Author: Nahapetian Boris

The Jakarta Post
January 18, 2008 Friday

AZERBAIJAN ‘WANTS TO RESOLVE NAGORNO-KARABAKH ISSUE PEACEFULLY

from THE JAKARTA POST — FRIDAY, JANUARY 18, 2008 — PAGE 10 Despite
its abundant oil resources and growing military might, Azerbaijan has
said it wants to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh issue through peaceful
means and diplomatic channels

The Azerbaijan Armed Forces have an annual defense budget of some
$1US billion a year in 2007, equivalent to its rival Armenia’s entire
annual budget, thanks to windfall profits from soaring oil prices

Azerbaijan became the world’s fastest-growing economy, at 26.4% in
2005 and 35% in 2006

"Azerbaijan is now looking for a peaceful resolution to the Nagorno-
Karabakh conflict, to elaborate and define the model and legal
frameworks for the status of the Nagorno-Karabakh region within
Azerbaijan," Azerbaijani Ambassador to Indonesia Ibrahim A

Hajiyev told reporters Thursday

The ambassador was speaking at the Azerbaijani Embassy during a book
launch ceremony. The book, titled The Armenia-Azerbaijan Conflict,
contains information on the history of Armenian territorial claims to
Azerbaijan, separatist and terrorist forces in Armenia and its
military aggression against Azerbaijan

The Armenia-Azerbaijan Conflict was released by the Azerbaijan
government through its Embassy in Jakarta, in two languages; English
and Indonesian

The book, Hajiyev said, was published to remind the international
community, including Indonesia, of the dangers of international
terrorism, aggressive nationalism and separatist circles in the world
today

Based on its territorial claims, Armenia started a military conflict
with Azerbaijan, a Muslim-majority country, in 1988 and waged a full-
fledged war in 1991

The war had devastating effects on Azerbaijani people

"The Armenian aggression resulted in the occupation of Nagorno-
Karabakh and seven other regions of Azerbaijan (20 percent of entire
Azerbaijan territory). Due to the (Armenian) policy of ethnic
cleansing, around one million Azerbaijanis have become refugees and
were displaced," Ambassador Hajiyev said

Since 1994 when a cease-fire agreement was signed, Hajiyev said, the
occupied Azerbaijani territories had became a gray area, out of the
control of the Azerbaijani government and free from any international
monitoring

"This has been posing a constant threat to peace and security in the
region and the world at large

"(Hence), peace talks are still needed between the two nations to
decide the future of the disputed territories," Hajiyev said

While commenting on relations between Azerbaijan and Indonesia,
Musurifun, the Foreign Ministry’s sub-directorate head of South and
Central Asia, said relations were in excellent shape

"We have excellent relations with Azerbaijan, which is very rich in
oil. We want to strengthen our relations further. We will soon sign
several bilateral agreements and MoUs," he said at the launching
ceremony

Musurifin commended Azerbaijan’s decision to resolve the Nagorno-
Karabakh conflict through peaceful means

"Indonesia has always extended support for a peaceful resolution to
the Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh conflict," Musurifun said

When asked about the opening of an Indonesian Embassy, Musurifun said
Indonesia was seriously considering opening an embassy in Baku, but
declined to comment on the date of opening

"We are looking forward to having an Embassy in Azerbaijan. It will
take some time," he said

While Azerbaijan is a new partner to Indonesia, trade between the two
countries has been growing at a tremendous rate

In 2005, the bilateral trade value was just $1US.7 million but soared
to $67.62 million in 2006. In the first eight months of 2007, the
bilateral trade value jumped to $100.51 million, largely due to
Indonesian imports of oil products from Azerbaijan

Esther Samboh and Veeramalla Anjaiah, The Jakarta Post

OUR GOOD NEIGHBOURS AND MASSACRES OF ARMENIANS IN BAKU
By Armen Manvelian

18/01/2008
AZG Armenian Daily

These days, when everybody is engaged in pre-electoral processes,
very few people will remember the event that took place in the January
of 1990 in Baku. I believe, today it’s especially important to write
about the massacres of Armenians in the Soviet Azerbaijan, as due to
the short memory peculiar for the Armenians we start talking about
our so-called "good neighbor" and discuss the possibility of peaceful
co-existence. This topic becomes especially urgent within the context
of the political speeches of some presidential candidates that discuss
the possibility of peaceful co-existence with the Turks and are sure
that we need to make only a couple of territorial concessions to
achieve that peace. Due to the shortage of our memory and to the fact
that we can never learn lessons from our history, our people faced
massacres for several times in the course of their history. In the
very Baku, only in the XX century, Armenians were massacred for three
times, but still, many of the Armenian public figures feel happy,
when visiting Baku or holding days of Azerbaijan in Yerevan.

Anyway, it’s worth reminding that for the first time massacres of
Armenians in Baku took place in the February of 1905. The tsar’s
secret police armed the gangs of Tatars (this way Azeries were called
before 1918) and ordered them to attack the Armenian districts of
Baku. According to some data, as a result of the clashes, 300 people
were killed, 200 Armenians and 100 Tatars. More brutal massacres took
place in 1918, when Baku was under the control of the Turkish power,
actually. The Azeri Tatars were initially armed by the order of Turkish
Nury Pasha, then by the order of the British military commandment in
the region.

Notwithstanding this sad and notorious history of Baku, many Armenians
used to live in this city already in the times of the Soviet power. It
was quite obvious that the Armenians would become the target for the
Caucasusian Tatars who later become Azeries, as soon as the first
clash between Armenians and Azeries occurred. Unfortunately, even
the massacres in Kirovabad and Sumgait didn’t teach any lesson to
the Armenians, who continued living in the so called "international"
Baku. Just as it was during the massacres in Sumgait, all the brutal
actions in Baku were organized with the cruel exactness peculiar to
only Turkish murderers. The leaders of the people’s front in Baku began
yelling out anti-Armenian slogans like "Baku without Armenians!" during
the large scale rallies in the city, after which the Azeri murderers
began attacking the apartments and houses of the Armenian residents
of Baku. Many of the Armenian families could escape the massacre
in "Shafag" cinema that was under military control. But the Soviet
soldiers gave no helping hand to the Armenian families urging their
help. The commandment would explain its apathy by the fact that they
had received no relevant order from above. As a result of the three day
massacres about 150 Armenians were killed according to the official
data (though we know not about the actual data on the massacre). The
Soviet Armed forces entered the city and began acting only after the
crowds of the Azeri murderers began attacking the state buildings in
an attempt to get rid of the Soviet power in Baku.

Later, Mikhail Gorbachev brought this very explanation to their
actions, stating that they ordered the Soviet Armed Forces to enter
the city, as they wanted to save the Soviet power in there. In fact,
the massacres of the Armenian residents of Baku were no important
reason for the Soviet government of the time to send Armed Forces to
the capital of Azerbaijan to save the people murdered.

In the days of the massacres of Armenians in Baku, the USSR Government
adopted a decision announcing "emergency situation in NKAR and some of
other regions." In particular, the emergency situation was announced
in Nagorno Karabakh, as well as in its neighboring Aghdam, Lachin,
Mirbashir, Kelbajar, Jibrail, Fizouli and Ghubatlu, later in Shahumian
regions. While in Baku, the emergency situation was announced only
on January 19, when, in fact, the massacres of the Armenians finished
and there was not a single Armenian resident left in the Azeri capital.

The Armenian residents of Baku were transported from Baku to
Krasnovodsk (Turkmenistan, now Turkmenbashi), where from they were
flying to Armenia. Later, when Heidar Aliev became the leader
of Nakhijevan, he pointed out the names of the organizers of
"the black January" in the interview to the American writer Thomas
Golts. According to him, "the massacres were organized by the National
Committees of Defense in Moscow and Baku, as well as by all of the
Azeri authorities. They all were involved in the January 12, 13 and 14
massacres of the Armenians in Baku. All of the actions were schemed
by Moscow, and the Azeri authorities, namely, Abdurahman Vezirov and
Ayaz Mutalibov, participated in their implementation."

Anyway, dwelling on the massacres of Armenians in Baku in 1990,
it’s worth mentioning that not only the Turks, but we, Armenians
also were guilty in them. Our unhealthy desire to see a friend in
an enemy very frequently leads us to dangerous serenity that helps
organizing and implementing massacres of Armenians, and, moreover,
remains unpunished after that. The initiators and the murderers of
the massacres of Armenians in 1990 in Baku are unpunished till now.

