Author: Madatian Greg

NO BREAKTHROUGH IN KAZAN MEETING OF ARMENIAN, AZERI PRESIDENTS

Yerkir
30.08.2005 17:06

YEREVAN (YERKIR) – Speaking at a news conference on Tuesday, Foreign
Minster Vardan Oskanian said Armenia considers the meeting of Armenian
and Azerbaijani presidents in Kazan as positive and that he believes
the talks are on the right track. He, however, refused to suggest
details.

“Meetings between the foreign ministers will conitnue based on the
agreements reached in Warsaw and Kazan,” Oskanian went on saying,
adding that while no breakthrough was registered in Kazan, the foreign
ministers are not facing a deadlock.

He also said that the August 24 meeting of foreign affairs in Moscow
in presence of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs discussed the settlement
of the conflict in the context of the “Prague process.”

Oskanian also briefed the reporters on the Kazan summit of the
Commonwealth of Independent States as well as Armenia’s integration
process into Europe, emphasizing joint projects carried out by Armenia,
European Union and NATO.

FOREIGN MINISTER’S COMMENTS
De Facto

Azat Artsakh Nagorno Karabakh Republic [NKR]
29 Aug 05

“Mr. Melikian, how would you comment on the fact that the Central
Election Committee of the Republic of Azerbaijan has created an
electoral district for the people of Nagorno Karabakh Republic?” Arman
Melikian: “Establishing electoral districts by the CEC of Azerbaijan
for the population of the territories which are under the sovereignty
of NKR at present endangers the possible democratic reforms in the
Republic of Azerbaijan because thus the Azerbaijani authorities attain
a chance to use at least several hundreds of thousands of votes of
virtual voters in favour of the present rulers. A similar result
is expected from the proposed electronic ballot. The steps of the
CEC of Azerbaijan show that the local and international observers
will be unable to monitor the election duly.” De Facto: “Is it
possible that the NKR citizens take part in the upcoming election in
Azerbaijan?” A.M.: “The present legislation of NKR provides for dual
nationality for the citizens of NKR, and this means that if ever an
NKR citizen becomes national of the republic of Azerbaijan becoming
a dual national, the question of an interstate agreement between
NKR and Azerbaijan will occur, which will maintain the rights and
duties of persons who are nationals of both countries, including
the right for vote. This is usual practice in the world. In order
to sign such an agreement it is first necessary to solve a number of
problems. First of all, it is the question of recognition of Nagorno
Karabakh Republic, without which no further step can be taken. Second,
the legislation of Azerbaijan must provide for the right of dual
nationality and may undergo changes if necessary. Only after this
can the
interstate agreement be taken into consideration. I do not think that
the Republic of Azerbaijan will manage all the necessary actions before
the election in Azerbaijan, though everything depends on the will of
the Azerbaijani leaders, and any positive step in this direction will
be commended.”

Agence France Presse — English
August 27, 2005 Saturday 5:24 PM GMT

Western-leaning ex-Soviet republics see future for CIS

by Olga Nedbaeva
KAZAN, Russia Aug 27

The leaders of two former Soviet republics that have undergone
peaceful pro-Western revolutions said Saturday they thought the
Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), to which 12 ex-republics
belong, still had a future.

Leaders of the CIS members have been meeting in Kazan in Tatarstan at
a time when questions hang over the prospects for the CIS, of which
all ex-republics except the three Baltic states are members.

On Friday Russian President Vladimir Putin gave a gloomy assessment
of the outlook for the CIS, saying that modernising it would be an
uphill task.

But Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili and his Ukrainian
counterpart Viktor Yushchenko, both beneficiaries of popular
pro-Western “orange” and “rose” movements, indicated they wanted to
remain within the CIS.

“Georgia does not consider the potential of the CIS is exhausted,”
Saakashvili told reporters Saturday.

“The CIS has problems that we can resolve to transform it into a more
efficient organisation.”

His optimism clashed with the gloom of experts who had predicted the
demise of the bloc.

Saakashvili said the idea put forward by Georgia and Ukraine for a
“community of democratic choice” stretching from the Baltic to the
Black and Caspian Seas and embracing Poland and Lithuania, seen by
Moscow as an anti-Russian initiative, was not suppposed to supplant
the CIS.

Yushchenko signed up to a declaration of a group of four countries —
with Belarus, Kakazhstan and Russia — aimed at creating a common
economic space, though he made clear that Ukraine would join “in its
own time” and opposed the idea, backed by Moscow, of a supranational
entity.

Ukraine’s economy minister had previously hinted that his country was
thinking of dropping out of the group. Yushchenko also used the
summit to invite Putin to visit Ukraine in the autumn.

But if Ukraine and Georgia were making gestures of warmth to Moscow
Turkmenistan took a different tack, saying that it wanted to become
an associate member of the CIS.

According to Saakashvili this would be “the first change of status
since the creation of the CIS in 1991, which is significant.”

The underlying tensions within the CIS, however, remain.

Georgia and Ukraine now look to the west after their 2003 and 2004
uprisings, as does Moldova, even if it remains under communist
leadership.

Kyrgyzstan has also seen the overthrow of its pro-Russian government
and while it performs a balancing act between east and west has taken
actions designed to make it more acceptable to the international
community.

Uzbekistan and Belarus are headed by authoritarian leaders while
Armenia and Azerbaijan are in a state of permanent conflict over the
enclave of Nagorny Karabakh, under Armenian control since it broke
away from Azerbaijan in the early 1990s.

Russia has watched with dismay the ebbing of its influence and seeks
to reform the CIS, suggesting a “radical” change of policy and
hinting that it will no longer supply cut-price energy to regimes
whose leaders it alleges are in the pay of the United States.

Armenian official praises Kazan talks with Azeri leader

Armenian Public TV
27 August 05

The meeting between the armenian and Azerbaijani presidents, Robert
Kocharyan and Ilham Aliyev, has ended in Kazan. The meeting lasted for
about two hours. The presidents first had a tete-a-tete meeting and
then were joined by the co-chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group and the
personal representative of the OSCE chairman-in-office [on the
Nagornyy Karabakh conflict], Andrzej Kasprzyk.

The Armenian side positively assesses the meeting in Kazan and
considers it to be a positive development in the negotiating process,
the press secretary of the Armenian president, Viktor Sogomonyan, told
Mediamax new agency.

He also said that the Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers will
continue their work on the basis of the agreements reached in Kazan.

Agency WPS
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
August 26, 2005, Friday

THE FOREIGN MINISTERS OF ARMENIA AND AZERBAIJAN WILL HOLD A MEETING
IN MOSCOW

Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan, Vardan Oskanyan and
Elnar Mamedyarov, will holding a meeting in Moscow on August 24,
after the end of the meeting of the CIS council of foreign ministers.
Interfax reports that the ministers will focus on settling the
conflict in Nagorny Karabakh.

Source: Vremya Novostei, August 23, 2005, p. 1

ARKA News Agency
Aug 24 2005

ROBERT KOCHARYAN: CONSTITUTIONAL REFORMS IN ARMENIA SHOULD NOT BE
CONSIDERED AS AUTHORITIES’ VICTORY OR OPPOSITION’S DEFEAT

YEREVAN, August 24. /ARKA/. The constitutional reforms in Armenia
should not be considered as the victory of the authorities or defeat
of the opposition, RA President Robert Kocharyan stated in his
interview given to the Armenian Public television. He said that “this
is the most dangerous aspect”. “I am confident that constitutional
reforms should not be viewed from this point of view. They can not be
the subject of the authorities’ victory or opposition’s defeat. They
should only be considered as victory of the people and the country”,
Kocharyan said. He said that the constitutional reforms should be
popularized, which will result in people’s unity as it was done for
the Round Dance of Unity on May 28, 2005. He said that if with the
festive mood we will achieve positive result, it will be the victory
of the people and the country. Kocharyan pointed out that it is
necessary to help opposition to come to positive field.
“Constitutional reforms are not for the certain individual or party.
The draft amendments to Constitution has objective nature, and all
sides will benefit from it, including the opposition”, Kocharyan
said. He pointed out that it is the most important task, and the
active work should be done in this direction to achieve a positive
result.
The draft amendments to the Constitution will be discussed in the
second reading at the RA National Assembly on August 29, 2005. The
opposition parliamentary forces – the “National Unity” party and the
“Justice” bloc, which have boycotted the sessions of the RA NA since
February, 2004 decided to participate in these discussions. They also
stated previously that there are not any pre-conditions to approve
this draft. A.A. -0–

PM WANTS THE CONFERENCE

Turkish Press
Aug 25 2005

Press Scan

MILLIYET (LIBERAL)

It was revealed that Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan told Bogazici
University Rector Prof. Dr. Ayse Soysal to organize the conference
on “Armenians in the Late Ottoman Empire” before opening of entry
talks with the EU on October 3rd. Meanwhile, Foreign Minister &
Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul said about the conference, “we
consider such meetings an opportunity to explain our theses both in
Turkey and abroad. We should benefit from such opportunities.”

