AZERI, ARMENIAN LEADERS’ POSITIONS ON KARABAKH SOLUTION CREATIVE – US MEDIATOR
Yeni Musavat, Baku
2 Aug 06
US co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group Matthew Bryza has described
the Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents’ approaches to the Karabakh
settlement as creative.
In an interview with the Azerbaijani opposition daily Yeni Musavat
published on 2 August, Bryza said: “President Aliyev and President
Kocharyan approach [the Karabakh peace] process creatively and want
to work on the advanced proposals. I think so.”
Asked if he knew that a proposal for holding a referendum in Karabakh
run against Azerbaijan’s constitution, he said the OSCE Minsk Group
co-chairs did not insist on this proposal and that they put forward
certain ideas for the presidents’ consideration. He added that it
was up to the two presidents to determine the ways of learning the
public opinion on the issue.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIAN POLITICIAN DOWNBEAT ON US MEDIATOR’S VISIT
Arminfo
1 Aug 06
Yerevan, 1 August: “The visit of the US co-chairman of the OSCE Minsk
Group, Matthew Bryza, showed that the leadership of the Nagornyy
Karabakh republic [NKR] firmly insists that Nagornyy Karabakh should
become the main party to the negotiating process,” the leader of the
Democratic Party of Armenia and chairman of the steering committee of
the Union for the Defence of the NKR, Aram Sarkisyan, told an Arminfo
correspondent today.
He expressed confidence that “as soon as Nagornyy Karabakh becomes
a party to the negotiations, many provisions in the draft frame
agreement proposed by the OSCE Minsk Group will be changed”.
On the whole, Bryza’s visit did not answer most of the
important questions regarding the negotiating process, Sarkisyan
said. “Naturally, this was a factfinding visit by Bryza, however, it
is clear that his statements remain in force. It seems to me that great
attention was paid to one of the co-chairmen and his remarks were taken
with a shiver,” he said. “We consider that there should be the same
balanced attitude to the co-chairmen. I absolutely do not understand
the statements by the Armenian foreign and defence ministers that the
main principles of the settlement proposed by the OSCE Minsk Group
co-chairs
are acceptable to Armenia,” Sarkisyan said.
[Passage omitted: Sarkisyan speaks about the possible deployment of
peacekeepers in Nagornyy Karabakh]

SERIOUS CRIMES ON THE INCREASE IN BREAKAWAY AZERI REGION
Mediamax news agency
31 Jul 06
Yerevan, 31 July: In the first half of 2006, 272 crimes were registered
in the Nagornyy Karabakh republic (NKR), which is 14.3 per cent more
than in the same period of 2005.
The number of serious and especially serious crimes grew from 85
to 104 in the first six months of 2006. In the first half of 2006,
four crimes which involved the use of weapons and explosives and two
murders were committed in the NKR, while no such cases were registered
in the same period of 2005.
In the first half of 2006, the rate of solving crimes in the republic
accounted for 86 per cent compared with 92.9 per cent in the same
period of 2005.

ARMENIAN NATIONALISTS URGE GOVERNMENT TO ANNEX KARABAKH
Arminfo
1 Aug 06
Yerevan, 1 August: Armenia has actually resolved the Karabakh problem
and should now declare Nagornyy Karabakh its province, Armen Avetisyan,
leader of the Armenian Aryan Union, said during a news conference at
the Pastark discussion club today.
As a result of hostilities in the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict, it
became possible to implement the decision of the Nagornyy Karabakh
referendum to merge with Armenia, he said. However, in the course
of the negotiations, several local politicians have been talking
about compromises and the handover of territories to Azerbaijan. The
handover of territories will allow Azerbaijan to shell and bomb the
Armenian towns of Kapan or Goris, Avetisyan said. He also expressed
his confidence that Azerbaijan will resume the hostilities at first
opportunity as soon as it considers itself to be ready for this.
Commenting on the visit to the region by the US co-chairman of the
OSCE Minsk Group, Matthew Bryza, the leader of the union said that
the visit was aimed at “finding out who in Armenia and Azerbaijan
is ready for concessions. Those who are readier will be treated
by the West graciously. It is not by chance that Bryza did not meet
the opposition. If the authorities of either country refuse to make
concessions, they will be replaced,” Avetisyan said.
[Passage omitted: double standards]

YARNS FROM SILK ROUTE
Bangkok Post, Thailand
Aug 3 2006
Baku, the Azeri capital, is a symphony of European and oriental
traditions and styles
STORY BY ACHARA ASHAYAGACHAT, PHOTOS BY KITIPOOM ANAN AND NIPON
TUNGSANGPRATEEP
Emerging from the convulsions triggered by collapse of the Soviet
empire in 1991, tourism in Azerbaijan is hoping to scale a stature that
once made the country an inevitable stop on the legendary Silk Route.
Located in southwestern Asia bordering the Caspian Sea, between Iran
and Russia, there are many captivating sights in this ancient land
that is generally known for its exquisite carpets and the vast oil
reserves of Baku, its capital – Bronze Age petroglyphs, medieval
minarets, mosques and the great Caucasus mountains to the north.
About a fifth of Azerbaijan’s population lives in Baku, the biggest
and most vibrant trans-Caucasian city located on a bay on the Apsheron
peninsula by Caspian Sea.
The city consists of three parts: Ichari Shahar or the old town
conspicuous by its fortress fenced off by a surrounding wall and
narrow, crooked streets, the rectangularly laid out oil section to its
south that is booming with activity, and a town built by the Soviets
who arrived to tap its oil wealth at the turn of the 20th century.
The oil section has interesting beaux-arts architecture adorning its
fine arts, history and literature museums that sit in opulent mansions
of millionaires built before the Russian revolution and subsequently
seized by the state.
The heart of Baku is the old town or the Walled City, which along
with the Maiden’s Tower, built in 12th century, and the Palace
of Shirvan shahs (kings) was declared World Heritage site in
2000. The medieval city has been restored, and retains a distinctly
Middle-Eastern and relaxed atmosphere, with its tea-houses and
busy streets. Archaeological digs have revealed Bronze Age burial
chambers. This popular part of the city, a maze of alleys, dead ends
and caravanserais or inns is also called the Acropolis of Baku.
If you have time, rent a car or buy a tour package and visit nearby
attractions such as the fire temples of Atesgah where there are
several fine medieval castles, and the open-air Gobustan Museum that
is littered with neolithic rock drawings dating back some 10,000 years.
It has some 4000 inscriptions. The subject matter includes hunting
scenes, ritual dances, religious ceremonies, ships, animals and
constellations, and many of the rocks are further adorned with
signatures and remarks added by passing Roman soldiers in the first
century AD, suggesting that the area has a long history as a tourist
attraction.
Travellers are advised to steer clear of the Nagorno-Karabakh region,
for long a bone of contention between Azerbaijan and its neighbour
Armenia. It is now administered as an autonomous enclave.
The Caspian Sea is the source of most sought after caviar at dining
tables all over the globe. It is the habitat of Beluga sturgeon.
Connoisseurs recognise caviar from the fish as the best, because of the
quality of the eggs produced, which are darker, with a bigger grain.
Beluga, the largest fish in the Caspian, can live over a hundred
years and grow to over six metres, but few now survive longer than
20 or 30 years.
According to the Pew Institute for Ocean Science at the University
of Florida, the fish now number less than 400,000, only one sixth of
which were adults. Its roe is the world’s most expensive delicacy.
Hence, it’s also the most threatened species.
Meanwhile, Thais visiting the country will find the Azeri people
charming, their fair skin, black hair, prominent nose and eyes
immediately making an impression. In downtown Baku, the setting is
modern and business-like, the people carefree and relaxed.
But the discerning visitor to Azerbaijan will detect a distinct
aloofness, call it a lack of service-mindedness that is taken for
granted in tourist destinations around the world, that endears them
to travellers. This is something it must deal with in order to win
a bigger slice of the tourist dollar.
The other challenge facing Azerbaijan is ensuring lasting peace
and political stability to draw tourists to a country that is the
confluence of Turkish, Persian and Russian cultures that do not
always gel and threaten to pull off in different directions. Next
is maintenance and conservation of its World Heritage site to ensure
its long-term appeal.
That said, Azerbaijan, and Baku in particular, offers several
temptations that if indulged can be a strain on the purse, as the Thai
wives of oil executives based there and those working in restaurants
will confirm to you. The cost of living is not cheap and they struggle
to save pennies, invariably falling for the colourful merchandise
and goodies that remain as powerful a magnet today as they were in
the days when ancient traders were drawn to the Silk Route.

COMMISSION FOR FOREIGN RELATIONS OF USA SENATE AGAIN DEFERRED CONSIDERATION OF
ISSUE OF RICHARD HOAGLAND’S APPROVAL TO POSITION OF USA AMBASSADOR TO ARMENIA
Yerevan, August 2. ArmInfo. The Commission for Foreign Relations of the
USA Senate again deferred consideration of issue of Richard Hoagland’s
approval to the position of USA Ambassador to Armenia, “Svoboda”
radio station informs. The candidacy of Hoagland was presented in
May, 2006, by the USA President. According to the source, proposal
of at least one senator was necessary to put off the discussion. The
senators-democrats Josef Biden and John Kerri came out with such a
decision, having expressed their anxiety to the Commission Chairman
Richard Lugar. Biden had stated that a group of senators addressed
him with a call to make this proposal.
The press-secretary of the USA Hay Dat Commission, Elizabeth Chuljyan,
noted that the deferment of discussions means that the senators have
some anxiety regarding the Ambassador John Evan’s resignation, the
USA position in the issue of the Armenian Genocide and Hoagland’s
statements about the Armenian Genocide.

MEMBER OF RULING PARTY BOARD: ARMENIA MAY REFUSE FROM COMPLEMENTARY
FOREIGN POLICY
Yerevan, August 2. ArmInfo. “If the OSCE Minsk Group does not change
its approaches to the Karabakh problem solution, I think, Armenia
may refuse from complementary policy”, Artak Grigoryan, the member
of the Board of the Republican Party of Armenia, said at today’s
press-conference.
He emphasized that the complementary policy of Armenia had proved
itself until now, i.e. we succeeded to avoid political shocks
in the country, a stable economic growth is fixed. A. Grigoryan
introduced the content of the Federal seminar, held in Moscow , to the
journalists. The expert from Serbia Sonya Licht stated that recognition
of Kosovo sovereignty is to be expected by February, 2007, as there
are no mechanisms of Kosovo return under jurisdiction of Belgrade. To
Grigoryan’s remark that the model of Kosovo conflict is similar to the
Karabakh conflict, the British Council representative, Charles Grant
said that he is not acquainted with the Karabakh conflict history. The
western politicians tried to convince their Armenian colleague that
the Kosovo conflict is special and cannot be projected on the Karabakh
conflict. “I am sure they are perfectly acquainted with the Karabakh
conflict history, however, the policy of double standards takes more
and more open forms “, A. Grigoryan said.

ARMENIAN AND AZERBAIJANI PRESIDENTS MUST TAKE DECISION ON REFERENDUM, SAYS MATTHEW BRYZA
Baku, August 2. ArmInfo-TURAN. At present neither Armenia, nor
Azerbaijan have agreed to any proposals of the OSCE MG co-chairmen.
Part of the co-chairmen’s proposals are still under discussion,
Matthew Bryza, U.S. co-chairman of the OSCE MG, said in an interview
to Yeni Musavat daily, while commenting on the reaction of Baku and
Yerevan to the co- chairmen’s proposals on the conflict settlement.
With regard to the referendum on the Karabakh status, Bryza said
that this idea was proposed by his predecessors, not by him. “The
question on a referendum must be first agreed on by the presidents,”
said Bryza. Results of the referendum will depend on its format and
on the voting of the people living in Nagorno Karabakh. Bryza did not
rule out the possibility of counting the votes of people that lived
in Karabakh until 1988.
Commenting on a statement about the participation of only Nagorno
Karabakh’s population in voting, Bryza said that this is not
his personal position. “These are proposals put forward by the
co-chairmen. I simply reiterate them. We did not insist on adoption
or non-adoption of these proposals. We simply put forward proposals
for your discretion,” said Bryza.
He also stressed that the latest proposals are the best ones that have
been discussed during the past two years. He urged the parties of the
conflict to express a concrete opinion on adoption, non-adoption or
change of proposals.

158.491 BLN AMD TAX REVENUES IN ARMENIA IN JAN-JUNE 2006
Yerevan, August 2. ArmInfo. In Jan-June 2006 Armenia’s tax revenues
totalled 158.491 bln AMD or 19.6% of GDP – which is 20.5% more than
a year before, reports the National Statistical Service of Armenia.
The profit tax revenues grew by 41.5% to 32.660 bln AMD (4% of GDP),
the income tax revenues by 37.7% to 15.419 bln AMD, the VAT revenues
by 13.5% to 69.505 bln AMD, the customs revenues by 11.8% to 8.173
bln AMD.

UPON RESULTS OF FIRST HALF YEAR, 2006, MORE THAN 122,5 FOREIGN TOURISTS VISITED ARMENIA
Yerevan, August 2. ArmInfo. The total number of foreign tourists,
having visited Armenia, reached 122.528 people for January-June,
2006, which exceeds the indicator of the same period, 2005, by 11,6%.
As ArmInfo was told in the National Statistical Service of Armenia,
119.451 Armenian tourists had left the country for the first half,
2006, which is higher than the similar period, 2005, by 13,3%.