Matthew Bryza: Minsk Group’s proposals are rather acceptable for Armenia
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
July 31, 2006
Following the talks with Armenian President Robert Kocharian and
Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan in Yerevan on 29 July, the US
co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group Mathew Bryza arrived in Khankendi
and had talks with head of the separatist regime Arkadi Gukasyan.
APA reports the US co-chair returning to Yerevan told the RFE/Radio
Liberty that Kocharian was quite open with him.
“The talks I had with him will help in preparing recommendations for
other co-chairs,” Matthew Bryza said.
The co-chair said the meeting with Kocharian even encouraged him to
continue this process. Stressing that there is a chance to reach
peace agreement in 2006, Mr.Bryza said he believes possibility of
working and achieving success in electoral period as well.
“The parties cannot demonstrate political will to make a trade-off,”
said Bryza adding that after meeting with Kocharian he realized
that the proposals offered by the Minsk Group are rather acceptable
for Armenia.
Commenting on the future status of Nagorno Garabagh, Bryza said the
co-chairs admit that the status of Nagorno Garabagh is to be determined
by its population, “Participation of the people, who lived there till
1988, in this process is the constituent part of a large peace plan.”
The US co-chair is paying a one-day visit to the Azerbaijani capital,
Baku tomorrow. He is due to meet with President Ilham Aliyev, Foreign
Minister Elmar Mammadyarov and head of the Azerbaijani community of
Nagorno Garabagh Nizami Bahmanov.
The US Embassy told the APA Bryza is not planning to hold a press
conference in Baku. The Minsk Group co-chairs will meet in Paris
early next week. The co-chairs mediating in the settlement of the
Nagorno Garabagh will discuss Bryza’s visit in the region./APA/
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARKADY GHOUKASYAN: THERE WERE NO SERIOUS OBJECTIONS
DeFacto Agency, Armenia
July 31, 2006
After a meeting with the OSCE Minsk group U. S. Co-Chair Matthew Bryza
held July 29 Arkady Ghoukasyan informed the journalists that one of the
meeting’s principal items was the NKR’s participation in the talks. “I
believe Mr. Bryza realizes that the conflict cannot be settled without
Nagorno Karabakh. Not only he, but all the mediators are aware of the
fact. Sure, we discussed a number of other issues as well; however,
the issue of the NKR’s participation was the first on the agenda”.
In the course of the talk Arkady Ghoukasyan presented the NKR’s
official stand on various aspects of the problem. “I cannot say there
were serious objections on his part, as our approaches are logical,
and, naturally, were interesting for them. Naturally, due to the
negotiations’ confidentiality I cannot reveal all the details of
the talks; however, it is obvious that our position differs from the
approaches presented by the mediators to some extent. But I repeat
once again that I have not heard any serious objections”, the NKR
President stated.

Elections are not an obstacle to the conversations on
Nagorno-Karabakh – US co-chairman of OSCE Minsk Group
TREND Information, Azerbaijan
July 31, 2006
“I see the parties sow a political will to solve the problems and
the philosophy forming our basis is acceptable”, Liberty Station
reports quoting Matthew Bryza, US co-chairman of OSCE Minsk group,
following his meeting with Armenian President Robert Kocharyan on
settling Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
Trend reports with reference to REGNUM information agency, Mr Bryza,
talking on proposals details, said there are some unsolved questions
linked to Kelbajar and Lachin, as well as the referendum. Mr Bryza
confirmed OSCE MG co-chairmen opinion of Nagorno-Karbakh people sole
entitlement to define Karabakh’s status. However, Bryza said, the
question is whom to consider people of Karabakh as some lived there
till 1988 and are also willing to take part in the referendum. Such
issues are just offers and suggestions and therefore the agreement
is inevitable.
Answering the question whether it is possible to reach the agreement
this year or only in 2009, Bryza said the chance always exists as it
would be beneficial for the two countries presidents to take part at
the elections with the problem already solved. However, he added,
the problems are much easier to solve without the tension in big
politics. Alongside, American diplomat said OSCE Minsk group was
ready to act as long as the parties take these problems seriously.
Touching upon democracy in Armenia, Bryza said US links to Armenia
would be as strong as the democracy in this country, especially
Armenia’s participation in “Challenge of Millennium” program

Azerbaijan eager to collaborate with Armenia in extinguishing fires
on occupied Armenian grounds – Foreign Ministry
TREND Information, Azerbaijan
July 31, 2006
Azerbaijan is ready to collaborate with Armenia in elimination
of consequences of fires on occupied Azerbaijan’s grounds, said
chief of press and information policy with the Ministry of Interior
Tahir Tagizadeh, commenting on the statement by Peter Semneby, EU
special representative for South Caucasus, that both the parties
shall be interested in creation of joint firefighting capacities at
international support.
Azerbaijan, diplomat said, already sounded its position on the
statements by Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan and some other
Armenian officials that Armenia is ready to cooperate with Azerbaijan
in this sphere. “Our position is that Azerbaijan considers this
problem important and, realizing possible environmental consequences
for the region, is eager to join efforts with Armenia in this field”,
underlined Tagizadeh.
He said, on the other hand, the proposals Azerbaijani Foreign Minister
presented in his letter to OSCE chairman Karl de Gucht show Azerbaijan’
positions matching the EU’s opinion in this respect.

