Category: News

Business Wire (press release), CA
July 28 2004
July 30 Hearing for Final Settlement in New York Life/Armenian
Genocide-Era Beneficiaries

LOS ANGELES–(BUSINESS WIRE)–July 28, 2004–
MEDIA NOTE: Plaintiffs’ attorneys Brian S. Kabateck, Vartkes
Yeghiayan, Mark J. Geragos and William Shernoff will make statements
and take questions immediately after the completion of the hearing
outside the courthouse.
One of the longest ongoing legal sagas in U.S. history is coming
to an end Friday, July 30. After 89 years of off again-on again legal
wrangling, a hearing for final approval in the New York Life/Armenian
Genocide-era beneficiaries’ settlement will be held:
Friday, July 30, 2004
9:30 a.m.
United States Judge Christina A. Snyder
Courtroom 5
United States District Court
312 N. Spring Street, Los Angeles, California
The court is expected to give final approval to a $20 million
settlement in Martin Marootian, et al., v. New York Life Insurance
Company, Defendant, Case No. C99-12073 CAS (MCx).
Prior to 1915, New York Life sold life insurance policies to
thousands of Armenians living in the Ottoman Empire. New York Life
policyholders were among the 1.5 million Armenians massacred during
the Genocide. Many of the policy heirs were unable or unaware that
they may be entitled to insurance benefits. While New York Life was
able to find and pay many beneficiaries, the insurance company
acknowledged its records indicated an estimated 2,300 policies sold
to
Armenians prior to the Genocide remained unpaid.
“This is the first time a court anywhere in the U.S. or possibly
the world has formally recognized the Armenian Genocide and the
trauma
and turmoil that resulted,” says Brian S. Kabateck, one of the
attorneys representing the plaintiffs, who himself is of Armenian
descent and lost family in the Genocide. “All of us are crusaders,
especially the three Armenian lawyers who took on the case. While
this
settlement is not reparation for the Genocide, as lawyers, we can
help
bring recognition to the Genocide through claims for unpaid insurance
benefits and stolen property that date back to 1915.”
Other attorneys for the plaintiffs are Vartkes Yeghiayan, Mark J.
Geragos and William Shernoff. “By making these claims, heirs will
receive the benefits due them,” says Kabateck, “but more importantly,
it’s a significant step that further recognizes the Armenian
Genocide,
something that the United States and Turkey still refuse to do.”
The court had given preliminary approval to the settlement in
January. A three-member Settlement Fund Board, with members appointed
by California Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi, will approve
claims. The board will also be responsible for distributing $3
million
of the settlement to nine Armenian charitable organizations. The
class
includes Armenians living in the United States and abroad.
Notification of the final settlement will be advertised in
newspapers in the United States, France, Argentina, Russia, Lebanon
and Armenia. Information will also be available at:
Beneficiaries will have six
months to file a notice of claim. The board will then contact
beneficiaries with instructions for completing the appropriate claim
forms.
The following Armenian organizations will share equally in the $3
million fund. If heirs do not come forward for policy benefits, more
money will be distributed to additional charities.
Armenian Church of North America Eastern Diocese
New York, New York
Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church Eastern US and Canada
New York, New York
Armenian Church of North America Western Diocese
Burbank, California
Western Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church
Los Angeles, California
Armenian Apostolic Catholic Exarchate
For Armenian Catholics in the US & Canada
New York, New York
Armenian Missionary Association of America, Inc.
Paramus, New Jersey
Armenian Relief Society, United States Chapter
Watertown, Massachusetts
Armenian General Benevolent Union
New York, New York
Armenian Educational Foundation
Glendale, California

Deutsche Presse-Agentur
July 28, 2004, Wednesday
PREVIEW: Gardner is ready for another gold – minus one toe
Athens
Rulon Gardner, who scored one of the biggest upsets in Olympic
history by beating Russian wrestling icon Alexander Karelin for
super-heavyweight gold at Sydney 2000, will be back in Athens – minus
one toe. Gardner suffered serious frostbite when left stranded in
freezing temperatures for 17 hours in a snowmobile during a blizzard
in 2002. Doctors feared that he would lose all his toes but managed
to save nine of them. The 2001 world champion Gardner returned to the
greco-roman version of his sport and managed to qualify for the
American Olympic team earlier this year despite further injury
setbacks such as a dislocated wrist and shoulder problems. “It is a
miracle that I am here again. I thank the Lord for allowing me
another chance to follow my dream. I am proud to represent my country
and all it stands for,” he said. Gardner gained worldwide fame four
years ago with a 1-0 victory over Karelin, who had won gold at the
previous three Games and had not lost a fight in 13 years since 1987.
