Author: Nahapetian Boris

KARABAKH LIBERATION ORGANIZATION BELIEVES NAGORNO-KARABAKH STATUS SHOULD BE CONSIDERED AFTER RETURN TO AZERBAIJAN OF AZERBAIJANIS EVICTED FROM ARMENIA

TREND News Agency, Azerbaijan
July 16 2007

Azerbaijan, Baku / Òrend corr S. Ilhamgizi / The status of
Nagorno-Karabakh can be discussed only after the return of 250,000
Azerbaijanis evicted from Armenia, according to the report of the
Karabakh Liberation Organization (KLO).

KLO believes that Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh should be provided
with the status corresponding to the status which will be given to
Azerbaijanis evicted from their homes. That is the only favourable
steps which can be followed by international organizations.

Otherwise, Azerbaijan will have to liberate its land by military
means. Azerbaijan’s administration should make a correct decision
regarding the activities of the OSCE Minsk Group and reject
negotiations on the status of Nagorno-Karabakh," the report stated.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
due to the territorial claims of Armenia to Azerbaijan. Armenia
has occupied 20% of the Azerbaijani land including Nagorno-Karabakh
region and seven nearby regions. Since 1992 to the present time, these
territories have been under the occupation of the Armenian Forces. In
1994, Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement which put
an end to active hostilities. The Co-chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group
( Russia, France and USA) are holding peaceful negotiations.

–Boundary_(ID_ZOqC8fOvwFrr5mDXFDJR 6Q)–

Pharma Marketletter
July 11, 2007 Wednesday

Generex announces Armenian Oral-lyn deal

USA-based Generex Biotechnology, a specialist in drug delivery for
metabolic diseases, has entered into an exclusive agreement with the
Armenian Development Agency and Canada Armenia Trading House which
covers the licensing and distribution of its oral insulin spray
product Oral-lyn. Specifically, the deal relates to the
commercialization of the drug in the Republic of Armenia, Georgia and
the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Under the terms of the accord, the ADA and CATH will bear the costs
associated with the procurement of governmental approvals for the
drug, including any clinical and regulatory expenses which are
incurred. Further details of the deal were not provided.

Anna Gluskin, Generex’ president, said that the company hopes that
its product would soon be available to the estimated one million
people in the region that suffer from diabetes and its complications.
She added that the firm would continue to seek additional
international approvals for the product, as Phase III trials in
Europe, Canada and the USA are ongoing.

Moscow News (Russia)
July 13, 2007

NAGORNO-KARABAKH GEARING UP FOR PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS

By Armen Khanbabyan The Moscow News

Stepanakert warns Yerevan and Moscow against interfering in the
republic’s internal affairs

On July 19, the Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR) will elect anew
president. There are five candidates: Vanya Avanesyan, ArmenAbgaryan,
Masis Mailyan, Grant Melkumyan, and Bako Saakyan. All ofthem, except
NKP Communist Party leader Grant Melkumyan, werenominated by public
organizations. Turnout is expected at 70percent to 80 percent.

It should be recalled that last fall, Arkady Gukasyan, theincumbent
head of the unrecognized state who has been in office forthe last 10
years, said that he did not intend to run for a thirdterm.

Although until recently there was no law prohibiting him fromseeking
reelection, Gukasyan stressed that violation even ofunwritten
democratic principles would damage the republic’s image,as well as
the process of its international legitimization, since"what is
allowed recognized states will never be allowed anunrecognized one."

The candidates’ programs differ very little from one another.They
speak about social justice, the rule of law, human rights, andof
course the need to redouble efforts to ensure the NKR’srecognition.
The candidates stress that the conflict must beresolved solely by
peaceful, diplomatic methods, and in thiscontext, harshly criticize
the bellicose statements by theAzerbaijani leadership. The
Azerbaijani president said last weekArmenia must voluntarily cede
Azerbaijani territory if it wants toavoid a new war over
Nagorno-Karabakh. "Azerbaijan is militarilythe strongest power in the
region, and our neighbors should face upto this. Armenia should
voluntarily withdraw its troops fromAzerbaijani lands. Only on this
condition will it be possible tosay with certainty that there will
not be a new war," Ilkham Aliyevsaid. "None of us want losses, but
Azerbaijan is gaining strengthand is ready to conduct any operation
at any moment. We will neveraccept the situation now prevailing." –
Ed.

All candidates unequivocally reject even a mere hint thatKarabakh
could remain under Baku’s jurisdiction. Futurenegotiations (in which
the NKR must participate as a full fledgedparty) may not go beyond
the issue of returning to Azerbaijan someswaths of territory in "the
security belt" in exchange for therecognition of the republic’s
independent status. So there is nocause to believe that a change on
Karabakh’s political Olympuscould change Stepanakert’s approach
toward conflict resolution.

PRESIDENT NAMES SUCCESSOR

President Gukasyan is convinced that "a tradition ofconducting fair
elections has evolved in Karabakh" and that atpresent there are
"ideal conditions" for a free expression of thepeople’s will. He
identified his successor – Bako Saakyan, directorof the National
Security Administration, who "will stay the courseof democratization
and national development in accordance withEuropean standards: he is
a person who will be able to unite thepeople of Karabakh."

The favorite in the presidential race said that he "made uphis mind
to run after extensive consideration." "I made a consciouschoice in
the hope of serving my country even more," Saakyan said.His election
program focuses on domestic political andsocio-economic problems with
foreign policy matters coming second.Thus, for example, the candidate
has vowed to strengthen peace andsecurity, advance democracy, give
his people lives in decency andcomfort, and crack down on corruption.
It includes new housingprograms, higher wages, pensions, and welfare
benefits. Today, theaverage wage in Karabakh is around $ 200 a month.
According toSaakyan, should he be elected, wages will be doubled
within fiveyears. Pensions will also grow.

But the province’s main problem is demographic. Experts areworried
that should the current trends remain, the NKR’spopulation, which is
already rather small, could shrink even more,which could eventually
jeopardize the republic’s military-politicalsecurity. In this
connection, Saakyan’s program provides for asubstantial increase in
birth and child-care allowances. Coupleswill receive $ 3,000 for the
birth of a third child and $ 4,000 for afourth.

Observers both in Yerevan and Stepanakert are convinced thatthere
will be no surprises in the election, and the anointedsuccessor will
win hands down in the first round. Saakyan’s mainpolitical rival in
the race is, admittedly, Masis Mailyan, but hehas slim chances of
winning the election, since Saakyan has thebacking of Serzh
Sarkisyan, Armenia’s powerful prime minister.

There has been so much speculation on this subject that,speaking at a
round table entitled, "NKR Presidential Elections: aView from
Yerevan," Arman Melikyan, an aide to Arkady Gukasyan,abruptly refused
to participate in the discussion, calling intoquestion the legitimacy
of discussion on the NKR’s internalpolitical matters being organized
in Yerevan. He said that thediscussion per se could be seen as
interference in the republic’sinternal affairs and as an attempt to
exert pressure on the courseof the election campaign "by third
states," which referred not onlyto Armenia but also to Russia, since
the round table was held inthe offices of the Regnum Russia news
agency’s Trans Caucasusbureau.

UNRECOGNIZED ELECTIONS

Commenting on the upcoming presidential election in NagornoKarabakh,
Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mamedyarov said thatuntil the
Azerbaijani community is repatriated, any elections inthe NKR "are
illegitimate and will not be recognized by anyone."

