Author: Tatoyan Vazgen

WILL JEWS TAKE PART IN AZERIS’ ‘GENOCIDE DAY COMMEMORATION’?
By Aghavni Harutyunian
AZG Armenian Daily
31/03/2006
Jewish and Azerbaijani communities of the United States have common
approach to a number of vital issues, Trend news agency quoted the
former chairman of the Association of Jews of the USSR, Yuri Zilberman,
as saying.
“The Azerbaijani and Jewish communities have established close friendly
ties,” Zilberman said adding that an agreement with Tomriz Azer, head
of the Azerbaijani Association of America, has brought their positions
closer. Touching upon the so-called “genocide day commemoration”
(precisely delirium – A.
H.) today, Zilberman stated that the Jews understand Azerbaijani
people’s problems and will take part in the arrangements of the
Association.

DARTMOUTH CONFERENCE: KARABAKH TALKS SHOULD BE DIVIDED INTO TWO STAGES
PanARMENIAN.Net
30.03.2006 01:41 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The authors of the framework agreement on the
Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement stated today in Yerevan that
plenipotentiaries of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Nagorno Karabakh will
conclude agreements on a number of issues within the OSCE Minsk
Group framework. “Those who undertake the responsibility will hold
the negotiations and sign the agreement,” Dartmouth Conference
Co-chair Harold Saunders stated. He divided the negotiation process
into two stages. The first will include intermediate steps, namely
measures for establishment of mutual trust, equal concessions by
the parties, synchronized withdrawal of troops, demilitarization of
the territories, return of refugees, restoration of communications,
economic and cultural cooperation. The second stage will comprise
talks on the NKR final status, conclusion of peaceful agreement and
establishment of diplomatic relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
In his words, the formula of the project is as follows “Peace and
intermediate status in exchange for territories”, which differs from
the mutually excluding principles of the Azerbaijani and Armenian sides
– “peace in exchange for territories” and “territories in exchange for
status.” Harold Saunders also noted that the project was submitted
to Russian and U.S. Co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, who rated
it positive on the whole. “Ambassador Mann specifically noted the
measures for establishment of mutual trust between the conflicting
parties provided by the framework agreement,” Mr. Saunders said. At
that he noted that the Dartmouth Conference is not a substitute to
the OSCE MG. “The task of the Minsk group is to propose the final
decision while our task is to offer the possible ways of the Nagorno
Karabakh conflict settlement,” he stressed.
To note, the Dartmouth Conference launched activities in mid 1960-ies
for the elaboration of common positions of the United States and
Russia on the settlement of regional conflict. After the collapse of
the USSR the conference is co-chaired by Russia and the U.S.

MONITORING WAS CANCELLED BECAUSE OF SHOTS
A1+
08:43 pm 29 March, 2006
The monitoring of the contact line of the Karabakh and Azeri armed
forces near the settlement of Seysulan of NKR Martakert region
scheduled for March 29 did not take place over the shots fired by
the Azeri side from the occupied village of Karmiravan, reported the
information and analytical department of the NKR MFA.
The OSCE observing mission led by personal representative of the OSCE
CiO, Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk as well as representatives of the
NKR Ministries of Defense and Foreign Affairs registered 3 shots. Due
to the absence of any guarantees from the Azeri side Andrzej Kasprzyk
cancelled the monitoring.

ILLICIT DRUG TRAFFICKING BECOMES GLOBAL – ARMENIAN PREMIER
by Tigran Liloyan
ITAR-TASS News Agency
March 29, 2006 Wednesday 02:51 AM EST
Illicit drug trafficking became a global phenomenon, Armenian Prime
Minister Andranik Migranyan said.
Addressing participants in a session of the CSTO Anti-Drug Coordinating
Council on Wednesday, the Armenian prime minister said illicit drug
trafficking as a dangerous social phenomenon “became global and
trans-national and turned into the most acute problems of mankind.”
Drug trafficking “wrecks political, social and economic stability of
states,” the Armenian prime minister stressed.
In his view, internationalisation of crime and “the growth of
international elements, which commit crimes in the territory of two
or more states, evoke the need to improve and develop international
and interstate cooperation between law enforcement agencies.”
Migranyan said the CSTO Anti-Drug Coordinating Council plays a
big role and have a great significance in the fight against drug
trafficking. “This will help work out and realise the common strategy
and new mechanisms to counteract illicit drug trafficking,” he said.
The Armenian prime minister proposed “to think together how we can
use our accumulated experience better and more efficiently in order
to deliver a sensitive blow against drug trafficking.”
The CSTO Anti-Drug Coordinating Council gathered for a session in
Yerevan on Wednesday to discuss the fight against trans-national
crime and analyse the results of the Kanal-2005 preventive operation.
Armenia has no anti-drug agency and police deals with this
phenomenon. The session will also focus on the CSTO joint efforts to
counteract drug trafficking from Afghanistan.
The agenda also includes a draft concept of the united database to
prevent illicit drug trafficking, psychotropic substances and their
precursors, and measures to battle their illicit trafficking.
The session is chaired by Viktor Cherkesov, head of the Russian
Federal Service for Controlling Drugs and Psychotropic Substances
Circulation. The meeting involves representatives of Armenia, Belarus,
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and officials of the
CSTO secretariat.
The participants in the session will approve a document on the
Council’s working groups, cooperation on training personnel, exchange
of information, a plan of action and other issues.