In other events, Armen Nazaryan of Bulgaria looks to become the fifth
three-time gold medallist in the sport’s Olympic history after
claiming the 1996 (for Armenia) and 2000 titles in the greco-roman
60kg division. Russia hope for freestyle gold from 2000 champion
David Musulbes (130kg) and the 1996 winner and five-time world
champion Buvaisa Saitiyev (74kg). The Athens field also features Ali
Salman, one of a few Iraqi athletes. Other strong teams are Turkey
and Iran, and the women make their wrestling debut in Athens a mere
2780 years after the sport first appeared in Olympic competition at
the ancient Games in Olympia. Recognized as the world’s oldest
competition sport, with records of bouts dating back as far as 3000
BC, wrestling was a highlight of the ancient Olympic Games which
started in 776 BC. While valued then as a form of military exercise
without weapons, it remained a main event when the modern Games began
in 1896. Greco-Roman wrestling was resurrected from ancient Greek and
Roman styles, with opponents only allowed to use their arms and upper
bodies to attack and grapple. Freestyle wrestling was added to the
Games in 1904, allowing wrestlers to use their legs for pushing,
lifting and tripping, and holding opponents above and below the
waist. The 18 events will take place at the Ano Liossia Olympic Hall
from August 22 to August 29. dpa jb gb ct

Deutsche Presse-Agentur
July 28, 2004, Wednesday
Majority of Lithuanians would welcome further E.U. expansion
Vilnius
More than 60 per cent of Lithuania’s population welcome further
expansion of the European Union according to a new poll, the Foreign
Ministry reported Wednesday. The ministry cited a survey carried out
by Vilmorus public opinion and market research centre in mid-July.
“Two thirds of Lithuanian population are in favour of the expansion
of the European Union,” the survey published Tuesday said. According
to the poll, some 62 per cent of respondents supported expanding the
E.U., while 12 per cent were against and the remaining 24.8 percent
were undecided. Ukraine topped the list of countries that would be
welcomed as new members in the current 25-member bloc. Lithuanians
also supported E.U. membership for Turkey, Croatia, Moldova and
Georgia in the near future, but were more reluctant regarding the
accession of neighbouring Belarus, as well as Armenia and Azerbaijan
in the near future. The Baltic republic joined the E.U. on May 1.
Main sceptics included people between 40-49 years of age, those with
university education, and people living in Lithuania’s five largest
municipalities. Some 1,005 Lithuanian residents aged 18 and over were
polled in 18 cities and 58 villages. The margin of error was 3 per
cent. dpa egs pw

ITAR-TASS News Agency
TASS
July 28, 2004 Wednesday 12:15 PM Eastern Time
Putin, Kocharyan discuss relations
By Mikhail Petrov
MOSCOW
Russian President Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with
his Armenian counterpart Robert Kocharyan on Wednesday to discuss a
wide range of issues.
During the conversation, which was held on Armenia’s initiative,
Putin and Kocharyan discussed the development of relations between
the two countries.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ITAR-TASS News Agency
TASS
July 28, 2004 Wednesday 12:15 PM Eastern Time
IFC, Armeconombank sign deal to develop business
By Tigran Liloyan
YEREVAN, July 28
Armeconombank and the International Finance Corporation (IFC) signed
a two million credit agreement on Wednesday to develop small and
medium-size business, and housing mortgage credits.
Armeconombank managing director Ashot Osipyan said the credit will be
provided in two tranches – 150,000 U.S. dollars for the development
of small and medium-size business and about 30,000 U.S. dollars for
housing mortgage for the period of five years.
The director of IFC Central and Eastern Europe Department, Mr. Edward
Nassim, said this is the first time when the IFC provides a credit to
a commercial bank in Armenia.
This proves that the situation in the banking sector improves, he
added.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

La Stampa
July 28, 2004
“”Non uccidere”” nel secolo del genocidio
Tosatti Marco
Marco Tosatti ROMA Non uccidere: “”I dieci comandamenti””,
l’inchiesta televisiva di Luca De Mata, in programma oggi su Raiuno,
si occupa di quello che e’ stato forse uno degli imperativi piu’
disattesi nel secolo scorso. Una violazione che, adesso, sta tornando
ad assumere una veste religiosa, cercando in un dio la
giustificazione al delitto. Il secolo scorso e’ stato il secolo dei
genocidi: da quello armeno, perpetrato dal governo laico e agnostico,
anche se formalmente mussulmano, di Istanbul, e che uso’ anche l’odio
religioso anticristiano per i suoi fini, al genocidio rwandese, un
massacro etnico, di cui la puntata di oggi offre immagini inedite e
agghiaccianti.
Ma e’ naturalmente, per ragioni di attualita’ drammatica, sul
fenomeno del terrorismo suicida in nome di Allah che si fissa
l’obiettivo del regista, nel tentativo di comprendere le ragioni di
chi e’ disposto a sacrificare la sua vita, e quella di persone
innocenti, in nome di Dio. Un fenomeno sconosciuto, siano a qualche
anno fa; e che dopo l’11 settembre sembra sia diventato una delle
modalita’ belliche possibili nel mondo islamico (fino a quel momento
poche realta’ come quella delle “”Tigri Tamil”” lo praticavano. De
Mata ha raccolto voci discordanti, nel mondo che segue il Profeta. In
Burkina Faso, il responsabile dei giovani della moschea di Ouahigouya
ha detto: “”Io sono andato volontario in Iraq come tanti altri
giovani Islamici da tutto il mondo. Sono andato per fare la guerra.
Pronto a combattere e a morire, ma non certo a suicidarmi per
uccidere. L’Islam non chiede il suicidio-omicida. Spero che i
credenti musulmani e cristiani trovino la via della collaborazione””.
Non tutti sono d’accordo su questo punto; e per riuscire ad afferrare
la difficolta’ di una spiegazione, bisognerebbe comprendere con
quanta sofferenza nel mondo islamico viene vissuto il concetto di
“”thulm””, oppressione. Al Cairo Mohammed Abddullatif, un editore ha
dichiarato che “”il suicidio, come e’ detto sia nei Comandamenti che
nel Corano, e’ proibito. Ma ci sono dei casi particolari come, ad
esempio, in Palestina: i cosiddetti kamikaze. Proibire ai bambini di
andare a scuola, fermare la gente per strada, privare le persone del
necessario, tutto questo fa sentire ai palestinesi che non c’e’
speranza per il loro futuro. Non possono proteggere i loro figli.
Allora i palestinesi che vivono tutto questo sentono che per poter
proteggere la vita dei loro bambini, delle loro madri o dei loro
padri devono sacrificarsi e suicidarsi assieme ai suoi nemici. Fanno
questo per garantire la vita dei loro figli.
E’ per questo che non possiamo affermare che cio’ che fa un
palestinese e’ un omicidio o un suicidio. Egli pensa che in questo
modo protegge la vita degli altri e, sacrificandosi, da’ la vita agli
altri che soffrono””.
E’ solo l’esempio di un problema che e’ molto piu’ complesso di
quanto appaia a prima vista, e che vive di posizioni molto diverse,
come quella dell’imam Ibraim Reda, che dall’Egitto afferma: “”Noi non
siamo predicatori di terrorismo. Noi siamo predicatori di pace. Noi
tendiamo la mano agli Occidentali colti per costruire una civilta’
basata sul dialogo, cosi’ come qui in Egitto. In questo modo potremo
distruggere il terrorismo che nasce dalla poverta’ e
dall’oppressione””. Poverta’ e oppressione che sono largamente
alimentati dal Nord del mondo.
Un capitolo a parte e’ quello dedicato alla pena di morte legale;
praticata in molti paesi, e, nel mondo occidentale, anche dagli Stati
Uniti.
Richard C. Dieter, Direttore esecutivo del Centro sulla pena di morte
ricorda: “”Nei 25 anni da quando la pena di morte e’ stata
reintrodotta negli Stati Uniti 111 persone sono state trovate
innocenti e liberate dal braccio della morte, completamente
scagionate. Queste 111 persone erano credute da tutti colpevoli ed
sarebbero potuto essere giustiziate. E molte sono arrivate vicino all’esecuzione””.

