Author: Madatian Greg

ITAR-TASS News Agency, Russia
June 10, 2007 Sunday 01:57 AM EST

Armenia, Azerbaijan to discuss Karabakh on St Pete summit sidelines

ST PETERSBURG, June 10

Armenian and Azerbaijani leaders Robert Kocharyan and Ilkham Aliyev
will meet on the sidelines of the CIS informal summit in St.
Petersburg to make a breakthrough in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict
settlement.

The OSCE Minsk Group co-chaired by Russia, France and the United
States are expected to take part in the presidential meeting.

On the eve of the summit the Group held two rounds of political
consultations with the Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents.

Mediators say “the two countries’ positions are now very close,”
but admit that “there is no need to think that all difficulties will
be resolved at the St. Petersburg meeting.”

High on the meeting’s agenda will be framework principles for the
Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement. Back in May 1994 the two
conflicting partied signed a ceasefire agreement with the mediation
of Russia and the CIS Interparliamentary Assembly.

The co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, Mathew Bryza of the United
States pointed out that the key principles for the settlement include
the withdrawal of Armenian troops from Azerbaijan’s territories,
deployment of peacekeeping forces in the conflict zone, creation of a
corridor between Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh and defining of Nagorno
Karabakh’s future status.

OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel
Moratinos, who visited Armenia earlier this week, believes that the
meeting in St. Petersburg may yield positive results and will confirm
the two parties’ good intentions.

Azerbaijan extremely disappointed with Yuri Merzlyakov’s statement

ArmRadio.am
09.06.2007 14:34

Azerbaijan is extremely disappointed with the statement of the Russian
Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group.

Azeri media report that Deputy Foreign Minister Araz Azimov shared his
disappointment with journalists. `We view the statement which the
Russian Co-Chair made in Yerevan as provocation on the threshold of the
meeting of Armenian and Azerbaijani Presidents in Saint Petersburg.’ In
his words, official Baku is clarifying the circumstances of the
above-mentioned fact. `If the statement has been made, we shall raise
the issue of Mr. Merzlyakov’s activity and his responsibility for those
words, since it is a violation of all accepted norms and the mediators’
activity. We do not know yet whether this statement corresponds to
reality in the shape we have seen it in press and media. We are
investigating the circumstances,’ Azimov noted.

Let us remind that during a press conference in Yerevan Yuri
Merzlyakovhad denied the publication of Azerbaijani media, asserting
that he had said that Nagorno Karabakh was an indivisible part of
Azerbaijan.’ Mr. Merzlyakov quoted his own words, `the independence of
Nagorno Karabakh has not been recognized by any state of the world, and
our countries recognize the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.’
According to him, it does not mean Nagorno Karabakh is an indivisible
part of Azerbaijan.

ELMAR MAMMADYAROV: PUTTING FORWARD KARABAKH’S STATUS AS MAIN ISSUE ARMENIA WOULD REJECT THREE-YEAR NEGOTIATIONS

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
June 8 2007

"If Armenia puts forward the status of Nagorno Karabakh as the main
issue to be solved, it shows Armenia’s non-constructive position.

Putting forward the status of Nagorno Karabakh means rejecting the
results of the three-year negotiations," Azerbaijani Foreign Minister
Elmar Mammadyarov told journalists, APA reports.

Elmar Mammadyarov rejected the statements by Armenian media that
the central issue of discussions at the Presidents’ [Azerbaijani
and Armenian] meeting in St Petersburg will be the status of Nagorno
Karabakh and said that this approach contradicts basic principles on
the settlement of the conflict.

"The main themes of discussions are withdrawal of troops from the
occupied Azerbaijani territories, deploying peacekeeping forces,
restoration of contacts and returning of IDPs to their motherland,"
he said.

MINSK GROUP HOPES AZERBAIJANI-ARMENIAN TALKS TO BE CONSTRUCTIVE

ITAR-TASS News Agency, Russia
June 6, 2007 Wednesday 11:16 AM EST

Co-chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group said they are hopeful that the
talks between the Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents in St. Petersburg
will be constructive.

The co-chairmen gathered in Baku for political consultations on
Wednesday ahead of the upcoming meeting between Azerbaijani President
Ilkham Aliyev and Armenian President Robert Kocharyan.

Aliyev and Kocharyan are expected to meet in St. Petersburg on June 9.

Russian co-chairman Yuri Merzlyakov said the Minsk Group held talks
with Azerbaijani President Ilkham Aliyev and Foreign Minister Elmar
Mamedyarov. "During the meeting, we determined questions to which
the co-chairmen would like to get answers as part of the direct talks
between the presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia."