Armenian National Committee of America
1711 N St., NW
Washington, DC 20036
Tel: (202) 775-1918
Fax: (202) 775-5648
Email: [email protected]
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 29, 2006
Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
Tel: (202) 775-1918
SENATORS SANTORUM, MENENDEZ INTRODUCE BILL TO BLOCK U.S. FUNDING
FOR PROPOSED CAUCASUS RAILWAY PROJECT EXCLUDING ARMENIA
— Similar Measure in House Has Garnered 77 Cosponsors
WASHINGTON, DC – Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum (R-PA) and
newly appointed New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) introduced
legislation this week that would prohibit U.S. assistance for the
building of railroads traversing the Caucasus that circumvent Armenia,
reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).
The legislation mirrors a similar House measure (H.R. 3361) titled
the “South Caucasus Integration and Open Railroads Act of 2005”,
introduced by Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chairs Joe Knollenberg
(R-MI) and Frank Pallone (D-NJ) in June, 2005. The House version of
the legislation currently has 77 cosponsors.
“We welcome this effort to protect U.S. taxpayers from subsidizing
an ill-advised and over-priced railroad project that – at the
insistence of Turkey and Azerbaijan – has been specifically designed
to exclude Armenia,” said Aram Hamparian, Executive Director of the
ANCA. “Constructing this railroad around Armenia runs directly counter
to U.S. foreign policy, is commercially untenable, and will only serve
to institutionalize Turkey and Azerbaijan’s blockades of Armenia.”
In his speech on the Senate floor, S. 2461 original cosponsor Sen.
Menendez noted the Turkish government’s ongoing campaign to “isolate
Armenia economically, politically and socially,” citing Turkey’s
13-year blockade of Armenia and, more recently, the construction
of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline, which also circumvents Armenia.
“U.S. policy in the South Caucasus seeks to foster regional cooperation
and economic integration and supports open borders and transport
and communication corridors. U.S. support for this project would
run counter to that policy which is why Senator SANTORUM and I are
introducing this legislation today.”
In May, 2005, the president of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, Georgian
President Mikheil Saakashvili, and Turkey’s President Akhmed Nedget
Sezer announced their intention to construct the railway corridor
linking Turkey, Tbilisi, and Baku. The project would effectively
replace the Kars-Gyumri railroad route, which has been blockaded
by Turkey for more than a decade. The governmental and commercial
interests involved in the project, estimated at between $600 million
and $1 billion, will almost certainly turn to the U.S. government for
financial support, subsidies, favorable lending terms, and low-cost
risk insurance, as they did for the Baku- Tblisi-Ceyhan pipeline route.
In October 2005, the European Commission added its voice to the growing
international opposition to a Caucasus railroad. The Commission’s
position was articulated by the Directorate General for Transport and
Energy. In explaining why the European Union would not support the
creation of this rail line, the Directorate noted that its construction
was both unnecessary and inefficient in light of the existing railroad
connecting Kars, Gyumri, and Tbilisi.
Sen. Menendez’ complete statement follows.
#####
Statement By Sen. Robert Menendez Upon Introduction of S.2461
Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce legislation
to block U.S. support for yet another anti-Armenian initiative.
In numerous cases over the last few years, the Turkish government has
methodically sought to isolate Armenia economically, politically and
socially. One of the most egregious examples was the imposition of a
1993 blockade against Armenia in support of Azerbaijan’s war against
Karabakh Armenians.
The Turkish government has routinely sought to exclude Armenia from
projects that would benefit the economies of the countries of the
South Caucasus. The latest example of this policy is the proposal
to build a new rail line that would connect Turkey, Georgia and
Azerbaijan. Similar to the Baku-Ceyhan pipeline, this rail link would
specifically go around Armenia.
Now, geographically, we all know that a pipeline or rail line that
seeks to connect Turkey, Georgia and Azerbaijan would have to pass
through Armenia. One would have to make a special effort to bypass
Armenia.
The U.S. should not endorse Turkey and Azerbaijan’s politically
motivated attempt to isolate Armenia.
I therefore rise today in opposition to this plan, and to introduce
legislation, along with my colleague, Senator SANTORUM, that would bar
U.S. support and funding for a rail link connecting Georgia and Turkey,
and which specifically excludes Armenia. This project is estimated to
cost up to $800 million and would take three years to complete. The aim
of this costly approach, as publicly stated by Azeri President Aliyev,
is to isolate Armenia by enhancing the ongoing Turkish and Azerbaijani
blockades and to keep the existing Turkey-Armenia-Georgia rail link
shut down. This ill-conceived project runs counter to U.S. policy,
ignores the standing Kars- Gyumri rail route, is politically and
economically flawed and serves to destabilize the region.
U.S. policy in the South Caucasus seeks to foster regional cooperation
and economic integration and supports open borders and transport
and communication corridors. U.S. support for this project would
run counter to that policy which is why Senator Santorum and I are
introducing this legislation today.
We cannot continue to stoke the embers of regional conflict by
supporting projects that deliberately exclude one of the region’s
most important members. I urge my colleagues to support this bill.
#####

IT IS NOT FOR MILITARY MEN TO ANSWER QUESTION IF KARABAKH WAR CAN BE RESUMED: ARMENIAN DEPUTY DM
YEREVAN, MARCH 28. ARMINFO. It is not for military men to answer the
question if the Karabakh war can be resumed, says Armenian Deputy
Defence Minister Artur Agabekyan while commenting on the growing
number of skirmishes on the Armenian-Azeri contact line.
He refutes the reports that young people are not allowed to leave
Armenia. He admits that there is certain “activity” on the contact
line but it is due to spring engineering work (digging of trenches)
and also to the constant bellicose rhetoric from Baku. There has
always been exchange of fire – if the Azeris fired at the Armenians,
the Armenians responded – “as we cannot allow them to fire at our
positions.” “Our military men serve perfectly and are always ready
to rebuff any local or large-scale attack,” says Agabekyan.

ARMENIA’S POPUALTION TO RECEIVE TELEPHONE BILLS BY POST
ARKA News Agency, Armenia
March 27 2006
YEREVAN, March 27. /ARKA/. Individual and legal entities will shortly
receive telephone bills by post in Armenia, Artak Khachatrya, Head
of the Legal Affairs Department, “ArmenTel” Company, told reporters.
According to him, the company is holding negotiations with the
“Armpost” CJSC. “This is a matter of some months,” he said.
The “ArmenTel” company currently has a monopoly of stationary telephone
communication in Armenia.