Meanwhile, the international community has already indicatedin no
uncertain terms that it will not recognize the elections inthe NKR.
This was announced, in particular, by Terry Davis,secretary general
of the Council of Europe, who reiterated thatNagorno Karabakh is a
part of Azerbaijan. That immediately eliciteda flow of angry
comments. Thus, according to Gukasyan, Davis’sstatement was
irrelevant, while his stance could not affect the NKRin any way. It
was simply that "international organizations havecertain standards
beyond which they may not go," the Karabakhleader concluded. For his
part, Ashot Gulyan, speaker of theKarabakh parliament believes that
"Davis’s opinion is typical ofEurope’s conservative political circles
who do not recognizeobjective positive trends in world politics. Such
statements aredestructive, hampering the establishment of a
constructive dialoguebetween the Armenian and the Azerbaijani
peoples." Vardar Oskanyansent Terry Davis a letter, asking him "to
explain what exactly hemeant when referring to Karabakh," and saying
that he would lookforward to hearing from him. At the same time, as
is known, the Westdoes not recognize any elections in areas of
"frozen conflicts."

The European community was far more concerned by the collisionthat
occurred in Armenia’s National Assembly over an array ofamendments to
the Law on Television and Radio. Should they beadopted, some media
outlets, in particular Radio Liberty, would beunable to broadcast on
the frequency used by Armenia’s TRK publicradio. Not surprisingly,
this prospect evoked harsh criticism inthe republic: a mass picket
and a demonstration in support offreedom of expression were held in
Yerevan. The amendments alsoirked many deputies, including members of
the governing coalition.According to some MPs, they could discredit
the newly electedparliament. As a result, the bill was rejected.
Liberty survivedfor the time being.

FACT BOX

The conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh, a region in Azerbaijanwith a
largely Armenian population, first erupted in 1988 when itdeclared
its independence from Azerbaijan, and moved to joinArmenia. Over
30,000 people were killed on both sides between 1988and 1994, and
over 100 died following a 1994 ceasefire.Nagorno-Karabakh remained in
Armenian hands, but tensions betweenAzerbaijan and Armenia have
persisted. Azerbaijan is determined torestore its control over the
separatist region.

Kirakosyan Crushes Johanneson In Four

8&cs=22349

By James Slater at ringside: Tonight(July 13) at The Metrodome in
Barnsley, Carl `Ingemar’ Johanneson’s attempts at achieving `Ultimate
Revenge’ were brutally and swiftly smashed into oblivion by the fierce
punching Leva Kirakosyan.

The last time Carl, now, 26-3(18), and the man from Armenia met, the
Leeds fighter was stopped in one shocking round. He lasted a bit longer
tonight, primarily due to his incredible bravery, but the European
super-featherweight champion who improved his record to 26-4(17) was
still way too strong and powerful for the man from Leeds. It was indeed
a Friday the 13th that was unlucky for Carl Johanneson!

In the opening round Kirakosyan’s power was evident. Carl came out more
cautiously than usual and with a high guard. But Leva’s vaunted punch
power still got through, though. A hard left to the midsection in
particular seemed to hurt Carl. A good right uppercut to the chin also
stunned Johanneson. The very real possibility of the British champion
once again being KO’d by the visiting fighter was already being thought
of by those of us at ringside. Carl looked quite small in comparison
too. Round one to Leva.

In the second round the fight quickly turned into an absolute disaster
for the popular Leeds fighter. He was taking a number of hard shots,
some on the gloves, some not, before being made to hold on. Johanneson
did land sharp right to the head, bringing cheers from his fans, but
his punches looked to have little effect in comparison to Kirakosyan’s.
Then came serious trouble. A big left uppercut blasted flush onto
Carl’s chin and he was sent to the mat. Up at the count of eight, Carl
was undeniably saved by the bell, coming as it did a second of two
after rising from the canvas. A big round for the defending European
champ.

In the third round a right hand to the head sent Carl south for a
second knockdown. He was up quick but it looked all over for him, as he
was thrown across the ring on seriously unsteady legs. A brief respite
came as referee Robin Dolpierre gave Kirakosyan a warning for pushing.
The end was in sight, however, as everyone watching was only too aware.
Only Carl’s incredible fighting heart kept him in the fight until the
end of the round. Johanneson managed to throw a decent looking right
hand, but was soon forced back onto the ropes again. Then another big
right sent the brave Johanneson down for the third time in the fight.
Carl jumped up immediately, only to drop back down to one knee to take
the eight count. As he rose the bell once again rang at a fortuitous
time. A massive round for the man from Armenia.

In the fourth round f Kirakosyan landed some rightening left uppercuts
and once more only sheer courage kept Carl in the fight. But not for
much longer. The end came via a colossal right hand that landed flush
on Carl’s jaw, sending him down and out for the fourth and final time.
The brave 28 year old tried to regain his feet but it was no use. There
wasn’t even a count given. Carl was utterly destroyed by the final
right hand he’d taken. The end came after 1.50 of the round.

Alarmingly, Carl was given oxygen in the corner in which he’d been
hammered to the canvas. Thankfully, after a couple of minutes or so, it
was apparent that he was okay. The knockout he had suffered was
extremely devastating. Indeed, one has to wonder how Carl Johanneson
can come back from such a crushing setback.

The 33 old from Armenia looks like a fighter who will remain European
champion for some time yet.

Other results
Welterweight John Fewkes w pts 8 Tontcho Tontchev
Featherweight Danny Wallace w rtd 3 Dwayne Hill
Middleweight Geard Ajetovic w rsf 3 Patrick J Maxwell
Featherweight Akaash Bhatia w rsf 5 Steve Gethin
Featherweight Rendall Munroe w ko 5 Dai Davies
Light Heavyweight Rod Anderton w pts 4 Carl Wild
Super Featherweight Gary Sykes w ko 2 Dennis Sirjatovs
Bantamweight Ross Burkinshaw w ko 3 Iordan Vasilev

PAN-ARMENIAN INTERNATIONAL YOUTH CONFERENCE
By Aghavni Harutyunian

AZG Armenian Daily
10/07/2007

World Armenian Congress Unites the Armenian youth

On July 9-10 will take place the Pan-Armenian International Youth
Conference in Yerevan, organized by World Armenian Congress – with
the help of the Association of Youth Organizations.

The Association of Youth Organizations, founded in 2006, unites 12
youth organizations of 8 different countries of the world – for the
benefit of the resolution of the Armenian national issues.

5 working groups are formed to discuss the following issues:

first working group – fair resolution of Karabakh conflict, the
tasks of the Armenian youth in recognition of the Armenian genocide
and those issues as the agenda of present political advocating and
lobbyist works,

second working group – tasks of the youth in the issues of
strengthening of Armenian State system, social-economic development,
and also overcoming of poverty in rural communities,

third working group – the role of the Armenian youth as the bearer
of the Armenian national character in the context of new challenges,

fourth working group -development of Armenia-Diaspora and
Diaspora-Diaspora further relations and the role of the Armenian
youth in them.

The fifth working group works on the organizational, structural
peculiarities of the Association of Youth Organizations of the World
Youth Congress.

The speeches, reports and the members of the working groups of
Pan-Armenian International Youth Conference are ready, and the list
of the participants is already clarified.

The reports of the Conference will present variously the theme of the
Conference according to Deputy-Chairman of the World Armenian Congress.

"The challenges of the 21st century in the globalizing world" report
will present NA deputy, Doctor of Law Hranush Hakobian.

"The Armenian youth and Armenia-Diaspora, Diaspora-Diaspora
relations" report will present Deputy-Minister of Culture, director
of Pan-Armenian Youth Foundation Arthur Poghosian.

The themes of the conference are the issues that the Armenian youth
of Diaspora are greatly interested.

They are ready to do their own investments in the resolution of the
Armenian people’s issues.

PACE PRESIDENT ASKS RELEASING IMPRISONED AZERBAIJANI JOURNALISTS

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
July 9 2007

Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) President Rene van
der Linden held a press conference on the result of his visit in
Azerbaijan, APA reports. PACE President said that he has been to the
South Caucasus for a week.

"My visit demonstrates that Council of Europe attaches great importance
to the region," he said.

Supporting peaceful solution to the Nagorno Karabakh conflict Rene
van der Linden said PACE can not force the parties to anything.

"I am concerned about the opinions about other ways of solution to the
conflict. I call for the parties to solve the conflict peacefully. The
troops should be immediately pulled out from the occupied territories,
that is PACE’s position. International community should increase
pressure, and the Presidents of the two countries should make more
efforts for the solution of the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict," he said.

Admiring the economic growth in Azerbaijan PACE President called for
the Council of Europe member states to keep up its values.

"Though there are improvements in this field, there also are
problems. 2008 presidential elections will serve as test for
the country. Azerbaijani government and the Venice Commission are
negotiating on relevant recommendations. That is good. The judicial
system need reforms, and media freedom should be fully ensured. The
opposition’s right to media freedom should be ensured. I hope the
media will take an unbiased position during the elections," PACE
President said.

Stressing the importance of eliminating political prisoner problem in
a Council of Europe member state, Mr.van der Linden said he asked for
release of seven imprisoned journalists during his meetings in Baku.

Replying to journalists’ questions PACE President said Armenia lags
behind on development, the borders of the two countries are closed.

"The pat should not put obstacle to the future. In this context, I
welcome the mutual visits by Azerbaijani and Armenian intellectuals,"
he concluded.

RA FOREIGN MINISTER TAKES PART IN ARMTECH 2007 CONFERENCE BEING HELD IN SAN FRANCISCO

NoyanTapan
Jul 6, 2007

YEREVAN, JULY 6, NOYAN TAPAN. The RA Foreign Minister, Vardan Oskanian,
left for the U.S. on July 5 to take part in the Armtech 2007 three-day
conference and exhibition organized in San Francisco, dedicated to
issues of high technologies in Armenia. Noyan Tapan was informed
about it by the RA Foreign Ministry Press and Information Department.

The RA Foreign Minister will make a speech at the conference on July 7.

Tigran Torosyan’s message on Constitution Day

armradio.am
05.07.2007 11:40

Speaker of RA National Assembly Tigran Torosyan issued a congratulating
message on the occasion of the Constitution Day. The message says,

`Dear compatriots,

I congratulate you on Constitution Day. It is one of the most important
holidays in our country, since the main law determines both the path of
the country and the solution of every citizen’s problems. The
Constitution, amended two years ago, has been recognized by respected
international structures as fully corresponding to international
structures and has created qualitatively new opportunities for
deepening of democracy, defense of human rights, rule of law and for
ensuring the worthy and secure life of our citizens."

IF BAKU CONTINUES HIS POLICY, HISTORICAL OPPORTUNITY TO RESOLVE KARABAKH CONFLICT WILL BE MISSED

PanARMENIAN.Net
03.07.2007 15:38 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ "Azerbaijan is not interested in peaceful solution
of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. If Baku continues his policy and in
future, the historical opportunity to finally resolve the Karabakh
conflict will be missed," NKR President Arkadi Ghukassian stated in
his lecture at the Russian-Armenian (Slavonic) State University.

He thinks, an agreement between NKR and Azerbaijan on strengthening
the cease-fire regime and preventing possible resumption of military
actions must become the major principle to settle the Azeri-Karabakh
conflict.

"Only in this case it will be possible to reach a constructive dialog
between NKR and Azerbaijan. The final stabilization of situation
is possible only in the case if all parties refuse from creating
additional problems in the negotiation process. The reality lies in
the necessity to recognize NKR as an independent subject of regional
politics," A. Ghukassian underscored.

AZERBAIJAN/ARMENIA: KARABAKH LEADERS SEEK NEW ROLE IN TALKS
by Haroutiun Khachatrian

Transitions of Line, Czech Republic
July 3 2007

With talks on a resolution for the 19-year Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
on the skids once again, the breakaway region’s de facto authorities
are increasingly pushing for a new negotiating format, one that allows
them to directly participate in the process.

