International Herald Tribune, France
Nov 23 2006
Azerbaijani, Armenian leaders agree to bilateral meeting to discuss
Karabakh problem
The Associated PressPublished: November 23, 2006
BAKU, Azerbaijan: The presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia have
agreed to hold a bilateral meeting aimed at resolving the simmering
conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh, officials said Thursday.
Nagorno-Karabakh is a mountainous region in Azerbaijan that has been
under the control of Armenian and ethnic-Armenian Karabakh forces
since a 1994 cease-fire ended a six-year separatist war that killed
about 30,000 people and drove about 1 million from their homes.
The region’s final status remains unresolved, and years of talks
under the auspices of international mediators have brought few
visible results.
President Ilham Aliev’s press service said Thursday he has agreed to
meet with his Armenian counterpart Robert Kocharian on the sidelines
of a Tuesday summit of ex-Soviet republics in Minsk, Belarus.
Earlier this week, Russian officials involved in mediating the
conflict said Kocharian had also agreed to meet.
Both leaders last held bilateral talks in June and the meeting failed
to produced a breakthrough.

TREND Information, Azerbaijan
Nov 23 2006
Azerbaijani Ambassador: No Tensions among Georgian Azerbaijanis
Observed

Source: Trend
Author: A. Ismayilova

23.11.2006

The situation over the Georgian region of Kvemo-Kartli, where many
Azerbaijanis live, is not distinguished from a usual one, and no
tensions among Georgian Azerbaijanis have been observed, Namig
Aliyev, Azerbaijani Ambassador to Georgia, exclusively told Trend,
while commenting the information spread by Russian News Telecast
`Vesti’ of the Russian TV referring to a report made by the
International Group for Preventing Crisis.
Notably, the report points out that oppressing ethnic minority in
Georgia could trigger new conflict situations on its territory. The
Georgian Government should take serious steps to avoid such a
development. The report also points out that there are some tensions
in Kvemo-Kartli and Samtskhe-Djavakheti. Just the above-regions of
Georgia are populated with hundred of thousands ethnic Azerbaijanis
and Armenians.
The discontent of the Armenian and Azerbaijani communities is linked
with their insufficient representation in all the spheres of the
social life and administrative bodies of the country. `The situation
is bad due to the economic problems that Georgia is facing now,
including the highest level of unemployment’, the reports points out.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

TREND Information, Azerbaijan
Nov 23 2006
28th Session of General Assembly of PA OBSEC Concluded

Source: Trend
Author: A. Ismayilova

23.11.2006

The 28th plenary sitting of the General Assembly of the Parliamentary
Assembly of the Organization for the Black Sea Economic Cooperation
(PA OBSEC) has been held at the highest level, Azerbaijani MP Asif
Hajiyev, Vice-Chairman of PA OBSEC has said during the
press-conference at the end of the Session, Trend reports.
He also touched upon Armenia’s non-participation in this meeting and
assessed it as a repeated proof of the non-constructive positions of
Armenians. Mr. Hajiyev said that invitations had been sent to all the
member-states of the Organization. For its part, Azerbaijan took part
in the 27th session of the General Assembly held in Armenia, and
proved once more that our country was the supporter of conflicts
settlement peacefully through negotiations.
Mr. Hajiyev said that during the Session of the Organization, three
kinds of issues were discussed: political, economic, and cultural
cooperation between the member-states of the Organization. He said
that the Organization’s future would be bright, and holding the last
session of PA OBSEC gave grounds to make such a conclusion. The
Representative of the Organization is sure that the Organization
could have its influence on processes happening in the Black Sea
region.
David Saganelidze, Vice-Chairman, Head of the Georgian delegation to
PA OBSEC, also touched upon an issue on frozen conflicts, and
particularly marked the Georgian-Abkhazian and the Georgian-South
Ossetian conflicts. He expressed his regrets that PA OBSEC was just
an economic organization, and solving these issues were not the
responsibilities of the Organization. `We only hope that this and
other international organizations could find a joint approach in the
issue of the above-mentioned conflicts. But, unfortunately, there
have been no real concrete decisions of these issues’, emphasized Mr.
Saganelidze.
Representatives of the other delegations also expressed their
opinions on the issues and ideas discussed during the Session.

Zaman Online, Turkey
Nov 23 2006
Erdogan and Gul will not Meet Pope
By Suleyman Kurt, Ankara
Thursday, November 23, 2006
zaman.com
Details of the pontiff’s itinerary, from November 28 to December 1,
are being defined.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister
Abdullah Gul will not be able to meet the Pope, so State Minister
Mehmet Ali Sahin will host him.
The Pope will be in Ankara on Oct. 28 and visit the mausoleum of
Kemal Ataturk.
He will then meet Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer at the
presidential residence.
Then State Minister Mehmet Ali Sahin will meet Pope at Camli Kosk.
Erdogan and Gul will be at a NATO summit in Riga on the same day.
Ankara inquired if the Pope’s visit could have taken place one or two
days later as Erdogan and Gul were previously scheduled for the NATO
summit.
This offer was not accepted by the Vatican but it assured Ankara that
this would not create a diplomatic problem.
Spokesman for the Foreign Ministry, Namik Tan emphasized this and
added that Mehmet Ali Sahin would meet the Pope on behalf of Erdogan.
Abdullah Gul offered to organize a dinner in Istanbul on his return
from Riga; however, this offer was rejected by the Vatican. The Pope
explained that his Istanbul visit was special and preferred to keep
his activities purely spiritual.
The pontiff will meet the Greek Patriarch Bartholomeos I, Patriarch
of Turkish-Armenians Mesrob Mutafyan II, and Chief Rabbi Ishak Haleva
in Istanbul.
The Pope will also meet Turkish Director of Religious Affairs Ali
Bardakoglu in Ankara.

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
Nov 23 2006
Akkan Suver: Azerbaijan proved that Nagorno Garabagh is not Armenian
territory
[ 23 Nov. 2006 16:56 ]
Azerbaijan has power to liberate Nagorno Garabagh with its power,
money and Armed Forces,’ Akkan Suver, the head of delegation of
Turkey Marmara Group Circle told the journalists in the briefing, APA
reports.
Saying that Azerbaijan proved the world Nagorno Garabagh is not
Armenian territory, Suver stated that official Baku’s facts are more
exact and concrete.
`Azerbaijan achieved to make its rights official. Elmar Mammadyarov
had talks with Oskanian in Slovenia two months ago. Oskanian had
nothing to say against the facts presented by Azerbaijani Minister,’
he said. /APA/

Fresno Bee, CA
Nov 23 2006
Helping hand
The ninth annual Armenia Funds telethon will be broadcast 8 a.m.-8
p.m. today on KJEO, Channel 32, and on Comcast cable’s Channel 14.
Proceeds from the telethon will benefit the regional development of
Hadrut, Nagorno Karabakh. New drinking water pipelines, health care
facilities and schools will be constructed.
Armenia Funds also will start an agricultural development program
that will serve 1,000 farmers in eight Hadrut villages.
The broadcast will feature live entertainment plus interviews with
celebrities and political leaders. It will originate from Glendale.
It also is possible to view the telethon at
From: Baghdasarian

RIA Novosti, Russia
Nov 23 2006
Armenia’s foreign minister calls for active CIS reforms
15:53 | 23/ 11/ 2006

YEREVAN, November 23 (RIA Novosti) – Armenia’s foreign minister said
Friday that the loose union of former Soviet republics known as the
Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) needs reform to become an
effective, integrated structure.
The Russia-led organization was formed following the collapse of the
Soviet Union in 1991 and comprises 12 former Soviet republics, but it
has been criticized recently by many of its members who complain it
is inefficient and lacking in direction.
“Today, the structure of the CIS lacks the dynamism and determination
to achieve concrete results,” Vardan Oskanyan said before a summit of
CIS leaders in the capital of Belarus, Minsk, scheduled for November
28.
“That is why, as a result of the 2005 CIS summit in Kazan, a decision
was made to perfect and reform CIS bodies. It is not an easy
process,” Oskanyan said.
The CIS is particularly unpopular with the Georgian leadership, which
would like to strengthen its ties with the West, join NATO and
withdraw from the organization.
As well as Georgia, which is caught up in an ongoing diplomatic row
with Russia, other CIS members, notably Ukraine, have criticized the
organization as being ineffectual, and a vehicle for promoting
Russia’s interests.
Moldova’s leader has questioned the organization’s future, and last
year Turkmenistan ceased to be a full member.
Oskanyan said the organization needs not only to reform its
structure, but its agenda as well, and that first of all it is
necessary to determine a definite direction that takes into account
the actual potential of its member states.
“Only in that case can we count on efficient reforms,” the foreign
minister said.
He added that Armenia has been actively involved in the process of
CIS reform, as it wants the organization to be a strong regional
structure.
“Armenia actively participates in the process of CIS reforms, and we
believe that, as a result, relations between member-states will rise
to a new qualitative level, the CIS will transform itself into an
effective, integrated structure, and that consequently the
international authority of the Commonwealth as an influential
regional organization will improve,” the minister said.

