PLAYS OF ARMENIAN SEPARATISTS IN "ELECTIONS" ARE AN EFFORT TO LEGALLY UNMASKING THEIR EXISTENCE – AZERI CEC SECRETARY
Author: S.Ilhamgizi

TREND Information, Azerbaijan
Nov 27 2006

The world knows that a self-voted separatist regime exists in
Nagorno-Karabakh and that their activities are illegal. Therefore,
recognizing any elections or their results in Nagorno-Karabakh cannot
be a topic for discussion, the Secretary of the Central Election
Commission of Azerbaijan (CEC), Natig Mammadov, informed Trend.

On the 10 December, the Armenian separatists plan to hold a "voting"
for adopting its "Constitution".

The CEC Secretary stressed that all activities and actions in the
territory of Azerbaijan, which are contrary to the Constitution of
Azerbaijan, are illegal. According to Mammadov, the ploy of the
Armenian separatists in the "elections" is an effort to legally
unmask their existence, create an election and falsely influence
the international community. "Firstly, it needs to ensure the
participation of the whole population of the territory affected by the
referendum. There are only Armenians are living in Nagorno-Karabakh,
as the Azerbaijanis who formed most of population of Nagorno-Karabakh
have been expelled. The very fact that the only Armenians living there
are the old inhabitants of Nagorno-Karabakh imposes great doubts. It
is confirmed that Armenians have been brought to Nagorno-Karabakh
from other areas. In any case, it is ridiculous to discuss any legal
activities and elections of illegal self-voted separatist regime,"
Mammadov said.

In addition, Mammadov argued the point of who would observe the
elections. The results of the monitoring would not be recognized
because the activities of the separatist regime reflecting violence
and annexation are contrary to international norms.

U.S. TELLS GEORGIA TO AVOID LONG-TERM GAS DEALS WITH IRAN

Civil Georgia, Georgia
Nov 27 2006

The U.S. will not approve Georgia’s long-term energy-related
cooperation with Iran, but it seems it may turn a blind eye on
short-term Georgian-Iranian deals envisaging emergency gas supplies
during the winter period.

U.S. Ambassador to Georgia John Tefft said in an interview published
by the Georgian weekly Kviris Palitra on November 27 that a strategic
partnership between Georgia and Iran in energy issues is unacceptable
for the United States.

He said that the U.S. position is guided by the UN Security Council
resolution on Iran and the latter’s nuclear enrichment program.

The U.S. diplomat explained that Washington met Georgia’s short-term
deal with Iran in January 2006 with understanding after Georgia had
to import emergency gas supplies when Russian imports were cut off
by explosions on two pipelines in Russia’s North Ossetian Republic.

"I do not know what the U.S. Ambassador said. In respect of our
energy-related relations with Iran, naturally we will have energy
cooperation with this country. This year we will apparently buy gas
from Iran and we will probably exchange electricity with this country,"
Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Nogaideli told reporters on November 27.

"Moreover, we held talks with the U.S. officials, particularly with
U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Matthew Bryza, who made it
clear that the United States, regardless of its relations with Iran,
can not tell Georgia to freeze in winter and not to buy gas from Iran,"
he added.

PM Nogaideli was referring to Bryza’s remarks made at a news conference
in Tbilisi on November 17, when he said: "while we are pursuing our
policy toward Iran, we certainly don’t want Georgia or Armenia or any
other country to be in a situation where it does not have energy for
the winter."

This statement was perceived by many in Georgia as Washington’s
approval of Georgia’s energy cooperation with Iran. But in the
interview with Kviris Palitra, U.S. Ambassador John Tefft said that
Bryza’s statement was misinterpreted.

Although PM Nogaideli said on November 27 that Georgia will "apparently
buy" Iranian gas, he did not specify details, including amount of
gas Georgia wants to import from Iran.

He said that Tbilisi is still in talks with Russia, Iran, Azerbaijan
and Turkey over gas supplies. "We will choose the best option for
our companies and consumers," PM Nogaideli added.