"The current format of negotiations, in which only Armenia and
Azerbaijan are involved, is unrealistic and destructive," Arkady
Ghukasian, the de facto president of the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh
Republic, told reporters on 7 June.

While the statement is not the first time the Karabakh leader has
called for direct talks with Azerbaijan, its timing underlines the
extent to which regional frustrations are growing with the peace
talks overseen by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in
Europe’s Minsk Group. Following a longstanding pattern, the latest
summit between Armenian President Robert Kocharian and Azerbaijani
President Ilham Aliyev ended on 10 June without results.

The failure of the two sides to hit on anything that can be termed
a "compromise" has prompted this fresh tact, Karabakh presidential
advisor Arman Melikian noted in an interview with EurasiaNet.

Particular concern in Armenia and Karabakh has been raised by recent
remarks by Aliyev that Azerbaijan would use "all means to pressure
Armenia" into the return of Nagorno-Karabakh. The declaration is
widely seen as a sign that Baku has abandoned an agreed resolution
framework reportedly reached last year.

DIFFERENCES WITH ARMENIA

Armenia, on which Karabakh relies for economic aid and military
assistance, has not yet publicly responded to Ghukasian’s assertion
that Karabakh should represent its own interests. In the past, however,
Kocharian, himself a former leader of Nagorno-Karabakh, has effectively
played both sides of the issue – stating that the current negotiations
format falls short of adequate, yet asserting that Armenia, as a
recognized state, is better able to negotiate a settlement.

The extent to which Ghukasian’s remarks are meant as a criticism of
Armenia’s representation of Nagorno-Karabakh’s interests has not been
publicly broached. Karabakh officials usually shy away from openly
criticizing Armenia, and have stated simply that they have "informed"
Yerevan of their concerns.

Yet Melikian acknowledged that some "differences" do exist between
Armenian and Karabakhi points of view.

The first issue is one of territory, according to Melikian. The
current talks define the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh as based on
the boundaries for the original Soviet-era autonomous region, then
part of the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic. Karabakh, however,
wants its territory to be defined as also including two additional
Armenian-populated regions to the north of the original Soviet-era
region – Shahumian and Getashen. Both districts were separated from
the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region in the early 1930s, and remain
under Azerbaijani control.

The second issue is one of compensation for losses suffered by ethnic
Armenians who fled Azerbaijan in the late 1980s in response to the
Karabakh conflict. The separatist government believes the current
negotiation process has largely ignored the question, Melikian said.

Echoing opinions already voiced by some Armenian parties, such as the
Armenian Revolutionary Federation, Karabakh leaders want compensation
to include the resettlement of ethnic Armenians in the seven occupied
territories that form a buffer zone between Karabakh and Azerbaijan.

Without consideration of these points, the separatist Karabakh
government’s acceptance of any finalized agreement is moot, Melikian
stressed.

>>From 1994 to 1997, Karabakh representatives took part in the
peace talks until Azerbaijan demanded their exclusion. Minsk Group
representatives have routinely affirmed that the current format is
sustainable, and requires no major overhaul. Azerbaijan refuses all
direct contact with the region’s separatist leadership.

FRUITLESS MEETING

Meanwhile, within Armenia itself, the fruitless 10 June meeting between
Aliyev and Kocharian has triggered a new wave of support for including
Karabakh in the negotiations. At the same time, opposition has deepened
to the possible withdrawal of Armenian forces from the seven occupied
Azerbaijani territories that surround the breakaway region.

At a 20 June press conference in Yerevan, however, Foreign Minister
Vartan Oskanian stated that the possibility of changing the Minsk Group
process is not under discussion, PanArmenian.Net reported. The question
of Nagorno-Karabakh participating in peace talks with Azerbaijan "has
always been… [on] the agenda," Oskanian said, but that participation
does "not mean [a] change or enlargement of [the] negotiation format."