Author: Khoyetsian Rose

SEYRAN OHANYAN: THE CEASE-FIRE SHOULD BE MAINTAINED

armradio.am
13.05.2008 10:51

"We must do everything for the cease-fire regime to be maintained. The
authorities of our country do everything for the Nagorno Karabakh
issue to have its logical continuation and be solved in a peaceful
manner," RA Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan told reporters at the
National Assembly.

Asked about the possible threat of war, the Minister said "there is
no such situation today."

Turning to the fate of the four Armenian citizens that crossed the
border of Nakhijevan, the Minister said they have information about
them, and the citizens will be returned after corresponding work
is done.

"They had to return them a week ago, but we were informed that the
Ministry should take corresponding measures, after which our citizens
will be released," Seyran Ohanyan said, saying it’s hardly possible
that they will not be returned.

IN LEVON MELIK-SHAHNAZARIAN’S OPINION, NAGORNO KARABAKH PROBLEM WILL BE SOLVED THROUGH ANOTHER WAR

Noyan Tapan

Ma y 12, 2008

YEREVAN, MAY 12, NOYAN TAPAN. The Nagorno Karabakh problem
will be solved through another war. Political scientist Levon
Melik-Shahnazarian expressed such an opinion at the May 12 press
conference. According to him, that war will not happen soon, as the
supplies of oil and gas in the region are still interesting for the
world. "When these supplies finish or lose their economic significance,
then we will try to solve our problems with each other," the political
scientist said.

L. Melik-Shahnazarian also said that the negotiations of Nagorno
Karabakh settlement are doomed to failure, as Nagorno Karabakh does
not take part in them. "It is impossible to make a decision without
taking into account one of the conflict sides. Armenia has never been
a side of this conflict: it just helped, supported its compatriots,"
the political scientist said. He also reminded to journalists that
NKR representatives also signed the cease-fire Bishkek agreement
signed on May 12, 1994, being a direct side of the conflict.

‘WE ARE NOT ROOTED IN RELIGION’

Newsweek, NY
May 12, 2008
International Edition

Because of our good relations with Syria and Israel, we were asked
by both of them to effect better communication.

By Recep Tayyip Erdogan

Despite a landslide election win last summer, Recep Tayyip Erdogan,
Turkey’s prime minister, is fighting for his political life. Turkey’s
Constitutional Court is considering an indictment accusing Erdogan and
70 other figures from his party, the AKP, of "seeking to undermine
the secular state." Prosecutors demand that the accused be banned
from politics for five years and the AKP closed down. The morning
that the party submitted its defense to the court, Erdogan spoke to
NEWSWEEK’s Owen Matthews in Ankara. Excerpts:

Matthews: Can Islam and modernity coexist?

Erdogan:Turkey has achieved what people said could never be achieved–a
balance between Islam, democracy, secularism and modernity. [Our
government] demonstrates that a religious person can protect the
idea of secularism. In the West the AKP is always portrayed as being
"rooted in religion." This is not true. The AKP is not a party just for
religiously observant people–we are the party of the average Turk. We
are absolutely against ethnic nationalism, regional nationalism and
religious chauvinism. Turkey, with its democracy, is a source of
inspiration to the rest of the Islamic world.

You have made speeches calling for new thinking in Islam.

We as politicians cannot enter into debates about modernizing Islam. As
politicians we do not have the right. Nor do Islamic scholars. But
we can speak about the place of Muslims in modern society and their
contribution to a modern way of life. We can speak about the place
of women. For example, in Turkey today the AKP is the best way for
women to take an active part in political life. We have the largest
number of female M.P.s.

If you have such a liberal vision, why is it that you are being
prosecuted for allegedly being too Islamist?

I cannot comment while the case is still being considered by the court.

How have religious attitudes changed in Turkey during your lifetime?

The rules of religion stay the same, but people’s attitudes
towards religion have changed. The urbanization of the country has
brought increased wealth and a different understanding of life. In
the past, people had no alternatives. Now we have given people
freedom of choice. We have also enhanced the rights and freedoms of
non-Muslims. For instance we have made changes to the building codes
so that they do not refer to "mosque" but to "place of religious
worship." We put government money into restoring the Armenian church
on Lake Van. And we have changed the law to help religious foundations
[regain property confiscated by the state].

But you haven’t reopened the Orthodox seminary on Halki island
[near Istanbul].

That is an educational problem, not a religious problem. We have to
overcome some mutual problems with Greece, such as questions about
the education of ethnic Turks in western Thrace. We hope to overcome
these issues soon.

