ILHAM ALIYEV RECEIVED DELEGATION OF MINSK GROUP CO-CHAIR STATES
Author: J.Shahverdiyev
TREND Information, Azerbaijan
May 24 2006
The President of Azerbaijan Republic Ilham Aliyev received the
delegation of the Minsk Group co-chair states in the Presidential
palace on May 24, 2006. The composition of the delegation includes
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Grigori Karasin, the USA State
Secretary Assistant Daniel Freed, French President Advisor Pyer Morel,
co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group and the personal representative of
the OSCE chairman, Trend reports.
The meeting focused on the negotiations held in connection with the
solution of Azerbaijan-Armenian Nagorno-Karabakh problem.

OSCE MINSK GROUP CO-CHAIRS, VISITING AZERBAIJAN, ISSUED STATEMENT
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
May 24 2006
OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs, being on a visit in Azerbaijan, issued
joint statement. The statement reads that co-chairs coming together
with OSCE chairman in- office personal representative, in diplomatic
mission is to support the necessity of Nagorno Garabagh conflict
in peaceful way, and stressing the time of solving the problem for
the sides.
“We were received by President Ilham Aliyev, and before that we
met with foreign minister Elmar Mammadyarov. We had discussed the
significant aspects of future regulation. We tried to provide condition
for two Presidents’ meeting. Besides it, both countries should prepare
its community to peace not war.”
Our talks in Baku are of constructive character. Tomorrow we will visit
Yerevan, meet with President Robert Kocharyan and foreign minister
Vardan Oskanian and hold of the same character talks and return to
the states we represent and inform our leader”. Co-chairs will also
inform the OSCE and international community of their visit to the
region. “At present, it depends on Azerbaijan and Armenia what will
happen. We leave the country in hopes for development. We are pleased
to be in Baku, and we express our gratitude to President Ilham Aliyev
and Azerbaijani people for their receiving us.”

ALL KINDS OF EVERYTHING ON A THURSDAY NIGHT
John Cleere
Kilkenny Advertiser, Ireland
May 24 2006
This is a serious music column for serious music fans. With that in
mind I sat down last Thursday to watch and listen to the semi-final
of the Eurovision Song Contest. Twenty three countries sang, danced
and undressed for nearly two hours. I can now wear the Tee-shirt that
says “I sat through a whole Eurovision show and survived”.
It started out with Armenia, who sounded very Armenian. The backing
singers spent most of the song trying to tie up the main guy with
strips of leather. If they did not like the song they could have just
told him so. Bulgaria next, then Slovenia who sang the immortal line,
“You came to me at night, like a ray of light”. To which I hum,
“and your song is really s**te”. Twenty more to go and I’m beginning
to doubt whether I will stick it out.
Andorra has girls dressed only in underwear, Belarus has a guy with
his underpants on over his jeans. I think I’m going mad. Brian Kennedy
comes on and restores some sanity. Sensible clothes and a sensible song
from Ireland. I am writing this before the results are in. Prediction:
he hasn’t a hope in hell. Double chins and well clad backing singers
in nice frocks are not what this party is all about.
The male backing singer looks as if he has strayed in off the set of
the Father Ted Euro Song episode. Halfway through the performance
Brian Kennedy goes down on his knees. Did someone shoot him? Is
he praying? He gets back up and finishes the song on a high note,
literally.
A few more countries flash by then it’s Poland. They actually manage
to sound a bit Irish and one of them even has green hair. They mix
a rapper and some medieval sounds, a bit like Damien Dempsey meets
Clannad. This is one step too far in the current Irish/Polish mutual
admiration society. Finland send on a heavy metal band in costumes and
masks, Lord of the Rings meets Spinal Tap. Lordi is their name and they
proceed to try to dismantle the arena. Great stuff, they have not won
it in forty years and this is not going to be any different. Lithuania
is very confident as they sing, “We are the winners of Eurovision”. I
don’t think so boys. The final act is a lady called Sylvia Night
from Iceland. The most prominent line in her song is “You rubbish
nation”. Honesty is not a good policy at this event. This does not
go down too well and she leaves to a chorus of boos and catcalls. I
reach for the phone. Number 23 please, I feel like I am ordering a
Chinese takeaway, but Iceland get my vote. It takes guts to stand up
in front of 16,000 fanatics and manage to insult them all.
The sand flows through the biggest egg timer in the world and soon
the ten minute voting period is up. Marty Whelan gets excited as
the qualifiers are announced. Russia, Macedonia, Bosnia, Lithuania
(the guys who sang “We are the winners of Eurovision”, how did they
know?), Finland. Ukraine. I sit back with an ‘I told you so, Ireland
haven’t a hope smirk’. Then qualifier number nine is announced. It’s
Ireland! Marty goes ballistic, you would think we had won the World
Cup, the Lotto and three All Irelands in a row. That’s it, we have
to sit through it all again on Saturday. You must be joking, Munster
versus Biarritz takes priority. Now that’s where you will hear some
real singing.
*I have just looked up Ms Sylvia Night’s website. Seemingly she was
not singing “Rubbish Nation”. What she sang was “Eurovision Nation”.
What got the crowd so upset were lines like the following:
“Born in Reykjavik in a different league – no damn eurotrashfreak
The vote is in, they say I win.
Too bad for all the others.
Hello is it God?
What’s up dog?
It’s your favourite person in the world Sylvia Night
I’m saving the world”.
No sense of humour these eurotrashfreaks.
From: Baghdasarian

