OSKANIAN PRESENTS DETAILS OF HIS BRUSSELS MEETINGS
By Harry Tamrazian in Brussels
Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
Nov 16 2006
Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian spoke of ‘some little progress’ made
at the Armenian-Azeri ministerial talks in Brussels earlier this week,
but said the “moderate expectations” from the meeting with his Azeri
counterpart Elmar Mamedyarov were not fully met.
“A general outline of agreement around the proposals and thoughts
voiced during the Moscow meeting and discussed in Paris began to
emerge, though I cannot say that this is some complete agreement,”
Oskanian told RFE/RL after the meeting on Monday. The minister added
that “negotiations should be continued.”
Oskanian found it reassuring that after listening to the sides the OSCE
Minsk Group cochairmen suggested that the two countries’ presidents
should meet on the sidelines of the CIS summit due later this month.
“They are likely to have seen some positive moments in our discussions
and based on that made a decision to invite the presidents to such
a meeting,” Oskanian said.
“Of course, the presidents will decide whether to accept the invitation
or not after listening to their ministers. And for this very reason the
cochairmen will pay a visit to the region next week,” Oskanian said,
adding that the international negotiators are expected in Yerevan on
November 21.
The minister reiterated that the expression of the Karabakh people’s
will remains a key principle for Armenia at the talks.
“This is one of the key issues, and, of course, it is essential to the
Armenian side,” Oskanian said. “Whether it is done through a referendum
or in some other way, the right of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh to
self-determination must be stated in the document that should serve
as a means for resolution.”
To the question whether he felt any change in Azerbaijan’s tough
position during the meeting, the minister said: “I can say only that
the atmosphere was quite positive. It was a constructive meeting,
some serious discussion went on, some thoughts were expressed.”
“I cannot say that we made concrete arrangements, but the bottomline
of those discussions is that positions have in some way moved closer
together,” Oskanian said. “We want to consider it to be a flexible
approach, a compromise, I don’t want to give qualifications. I can
only state that some general outline of agreement appeared to have
emerged during that meeting.”
Assessing Russia’s role in the Karabakh peace process, the Armenian
minister praised this country’s constructive position. “Russia’s
approaches have always been consonant with those of the other
cochairmen,” he said.
Evaluating the Armenia Action Plan as part of the EU new neighborhood
policy, the minister emphasized that “with the adoption of this
document Armenia has raised its relations with the European Union to
a qualitatively new level.”
“It holds out serious prospects before us to move towards closer
integration in that structure and deepen our relationship,” Oskanian
said. “This program has a five-year duration, it has a solid financial
basis, it well serves its purpose, and, indeed, Armenia can benefit
from it immensely if it implements it properly.”
“I’ve said on many occasions that if we manage to take full advantage
of the opportunities offered by this program, in five years Armenia
can be a politically and economically different state,” the minister
underscored. “And we, indeed, must be consistent in its realization.”
Speaking about the upcoming parliamentary and presidential elections
in Armenia, Oskanian said: “One of the key questions raised during
the meeting of the EU-Armenia Cooperation Council was our future
elections. Our future elections have been high on the agenda of any
bilateral meeting I’ve had in the past few months. It has been so
much talked about that we, indeed, have no room for mistake this
time around.”
The minister urged all political forces and the public to work
together to hold qualitatively better elections, as otherwise, he says,
‘Armenia has much to lose’.
“Armenia’s further democratic development largely depends on
the upcoming parliamentary and presidential elections,” Oskanian
emphasized.
While in Brussels, Oskanian also participated in the closed meeting
of the foreign ministers of the three South Caucasus states with EU
representatives. He said the whole spectrum of issues in the region,
including the continuing standoff between Russia and Georgia, was
discussed by the parties.
According to Oskanian, Armenia has friendly relations with both Russia
and Georgia and wants to preserve its impartial attitude. At the same
time, the Armenian minister is concerned over more tensions emerging
in the relations between these two countries, which, according to him,
is against Armenia’s political and economic interests.
“We want to see good relations between Russia and Georgia in the
interest of the whole region,” Oskanian stressed. He denied that
Russia has exerted any pressure on Armenia to cooperate with it
against Georgia.
“Such thoughts may have been voiced within public circles in Russia
that expected Armenia to cooperate on that matter. But I assure you
that no such position was officially expressed to Armenia. Armenia
has not taken sides in this standoff and will continue to appear from
neutral positions,” the Armenian minister concluded.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIAN, AZERI PRESIDENT EXPECTED TO MEET IN MINSK
Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
Nov 16 2006
A meeting between the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan will take
place on November 28, in Minsk, on the sidelines of the summit of
the Commonwealth of Independent States, Russian co-chair of the OSCE
Minsk Group Yuri Merzlyakov told ITAR-TASS in Vienna on Thursday.
According to him, such an agreement was reached between the two
countries’ foreign ministers in Brussels two days ago.
Earlier, Armenia’s Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian told RFE/RL that
the issue of the presidents’ meeting will be finally specified after
the visit of the international negotiators to the region planned for
next week.
On behalf of the OSCE Minsk Group cochairmen Yuri Merzlyakov urged the
two countries’ presidents to take the unique opportunity and agree on
principles of the Karabakh conflict settlement, since, according to
him, no such opportunity will be offered in the coming year. He said
that elections will be held in Armenia and Azerbaijan in 2007-2008,
which, according to him, will have a negative impact on the process
of negotiations.
“Besides, key political figures that have participated in the
negotiations during the last ten years from the Armenian side will
start to drop from the negotiating process next year.” Merzlyakov did
not expand on whom particularly he means. In the past several years
Armenia’s president and foreign minister have participated in the
high-level talks around the Nagorno-Karabakh issue. The presidential
election in Armenia is due in 2008.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

OFFICIAL BOASTS OF CIVIL INTEGRATION POLICY ON TOLERANCE DAY
Civil Georgia, Georgia
Nov 16 2006
Georgia is building a state where its citizens’ identities will
be based “not only on their blood and ethnic background, but on
the idea to build united strong state,” Chief of the President’s
Administration Giorgi Arveladze said on November 16, which is
celebrated as International Day for Tolerance.
Arveladze was speaking at a launching ceremony of the National
Integration and Tolerance in Georgia (NITG) – the USAID funded 4-year
program, run by UN Association of Georgia (UNAG), and implemented in
partnership with the Georgia government in an attempt to increase the
sense of tolerance and national unity among Georgian citizens. The
event was attended by the U.S. Ambassador in Georgia John Tefft.
Arveladze said that the Georgian authorities spare no efforts to put
an end “to infrastructure collapse” in some of the regions, which
is hindering process of civil integration. Arveladze was referring
to Samtskhe-Javakheti region populated with large group of ethnic
Armenians.
“The U.S. assistance is of special importance in this regard, I mean in
frames of Millennium Challenge Account [USD 295 million aid program]
large part of which will be spent on infrastructure rehabilitation
projects,” Arveladze said.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

DIASPORA ARMENIANS ARE IN CONTINUOUS CONTACT WITH PKK TERRORIST ORGANIZATION, EGILMEZ
Anatolian Times, Turkey
Nov 16 2006
ERZURUM – “Armenian Diaspora supported and expended large amounts of
financial assistance to terrorist PKK to weaken and fragment Turkey,”
Associate Professor Savas Egilmez, the Chairman of Association on
Fight Against Baseless Allegations of Genocide, said on Thursday.
In an exclusive interview with the A.A correspondent, Egilmez said,
“we have been carrying out intensive efforts in the national and
international platforms to explain that so-called allegations of
Armenian genocide is a lie.”
“Despite the affirmative responses, we started to get negative
reactions recently. We have assessed that supporters of the terrorist
organization is the source of the reactions that were sent through
e-mail,” he noted.
Egilmez indicated that Armenian-PKK relationship was once again
revealed with the reactions, noting that “upon the reactions in the
world in 1980`s, the Armenian terrorist organizations changed tactics
and cooperated with the PKK terrorist organization.”
Egilmez said terrorist PKK organization in 1980 proclaimed April 21-28
the week of “Red Week” and remembered April 24th as the so-called
genocide day of the Armenians.
“Another remarkable example regarding Armenian-PKK relationship is the
meeting in Beirut between January 6 and 9, 1993. Lebanese Armenian
Orthodox Archbishop, Armenian party executives and 150 youngsters
attended the meetings that were held in two separate churches. At
the meeting, the Archbishop underlined that the Armenian society
was growing gradually and strengthened in economic means. He said
so-called genocide was started to be known better in the world thanks
to the propaganda activities,” Egilmez said.
“The Archbishop unveiled their real faces by saying, `Armenian state
was established and broadens its territories day by day. The support
to PKK activities in Turkey rises. Thanks to this support, Turkish
economy will drop to zero, the country will be dragged into chaos,
and Turkey will enter fragmentation process. Turkish territories will
be in the hands of Armenia tomorrow`,” Egilmez said.
-PKK-ARMENIAN AGREEMENT-
Egilmez said the Armenian diaspora in Lebanon made an agreement with
the terrorist organization in 1987.
“A decision was made in the agreement that Armenians would get
training in PKK. It was also decided that Armenians would pay 5,000
USD to PKK for each person,” he said.
Egilmez said, “it was also decided in the agreement that Armenians
would make the intelligence in the activities against security forces
in Turkey. It was even stated in this agreement that the territory
that would be seized after fragmentation of Turkey would be shared
equally. Armenians also pledged to meet 75 percent of the costs of
camps of the terrorist organization.”
-U.S. AND OTHERS-
Underlining that the United States and the European countries accepted
PKK as terrorist organization, Egilmez said, “the U.S. and European
countries know about the relations of the Armenians with PKK. Those
who want to accuse Turkey should not forget this fact.”

RAILWAY TRAIN WITH GRTT LEAVES TBILISI FOR ARMENIA
TREND Information, Azerbaijan
Nov 16 2006
(Itar-Tass) – An ahead-of-schedule removal of the equipment and
hardware of the Tbilisi garrison of the Group of Russian Troops
in the Transcaucasus (GRTT) began Thursday, an officer at the GRTT
headquarters here has told Itar-Tass.
The officer said, “The first railway train with hardware and equipment
is heading for Armenia, to the Russian military base at Gyumri”.
Another train will go to Russia via Azerbaijan in one week’s time, on
November 23. Before the year is out, two more trainloads of hardware
and equipment of the Tbilisi garrison of the GRTT will be removed,
one to Armenia and the other one to Russia.
The timetable for the pullout of the Tbilisi garrison of the GRTT has
been fixed with the Georgian side, which, in line with the existing
accords, ensures the safety of the removal of the garrison’s hardware
and servicemen, reports Trend.
“A small group of GRTT staff officers will be set up to stay on in
Georgia next year as well, at the Russian military bases at Akhalkalaki
and Batumi, to finalize the bases’ removal process,” the officer said.
The earlier-than-planned pullout of the Tbilisi garrison of the GRTT,
which is being carried out by a decision of the Russian Ministry of
Defence, is to be completed before the end of this year.
In all, 100 hardware units, 350 tonnes of equipment and ammunition,
as well as 387 servicemen will be relocated.
In keeping with the Georgian-Russian accords, the Akhalkalaki base
will be closed down before October 1, 2007, and the one at Batumi
will be wound up before October 1, 2008.

TOURISTS FROM OVER 60 COUNTRIES VISITED NKR CURRENT YEAR
DeFacto Agency, Armenia
Nov 16 2006
In 2006 over 5 000 foreign citizens have visited the Nagorno-Karabakh
Republic.
75 % of the Republic’s guests were tourists, the NKR MFA Consular
Service Head Yuri Zakharian told DE FACTO Agency. The tourists from
over 60 countries, mostly the U. S., Canada, Russia, France, Australia,
the U. K., Germany and Italy have visited the Nagorno-Karabakh current
year. Hundreds of people representing research and humanitarian
organizations, business circles and mass media have also visited the
Republic. The citizens of India, Cambodia and Venezuela were among
the NKR’s guests.
Yuri Zakharian mentioned positive dynamics of the growth of the
foreigners’ visits to the NKR registered during the last five years –
about 30 % a year.

FUND RAISING CAMPAIGN FOR HADRUT REGION’S RESTORATION STARTED IN NKR
DeFacto Agency, Armenia
Nov 16 2006
A Fund-Raising Campaign for the restoration and development of
the Hadrut region’s populated localities have started today in the
Nagorno-Karabakh Republic under the aegis of Hayastan All-Armenian
Fund.
Today the Republic Staff for the TV marathon’s organization in the
NKR urged the citizens to actively participate in the humanitarian
action, DE FACTO own correspondent in Stepanakert reports.
In the course of the NKR National Assembly plenary sitting held
November 15 Speaker Ashot Gulian also called the enterprises’ staffs,
public and political organizations, all the citizens of the Republic
to take an active part in the fund raising. He said the NKR NA had
decided to transfer 350 000 drams to Hayastan All-Armenian Fund at the
expense of private donations of the deputies and Parliament employees.
The NKR President Arkady Ghoukassian is in the U. S. to prepare the
TV marathon that starts November 23 in Los Angeles.

GREAT SURPRISE ON ARMENIAN POLICY
Turkish Press
Nov 16 2006
Turkey has been getting prepared for a great surprise regarding its
Armenian policy. Foreign Minister & Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul
said that they could move so-called Armenian genocide allegations to
the international judiciary. “Accusations can be the biggest problem
for next 10 years,” he noted.

PATRICK DEVECHIYAN: WE SHOULD HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT PROTECTION AFTER “BOZQURDS” ATTACK
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
Nov 16 2006
Because of harming the freedom of speech I was against of this law
a year before. But I change my mind after Turkish patriots’ actions
in Lion. “Bozgurds” did it.
Turkish diplomacy declared that Turkish people support these attacks.
We could not pat attention to the disputes on freedom of speech
after the events happened in Lion. We should have thought about our
security. We needed legal mechanism that could protect Armenians
in France,” Patrick Devechiyan, Armenian Parliamentarian, one of
the authors of the law that was adopted in France parliament said,
APA reports. Devechiyan said that they worked for three years for
France to recognize Armenian genocide and they can wait for the law
for a long time.
“We are waiting for 90 years,” he said. He said that only foreign
pressure can change official Ankara’s position.
It should be noted that Devechiyan was born in France, but he is
from Elazig region of Turkey by origin. His father was an official
during Ottoman Empire. Formerly being the lawyer of ASALA terrorists,
Devechiyan also worked as minister in France. At present he is the
leader of popular Movement Union Party and the counciller of Nikola
Sarkozi, Interior Minister.

OSCE MINSK GROUP HOPES TO AGREE ON BASE PRINCIPLES OF NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT REGULATION TILL THE END OF THE YEAR
TREND, Azerbaijan
Nov 16 2006
The Co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group for the regulation of the
Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict hope that the next
meeting of the Presidents of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and Armenia Robert
Kocharyan will take place in the nearest future, Trend reports. “We
hope that this meeting will take place on November 28, within the
CIS Summit in Minsk,” the Russian Co-chair of the Minsk Group Yuri
Merzlyakov informed RIA Novosti.
On November 16, the co-chairs of the Minsk Group made speeches before
the Permanent Council of the OSCE (France, USA and Russia).
According to the Russian Co-chair, the current year will present unique
window of opportunities for achieving an agreement on the settlement
of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. He said that at the beginning of
this year, both countries stated that earlier they were not as close
to the agreement.
“It would be a tragically successful chance for the Presidents
of Azerbaijan and Armenia to permit this window to close at the
beginning of the next year to agree at least on the base principles
for the future peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,”
Merzlyakov said. In addition, he said that the next election cycle
reaches in 2007-2008 – first in Armenia and then in Azerbaijan. “We
already have the experience of the negative impacts of the elections
on the negotiations,” the Russian Co-chair said.
Answering the question about the possible impacts of the Kosovo
regulation on the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, he
emphasized that all conflicts have own peculiarities. “However, the
regulation of the Kosovo question will somehow affect other conflicts
in the OSCE territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh,” Merzlyakov said.