YUNUSOV: KARABAKH CONFLICT SETTLEMENT TO PUSH RUSSIA OUT OF REGION

PanARMENIAN.Net
04.12.2006 16:11 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Russian leadership understands that not only
the future of the whole region but also the future role and place
of Russia in the region is being determined now, said Arif Yunusov,
the Director of the Department of Conflictology at the Institute of
Peace and Democracy. In his words, Russia realizes Azerbaijan’s role
in the Georgian-Russian collision.

Russia pursues the policy of the stick and the carrot with
Azerbaijan. Now it offers the carrot but at the same time hints
at possible appliance of the stick "In other words, on one hand
Russia pursues a selective policy with Azerbaijan. Actively playing
a separatist card as regard Georgia and Moldova, Moscow tries not
to irritate Azerbaijan. On the other hand Moscow understands that
Azerbaijan is neither Georgia nor Armenia. Russia has lost influence
on Baku’s policy since the Yeltsin times. There are no Russian troops
in Azerbaijan, which possesses enough energy resources kept under
control of the Azeri authorities," the expert said.

At that he remarked that Russia still has some trumps, first of all
the Karabakh issue and the condition of Azeri migrants in Russia. The
recent measures of the Russian authorities as regards the Azeri
migrants are the stick while the promise of support in the Karabakh
issue is the carrot. "As a matter of fact Russia can influence on the
negotiation process however the hope that Russia will press on Armenia
and help Azerbaijan to take Karabakh back is a mere illusion. The
settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict will strengthen the
U.S. positions and will push Russia out of the region, reports Day.az.

KOCHARIAN-ALIYEV MEETING LIKELY TO YIELD NO RESULT, YUNUSOV SAYS

PanARMENIAN.Net
04.12.2006 16:28 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The meeting of Robert Kocharian and Ilham Aliyev
scheduled for early December in Moscow is likely to yield no result,
said Arif Yunusov, the Director of the Department of Conflictology
at the Institute of Peace and Democracy when commenting on the
expectations from the forthcoming presidential meeting. "Formally,
proceeding from the information on the latest meeting of the
FMs in Minsk the Presidents are expected to sign a framework
agreement. However I do not believe in it. I suppose the meeting
will prove fruitless," he said. At that the Azeri expert remarked
that ‘there is a breakthrough’ in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict
settlement. "The American plan frequently called the Prague Process is
coming to its logical end. But it will share the fate of the former
plans on the conflict settlement (common state, stepwise plan or
package plan) and will simply become a part of history," he said,
reports Day.az.

1.5 YEARS ON PROBATION AND EXILE

A1+
[07:08 pm] 04 December, 2006

Today the trial of Vahagn Chakhalyan, member of the presidium of
democratic union "United Javakhq" was over. Let us remind you that
he was accused of illegal crossing of the state border.

The court of the first instance of Shirak region decided to put Vahagn
Chakhalyan on probation for 1.5 years. After the court arrived at the
verdict, the police stopped Chakhalyan returning to Yerevan and said
they had an order to banish him from the country.

Nevertheless, they represented no legal ground for the decision.

The police refused Chakhalyan’s request to leave the country the next
day together with his pregnant wife.

GEORGIA TO BRING AN ACTION AGAINST RUSSIA

PanARMENIAN.Net
04.12.2006 16:42 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Georgian Ministry of Justice intends to bring a
suit against Russia at the European Court of Human Rights for violating
rights of Georgians, deported from the territory of RF.

According to the information provided by republic’s Consul in Moscow
Zurab Pataradze, those detained were tortured. At present a special
commission at the Georgian Parliament deals with facts of persecution
of Georgians in Russia. Specifically Tengiza Togonidze, (the widow
of a Georgian citizen, who died after he was detained and stayed at
a special place) said that her husband was denied medical assistance
and was tortured with electroshock. December 2 the media reported of
death of a refugee from Abkhazia Manana Jabeliya, who was also kept
at a special place for foreign citizens. She died after the Moscow
city court canceled the decision on deporting her, thus confirming
she was staying in Moscow legally.

According to preliminary reports, heart deficiency caused her
death. Law-enforcement bodies check this case. Meanwhile, the check-up
held by St. Petersburg Prosecutor’s Office on the fact of Togonidze’s
death did not reveal transgressions of the law.

Earlier official representative of the Federal Migration Service
of Russia Constantine Poltoranin stated that conditions, in which
Georgian awaiting deportation are held, are "better than in a prison."

Russian force departments had activated search for illegal immigrants
from Georgia, as well as check-up of commercial structures, owned by
Georgians in early October, after several Russian servicemen were
detained in Tbilisi on suspicion of espionage. The servicemen were
released in a few days, however mass deportations of Georgians from
Russia continued. In late October Georgian PM Zurab Nogaideli stated
that "within the past month over one thousand Georgians were deported
or had to flee from Russia," reports Lenta.ru.

NEW AMBASSADOR OF EUROPEAN COMMITTEE TO ARMENIA

A1+
[08:10 pm] 04 December, 2006

Head of the European Committee delegation to Armenia, Ambassador
Per Eklund handed his credentials to RA deputy Foreign Minister
Armen Bayburdyan.

Mr. Bayburdyan greeted the newly appointed Ambassador and wished
his good luck in carrying out his high mission. Ambassador Eklund
voiced his readiness to contribute to the relations between Armenia
and the EU.

During the meeting the sides referred to the Individual Partnership
Action Plan ratified on November 14 for Armenia. They discussed issues
about its realization.

KARABAKH AHEAD OF MANY NEIGHBORING STATES ON DEMOCRATIC VALUES

PanARMENIAN.Net
04.12.2006 17:02 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The referendum on NKR draft Constitution will be held
positively and successfully, stated Armenian President’s Advisor on
National Security Garnik Isagulyan. In his words, after independence
Nagorno Karabakh has a policy of a fully established state. "It was
obviously confirmed at the parliamentary and presidential election
in Karabakh," he underscored. By that Nagorno Karabakh again proved
to the civilized world that it possesses all attributes of statehood,
Isagulyan noted. "Besides, Karabakh is ahead of many neighboring states
from the point of view of democratic and other values," he stressed.

December 10, 2006 the referendum on NKR draft Constitution will
be held. The draft specifically notes that the Nagorno Karabakh
Republic is a sovereign, democratic, jural, social state, reports
Novosti-Armenia.

ARMENIA AND TURKEY MISS CHANCE TO ESTABLISH RELATIONS EACH DAY

PanARMENIAN.Net
04.12.2006 17:59 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Each day Armenia and Turkey miss a chance to
establish bilateral relations, Armenian FM Vartan Oskanian stated in an
interview with the New Anatolian. In his words, Turkey unfortunately
does not want to establish diplomatic relations equally with all
three Caucasus nations and play a more constructive role. "So that
opportunity was missed.

The second opportunity has come out as closer cooperation with the
European Union. At the same time that Turkey is negotiating its
EU accession, today Turkey has the opportunity to play a role as a
bridge between the Caucasus and Europe. That opportunity is also is
being missed, but the biggest opportunity that we’re missing is the
interaction between our two peoples. Fifteen years have passed (since
Armenia declared its independence in 1991), and no interaction is seen
on the border. Our peoples do not know each other well and old memories
are being reinforced, our focus today is the wrong focus. We have
got to focus on new relations, open borders, establishing diplomatic
relations and that is what I mean by saying missed opportunities,"
Oskanian remarked.

Commenting on the Turkish Government’s intention to bring an action
and the International Court on the issue of the Armenian Genocide,
the Armenian FM said, "For us, there is no court case, we will never
talk about this, because we grew up with the real evidence, our
parents and our grandparents. That living evidence of this tragedy,
survival of Genocide, I am the son of one them. So for Armenians there
has never been an issue where we ourselves have to prove this by going
to court, that this Genocide happened. The question for us is to get a
political solution. Because the issue is neither historical nor legal,
it is political. And Turkey has politicized this by pursuing a policy
of denial at the state level."

RUSSIAN MIL EQUIPMENT TRANSPORTED FROM GEORGIA ACROSS AZERBAIJAN
Tengiz Pachkoria

ITAR-TASS News Agency, Russia
December 1, 2006 Friday

A train carrying equipment from the Tbilisi-based Russian garrison
left Vaziani, Tbilisi’ suburbs, at 08:00 Moscow time on Friday for
Russia. It took the way across Azerbaijan, a source at the headquarters
of Russian troops in the Trans-Caucasian region said.

It is the second and last train to carry equipment of the garrison
to Russia. The first left on November 23.

Under the agreement, Georgia, together with Russia, ensures equipment
withdrawal safety.

On November 16, a train of the garrison left for Armenia, for the
Russian base in Gyumri.

The garrison property withdrawal from Georgia will be completed on
December 14 when one more train will leave for Gyumri.

The withdrawal is carried out ahead of schedule in accordance with
the Russian Defence Ministry’s decision. A total of 100 units of
machinery, 350 tonnes of equipment and ammunition and 387 servicemen
will be withdrawn. The garrison personnel will be carried by vehicles
from Georgia in the second half of December.

A small group of officers will remain in Georgia to continue their
service at the Russian base in Batumi to complete the withdrawal
of the bases from Akhalkalaki and Batumi. Under the agreements, the
first of them will be closed by October 1, 2007, and the second by
October 1, 2008.

OSKANIAN AND MAMMADYAROV NOT TO MEET IN BRUSSELS

PanARMENIAN.Net
04.12.2006 18:42 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ During the session of the Council of OSCE FMs that
opened in Brussels today no private meeting between Armenian and Azeri
FMs Vartan Oskanian and Elmar Mammadyarov will be held. As reported by
RFE/RL referring to a diplomatic source, Oskanian is scheduled to meet
with co-chairs of the OSCE MG for settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh
conflict today, while no separate meeting is planned with Mammadyarov.

NOVELIST ORHAN PAMUK RETURNS TO TURKEY FOR 1ST TIME SINCE WINNING NOBEL PRIZE

Associated Press Worldstream
December 1, 2006 Friday 1:21 PM GMT

Novelist Orhan Pamuk returned on Friday to Turkey for the first time
since winning the Nobel prize for literature, and he said the award
would not change his life.

"I am attached to my desk, to writing, to working and to my old
habits," Pamuk told journalists at the airport. "I will continue to
be the novelist Orhan that you all know."

Pamuk, a fellow at Columbia University in New York City, was in the
United States when he won the prize in October.

He said he would stay in Istanbul for three or four days before
traveling to Stockholm, Sweden with his daughter, to receive his prize.

Pamuk, author of novels such as "Snow" and "My Name is Red," was
tried earlier this year on charges of insulting his country.

He was tried after a group of ultra-nationalist lawyers accused Pamuk
of the crime of "insulting Turkishness" after the novelist told a
Swiss newspaper that "30,000 Kurds and one million Armenians were
killed in these lands, and nobody but me dares to talk about it."

The charges were dropped over a technicality.

The European Union, which Turkey aspires to join, is pressing the
country to change the law, which has been used to charge Pamuk and
dozens of other writers, academics and journalists.