Author: Vanyan Gary

US-ARMENIA TASK FORCE MEETS IN YEREVAN
ArmenPress
May 17 2004
YEREVAN, MAY 17, ARMENPRESS: The regular, 8-th meeting of the
US-Armenian Task Force started today in the Armenian capital.
Armenian finance ministry said the process of implementation of joint
projects was discussed and prospects for further cooperation were
mapped out. It said also that Armenia’s inclusion in the Millennium
Challenge Account program was also on the agenda of the meeting. The
head of the US delegation, ambassador Carlos Pascal, proposed that
Armenia should outline its priority problems which it hopes to solve
with the assistance of new funds in order to submit them to a special
US delegation that will arrive in Armenia soon.
Another focus of the discussions was on problems relating to customs
and tax administration, with both sides stating that improvement in
these sectors is a key factor for ensuring continued economic growth.
Also energy, agriculture, business environment improvement- related
issues were discussed. The May 18 meeting will be topped y WTO
membership, trafficking in human beings, money laundering-related
issues.

US CALLS ON AZERBAIJAN, ARMENIA TO TACKLE CONFLICT SETTLEMENT
AssA-Irada, Azerbaijan
May 13, 2004
National Security Adviser to the US President Condoleezza Rice
was quoted as saying on Thursday that the United States would like
the governments of Azerbaijan and Armenia to seriously tackle the
Upper Garabagh conflict. She said the “long-protracted” conflict is
negatively affecting both Azerbaijan and Armenia in terms of economic
and political development.
Shortly before her visit to Russia, Rice said she intends to discuss
with official Moscow prospects for the conflict settlement. “We
are working closely with Russia to resolve a number of conflict
situations. I think we all were somewhat disappointed with the fact
that this has not been done in Upper Garabagh”, she said.

Azeri Speaker, US military discuss OSCE Minsk Group activities so far
ANS TV, Baku
13 May 04
[Presenter] The hitherto activities of the OSCE Minsk Group, which
has accepted the mediating mission on the solution to the Nagornyy
Karabakh conflict, will be inspected. Inspectors from the USA have
already arrived in Baku.
[Correspondent, over video of the meeting between the US inspectors
and Azeri delegation] Representatives of the US National War College
said they had arrived in Baku to inspect the activities of the OSCE
Minsk Group which accepted the mediating mission on the resolution
of the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict. Commander in the US Navy Forces,
Vincent McBeth, wanted Azerbaijani Speaker Murtuz Alasgarov to answer
this question.
[Macbett, speaking in English with Azeri voice-over] We want to
learn. A few years have elapsed. What has the OSCE Minsk Group done
for the resolution of the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict and what impact
has it had?
[Correspondent, over video] Here is Azerbaijani Speaker Murtuz
Alasgarov’s response.
[Alasgarov] No progress is being noticed in the OSCE Minsk Group’s
activities. The Minsk Group was appointed to tackle the problem in
view of its essence and in line with internaltional legal norms. Why
was the Minsk Group organized if it stands on the sidelines in the
process and lays the blame on both sides?
[Correspondent] Alasgarov urged Washington to apply sanctions against
Armenia the aggressor and sent a message to international organizations
calling on them to abandon double standards. He addressed another
request to US President George Bush.
[Alasgarov] I am convinced that the US leadership, including incumbent
President Bush will once again review the situation and take a humane
step towards the full suspension of Section 907 [ to the Freedom
Support Act banning direct US government assistance to Azerbaijan]
[Correspondent] The military men, who came from the USA, promised to
deliver this request to the Bush administration.
Afat Telmanqizi, Azar Qarayev, ANS.

