Category: News

Azeri daily forecasts new government attacks on Norwegian envoy
Azadliq, Baku
25 Jun 04
Text of unattributed report by Azerbaijani newspaper Azadliq on 25
June headlined “Another failure of Ilham’s diplomacy”, subheaded “The
Norwegian prime minister’s presence at an exhibition in PACE devoted
to the so-called Armenian genocide provides a pretext for Ilham to
launch a new campaign of attacks on Steinar Gil”
Relations between the current Azerbaijani and Norwegian governments,
which cooled in the run-up to the 2003 presidential elections, are
turning sour again. According to our report, government circles will
misuse a step taken by the Norwegian government during the
Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe [PACE] session. It
will launch a new campaign of attacks on the Norwegian ambassador in
Azerbaijan, Steinar Gil, and even plans to declare him persona
non-grata.
To recap, the main reason for the coolness in relations was the
activity of the Norwegian government and ambassador Gil to protect the
democratic forces from government violence before and after the
elections. The government of [Azerbaijani President] Ilham Aliyev was
so displeased with the Norwegians that later the visiting Norwegian
deputy foreign minister was not even received by the Azerbaijani
president. Subsequently, individual government representatives
levelled accusations against Norwegian ambassador Gil.
It seems that the Aliyev government has not forgotten the “old
hostility” and intends again to step up the campaign against the
Norwegian government, thinking that it has the chance to do this. The
pretext for this is the Norwegian prime minister’s attendance at an
exhibition in PACE devoted to the so-called Armenian genocide and his
meeting with [Armenian President] Robert Kocharyan.

Armenian foreign minister praises president’s Council of Europe speech
Hayots Ashkarh, Yerevan
25 Jun 04

Headlined “The president called things by their names”
An interview with Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan. He comments on
President Kocharyan’s speech in Strasbourg.
[Hayots Ashkarh correspondent] Mr Oskanyan, how was Robert Kocharyan’s
speech received?
[Vardan Oskanyan] Certainly, we are still to hear the response of
different deputies, but I have the impression from my direct contacts
that the president’s speech was very well received. Because it was a
bold and multilateral speech. The president touched almost on all the
problems that worry us and the Council of Europe. Kocharyan touched on
our obligations to the Council of Europe, on the recent events in
Armenia, Armenian-Turkish relations and Karabakh. I think that the
speech’s greatest point was that Robert Kocharyan really called things
by their names. It really was quite a bold speech. And I should say
that such boldness is positively received on the whole, if it is frank
and based on facts. It was an unprecedentedly good speech and the
first impression was positive.
[Correspondent] Different analysts and officials always mention that,
for instance, Armenia’s position on a Karabakh settlement is not fully
clear to the Council of Europe. What do you think, have the
question-marks been removed by Kocharyan’s speech?
[Oskanyan] I think they have. The problem is not that Armenia did not
specify its positions until today. But it was done on different levels
and for different reasons and it was not done fully. But their
expression at such a high level and in such an important institution
has really put a full stop to all the problems. And in this sense it
really answered numerous questions. Moreover, the president spoke from
the point of view of morals and was in quite strong positions, as the
boldness of the speech also required a certain progress by our country
over these years.
[Correspondent] During this visit the president met different Council
of Europe leaders. As a direct participant in those meetings, how
would you describe the whole atmosphere?
[Oskanyan] In the course of all those meetings President Kocharyan was
speaking confidently and frankly. And here the general principle was
that we have nothing to be ashamed of, to defend or justify. We think
that very positive steps were made. Yes, there are shortcomings, but
we surely know where we are going and we shall fulfil the obligations
that we undertook, as they are not only the desire or demand of the
Council of Europe, but also our political will, which stems from the
interests of our state and people. This was the general principle and
during the meetings a very open and frank dialogue took place.
[Correspondent] Mr Oskanyan, may the appointment of Terry Davis, the
rapporteur on the Nagornyy Karabakh issue, to the post of
secretary-general of the Council of Europe reflect this organization’s
role in the settlement process? Is it possible that from now on the
Council of Europe will have a more important and pivotal role in the
settlement process?
[Oskanyan] I do not think that the appointment of Terry Davis as
secretary-general or the fact that he was the rapporteur on Nagornyy
Karabakh may become grounds for the whole organization to be more
active in a settlement. Anyway, the Karabakh issue is on the agenda of
the Council of Europe. On one hand, Terry Davis’s appointment is
positive in the sense that during this last year he got deeper into
the problem. When they touch on the problem we shall know that we are
dealing with a person who knows the problem very well and can consider
it more objectively. He was in Karabakh and in the region. So I feel
positive about the fact that the newly appointed secretary-general of
the Council of Europe has dealt with the Karabakh issue in some sense.

