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05/18/2004
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WEBSITE AT <;HTTP:// 1) EU's Prodi Caught Off Guard by Aliyev's Request 2) Rustamian Calls on Opposition to Show True Colors For Sake of Reform 3) US Details Armenia Responsibilities for MCA Participation 4) ARS Festival Celebrates Armenian Heritage with All 1) EU's Prodi Caught Off Guard by Aliyev's Request BRUSSELS (Reuters)--Azerbaijan called on the European Union (EU) to help resolve a long-running dispute with Armenia over Mountainous Karabagh, apparently catching the EU's executive Commission off its guard. The Commission this month added Azerbaijan, with Caucasus neighbors Armenia and Georgia, to its New Neighborhood program, which seeks closer ties with countries around the bloc following its expansion eastwards on May 1. Azeri President Ilham Aliyev lost no time in challenging Commission President Romano Prodi to translate this into action by asking the EU to take a leading role in the conflict. Karabagh is a territory wholly inside Azerbaijan, populated by Christian ethnic Armenians, which broke away from Baku's rule as the Soviet Union collapsed. The Azeris, their country controlling large oil resources, want it back. Prodi told journalists after meeting Aliyev that the EU had expressed "our disposal to help if requested." He insisted he could not give details as no request had been made. Not so, shot back Aliyev. "We already asked, and during today's meeting once again," he said. A ceasefire, ending a six-year conflict that killed about 35,000 people, has held for a decade. However, the Minsk Group of 11 countries, led by France, the United States, and Russia under the mandate of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), has so far failed to settle the problem. Aliyev, who succeeded his father as president last year, backed the Minsk Group but said he wanted more. "Azerbaijan is very strongly interested that other important European organizations, first of all the European Union, take a more active stand," he said. "If Azerbaijan and Armenia are now in the New Neighborhood policy, the occupation by one country of the territory of another must be stopped," he added, demanding the immediate withdrawal of Armenian troops. His remarks suggest the EU may face problems by rolling out the new policy, which could mean "importing" several conflicts--notably in Moldova, another New Neighbor, where a stalled war pitting Romanian-speaking Moldovans against ethnic Russians has also rumbled on for a decade. 2) Rustamian Calls on Opposition to Show True Colors For Sake of Reform YEREVAN (Noyan Tapan)--In an interview with Noyan Tapan, ARF's Armen Rustamian said that if the opposition is sincere in its claims that a power shift is not an end in itself and that it seeks reforms, then it must opt for dialogue. Rustamian, Chairman of the National Assembly's foreign relations commission and the chairman of ARF Armenia's Supreme Body, said that dialogue, on the one hand, allows for achievements to date to be preserved, while opening the doors to resolving existing problems. The only alternative to political confrontation, Rustamian stressed, is the resolution of issues through political consent. He proposed that the opposition accept the offer to participate "as an equal side, with rights of veto" in working to reform Armenia's electoral code and constitution, and struggling against corruption--generally in implementing obligations assumed by Armenia [before the Council of Europe]. Part of the opposition, said Rustamian, opposes dialogue because it does not grasp that proposals put forth are, in fact, very realistic. "Working with that part of the opposition, and extending the idea of political consent, we must present the idea--not as an empty declaration, but a concept that has serious potential." "Another portion of the opposition simply will not opt for dialogue because of its fundamental desire to increase its electorate on the threshold of possible elections," Rustamian added. Rustamian said that the possible collision of authorities and the opposition weaken the nation, and the government becomes the responsible party. He revealed that the opposition, while considered "a persecuted political force carrying out an unshakable struggle for democracy," is void of ideas and programs. For this reason, Rustamian said, they must enter into the political process and work constructively, instead of putting forth far-fetched, artificial reasons, pre-conditions, and ultimatums--anything to avoid dialogue. 