PM Nogaideli is expected to visit Iran by the end of December.

Meanwhile, the Georgian PM, accompanied by Energy Minister Nika
Gilauri, is expected to visit Baku later this week to negotiate with
the Azeri officials a possibility of buying by Georgia additional
amount of gas from the Shah-Deniz field.

Some officials in Tbilisi have already indicated that certain details
of negotiations and prospects of gas supplies may emerge only after
these talks in Baku.

Meanwhile, opposition lawmakers have demanded from the authorities
to speak publicly about prospects of gas supplies.

"President says that we will not by gas for USD 230 from Russia;
our friend – the U.S. – tells us not to buy Iranian gas; it is clear
that there is no enough gas within Shah-Deniz project to fully satisfy
Georgia’s demands. So we want to know what the government is planning
to do. It seems that negotiation which our government is holding is
just a myth," said MP Zviad Dzidziguri, leader of the Democratic Front
parliamentary faction, uniting MPs from the opposition Conservative
and Republican parties.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ATTACKS ON MEDIA HURT CONFLICT RESOLUTION

International Crisis Group, Belgium
id=4529&l=1&m=1
Nov 27 2006

Brussels, 27 November 2006: The Azerbaijani government’s aggressive
moves to silence independent media and the leading opposition party
last week not only raise obvious human rights problems but will have a
detrimental effect on efforts to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

On 24 November, the authorities took the country’s first, biggest and
most professional independent TV and radio broadcaster, ANS, off the
air. The same day, police forcibly evicted the key opposition party,
the Azerbaijan Popular Front Party, two opposition dailies Azadlig
and Bizim Yol and the Turan information agency from their Baku offices.

The hasty government actions were taken after proceedings that lacked
transparency and political neutrality. The parties were unable to
appeal before the decisions were implemented. Following a pattern
of harassment of Azerbaijan’s independent journalists since 2003,
Friday’s events once again put into question Azerbaijan’s commitment
to protecting freedom of speech and upholding the rule of law.

To facilitate the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the
International Crisis Group has called for the opening of a genuine
popular debate on the conflict. ANS has tended to take a hard line
on Nagorno-Karabakh, but it was open to a range of opinions and kept
popular opinion informed of developments related to the issue. The
closure of ANS will stifle the public discussion and information
sharing that is so essential to acceptance by Azerbaijani society of
any resolution to the conflict.

Azerbaijan’s international partners – the EU and its member states,
the U.S., the OSCE, the Council of Europe and others – should in
unequivocal terms call on the Government of President Ilham Aliev to
restore media freedoms protected in the Azerbaijani Constitution and
in commitments made as a member of the OSCE and the Council of Europe,
and as a recent signatory of an EU Neighborhood Action Plan.

HUNGARY PROSECUTOR’S OFFICE PROTESTS AGAINST COURT’S DECISION

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
Nov 27 2006

Hungary Prosecutor’s office protested against Hungary court decision
November 17 about Ramil Safarov, Azerbaijani army officer, who was
sentenced to life in prison for murdering Armenian lieutenant Gurgen
Markarian in Hungary, Safarov’s lawyer Ikram Shirinov told the APA.

Shirinov said that he had telephone talk with Ramil yesterday. During
their talk Ramil noted that Hungary Prosecutor’s office protested the
court’s decision. The prosecutor’s office asks to aggravate Ramil’s
sentence. Shirinov said that both protest and appeal will be considered
in the same date. The trial date has not fixed yet. The lawyers said
that the date will be fixed by the court. Shirinov said that he will
visit Hungary in ten days, but there are still some technical problems.

It should be noted that, while being held in Hungarian prison in
2004, jailers wanted telephone card from Ramil. But Ramil could
not understand Hungarian which led an incident between them. Eight
police officers tied his hands and used force. Though lawyers for
the Azerbaijani lieutenant appealed to court related to this matter,
the court dismissed the appeal saying there was no evidence. Then the
opposite side claimed that Ramil resisted officials. On November 17
Ramil got 8-month suspended sentence.

