Author: Madatian Greg

TURKEY REFUSES TO PROVIDE ARMAVIA PLANE WITH AIR CORRIDOR

YEREVAN, MARCH 28. ARMINFO. Mar 25 Turkey refused to provide air
corridor to an Armavia plane flying from Aleppo to Yerevan.

Armavia PR executive Garik Siroyan says that as a result the plane was
forced to fly via Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Iran.

When flying to Europe Armavia uses alternative directions via Russia
and Ukraine which is more expensive than to fly via Turkey.

Turkey said that it had technical reasons for the ban and Monday
allowed to use its air space till the end of this year.

This is not the first time though. When being the national air carrier
of Armenia the Armenian Airlines company repeatedly faced similar
problems.

Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
March 28 2005

Peace talks will be halted if `Prague meetings’ fruitless – President

Baku, March 26, AssA-Irada
Talks with Armenia will be halted if Prague process yields no
results, President Ilham Aliyev told the third congress of the ruling
New Azerbaijan Party on Saturday.
`If the Prague talks turns out fruitless, we will face a different
situation. There will be no longer any need for negotiations and
Azerbaijan will have to make major changes to its strategy and
political approaches.’
Aliyev said that international legal norms, economic and military
potential and justice are in favour of Azerbaijan. The Azeri people
will never accept losing their native land and will liberate the
territories by all means, he said.
The President noted that the tendencies observed in the talks are
also in favor of Azerbaijan.
Armenia’s non-constructive position is impeding the solution of the
problem, he added.*

“MESROP MASHTOTS” UNIVERSITY TO FULFIL IN STEPANAKERT “CHILDREN OF DIASPORA” PROGRAM

STEPANAKERT, MARCH 23. ARMINFO. Head of NKR “Mesrop Mashtots”
university Donara Gabrielyan held today a press-conference dedicated to
university’s participation in an international exhibition of education
taken place in Yerevan. 26 Armenian and 1 Karabakh institutions of
higher education took part there.

ARMINFO’s reporter in Stepanakert informs that the exhibition was
organized by the Armenian Ministry for Education and Science and
“EXPO SERVICE” OJSC. The university was awarded a diploma for active
participation in the action and signed numerous agreements with
several Armenian universities.

Gabrielyan noted that the university takes an active part in regional
conferences and seminars organized by Russian Embassy in Armenia,
cooperates with Armenian University of Management and Information
Technologies, American University of Armenia, German Cultural Center
after Goethe, Hamburg University, University of M.L.King (Germany),
Association of Armenian Engineers and Scientists of the USA (AAESA)
and the Research Group of Armenian International Policy.

“Mesrop Mashtots” intends to fulfil in Stepanakert the “Children
of Diaspora” program to enlarge and strengthen Diaspora-Karabakh
relations. A three-day conference on the topic of “The role of Karabakh
in the formation of Russian-Armenian relations” will be organized by
the university in Stepanakert in October, 2005. Scientists from Russia
and Southern Caucasian countries will be invited to the conference. “We
have a goal to show our longstanding friendly relations with Russia,
to tell about Karabakh, to give a new impulse to our current ties,
and to establish the new ones”, Gabrielyan noted. -r-

Both Baku and Yerevan to benefit from OSCE report, pundit says

Yeni Musavat
Azeri 20 Mar 05

Excerpt from report by Kanan in Azerbaijani newspaper Yeni Musavat on
20 March headlined “The report by the fact-finding mission is part
of a general policy” and subheaded “Rasim Musabayov: “Any negative
or positive outcomes of the document will depend on activities of
the sides””

Azerbaijan is pleased with the OSCE fact-finding mission’s report.
Deputy Foreign Minister Araz Azimov has told a press conference that
the report confirmed that thousands of Armenians are being illegally
settled in the occupied Azerbaijani territories. Azimov said that
Baku would try to put the issue on the agenda of the 60th session of
the UN General Assembly.

Interestingly enough, Armenia is also happy with the report.

[Passage omitted: reported details of Armenian Foreign Ministry
statement]

“The report is in the interests of that country which is using that
effectively,” political scientist Rasim Musabayov said. Musabayov
said the mission confirmed the fact of settlement and called for an
end to that which is in the interests of Baku.