Caucasus Reporting Service
Karabakh Election Battle
Unexpectedly strong contest in mountainous territory too close to call.
By Ashot Beglarian in Stepanakert (CRS No. 244, 28-Jul-04)
Nagorny Karabakh is experiencing an unusually lively election campaign for
the mayor of its main city, Stepanakert.
Five candidates are fighting for the post, employing Karabakhi television
and a new independent newspaper to advertise themselves to voters, in the
most important contest in the region’s August 8 municipal elections.
As always, the Azerbaijani foreign ministry in Baku has issued a protest at
the conduct of elections in the republic, which is internationally
recognised as being part of Azerbaijan. And, as always, the Armenian
authorities in Karabakh have rejected the accusations.
In a statement the Nagorny Karabakh foreign ministry declared, “We proceed
from the understanding that only legitimately elected authorities possess
the necessary powers and bear responsibility for the fate of the people who
live on the territory entrusted to them.”
The election marks something new for Karabakh because three of the
candidates are in different ways connected to officialdom and there is no
clear favourite in a territory where one contestant usually wins a
resounding victory.
Originally, there were ten candidates, but the field has now narrowed to
five, after two were denied registration and three pulled out. Most
observers are agreed that the ballot comes down to a fight between two men,
Pavel Najarian, a former deputy mayor of Stepanakert, and Eduard Agabekian,
chairman of the committee on social issues in the Karabakh parliament.
Najarian was one of the participants in the 1988 movement for secession from
Azerbaijan and has a reputation of being an experienced business
professional, having managed the local buildings material plant, one of the
most successful factories in Karabakh in recent times.
He is also the favourite because he is generally believed to have the
support of the local authorities.
Agabekian is a popular politician with the reputation of being a brave
member of parliament who speaks out for the democratisation of society. He
is one of the founders of a recently-formed political organisation,
Movement-88, whose aim is to “revive the spirit and national consciousness
of 1988, the beginning of the Karabakh movement for self-determination”.
The current mayor Amik Avanesian is also running for re-election, although
he lacks the public and political support he once had and few rate his
chances. Most residents of the city say in his time in office he has done
almost nothing to deal with their problems.
Both leading candidates have been busy trying to win hearts and minds.
Najarian has made a point of saying that the spiritual as well as the
physical welfare of Stepanakert is important.
“Stepanakert needs a church, which will allow people to have firm faith in
the nation and themselves,” he said. “I am deeply worried about the sickness
that has stricken our society – people’s indifference to what is around
them. To cure that sickness people have to have a healthy spiritual and
social way of life.”
Agabekian says he will fight for “the supremacy of the law” in Stepanakert,
before which “everyone ought to be equal, irrespective of their social
position, merits and party allegiance”, suggesting he will, if elected, be
an independent mayor.
The responsibilities of the mayor and of the government are blurred and one
of the other candidates, Iosif Adamian, a well-known local businessman and
wine-maker, argues that the mayor’s office needs to be restructured and made
more autonomous.
“The office of mayor is not a gift and not a weapon for different groups,
but an organ which is the guarantee of social justice and citizens’ rights,”
he said.
David Karabekian, a university lecturer, noted that “many legal questions
connected with the activity of the local authorities and their relations
with the central republican authorities have not been worked out. The legal
vacuum not only makes possible pressure from above but various kinds of
bureaucratic arbitrary rule with all its accompanying side-effects:
corruption, protectionism and so on.”
The new mayor will have to deal with a wide range of problems to do with
housing, jobs and utilities. Avanesian is promising, if re-elected, to build
700 new houses.
Despite the lively campaign and assurances from the central electoral
commission, many Stepanakert voters are wary of the candidates and their
promises and believe the outcome is all but predetermined.
“I believe that the candidate who has the current authorities behind him
will win,” said local resident, Karen Arakelian, formerly a refugee from
Baku, reflecting the views of many. ” [Although] I don’t think there will be
any crude breaking of the electoral rules.”
Ashot Beglarian is a freelance journalist based in Nagorny Karabakh.

PanArmenian News
July 28 2004
GEORGIA CONSIDERS TWO VARIANTS OF WITH IRANIAN GAS SUPPLY: VIA
ARMENIA OR VIA AZERBAIJAN
THIRD ARMENIAN RUNAWAY TO BAKU SUFFERS FROM MENTAL DISORDER
FIRST ARMENIAN SITE DEDICATED TO STRUGGLE AGAINST SMOKING APPEARED IN
INTERNET
SEVERAL HUNDREDS ARMENIAN REFUGEES FROM AZERBAIJAN TO BE MOVED FROM
ONE OF MOSCOW HOSTELS
ARMENIAN SERVICEMEN PARTICIPATING NATO EXERCISE IN LITHUANIA
ELMAR MAMEDYAROV: ISSUE OF US MILITARY AID TO ARMENIA AND AZERBAIJAN
PURELY POLITICAL
ARMENIAN CENTER TO BE BUILT IN GLENDALE, CALIFORNIA
*********************************************************************
GEORGIA CONSIDERS TWO VARIANTS OF WITH IRANIAN GAS SUPPLY: VIA
ARMENIA OR VIA AZERBAIJAN
28.07.2004 18:39
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ At present two variants of supplying Georgia with
Iranian gas are being considered: via Armenia or via Azerbaijan, as
reported by Iran.ru, an official of Georgian Energy Ministry stated.
According to the source, for the delivery through Azerbaijan $2
million should be spent on the repair of the already existing gas
pipeline. Meanwhile, transit of gas through the Iran-Armenia pipeline
will be cheaper. In the words of the Georgian official, to all
appearances, the delivery of the Iranian gas will start at the
beginning of 2005. At the same time he noted that the delivery is
supposed for emergency cases only, that is in case Russia suspends or
reduces gas supply.
*********************************************************************
THIRD ARMENIAN RUNAWAY TO BAKU SUFFERS FROM MENTAL DISORDER
28.07.2004 18:07
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Ispir Ghazarian, the Armenian, who arrived in Baku
and yielded himself to the Azeri authorities, suffers from mental
disorder, Regnum IA reports according to reliable sources in Yerevan.
After serving his sentence in 1968 and 1975, he had persecution
mania. He wrote letters to Bush, Pope, Margaret Tatcher and
Gorbachev. 65-year-old Ghazarian many times underwent treatment in
Armenian mental hospitals. In 1994 he arrived to Baku via Tbilisi
wishing to move to the US. According to the source, during the
examination the members of the International Red Cross stated him as
mentally ill and brought him to Sadakhlo, to the Georgian-Armenian
border for his future transportation to Armenia. To note, Ghazarian
is the third to have tried to move to third countries through
Azerbaijan. Roman Terzian and Arthur Apresian, who are kept in a cell
of the Azeri ministry of national security at present, arrived in
Baku in April.
*********************************************************************
FIRST ARMENIAN SITE DEDICATED TO STRUGGLE AGAINST SMOKING APPEARED IN
INTERNET
28.07.2004 14:21
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ On Internet users can
view the first Armenian site dedicated to struggle against smoking.
Created by the efforts of the International Center of Human
Development the site maintains information on the problem of smoking
in Armenia, statistics and researches as well as recommendations to
those, who decided to give up smoking.
*********************************************************************
SEVERAL HUNDREDS ARMENIAN REFUGEES FROM AZERBAIJAN TO BE MOVED FROM
ONE OF MOSCOW HOSTELS
28.07.2004 14:01
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Several hundreds of Armenian refugees from
Azerbaijan can be evicted from a Moscow hostel in Molodtsov Street.
By Mayor Luzhkov’s decree those residing there since 1989 should
abandon the building till August 1. As reported by Russia TV channel,
the local authorities are going to pull down the old constructions.
Announcements telling that supply of water and electricity will be
stopped since August 1 have been already stuck on the walls.
Meanwhile, uncivil measures are being applied against the residents
of the hostel. Witnesses tell that representatives of the local
authorities entered the rooms, broke and thew into the street the
utensils. According to the source, though being Russian citizens,
many of the Armenian refugees have never validated their documents.
*********************************************************************
ARMENIAN SERVICEMEN PARTICIPATING NATO EXERCISE IN LITHUANIA
28.07.2004 13:59
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Rescuer/Merduer 2004 international military-civic
exercise organized within the frames of Patrnership for Peace NATO
program is being conducted in Lithuania at present. 320 servicemen
from 12 countries – Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, US,
Croatia, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldavia, Estonia, Romania and Poland are
taking part in it. As reported by RIA Novosti, the exercise
participantns have been training to eliminate various crisis
situations being imitated at the gound of Kayryay (near the town of
Klaipeda) since July 26. An imitated terrorst act will be the final
part of the maneuvers planned for July 30. The idea is that a
passenger train will crash into a car loaded with poisonous chemical
agents.
*********************************************************************
ELMAR MAMEDYAROV: ISSUE OF US MILITARY AID TO ARMENIA AND AZERBAIJAN
PURELY POLITICAL
28.07.2004 13:57
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The issue of rendering the US military aid to
Armenia and Azerbaijan if purely political, Azeri Foreign Minister
Elmar Mamedyarov told Zerkalo Baku newspaper. To remind, despite the
US Administration called for $8 million to Azerbaijan and $2 million
to Armenia, the US House of Representatives voted for parity in the
assistance amounting in $5 million to each country. In Mamedyarov’s
words, taking into account that Azerbaijan being US coalition partner
sends its troops to Iraq while Armenia does nothing, equalization
means a political evaluation of the issue only. Azerbaijani FM noted
that in the course of the meetings with the US political leadership
during his recent visit to Washington he expressed his
dissatisfaction in this view. During the discussions we stated that
the White House should insist on restoring the primary proportions of
the aid, he said.
*********************************************************************
ARMENIAN CENTER TO BE BUILT IN GLENDALE, CALIFORNIA
28.07.2004 18:49
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian Center will be built in Glendale,
California, where over 100 000 Armenians live. As reported by Araj
newspaper published in Paris, a number of youth, sports and public
organizations are to function there. Over $300 000 was collected for
the construction, at that $250 000 of the total sum was donated by
Doctor Albert Karamanukian.

Le Télégramme
28 juillet 2004
Jazz à Vannes démarre en fanfare
Le festival de jazz semble vouloir mettre le paquet pour fêter ses 25
ans.
Le festival de jazz semble vouloir mettre le paquet pour fêter ses 25
ans.
La soirée de lundi a été superbe sur la place de l’Hôtel de ville,
avec notamment le groupe Captain Mercier qui a fait longuement danser
le public venu nombreux. La fête s’est finie tard dans la nuit, sur
le port avec les fanfares. La première soirée à l’Hôtel de Limur hier
était consacrée au blues, avec la prestation du grand Buddy Guy. Ce
soir, place au prodige arménien Tigran Hamasyan et un hommage à
Claude Nougaro qui promet d’être émouvant.
La 25 e édition de Jazz à Vannes est bien partie pour être
inoubliable.

ARKA News
July 28 2004
NKR President receives Co-Chairman of International Helsinki Civil
Assembly
RA MFA Press Secretary: attempt of military settlement of Karabakh
conflict to turn out a catastrophe and first of all to Azerbaijan
*********************************************************************
NKR PRESIDENT RECEIVES CO-CHAIRMAN OF INTERNATIONAL HELSINKI CIVIL
ASSEMBLY
YEREVAN, July 28. /ARKA/. NKR President Arkady Gukasian received
Co-Chairman of International Helsinki Civil Assembly Bernard Dreano.
During the meeting Dreano briefly informed the President on the
aspects of activity of the Assembly. He said that the Assembly is
conducting different activities in South Caucasus countries with
participation of youth, which contributes to establishment of
contacts at different levels. Dreano expressed readiness to assist
active participation of Karabakh NGOs in different international
activities.
Gukasian in his turn stressed the necessity of activation of Karabakh
non-government sector. L.D. –0 –
*********************************************************************
RA MFA PRESS SECRETARY: ATTEMPT OF MILITARY SETTLEMENT OF KARABAKH
CONFLICT TO TURN OUT A CATASTROPHE AND FIRST OF ALL TO AZERBAIJAN
YEREVAN, July 27. /ARKA/. Attempt of military settlement of Karabakh
conflict will turn out a catastrophe and first of all to Azerbaijan,
RA MFA Press Secretary Hamlet Gasparian stated today, commenting
statement of Azeri President Ilkham Aliev that if negotiations will
be unsuccessful, Azerbaijan will liberate its lands by all measures,
including military ones. `Similar statements have not once been
stated by acting president at public meetings, however, the fact that
he made this one during the meeting with his ambassadors give ground
for serious anxiety’, Gasparian said. According to him, it once again
testifies that Azerbaijan does not want peaceful settlement of the
conflict and counts of military one. L.D. –0 –