Protesters hold country up for ridicule over NATO conference – Azeri paper
Zerkalo, Baku
25 Jun 04

The three-day planning conference of the Cooperative Best Effort-2004
field exercises ended in Baku yesterday. The conference was part of
NATO’s Partnership for Peace programme.
It was attended by 32 representatives from 10 NATO member countries
and 49 representatives from 11 partner states, including Armenia.
[Passage omitted: reported details]
Strange as it may seem, the conference was in the public spotlight not
because of the seriousness of the issues it discussed, not even
because of the forthcoming NATO exercises, but because it was attended
by Armenian officers.
Members of the Karabakh Liberation Organization (KLO), several
political parties and media outlets issued harshly-worded statements
in this regard, saying that the arrival of Armenian officers was
unacceptable. But hard as I tried, I could not understand who those
protests were addressed to. The conference was organized within the
framework of NATO’s Partnership for Peace programme, invitations had
been sent out to all partner states and Armenia is a partner country
of the North Atlantic bloc, as is Azerbaijan.
The Azerbaijani authorities agreed to hold the conference in Baku and
ensure the security of its participants, including the Armenian
officers. The rules of the game within this programme are established
by the bloc and, as the proverb goes, when in Rome act as the Romans
do.
In principle, we could have demanded that the NATO administration
expel Armenia from the programme. We could have asked the
administration of our own country not to hold the conference in Baku
or to bar the Armenian officers from it.
But “infuriated patriots” did not ask for any of these. Was anyone
actually so naive to expect the Armenian officers to see things from
our point of view and refuse to come over?
By and large, all this speculation surrounding the arrival of the
Armenian officers is designed only for very short-sighted people,
though it may be far-reaching. Suffice it to remember the hue and cry
raised over the issue of visas to the Armenian officers. While
everything is clear on the Armenian side, which wanted to show the
world that Azerbaijan is rejecting all attempts to establish a
dialogue, it remains unclear why Baku chose to play the second fiddle
to Armenia.
Azerbaijan has repeatedly been visited by Armenian officials,
including the prime minister and the interior minister. Likewise,
Azerbaijani officials have visited Armenia. Mutual visits have been
paid at the level of media representatives and nongovernmental
organizations. And no-one had to obtain a visa, not because our
countries maintain normal inter-state relations, but because there are
no visa regulations among the CIS countries. That’s all.
Under such circumstances it is not clear why a representative of our
embassy in Georgia stated without expanding on the reasons that the
Armenian officers will never receive Azerbaijani visas in Tbilisi. Why
play a game of patriotism when it is not necessary at all? All these
issues should have been sorted out by the conference organizers
through diplomatic channels.
The statement by Azerbaijani Parliament Speaker Murtuz Alasgarov that
the Armenian officers had come to Baku “secretly” and without the
consent of relevant institutions could hardly be any more absurd. If
we were to believe Alasgarov, the officers of the Armenian Defence
Ministry crossed the border illegally. If this were so, then the
relevant bodies should have arrested them immediately. Besides, if the
law-enforcement authorities were unaware of their arrival, which hotel
could have provided them with accommodation?
Furthermore, our valorous police, which so “professionally” crushed
the opposition’s banned demonstrations, could not withstand the
pressure of a dozen of KLO members outside the conference venue and
let them chant their anti-Armenian slogans in the assembly room.
[Passage omitted: known details]
It is always said in Azerbaijan that the country is at war with
Armenia. But in terms of international law, this is not the case. For
a country to be officially at war with another, a corresponding note
has to be sent to the head of the aggressor state and all relevant
international organizations. But Azerbaijan has never issued such a
note. Armenia is quite happy with the “neither peace nor war”
situation, because it leaves it a lot of room for manoeuvring. But why
aren’t we doing anything? Because if the two countries were really at
war, hardly anyone could offer economic cooperation to Azerbaijan
before the conflict with Armenia is resolved, and the situation such
as this could not have happened.
The gist of this story is that we should target our protests, and not
simply display patriotism, because by doing this, not only do we hold
ourselves up for ridicule, we also undermine our relations with such
international bodies as NATO.

No breakthrough in Karabakh talks soon – Russian mediator
Arminfo
25 Jun 04

YEREVAN
At some stage, the presence of Nagornyy Karabakh representatives in
the talks will become a necessity, the Russian co-chairman of the OSCE
Minsk Group for the settlement of the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict,
Yuriy Merzlyakov, has said in an interview with Regnum news agency,
commenting on the possible involvement of Nagornyy Karabakh
representatives in the talks.
“I believe that Nagornyy Karabakh is a party to the conflict. A
Karabakh representative signed the cease-fire agreement,” the Russian
co-chairman said. Asked whether Armenia could play a secondary role
at some point, Yuriy Merzlyakov said: “Let’s be frank – Karabakh
cannot settle all problems on its own.” He said that Armenia’s
participation in the talks was important since the conflict had turned
from an internal ethnic problem into a conflict between two
countries. In brief, the participation of all sides is vital, the
Russian co-chairman added.
Commenting on the Prague meeting [on 21 June] of the Armenian and
Azerbaijani foreign ministers, Yuriy Merzlyakov noted that “in
principle, all the participants in the Prague meeting, including the
two countries’ foreign ministers, gave quite positive assessments”. He
said that the discussions had a very competent and constructive
nature.
“As for my assessment, it is too early to air it yet. I would only
note that no breakthrough should be expected at the current stage. The
agenda of the future talks on the settlement is being drafted. This is
a selection of issues that will be discussed by the sides with mutual
consent. This is a time-consuming job that cannot lead to a
significant breakthrough yet,” Merzlyakov said, adding that no
documents were being discussed at the current stage.
The Russian co-chairman said that “there are new thoughts and ideas,
of course, since the meetings have an open agenda”. “Both sides and
the co-chairmen put forward proposals. The questions that will be
discussed in detail in the future are selected in this way,” the
Russian co-chairman said, adding that there was an agreement on the
confidentiality of the discussions.

Baku Today, Azerbaijan
June 25 2004
Azeri Official Accuses Armenian President of Lying to World
Ramiz Novruzov, head of the foreign relations department at the
Azerbaijani president’s office, on Thursday accused Armenian President
Robert Kocharian for his attempt to lie to all the world in his speech
at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) on June
23.
During his speech, which has caused anger in Azerbaijan, Kocharian
claimed that Nagorno Karabagh has never been part of independent
Azerbaijan.
The Armenian president said that at the time of collapse of the Soviet
Union in 1991 two states were formed: the Azerbaijani Republic on the
territory of Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic and Republic of
Nagorno Karabagh on the territory of the Nagorno Karabagh Autonomous
Region.
`Establishment of both these states has similar legal grounds. The
territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, henceforth, has nothing to do
with the Republic of Nagorno Karabagh,’ claimed Kocharian.
`These are all sheer lies,’ said Novruzov. `Nagorno Karabakh is
Azerbaijan’s historical land. Armenians have been resettled in
Karabakh not long ago and they even have celebrated the 150th
anniversary of their resettlement in Karabakh by erecting a monument
there,’ he said.
The Armenian president’s statement was also rejected by Terri Devis,
the new chairman of the Council of Europe who had worked as a
rapporteur of this high European body on the Nagorno Karabakh conflict
before being elected to the position.
Asim Mollazade, a member of Azerbaijan’s delegation at the PACE said
in his interview with local media that, Davis said during his speech
at the Political Committee of the PACE on 24 June that Azerbaijan
joined the United Nations with Nagorno Karabakh being part of its
territory.
Mollazade said the CE chairman also underlined that Azerbaijan’s
territories have been occupied.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Al-Qa’idah might threaten major oil pipeline – Azeri security chief
Azad Azarbaycan TV, Baku
25 Jun 04

[Presenter] The National Security Ministry has obtained information
about acts of sabotage being prepared on the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan
pipeline, Minister Namiq Abbasov has told ATV. Being more specific,
the minister said that Al-Qa’idah is involved in the terrorist threat.
[Reporter] The country’s special services have information that
international terrorist groups are planning sabotage on the
Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline. National Security Minister Namiq
Abbasov said that Al-Qa’idah was also mentioned in this connection.
[Namiq Abbasov] We have such reports. This is quite possible. There
are quite a few opponents of Baku-Ceyhan. All kinds of threats against
it are quite possible.
[Reporter] The general did not rule out that Al-Qa’idah members could
be hiding in occupied uncontrolled territories. He said that it would
be irresponsible to dismiss possible sabotage on the Azerbaijani
section of the oil pipeline. But the minister stressed that special
services were carrying out the necessary measures in order to prevent
this.
Mr Abbasov also commented on the problem of the two Armenians who left
Armenia for Azerbaijan and are seeking asylum in a third country. The
problem will be settled very soon, the minister said.

Baku Today, Azerbaijan
June 25 2004
Armenian Troops Fire at Azeri Army in Horadiz, Report Says
Armenian troops stationed in the occupied southwestern Fuzuli
District fired at Azerbaijan’s army positions in Horadiz settlement
on Friday, the Karabakh bureau of ANS reported.
According to the report, Armenians ceased shooting after Azerbaijani
soldiers fired back and shot one Armenian soldier to death.
ANS said the press office of Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Defense neither
confirmed nor refuted the report.
Armenia and Azerbaijan, two former Soviet republics in the Southern
Caucasus, are at a state of no war no peace after a cease-fire
agreement was signed between the two in May 1994.
During a three-year war between the two countries in early 1990s,
Armenia has invaded and taken control over one-fifth of Azerbaijan’s
territories, forcing over 700,000 civilians to leave their homes.
The shaky cease-fire agreement that has kept the status quo since
1994 is frequently violated by sporadic exchange of fires in the
frontline separating Azerbaian from its occupied territories.

Baku Sun, Azerbaijan
June 25 2004
Cold reception for Armenians
by Zulfugar Agayev (Staff Writer)

A protester is held back at Baku’s Grand Hotel Europe
earlier this week. The arrival of Armenian officers
in Baku for a NATO conference angered many
Azerbaijani citizens. (Photo from TURAN Information Agency)
BAKU – While the Azerbaijani army was grieving for its loss of a
23-year-old officer, Lieutenant Teymur Panahov, who fell victim to an
Armenian sniper bullet early Tuesday, several young Azeris broke into
a Baku-hosted NATO conference the same day in protest of Armenian
participation at the controversial event.
According to the press office of Azerbaijan’s ministry of defense,
the officer Panahov received a fatal wound to the head, in
Dashsalahli village, of the western Qazakh District bordering
Armenia.
Outraged by the arrival of two Armenian officers in Baku – Colonel
Murad Isakhanyan and Senior Lieutenant Aram Hovhanesian – a group of
activists from the Karabakh Liberation Organization (KLO) managed to
push through police cordons and stormed into the capital’s Grand
Hotel Europe, where the conference was taking place.
As a result, the conference was halted for about ten minutes before
police arrested 12 protestors. The protestors broke several glass
windows of the hotel while fighting to get into the conference hall.
There was no report of serious injuries on either side as a result of
the incident.
A criminal case was filed against five of the arrested KLO members,
including the chairman of the organization, Akif Naghi, on charges of
hooliganism. A KLO deputy chairman, Shamil Mehdi, said that the
spirit of all those arrested is high and that they do not feel any
repentance for their action.
The planning conference for NATO’s `Cooperative Best Effort-2004′
military exercises, which are planned to be held in Azerbaijan in
September, brought together 21 NATO member states and partners on
Tuesday and Wednesday.
Several non-governmental organizations in Baku, particularly the KLO,
had warned the Armenian delegation against attending the Baku
conference. They accused the Armenian officers of participating in
the occupation of Azerbaijan’s territories in the 1991-94 war,
slaughtering over 20,000 Azerbaijanis and expelling nearly 1 million
people from their homes.
Armenian delegation failed to show up at a similar Baku-hosted NATO
conference in January for reasons still unclear.
The arrival of the Armenians also angered members of Milli Majlis
(parliament).
`These [Armenian] officers might have gained their military ranks for
their services during the war against Azerbaijan,’ Zahid Oruc, an MP
from the pro-government Motherland party, said during a parliamentary
meeting on Tuesday.
Another MP, Sabir Rustamkhanli, from the opposition Citizens’
Solidarity Party, said it was a disgrace to have allowed officers of
an enemy army, `whose hands are imbrued with Azerbaijani blood,’ to
visit Baku.
Although the parliamentary speaker, Murtuz Aleskerov, sought to sooth
the ire of the legislators by saying that the Armenian officers have
arrived in the Azeri capital secretly, the ministry of foreign
affairs was quick to respond that the officers have nor arrived
underhandedly at all.
A statement by the foreign ministry on Wednesday said that Deputy
Foreign Minister Araz Azimov had made a statement about the
Armenians’ expected visit three days before the conference opened on
Tuesday.
Ali Hasanov, head of the social-political department at the
president’s apparatus, on Wednesday said that the anger among the
Azerbaijani public over the Armenian officer’s visit to Baku is
understandable. However, Hasanov noted that the public has to take
into account the situation of the Azerbaijani state as well.
`It is possible to protest. Through this, we express our protest
against the occupation of our lands. But this protest should not be
demonstrated by breaking windows of the hotel where the conference is
held,’ Hasanov told reporters.
Anger among ordinary citizens was also obvious.
`What are the Armenians seeking here?’ asked Imarat Abbsova, 50, an
internally displaced woman from the occupied Aghdam District. `How
can they come here and sit with us at the same table after all that
they have done against us?’
KLO activists put the blame on Azerbaijan’s government for their
failure to impede the Armenian officers’ coming to Baku.
`The Azerbaijani government should have placed a clear demand on NATO
to prevent Armenian officers coming to Azerbaijan until they stop
occupying our territories,’ Barat Imani, a deputy KLO chairman, told
Baku Sun.
`The Armenian flag waving in Baku was an insult against the people of
Azerbaijan,’ said Imami in response to the Armenian flag, along with
those of the other attending NATO countries at the conference being
mounted outside Grand Hotel Europe in Baku.
Imani also accused international organizations, including NATO, of
double standards, urging them to `call the aggressor by its real
name.’
An MP from the opposition Compatriot party, Mais Safarli, also
believes that the government should have stopped the Armenians’
participating in the Baku conference.
`It was disrespectful to the souls of our martyrs. Armenian officers’
hands have been stained with our martyrs’ blood,’ said Safarli.
The MP promised that he would demand the parliament to release the
arrested KLO members.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Azer Tag, Azerbaijan State Info Agency
June 25 2004
REPORT ON NAGORNY KARABAKH TO BE DISCUSSED ON NEXT SESSION
[June 25, 2004, 20:16:16]
Session of Political Committee of PACE was held on 24 June. The
permanent representative of Azerbaijan at the Council of Europe
ambassador Agshin Mehdiyev who was taking part in session, has given
interview to correspondent of AzerTAj. He has told:
`At the session was heard statement of the Rapporteur on Nagorny
Karabakh Terry Davis.
In my opinion, the English deputy spoke about the recognition of the
conflict, than about the report. His statement had positive
character. Having touched the statement of the President of Armenia
at session of PACE, Mr. T. Davis has expressed his attitude to R.
Kochariana’s opinion `Nagorny Karabakh never was territory of
independent Azerbaijan’, openly having declared, that in the
resolution of the United Nations was repeatedly emphasized that
`Nagorny Karabakh is the integral part of Azerbaijan’.
Speaking about negotiations in Key West, Mr. T. Davis has noted, that
there the sides really in the certain degree were close to solution
of the question, however, any document at this time has not been
signed and any arrangement not achieved.
Terry Davis, especially having emphasized, that during his visit to
Azerbaijan has visited camps of refugees and IDPs, that these people
ousted from their native lands, live in hard conditions, has informed
members of the Committee, that it is extremely serious universal
problem, that people driven from Nagorny Karabakh and adjoining to it
regions, want to return to the native lands, and has stated that the
question shortly should find its solution.
Having put forward in the statement the idea of attraction to
negotiations of the population of Nagorny Karabakh he has emphasized,
that Nagorny Karabakh all is the Azerbaijan territory, and its
inhabitants – citizens of Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan, therefore, should
not refuse from negotiations with its citizens.
The English deputy has once again reminded, that works above the
report, and informed, that the report will be discussed on
forthcoming October session of pace.
On June 24, the discussions continued.

Xinhua, China
June 25 2004
Russian legislature ratifies European conventional forces treaty

2004-06-25 23:55:18
MOSCOW, June 25 (Xinhuanet) — Russia’s lower house of parliament
on Friday ratified the Conventional Armed Forces in Europe Treaty
(CFE), which regulates the deployment of heavy weapons across the
European continent.
The State Duma passed the treaty by a vote of 355 to 28 with two
abstentions, an Interfax news agency report said.
The amended accord could significantly reduce the deployment
ofwarplanes, tanks and other heavy non-nuclear weapons in European
nations as well as the United States and Canada. It would take effect
after ratification of the 30 signatory countries.
Under the treaty, Russia could have 6,350 tanks, 11,280
armoredpersonnel carriers, 6,315 artillery, 3,416 combat aircraft,
and 885 helicopter gunships.
Russia can also keep its weapons and military hardware in Armenia
and Ukraine under the treaty. Russian forces are expected to remain
in neighboring Georgia to a certain level even after a bilateral
agreement was signed.
The original CFE treaty was approved in 1990 by the 22 members of
the NATO and Warsaw Pact alliances.
An amended version of the treaty was signed in 1999 following the
collapse of former Soviet Union.