"There are no so many questions left that should be coordinated. We
hope that the meeting in St. Petersburg will be held in a constructive
way and be an important step in Karabakh settlement," the Russian
co-chairman said.

French co-chairman Bernard Fassier stressed, "One cannot believe that
all problems will be solved in St. Petersburg." "We’ll be optimists. A
real breakthrough will be reached when the presidents of the two
countries instructs the foreign ministers to begin working out a
peace treaty," he said.

According to the co-chairmen, "it is necessary to prepare our peoples
for a compromise." "No agreement may meet the interests of both
countries. Any agreement is a compromise," Merzlyakov said.

At the same time, the co-chairmen said, "It’s necessary to prepare
our peoples for peace and not for war." The settlement of the conflict
depends on the political will of the Azerbaijani and Armenian leaders,
they said.

NKR PRESIDENT: OPTIMISM OF MINSK GROUP IS QUITE UNDERSTANDABLE, MEDIATOR IS ALWAYS OPTIMIST

PanARMENIAN.Net
07.06.2007 15:45 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ "The issue of territories always exists and we
cannot pass around it. But it is not a primary issue in the process
of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement," NKR President Arkadi
Ghukassian stated to a press conference in Yerevan. He said, the
Co-Chairs clearly know that there exists a logic in the stance of
Nagorno Karabakh. "Territories and refugees are the consequences
of the conflict and not the reasons for it. Azerbaijan was defeated
and lost Nagorno Karabakh. Everyone understands it. However, there
exists a diplomatic formula, "I understand everything, but…",
Ghukassian underscored.

At the same time the NKR President assured that optimism of mediators
is quite understandable.

"Mediator is always an optimist, otherwise it is impossible
to agree. We realize that compromises are necessary, but they are
talked about abstractedly. The main thing for us is to make sure that
Azerbaijan will recognize the independence of NKR. And Azerbaijan
does not want to get part by part, he wants all at once.

Nothing similar happens," Ghukassian underscored.

OSCE MG CO-CHAIRS PROPOSE TO DETERMINE STATUS OF NAGORNO KARABAKH BY VOTE

ArmInfo
2007-06-07 13:29:00

"Though we held intensive but constructive meetings at the Foreign
Ministry and President’s Office in Baku. We determined the issues
to be discussed in the meeting of the Presidents in St Petersburg,"
Russian co-chair of OSCE Minsk Group Yuri Merzlyakov told a press
conference in Russian Embassy in Azerbaijan, APA reports.

"There remained little number of unsettled issues. Baku meetings
created hope that the meeting of the Presidents will be a constructive
and significant event".

French Co-chair Bernard Fassier said he hoped that Yerevan meetings
will be as constructive as that of Baku. US co-chair Matthew Bryza
hoped that St Petersburg meeting can be constructive "We hope that
St Petersburg meeting will be a turning point. Even step by step we
achieved to raise the number of discrepancies. Bu there is still much
work to be done". Answering questions of journalists, Bernard Fassier
said if there is a turning point in the negotiations, the co-chairs
will be optimistic on the settlement of the conflict. "The turning
point can happen that time if the presidents instruct their Foreign
Ministers to draft a peace agreement on the conflict. Besides, for
achieving turning point the peace agreement needs basic principles
to be clarified. We debated some basic principles in Rambouillet. We
increased this number in Bucharest and Minsk. If we can increase
the number of basic principles on the settlement of the conflict in
St. Petersburg it will be good.

Yuri Merzlyakov commenting on a peace agreement stated that the parties
to the conflict should take into consideration that peace agreement
would not completely satisfy both parties. "Since we speak about a
fair peace agreement, then the parties should take into consideration
that only 50% might be achieved. Any agreement is a compromise,"
he said. Bernard Fassier said that the parties should be ready to
compromise. "Both peoples should be prepared to compromise. The
peoples should also be prepared for peace," he said. Matthew Bryza
touching on the status of Nagorno Karabakh said that co-chairs have
proposed to determine the status by vote.

"We proposed that the status of Nagorno Karabakh be defined by
vote. The sides should define where voting should be conducted. OSCE
Minsk Group can not define how to call this voting. The Presidents
are responsible for that," he said.

SERZH SARGSYAN ON KARABAKH: PRESIDENT OF AZERBAIJAN JUST PRESENTS HIS WISHES AS REALITY

PanARMENIAN.Net
07.06.2007 14:18 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ By saying that the sides have agreed on returning the
7 regions around Nagorno Karabakh to Azerbaijan, the Azeri President
just presents his wishes as reality, Armenian Prime Minister Serzh
Sargsyan stated to a press conference. "We have our stance on Karabakh
and it has not changed a bit. That is, Karabakh people must have all
security guarantees for residing on those territories, where they have
been living for centuries. Karabakh gained independence according to
the USSR law via referendum.