STANCE OF UKRAINE CONCERNING TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY OF AZERBAIJAN STABLE
AzerTag, Azerbaijan
May 24 2006
President of Ukraine Victor Yushchenko has declared, that his country
is ready to be one of participants of forming of plans of settlement of
“the frozen conflicts” in territory of the GUAM states. As informed,
Yushchenko has declared it on May 22 in Kiev after the meeting with
the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, answering the question of
the Azerbaijan journalists in connection with Nagorno Karabakh.
“We recognize that each such conflict demands personal plan. There
is no typical recommendation, there is no typical recipe – as,
shall admit, to resolve problem of Nagorno Karabakh, the problem
Pridnetsrovie, or the problem of Abkhazia. These are very personified
conflicts, and they should be considered exclusively proceeding
from the personal plan”, the head of Ukraine has declared. Having
reminded of the plan offered in due time by Ukraine on settlement
of the Pridnestrovie conflict, he has noted, that the given plan was
accepted both by the Moldavian Parliament and leaders of Pridnestrovie.
“Ukraine admits that each country, including the countries of GUAM,
require support concerning the declared sovereignty and the line of
borders which have been originally defined. We speak about firmness
of borders, about integrity of territories. It is a key component of
policy”, Yushchenko said. He added, that the given position concerns
not only to the GUAM countries, but also the world policy as a whole.
“Therefore, the stance of Ukraine concerning territorial integrity of
Azerbaijan is firm, and I can only confirm it”, Mr. Yushchenko stated.

“JUSTICE” FACTION BEGINS COLLECTING SIGNATURES FOR ESTABLISHMENT OF WORKING GROUP FOR STUDY OF SITUATION IN ARMENIAN AVIATION
ARKA News Agency, Armenia
May 24 2006
YEREVAN, May 24. /ARKA/. “Justice” oppositional parliamentary faction
has begun collecting signatures for establishment of a working group
for study of the situation in the Armenian aviation and organization
of parliamentary hearings. According to the information provided by
the Secretary of “Justice” faction Viktor Dallakyan 20 signatures
form required 44 are already collected.
He said parliamentary opposition has not once offered to create
a working group for study of the situation in the Armenian civil
aviation; however proposals were continually rejected.
“In the present situation especially in the light of crash of the
A-320 Armenian liner near Sochi on May 3, opposition will insist
on formation of a working group and holding special parliamentary
hearings, presumably on June 12”, Dallakyan said.

STAFF MANAGER OF YEREVAN BRANDY COMPANY HRANT BAGRATYAN TO RESIGN BY THE END OF JUNE
ARKA News Agency, Armenia
May 24 2006
YEREVAN, May 24. /ARKA/. Staff and Grape Purchase Manager of the
Yerevan Brandy Company (YBC), RA ex-Prime Minister Hrant Bagratyan
will resign by the end of June, upon his own application, according
to the Press Service of the YBC. Bagratyan has been Staff and Grape
Purchase Manager of the YBC since 1998.
“YBC Board of Directors expresses its gratitude to Mr. Bagratyan
for his service in establishment of good relations between the YBC
and wine-growers of Armenia, as well as for his contribution to
strengthening company’s authority and image in the republic, and
wishes success in future activities”, YBC press release says.
The Press Service also informed that the Administrative-Financial
Manager of the YBC from 1999 to 2006 Alexander Ghazaryan has been
appointed Regional Director of Pernod Ricard in Kazakhstan. His post
will be taken up by Ignaty Arakelyan, who has been Chief Accountant
of YBC since 1999.
In June 1998 YBC joined Pernod Ricard group international corporation
owner of a number of famous trade brands of spirits. Pernod Ricard
company obtained Yerevan Brandy Company at international tender for
$30 mln.

OSCE OFFICIAL WELCOMES ABKHAZ RAILWAY DEAL
Civil Georgia, Georgia
May 24 2006
Speaking at the OSCE Economic Forum, which concluded in Prague on
May 24, Special Envoy of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office Pierre Chevalier
welcomed plans for a railroad project via breakaway Abkhazia, which
will connect Russia and Armenia via Georgia.
In early May the Georgian, Abkhaz, Russian, and Armenian sides signed
a protocol on establishing a consortium – the Black Sea Railways –
which will rehabilitate the Abkhaz railway.
“Everything must be done to entice parties to a conflict to find
complementary ways to overcome their differences… One possible
contribution in this respect is to lay emphasis on the economic and
social interests they have in common,” Pierre Chevalier said.
He also noted that projects proposed after an OSCE Needs
Assessment Study in breakaway South Ossetia included transportation
infrastructure. A donors’ conference will be held in Brussels on
14 June.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