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
March 24 2006
Armenian prisoner of war repatriated
[ 24 Mar. 2006 17:33 ]
Today an Armenian prisoner of war (POW) detained in Azerbaijan was
repatriated to his country under the auspices of the International
Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
APA was informed by the ICRC.
The operation took place on the road between Azerbaijan’s town of
Gazakh and Armenia’s town of Ijevan.
Further to the request from the authorities of the Republic of
Azerbaijan and the Republic of Armenia, the ICRC acting as a neutral
intermediary, and in accordance with its mandate, facilitated the
repatriation of the Armenian prisoner of war.
The ICRC delegates met with the POW to be sure that he wishes to
return to his own country.
In accordance with its mandate, the ICRC assisted in repatriation of
656 people in the region since 1992.
The repatriated Armenian prisoner of war is a military man Saakyan
Vardan Martikovich, who passed the front line in Hasangaya village of
Azerbaijani region of Terter, near contact line of troops on 3
February, this year.
The investigation found out that Saakyan Vardan was born in Uits
village of Sisian region, Armenia, on June 25, 1986, and he is
Armenian citizen.
Azerbaijan’s State Committee for Prisoners of War, Hostages and
Missing Persons informed APA that Saakyan was drafted to Armenian
Army under a contract and sent to Azerbaijan’s occupied province of
Nagorno Garabagh for military service.
The international organizations, including, the ICRC, the
International Working Group to Search for the Missing, Hostages and
Prisoners of War were informed about Saakyan./APA/

Common Dreams (press release), ME
March 24 2006
MARCH 24, 2006
10:45 AM
CONTACT: Amnesty International

Turkey: In Support of Freedom of Expression Media Information

WASHINGTON – March 24 – From 1-10 April 2006, Amnesty International
groups around the world will be asking members of the public to sign
postcards urging the Turkish authorities to abolish Article 301 of
the Turkish penal code.
Amnesty International believes that Article 301 of the Turkish Penal
Code poses a threat to the fundamental right to freedom of
expression. Individuals including human rights defenders, publishers,
prominent writers, and journalists, are being prosecuted because they
have dared to discuss publicly the “official” version of the
country’s history or the role of the army, or have caricatured state
officials.
The case against Turkish novelist Orhan Pamuk for comments on the
deaths of Kurds and Armenians in Turkey has been dropped. However,
this is too small a step on the road to freedom of expression.
Amnesty International members are appealing to members of the public
to put pressure on the Turkish authorities to immediately stop
prosecutions against individuals under the article and to abolish it
in its entirety.

PanARMENIAN.Net
U.S. Condemned Bamiyan Buddha Statues Destruction but Keeps Silent on
Armenian Holy Site Desecration
24.03.2006 19:42 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ `For more than three months, the U.S. government did
not utter a single word about this systematic desecration of an
Armenian holy and cultural site,’ Armenian National Committee of
America (ANCA) Executive Director Aram Hamparian stated in an
interview with PanARMENIAN.Net. `During a recent visit to Armenia, a
State Department official responded to questions on this matter during
a press conference by condemning the destruction – but the Department
seems to have done little else. This, of course, stands in stark
contrast to the vocal U.S. outrage over the Taliban’s destruction of
the Bamiyan Buddha statues in 2001,’ he said.
As for the disparity in the U.S. military aid to Armenia and
Azerbaijan, Aram Hapmarian said, `We are working very actively within
the Congressional appropriations process – on both the House and
Senate sides – to see that military aid parity is restored. The key
to this effort is explaining that disparity in favor of Azerbaijan
will embolden Baku to act on its increasingly violent threats against
Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh.’