NAGORNY KARABAKH TO GET A CONSTITUTION
Samvel Martirosyan

RusData Dialine – Russian Press Digest
December 12, 2006 Tuesday

The breakaway Nagorny Karabakh region overwhelmingly approved a
new pro-independence constitution, returns from a Sunday referendum
showed. Azerbaijan shrugged off the vote as a "farce," and the European
Union said it would not recognize it. The region broke away from
Azerbaijan in the early 1990’s and has no international recognition.

But Karabakh’s leader described the plebiscite, seen as a signal of
the region’s commitment to independence, as a factor which could help
revive languishing talks on its future status. Karabakh wants to be
part of the talks underway between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the
status of the region.

According to official figures released Monday by the Karabakh elections
commission, 98.6 percent of voters approved the constitution, which
describes Karabakh as a sovereign state.

AZERBAIJAN CALLS BREAKAWAY REGION’S INDEPENDENCE VOTE A ‘FARCE’

Agence France Presse — English
December 11, 2006 Monday 9:11 PM GMT

Azerbaijan on Monday described the constitutional referendum held in
its breakaway region of Nagorny Karabakh as a "farce."

Some 98.6 percent of votes cast in Sunday’s poll approved a
constitution declaring the Armenian-backed Nagorny Karabakh an
independent state.

"In the end it will have negative rather than positive consequences.

Such a referendum does not contribute to a peaceful resolution,"
Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov told journalists
on Monday.

"The passing of a legal resolution would need the participation of
absolutely all citizens, the citizens of Azerbaijan. Without their
participation it is frivolous," he said.

Nagorny Karabakh first declared itself independent in 1991,
precipitating a full-blown war between former fellow Soviet republics
Armenia and Azerbaijan, which claimed some 25,000 lives before ending
with a ceasefire in 1994.

Years of negotiations have failed to resolve the dispute between
Azerbaijan and the Armenian-backed Nagorny Karabakh separatists.

Mammadyarov suggested that the referendum indicated that Armenia was
not negotiating in good faith.

"On the one hand they say ‘yes’ we agree that negotiations be brought
forward, and on the other hand they hold a constitutional referendum.

It’s a joke, a farce, nobody will accept it," he said.

The chairman of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in
Europe, a key player in the peace negotiations, on Monday called the
referendum "counter-productive."

The European Union said it "recognizes neither the ‘referendum’
nor its outcome."

Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan said the vote would not
impede the peace process.

"The referendum will not hinder the continuation of the negotiating
process, as the basis for the peaceful resolution lies in the right
of the people of Nagorny Karabakh to self-determination," he told
Russia’s RIA Novosti news agency ahead of the vote.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

RUSSIA ACCUSES GEORGIA OF BLOCKING AIR SPACE

Agence France Presse — English
December 11, 2006 Monday 8:50 PM GMT

Russia accused its rival Georgia on Monday of breaching a deal by
blocking its military planes from landing at a Russian base in Armenia,
the latest in a spate of diplomatic clashes between the neighbours.

"Despite an accord reached between Russia and Georgia on the transit
of military cargo planes, the refusal by the Georgians to grant
authorisation to Russian air force planes to use the Georgian air
space continues," Russian air force spokesman Alexander Drobyshevski
was quoted as saying by news agencies.

Russian planes must pass through Georgian air space in order to supply
the airbase in Russia’s ally Armenia, another former Soviet state.

"Over the past six months, we have asked 40 times for authorisation
to use Georgian air space, but have received this authorisation for
only 12 flights," Drobyshevski added.

Diplomatic relations between Russia and its southern neighbour have
declined since Georgia’s pro-Western President Mikhail Saakashvili
came to power in 2003, and nose-dived in September when Georgia
expelled four Russian officers whom it accused of spying.

Moscow reacted by suspending air and sea links with Georgia and closing
its land borders with the country, as well as rounding up and expelling
hundreds of Georgians it accused of being in Russia illegally.

NAGORNY KARABAKH PASSES SEPARATIST CONSTITUTION

Agence France Presse — English
December 11, 2006 Monday 10:24 AM GMT

Azerbaijan’s breakaway region of Nagorny Karabakh overwhelmingly
approved a constitution declaring itself an independent state,
according to official results announced Monday.

More than 98 percent of participating voters in the unrecognised
republic voted "yes" in Sunday’s poll, preliminary results from the
central electoral commission showed.

"Based on these preliminary results, we can already say that the
constitution has been adopted," Sergei Nasibian, the electoral
commission chairman.

The government of oil-rich Azerbaijan has condemned the vote, which
came exactly 15 years after the province’s ethnic-Armenian majority
voted to separate from Azerbaijan, preceding a war that killed about
25,000 people and drove about a million people, mostly Azeris, from
their homes.

Nasibian said 87.2 of the 90,000 registered voters took part.

Although a ceasefire took effect in 1994, years of negotiations have
failed to resolve the dispute between Azerbaijan and the Nagorny
Karabakh separatists, who are closely backed by Armenia.

TURKEY NOT TO RECOGNIZE AZERI KARABAKH "REFERENDUM"

Anatolia News Agency, Turkey
Dec 11 2006

Ankara, 11 December: Turkey has announced that it will not recognize
the results of the referendum held yesterday in Upper Karabakh,
a province of Azerbaijan under Armenian occupation.

A statement by Turkish MFA [Ministry of Foreign Affairs] indicated that
"international laws were ignored" in yesterday’s referendum held for
adoption of the "Upper Karabakh Republic’s Constitution".

"At the end of the referendum, the Upper Karabakh region of Azerbaijan
was defined as the ‘Upper Karabakh Republic’ and as a ‘sovereign,
democratic, legitimate, social state’," the statement noted.

The statement also pointed out that Turkey considers this vote as
"a proof of the Armenian occupation of the Azerbaijani territory
which is against international laws."

In the statement, the MFA condemns this act which is a new violation
of Azerbaijan’s political unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity
by Armenia.

Noting that more than one million Azerbaijani have become refugees
in their own country due to the invasion, the statement said, "it is
obvious that this move to hold a ‘constitutional referendum’ in the
Upper Karabakh region is one that ignores efforts to find a peaceful
solution (to the problem)."

The Turkish MFA also called on the international community to condemn,
and not to recognize the results of the so-called referendum.

OFFICIAL DOUBTS QUAKE RESISTANCE OF ARMENIAN CAPITAL’S BUILDINGS

Second TV Channel, Armenia
Dec 7 2006

The seismic risk is currently higher in Yerevan [than in the area
of Gyumri, formerly Leninakan, where a devastating earthquake struck
in 1988].

The Armenian Seismic National Defence department head, Alvaro Antonyan,
has said that Armenia is one of several post-soviet countries with
a National Seismic Special Construction Code. He noted that not all
buildings meet this code. The criteria are adhered to in the [1988]
earthquake zone because of international organizations’ funding
and supervision. He added that Zvartnots International airport’s
new building has also been constructed according to the national
seismic norms.

He said that his organization is responsible for seismic risk
supervision, but it does not have any influence on adherence to it.

He said that in countries where a seismic risk exists, the community
needs to prepare, as otherwise more than 30 per cent may die in
a quake.

He said that seismic activity in the region has been high during
recent months. He also said that the equipment used by his department
can predict major tremors two months in advance. He said that
decision-makers are strict when an earthquake happens, but after
some time they forget about it. He said. "We have to prepare for an
earthquake to happen at any time, even if it’s 10, 15 or 20 years
from now".

AZERI MINISTER SAYS KARABAKH REFERENDUM "FARCE"

TREND, Azerbaojan
Dec 11 2006

Baku, 11 December: It is too early to speak about whether Armenia
is ready go ahead in the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict settlement,
Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov said today at the
opening of the meeting of the political committee of the Parliamentary
Assembly of the Council of Europe in Baku.

He noted that the "referendum" in Nagornyy Karabakh shows that Armenia
is not ready for talks. "Possibly, involvement in the talks is a
move aimed at getting the West’s support in order to retain power,"
Mammadyarov said. He believes that the farce with the "referendum"
will have negative consequences.

Mammadyarov stressed that once the conflict is resolved, roads will be
unblocked, stability in the region will be ensured, and thus Armenia’s
economy will also develop, the minister said. He added that the three
South Caucasus countries can achieve a lot together.

ARMENIA DETAINS TWO FOR "PLANS TO ILLEGALLY INTERFERE IN POLITICAL PROCESSES"

Mediamax News Agency, Armenia
Dec 11 2006

Yerevan, 11 December: The press service of the Armenian National
Security Service reported today that a Lebanese citizen Zhirayr
Sefilyan and a number of his supporters, who were arrested on 10
December, "had planned illegal and forceful interference in the
forthcoming political processes in Armenia".

The press service of the Armenian National Security Service said that
"as a result of operative-investigative activities, irrefutable proofs
were received that the United Armenian Volunteers organization,
which has no state registration, set up by the Lebanese citizen,
Zhirayr Sefilyan, and a number of his supporters aimed at illegal
and forceful interference in the forthcoming political processes in
Armenia, in particular, planned to resort to radical actions in the
run up to the 2007 parliamentary elections", Mediamax reported.

The statement said that speaking at the 2 December closed meeting,
several leaders of the organization made public speeches on the need
to overthrow the incumbent authorities by means of armed struggle.

"Action plans in this direction were also presented," the press
service of the Armenian National Security Service said.

The statement said that the leaders of the United Armenian Volunteers
organization planned to provoke the Armenian opposition to civil
disobedience and clashes, "at the same time, they planned to put
pressure on the opposition structures to compel them to initiate
illegal actions against the authorities".

The press service of the National Security Service said that criminal
proceedings had been instituted and the leaders of the organization,
Vardan Malkhasyan and Zhirayr Sefilyan, were detained. An illegal
weapon was taken from Sefilyan.

RUSSIA SHOULD ACKNOWLEDGE NAGORNYY KARABAKH, OTHER UNRECOGNIZED STATES – MP

Ekho Moskvy radio, Moscow
Dec 11 2006

[Presenter] Azerbaijan, the USA, the European Union and the
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe [OSCE] do not
acknowledge the results of the referendum in Nagornyy Karabakh. And
where does Moscow stand on this? Despite the existing difficulties,
Moscow could acknowledge the results of the referendum in Karabakh,
MP Konstantin Zatulin, a member of State Duma committee on CIS affairs,
believes.

[Zatulin] Nagornyy Karabakh does not border on the Russian
Federation. It does not want to become part of Russia, nor has
it a right to do so. The majority of the Karabakh population are
Armenians. The case in point here is whether Nagornyy Karabakh and
Armenia are two separate states or they are parts of a single entity.

It is more difficult for Russia to acknowledge the independence of
Nagornyy Karabakh at the state level, if only because Russia has
normal relations with Azerbaijan at present. No doubt, relations with
Armenia are preferential, they are a priority.

It is clear that Azerbaijan would like to see a proper development
of relations with Russia. If Russia acknowledges Nagornyy Karabakh,
Azerbaijan will react badly to this. Nevertheless, I believe that – if
we speak in principle here – that it is high time Russia acknowledged
both Nagornyy Karabakh and other unrecognized states.

ARMENIAN REPORT 98 PER CENT VOTE YES IN KARABAKH REFERENDUM

Mediamax News Agency, Armenia
Dec 11 2006

Yerevan, 11 December: According to preliminary data, 98.58 per cent of
the voters, who took part in the referendum on 10 December, supported
the draft constitution of the Nagornyy-Karabakh republic [NKR].

Only 0.7 per cent of the participants in the referendum voted against
the draft constitution, our special correspondent has reported from
Stepanakert [Xankandi].

According to the data, turnout for the referendum was 87 per cent,
or 78,389 people.

A total of 90,077 people were included on the voting lists.