Azeri ANS TV lashes out at BBC for “serious digressions” in Karabakh reports
ANS TV, Baku
12 May 04
[Presenter Natavan Babayeva] The BBC has replied to a warning letter
from the ANS Independent Broadcasting and Media Company. ANS has
advised to its partner in the sphere of information to overcome
serious digressions in its information policy during the recent year.
[Correspondent, over video of ANS letter, the BBC letter, BBC
Russian.com web page] What has happened with the BBC which was famous
as a symbol of impartial and balanced journalism in its time? Listeners
to the BBC Russian Service’s morning programmes on the Nagornyy
Karabakh conflict during the recent month have frequently asked this
question to ANS, which is one of the companies broadcasting these
programmes. Appealing to BBC managers on 6 April this year, the ANS CM
[radio] management demanded an explanation on the serious changes in
the BBC’s information policy as well. As a result of the monitoring,
the ANS CM management has determined the biased nature of dozens of
reports prepared by the BBC service in Baku and informed its partners
about this.
The BBC management’s attention was also drawn to the anti-Azerbaijani
activity of the editor of BBC Russian Service, ethnic Armenian Mark
Grigoryan. We should note that this individual has been popularizing a
pro-Armenian stance and trying to do his best to prove that Nagornyy
Karabakh belongs to the Armenians, using his position in the BBC and
Azerbaijani correspondents forced to work and subordinate to him.
Today we received a reply from the BBC with regard to all our
complaints. Olexiy Solohubenko, executive editor, Eurasia, BBC World
Service, writes that a special meeting of editors has been held with
regard to the ANS complaints and all facts have been attentively
examined, and though it could be regarded as strange, defects have
been discovered neither in the activity of the BBC Russian Service
nor even in reports of editor Mark Grigoryan, despite the submitted
undeniable facts.
But we again draw the attention of our companions, who have a glorious
past in information provision, to these defects. This morning the BBC
Russian Service broadcast a 20-minute report dedicated to the 10th
anniversary of the truce agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The
report unequivocally presents the Azerbaijanis as supporters of peace
and poor things avoiding the war. Instigating a capitulatory policy,
the thoughts of an Armenian political scientist and of Vladimir
Kazimirov, former Russian co-chairman of the OSCE Minsk Group who is
famous for his pro-Armenian stance, dominate in the report as expert
opinions. In Vladimir Kazimirov’s view, the option for the settlement
of the conflict is the determination of the Nagornyy Karabakh status
and the return of refugees only after this.
We should note that the scenario voiced by Vladimir Kazimirov is the
option which the Armenians desire. But Azerbaijan and international
organizations, including the UN, demand the return of the refugees to
their lands and only after this to determine the status of Nagornyy
Karabakh. But for some reason, this point was forgotten in the report
prepared under Mark Grigoryan’s supervision. As for political
scientist Aleksandr Iskandaryan, invited by the BBC as an expert,
he says that the Baku government is not interested in the settlement
of the conflict because if [Azerbaijani President] Ilham Aliyev makes
concessions in the Karabakh conflict, he will lose his political power.
[Voice of Iskandaryan in Russian with Azeri voice-over] First, the
Azerbaijani leadership and Ilham Aliyev have some more important
problems than the settlement of the Karabakh conflict. Maintaining
power, concentrating the flow of money in the hands of their clan,
distributing posts and other related issues are among them. Second,
the Azerbaijani leadership do not need true compromise as well,
because that compromise will sweep them away.
[Correspondent] Finally, I would like to draw your attention to the
BBC’s web site dedicated to Nagornyy Karabakh. Here one can see words
of Ali Aslanov, pupil of the 10th form and a refugee from Susa [town
in Karabakh], or to say more precisely, a blue quotebox presented
as an important statement by the BBC. 16-year-old Ali says: [the
TV pictures shows words in Russian in a blue quotebox on a web page]
It seems to me that Susa is not my motherland. [The following words
were not included in the voice-over: I have been living in Baku since
seven years of age] I like this city, I can say that I do not remember
my first home. All my friends live in Baku.
In our opinion, there is no need for additional comment. Zaur Hasanov,
ANS.

Conference on Russia-Armenia cooperation opens in Samara
By Lyudmila Yermakova
ITAR-TASS News Agency
May 12, 2004 Wednesday
MOSCOW, May 13 — The conference “Russian-Armenian inter-regional
cooperation: state and prospects” opens in the city of Samara, situated
in the middle reaches of the Volga River, Tass learnt on Wednesday at
the Committee for CIS Affairs of the Russian parliament upper chamber.
The two parliaments decided to use “the regional factor” to improve
relations. Fifteen agreements are now operable between regions of
the two countries. It is also planned to discuss participation of an
Armenian delegation in a Petersburg economic forum which will be held
in June and where presentation of Armenia will be held.
Speaker of the Federation Council Sergei Mironov arrives on Thursday
in Samara to participate in the forum at the head of the Russian
delegation. The Armenian delegation is led by speaker of the National
Assembly Artur Bagdasaryan.
According to a Tass dispatch from Yerevan, the Armenian delegation also
includes representatives from all political forces in the republican
parliament as well as executives of several ministries and regions of
the country. The Armenian speaker plans to have meetings with Mironov,
executives of the Samara Region and members of the business community.
Mironov will also have his own, Russian programme. For instance he
will meet regional Governor Konstantin Titov and deputies to the
Samara legislative assembly and will visit the Volgaburmash company.
The forum will be held under the aegis of the Russian parliament
upper chamber and the Armenian parliament.