ITAR-TASS, Russia
Nov 23 2006
Train with property of Russia garrison in Tbilisi sent to Russia

TBILISI, November 23 (Itar-Tass) – The first train with property and
military hardware of the Tbilisi garrison of the Group of Russian
Troops in Transcaucasia was dispatched to Russia on Thursday.
According to the headquarters’ spokesman, the train pulled off from
Vaziani, a Tbilisi suburb, via Azerbaijan to Russia at 08.00. `The
part of military hardware and property of the garrison, which is
pulled out by the train to Russia, had been massed in Vaziani in good
time,’ he said. The train carries eight tonnes of property and 23
units of military hardware, including four infantry armoured
carriers, several tractors and motor vehicles.
On November 16, a train with hardware and property of the Tbilisi
garrison had been dispatched to Armenia, to the Russian military base
in Gyumri. The withdrawal of the Tbilisi garrison will be completed
by the year-end: one train with property and hardware will be
dispatched to Armenia, and another one to Russia. All in all, 100
units of military hardware and 350 tonnes of property and ammunition
as well as 387 servicemen will be withdrawn from the Tbilisi
garrison.
As for the Russian bases in Akhalkalaki and Batumi, in compliance
with the Russian-Georgian understandings, the Akhalkalaki base will
be closed by October 1, 2007 and in Batumi – by October 1, 2008.

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
Nov 23 2006
Bernard Fernier: I do not favor adoption of parliament bill making
Armenian genocide denial punishable
[ 23 Nov. 2006 16:10 ]
`Being a senator I do not favor the adoption of French Parliament
bill making Armenian genocide denial punishable. The French respect
Turkish culture and history,’ French senator participating in BSECO
PA 28th plenary session in Baku Bernard Fernier told journalists, APA
reports.
He said that friendship relations of the Turkish and French will
continue for centuries.
`Of course there is some misunderstanding on the eve of Turkey’s
accession to EU. But it will not affect our relations,’ he said.
Bernard Fernier said that the bill making Armenian genocide denial
punishable has not presented to the Senate yet.
`We have close relations both with Armenia and Turkey. This law harms
France-Turkey relations,’ he said.
He said if Armenian genocide is recognized, the genocides in France,
Asia, Africa and America should be recognized.
Bernard Fernier rejected to express his position on the problem of
recognition Azerbaijani massacre committed by Armenians in Khojali in
1992. /APA/
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

This is a multi-part message in MIME format.
Armenia Solidarity Press Release
Armenia Solidarity
c/o the Temple of Peace
Cathays Park, Cardiff, Wales
07876561398 or 00447876561398(int.)
[email protected]
Br itish Foreign Secretary accepts evidence on the Genocide
The British Foreign Secretary, the Rt Hon. Margaret Beckett,
accepted a book of evidence on the Armenian Genocide today from an
Armenia Solidarity representative.
The book “Remember” was compiled by John Torosyan of the Armenian/Welsh
Friendship Society.( Part of it is on line at
). The presentation occurred in her Derbyshire
constituency by local Armenia Solidarity official Guy Dickenson. She
promised to read it and study the evidence carefully.
We sense a change of tone in the reactions of government officials
to the issue and we urge UK Armenians to make more frequent contacts
with their MPs to raise the Recognition question..
The above organisation, formerly Wales Armenia Solidarity, has
expanded its lobbying to most parts of the UK.