After that Azerbaijan perpetrated aggression against Karabakh. A
security zone was established in the result of military operations. We
think that people of Nagorno Karabakh have the full right to
self-determination. This is the first. Second, we think that Karabakh
cannot exist as an enclave. That’s why it must have a land border
with Armenia. And finally the third, we must have strong guarantees
for preventing resumption of military operations. The security zone
was established exactly for that reason.

Based on those three conditions we move to the peaceful solution of
the problem," he underlined.

Commenting on the issue, that according to some media means he had
given certain promises to Americans on compromising in the Karabakh
problem, particularly in territorial issues, Serzh Sargsyan stated,
"For the first time I hear that I have given certain promises.

We can promise to marry, but the matter concerns more serious
things. We have not promised anything to anyone," "Moskovski
Komsomolets" reports.

ROBERT KOCHARIAN: GREAT EVENT AND STEP WAS DONE IN COUNTRY IN DIRECTION OF DEMOCRATIZATION AS A RESULT OF PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS

Noyan Tapan
Jun 07 2007

YEREVAN, JUNE 7, NOYAN TAPAN. The newly elected National Assembly
convened its first session on June 7, at 10:00. 114 out of 130 deputies
elected as a result of the May 12 elections were present. Independent
MP Khachatur Sukiasian, representatives of Zharangutiun and Orinats
Yerkir parties were absent.

RA President Robert Kocharian made a greeting speech on the occasion of
opening the session. Congratulating the deputies elected by the people,
wishing them success and fruitful work he said that new parliament
has great expectations. "I am convinced that all those present at
the sitting have a sufficient will, sufficient level of skilfulness
and diligence for achieving success," the President said. He also
mentioned that no doubt a great event and a great step was done in
the direction of democratization in the country as a result of the
elections. "It is evident that this is a great contribution in the
issue of ensuring country’s stability, as the issue of parliament’s
legitimacy is perfect," R. Kocharian mentioned in his speech.

Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II also greeted and blessed the
newly elected parliament members.

The oath-taking ceremony of newly elected deputies took place after
greeting speeches.

THE UNITED STATE SHOULD EQUALLY PROTECT THE KURDS IN TURKEY

Kurdish Aspect, CO
June 4 2007

The Turkish regime has launched an indiscriminate incursion against
its own 25 -million unarmed Kurdish civilians.

These authoritarian and repressive policies have continued for
decade under the cover of fighting terrorism and separatism. It is an
unconditional noncompliance of international treaties, but the Western
powers expose no reluctance to condemn the Turks for committing such
gruesome crimes.

Approximately two fifth of Turkey’s 65 million people are of
Kurdish ethnicity. Since its founding from the remnant of Ottoman
Empire, Kurds have been the principal victims of the Turkish state’s
excesses. The Kurdish issue is the most pivotal internal problem in
the Turkish republic’s seventy-seven-year history and indubitably
the core sticking point to its aspirations to full integration with
European institutions.

Regretfully, the Turks have not yet been able to embrace this reality
and constantly attempt to portray it rather as a socioeconomic
problem in their southeastern region and a problem of terrorism
that is dependent on external support from foreign states aiming at
weakening Turkey.

The Turks should understand that the Kurdish issue in Turkey differs
in many respects from such recent ethnic conflicts as those in Bosnia,
Chechnya, Kosovo, Liberia, Nagorno-Karabakh, and Rwanda. The Kurdish
dilemma in Turkey is totally distinct from the problem of PKK. Turkish
state is not acting in accord with its own rhetoric stipulating that
the Kurdish issue is distinct from PKK.

Washington condemned Saddam for its treatment of the Kurds in South
Kurdistan (Kurdistan region-northern Iraq).

Concurrently, it should disallow Turkey’s equally brutal repression
of its own Kurdish population, where more than 37,000 Kurds have been
killed in the past two decades.

The civilized world needs to speak out unequivocally against ethnic
cleansing under any circumstances.

The international community should take immediate and concrete
steps to stop Turkeys’ state terrorism against the Kurdish people,
and protect innocent Kurdish lives

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ARF will launch a project in Hadrut region

04-06-2007 09:37:03 – KarabakhOpen

The Armenian branch of the Armenian Relief Fund will reconstruct 27
houses in Hadrut and the villages of Tiak, Arakel, Vank and Banadzor in
the framework of a USAID-financed program of humanitarian aid to
Nagorno-Karabakh. The ARF will reconstruct the water supply system in
the villages of Vank and Mokhrenes, Hadrut region. The ARF Armenian
branch has put out the construction buildings to tender. By the way,
the U.S. government funds direct humanitarian aid to Karabakh.