3) US Details Armenia Responsibilities for MCA Participation YEREVAN (Armenpress/RFE/RL)--The 8th session of US-Armenia Task Force continued on Tuesday with detailed discussions on Armenia's responsibilities for participation in the US-funded Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) program. Ambassador Carlos Pascual, a senior State Department official coordinating US aid to Europe and the former Soviet Union, reviewed criterion for the selection of countries eligible. Armenia is among 16 countries of Africa, Asia, Latin America and the former Soviet Union selected for the MCA earlier this month on the basis of 16 indicators of political and economic reforms. Six of those indicators, including protection of civil rights and freedom of expression, deal with what is defined as one of the three main objectives of the scheme: promotion of a "just government rule." Pascual said that by qualifying, countries are not guaranteed funding, and that allocation of funds will be based on the quality of program proposals, and on a compulsory basis. Their financing will depend on the economy's fair management, addressing investment in social issues, as well as the quality of programs presented. "As you know, there have been issues here in Armenia that have raised questions about political and civil liberties in the past few months," Pascual told a news conference in Yerevan. "The expectation, in order to be able to move forward with the program, is that there would be progress on these issues and not movement backwards." Pascual, who co-chaired a two-day session of the US-Armenian intergovernmental "task force" with Finance Minister Vartan Khachatrian, said that Yerevan would further increase its chances of securing MCA funding by combating endemic corruption in earnest. "We had some very frank discussions about struggle to fight corruption in Armenia and the importance of translating the [government's] anti-corruption strategy into specific steps," he said, calling for "concrete examples that can show the population the seriousness of the will to fight corruption." Khachatrian agreed, saying: "We must do a lot of work to get that assistance." He confirmed that the Armenian government has "in effect" already drawn up a number of strategic Poverty Reduction programs to submit to the Millennium Challenge Corporation, a US government agency in charge of the MCA's implementation. He said those programs will be discussed in detail with a team of other US officials who are due to visit Yerevan later this month. The government will also initiate public debate on its proposals, Khachatrian added. The task force also discussed the ongoing regular US aid to Armenia, which has exceeded $1.5 billion since 1992 and, according to Pascual, will total $94 million this year. More than half of the 2004 funds are to be spent on job creation, poverty reduction, and social services, while $15 million is earmarked for "security and law enforcement," officials said. 4) ARS Festival Celebrates Armenian Heritage with All GLENDALE--The third annual Armenian Relief Society (ARS) festival proved to be yet another year of success, providing delicious food, rousing music, arts and crafts, and spontaneous dancing. Over 7,000 people passed through the doors of the Glendale Civic Auditorium, for the two-day weekend festival, May 15-16. The festival drew in a mixed crowd of both Armenians and non-Armenians who shared the rich Armenian cultural experience with their children, grandchildren, and friends. The upper level of the auditorium was filled to capacity with people eager to watch the dancing and view the Armenian clothes modeled by local teenagers. Vendors lined the auditorium, selling artwork, ceramics, jewelry, T-shirts, food, drinks, books, clothes, and desserts. Informational displays were available on the lower level of the auditorium, filled with postcards and stamps from Armenia and pictures of the country's men and women and their fashion from different eras. Through the festivities, the ARS was able to fulfill a sense of pride and tradition for Armenians and non-Armenians alike. All subscription inquiries and changes must be made through the proper carrier and not Asbarez Online. ASBAREZ ONLINE does not transmit address changes and subscription requests. (c) 2004 ASBAREZ ONLINE. All Rights Reserved. ASBAREZ provides this news service to ARMENIAN NEWS NETWORK members for academic research or personal use only and may not be reproduced in or through mass media outlets.

Azer Tag, Azerbaijan State Info Agency
May 18 2004
PARLIAMENT SPEAKERS OF SOUTH CAUCASUS: FURTHER EUROPEAN INTEGRATION A
STIMULATING FACTOR FOR THE REGION
[May 18, 2004, 15:58:00]
“Further European integration is a stimulating factor for the South
Caucasus,” the Speakers of the Parliaments of Azerbaijan, Armenia and
Georgia said at the end of a meeting organised by Assembly President
Peter Schieder on the margins of a Parliamentary Summit bringing
together more than 60 Speakers of Parliament from 17 to 19 May in
Strasbourg.
They stressed that “parliamentarians have an important role to play
in developing regional cooperation and creating an atmosphere of
confidence in the South Caucasus”.
The Speakers welcomed the readiness of the Parliamentary Assembly to
develop concrete cooperation programmes with different groups of
society with a view to promoting contacts in the region and assisting
the implementation of democratic reforms.
The Assembly President and the Speakers will pursue contacts in order
to work on concrete proposals for cooperation to be discussed by the
parliamentary delegations of the three countries during the
Assembly’s October session. In this framework, the Secretary General
of the Assembly will visit Baku, Tbilisi, and Yerevan at the
beginning of July.

