ArmInfo News Agency, Armenia
Dec 1 2006

VARDAN OSKANYAN: ARMENIA AND NAGORNO-KARABAKH HAVE NO SERIOUS
DISAGREEMENTS IN PRINCIPLES OF CONFLICT SETTLEMENT

Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh have no serious disagreements in
principles of the conflict settlement, Armenian Foreign Minister
Vardan Oskanyan said at a press-conference, Friday.

The Foreign Minister emphasized that the Karabakh side knows the
document on principles and the Armenian side’s position. As regards
the question whether the results of the latest meeting of the
Armenian and Azeri Presidents were coordinated with the Karabakh
side, the Minister reminded that the President doesn’t know what way
negotiations will proceed and cannot coordinate all the possible
variants. V.Oskanyan noted that the President is very well aware of
the interests and tasks of Armenia and Karabakh and there is no need
to make specifications beforehand, especially when there is common
understanding of the principles.

ArmInfo News Agency, Armenia
Dec 1 2006

MEETING OF AZERBAIJANI AND ARMENIAN PARLIAMENTARIANS TO BE HELD IN
STRASBURG, END OF JANUARY, CHAIRED BY LORD RUSSELL JOHNSTON

A meeting between the parliamentarians of Azerbaijan and Armenia will
be held in Strasburg at the end of January, 2007, chaired by the
Chairman of PACE Subcommittee for Karabakh, lord Russell Johnston. As
the Baku "Trend" informs, lord Russell told about it the day before
in Baku.

According to him, the meeting will be held within the frames of PACE
session. "I think it is important for the two states, despite they
are the members of the Council of Europe, to start talking with each
other separately from the existing dialogue, which goes on at the
level of Presidents as, for instance, the recent meeting of Ilham
Aliyev and Robert Kocharyan", lord Russell said. He added the
parliamentarians have to just meet at first and get to know each
other. "It is unnecessary to immediately touch upon the serious
issues. It is not my purpose to immediately and magically resolve all
the problems, it is impossible. It is necessary to try to create a
better atmosphere and then to discuss the issues in which a dialogue
can be achieved, for example, the issue on transport means", he
added.

Public Radio, Armenia
Dec 1 2006

Elmar Mammadyarov: Considerable progress achieved in the Karabakh
issue
01.12.2006 12:50

Armenia and Azerbaijan have achieved considerable progress in the
recent talks on the Karabakh conflict settlement, Azeri Foreign
Minister Elmar Mammadyarov told the journalists.
`As I have been always saying, there are 8-9 components in the
process of the Karabakh conflict settlement, most of which we have
agreed upon. Now we can say that only one question remains’ he noted,
commenting on the last meeting of the Presidents in the framework of
the CIS summit in Minsk. The Foreign Minister, however, did not
mention the question the parties still have to discuss.
`I will give no clarifications on the matter, since it is really a
very sensitive issue, and any statement now can endanger the
negotiation process,’ Mammadyarov underlined.

ArmInfo News Agency, Armenia
Dec 1 2006

VARDAN OSKANYAN TO LEAVE FOREIGN MINISTERSHIP AFTER THE ELECTIONS

Vardan Oskanyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia, intends to
leave the position after the elections. The Foreign Minister
announced it at the press conference today. Touching upon the 2007
parliamentary and 2008 presidential elections, the Foreign Minister
said that the new parliament and the new president will have their
own – other views on foreign politics. V. Oskanyan said that even if
he were proposed to stay on the position most likely he will reject
it.

"I think the same person shouldn’t hold one position for more than 10
years. It is the maximum. New strength and new thinking is needed",
the Foreign Minister pointed out. He said the new President should be
guided by some realities – in the global, regional and local aspects.
These realities are too obvious and there is "no too rich a palette"
in this regard. Some accents might be slightly shifted, as it was
when Levon Ter-Petrosyan left and Robert Kocharyan took over the
Presidency. Accents were altered in regard of Turkey and Karabakh.
Only if attitudes of the new figures are radically different from the
old ones, big changes could be expected", V. Oskanyan pointed out. He
said that he doesn’t think of any drastic changes in the foreign
policy.

The Minister didn’t specify which elections did he mean as a starting
point of his withdrawal – parliamentary or presidential one.
Political scientists say he meant presidential election due to that
he received the Foreign Minister’s portfolio in 1998.

ArmInfo News Agency, Armenia
Dec 1 2006

ARMENIAN DEFENSE MINISTER: SETTLEMENT OF KARABAKH CONFLICT WILL BE
PAINFUL FOR EVERYBODY

Even after the settlement of the Karabakh conflict, the
Armenian-Azeri problem is unlikely to be solved, Serzh Sarkisyan, the
Armenian Defense Minister and the Secretary of the National Security
Council under the Armenian President, said in the National Assembly,
Friday.

He emphasized that the priority for the Armenian side is the
recognition of Nagorno-Karabakh’s independence by Azerbaijan, as it
is the only guarantee of non-renewal of hostilities in the future.
The recognition of Karabakh’s independence by Azerbaijan is more
important than the recognition by 50 countries of the world. The
international recognition of NKR’s independence can only be an
additional instrument of pressure on Azerbaijan to acknowledge NKR’s
sovereignty.

Speaking of the latest meeting of Armenian and Azeri Presidents
Robert Kocharyan and Ilham Aliyev in Minsk, the minister noted that
despite the fact that the sides positively assess the meeting, there,
certainly, will be difficulties in the forthcoming meetings. The
settlement of the Karabakh conflict will be painful for everybody, he
said. If it were easy, the conflict would be already settled,
S.Sargsyan said, adding that it is meaningless to specify the time of
the conflict settlement.

Commenting upon the NATO summit’s statement that the North-Atlantic
alliance acknowledges the territorial integrity of South Caucasian
countries, S.Sargsyan pointed out that it is a natural statement.
Armenia also has announced for several times that it acknowledges
Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity, at the same time, it recognizes
also the sovereignty of Nagorno-Karabakh which, along with
Azerbaijan, gained independence after the disintegration of the
Soviet Union. He added that the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan
with Nagorno-Karabakh is out of the question.

Anatolia News Agency, Turkey
Nov 30 2006

Turkey: Pope, Armenian patriarch discuss Armenian-Turkish dialogue

Istanbul, 30 November: "A peaceful dialogue between Turkish and
Armenian peoples is obligatory and our most important expectation,"
Patriarch of Turkish Armenians Mesrob II said.

During the religious ceremony conducted by Pope Benedict XVI at the
Sourp Asdvadzadzin (Virgin Mary) Church in Istanbul, Mesrob II noted,
"our Patriarchate was improved during the Ottoman period, and became
the most important catalyst for reviving the western Armenian culture
and literature."

After the ceremony, Pope Benedict XVI left the patriarchate.

Tight security forces were taken during the pontiff’s visit to the
Ayasofya (Hagia Sophia) Museum, Sultanahmet Mosque (Blue Mosque) and
Turkish Armenians Patriarchate.

Roads were closed to traffic, snipers took positions on the tops of
the buildings, and two helicopters flew over the area.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Anatolia News Agency, Turkey
Nov 30 2006

Turkey: Pope visits St. Sophia, prays at Sultanahmet Mosque, Armenian
church

Istanbul, 30 November: Pope Benedict XVI, who is currently in Turkey
upon invitation of Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, visited
Ayasofya Museum (Hagia Sophia) in Istanbul today.

Dr Haluk Dursun, the Curator of Ayasofya Museum, briefed the Pontiff
on Ayasofya, the remains of the Second Ayasofya (Hagia Sophia)
Church, and the artifacts dating back to the Ottoman era.

Dursun also informed Pope Benedict XVI about the architectural
features and history of the museum.

At the museum, Pope Benedict XVI chatted with Lokman Ayva, an MP from
the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), who gave the Pontiff
a letter about the problems of the disabled.

The pope told Ayva, "God wants all of us to be brothers, and help
each other. We are praying for them."

Signing the Museum Protocol Register, Pope Benedict XVI wrote, "we
find monotheism within differences. God should illuminate us and help
us find the path of love and peace."

Pope Benedict XVI later visited Sultanahmet Mosque (Blue Mosque).
During the visit, Istanbul Mufti Mustafa Cagrici said that this visit
has opened a significant door, and there should be further
initiatives.

"The messages you gave when you arrived in Turkey, your remarks
appreciating Turkish society, and your messages that Islam is a
religion of peace and based on reason and knowledge have been
welcomed by our people," Cagrici noted.

"As religious personalities, we will do everything in our power to
contribute to world peace. We have been appreciating your ideas and
decisive position on agonies, pains and ethical crises in the world,"
he stated.

Cagrici said, "we hope and we are sure that these positive steps will
continue. We will try to fulfil our responsibilities to ensure world
peace, and happiness of the mankind."

"Your visit will give a new dimension to relations among religions,"
he added.

Then, Cagrici briefed the pope on the history of the mosque.

Pope Benedict XVI also visited Sourp Asdvadzadzin (Virgin Mary)
Church in Kumkapi, and was welcomed by Mesrob II, the Patriarch of
Armenians in Turkey.

Pope Benedict XVI conducted a religious ceremony at the Sourp
Asdvadzadzin (Virgin Mary) Church in Istanbul.

The ceremony lasted about half an hour, and was attended by about 600
people.

After the ceremony, Pope Benedict XVI and Patriarch Mesrob II had a
tete-a-tete meeting.

Anatolia News Agency, Turkey
Nov 30 2006

Two Poles detained "for their safety" for displaying large cross

Istanbul, 30 November: Police arrested five suspects, 53 African
migrants as well as eight people who attempted to hold illegal
demonstration in Istanbul to protest [against] Pope Benedict XVI’s
visit to Turkey.

According to police sources, five people were taken into custody
because of their suspicious behaviours around the Fener
Greek-Orthodox Patriarchate which was one of the places visited by
the pope.

On the other hand, seven demonstrators chanting slogans and one
person attempting to perform an individual demonstration around the
museum of Haghia Sophia were taken into custody.

Security forces also took two people of Polish origin to the police
station when they appeared in Sultanahmet Square with a big cross and
a statue of the Virgin Mary in their hands.

Police forces declared that the foreigners who said they were waiting
to welcome the Pope were taken to the police station in order to
ensure their own safety as they could face reactions from other
demonstrators around.

Moreover, during the operations conducted around the Virgin Mary
Armenian Church in Kumkapi district, 53 African illegal migrants were
arrested.

The migrants will be deported after procedures at the Aliens
Department.

Anatolia News Agency, Turkey
Dec 1 2006

Turkey condemns Argentinian resolution on "Armenian genocide"

Ankara, 1 December: Turkey has condemned approval of a resolution on
so-called Armenian genocide [passed] by Argentinian House of
Representatives, noting that this initiative did not comply with
historical facts and the international law.

Releasing a statement, Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs has
recalled that Buenos Aires House of Representatives adopted a
resolution making 2 April "the day of tolerance and respect among
peoples in the memory of Armenian genocide".

The statement noted, "Turkey offered that 1915 incidents should be
examined by Turkish and Armenian historians but this proposal was not
backed. We condemn the approval of resolutions (by various
parliaments on the so-called Armenian genocide)."

The statement also stressed that Argentina’s initiative did not
comply with spirit of bilateral relations between Turkey and
Argentina.

Agency WPS
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
December 1, 2006 Friday

"THE COMMONWEALTH WILL INEVITABLY SPLIT INTO TWO PARTS"

by Alexander Dugin

POLITICAL SCIENTIST ALEXANDER DUGIN: THE COMMONWEALTH WILL GIVE WAY
TO TWO NEW ALLIANCES; Political scientist Dugin believes that the
Commonwealth is on the verge of collapse.

The Commonwealth is rapidly approaching the worst crisis in its
history. To all appearances, it is not a single alliance anymore.
There are two of them in it. There are two factions within the
Commonwealth nowadays, and their views on the CIS future and their
own objectives are diametrically opposite. These factions coexist for
the time being, but this state of affairs cannot last. The moment of
disintegration of the Commonwealth into two alliances is getting
closer.

One of the future alliances may be branded as Eurasian. It will
comprise the states that maintain friendly relations with Russia and
that are determined to advance rapprochement of sisterly nations.
They are Kazakhstan, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and
Armenia. Essentially, all of that comprises the nucleus of a future
strategic world power, Eurasian Union, and perhaps even of the
Eurasian Confederation afterwards. Remaining sovereign and fortifying
national self-identities, these countries have opted for unity and
integration. They view the Commonwealth itself as an instrument of
rapprochement and reunification.

The other faction consists of GUAM or an alliance of Georgia,
Ukraine, Azerbaijan, and Moldova. Their agenda is wholly different.
These countries aspire for integration into the European Union but
the lack of enthusiasm on the part of the latter compels them to
entertain the hope of joining NATO. The Americans actively encourage
and feed these hopes, since they themselves need their military bases
as close to the Russian borders as possible – and the sooner the
better. These countries regard the CIS as an instrument of divorce
and want to part company with Russia and Eurasian states for the sake
of integration with the West. Not all of these countries are equally
industrious about it. It is Saakashvili and Yushchenko (presidents of
Georgia and Ukraine) who are undeniable GUAM leaders nowadays while
Voronin and Aliyev (Moldova and Azerbaijan) are less sure of the
expediency of disintegration of the Commonwealth. Uzbekistan’s
withdrawal from GUAM only reinforced their fears that what they are
doing is correct. In fact, Moldova and Azerbaijan are afraid of
finding themselves in nationalist Romania and kremalist Turkey
instead of prosperous Europe.

It may be added here that unlike Eurasian countries, all GUAM member
states are facing problems with separatist regions. Georgia has to
deal with runaway Abkhazia and South Ossetia. In Ukraine, the Crimean
crisis is fomenting and the matter of federalization of eastern
regions is rising. Moldova has to deal with the Trans-Dniester
region, the province that aspires for membership in the Russian
Federation. Azerbaijan has Nagorno-Karabakh, the territory that is
its territory only in theory.

What’s the conclusion then? The CIS member states standing with
Russia are free of territorial problems and problems with runaway
provinces. Territorial problems haunt precisely the CIS countries
that are anti-Russian and that aspire for NATO membership. Here is
the First Law of the post-Soviet zone then. Whoever is with Russia is
fine and dandy. Whoever is against it may lose some of their
territories. Because Russia is the guarantor of post-Soviet
countries’ territorial integrity.

Trying to consolidate sovereign post-Soviet states, Putin is careful
to take into account their domestic democratic models and preserve
their national features in the common strategic zone. This is what
enlightened Putin’s imperialism is about.

Policy of enlightened imperialism has only one weak spot – domestic
nationalism that nullifies all enlightened and legitimate nature of
sanctions against, say, Saakashvili, that transforms the sanctions
into persecution of Georgians by ethnic principle.

Source: Trud, November 29, 2006, p. 3