What is Turkey’s role in facilitating recent negotiations between
Israel and Syria?

For 40 years Turkey had no diplomatic relations with Syria. When
[the AKP] came to power we decided to normalize these relations. Our
policy is to win friends, and not to make enemies. Because of our good
relations with both Syria and Israel we were asked by both of them to
effect better communications. We’ve been speaking to the leaders of
both countries. It’s important for us to try to gain some ground–if
we can help achieve peace in the Middle East, that will have a major
positive impact on the region.

Is it your belief that Israel wishes to attack Iran?

For a politician to speak about other countries’ intentions is a
big mistake. But I don’t want to see anything like that happen. If
it did, I cannot comprehend what will happen in the Middle East. We
shouldn’t even think about this. My biggest hope [for peace] is that
Israel stops its excessive use of force in the West Bank. Civilians
are being killed in Gaza; children and old people. We have to be
just–we cannot say that it’s right if one side [uses force] but
condemn the other side for doing the same.

PRIME MINISTER CONSIDERS 2007 BUDGET COMPLETE

Panorama.am
17:37 12/05/2008

The state budget of 2007 is a full completed one, well organized
which gave a chance to implement all the notified projects and to
make extra expenses disposed to the social, education, scientific and
health fields, said the Prime Minister of Armenia Tigran Sargsyan,
in a meeting discussion evaluating the state budget of 2007.

According to the Prime Minister last year tax collecting activities
were extremely high and this way should be kept. Besides, he mentioned
that the Government should pay much attention on the decrease of
poverty level.

Talking about the 2007 state budget the Prime Minister reminded that
the organizational activities were implemented in such a political
atmosphere when parliamentarian elections were held and preparedness
achieved for the presidential elections.

PanARMENIAN.Net

Serzh Sargsyan off to Stepanakert to participate in
events dated to Shushu liberation
08.05.2008 15:10 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ NKR President Bako Sahakian met
Thursday with Armenia’s President Serzh Sargsyan, who
arrived in Stepanakert to take part in festivities
dedicated to the Victory Day, NKR Defense Army
formation and the 16th anniversary of Shushi
liberation.

The Presidents discussed a wide scope of issues
referring to bilateral relations, reported the press
service of the NKR presidential administration.

Black Garden Tufenkian to build travel center in Shushi

07-05-2008 12:58:23 – KarabakhOpen

On May 6 the NKR government sold the premises of the state-run company
of repair and upkeep `Barekargum’ in Shushi to the Black Garden
Tufenkian organization. The total value of the fixed assets is 21.2
million drams.

The organization is likely to build a major travel center and invest
465 thousand dollars within several years.

Tufenkian Foundation carries out large-scale investment and charity
programs in Karabakh.

Fixed-Line Telephone Users to Block Their Outgoing Calls from Home

YEREVAN, May 7. /ARKA/. From now on, the users of Armenian fixed-line
telephone network can block international access of their telephones
from home.

The Public Relations Department, ArmenTel Company, reports that the
company has decided to provide a new service because many dial-up
Internet users complain of bills received for allegedly made
international calls. To prevent such cases, the subscribers can now
make use of a new free service and encode the international access of
their telephone lines before getting connected to the Internet. To
block international calls, subscribers have to dial any four-digit code
plus any of the following extensions:

01 (to block outgoing international calls, as well as fringe services
rendered for extra payments (090),

02 (to block outgoing international calls, calls to the Commonwealth of
Independent States (CIS), as well as fringe services rendered for extra
payments (090),

03 (to block outgoing international calls and the CIS countries,
long-distance calls inside the country, as well as fringe services
rendered for extra payments (090),

04 (to block outgoing international calls and calls to the CIS
countries, long-distance calls inside the country, mobile calls, as
well as fringe services rendered for extra payments (090),

05 (to block outgoing international calls and calls to the CIS
countries, long-distance calls inside the country, local calls, as well
as fringe services rendered for extra payments (090),

ArmenTel has a monopoly operation right to the country’s fixed-line
telephone network. It is one of the two mobile operators in Armenia.
VimpelCom Company is full owner of ArmenTel.`0′

NATO experts visiting Armenia

armradio.am
06.05.2008 14:48

The expert group of NATO arrived in Armenia today for a two-day working
visit for the purpose of holding discussions in RA Ministry of Defense
on the improvement of military-educational programs in the context of
the arrangement to continue the cooperation, Spokesman of the Ministry
of Defense, Colonel Seyran Shahsuvaryan informed.

PanARMENIAN.Net

Azerbaijan’s `delivery’ of Afghan mujahids to Georgia
is possible and even logical
06.05.2008 17:56 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The publication on Real Azerbaijan
website is very interesting, especially in the light
of close military and strategic ties between Georgia
and Azerbaijan, an Armenian expert said.

`The editor-in-chief of Real Azerbaijan, Eynullah
Fatulayev has been in prison for a long time, his
newspaper has been banned. Taking into account the
pressure of some European countries to release or
mitigate his sentence, this publication may turn out a
canard for his absolute discredit in order to deprive
him of any chance of amnesty dated to Heydar Aliyev’s
85th birthday,’ Eduard Abrahamyan, expert at Mitq
analytical center told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter.

`Azerbaijan’s `delivery’ of Afghan mujahids to Georgia
is possible and even logical. No one should forget
that during the Karabakh war, Azerbaijan hired
militants from various countries, including thousands
of mujahids from Afghanistan and Pakistan. Besides,
continuing recruitment of former military throughout
the CIS has become a good tradition for Azerbaijan,’
he added.

`As to Georgia, it can accept friendly assistance for
the purpose to bring to minimum its losses in
hostilities against Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
Moreover, Georgia thinks over the possibility of
formation of separate military units consisting of
representatives of national minorities, including
Armenians and Azeris, who will first of all be thrown
into the bloody mess,’ he concluded.

It’s worth mentioning that on May 4, 2008, Real
Azerbaijan newspaper posted on its website an article
titled `Will Azerbaijanis help Georgia?’
( 65), telling
about the possibility of Azerbaijan’s military
assistance to Georgia in case of war against Abkhazia.
Meanwhile, a relevant publication by PanARMENIAN.Net
aroused hysteria in Baku.

Real Azerbaijan’s website was removed from the server.

However, PanARMENIAN.Net brings to the readers’
attention the screenshot of the website and a
reference in Google.

The article that aroused Azerbaijan’s confusion says
in part,

`Azerbaijan intends to assist Georgia in resolving its
territorial problems.

For the purpose, Baku-Kabul flights suspended in March
2008 will be resumed. Trained Afghan mujahids and
large lots of weapons are expected to be airlifted to
Azerbaijan and then to Georgia, Real Azerbaijan
website reports.

According to preliminary data, some 500 Afghan
commandos trained in British camps will arrive in
Georgia. In operation against Abkhazia and South
Ossetia, they will use weapons received from their
British sponsors, thus protecting Azerbaijan from
`coming into the spotlight.’

Reliable sources report that Azeris are being
recruited in Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Ukraine
and several other states with numerous Azeri diaspora.

The recruitment is conducted under supervision of
"Azerbaycan Diasporasi" chairman Fikret Veliyev,
chairman of Murmansk division of the All-Russian
Azerbaijani Congress Rafik Badirov, president of
federal national and cultural autonomy of Azeris of
Russia Sayun Sadykov. Not only ordinary Azeris but
also students of Moscow and Kyiv universities are
recruited.

Head of the department of political studies of the
Azerbaijani presidential administration Fuad Akhundov
and chief of the division of foreign policy planning
and strategic studies at the Azeri MFA Tofik Musayev
have been commissioned to coordinate the Azeri
diaspora’s work.

1.5-2 thousand prisoners, who committed grave crimes,
will be granted amnesty on occasion of Heydar Aliyev’s
85th birthday. It’s expected that half of them will be
sent to Georgia as well.

The process of Azeri units’ formation was speeded up
after Russian heavy artillery, weapons and equipment
and additional troops crossed Georgia’s state border.’

EDWARD NALBANDIAN SAYS HIS UPCOMING MEETING WITH ELMAR MAMMADYAROV WILL HAVE A CHARACTER OF ACQUAINTANCE

Azeri Press Agency
May 2 2008
Azerbaijan

Yeravan-APA. Armenian foreign minister Edward Nalbandian said he was
hopeful that his meeting with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar
Mammadyarov on May 6 in Strasbourg would be rich in content, APA
quotes Armenian sites.

In his address to the Armenian parliament Nalbadian said it would
be their first meeting and most likely would have a character of
acquaintance. "It will be an acquaintance but I hope that the meeting
will end with the agreement to continue talks". The minister also said
that concerns over the boost of Azerbaijan’s defense expenses couldn’t
be estimated as interference in internal affairs of that country.