenia did not convey any sectors of the
Iran-Armenia gas pipeline to Russia, Armenian Prime Minister Andranik
Margaryan stated. “The issue of the abuilding Iran-Armenia gas pipeline
was not discussed during the talks on the 5th unit of the Hrazdan
Heat Power Plant,” Margaryan said. At that he remarked he will not
demand Gazprom to refute information on the purchase of one of the
pipeline sectors. For his part Energy Minister Armen Movsisyan said
141 km of the Iran-Armenia gas pipeline will remain the property of
the republic, reported RosBisinessConsulting reported.

DEPLOYMENT OF PEACEKEEPERS IN KARABAKH POSSIBLE UNDER NATO AND UN FLAGS

PanARMENIAN.Net
12.04.2006 19:05 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ “The conflicts available in the South Caucasus are in
NATO’s limelight and the Alliance is concerned over the problems that
impede cooperation between the states of the region,” NATO Secretary
General’s Special Representative for the South Caucasus and Central
Asia Robert Simmons stated in Azerbaijan. He reiterated NATO’s position
on the Nagorno Karabakh problem and said Alliance’s position coincides
with the OSCE’s on the issue. “To deploy troops on the territory of
a state is possible only with the consent of the given state. As for
the Russian military contingent in Armenia, the troops are there by
approbation of the Armenian party and NATO doesn’t interfere in the
matter,” he said. When touching upon the possibility of deployment
of NATO peacekeeping forces in the region Simmons remarked it can
become possible after long-term discussions. “This is possible if
the conflicting parties reach agreement. Deployment of peacekeepers
is possible not only under the OSCE flag, but also under the flags
of NATO or the UN,” he said.

NATO representative did not rule out the possibility of participation
of the Alliance in a number of energy projects in the region including
the guard of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline. In his words,
NATO troops will not personally guard the pipeline but NATO can
render technical assistance and hold trainings with the appropriate
organization of the states through which the pipeline stretches. Robert
also noted that although the Alliance is worried by Iran’s nuclear
dossier, it will make an attack against Iran.

“ARMENIAN NAVY BAND” AND “SYSTEM OF A DOWN” TO RECORD A JOINT ALBUM

ArmRadio.am
12.04.2006 17:05

The “Armenian Navy Band” plans to release a joint album with the
“System of a Down/” rock group, Armenian manager of the “Armenian
Navy Band” John Grigoryan said today. On April 22 the concert of the
“Armenian Navy Band” and Arto Tunjboyajyan is expected.