Iran’s embassy in Armenia condemns Zionist crimes in Lebanon
Islamic Republic News Agency, Iran
Aug 1, 2006
Tehran, Aug 1, IRNA Iran-Embassy-Armenia
Iran’s embassy in Armenia by issuing a statement condemned savage
attacks on Palestinian and Lebanese people by warmonger Zionist regime.
According to Foreign Ministry Media Department on Monday, the embassy
by condemning horrible massacre of children, women and defenseless
men and wide demolishing of residential areas and infrastructures
in Palestine and Lebanon, along with all peace-lovers and justice
seekers in the world call for more efforts of world community,
especially the UN, to stop these crimes.
It continued regretfully in the recent weeks the world has witnessed
painful scenes of savage atrocities of the Zionist regime and full
and unconditional support of some military and political powers of
the world have disappointed everyone on the accomplishment of peace
and stability in the international system.

Bryza: Elections Not Obstacle to Karabakh Talks
PanARMENIAN.Net
31.07.2006 15:04 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ OSCE Minsk Group U.S. Co-chair Matthew Bryza said
he still hopes that Presidents Ilham Aliyev and Robert Kocharian will
iron out their differences on the Nagorno Karabakh conflict in the
coming months on the most recent peace proposals of the OSCE Minsk
Group. “However I think it’s possible to work through an election
season and still make progress,” Bryza said in an exclusive interview
with RFE/RL.
He said he was assured by Kocharian that the Minsk Group plan is
essentially acceptable to Yerevan. “I enjoyed hearing his account
of where things stand and how we got here,” he said. “I felt a
constructive, candid attitude on his part. He was very open. And he
helped me think through what sort of recommendations I might bring
to my fellow co-chairs,” Mr Bryza remarked.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Oil for Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan Insufficient
PanARMENIAN.Net
31.07.2006 15:23 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The operation of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline
proved that the existing infrastructure of the oil transportation in
Azerbaijan obviously exceeds the amount of its production, Zerkalo
newspaper wrote. According to the edition, the situation is quite
expectable, since foreign oil companies suffered big losses at many
Azeri oilfields. According to the latest data, the oil resources in
Azerbaijan make some 7 billion barrels and they will be sufficient
for 42.4 more years while the oil resources in Kazakhstan make 39.6
billion barrels and their production can last some 80 more years.

NATO Highlights Peaceful Settlement of Conflicts in South Caucasus
PanARMENIAN.Net
31.07.2006 16:30 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The key security aspects are political issues
including the Euro-Atlantic integration of the South Caucasian states,
the integration with EU and NATO, the national security concept,
national defense strategy and foreign policy goals, NATO Liaison
Officer in the Caucasus Romualds Razuks said in an interview with
PanARMENIAN.Net. In his words, it’s essential to develop practical
regional cooperation among the partners from the South Caucasus and
the Black Sea region as well as with Russia.
“One of the principal directions is combating terrorism. We also
highlight struggle against corruption and bringing of the national
legislation in line with international standards, ratification
of relevant CoE conventions (e.g. social chapter, national
minorities). The IPAP also provides for steps towards economic reforms
including remuneration system for public servants, management of
public enterprises, privatization process, state procurement process,
statistical records for tax collection, foreign trade and balance
payments statistics, antimonopoly legislation and competition policy,”
he said.
The NATO Liaison Officer underscored that NATO attaches importance
to a peaceful settlement of conflicts. “We consider that the leading
role in the peaceful conflict resolution policy belongs to the OSCE
and U.N. The measures include determination of status of autonomies,
return of refugees and IDP’s rehabilitation of conflict zones and
complementarity of actions of international organizations in Georgia.
NATO partnership policy is developing and covering new regions as
well as setting new priorities with a strategic goal of enhancing
security and stability.
South Caucasus was declared NATO’s geographical priority. New
partnership tools and schemes of cooperation including the IPAP are
introduced well adjusting them to already existing ones and making a
good use of both. Joining by Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan of the
IPAP process is a promising step towards promoting regional as well
as Euro-Atlantic security,” Razuks said.

Keeping Goran Lennmarker on reporter position for Nagorno-Karabakh
will not change anything – Azeri PM
TREND Information, Azerbaijan
July 31, 2006
The chairman of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Goran Lennmarker’s
remaining on the position of reporter for Nagorno-Karabakh will
not bring benefit or damage to Azerbaijan, Fazil Gazanfaroglu, the
member of Azerbaijani delegation in PA OSCE and the chairman of Great
Establishment Party, told Trend.
Yesterday, the official member of PA OSCE Andreas Baker announced
that together with position of chairman of the Assembly, Goran
Lennmarker will fulfill the mission of reporter on Nagorno-Karabakh.
Lannmarker was elected the chairman of the Assembly during the summer
session of PA OSCE held in Brussels.
Gazanfaroglu stressed that Lennmarker’s fulfilling the mission of
reporter on Nagorno-Karabakh will not have any impact on the process.
“Because the report developed by Lennmarker regarding Nagorno-Karabakh
didn’t satisfy the sides. Therefore, the fact that he again assumed
this mission isn’t of importance. Because the report that was prepared
before and will be prepared will not be presented to the discussion of
the Assembly without agreeing between the sides,” Gazanfaroglu added.
Besides, the deputy pointed out that as Lennmarker is well familiar
with Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, he considered that there is no need
to appoint new reporter. Therefore, he decided continuing the mission.

RA MFA: Armenia Ready for Cooperation on Ecology Issues with Baku
PanARMENIAN.Net
31.07.2006 16:40 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Yerevan attaches importance to the creation of
atmosphere of trust in the region and is ready to cooperate on ecology
issues with the Azeri side, RA Foreign Ministry’s Acting Spokesman
Vladimir Karapetian told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter.
For his part, head of the department of press and information policy
at the Azeri MFA Tahir Taghizade remarked that Azerbaijan is ready
to cooperate with Armenia in order to liquidate the consequences of
the fires at the Karabakh border, reported Trend.
It should be noted that EU Special Representative for the South
Caucasus Peter Semneby said both parties should be interested in
formation of a joint committee for combating fires.