TURKISH CHRISTIAN POPULATION REMAINS STEADY
by Martin Barillas

Spero News
Nov 27 2006

Cardinal Ignace Moussa Daoud, Vatican prefect of the Congregation for
Eastern Churches, spoke on Vatican Radio November 23rd and said that
the number of Christians living in Turkey is holding steady at 30,000.

Cardinal Daoud said that Catholic and other Christian communities
are diverse on the Anatolian peninsula. For example, there are two
Latin-rite bishops in Turkey, two Armenian Catholic prelates, as well
as patriarchal vicars for Syrian Catholics and Chaldean Catholics.

Catholics of the Maronite and Byzantine rites are also notable.

Turkey, Cardinal said, is the cradle of Christianity, having witnessed
early councils such as Nicea (in 325 AD and 787 AD), Ephesus (431 AD),
Chalcedon (451), and Constantinople (381 AD, 553 AD, 680 AD and 870
AD). It is "a privileged place for the implantation of Christianity",
said the cardinal, that saw "the flowering of theologies and of rites"
that gives its rich mosaic of Christianity today. At Ephesus is found
a small house where, according to tradition, lived the Virgin Mary
after the death and resurrection of Jesus that remains a place of
pilgrimage for Christians and Muslims.

Cardinal Daoud will join Pope Benedict XVI on the latter’s visit to
the Orthodox Patriarch of Constantinople and to Turkey, along with
Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, President of
the Pontifical Council for Christian Unity Cardinal Walter Kasper,
President of the Pontifical Council for Culture Cardinal Paul Poupard,
and retired Vatican diplomat Cardinal Roger Etchegary.

The cardinal said that he hopes that Turkey will remain a place of
"fraternal dialogue between religions and cultures." In addition,
the cardinal said "Turkey calls to mind in a special way the memory
of Our Lady and the Apostles."

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

AZERI SCIENTIST ELECTED AS AN ACADEMICIAN OF GEORGIAN NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES
Author: N.Kirskhalia

TREND Information, Azerbaijan
Nov 27 2006

According to the Decision of the Executive Committee of the
Georgian National Academy of Sciences, the Director of the Human
Rights Institute of the Azerbaijani National Academy of Sciences,
Professor, Rovshan Mustafayev was elected as an academician of this
organization. On November 27, a ceremony of presenting this rank took
place in Tbilisi, and the ceremony was attended by the Azerbaijani
Ambassador to Georgia, Namik Aliyev, Trend Special Correspondent in
Tbilisi reports.

The Azerbaijani scientist was conferred the high scientific rank as
a result of the scientific researches on separatist and terrorist
acts in South Caucasus region. The Director of the Academy, Lado
Ramishvili presented the diploma and certificate to Rovshan Mustafayev.

According to Academician Ramishvili, Caucasus is living in hard
times and the scientific figures should make their contributions to
the regulation of the situation. He awarded the guest with Georgian
dagger. "We live in a peaceful region, but sometimes we need to use
weapons. Let this dagger defend your home and country from enemies,"
he said.

In his turn, Rovshan Mustafayev presented participants with his book
"Virtual Passions", which was recently published in Russian language.

"It is high time to begin dialogue. We established ties with Japan,
Australia, and can not find a common language with our neighbors and
can not understand each other," Azerbaijani scientist said, adding
that it would be better to apply a new flow in the science under the
title "Caucasus Consciousness".

According to him, many interests come into collision in Caucasus
and this may lead to the destabilization in the region. According
to him, Caucasus needs to combat separatism, especially Armenians
who are dangerous not only for Azerbaijan and Georgia, but also for
Armenians themselves.

The Azerbaijani Ambassador to Georgia Namik Aliyev also informed
on danger of the development of the separatism. According to him,
it worries Azerbaijan and Georgia. "We need to achieve long-term peace.

If the interests of any country are infringed, then the long-term
peace will not exist," the Ambassador said.