“It has been confirmed that the Armenians are really being settled
in Azerbaijani territories. On the one hand, this will help curb the
process since from now on the Armenians will find it difficult to
continue the settlement process. Azerbaijan will benefit from that.
On the other hand, Baku may raise the issue with the UN General
Assembly which will then condemn the confirmed fact,” Musabayov said.

The political scientist also said that some points raised in the
report were in the interests of the Armenians as well.

“The point the Armenians are happy with is that the fact-finding
mission has said the settlement in the occupied territories has not
been carried out in an organized way. Moreover, the Armenians are
trying to make sure that the fact of settlement becomes the status
quo. They may make use of this in the future to annex parts of our
territories to Karabakh. At the very least, they may ask donors for
funds to resettle their compatriots in other territories,” he said.

[Passage omitted: repetition]

Asked whose interests does the report satisfy best, Musabayov said
it was part of the settlement process.

“One should not assess the document separately from the process. In
fact, this is just a small part of the overall policy. The positive
side is that the artificial settlement of the Armenians has been curbed
in some way. It is no longer possible to continue the settlement in
those territories. Azerbaijan will have evidence in its hands when
raising the issue with international organizations. In any case,
a negative or positive outcome of the document will depend on future
activities,” he said.

ARF MEMBERS VOICE THEIR CONCERN OVER GEORGIAN NEWSPAPER’S PUBLICATION
TO GEORGIAN AMBASSADOR TO ARMENIA

YEREVAN, MARCH 22, NOYAN TAPAN. Armenian Revolutionary Revolution
(ARF) Supreme Council of Armenia representative Armen Rustamian
and National Assembly’s ARF faction leader Levon Mkrtchian met
on Tuesday with Revaz Gochechiladze, the Georgian Ambassador to
Armenia, ARF press service reported. The ARF members voiced their
concern over the statements by Georgi Gachechiladze, purportedly an
advisor to the Georgian president, regarding the Javakhk Armenians,
the Armenian Genocide, and the Armenian Revolutionary Federation; he
had made the statements in an interview with the Georgian newspaper
Rao-Rao. The ARF representatives reiterated the party’s position
to assist the Georgian authorities in resolving the socio-economic,
educational and political issues of the Javakhk Armenians. They also
expressed their concerns regarding the attempts of turning the Armenian
churches in Georgia into Georgian ones. Ambassador Gochechiladze noted
that Georgi Gachechiladze’s statements do not represent those of the
Georgian government and are partly a result of his being uninformed.
The ambassador also mentioned that he had already passed on the ARF
views and worries to Tbilisi. According to the ARF Press Service,
the ARF members also conveyed their party’s willingness to boost the
relations with the Georgian party and political circles; the ambassador
promised to assist in this regard. The meeting, initiated by the ARF,
lasted about one hour.

REP. KENNEDY CALLS ON ADMINISTRATION TO CONFRONT TURKEY’S DENIAL OF
ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

WASHINGTON, March 22 (Noyan Tapan). The Armenian Assembly of America
praised Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-RI), a member of the Congressional
Caucus on Armenian Issues, for calling on the Bush Administration to
openly deal with Turkey’s continued policy of denial of the Armenian
Genocide and to support a congressional resolution reaffirming this
crime against humanity. Kennedy, in a statement issued last week
before Congress, said the Administration’s reluctance to address
the issue stems from its refusal to alienate Turkey at a time when
Washington is seeking to repair relations with Ankara. “This approach
sends absolutely the wrong signal to Turkey and to the rest of the
world,” Kennedy stated. “As we promote relations based upon shared
values, the United States must never forget the essential value of
facing history directly.” Kennedy also added that the present day
Turkish government must stop its shameful policy of denial of the
Armenian Genocide. “The Turkish government spends millions of dollars
annually to lobby other governments to advance its revisionist cause,
claiming that the subject is sensitive and that acknowledgement would
undermine relations with Turkey,” Kennedy said. Last week, Turkish
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan renewed calls for further study
of the Armenian Genocide, telling Reuters “If there is a need for
a political settling of accounts with history after such a study,
we, the government and the opposition, are ready to do just that.”
Assembly leaders, for their part, joined Armenia’s Foreign Minister
Vartan Oskanian in calling the study pointless given the scholarly
community’s publicly stated conclusions confirming the events as
Genocide. “Periodic calls by various Turkish administrations for
historical debate simply delay the process of reconciling the truth,”
Oskanian recently said in a speech before the U.N. Commission on
Human Rights. “The facts are clear. The historical record is clear.
We know well what happened to our forebears.” The Assembly in recent
weeks has pointed to such public affirmations, as well as those of
leading U.S. public officials such as Ambassador to Armenia John
Evans, as part of its campaign to urge President Bush to recognize
the Armenian Genocide in his statement of remembrance next month.

Glendale News Press
LATimes.com
March 22 2005

There she is — Miss Armenia

Glendale’s Silva Yesayan will compete in the Miss Asia USA pageant

April 23 at the Alex Theatre.
By Ryan Carter, News-Press and Leader

The beauty in a Pasadena car showroom didn’t come from the lines of
a fancy Jaguar or Porsche. It came from all over Asia, and Glendale.

Beautiful women representing countries from throughout Asia mingled
with about 90 guests, snacked on truffles and salad and listened to
jazz Saturday in the Rusnak Jaguar showroom in Pasadena.

Silva Yesayan of Glendale is Miss Armenia. The Glendale Community
College student won the event’s “Miss Rusnak Jaguar Queen for the Day”
award. Others represented Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand,
Iraq and Iran.

The event Saturday was to support the Miss Asia USA 2005 pageant,
which for the second time in its 17-year history will be in Glendale
on April 23 at the Alex Theatre. Twenty-five women who attended
the event Saturday will vie to become Miss Asia USA, ambassador for
culture and goodwill for the Asian American community.

“I was in shock,” Yesayan said of being queen for the day. “I
didn’t know I would be the one. I didn’t know to go up or sit down.
Everything came out perfect.”

The women brought smiles to the faces of guests, who included City
Councilman Dave Weaver, a member of the Miss Asia USA organizing
committee, said Liz Rusnak Arizmendi, spokeswoman for the Rusnak
Automotive Group, a sponsor of Miss Asia USA.

“It was an intelligent, beautiful, well-spoken, articulate group of
young women,” Rusnak Arizmendi said. “It was a fun way of interacting
with these gorgeous creatures.”

Miss Iraq, Carol Safa Nasi, is from Glendale, and Miss Philippines,
Jennifer Ball, is from Burbank, said Virgelia Villegas, Miss Asia
USA’s chairwoman.

Organizers are still looking for women to participate in the pageant
to round out representation from 50 Asian countries.

They are looking for women between 17 and 28 who have never been
married, who have never had children and have a pleasing personality.
There is no height requirement. A minimum 25% ancestry from an Asian
nation is required.

“We look at internal beauty and rally for that instead of outside
beauty,” Villegas said.

AzerTag, Azerbaijan
March 22 2005

INDEPENDENT PEOPLE OF AZERBAIJAN MEETS NATIONAL HOLIDAY NOVRUZ WITH
NEW SUCCESSES
SPEECH OF THE PRESIDENT OF AZERBAIJAN ILHAM ALIYEV AT THE NATIONWIDE
NOVRUZ FESTIVITIES
[March 22, 2005, 15:39:41]

Dear country fellows,

Dear sisters and brothers,

I cordially congratulate all of you on the occasion of the dearest
holiday of the Azerbaijani people, Novruz Bayrami, and wish each of
you health and success.

Novruz Bayrami has always lived in heart of the Azerbaijani people.
The Azerbaijani people preserved this holiday for centuries. However,
only after regaining by the Azerbaijan people of the state
independence, this holiday started to be marked as the state holiday.
Independence of Azerbaijan is our biggest property. All of us should
every day, every month and every year maintain, protect, strengthen
this independence.

After gaining the state independence, Azerbaijan experienced heavy
conditions, and there were big threats. It is possible to tell that
a crisis ruled in the country, and the future of Azerbaijan could
face very big dangers. Thanks to wisdom and will of our nation,
Heydar Aliyev has come to power, and after that the situation in the
country was completely changed.

For the period since 1993 to 2003, Azerbaijan has passed big way of
development. We see, and we feel this development in all directions.
The processes proceeding in the country, economic development,
political reforms, and growth of authority of the country today have
transformed Azerbaijan into very strong state in region.

Since 2003, in our country positive tendencies in all directions
have even more strengthened. Azerbaijan confidently develops, and
even more strengthens the state independence. Our authority on region
grows. Carried out in Azerbaijan political, economic reforms in the
near future will transform our country into stronger state. I have no
doubt about it. From this point of view, 2004 was very successful for
our country. Azerbaijan successfully moves ahead in all directions.
In 2004, all questions to be solved have found solution.

2004, from the point of view of economic development was very
successful, and opening of 170 thousand workplaces is evidence to
that. In Azerbaijan, social questions find quick solution. Increase
of the minimal wages more than twice, increase of pensions, and other
social payments has one purpose. And this purpose is that the people of
Azerbaijan lived better, and that in Azerbaijan was created stronger
economic potential, and each citizen of the country has improved his
vital conditions. It is our strategic course, and a priority question
for us.

I am very glad, that all questions stipulated in the last year, have
been solved, all promises given at presidential elections carried in
2003, have found their reflection in life.

I am very glad that all plans and projects have found their solution
with support of Azerbaijan people. It is confident that 2005 will
be successful for our country. Anyway, the first months of year
evidently testify that positive promotion is observed in economic
development. However, 2005, in many respects will be decisive. In
2005, will be commissioned the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline
after Heydar Aliyev and this in many respects determines future of
Azerbaijan. With commissioning of the said pipeline, new situation
will be created in region. In Azerbaijan, all stipulated projects
will start to be executed even more intensively. It is our desire.
Azerbaijan will become richer. Our people will live better. I do not
doubt of it, and all our efforts serve one purpose: to make Azerbaijan
rich, to improve vital conditions of people living in the country,
even more to strengthen our positions in region and as a result to
solve all questions the country faces.

Parliamentary elections will take place in 2005 in Azerbaijan. We
attach great importance to these elections, and I do not doubt that
they will be important stage in democratic development of Azerbaijan.
I am confident that elections will be carried out in conditions of
transparency and justice, and the determination of Azerbaijan people
will find its expression at these elections.

The will, desire and dream of Azerbaijani people are for us a priority
question. Support of our policy in 2003 creates remarkable conditions
for more successful realization of all tasks. I always feel this
support, I base on it, and the political, economic reforms conducted
in the country, also base on this support.

I want to hope that 2005 can become important also in the settlement
of the Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. I want to hope
that in this direction there can be a promotion. Anyway, the existing
and coming processes give basis to speak about it. Diplomatic successes
of Azerbaijan, political steps undertaken in this area, already have
created new conditions in negotiating process. The discussions, which
have been carried out in the United Nations, the resolutions adopted
by the Council of Europe, increase of attention to this question
in other international organizations, are positive phenomenon. I am
confident that it is those questions, which render positive influence
on process of negotiations.

Cause of Azerbaijan is just. We want to restore our territorial
integrity on the basis of principles of international law and we shall
achieve it. Let nobody has doubt of it. Simply, we want to solve it in
the peace way, by negotiations. We hope, that this way of negotiations
will lead to settlement of the question. It cannot be otherwise.

Norms of international law should be main principles for each
country. Azerbaijan did not occupy the lands of any other country. We
do not want lands of others countries. However, we shall not give
to anybody our lands. If we cannot achieve it in the peace way, new
position will be created, and in this case Azerbaijan will resort
to other variants. However, to solve this question, as a whole to
develop our country even more comprehensively, we should be strong.
We should strengthen our economic potential. And should do big work
on construction of army, and improve living standards of our people.
In a word, we should transform Azerbaijan into a rich, powerful
state. Only in this case, all questions we face can easily find their
solution. Only in this case, Azerbaijan can itself undertake serious
steps connected to these questions. I reiterate, I hope that the
potential of peace talks has not run low yet. I do not doubt that we
shall achieve the fair solution, territorial integrity of Azerbaijan
will be restored and more than one million of our refugees and IDPs
will return to their homelands.

Dear friends!

Dear sisters and brothers!

Today, together with us, this remarkable holiday is being marked
as well by the visitors from Georgia. Together with us, there is
the spouse of my close friend and brother Michael Saakashvili, Mrs.
Sandra. We greet her.

We are supporters of strengthening of bilateral, mutually beneficial
relations with all friendly, brotherly countries. We want that in
region there was peace, calmness, and cooperation. In this case, all
peoples living in region, all states will receive only benefit. This
is policy of Azerbaijan. First of all, national interests of
Azerbaijan should be protected, and well being of Azerbaijan people
provided. At the same time, warmer relations with the next, friendly
countries should be created that our force strengthened both inside
and outside. If we shall be strong inside, we shall be stronger on
international arena as well. As far as we shall reach big diplomatic
successes, so the Azerbaijani people will benefit of it.

Once again I warmly congratulate all of you on this remarkable holiday,
I wish each of you health, success, happiness.

Happy Holiday!

Agency WPS
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
March 21, 2005, Monday

THE USA INTERCEPT RUSSIAN MISSILES

SOURCE: Kommersant, March 17, 2005, p. 10

by Sergei Strokan

The U.S. authorities unsealed a federal criminal complaint against 18
people, the majority of them being immigrants from the CIS. Breaking
up a network of international arms smugglers who sold black-market
assault rifles and were plotting to import military weapons –
including anti-aircraft missiles and antitank guns – has been a
result of the unique operation the FBI conducted within the past
year.

At a news conference in New York David N. Kelley, the United States
attorney in Manhattan, declared details of this detective story,
which involves not Russians, Armenians and Georgians alone, but even
a South African. In his words, the U.S. special services managed to
break up and arrest an “international” arms ring led by Artur
Solomonyan, an Armenian, and Christiaan Dewet Spies, a South African,
who have been living illegally in New York. (…)

According to Mr. Kelly, the smuggled arms, mainly of Russian origin,
was purchased in Georgia, Armenia and some states of Eastern Europe.
It is a mystery how the arms were getting to the USA via three points
simultaneously – New York, Los Angeles and Miami, despite toughened
border control and unprecedented anti-terrorist measures the U.S.
special services have employed over the past several years. According
to Mr. Kelly, before detention the arms ring sold eight illegal
weapons, including two AK-47’s and an Israeli-made Uzi.

As reported by the U.S. sources, breaking up a network became
possible as a result of a unique yearlong special operation, in which
colleagues from Armenia, Georgia and South Africa helped the FBI.
(…)

The fact that in addition to small arms the range of items included
grenade launchers, anti-aircraft missiles and antitank projectiles
proves the scope and opportunities of the smugglers’ actions. As
reported by Fox News, the smugglers planned to get $2 million for
homing missiles delivered to the USA alone. (…)

It is noteworthy that the scandal surrounding the smuggling of
Russia-made weapons into the USA, which include manpads, broke out
shortly after the Putin-Bush meeting in Bratislava, under discussion
at which was the painful topic of trade in manpads and, specifically,
the chances of international terrorists for getting these
installations. The USA had earlier repeatedly warned Moscow that
Russia-made weapons of this class, which enable to arrange
large-scale terrorist attacks, in particular drop aircraft, could get
into the hands of “unreliable persons.” New evidence emerged on March
16 that concerns of the Americans are not unfounded.

IF ARMENIAN PRESIDENT DOES NOT HOLD REFORMS “FROM ABOVE” TIMELY, THE
SCENARIO OF KYRGHYZIA IS NOT RULED OUT IN ARMENIA: LEADER OF NEW
TIMES PARTY

YEREVAN, MARCH 21. ARMINFO. To drive from power the incumbent
president of Kyrghyzia Askar Akayev, a relevant mechanism has already
been introduced and all the technologies are activated, Leader of new
Times party, political scientist Aram Karapetyan comments on the
situation in Kyrghyzia to ARMINFO.

He says that the recent description of the situation in Kyrghyzia
after two rounds of parliamentary elections as “quiet and calm” does
not correspond to reality as Jalal-Abad has rallied for already a
month, the regional administration “ran” to Bishkek long ago. One
should remember that all the post- Soviet events in Kyrghyzia
starting from the late 80s were especially bloody and the confronting
parties were especially irreconcilable, that is why, one should not
wave away what there happens at present. And the 4 policemen and 6
picketers killed yesterday are evidence of it. External forces
undoubtedly support the opposition, though there is also national
rise. A scenario of driving Akayev from power at the presidential
elections fixed for October is developed, “but in case of a strong
pressure, it is not ruled out that he will be made to leave already
now.” Russia is concerned over only maintenance of its authority and
it has already no time to support anyone, Karapetyan thinks.

He does not rule out repetition of Kyrghyz events in Armenia. If
Armenian President Robert Kocharyan does not hold reforms “from
above” timely, the scenario of Kyrghyzia is not ruled out in Armenia,
the talks of Robert Kocharyan “suits” everyone does not correspond to
reality. At the same time, it is necessary to avoid repetition of
Ukrainian and even more the Georgian scenarios where people far from
national interests have come to power. Revolution must be exclusively
from inside, without interference of external forces, Karapetyan
says.