Interstate aviation committee to inquire into China plane crash
ITAR-TASS, Russia
May 18 2004
MOSCOW, May 18 (Itar-Tass) – The Interstate Aviation Committee will
investigate this Tuesday’s Il-76 plane crash near the Chinese airport
of Urumqi.
Under the ICAO regulations, the intergovernmental agreement on civil
aviation and the CIS regulations for air accident investigation and
since the incident concerns four states — Azerbaijan (the state
of registration), Ukraine (the owner of the plane), Russia (the
aircraft designer) and Uzbekistan (the producer), the Interstate
Aviation Committee is an authorized organisation to investigate the
crash with the participation of the countries concerned, IAC sources
told Itar-Tass.
The Azerbaijani embassy in Beijing confirmed that among the seven
crewmembers killed in the crash was an Azerbaijani citizen, a
technician, and the other six were Ukrainian citizens.
Chinese representatives have already handed over a list of the names
of the crewmembers to Ukrainian diplomats.
Ukrainian embassy representatives declined to give comments on the
information, but only said the Ukrainian consul left for Urumqi to
clarify the crash circumstances.
It is unclear so far to what airline the plane belonged.
According to the Azerbaijani embassy in China, the Il-76 belonged to
the Azerbaijani private company Silk Way and was leased by a Ukrainian
air transport company.
However, Azerbaijani Airlines sources said the owner of the Il-76
was a Ukrainian company.
The plane loaded with commodities was on a chartered
Taiwan-Urumqi-Baku-Riga flight.
According to some sources, the cargo was destined for a Russian
company.
The plane fell from a height of 100-150 metres ten kilometres from
the airport two minutes after the takeoff.
Searching for the cockpit voice recorders is under way.
The airport resumed working after the three-hour halt.
Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova,
Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Ukraine set up the
Interstate Aviation Committee on the base of the intergovernmental
agreement on civil aviation and use of air space, which was signed
on December 30, 1991.
The IAC is included in the list of international intergovernmental
organisations of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).

Collective Security Treaty officials hold consultations in Moscow
ITAR-TASS, Russia
May 18 2004
MOSCOW, May 18 (Itar-Tass) – Consultations of deputy foreign and
defence ministers and deputy Security Council secretaries of the
Organisation of the Collective Security Treaty (CST) member states
were held in Moscow on Tuesday.
CST Secretary General Nikolai Bordyuzha and Russian First Deputy
Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Trubnikov attended the meeting.
The press service of the CST secretariat told Itar-Tass the
consultations participants exchanged views “on the development of the
situation in the CST responsibility zone and realisation of measures
to fight modern challenges and threats.”
The officials devoted special attention to “the situation formed
in Afghanistan, as well as strengthening of cooperation of the
organisation members in the post-conflict settlement in the country,”
said the press service.
The sides discussed the fulfilment of decisions adopted at the Dushanbe
session of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation and priorities
in the organisation’s activities.
CST members are Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan
and Tajikistan.
The press service also said the meeting participants “on the whole
approved drafts of the documents planned to be considered at the June
CST session in Astana.”

Hunger a threat to 30 million people in Europe – FAO
ITAR-TASS, Russia
May 18 2004
PARIS, May 18 (Itar-Tass) – Some 30 million people are affected
by hunger in Central and Eastern Europe, David Sedic, an expert of
the U.N. Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO), has said in an
interview with the Liberation newspaper.
In his opinion, the situation if the worst in Latvia and Slovakia,
where five to six per cent of the people are nearly starving. The
figure for other Central European countries is about two percent,
Sedic said.
The situation is serious in many Balkan countries, especially in
Croatia, where 12 per cent of the people are affected by hunger.
The figure for Poland is only 1 per cent, but an alarming trend is
observed there: during the past ten years, the government failed
to reduce to below 30,000 the number of people, who are unable to
provide normal food for themselves.
The FAO expert mentioned Armenia and Tajikistan among the Eurasian
countries, where part of the population is suffering from insufficient
nourishment. The problem is also acute in Georgia, Kazakhstan,
Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan are also facing the hunger problem, but to
a smaller degree.

EU asked to help resolve territorial dispute in the Caucasus
EUbusiness, UK
May 18 2004
Azerbaijan asked the European Union on Tuesday to help find a
solution to its territorial dispute with Armenia which has eluded
other international mediators for a decade.
