Author: Khoyetsian Rose

DO NOT FORBID US TO TALK, ESPECIALLY THAT THERE IS NO TRUST
Lragir.am
10 July 06
In the framework of the program South Caucasian Integration,
Alternative Start initiated by the Caucasian Center for Peace Building
Efforts held an international seminar July 10 in Yerevan entitled
“European Integration As a Factor Favoring Karabakh Settlement”,
involving participants from Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Abkhazia,
Nagorno Karabakh and South Ossetia. The seminar is held by the
Caucasian Center for Peace Building Efforts, the Analytical Center
on Globalization and Regional Cooperation and the Armenian office
of Friedrich Ebert Foundation. The main speakers were Alekper Aliyev
and Stepan Grigoryan, an Armenian political scientist.
According to Alekper Aliyev, the Karabakh conflict is a major
hindrance for the establishment of stability and peace in the South
Caucasus. And the conflict is not settled due to the lack of mutual
confidence. “Within 12 years that followed the armistice the parties
have been unable to reach agreement which would bring the prospect
of settlement closer. The internationally mediated negotiations did
not produce any results. The standpoints of Armenia and Azerbaijanis
are unchanged and in contrast, and no efforts are made to prepare
the publics of both countries for an agreement,” says Alekper Aliyev.
Another Azerbaijani reporter, Seymour Baijan taking part in the
seminar notices that our publics are like savages who cannot meet
without others’ help and discuss the problems that worry them.
“There is no trust, and we have to tolerate the presence of others
at the table of talks which did not prove effective.”
Alekper Aliyev offers ways out as well. It is necessary to stop
dissemination of hatred and open up the potential of mutual trust.
“There are supporters of dialogue in both countries. However, the
Azerbaijanis, who lost the war and are in distress, and the Armenians,
who won the war and are in euphoria, consider supporters of dialogue
to be foes.” In order to foster mutual trust, the government of
Nagorno Karabakh should not support resettlement of Armenians in the
areas where the Azerbaijani population used to be dominant. Besides,
it is necessary to bolster up tolerance and promote democracy in
both countries. Both countries are willing to become members of the
European Union. European integration cannot resolve the problem,
it may open up new opportunities and prospects of resolution.
“If we are not going to wage a war, let us talk. Let us talk to people,
who have authority and no obligations in front of Moscow, Paris or
Washington.” “What missiles will be used to prove to Armenians and
Azerbaijanis the historically inevitable neighborhood?” asks Alekper
Aliyev.
Stepan Grigoryan, political scientist, on the whole agrees with Alekper
Aliyev. He simply said that the importance of the South Caucasus has
grown over the past few years, the international approach has changed,
however our leaderships fail to understand this, “If they understood,
Iran-Armenia would have become a transit gas pipeline long ago.” “If
the leadership is not ready, the civil society should push them
towards a resolution. In Armenia the foes of democracy are against
European integration, and the foes of the resolution of the Karabakh
conflict are against democracy,” said Stepan Grigoryan.

ARMENIAN PRIME MINISTER TO TRAVEL TO GEORGIA FOR 3-DAY VISIT
Arka News Agency, Armenia
July 7 2006
YEREVAN, July 7. /ARKA/. Armenian Prime Minister, Andranik Margaryan,
to head to Georgia on Friday for three-day visit, governmental press
service reports.
The premier is set to attend the fifth regular session of
Armenian-Georgian Intergovernmental Commission on Economic Cooperation
to be held on June 7 to 10 in Batumi, Georgia.
Priorities in economic and humanitarian cooperation between the two
countries are planned to be outlined at the commission’s routine
session. Other issues are also to be discussed.
A business forum will be held as part of the session.
The forth session was held in last September in Yerevan. The countries’
Foreign Ministers signed an agreement on launching a vigorous joint
crackdown on car hijacking.
Besides, it was decided at the then session to draw an agreement on
geographic names and trade marks recognition and protection and to
set up a group for working out a package of proposals on trade and
economic cooperation as well as to spur cooperation between the two
countries’ trade-industrial chambers. M.V. -0–

Afshar Suleymani: OSCE MG Co-Chair States Try to Push Their Own Interests
PanARMENIAN.Net
07.07.2006 16:24 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The OSCE MG Co-chair states are more engaged
in ensuring their own interests than in resolving the Nagorno
Karabakh conflict, Iranian Ambassador to Azerbaijan Afshar Suleymani
said. “Those who come from far away observe their own interests. I
suppose the problem of Nagorno Karabakh was transformed in a core
of interests of certain circles while the role of the co-chairs
is reduced to ensuring these interests. In Suleymani’s opinion,
the conflict cannot be settled in such a situation, or it will be
resolved with conditions imposed on the conflicting parties but not
meeting their interests, reported Day.az.

TEHERAN INTERESTED IN PROMOTING ENERGY COOPERATION WITH YEREVAN
PanARMENIAN.Net
06.07.2006 13:46 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The first round of talks between Iranian and Armenian
delegations led by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Robert Kocharian was held
in Teheran.
During the meeting Ahmadinejad appreciated Iranian-Armenian
partnership, favoring further strengthening of cooperation forms. He
expressed Teheran’s interests in developing cooperation with Yerevan in
transport, culture, sport, tourism and especially energy fields. The
Iranian President noted the successful activities of the joint
Iranian-Armenian Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic
Cooperation.
In his turn Kocharian noted that over 90 documents on cooperation
between Iran and Armenia were signed. He invited his Iranian
counterpart to visit Armenia. The invitation was accepted with
gratitude.
Kocharian also expressed Armenia’s interest in expanding mutually
favorable cooperation with Iran in energy, electric energy and
transport, especially joining the railways of the two countries,
reports Irna.

ARMENIA PRES, IRANIAN LEADERS TO DISCUSS BILATERAL RELATIONS
ITAR-TASS News Agency
July 4, 2006
Armenian President Robert Kocharyan leaves for Iran on Wednesday
for a two-day working visit. He intends to meet with Iranian leaders
to discuss a wide range of matters concerning bilateral relations,
presidential press secretary Viktor Sogomonyan has told Itar-Tass.
Armenia and neighbouring Iran, where a150, 000-member Armenian
community lives, actively interact in various spheres, in the field
of energy, in particular. The building of a gas pipeline, which is
to run from Iran to Armenia, is currently under way. A hydropower
station is projected to be built on the border river Arax, where an
Iranian company has built a wind-driven power station.

ASHOT GULYAN: NOT ALL ITEMS OF OSCE MG STATEMENT ACCEPTABLE TO NKR AND ARMENIA
PanARMENIAN.Net
06.07.2006 16:06 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Latest proposals of co-chairs of the OSCE MG for
settlement of the NK conflict can serve a basis for talks on settlement
of the Karabakh conflict, NKR Speaker Ashot Gulyan stated at a news
conference in Stepanakert.
In his words, not all provisions of the statement in question are
acceptable to the NK leadership and Armenia. “Making public proposals
on basic settlement principles by the mediators is aimed at launching
public intercourse by the parties to the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. By
that the MG co-chairs provide an opportunity to the parties to find
a solution to the problem on their own,” the NKR Speaker remarked.
Ashot Gulyan expressed positive opinion on the future settlement being
a comprehensive one judging from MG co-chairs’ statements. Speaking
of the opportunity to solve the issue this year he underscored that
the situation in Azerbaijan and the behavior of Azeri authorities
evidence that Baku is not ready to a settlement. “The agreement of
the Azeri party to dialogue with NK will signal that Azerbaijan really
wants to solve the conflict,” the NKR Speaker said.
As of the opportunity to send a peacekeeping contingent to the Karabakh
conflict zone, Gulyan remarked “conversations on a peacekeeping
operation are early.” Calling peacekeeping forces a guarantor of
sustaining peace and fulfillment of an agreement between the parties,
the Speaker emphasized that the cease-fire is sustained without third
parties, which is possible in the future as well, reports IA De-Facto.

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT ARRIVES IN TEHRAN
IRNA website, Tehran
5 Jul 06
Tehran, 5 July: Armenian President Robert Kocharyan arrived in Tehran
at the head of a high-ranking politico-economic delegation for an
official visit on Wednesday [5 July].
On hand to welcome the Armenian president and his entourage upon
their arrival at Mehrabad International Airport here was Iranian
Foreign Minister Manuchehr Mottaki.
An official welcoming ceremony is to be held by Iranian President
Mahmud Ahmadinezhad for his Armenian counterpart at the Presidential
Office within the next few hours.
Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanan, Minister of Energy Armen
Movsisyan and Deputy Foreign Minister Armen Kirakosian are accompanying
the president in this visit.
The Armenian president, during his two-day stay here, is scheduled
to hold separate meetings with President Ahmadinezhad and Foreign
Minister Manuchehr Mottaki.
The sides will also discuss issues of mutual interest as well as
regional and international developments.

IRAN POSTPONES TALKS WITH EU
Xinhua, China
July 6 2006
TEHRAN, July 5 (Xinhua) — Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki
said on Wednesday that a meeting between Iran’s top nuclear negotiator
Ali Larijani and EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana over Iran’s
nuclear issue, originally scheduled for Wednesday, had been postponed,
the official IRNA news agency reported.
Mottaki made the declaration on the sidelines of a welcoming ceremony
of Armenian President Robert Kocharian who is in Iran ona two-day
official visit..
“There will be no negotiations between Larijani and Solana today,”
the minister was quoted as saying, without giving further details.
Larijani and EU foreign policy chief Solana had been due to explore
whether Iran is ready to respond to a package agreed on by the five
permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany over its
nuclear issue, which demands Iran suspend uranium enrichment in return
for economic and political incentives.
Meanwhile, an EU statement said that Larijani would meet Solana on
Thursday and on July 11.
“I was surprised to hear that Dr. Ali Larijani has decided at the
last minute to postpone his trip to Brussels as previously agreed
with him to take place today,” Solana said in the statement.
“I have just spoken to Dr. Larijani on the phone and we decided to
meet tomorrow in Brussels, then continue the discussions on July 11,”
the statement added.
Western powers have recently mounted pressures on Iran, asking the
country to formally respond by mid July to the six-nation package.
During a Moscow meeting last Thursday, foreign ministers of the Group
of Eight industrialized countries urged Iran to give “a clear and
substantive response” to the package at the upcoming meeting between
Larijani and Solana.
But Larijani said on Monday that he would not give a response to the
package in his meeting with Solana, saying it was not “reasonable”
for the West to demand a suspension of Iran’s nuclear program.
A senior U.S. official said on Monday that Iran must respond to the
offer by July 12 or it would face action by the UN Security Council.
“If Iran has not responded by July 12, then I think the pressure will
be enormous on the Iranians from all the international community,”
said U.S. Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Nicholas Burns.
On June 6, Solana presented Iran with the package, which includes
both incentives aimed at persuading Iran to suspend uranium enrichment
and possible sanctions if Iran does not comply. The United States has
accused Iran of secretly developing nuclear weapons under a civilian
front, a charge categorically denied by Tehran.

ALLAHSHUKUR PASHAZADE CHAIRED THE MEETING OF RELIGIOUS LEADERS SUMMIT
Today, Azerbaijan
July 4 2006
Caucasus Muslims Office leader Sheikulislam Haji Allahshukur Pashazade
chaired the meeting of world summit of religious leaders held in
Moscow today.
APA was told about it by Caucasus Muslims Office press service leader
Haji Akif Agayev has told.
Making a speech in the forum Sheikulislam Haji Allahshukur Pashazade
touching on the Nagorno Garabagh problem, stated the way out of the
problem refusal from the separatism, territorial integrity, following
the law norms. In the forum, Haji Allahshukur Pashazade presented
the order to world Patriarch Aleksey II.
About 100 religious leaders participate in the summit representing
Christianity, Islam, Judaism, and Buddhism.
Tomorrow general Declaration will be adopted on the results achieved in
the summit. That document within the summit of G-8 to be held in Sankt
Petersburg city will be presented to the leaders of those countries.
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MINISTER: ARMENIA FACES PROBLEM OF SUBSTANTIAL REFORMATION OF EDUCATION SECTOR
ARKA News Agency, Armenia
July 3 2006
YEREVAN, July 3. /ARKA/. Armenia faces the problem of substantial
reformation of education sector, Armenian Education Minister Levon
Mkrtchjyan said Friday in parliament.
In his words, the republic’s education system is badly in need of
being updated and brought in conformity with international standards.
In his opinion, it is very important to make the country’s schools
diplomas recognizable and admissible outside the republic.
He said the intellectual reserves accumulated for long years of soviet
rule are already expiring.