Author: Taslakhchian Andranik

Azerbaijan dissatisfied with statement of OSCE MG Russian co-chair

ArmInfo
2007-06-10 17:02:00

Azerbaijan is extremely dissatisfied with the statement of the OSCE
Minsk Group Russian co-chair. Azerbaijani media reports that Deputy
Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan Araz Azimov shared his dissatisfaction
with journalists. "The statement which Yuri Merzlyakov allegedly made
in Yerevan is provocation before the meeting of Azerbaijani President
Ilham Aliyev and Armenian President Robert Kocharyan in St. Petersburg.
If Y. Merzlyakov really made such statement, official Baku will raise a
question of his activity and responsibility for his words that violated
all the admissible and existing norms and the functions of the
mediator. We are not sure yet if this statement was not distorted by
the press. We are currently verifying this circumstance," Azimov said.
At a press conference in Yerevan, Yuri Merzlyakov stated: "Nothing else
has been decided during the negotiations de-jure as the parties must
achieve an agreement themselves. Nagorno- Karabakh Autonomous region
was once part of Azerbaijani SSR. Then, the conflict originated. The
conflict that was intrastate in the Soviet period, now it has
practically become interstate. Once subject of the conflict, Karabakh
has become its object. No country in the world has recognized Nagorno
Karabakh as an independent state diplomatically, de-jure. The question
(in Baku – ed.) was addressed not only to me but also to Mr. Fassier.
In response to your question ‘If your countries recognize Nagorno
Karabakh?’ I replied: ‘No country in the world has recognized Nagorno
Karabakh as an independent state diplomatically, de-jure. Our countries
recognize the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.’ However, we did not
pronounced the words ‘yes, Karabakh is an
integrated part of the Azerbaijani Republic.’ It was the mistake of
your journalist- colleagues in the neighboring country."

The dissatisfaction of the Azerbaijani party is not clear. Factually,
the leadership of Azerbaijan demands the co-chairs to made public the
final opinion and resolution of the conflict before the end of
negotiations, hereby casting doubt on the process, on the whole.

US ‘Dr Death’ defends euthanasia

ArmRadio.am
09.06.2007 14:52

Jack Kevorkian, the man known as "Dr Death" for helping the terminally
ill to die, has said he had no regrets for conducting assisted suicide,
reports the BBC.

"I knew what I was doing… I accepted the consequences because I had
to do the right thing," he told the BBC.

Kevorkian, 79, was released from a US prison last week after serving
eight years for second-degree murder. He claims to have helped some 130
people to die in the 1990s. He has pledged not to do this any more.

The former pathologist was given a 10-25 year sentence in the US state
of Michigan in 1999.
He won an appeal based on his own failing health, but could go back to
prison if he conducted further assisted suicides.

Kevorkian was convicted of the murder by injection of terminally ill
Thomas Youk. A video of him dying was broadcast on television. "My aim
isn’t to kill, my aim is to relieve the patient’s anxiety, to relieve
his paralysing affliction mentally," Kevorkian said.

"I have no regrets in helping the suffering human. If I had regrets I’d
be the biggest hypocrite. "This is not done willy-nilly, it isn’t not
done because I have a whim and I want to do it immediately. No. It’s
done for the sake of the patient," he said.

Kevorkian said he believed at least "half of the doctors" in the US
were conducting assisted suicide secretly.

Earlier this week, he said would dedicate himself to garnering support
for assisted suicide. But he conceded that he was unlikely to succeed.

NKR FOREIGN MINISTRY CALLS BAREFACED LIE AZERBAIJAN’S INFORMATION ON FIRES IN SUBDIVISIONS OF NKR DEFENCE ARMY

Arminfo
2007-06-08 14:08:00

The information distributed by APA on alleged fires in the subdivisions
of NKR Defence Army is another misinformation, Press Secretary of
NKR Defence Ministry Senor Asratyan told ArmInfo.

"The moral and psychological atmosphere in the NKR Defence Army is at
the highest level unlike that in the Azerbaijani army. Azerbaijan
constantly distributes misinformation that is only its wishful
thinking. The given information is nothing but a barefaced lie,"
S. Asratyan said.

It is noteworthy that referring to the "residents of bordering
villages", APA reported that fires allegedly took place in the
subdivisions of "Armenian Armed Forces." ArmInfo mentions especially
for APA that there are no subdivisions of the Armenian Armed Forces
either in NKR or in the territories under control of NKR. Moreover,
numerous deserters who have to come over the Armenian party just
to get rid of the violence in army are evidence of the "high level
discipline in the Azerbaijani army."

"POLITICAL JUSTICE INSTEAD OF CONSTITUTIONAL ONE"

A1+
[05:27 pm] 08 June, 2007

Today the plaintiffs (Orinats Yerkir, New Times and Republic) followed
the model of the Impeachment Bloc and left the Constitutional
Court after the final speeches. According to OYP representative
Artashes Avoyan, the CC had ignored the material submitted by the
oppositionalists which obviously disclosed election frauds.

"The court did not recognize elections of any precinct invalid. The
court administers political justice.

Their action is merely a farce," the OYP representative said.

Gagik Harutyunyan scolded NTP Hrachya Sargsyan for a long political
speech.

"You have come to a legal institution and not a political one,"
Harutyunyan pointed out.

Gagik Harutyunyan urged the sides not to leave the courtroom unless
they heard the speeches.

NWP representative Ruben Torosyan presented new election frauds
in his speech. He also referred to President Kocharians’ words. To
remind, Robert Kocahrian announced yesterday that "RoA Parliament is
legitimate". According to Torosyan, Robert Kocharian breached Article
5 of the Constitution by his announcement.

Torosyan also reflected on a number of abnormal phenomena he had
observed during the hearing.

Republic representative Artak Zeynelyan delivered a 28-page
speech. Gagik Harutyunyan liked the speech as it "was based on
legal facts."

The respondent side made a short speech. They called on the court to
turn down the application as the plaintiffs’ arguments were groundless
and the fabrications did not affect the election outcome.

The court is to make a decision within three days.

THE GOVERNMENT OF ARMENIA IS NOT PREPARED TO SIGN A PEACE AGREEMENT: AZERBAIJANI PARLIAMENTARIAN

Trend News Agency, Azerbaijan
June 7 2007

Azerbaijan, Baku / corr. Trend I.Alizade / The Chairman of Azerbaijan
Democratic Reforms Party (DRP), MP Asim Mollazade, said that the
Government of Armenia is not yet prepared to sign a peace agreement.

He stressed that Armenia is involved in the imitation of the
negotiation process and the policy pursued by Yerevan prevents the
development of the South Caucasus.

"The policy implemented by the President of Armenia, Robert
Kocharyan, is of the contrary to the interests of the Azeri and
Armenian people. Pursuing the occupation policy, Kocharyan serves
other forces and prevents the establishment of peace in the South
Caucasus," Mollazade added.

He spelled out that the presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia
may discuss new proposals in Saint-Petersburg regarding the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement.

"The international community wishes to see a prompt solution in regards
to this conflict within the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. It is
a pity that the policy of Armenia does not provide this opportunity,"
DRF’s Chairman stressed.

Touching upon the conduct of a referendum to determine the future
status of the Nagorno-Karabakh, the MP stated, "By not conducting
a referendum in covering the whole country, it would prove to be
impossible to compromise any distance of Azerbaijani land. The
referendum for determining the future status of Nagorno-Karabakh
should be held on all territories of Azerbaijan".

Touching upon the conduct of a referendum to determine the future
status of the Nagorno-Karabakh, the MP stated, "By not conducting
a referendum in covering the whole country, it would prove to be
impossible to compromise any distance of Azerbaijani land. The
referendum for determining the future status of Nagorno-Karabakh
should be held on all territories of Azerbaijan".

Mollazade considers that it needs to achieve solidarity regarding
nationwide issues within Azerbaijan. There should not be an
understanding of government-opposition in those issues. For us,
the issues regarding the Nagorno-Karabakh and territorial integrity
of Azerbaijan can not be the same without the party interests. The
whole society should be mobilized in resolving these issues and all
intellectual opportunities, social-political forces should act from
a single position with regards to the conflict settlement. I do not
consider myself in opposition with the issue of the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict settlement and I do not have the right to do so," Mollazade
said.

The next meeting of the Presidents of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev and
Armenia, Robert Kocharyan , will take place on the 10th of June in
Saint-Petersburg.

The conflict between the two countries of South Caucasus appeared in
1988 due to the territorial claims of Armenia against Azerbaijan.

Armenia has occupied 20% of the Azerbaijani land including the
Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven Districts of the country surrounding
it. Since 1992 to present time, these territories have been under the
occupation of the Armenian Forces. In 1994, Azerbaijan and Armenia
signed a cease-fire agreement, at which time the active hostilities
ended. The Co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group ( Russia, France and USA)
hold peaceful negotiations.

RA FOREIGN MINISTER, MINSK GROUP CO-CHAIRS DISCUSS THE SETTLEMENT PRINCIPLES

ArmRadio.am
07.06.2007 17:00

On June 7 RA Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian received the Co-Chairs of
the OSCE Minsk Group Yuri Merzlyakov, Bernard Fassier and Matthew Bryza
and the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office. Andrzej
Kasprzyk.

The principles of the Karabakh conflict settlement on the bargaining
table were discussed during the meeting, pursuing the objective to
prepare the meeting of the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan to
be held in saint Petersburg on June 9.

ARMENIAN ELECTORAL BODY REGISTERS MPS ELECTED UNDER PARTY LIST

Mediamax news agency
6 Jun 07

Yerevan, 6 June: The Armenian Central Electoral Commission (CEC)
today registered 90 members the National Assembly [parliament] elected
under the proportional system in the 12 May parliamentary election.

The Republican Party of Armenia is represented with 41 MPs;
the Prosperous Armenia party with 18; the Armenian Revolutionary
Federation – Dashnaktsutyun with 16; the Orinats Yerkir party with
eight; and the Heritage party with seven.

Feliks Khachatryan, a CEC member from the opposition Justice bloc,
refused to sign under the document on registration.

The MP mandates will be handed out tonight at the CEC. The CEC
chairman, Garegin Azaryan, said that the first session of the fourth
parliament will open at 1000 [local time, 0500 gmt] on 7 June.

The MPs elected to the parliament under the first-past-the-post system
were registered by the CEC earlier.

MIGUEL ANGEL MORATINOS CALLS ON THE PARTIES TO LOOK INTO FUTURE WITH "OPTIMISM AND HOPE"

ArmRadio.am
05.06.2007 16:25

The OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel
Moratinos has called on the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan to make
use of the existing opportunity to resolve the Karabakh conflict

During the joint press conference with RA Foreign Minister Vartan
Oskanian the OSCE Chairman-in-Office called on the parties to look
into future with "optimism and hope" and not into past.

In Vartan Oskanian’s words, "any meeting on the level of Presidents
brings hope and expectations."

"Today there is a certain ground for reaching progress. If no
significant progress is registered at the meeting of the Presidents,
the work will continue on the level of the Foreign Ministers of
Armenia and Azerbaijan," Vartan Oskanian said.

Speaking about elections, the Spanish Foreign Minister expressed the
hope that the presidential elections in Armenia will correspond to
the parliamentary elections in regard to democracy.

"Recently we witnessed the parliamentary elections in Armenia. I
congratulate the Minister and the whole Armenian nation for very
successful parliamentary elections and positive evaluation of the
observers," Miguel Angel Moratinos declared. In his words, these
elections were another step on the way of democratization, and it will
enhance the further progress of the democratization process. "We think
the upcoming presidential elections will be held in the same spirit,"
Moratinos declared.

ARMRUSGAZPROM IS EFFICIENTLY OPERATING COMPANY AMONG JOINT VENTURES FOUNDED BY GAZPROM

Noyan Tapan
Jun 05 2007

YEREVAN, JUNE 5, NOYAN TAPAN. The Armenian prime minister Serge
Sargsian on June 5 received the deputy chairman of the board of Gazprom
OJSC (Russia) Valery Golubev and the delegation headed by him. The
delegation is composed Anatoly Podmishalski, head of the board of
Gazprom OJSC, member of ArmRusgazprom CJSC’s board, and Stanislav
Tsigankov, head of Gazprom’s foreign economic activities department.

NT was informed from the RA Government Information and PR Department
that during the meeting the sides expressed their satisfaction with the
cooperation of Gazprom and the Armenian government. According to Valery
Golubev, among joint ventures founded by Gazprom in various countruis,
ArmRusgazprom CJSC is quite an effeciently operating company. He
said that they and the management of ArmRusgazprom are discussing
the opportunity to invite representatives of their joint ventures in
other countries to Armenia on the occasion of the 10th anniversary
of ArmRusgazprom and to show how efficiently the company operates
and what achievements they have registered in the past ten years.

The deputy chairman of Gazprom’s board presented the company’s future
programs and investment projects to the Armenian prime minister. The
sides discussed issues related to the further cooperation under
these programs.

GEORGIA GRANTED RIGHT TO JOIN EU STATEMENTS

PanARMENIAN.Net
05.06.2007 16:15 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Georgia is granted the right to regularly join the
statements of the European Union made in the framework of common
foreign and security policies. Based on the official request of
Georgia the European Union finished all formalities, and by the
decision of EU Council’s political and security committees from this
week on Georgia will have the right to join EU statements.

The Georgian MFA clarifies that this fact brings Georgia closer to
Europe and the European Union, and has special importance in the
development of future political cooperation between Georgia and the EU.

Georgia already participates in the common foreign and security
policies carried out by the European Union, and together with EU
27 member-states the country is granted the right to fix its stance
regarding current events in the world, GHN reports.