VARDAN OSKANIAN: NAGORNO KARABAGH CONFLICT POSES OBSTACLE BETWEEN RUSSIA AND TURKEY

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
Nov 27 2006

Nagorno Karabakh poses a serious obstacle for the normalization of
Turkey-Russia relations," Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian
told France-Press agency in his interview, APA reports.

"It is not right to make the same Nagorno Karabagh conflict with North
Cyprus conflict. The first conflict happened in the period of USSR,
but the second happened in the territory of UN states. Armenia and
Northern Cyprus know that there are many obstacles for Turkey to
enter to EU," he said.

DIVISIONS OF ARMENIAN ARMED FORCES BROKE THE CEASEFIRE REGULATION
Author: Sh.Jaliloglu

TREND Information, Azerbaijan
Nov 27 2006

The divisions of the Armenian Armed Forces broke the ceasefire
regulation on the frontline, Trend Regional Correspondent reports. On
November 26 at 22:00, the divisions of the Armenian Armed Forces,
located in the occupied Talish village of Tartar district of
Azerbaijan, shot at the opposite position of the Azerbaijani Armed
Forces for 15-20 minutes, with submachine guns and machine-guns. The
enemy was made silent with response fire. There is no lost.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

POPE ON TENSE TREK TO TURKEY
Matt McAllester

Newsday, NY
Nov 27 2006

ISTANBUL, TURKEY – Stretched down the outside of the Saadet Party
headquarters in Istanbul last week was a banner with a slogan that
made clear the views of the men running things inside: "Ignorant and
sly Pope, don’t come."

Inside, the Islamist party’s leader in Istanbul, Osman Yumakogullari,
began a long monologue that started with the Sept. 11 attacks, touched
on his views of President George W. Bush, the bombings in Madrid and
London, and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Then he got to his point.

"As if these were not enough," he said, "then the pope went and
made a statement at the German university in Regensburg. … It was
pointless at a time of wars to turn all of the world’s one billion
Muslims against him."

Benedict XVI’s first visit to a Muslim country as pope could barely
be happening under less comfortable circumstances. It comes less than
three months after he enraged much of the Islamic world by making
remarks about Islam at Regensburg, worsening an impression that he
was a pontiff with a particular suspicion of Islam and a documented
hostility toward Turkey joining the predominantly Christian club of
the European Union.

In spite of official protestations that the pope is still welcome
in this nation of 70 million Muslims, it seemed last week as though
few dignitaries were relishing the idea of being photographed with
the pontiff.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan initially said he would
not be in Turkey to greet the pope – he’s due at a NATO meeting in
Latvia – but during the weekend his office indicated he might find
time to meet Benedict at Istanbul airport for an hour. The Armenian
Orthodox patriarch told Newsday he did not plan to discuss anything
important with the pope. And a well-placed source in Turkish political
circles said Turkey’s chief rabbi was also unenthusiastic about being
seen or photographed with Benedict.

"Hopefully, this [visit] will give him a chance to renew his feelings
about the religion that is practiced by the majority of the inhabitants
of this land," Egeman Bagis, Erdogan’s foreign policy adviser,
told Newsday.

Other Turks were less diplomatic about the pope’s visit.

"No good will come of it," said Gokcehan Uzun, 28, a worker in a shop
that sells chicken in the city of Trabzon on the Dead Sea. "After
his speech, we don’t expect much. If he says that kind of thing he
can’t come to a Muslim country and expect anything. If he really
appreciated Muslims he wouldn’t say such things."

Security will be extraordinarily high for the visit. Mindful that it
was a Turk who tried to assassinate Pope John Paul II 25 years ago,
the Turkish security services are deploying thousands of police,
bomb disposal experts, snipers, commandos and secret service agents
to make sure nothing happens to Benedict while he is here.

They’ve already had a scare: On Nov. 2, a young Turkish man fired
shots outside the Italian consulate in Istanbul. As he was led away
by police, he shouted: "God willing, this will be a spark, a starter
for Muslims. God willing, he will not come. If he comes, he will see
what will happen to him."

Turkey’s image at stake

In spite of the tensions between the Vatican and Turkey, the government
is keen that the trip goes as smoothly as possible. If Europeans this
week see a Turkey that greets the leader of the Catholic Church with
protests and cold shoulders, then their reluctance to let Turkey ever
join the European Union is likely to grow. The Turkish government is
working hard to pave the way for Turkey’s eventual accession to the EU.

And so by Saturday the government had forced the Saadet Party to
take down the huge banner calling the pope "ignorant and sly" and
to abandon the thousands of other banners with the same slogan the
party had prepared for an anti-pope demonstration yesterday.

That didn’t stop more than 25,000 protesters from making their
feelings clear yesterday afternoon when they gathered in an Istanbul
square. One banner featured an image of a pig with a photograph of
Benedict’s face superimposed on the pig’s head. Benedict had blood
dripping from his mouth.

"Go Home Papa!" read the banner.

Despite the Vatican’s stated opposition to the Iraq war, it was clear
from the crowd that many people in Turkey and the Islamic world have
come to see the pope as part of what they regard as a broad Western
conspiracy to subjugate Muslims in a modern-day crusade.

Some people wore the green headbands of the radical Palestinian
group, Hamas. Some had photographs of dead Palestinian babies taped to
their backs. Other banners and literature mentioned the wars in Iraq,
Afghanistan and Lebanon.

"God Damn Israel," read a woman’s black headband.

"We are here because the pope is trying to poison the people of the
world with feelings of revenge and hatred," said Mehmet Yanik, 53,
who made an 11-hour bus journey from Denizlil to attend the Istanbul
rally yesterday.

AZERBAIJAN NOT KEEN ON RECEIVING FOREIGN ASSISTANCE FROM OUTSIDE, BUT TO DEVELOP NATIONAL ECONOMY INSIDE – SENIOR OFFICER OF FOREIGN MINISTRY
Author: A.Ismayilova

TREND Information, Azerbaijan
Nov 27 2006

Tahir Tagizade, the head of the Press and information Department
of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry, informed Trend that the
amount indicated in the last report by the Research Center of the
U.S. Congress with respect to the U.S Department of State financial
assistance to Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia, is not objective.

The figure inquired in assistance for countries differ because every
time the Adminstration inquires little amount for Armenia, while the
pro-Armenian Congressmen increase this assistance, Tagizade said.

"They openly say that this assistance is one of the sources of
existence for Armenia. The figure for 2007 for Azerbaijan and Armenia
are close enough in absolute expression. There is no guarantee that
the pro-Armenian-spirited leadership of relevant committees won’t
increase the amount this time," head of the Department said.

In accordance with the last report by the Research Center of the U.S.
Congress, inquiry from the Department of State for Armenia comprises
$58.14mln, for Azerbaijan – $40.12mln and for Georgia – $75.84mln. In
2006 the assistance for Armenia was $81.7mln, for Azerbaijan –
$47.94mln and for Georgia – $86.01mln. The figure linked with Armenia
and Georgia also includes assistance within the framework of different
Foundations, including Millennium Challenges program.

Tagizade noted that it is necessary to take into consideration the
fact that the figures do not include assistance by the Defense
Ministry, which envisages financing of foreign armed forces and
international military education and training. These are programs
that caused disagreements in Armenia, which further demanded parity
in the delivery of military assistance.

The amount of governmental assistance to Azerbaijan until 1998, when 5
exclusions were confirmed to Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act,
were rather low than assistance rendered to Armenia and Georgia not
only from the per capita calculations, but also from the absolute
figure stand point. After the waiver of Section 907, the amount was
equalized a bit.

The head of the Department noted that financial assistance in terms
of aid is not so principle. "We are not keen on receiving financial
assistance, but develop the national economy. As political accents,
which comprise the financial assistance, it is linked with the
pro-Armenian congressmen activities and is inevitable. In difference
to Azerbaijan, their major argument stipulates that that Armenia
is a country which depends on assistance – either Diaspora or
U.S. Government," Tagizade said.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress