FM OF AZERBAIJAN MEETS NATO ASSISTANT SECRETARY GENERAL JEAN FOURNET
AzerTag, Azerbaijan
July 3 2006
Foreign minister of Azerbaijan Elmar Mammadyarov on 3 July met with
the NATO Assistant Secretary General Jean Fournet.
Noting that the NATO Public Diplomacy Division closely cooperates with
Azerbaijan, J. Fournet produced as evidence the NATO Week in Baku,
inauguration of Euro-Atlantic Information Center.
Mr. Mammadyarov said Azerbaijan pays special attention to cooperation
with NATO.
‘Expansion of cooperation with the Euro-Atlantic structures is one
of the priorities of our foreign policy’, he stressed. He underlined
the role of the public organizations in this field.
Stability on the South Caucasus is the major factor of this
cooperation, Elmar Mammadyarov noted, underlining that the
Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno Karabakh conflict impedes cooperation in
region. The conflict also hampers the realization of global energy
and other projects, he added.
The Minister also informed on the would-be-created Academy of Diplomacy
in the Republic. Jean Fournet appreciated creation of the Academy
and expressed readiness to render any assistance needed.
In the meeting, also exchanged were views on a number of other issues
of mutual interest.

AZERBAIJAN OF GREAT IMPORTANCE IN THE QUESTION OF GLOBAL ENERGY SAFETY
AzerTag, Azerbaijan
July 3 2006
Foreign minister of Azerbaijan Elmar Mammadyarov met with the newly
appointed ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary of the United
States to the country Ms. Anne Derse, 3 July.
The Minister congratulated her on the new appointment, noting that
she begins her diplomatic mission in the Republic in an important
period. He also reminded President Aliyev’s recent visit to the United
States, underlining that the coming ceremony of inauguration of the
Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline would open wider prospects for close
cooperation between two countries.
Ambassador Anne Derse especially noted the role of Azerbaijan in
the question of global energy safety. She welcomed the becoming
of Azerbaijan an influential center of region and appraised the
role of the country as the key player in the large-scale energy
projects. She stressed the necessity of expansion of economic links
between Azerbaijan and the United States of America also in the
non-oil sectors.
Noting that Azerbaijan’s integration will influence on development of
institutional infrastructure in the country, Mr. Anne Derse emphasized
necessity of development of the non-oil sector, in particular,
agriculture, information technology, agribusiness.
Azerbaijan gives great importance to integration to the Euro-Atlantic
structures, and this process will give impulse to reforms and
development in numerous fields, including political, economic,
humanitarian spheres.
Ms. Anne Derse highly assessed the role of Azerbaijan in combat against
terrorism and in peacemaking operation in Iraq and Afghanistan. At
the same time, she stressed necessity of expansion of cooperation
between Azerbaijan and USA in the security field.
Touching upon the negations on settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan,
Nagorno Karabakh conflicts, Ms. Derse stressed necessity of settlement
of the conflict stage by stage. According to her, prior to definition
of the status of Nagorno Karabakh, the occupied areas should be
released, and also the refugees and IDPs return to their homelands.
Minister Mammadyarov received a copy of her credentials and wished
success in activity.

CO-CHAIRS OF OSCE MINSK GROUP AGAIN MADE STATEMENT
Author: E.Huseynov
TREND, Azerbaijan
July 3 2006
The Co-Chairs continue to believe that the proposals developed
through the past two years of negotiations hold the best potential for
achieving a just and lasting settlement of the conflict, Trend reports
with reference to the July 3 statement of the co-chairs of OSCE Minsk
Group on regulation of Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
Co-chairs confirmed that it is time for Azerbaijani and Armenians
Presidents to make initiative for reaching a comprehensive agreement
in the process of regulation, and the co-chairs are ready to make
contribution to the sides to conclude the agreement if the Presidents
indicate they are prepared to do so. Although no additional meetings
between the sides under the auspices of the co-chairs are planned for
the immediate future, they will be ready to reengage if the parties
decide to pursue the talks with the political will that has thus far
been lacking.