Taking into account these facts, we can learn the following lesson
which says that we can establish friendly relations with our Turk
"neighbors," only if we have efficient army and the liberated
territories preserved to us.

VICAR GENERAL OF EASTERN UNITED STATES PRELACY GIVES LECTURE IN MONTREAL

armradio.am
17.01.2008 10:32

The Vicar General of the Eastern United States’ Prelacy, His Grace
Bishop Anoushavan Tanielian, gave a lecture on "Abundant Life through
Christian Education" at the Montreal Armenian community centre’s
Aharonian hall on the evening of January 15, 2008.

The opening remarks were delivered by Garo Nokhoudian, who noted the
proclamation of the year 2008 as the year for Christian education
by His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Armenian Catholicosate,
in His Pontifical message, which Nokhoudian also presented to the
attendants, before inviting the Vicar General to the podium.

In His lecture, His Grace Bishop Tanielian touched upon the
significance of Christian education, particularly in the home,
emphasizing that its development should be given as much importance
as the mind & body, and should be considered as "continuing education."

Born in 1951, in Beirut, Lebanon, His Grace Bishop Anoushavan Tanielian
was ordained a celibate priest in 1972, marking the beginning of
His many years at Armenian Catholicosate. In 1984, Bishop Tanielian
attended Princeton Theological Seminary where he received a Master
of Theology degree.

He also earned a Masters Degree from Columbia University in Philosophy
in 1992 and 2003, obtained a Doctor of Philosophy degree from the
same university. His Grace Tanielian was recently appointed by His
Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Armenian Catholicosate, as the
Ecumenical Officer of the United States of America.

The event was organized by the Armenian Prelacy of Canada’s Christian
Education Council and St. Hagop Christian Education Committee.

S-400 air defense systems to be deployed in central Russia

10:53 | 14/ 01/ 2008

MOSCOW, January 14 (RIA Novosti) – Russia’s advanced S-400 air defense
missile systems will be initially deployed in central regions of the
country, the Air Force commander said on Monday.

The S-400 Triumf (SA-21 Growler) air defense system is expected to form
the new cornerstone of Russia’s theater air and missile defenses up to
2020 or even 2025.

"The S-400 air defense systems will be primarily deployed in central
Russia, and only after that in other regions of the country, when more
systems become available," Col. Gen. Alexander Zelin said.

Russia successfully conducted last year live firing tests of the S-400
air defense complex at the Kapustin Yar firing range in south Russia’s
Astrakhan Region, and deployed a battalion equipped with the new system
to protect the airspace around Moscow.

The S-400 is designed to intercept and destroy airborne targets at a
distance of up to 400 kilometers (250 miles), twice the range of the
U.S. MIM-104 Patriot, and 2.5 times that of the S-300PMU-2.

The system is believed to have high capability to destroy stealth
aircraft, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles, with an effective
range of up to 3,500 kilometers (2,200 miles) and a speed of up to 4.8
kilometers (3 miles) per second.

A regular S-400 battalion comprises at least eight launchers with 32
missiles and a mobile command post, according to various sources.

RA President returns to his duties

armradio.am
14.01.2008 17:10

After an examination in one of the ophthalmologic clinics of Paris, RA
President Robert Kocharyan underwent an ocular surgery.

President’s Spokesman Viktor Soghoonyan told Mediamax today that the
disease creates no problems for eye-sight.

‘The President has recovered. He returned to Yerevan Saturday evening
and continues to work without rescheduling the agenda,’ Viktor
Soghomonyan noted.

Incidentally, a baby was born into the family of Sedrak Kocharyan, the
President’s son. The girl has been named Ani.

ZHIRAYR SEFILIAN’S ORGANIZATION CONSOLIDATION OF ARMENIAN VOLUNTEERS
SUPPORTS LEVON TER-PETROSIAN’S CANDIDATURE

YEREVAN, JANUARY 15, NOYAN TAPAN. The Consolidation of Armenian
Volunteers NGO led by former participant of the Karabakh war Zhirayr
Sefilian (Lieutenant-Colonel, Commander of Shoushi special battalion)
and uniting participants of the Karabakh war stated that it has made a
decision to support Levon Ter-Petrosian’s candidature in the
forthcoming presidential elections. Armen Yeghian, a member of Board of
the NGO, said at the January 15 press conference.

According to him, the opposition forces, which have consolidated around
the first President today, are much better than the opposition of 2003.
In A. Yeghian’s opinion, at present the first President is the only
politician, who is able to really hamper the reproduction of the
current authorities.

It should be mentioned that 18 parties and several dozens of NGOs have
declared their support to Levon Ter-Petrosian so far.

Khabrein.info, India
Jan 11 2008

Lebanon’s crisis much deeper: opposition

BEIRUT, Jan 11 (KUNA) — Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa on
Friday said that there was disparities in the point of views adopted
by the Lebanese majority, on one hand, and the opposition on the
other. "The problem does not lie in (arranging) a meeting between
(the leader of the majority at the Parliamentary majority) MP Saad
Al-Hariri and MP Michel Aoun (leader of Free Patriotic Movement)"
Moussa told reporters following talks with the leader of the Lebanese
Forces (LF) Samir Geagea. Moussa stressed that there was possibility
for getting their views closer.
For his part, Geagea said the opposition wanted a "presidential
vacuum" and that it was "blackmailing the majority that accepted
nominating army commander General Michael Suleiman for a president."
He also charged the opposition with laying the obstacles against the
Arab initiative which is seeking settlement of the presidency dispute
in the country.

During the third day of his talks in Lebanon, Moussa held a series of
meetings that included leadership of the Armenian Tachnag party which
said in a statement that Moussa addressed the details of the
initiative during the meeting. The Tachnag also urged the Lebanese
parties to be up to the "utmost limits of national responsibility" to
face the danger facing the country.

In addition, the Arab League Chief met with former Prime Minister
Omar Karami who welcomed the proposal by Former President Amin
Gemayel, leader of the Phalange Party to form a "transitional
government" but with some amendments.
During his talks with the Lebanese officials, Moussa stressed that
the Arab initiative could not be "partitioned."

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FINNISH MFA: KOSOVO TALKS COMPLETED

PanARMENIAN.Net
10.01.2008 15:38 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The OSCE chair, Finland is against any further
talks on Kosovo’s status. "There will be no new talks," Finnish
Foreign Minister Ilkka Kanerva said after a meeting with his German
counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

For his part, Mr Steinmeier commented, "It’s important that the
EU hasn’t lost Serbian democratic forces’ support for implementing
Ahtisaari’s plan. EU initial association agreement with Serbia would
contribute to this process," Deutsche Welle reports.

Kosovo leaders intend to proclaim independence in the near future. With
Russia’s support, Serbia strongly opposes such a scenario and insists
on continuation of talks.

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT ROBERT KOCHARYAN CONGRATULATES SAAKASHVILI ON PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION VICTORY

The Messenger
Jan 10 2008
Georgia

Rezonansi reports that Armenian President Robert Kocharyan officially
congratulated incumbent Mikheil Saakashvili on his reelection in the
January 5 snap presidential election.

"I congratulate you on your reelection to a second term as president
of Georgia. I am sure that you will continue to pass reforms that
strengthen stability and democracy in the region. Armenia thinks that
establishing good neighboring relationships in the South Caucasus is
a guarantee of stability. I wish you the success, health and all the
best," reads the official letter of congratulations sent by Kocharyan.

ARMENIAN FOREIGN MINISTER COMMENTS ON EX-PRESIDENT’S ELECTION PLATFORM

Mediamax
Jan 9 2007
Armenia

Yerevan, 9 January: Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan said
today in Yerevan that he "did not find any new thought" in the foreign
policy section of the election platform of former Armenian President
Levon Ter-Petrosyan.

Oskanyan said today at a news conference in Yerevan that he
expected to get acquainted with new approaches of the first president
[Ter-Petrosyan], as the latter actively criticized the foreign policy
of the current authorities over recent months, the Armenian Mediamax
news agency reported. "However, I did not discover any novelty,"
the minister said.

Commenting on statements by the former president’s supporters that
the Armenian authorities are currently conducting negotiations on
the settlement of the Karabakh conflict in line with the model which
resembles the one backed by Ter-Petrosyan in 1997, Oskanyan said:
"The sentence, which was backed by Ter-Petrosyan, did not contain
any hint on recognizing the Nagornyy Karabakh people’s right to
self-determination. In the option, which we are discussing today,
this right is central and is written in black and white."

Oskanyan said that "the Nagornyy Karabakh people would never accept
a settlement option backed by the former president".