President Ilham Aliyev told reporters that “Azerbaijan is very strongly
interested that other important European organisations, first of all
the EU, take a more active stand” in helping to end the dispute over
the enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh.
Aliyev had earlier met Romano Prodi, the president of the EU
Commission, who said he was “worried” that there had been no moves
towards peace since the two former Soviet republics signed a ceasefire
to end a bloody war 10 years ago last week.
The five-year war claimed 35,000 lives and forced one million people
to flee their homes, according to independent estimates.
It also left the 4,400-square-kilometre (1,700-sq-mile) enclave —
about five percent of the area of Azerbaijan — in Armenian hands,
together with seven adjoining Azeri districts and a land corridor
to Armenia.
Both Aliyev and Prodi said that any initiative involving the EU
should complement and not replace the efforts of the Minsk Group,
a a 13-nation body set up to mediate and co-chaired by the United
States, Russia and France.
“The Minsk group has a mandate from the OSCE (the Organization for
Security and Cooperation in Europe) and nobody is going to question
that mandate,” Aliyev said.
But, he said, “if we consider ourselves as a part of Europe… the
occupation of the territory of one country must be stopped.”
The newly enlarged EU has adopted what it calls a “neighborhood
policy” towards Azerbaidjan, Armenia and Georgia, the third former
Soviet republic in the Caucasus.

Azerbaijan calls on EU to help settle Karabakh conflict
ITAR-TASS, Russia
May 18 2004
BRUSSELS, May 18 (Itar-Tass) – Azerbaijani President Ilkham Aliyev
has called on the European Union to take part in the settlement of
the Karabakh conflict.
“The Minsk group of the Organization for Security and Cooperation
in Europe (OCSE) makes an important contribution to the problem’s
solution. We consider it useful to attract the European Union, the
Council of Europe and other European organizations for the conflict’s
settlement efforts to achieve tangible results,” Aliyev said at a news
briefing after the talks with the President of the European Commission,
Romano Prodi.
Prodi expressed the readiness to join the work for a settlement of the
Karabakh conflict. He pointed out that the EU was greatly concerned
about the absence of peace in the region.
The EC leader said the union was ready to invigorate the settlement
process and put forward concrete proposals. The EU is also prepared
to step up economic cooperation with Azerbaijan under what has been
termed the “ring of friends and neighbors” strategy, expanded recently
to encompass Azerbaijan.
Alyiev described the recent meeting of the Azerbaijani and Armenian
foreign ministers as “very important for pursuing a peaceful dialogue”.
“We do not want talks for the sake of talks, we do not a simulation
of talks,” he said. “We seek a meaningful discussion with Armenia of
new themes and problems that can yield concrete results in settling
the conflict in line with international law and territorial integrity
of Azerbaijan,” Aliyev said.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Azer Tag, Azerbaijan State Info Agency
May 18 2004
MEETING OF PRESIDENT ILHAM ALIYEV WITH MR. ROMANO PRODI, PRESIDENT OF
THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION
[May 18, 2004, 19:47:38]
On 18 May, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev met with Mr. Romano
Prodi, President of the European Commission.
Mr. Romano Prodi warmly greeted the President of Azerbaijan and
expressed pleasure meeting with him. They were taken their photos in
memory.
In the course of conversation, the parties exchanged views on the
“European neighborhood policy” program” and involvement of Azerbaijan
to it. Mr. Romano Prodi said that from this day, large cooperation
between Azerbaijan Republic and the European Commission has just
started and we support admission of Azerbaijan to the World Trade
Organization (WTO) and the ongoing economic reforms in the Republic.
Touching the Armenia -Azerbaijan, Nagorny Karabakh conflict, he
expressed concern of the European Commission and underlined that the
EC wishes the OSCE Minsk Group’s efforts gave their fruits for fair
resolution to the problem.
Noting that integration to Europe is priority in the foreign policy
of Azerbaijan Republic, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev spoke of
the realized expedient works in this direction. The Head of State
noted that the European Union has appointed its representative in the
South Caucasus. The said representative has recommended involvement
of Azerbaijan to the “European neighborhood policy” program and we
highly appraise it. President Ilham Aliyev updated Mr. Prodi on the
socio-economic reforms and their successful results in the country.
Speaking of the Nagorny Karabakh conflict, Head of Azerbaijan
Republic noted that Azerbaijan is going to restore its territorial
integrity. The Minsk Group should be more active in settlement of the
problem, President Aliyev emphasized. Azerbaijan wishes that the
European Union, the Council of Europe to assist Azerbaijan in this
direction. One should not bear the aggression of Armenia against
Azerbaijan, being a part of Europe, and joining the “European
neighborhood policy” program, he stressed.
Then, was held a briefing for media representatives.

Internal Troops to Remain in Tsalka
Civil Georgia, Georgia
May 18 2004
Georgian Interior Minster Giorgi Baramidze visited on May 18 southern
Georgian district of Tsalka, where 100-strong unit of the Internal
Troops were dispatched last week following the clashes between the
local ethnic Armenian and Georgian population.
Giorgi Baramidze said that the troops in Tsalka will remain. “There
were attempts to trigger disagreements and clashes between the
local populations on ethnic bases, but we will not permit this,”
the Interior Minister added.
Ethnic Armenians comprise 57% of population of Tsalka district in
Kvemo Kartli region with population around 20,000, according to the
Georgian department of statistics.
4,500 ethnic Greeks, 2,500 ethnic Georgians, up to 2,000 Azerbaijanis
also live in the Tsalka district.
Local officials describe clashes between ethnic Georgians and
Armenians, which have been reported sporadically for several years,
as “a communal violence.”

Azer Tag, Azerbaijan State Info Agency
May 18 2004
WORKING VISIT OF AZERBAIJAN PRESIDENT ILHAM ALIYEV TO THE KINGDOM OF
BELGIUM
RESPONDING MEDIA REPRESENTATIVES
[May 18, 2004, 22:39:17]
Q. Why does not the European Union pay due attention to the existing
conflicts in the South Caucasus? What role can the European Union
play in settlement of the Nagorny Karabakh problem?
Romano Prodi. We have comprehensively discussed this problem from
simple to complex. We regret from existence of such conflict. In
general, our wish to see these three countries in the “neighborhood
policy” means that we do not want conflict among them. We shall do
our best to settle the conflicts. There is a special group engaged in
this question – the Minsk Group. We would not like to interfere with
their business. We do not want to worry them, but we shall make
pressure. It is because that they are engaged in this buy there is no
result. The European Union considers the question as urgent. Should
we be asked, appealed, we are at your disposal – of course, the
appeal related to intensification of settlement of the problem.
Q. Mr. Prodi, who must appeal related to your participation? Before
involvement of Armenia and Azerbaijan to the “neighborhood policy”,
how will you regard the statement of president Ilham Aliyev related
to peace way settlement of the Nagorny Karabakh conflict? Mr.
President Aliyev, What steps are expected to make after the latest
meetings connected with Nagorny Karabakh?
Romano Prodi. We have not touched the details. But I expressed our
wish that we are at disposal of both countries and can assist. We
cannot make any offer in this phase. Merely, we call the sides to
consensus and say that if we are asked we can help and this is a
positive step we make. This is our respect for political independence
of the counties in conflict and in their choice.
Ilham Aliyev. I think, meetings of the foreign ministers of
Azerbaijan and Armenia are necessary to continue peace dialogue.
Continuation of dialogue is a good indication. At the same time, we
always say, the talks can be continued in the case of existence of
subject of talks. If there is no topic on the agenda to be discussed,
we don’t think it is necessary to continue the talks only for talks
or for show. If there is a question to discuss, we shall be in the
negotiation process. I think that the meetings of foreign ministers
enable us to largely discuss the topic. We are of the opinion that
the talks should be continued and are hopeful that they would give
results.
Q. The question is to Mr. Aliyev. Mr. Prodi said that if you ask, the
European Union would be engaged in the problem. When will you ask?
Ilham Aliyev. We have already appealed. We have once again appealed
in today’s meeting. Of course, we all should understand that the
Minsk Group has mandate from OSCE and nobody doubts in this mandate.
The MG is seeking possible way for peaceful settlement of the
conflict. At the same time, the European structures, European
organizations – the European Union, the Council of Europe, as well as
European public opinion can also join the process and have certain
impact for peaceful resolution to the problem. We never mean that any
structure will be alternative to the Minsk Group. We want large
international attention be rendered to this question. Thank you.