It was stated in the statement that the proposals presented to the
Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents may lead to a long-term settlement
of the conflict. The principles are based on the redeployment of
Armenian troops from Azerbaijani territories around Nagorno-Karabakh,
with special modalities for Kelbajar and Lachin districts (including
a corridor between Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh), demilitarization
of those territories, and a referendum or population vote — at a
date and in a manner to be decided through further negotiations — to
determine the final legal status of Nagorno-Karabakh. Then, deployment
of an international peacekeeping force and a joint commission for
implementation of the agreement would be established, and international
assistance would be made available for demining, reconstruction,
and resettlement of internally displaced persons in the formerly
occupied territories and the war-affected regions of Nagorno-Karabakh.

“MR. SEZER, DO NOT RATIFY THE TERROR LAW”
Tolga Korkut
BÝA, Turkey
July 3 2006
Representatives of 15 organizations send letter to President Sezer
asking him not to ratify amendment in Turkey’s Anti-Terror Law:
“The law surrenders personal rights and freedoms to the conscience
of security forces; eliminates all basic human rights”.
BÝA (Istanbul) – Representatives of 15 organisation including political
parties and democratic mass organisations have sent a joint letter
to President Ahmet Necdet Sezer requesting him not to ratify the
amendments in Turkey’s Anti-Terror Law (TMY).
Referring to last week’s Parliament General Assembly approval of the
controversial draft, the letter said the new TMY “surrenders personal
rights and freedoms to the conscience of the security forces and
eliminates basic human rights”. The bill will go into force only if
the President ratifies it.
The letter stressed that the law had dangers to democracy and human
rights by listing a number of serious drawbacks and possibilities:
Disappearances under detention could be revived: “The law severely
restricts the right to defence. Personal safety is endangered with
the republic prosecutor being authorised to order for a suspect not
to be allowed to contact relatives or receive the assistance of an
attorney as of the moment of detention. This situation raises concern
that ‘disappearance under detention’ incidents could be revived.
Those thinking differently cannot express their opinion, organise:
“It is known that the whole of the society does not think in the
same way on issues such as the ‘Armenian Genocide, Cyprus Question,
Kurdish Problem’ which are the red points of the state. The law totally
abolishes the right of persons, intellectuals and institutions that
think differently [on these] to share their views with the public. Any
individual who expresses their opinion, organises according to their
opinion, can be put on trial for a terrorism offence under this law”.
Gangs, killers encouraged: “Article 15 of the law rules that even
if an arrest is required, anti-terrorism officials on trial for
killing people, evacuating villages, torture, can be tried without
being remanded in custody. This article is an arrangement intending
to encourage the killers and gangs”.
Tax pays for cost of offending officials: “The state will meet the
legal defence costs of security officials who commit an offence. The
limit of this payment has not been determined. It is disturbing that
the crimes of these officials will be paid for with our taxes”.
Prof. Dr. Ibrahim Kaboglu told bianet in an exclusive interview
last week that due to articles in violation of the constitution,
he expected President Sezer to return the law to Parliament rather
than ratify it in its current form.
The organisations that have undersigned the letter to Sezer are:
Human Rights Association Ýstanbul Branch, Labout Party Istanbul
Provincial Organisation, Freedom and Solidarity Party Istanbul
Organisation, Democratic Society Party Istanbul Provincial
Organisation, Socialist Democracy Party Istanbul Provincial
Organisation, Initiatives of 78’s, Labour Movement Party, Peace
Mothers, Initiative Against Thought Crime, Socialist Platform of
the Oppressed, Young Civilians, Halkevleri Istanbul Branch, Kurdish
Institute, Socialist Solidarity Platform, Association to Assist
Prisoner Families.
–Boundary_(ID_86+boKChzSDQXDrFgXgCDA)- –

UK REPORTER BARRED FROM RUSSIA ON SECURITY GROUNDS
Reuters, UK
July 3 2006
MOSCOW, July 3 (Reuters) – Russia has refused a visa to a British
journalist well-known for his coverage of Chechnya and the turbulent
Caucasus, citing the needs of “state security”.
Thomas de Waal, who has previously worked in Moscow for the
English-language Moscow Times, the BBC and the Times, said on Monday
he had been due to attend the presentation of a Russian version of
his book on the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh.
But the Federal Migration Service refused him a visa.
The service was not available for comment on Monday but in its letter
refusing the application, which was obtained by Reuters, it cited
a 1996 law that says a visa can be refused “in the aims of securing
state security”.
De Waal said he had cooperated with Russian officials in the past
on Nagorno-Karabakh, a South Caucasus region officially part of
Azerbaijan but ruled by Armenians, and did not believe they would
bar him for his views on the conflict.
“This clearly has to be because of the other main thing that I write
about, which is Chechnya,” de Waal, 39, told Reuters by telephone
from London.
Russian officials have been very sensitive about Western criticism of
the war in Chechnya, where they have struggled to crush separatism
for more than a decade, and local journalists have been prosecuted
for sympathising with the rebels.
President Vladimir Putin in 2002 said a foreign journalist critical
of Russia’s policy in the region become a Muslim and be circumcised
“in such a way that nothing grows back”.
Russia barred U.S. channel ABC news from Russia after it ran an
interview with Chechen rebel leader Shamil Basayev.
Press freedom groups say Russia tries to intimidate journalists into
only reporting the Kremlin view on Chechnya. A Russian journalist in
February was convicted of provoking racial hatred after he printed
articles by rebel leaders.
De Waal is best known in Russia for appearing as an expert witness for
the defence at the extradition trial of rebel leader Akhmed Zakayev
in London. He said this could be behind his failure to get a visa.
The British court in 2003 declined to extradite Zakayev, giving him
political asylum instead — a move that infuriated Moscow, which
calls Zakayev a terrorist.
“It is possible that the wheels turn rather slowly, or that this is
a cumulative account of things I have done over the last 10 years,”
de Waal said. He last visited Russia in January 2005.

AZERBAIJAN ‘AGAINST REFERENDUM IN KARABAKH’
By Emil Danielyan
Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
July 3 2006
A senior Azerbaijani official said on Monday that Azerbaijan has
never accepted a solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict that would
culminate in a referendum in the disputed territory, despite Armenian
claims to the contrary.
Deputy Foreign Minister Araz Azimov was quoted by the Turan news
agency as saying that Baku believes such a vote should instead take
place on Azerbaijan’s entire internationally recognized territory.
“That is reflected in the [Azerbaijani] constitution and the country’s
leadership does not intend to revise its opinion,” he said.
In a statement last week, Armenia’s Foreign Ministry said at the
heart of a peaceful settlement proposed by the American, French and
Russian mediators is the idea of enabling Karabakh’s predominantly
Armenian population to determine its status in a referendum after
the liberation of most Armenian-occupied lands in Azerbaijan proper.
The ministry asserted that Presidents Ilham Aliev and Robert
Kocharian agreed on this formula during their recent face-to-face
negotiations. “The area of disagreement between the presidents has
to do with the sequence in which the consequences of the military
conflict are removed,” it said.
A separate statement by the mediators made public two days later
likewise said that Karabakh’s status would be decided in a “referendum
or population vote.” But it did not specify where that vote would
take place and who would be eligible to participate in it.
Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian insisted on Thursday that
the framework peace accord put forward by the mediators makes it
clear that the decision on the status is to be made by the “population
of Nagorno-Karabakh.”
Azimov was reported to have denied this, accusing Yerevan of
“distorting the content of the talks” and interpreting the referendum
idea “in a manner advantageous to them.” He also indicated Baku’s
discontent with the mediators’ statement, saying that the French,
Russian and U.S. co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group disclosed and
“took out of context” only some key points of the proposed peace deal.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIAN COMMODITY TURNOVER WITH RUSSIA INCREASED BY 12.4%
Regnum, Russia
July 3 2006
Armenian commodity turnover has increased by 9.7% and totaled $1.1bn
for the first 5 months of 2006, compared with the same period of
2005. Of the total, exports amounted to $339.1mln (decrease by 4.6%)
and imports – to $768.3mln (increase by 17.4%). As REGNUM was informed
at the Armenian National Statistical Service, credit balance deficit
totaled $429.3mln and $415.4mln without humanitarian aid.
Commodity turnover with the CIS countries amounted to $318mln, or
28.7% of the total, a 22-percent increase compared to January-May,
2005. Commodity turnover with Russia amounted to $137.7mln (12.4%
increase), with the EU countries – $406.8mln (17.7% increase), with
the USA – $49.5mln (8.5% decrease). Within the accounting period,
Armenia exported to the CIS countries goods $60.3mln worth, of which
to Russia – $29.4mln worth.
$278.7mln worth produce was exported to other countries, of which
$184.2mln worth to the EU countries and $19.9% worth into the USA.
For the first 5 months of the period, goods $257.5mln worth were
imported to Armenia from the CIS countries, of which $108.3mln worth
from Russia, $222.6mln worth from the EU, and $29.6 worth from the USA.

CO-CHAIRMEN OF THE MG MADE STATEMENT RELATED TO NK CONFLICT SETTLEMENT ON THE LAST TALKS PROCESS
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
July 3 2006
Co-Chairmen of OSCE Minsk Group made statement today. According to
the statement entered APA from the embassy of France to Azerbaijan
“Taking into account recent speculation about the basic principles
for a peaceful settlement of the NK conflict proposed to both parties
by the Minsk Group Co-Chairs, it is necessary to make the following
clarification.
On June 22 the Minsk Group Co-Chairs reported to the OSCE Permanent
Council on the results of the past months of negotiations between
the sides on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. They reported on their
intensive mediation activities over the past seven months aimed at
achieving agreement on the basic principles for a settlement. These
included three visits of the Co-Chairs to Baku and Yerevan, three
times together and several more times separately, two meetings of
the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Armenia and Azerbaijan, and two
summits between Presidents Kocharian and Aliyev, first in Rambouillet
in February and then in Bucharest in early June. In addition, a joint
Mission of Representatives of the Co-Chair countries at the Deputy
Foreign Minister level traveled to the region in May. Throughout
their mediation efforts, the Co-Chairs stressed, as always, the
belief of their nations and of the international community that the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict can be resolved in no other way than a
peaceful one. They also stressed the need for the leaders of Armenia
and Azerbaijan to prepare their publics for peace and not for war.
The mediation efforts of the Co-Chairs resulted in the proposal
to Presidents Aliyev and Kocharian of a set of fair, balanced,
and workable core principles that could pave the way for the two
sides to draft a far-reaching settlement agreement. The principles
are based on the redeployment of Armenian troops from Azerbaijani
territories around Nagorno-Karabakh, with special modalities for
Kelbajar and Lachin districts (including a corridor between Armenia
and Nagorno-Karabakh), demilitarization of those territories, and
a referendum or population vote — at a date and in a manner to
be decided through further negotations — to determine the final
legal status of Nagorno-Karabakh. Deployment of an international
peacekeeping force and a joint commission for implementation of the
agreement would be established, and international assistance would
be made available for demining, reconstruction, and resettlement of
internally displaced persons in the formerly occupied territories
and the war-affected regions of Nagorno-Karabakh. Certain interim
arrangements for Nagorno-Karabakh would allow for interaction with
providers of international assistance. The sides would renounce the
use or threat of use of force, and international and bilateral security
guarantees and assurances would be put in place. Regarding the vote to
determine the future status of Nagorno-Karabakh, the Co-Chairs stressed
that suitable pre-conditions for such a vote would have to be achieved
so that the vote would take place in a non-coercive environment in
which well-informed citizens have had ample opportunity to consider
their positions after a vigorous debate in the public arena.
Unfortunately, at their most recent meeting in Bucharest the Presidents
did not reach agreement on these principles. The Co-Chairs continue
to believe that the proposals developed through the past two years
of negotiations hold the best potential for achieving a just and
lasting settlement of the conflict. They strongly believe that it is
now time for the two Presidents to take the initiative for achieving
a breakthrough in the settlement process based on these principles,
and they stand ready to assist the parties to conclude an agreement
if the Presidents indicate they are prepared to do so.
Although no additional meetings between the sides under the auspices
of the Co-Chairs are planned for the immediate future, they will be
ready to reengage if the parties decide to pursue the talks with the
political will that has thus far been lacking.

ARMENIANS BROKE CEASE-FIRE FOR 160 TIMES IN THE CONTACT FRONT LINES OF AZERBAIJANI AND ARMENIAN ARMED FORCES IN THE PAST 6 MONTHS
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
July 3 2006
Armenians violated the cease-fire for160 times in the contact front
lines of Azerbaijani and Armenian Armed Forces in the past 6 months.
According to the results of APA’s monitoring held on the basis
of information confirmed by the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry, the
cease-fire was violated for eleven times (twice in Fizuli, six times
in Aghdam and three times in Terter) in different part of the front
in June this year.
OSCE monitored the contact line of troops (Terter, Agdam) twice in
June. The monitoring did not suffer any incident.
The cease-fire was violated in April most of all and least of all in
January, May and June. The Azerbaijani Army positions and dwelling
houses were fired on by Armenian Armed Forces ten times in January,
14 in February, 50 in March, 65 in April, 10 in July and 11 times
in June. The cease-fire was often broken in the state border of
Azerbaijan-Mazam, Gizilhajili, Baljafarli and Baganis Ayrim villages
of Gazakh region; Hasangaya, Chayli, Jerabert, Gapanli villages of
Terter ;Bash Garvand, Orta Gishlag, Gulchuluk farm of Agdam region
and Ashagi Seyidahmadli and Ashaghi Andurrahmanli villages in Fuzuli.
Azerbaijani army forces’ 34 servicemen and one civilian having military
men status were killed and 11 were wounded due to the enemy’s bullets
and other reasons in the past six months. Four of them were killed in
a fire, six due to misuse of service gun, nine in car accident, two
committed suicide, two in snow-slide, one was hit by thunderstorm and
11 were killed by the enemy. As coming to the wounded, nine of them
were shot at by the enemy, one hit by a mine and one misused service
gun. Seven of the killed were officers, two ensigns, one sergeant and
the rest 24 were soldiers. 14 of them died outside the battle fields.
Azerbaijani Armed Forces lost 11 servicemen in January, 2 in February,
5 in March, 6 in April, 3 in May and 5 in June. Two of the killed
served for the Border Troops and the rest in the military units of
the Defense Ministry.

YEREVAN’S FUTILE EFFORTS
By Semih Idiz
Anatolian Times, Turkey
July 3 2006
MILLIYET- Armenia believes in the bad state of Turkish-US relations
and thinks it can take advantage of the international situation.
However, it couldn’t help being excluded from the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan
pipeline project, which is very important for its interests in the
European Union and the US.
So now Armenia is exerting most of his efforts to hinder another
project between Turkey, Georgia and Azerbaijan, the Kars-Ahilkelek
railway project. If this 100-kilometer railway worth $400 million can
be laid, Azerbaijan and Turkey will be connected through a railway
over Georgia.
This situation would make any resurrection of the Kars-Gumru railway
line irrelevant. In addition, it would further deepen Armenia’s
isolation in the region. Yerevan has set its strong Armenian lobby
in the US in motion and started to move on a bill in Congress banning
the issuance of credit for the Kars-Ahilkelek project by US financial
institutions. Officials from the EU Commission have been saying since
the beginning of this year that the EU wouldn’t support this project
financially. As a matter of fact, as Foreign Ministry Spokesman Namik
Tan stated recently, the countries pursuing this project don’t need
the EU or the US in terms of finding money. Yerevan saw this and now
started to send certain signals that it’s ready to make important
concession so the country’s isolation doesn’t get worse.
Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian visited Tbilisi last week
and, when he saw that he would be unable to convince the Georgian
government to give up Kars-Ahilkelek line, made an interesting
suggestion. As Armenian journalist Emil Danielyan wrote on the ‘Eurasia
Insight’ website, Oskanyan said that if this project was given up,
Turkey, Georgia and Azerbaijan would be use the existing Gumru railway
line on Armenian territory without Armenia’s participation.
In other words, Yerevan stated that he was ready to provide the
‘right of free entry.’ Of course, the three countries which have
serious problems with Armenia could never accept this suggestion. It
would also be hard for the Armenian people to accept this. If Yerevan
considers the issues at the root of its isolation more realistically,
instead of making such useless suggestions, it would better serve
their long-term interests. However, it can’t do this as a country
with its eyes fixed on the past, rather than the future.