Category: News

Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
Nov 29 2004
UN may consider resolution on Garabagh conflict next year

Deputy Foreign Minister Araz Azimov, who has returned from New York,
held a news conference Friday dedicated to discussions on the
occupied Azeri lands put on the agenda of the 9th UN General Assembly
session as the 163rd provision.
Azimov pointed out that the ongoing mass settlement of Armenians in
the occupied territories of Azerbaijan contradicts international law,
which necessitates discussion on the issue on the level of the United
Nations.
The Deputy Foreign Minister noted that Azerbaijan aspires to create
an OSCE expert group to conduct monitoring of the occupied
Azerbaijani lands. He said that the current UN session will last till
September 2005 and that discussions on the issue may resume any time
and a relevant draft resolution prepared by Azerbaijan considered.
The OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs agree to sending experts to the
occupied territories, he added.*

Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
Nov 29 2004
Baku says NATO involvement in conflict settlement possible

Baku does not rule out NATO involvement in settlement of the Upper
Garabagh conflict process.
`NATO’s participation in the conflict resolution is possible and we
consider the use of the organization’s potential useful’, Deputy
Foreign Minister Araz Azimov said speaking on `Security in South
Caucasus’ at the NATO Parliamentary Assembly Rose Roth seminar in
Baku on Friday.
Azimov did not rule out the alliance’s involvement in a peacekeeping
mission in the conflict zone after a truce between Azerbaijan and
Armenia is signed.
The Deputy Foreign Minister regarded as acceptable the peaceful
co-existence of the Azerbaijani and Armenian communities of Upper
Garabagh with guarantees for their security and supervision by the
international community at the first stage.
Azimov added that Azerbaijan still hopes for a peaceful conflict
settlement.*

Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
Nov 29 2004
`Int’l organizations should step up attention to peaceful conflict
resolution’ – OSCE envoy

President Ilham Aliyev, receiving the special envoy of the OSCE
Parliamentary Assembly (PA) on the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict Goran
Lennmarker, stated that despite the ongoing peace talks between the
two countries, no results have been achieved thus far. Armenia is
failing to take serious steps at settling the conflict and is again
trying to postpone the process of negotiations, he said.
Aliyev regarded as positive the close involvement of the Council of
Europe and other international organizations in the conflict
resolution.
The OSCE envoy said after the meetings he had with people from Upper
Garabagh and other Azerbaijani regions under occupation during the
current visit, he has made a conclusion that the conflict must be
resolved soon.
`The people suffering from the conflict, including refugees and
displaced persons, are in urgent need of assistance and long for
returning home.’
Lennmarker added that it was important that international
organizations step up their attention to a peaceful resolution of the
conflict.*

Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
Nov 29 2004
OSCE PA special envoy in Baku

Goran Lennmarker, the special envoy of the OSCE Parliamentary
Assembly (PA)
on the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict, has arrived in Baku.
Lennmarker is expected to discuss disputable provisions mentioned on
his report on the Upper Garabagh conflict with the Azerbaijani
government.
The OSCE PA special envoy told journalists at the airport that he has
arrived in Baku from Armenia where he held talks over seeking ways
for settling the conflict.
It is possible for the conflicting sides to find ways for a positive
resolution of the conflict, Lennmarker added.*

UKRAINE IS THE COUNTRY WHO HARDLY GIVES WAY TO EXTERNAL MANIPULATIONS, LEVON MKRTCHIAN THINKS
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 25. ARMINFO. The Ukraine is the very country who
hardly gives way to external manipulations. Head of the faction of the
party ARF Dashnaktsutiun Levon Mkrtchian expressed such an opinion
during the briefing at the National Assembly of Armenia, commenting
on the situation in the Ukraine after the presidential election.
At the same time, he expressed hope for that the crisis in this
republic will be overcome and it will not come to violation of the
constitutional order and split of the country into two camps. If the
situation in the Ukraine is aggravated, then it will have a negative
influence on the whole post-soviet region, Levon Mkrtchian stressed. In
his turn, deputy chairman of the opposition party National Unity
Aleksan Karapetian expressed opinion that the situation in the Ukraine
will be aggravated, and it will come to split of the country. Head of
the faction of the Republican party stated that “Russian influence”
will triumph in the Ukraine. Leader of United Labour party, Head
of the Armenian-Ukrainian group of friendship Gurgen Arsenian said
he supports the candidacy of Victor Yushchenko. Secretary of the
opposition bloc Justice Victor Dallakian also stated that Victor
Yushchenko has won the election. Victor Dallakian thinks that the
presidential election practically did not differ from presidential
election in Armenia of 2003.

EARLY SETTLEMENT OF KARABAKH CONFLICT DEPENDS ON CONFLICTING PARTIES’ MUTUAL
CLAIMS: US CO-CHAIR OF OSCE MG
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 25. ARMINFO. The early settlement of the Karabakh
conflict depends on the mutual claims that the conflicting parties
are laying against each other, OSCE MG US co-chair Stephen Mann says
in his interview to RFE Azeri Office.
He says that the US has not changed its stance on the Karabakh conflict
settlement – it advocates peaceful solutions to the problem with due
consideration for the interests of all conflicting parties. There
are many reasons why the problem should be settled quickly. Such a
protracted conflict is all but contributing to stability in South
Caucasus while stability and dynamic development in the region are
a srtong priority for the US.
Mann says that in the last year OSCE MG has done much work to have
the dialogue resumed. As a result, the FMs have held four meetings in
Prague and the presidents met twice under MG aegis. These meetings
were not talks but a dialogue, an exchange of views while OSCE MG
wants it to be a full negotiating process.
Commenting on Azerbaijan’s initiative for UN’s discussing “the
situation over the occupied Azeri territories” Mann says that the
Karabakh problem has traditionally been considered in the framework
of OSCE MG. He wonders how this initiative contribute to the
settlement. This is the questions the parties should ask themselves
every time they take some step.
Mann says that there are no absolutely successful formats but MG has
been working for many years already and has proved quite effecient
in the matter. “We are going to continue this work,” says Mann noting
that the world community does not send MG to the region to be judges
there but to organize talks between the conflicting parties. Mann is
realistic – he says that if the talks are resumed the conflict will
be settled very quickly. Otherwise the “no war no peace” situation may
stay for many more decades. Mann calls “a nonsense” the possibility of
resumed war. Both parties are trying hard to restore their economies
while resumed war may only distract them from this process. There
will be no winner in the resumed war, says Mann.

Separatist minister says Baku-proposed UN debates confuse Karabakh talks
Arminfo, Yerevan
25 Nov 04
Stepanakert, 25 November: The foreign minister of the Nagornyy
Karabakh Republic [NKR], Ashot Gulyan, has described the initiation by
Azerbaijan of UN discussions on the issue of the so-called “occupied
territories” as an attempt to disorientate the Nagornyy Karabakh
settlement process. He said this at a plenary session of the NKR
National Assembly while commenting on the state of the Karabakh
settlement at the request of deputies.
Arminfo’s own correspondent reports from Stepanakert that the NKR
foreign minister pointed out that neither the OSCE Minsk Group
co-chairmen, nor the countries interested in settling the conflict
approve of Baku’s actions. The minister expressed the opinion that
the discussions which started on 23 November had been postponed at
the initiative of Azerbaijan itself since the Baku government had
doubts about whether it would be possible to gain a sufficient number
of votes to adopt a resolution.
Asked about the participation of the Karabakh side in the negotiations,
Ashot Gulyan pointed out that the negotiating process has no
point without Nagornyy Karabakh. “The co-chairmen have made that
clear. However, the matter is that the negotiating process does not
exist today as such, there are only consultations on the Karabakh
problem,” Ashot Gulyan said.

ROUND TABLE “LANDMINES; NAIROBI SUMMIT ON A MINE FREE WORLD” TO BE HELD IN
YEREVAN NOV 29
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 24. ARMINFO. A round table entitled “Landmines;
Nairobi Summit on a Mine Free World” organized by the International
Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) will be held at the Combined Meeting
Room of Congress Hotel on Nov 29, 2004.
ICRC Office in Yerevan told ARMINFO that the round table is dedicated
to the First Review Conference of the Convention on the Prohibition on
Anti-personnel Mines also referred to as the Ottawa Convention. The
Review Conference entitled “Nairobi Summit on Mine Free World” will
take place from November 29 to December 3, 2004. The aim of the summit
is to review the achievements of the Convention in the past five years.
During the round table Becky Thomson, the ICRC Mine Action Advisor for
the Caucasus will highlight the role of the media in explain the mine
danger to an at population as well as mobilizing the international
community to respond. She will also elaborate on the importance of
the Nairobi Summit.
The Ottawa Convention is a part of the International Humanitarian Law
(IHL). As the guardian of IHL the ICRC supports sovereign states to
adhere to relevant international treaties.

ARMENIAN PARLIAMENTARIANS HAVE DIFFERENT OPINIONS ON DISPATCH OF ARMENIAN
PEACEMAKERS TO IRAQ
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 25. ARMINFO. Armenian parliamentarians divided in
their opinion on dispatch of Armenian peacemakers to Iraq.
Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaksutiun), Orinants Yerkir
and United Labor party refrained from unveiling their dispositions
until the parliamentary discussions. The opposition, on the other hand,
openly opposes the dispatch. The deputy chair of National Unity Alexan
Karapetian stated that Armenian communities in Iraq will be endangered
upon the dispatch of peacemakers to Iraq. However, he said Armenia
should not be “tough” while refusing US to send its soldiers because
it may have negative aftereffects on relations. Armenia should try to
explain that the action will put thousands of lives under danger. In
his tern, the secretary of the Block Justice Viktor Dalakian reiterated
that the opposition is categorically against the dispatch of soldiers
to Iraq. He even said that the opposition may appear in the parliament
while the issue is being discussed.
The president of the country has applied to the Constitutional Court
for a ruling on the dispatch of 50 Armenian peacemakers to Iraq within
a Polish battalion. If the Constitutional Court decides that there are
no contradictions with the constitutional norms, the final decision
to dispatch the peacemaker will stay with the parliament. -A-

RUSSIAN DEFENSE MINISTER FOR DEVELOPMENT OF MILITARY COOPERATION BETWEEN CIS
SIGNATORIES
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 25. ARMINFO. Russian Defense Minister Sergey
Ivanov is for development of military cooperation between the CIS
signatory-states. The minister made this statement opening the session
of the CIS Defense Ministers Council, RIA “Novosti” reports.
The analysis of development of CIS cooperation testifies that
our states have faced the imperative of unification of efforts
for struggle against terrorism and protection of the international
community from this evil, Ivanov said. The session will pay a special
attention to long-term cooperation, in particular, to the Draft
Concept of CIS Military Cooperation till 2010, the Program of CIS
Military Cooperation till 2010 and a number of long-term documents,
he said. The direction of military cooperation should be developed,
which will allow the signatories to elaborate consistent decision,
taking into account the interests of each country, Sergey Ivanov
said. He added that modernization of national armed forces and their
adjusting to the modern demands must be in the focus of attention.
At the session of the CIS Defense Ministers Council Armenia is
represented by Secretary of the National Security Council of Armenia,
Defense Minister Serge Sargsyan.