The Economist
May 8, 2004
U.S. Edition
Protest voters; Armenia
A strong president stays in charge
The chances of change in Armenia remain small
UNTIL recently, Armenia was quieter than its neighbours. Armenians
seemed to have little to complain of. The economy has racked up ten
years of growth, inflation is low, the currency stable. President
Robert Kocharian’s government has largely ensured access to light,
heat and other basics. Yet the opposition has been staging
increasingly noisy protests calling for the departure of Mr
Kocharian, whose March 2003 re-election was widely seen as
fraudulent. As a minimum, the opposition wants a referendum to test
support for the government, a compromise recommended by Armenia’s
constitutional court. Mr Kocharian has given dark warnings to
participants in “illegal” protest rallies, and arrested ringleaders.
Vehicles driving into Yerevan have been forced back, for fear they
might carry demonstrators. One 6,000-strong protest was greeted by
water cannons.
Armenia lacks some necessary ingredients for a Georgian “rose
revolution”. Corruption is rampant, and few people outside Yerevan
enjoy the fruits of growth. But Mr Kocharian is less widely hated
than was Edward Shevardnadze. Generous foreign aid—Armenia is one of
the biggest per-head recipients in the world—has obscured government
thievery. Mr Kocharian keeps a steely grip on the local airwaves, in
contrast to the thriving independent media of Georgia. Russia is
still a strong supporter. And the Americans, who helped to push out
Mr Shevardnadze, seem more concerned with stability than
democracy—though American presence in Armenia is quietly increasing.
The opposition is led by Stepan Demirchian, who lacks the charisma of
Georgia’s Mikhail Saakashvili. Many local observers fear that he and
Artashes Geghamian, another opposition leader, are more interested in
a turn at the trough than in real change. The marked absence of young
people at most protest rallies reflects a deep cynicism about
politics.
Meanwhile, the ten-year ceasefire in the war over the disputed
enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh is under strain. Azerbaijan’s president,
Ilham Aliev, has been sabre-rattling to drum up support. At a recent
World Economic Forum meeting in Warsaw, where the three Caucasian
presidents met, Mr Aliev dismissed any talk of freeing up trade until
Armenia stopped occupying part of his country. The blockade of
Armenia’s borders by Azerbaijan and Turkey looks like continuing. And
prospects for change in Armenia remain bleak.

A1 Plus | 14:57:01 | 07-05-2004 | Social |
ARMENIAN STUDENTS TO HEAD TO SHUSHI
On Armenian Polytechnic University initiative, fifty students will start
procession on May 9 following the 1992 route of the Armenian National Army.
The students will take their route to Shushi fortress and then to St.
Ghazanchetsi Church.
Nagorno-Karabakhi students are expected to join the march.

No agreement on liberating occupied districts reached yet – Azeri leader
ANS TV, Baku
7 May 04

[Presenter] All the occupied territories of Azerbaijan will be
returned and all refugees will return home, Azerbaijani President
Ilham Aliyev said, while commenting on the 12th anniversary of Susa’s
occupation [in Karabakh].
[Ilham Aliyev] This is our big tragedy and grief. The occupation of
Nagornyy Karabakh and the districts around it is the biggest problem
of Azerbaijan and the region. This is a danger. We are making efforts
to resolve this problem peacefully. We are faithful to the peace
talks. I have already said that if we had not believed in the results
of the talks, we would not have held these talks. We believe that the
negotiations will yield results and the problem will be resolved. We
will do our best to make sure that Azerbaijan’s right position is
highlighted in the talks.
[Journalist] Mr President, is it the [OSCE Minsk Group] co-chairmen
who have put forward the idea of releasing the seven districts [around
Karabakh] or is it the two presidents who have reached an agreement on
this?
[Aliyev] The cochairmen have no proposals at all. The two presidents
have not reached any agreement either. If we had reached an agreement,
we would have disclosed it. This is Azerbaijan’s position.
[Another journalist] Mr President, have you discussed this issue with
[Armenian President Robert] Kocharyan? What was Kocharyan’s position?
[Aliyev] We have discussed this issue with Kocharyan, but I do not
want to say anything about this because it is up to him to disclose
his stance. Our position is no secret to anybody. We discussed this
issue at our meeting.

Internews
May 4 2004
`Your Voice Will Not be Heard Without a Free Press’

Internews Armenia
Internews Armenia’s World Press Freedom Day PSA used sign language to
make a point about free press.
(May 4, 2004) Internews Armenia celebrated World Press Freedom Day
yesterday by producing and distributing a 50-second public service
announcement that ended with the message, `Your voice will not be
heard without a free press.’
The PSA starts with silence and a message in sign language, followed
by images and voices of screaming people. (See the full PSA)
On May 3, the PSA was shown repeatedly on about 25 TV stations
located all over Armenia. It was also shown about 60 times on the
Republic Square electronic video display and on a screen located on
the roof of a downtown trade center.
Internews Armenia is funded by grants from the United States Agency
for International Development.

ITAR-TASS, Russia
May 5 2004
Azeri presid notes positive changes in OSCE Minsk group work

BAKU, May 5 (Itar-Tass) – Azerbaijani president Ilkham Aliyev has
noted positive changes in the activities of the Minsk Group of the
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) on Nagorno
Karabakh.
Aliyev told journalists on Wednesday, `the activity of the Minsk
Group has become noticeable, its co-chairmen are persistently seeking
solution to the problem.’
The Azerbaijani president believes the settlement process is underway
although not very actively.
President Aliyev expressed the hope that the negotiations on the
Karabakh conflict settlement with mediation of the OSCE Group,
co-chaired by Russia, France and the United States, will bring
concrete results.
`If we did not believe in that there would be no sense in conducting
talks,’ the head of Azerbaijan stressed.
He positively assessed meetings held between the Azerbaijani and
Armenian presidents in Geneva in December 2003 and in Warsaw in April
2004, as well as talks held at the level of the two states’ foreign
ministers.
The next meeting of the foreign ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia
with participation of co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group will be held
in Strasbourg on May 12.
On this day ten days ago the two sides reached an agreement on
ceasefire on the Karabakh conflict zone which is still being
observed.