BBC Sport, UK
Aug 24 2005

Darchinyan keeps flyweight crown

Vic Darchinyan lands a right cross on the chin of Jair Jiminez
Australia’s Vic Darchinyan retained his IBF flyweight title with a
fifth-round stoppage of Jair Jiminez at the Sydney Entertainment
Center on Wednesday.
Darchinyan sent Jiminez to the canvas early in the fourth and
pummelled the Colombian for the rest of the round.

At the time of the stoppage, Darchinyan led by five points on two
judges’ cards and six points on the other.

Armenian-born Darchinyan was making the second defence of the title
he won from Irene Pacheco last December.

National Assembly of RA (press release), Armenia
Aug 24 2005

Armenian-Austrian Relations at the New Stage of Development

On August 23 RA NA President Artur Baghdasaryan received Johannes
Sacks, the delegation of led by the President of Austria-Armenia
Inter-Governmental Committee. Heidamaria Gürer, Ambassador of Austria
to Armenia attended the meeting.

During the meeting the problems of deepening the Armenian-Austrian
political and economic r elations were discussed. Mr. Sacks noted
that the one of the most important results of the NA President’s
official visit to Austria is the meeting of Austria-Armenia
Intergovernmental committee, which was well organized and can
essentially expand the frames of economic cooperation. It was noted
that in future a seminar dedicated to the issue of investments in
Vienna, where the investment legislation of Armenia will be presented
and economic daily improving opportunities, and it can become a good
chance for the entrance of the Austrian investors to Armenia, as well
as for the Armenian investors to Austria, so also for entering to the
market of the European Union. It was noted that already there is a
programme in connection with the development of the zone of
Tsaghkaszor as a resort place and athletes’ training.

Attaching great importance to the development of the
Armenian-Austrian political and trade-economic,
scientific-educational relations, RA NA Artur Baghdasaryan expressed
his gratitude to the Government of Austria for the implentation of
the economic programmes in Armenia and expressed readiness to promote
the fulfillment of the inter-state agreements.

During the meeting the good work of the `Austrian Airlines’ was
highlighted, which is one of the most functioning air bridges that
connects Armenia to the big world.

PRESS RELEASE

Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V.Rev.Fr. Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: [email protected]
Web:

PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon

Armenian version:

HIS HOLINESS MEETS WITH FOREIGN AFFAIRS MINISTER SALLOUKH

His Holiness Aram I received the Minister of Foreign Affairs of
Lebanon Fawzi Salloukh in his office in Antelias on August 23.

The minister briefed His Holiness about the internal situation of
Lebanon in general and talked about the country’s foreign affairs. His
Holiness informed the minister about the international relations of the
Catholicosate of Cilicia and the Armenian communities it represents.

The minister talked with admiration and respect about the Armenian
community of Lebanon, its participation in the political life of
the country and the contribution it has brought to Lebanon’s growth
and progress.

His Holiness stressed that the importance of guaranteeing Lebanon’s
security and stability and pointed out that political leaders should
refrain from making provoking statements.

The Catholicos emphasized that the government should act as a single
unit. He added that new impetus should be given to the relations
between Lebanon’s different communities and international and regional
developments should be closely followed.

The foreign affairs minister gave a brief press conference after
his meeting with His Holiness Aram I. He expressed satisfaction at
meeting with “such spiritual leaders who have wide knowledge about
religious and political issues.”

The minister then spoke about the Armenian community of Lebanon,
considering it an indispensable part of the country’s communities
and acknowledging the important role it has played in the country’s
progress.

He also talked about the Lebanese-Armenians living in different part
of the Diaspora and their “honorable work” for the progress of Lebanon.

##

View picture here:

*****

The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates
of the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the
history and the mission of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer
to the web page of the Catholicosate, The
Cilician Catholicosate, the administrative center of the church is
located in Antelias, Lebanon.