WILL THE MISNK GROUP CONTINUE WORKING INTENSIVELY?
A1+
[04:36 pm] 29 June, 2006
“The international organisations don’t have a magic stick in connection
with the Karabakh conflict settlement and it is senseless to expect
any changes from the CoE in this phase,” announced Alexander Grusko,
RF Deputy Foreign Minister from the PACE tribune underlining the vital
role of the OSCE Minsk group in the conflict settlement procedure.
According to the Deputy Minister great efforts have been exerted
recently to come to an agreement and three rather complicated matters
have remained unsolved so far. “The responsibility of the conflict
settlement is put on the shoulders of the two countries under
question,” said Alexander Grusko. The latter didn’t refer to the
Co-Chairs’ recent announcement in which they found the continuation
of the intensified mediation mission senseless, mainly the initiation
of additional meetings between the two Presidents. According to Grusko
the Minsk group continues to work intensively.

THE NKR DELEGATION IS RECEIVED IN THE USA CONGRESS
A1+
[05:04 pm] 29 June, 2006
Yesterday Ashot Ghoulyan, the NKR NA Speaker and Georgi Petrosyan,
the NKR Foreign Minister delivered speeches on the theme “the Karabakh
conflict; Peace conditions” in the US Institute of Peace.
Many diplomats, heads of military centers and organizations and
the representatives of the Armenian community participated in the
discussion. The Karabakh officials presented the NKR position on the
Karabakh conflict settlement, referred to the historical background
of the conflict and to the current phase of peaceful settlement. The
NKR NA Speaker presented the legal and historic bases of the NKR
proclamation and establishment underlying their compliance with
international norms and experience. While speaking of the regional
developments he noted that NKR realizes the interests of the USA
and other countries in South Caucasus, and at the same time Karabakh
expects them to realize its own interests.
The NKR Foreign Minister focused on the current format of the
negotiations which doesn’t reflect the real picture of the conflict
as the Azeri side refuses to negotiate with the NKR. In the same way,
Azerbaijan distorted the possibility of the conflict legal settlement
in 1988 by converting it into ethno-political conflict. At the end
of their speech the NKR representatives answered the participants’
questions.
Further on the Karabakh delegation met with Congressman Nita
Low member of Subcommittee on Foreign Operations of the House of
Representatives. The delegates presented him the social-economic
situation in the NKR, the democratic achievements of the country and
the latest developments of the Karabakh conflict settlement.

EITHER EVERYTHING OR NOTHING
A1+
[08:38 pm] 29 June, 2006
The OSCE Minsk group Co-Chairs announced that “At present the two
sides had better involve their publics into healthy discussions on
multiple opinions on the Karabakh issue.”
The first step was done by the Minsk group American Co-Chair Mettew
Bryza when the latter made public certain details of the negotiation
packet. “If the moment has come and in Mettew Bryza’s opinion it is
necessary to keep the public aware people must be aware of everything
fully.”
They must know either everything or nothing,” claims Armen Roustamyan,
Armenian delegate to the PACE.
According to him certain chosen details from the packet may not
contribute to the conflict settlement, just on the contrary, they
may hamper it.
“If we decide that all the discussions must be made public and if the
moment when the public must be involved in the process has matured it
must be done completely as half-done work may hinder the matter,” said
the Deputy of Dashnaktsutyun Party meaning the mediators by his words.
Stepan Demirchyan, leader of the “Justice” faction also thinks that
it is high time the negotiation packet was made public so that people
could know what is going on.
“Besides making the packet public it should also be revealed when and
why any of the sides refused this or that proposal,” maintains Tigran
Torosyan, RA NA Speaker. He is convinced that partial presentation
will distort the general picture of the negotiations but it must be
done “only after serious discussions.”
“If the time has matured to reveal the side breaching the negotiation
process full information must be presented to the society,” claims
the head of the RA delegation.
The latter thinks that the international organisations are wrong in
neglecting the militaristic position of Azerbaijan and the hostility
towards Armenians which is deepening day by day which is dictated by
the country authorities.
“By the time the international community and the structures engaged
in the conflict settlement realise that the deepening preaching,
hostility towards Armenians and the militaristic attitude towards
the conflict settlement are incompatible they will undoubtedly appear
in the Azeri net and the conflict can never be settled in this way,”
said Tigran Torosyan.

OSKANIAN COMMENTS ON THE OSCE MINSK GROUP STATEMENT
A1+
[09:01 pm] 29 June, 2006
The co-chairs in their statement say that “our approach has been a
modified one: we have not tried to solve all aspects of the conflict
in one phase.
Instead our principles seek to achieve a major degree of progress but
defer some very difficult issues to the future and envision further
negotiations.” What does this mean?
The actual negotiating document on the principles that is on the table
today is all-encompassing. It covers all the principles affecting the
resolution of the conflict. It includes the core issue of status of
Nagorno Karabakh, territories, refugees, security issues, peacekeeping
and every other conceivable issue that is necessary in order to arrive
at a lasting resolution of the conflict.
Only after full agreement on all these basic principles would the
parties, as the actual negotiating text says, “in cooperation with the
co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk group to begin work on the elaboration of
an agreement on the settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.” In
other words, the agreement on principles will be comprehensive. The
final agreement may envision implementation over time.
In their report, the co-chairs say “the principles include the phased
redeployment of Armenian troops from Azerbaijani territories around
Nagorno Karabakh, with special modalities for Kelbajar and Lachin
districts.” What are these special modalities?
This formulation is indeed very broad, and for a reason. This issue has
two layers. One is the issue of Lachin, where the actual negotiating
text on principles provides clear language stating that there will be
“a corridor linking Nagorno Karabakh to Armenia.” For Armenia, it’s
very clear that this corridor must have the same status as Nagorno
Karabakh. The second layer is the issue of Kelbajar.
For Armenia, this also is clear: based on security concerns,
Kelbajar can be returned only after the referendum is conducted
and the final status of NK is determined. Azerbaijan’s position is
different on Kelbajar. That’s the disagreement that the co-chairs
are addressing in their statement. The co-chairs’ language in the
actual negotiating text, with regard to this issue, is generally in
line with our approach.
The co-chairs say that there will be a referendum / popular vote
“to determine the final legal status of Nagorno Karabakh,” but they
don’t say who will vote.
The actual negotiating text on principles clearly specifies that
“the final legal status will be determined through a referendum /
population vote by the population of Nagorno Karabakh.”
The co-chairs also say “certain interim arrangements for Nagorno
Karabakh would allow for interaction with providers of international
assistance.” What does this mean?
This is only one element of a much more detailed section in the
actual negotiating text which addresses interim status for Nagorno
Karabakh. We think the co-chairs have emphasized international
engagement, because that’s a major problem for the people of
Nagorno Karabakh. Their current, unrecognized, de-facto status,
has not allowed them to benefit from the generosity of international
organizations. In the actual negotiating text, the provisions address
such rights as control over their political and economic viability
and security, upholding their personal privileges and freedoms, the
right to democratically elect officials to govern Nagorno Karabakh,
the authority to effectively legislate and administer the internal
affairs of Nagorno Karabakh.
What is Armenia’s overall assessment of the content of the document
as it stands today?
This not a perfect document. For anyone. However, there are enough
solid and balanced provisions, with the right trade-offs on the main
issues – status, territories and security – that we are prepared to
continue to negotiate on the basis of these principles. In today’s
context, Azerbaijan’s rhetoric about autonomy and desperate calls
for militarization surprise us. We have at hand a real opportunity to
resolve all issues, including the much-maligned issue of refugees. But
Azerbaijan must revert to real situations and real opportunities,
rather than illusory maximalist hopes. Today, we hope that Azerbaijan
will realize that we have a chance to resolve the conflict and achieve
a lasting peace.

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ARRESTED FOR ESCAPE FROM ARMY
Panorama.am
17:00 28/06/06
Apart from Mr. Bryza’s recent statements and the recent incident
at Malatia-Sebastia community, the case of Arman Babajanyan,
editor-in-chief of Jamanak Yerevan, is on the news agenda. Babajanyan
was reported as arrested for faking documents in order to escape from
military service.
According to prosecutor’s office, Babajanyan committed the act
in 2002. However, Babajanyan has crossed the border several times
since that time and consequently no case was initiated against him,
otherwise, he would be under investigation back in 2002. It is no
wonder the law enforcement bodies managed to detail the case in
relatively short time whereas it is almost of a week they cannot
unveil who made the murders in broad day light in Malatia Sebastia
community. May be they do not have political sanction to discover
the case?
If we consider that until today the only person suspended on the case
with the charges of having illegal arms is NA deputy H. Hakobyan’s
cousin, then the verdict of political sanction becomes quite possible.
It is worth to note that similar charges as against Babajanyan
are investigated at the community prosecutor’s office or at the
military prosecutor’s office. Babajanyan’s case, on the other hand,
is examined at the investigation department of general prosecutor’s
office. So, the prosecutor’s office attaches special importance to
this case which in its turn somewhat politicizes the incident with
the editor-in-chief.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

OPPOSITION IS ACTIVELY WORKING
Panorama.am
14:04 29/06/06
“We lead everyday active work with the representatives of our
regional units,” Armenian People’s Party Political Board member,
NA deputy Grigor Harutunyan told a news conference today promising
to strengthen the efforts in fall.
Naturally, they will put much effort since the parliamentary
elections are coming. At this moment, Grigor Harutunyan cannot say
whether they will go to elections on their own or unified with some
other party. Though he thinks that APP can go to election without any
other union, he said “they had a problem of consolidation that time,”
referring to the establishment of Justice block in 2003.

ELECTIONS WILL SHOW WHO WILL DO WHAT: SERZ SARGSYAN
Panorama.am
15:00 29/06/06
Defense Minister Serz Sargsyan said he is not aware of the statement
made by Republicans that on July 22 he is going to become co-chairman
of the party. However, S. Sargsyan, neither refuted nor accepted
the statement. “You see the process. In ten days you will have an
answer. But do not pay too much attention to the issue,” he said.
The reporters asked how can the political balance be preserved in case
if he joins one political force. “I cannot go to elections with all,”
Serz Sargsyan was amazed, also saying that he is going to keep normal
relations with all others.
Asked whether he will take the post of prime minister or president
after the upcoming elections, the defense minister advised not to
hurry. “The elections will show which political force will do what,”
he said.

WE WILL HAVE AN ARMY COMPATIBLE TO INTERNATIONAL NORMS IN 2015
Panorama.am
15:03 29/06/06
Today titles of officers were granted to the graduates of Vazgen
Sargsyan Military School under the defense ministry. 259 former cadets
were granted the title of lieutenant. The event was celebrated with
ceremony with the participation of representatives of military elite
and the parents of the graduates.
Serz Sargsyan, Armenian defense minister greeted the young servicemen
on the occasion. Some of the graduates expressed their gratitude for
the care displaced to them during the 4 years of education.
Taking the chance the reporters asked the defense minister about the
strategy that the Armenian military forces pursue. “We aim to have
an army compatible with international norms in 2015. We have concrete
projects and plans that we follow. We consider everything – from salary
of officers to their number and units,” the minister said.

FROM RIVER TO RIVER ARMENIA MUST REPLACE FROM SEA TO SEA ARMENIA: TIGRAN KHZMALYAN
Panorama.am
16:01 29/06/06
“I hope that the film will sober up those people who will watch it. I
also hope that this film will be aired on TV unlike my other films
which are not broadcast,” Tigran Khzmalyan told a presentation of
his film “From Arax to Kur, from Artsakh to Javakhk”.
T. Khzmalyan’s 12th documentary aims to disillusion the society and
warn it that Javakhk may have the same fate as Artsakh. The film says
that despite of the fact that Artsakh could liberate itself at the
end of 20th century, Javakhk is at the doors of historical choice
at the beginning of 21st century. “Either it will repeat the fate of
Nakhijevan or will choose the way of Artsakh’s fame and heroism,” the
film says. In that case the precept of our ancestors will come true and
the Armenian statehood will be preserved from Arax to Kur.

LEGAL CONFLICT TRANSFORMED INTO ETHNIC-POLITICAL CONFLICT
Lragir.am
30 June 06
The format of the talks does not reflect the essence of the Karabakh
conflict, stated Georgy Petrosyan in his address at the U.S. Institute
of Peace.
“The present format does not reflect the real essence of the conflict
because Azerbaijan refuses to negotiate with Nagorno Karabakh,”
said Georgy Petrosyan. According to him, Azerbaijan has transformed
the opportunity of a legal resolution of the conflict since 1988,
forcing it into the ethnic-political level.
Speaker Ashot Ghulyan presented the legal aspect of the conflict and
announced that Nagorno Karabakh realizes the vital interests of the
United States and other countries in the region, expecting that these
countries will recognize the interest of Karabakh as well.