AZERBAIJAN AND ARMENIA SHOULD TAKE RESOLUTE STEPS FOR RESOLVING NK PROBLEM – DANIEL FREED
Author: R.Abdullayev
TREND Information, Azerbaijan
May 24 2006
The sides should take resolute steps for the final solution of
Nagorno-Karabakh problem. However, the final clarification of the
situation existing in the negotiation process will be possible only in
late this week, Trend reports quoting the interview of the assistant
of the USA state secretary Daniel Freed to ATV television.
Daniel stressed that it was his third visit to Baku over past 6
months. “My goal is to find a peaceful solution variant to Karabakh
problem. Every resident of the region has the right to desire peace
and it needs to realize this desire in the nearest future,” told
Freed noting that for this purpose, it needs to take exact steps at
the state level.
“The Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev and Armenian president Robert
Kocharyan may resolve the problem peacefully,” noted Freed.

ROBERT SIMMONS: “NATO HAS PLANS CONCERNING NK”
Ïðaâî Âûaîða, Azerbaijan
Democratic Azerbaijan
May 24 2006
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia, Vardan Askanyan, stated
that NATO “wants to be involved with many issues concerning Nagorni
Garabakh, and proposes to hold discussions in this respect”.
In turn, deputy General Secretary of NATO, Robert Simmons, being in
Yerevan, informs: “Our interest directly concerns military changes
and conflicts in the region. NATO has some active plans and concept
concerning Caucasus and conflicts in the given region”.
In near future Alliance is going to enlarge the mandate of coordinator
of the region in question. Armenian mass media focused on recent
statement of R. Simmons concerning the fact that regulation of “frozen”
conflicts is the main priorities of NATO.
Special representative of organization stresses that nothing has
changed in NATO policy directed to Nagorni Garabakh: conflict should
be regulated peacefully owing to mutual efforts of both countries.
Azerbaijani officials in turn inform about necessity to increase NATO
role in regulation of the mentioned conflict. It should be reminded
that the given issue was touched upon during Simmons’ recent visit
to Baku while presentation new priorities of Alliance.
One of the principal items NATO “Individual Partnership Action Plan”
(IPAP) intended for Azerbaijan and Armenia includes security, defense,
public policy, science and administration issues of the countries.
During press conference held in Yerevan, Simmons stated that Brussels
watches tension in Caucasus which impedes cooperation. Alliance is
not worried about Russian military forces in Armenia. Accordingly to
Simmons, NATO dose not interfere in this issue, moreover Armenia is
not against it.
As for possibility of placement of NATO peacemaking forces in Nagorni
Garabakh Simmons underlined that it is possible after long and detailed
discussions. Regardless of anything NATO hopes for peaceful end of
the above conflict.
It was also pointed out that if addressed, the structure may join
the events to provide peace agreement.
NATO official does not deny participation of organization he
represents in security of oil-pipe line Baku – Tbilisi – Ceyhan and
other energetic project being realized in the region.
Accordingly to him NATO forces will not be entrusted with security of
oil-pipe. Alliance may provide technical aid for countries in which
the line lies and organize training.
In his speech delivered in Yerevan, Simmons touched upon the issue
of Armenian-Turkish frontier. He informed that military alliance does
not want to interfere in affairs of these countries.
At the same time Simmons called relationship between Armenia and
NATO “very good”. NATO representative specially stressed that he is
satisfied with cooperation of Yerevan and Brussels in the field of
army improvement.
–Boundary_(ID_hNVwjeF7EPa71HkZ4DuCk A)–

NICOLAE UREKI: “PRESIDENT ILHAM ALIYEV INTENDS TO PARTICIPATE IN BUCHAREST”
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
May 24 2006
“President Ilham Aliyev intends to participate in The Black Sea Forum
for Dialogue and Partnership summit to be held in Bucharest on June
5”, ambassador of Romania to Azerbaijan Nicolae Ureki has told a
press conference.
The ambassador said that he expects participation of Georgia, Moldova,
Ukraine and Armenia presidents, Bulgaria, Turkey and Greece to be
represented in prime minister and Foreign minister Heads level.
Series of international, as well as officials of Norway, the US and
Israel have been invited. Political statement called “The Black Sea
Forum for Dialogue and Partnership” is expected to be adopted in the
measure. According to the diplomat, the project of the document was
presented to the Black Sea region countries, several meetings have
been held for agreeing the documents on the experts’ level. The
objective of the meeting is energy security, crises management,
protection of environment, holding of inter-cultural dialogue.
Nicolae Ureki said that issue on “frozen conflicts” will not be
discussed at the forum. The ambassador stated that there is not
alternative to Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization. Stressing
Azerbaijani-Armenian Presidents meeting is considered within Bucharest
summit, Nicolae Ureki said he hopes for finding way out of the Nagorno
Garabagh conflict which lasted long.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress