PACE POLITICAL COMMITTEE TO DISCUSS “STABILITY PACT IN SOUTH CAUCASUS”
Author: J.Shahverdiyev
TREND, Azerbaijan
June 27 2007
The meeting of the Political Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of
the Council of Europe (PACE) held on June 27 will discuss “Stability
Pact in South Caucasus”, Gultakin Hajiyeva, the deputy chief of Azeri
delegation in PACE, told Trend.
Besides, she stressed that the documents deals with the absence of the
development prospects in South Caucasus because Armenia has occupied
Nagorno-Karabakh and other territories of Azerbaijan.
“Occupation of territory of one PACE member-country by another member
country jeopardizes the establishment of peace and cooperation in
the region,” Hajiyeva stressed.
According to Hajiyeva, the document was prepared and submitted by
Romanian parliamentarians.
Besides, Hajiyeva ruled out that Azerbaijani delegation tries to do
all the best so that the document be more objective and truer. Samad
Seyidov, head of Azeri delegation in PACE, and Aydin Mirzazade will
deliver a report on this topic.

OSCE MINSK GROUP CO-CHAIR: US STRATEGIC INTERESTS ON CAUCASUS ARE TRI-DIRECTIONAL
Author: R. Abdullayev
TREND, Azerbaijan
June 27 2007
Matthew Bryza, Assistant to Us Secretary of State, OSCE Minsk Group
Co-chair, said ‘US President George W Bush stated US closing to the
positions of president Ilham Aliyev, which will positively influence
the progress of democratic reforms in the republic’.
Trend reports referring to Azadlyg radio, Mr Bryza said US interests
on Caucasus relate to three spheres: energy, security and democratic
reforms.
“Indeed, we have some energy interests, and we do not restrain from
statements about them. The United States also have traditional
interests in a security sphere. Firstly, this concerns fighting
terrorism, prevention of nuclear weapon distribution, reduction of
conflicts and preservation of territorial integrity of countries in
the region”.
Mr Bryza said also all the conflicts in the region shall be settled
with account for territorial integrity of countries.
“Stating Georgia’s example, one may see that conflicts in this country
shall be settled with account for its territorial integrity.
As to Nagorno-Karabakh, US position is well-known. We support
Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity”, Bryza said.
American diplomat said US maintain economic and democratic reforms in
the countries of the region. He said security is based on legitimacy
that calls for both democracy and economic welfare.
Mr Bryza stated White House’s serious interest in democratic reforms
in Azerbaijan. “We feel positive changes in the republic ion this
respect” , – he added.

USA EXPECTING OSCE’S REPORT CONNECTING TO FIRES AT OCCUPIED AZERI LANDS
AzerTag, Azerbaijan
June 27 2007
There is no change in the US policy related to settlement of the
Nagorno Karabakh conflict. The United States does not recognize
Nagorno Karabakh as an independent structure and upholds the country’s
territorial integrity, reports the correspondent of AzerTAc, quoting
the press secretary of the US Department of State Adam Ereli as saying
at a briefing for media representatives. He said the United States
‘adheres the earlier mechanisms and channels to settle the problem’.
Mr. Ereli said two persons from Nagorno Karabakh have come to
Washington. They will meet with Matthew Bryza, co-chair of the OSCE
Minsk Group. “We have done it and earlier. It is a mere forum of the
carried out discussions’, thus, Adam Ereli clarified the Armenian
claims on meeting of the Armenian side with the Bush Administration.
The US Department of State press secretary also said the United States
is aware of the fires at the occupied areas of Azerbaijan.
‘According to information provided, the OSCE is preparing a report
on the matter… the United States expects report of the OSCE
representatives’, he said.
To note, two representatives of the so-called “Nagorno Karabakh
Republic’ should appear at the Washington’s Peace Institute and
Marshall Fund this week. But according to the Fund’s information,
taking into account the few number of those who want to take part
at the actions, the ‘representatives’ will only appear at the Peace
Institute.
Ambassador of Azerbaijan Republic to the United States Hafiz Pashayev
has sent a letter to president of the Marshall Fund expressing regret
for providing by one of the influential international institutions
as the Fund with platform of the representatives of the illegal
structure. Expressing that this will be an erroneous massage to the
world community, Mr. Pashayev requested to remove the action. The
same letter was sent to the chairman of the House of Representatives
Denis Hastert, where it was stated that by providing with room of
representatives of the illegal structure to arrange banquet in the
Capitol, the Congress ignores official policy of the United States
that does not recognize Nagorno Karabakh as an independent structure
and insults the state and people of Azerbaijan, one of the strong
allies of America.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

VAHRAM ATANESYAN: BRYZA’S PROPOSALS DO NOT CORRESPOND TO NK’S INTERESTS
DeFacto Agency, Armenia
June 27 2007
“The proposals made by the U. S. Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk group
for the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement Matthew Bryza do not
correspond to the Nagorno Karabakh’s interests and completely reflect
Azerbaijan’s stand. In part, it concerns unconditional return of
the territories forming the NKR’s security belt”, the Chair of the
Nagorno Karabakh Permanent Committee for External Relations Vahram
Atanesyan stated in an interview with Regnum Information agency.
The deputy regarded the American mediator’s statements as an
attempt to put pressure on the conflict parties with all destructive
outcomes. “Nagorno Karabakh should participate in the talks on the
conflict settlement, and no document can be adopted without the Nagorno
Karabakh Republic leadership and people”, Vahram Atanesyan said.

RA FOREIGN MINISTER VARDAN OSKANYAN ON A WORKING VISIT TO GEORGIA
ArmRadio.am
28.06.2006 10:20
On the last day of his working visit to Georgia RA Foreign Minister
Vardan Oskanyan will deliver a speech at the Georgian foundation
for strategic and international studies. His speech is dedicated
to regional policy issues. Last evening the Foreign Minister was
received by the President of Georgia Mikhail Sahakashvili. Vardan
Oskanyan met also hi Georgian opposite number.

CONFIRMATION HEARINGS FOR US AMBASSADOR TO ARMENIA NOMINEE RICHARD HOAGLAND TO BE HELD IN US SENATE
ArmRadio.am
28.06.2006 10:42
Confirmation hearings for US Ambassador to Armenia nominee
Richard Hoagland are expected today in Senate Foreign Relations
Committee. Armenian Organizations of America and Congressmen launching
pro-Armenian activity consider that John Evans is being recalled
ahead of time because of publicly recognizing the Armenian Genocide.

OSCE MISSION TO CARRY OUT MONITORING OF TEHCONTACT LINE IN THE DIRECTION OF AGHDAM
ArmRadio.am
28.06.2006 10:53
Today the OSCE Mission will carry out monitoring of the contact line
of Armed Forces of Nagorno-Karabakh and Azerbaijan in the direction
of Aghdam.
To remind, on June 15 NKR Ministry of Defense had applied the Office
of the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office with the
request to hold a crisis monitoring at the border with Azerbaijan to
assess the real situation with the objective to deny the imaginary
reports of the Azeri media on arsons on the territories under NKR
control.

A NUMBER OF CULTURAL AND SCIENCE FIGURES AWARDED RA PRESIDENTIAL PRIZES
ArmRadio.am
28.06.2006 14:56
The ceremony of handing RA Presidential Awards to a number of
representatives of arts and science, who were granted awards according
to President Robert Kocharyan’s decree dated April 15.
In 2005 in the sphere of development of Natural Sciences President’s
Award was granted to Hambartsum Khachatryan and Sergey Hayrapetyan
for the series of scientific articles on “New sorbents and carriers
for liquid chromatography.”
In the sphere of Technical Sciences and Information Technologies the
Award was granted to Stepan Lazarian for the “Expertise flow of clay
ground holes” monograph.
In the sphere of arts an Award was given to Felix Yeghiazaryan for
a series of portraits.
Varazdat Harutyunyan received the Award for the “Theory and History
of Armenian urban development and architecture” collection of articles.
In the medical sphere Mesrop Shatakhyan was awarded the prize.
In the sphere of development of Physics Prizes were Awarded to Felix
Aharonyan, Vardan Sahakyan and Ashot Akhperjanyan.
Laureates of the Prize in the sphere literature was Alexander Topchyan
for his “Even after Death” novel.
In the sphere of development of arts the Prize was awarded to Sergey
Sarinyan for his “Two centuries of Armenian literature” monograph.

85 MILLION DRAMS ON SPECIAL ACCOUNT OF RA FINANCE MINISTRY TO BE PROVIDED T0 FAMILIES OF KILLED IN AIR CRASH NEAR SOCHI
Yerevan, June 27. ArmInfo. Eighty-five million drams have been
accumulated on the special account of the Armenian Ministry of Finance
and Economy. This sum will be provided to the families of the killed
in the crash of Armavia airbus near Sochi. A relevant decision was
made Tuesday by the special commission headed by the Minister of
Territorial Administration Hovik Abrahamyan.
The Armenian Government press-service told ArmInfo, the family of each
killed citizen of Armenia will receive by 1 million AMD. In addition,
the commission resolved providing 2 million drams to two citizens of
Georgia, Armenians by origin. On the whole, 88.461 million drams have
been accumulated on the special account. A memorial for the victims
of the air crash will be built on the remaining 1.461 million drams.

LONE JEWISH MP CONFRONTS AHMADINEJAD ON HOLOCAUST BUT STRESSES LOYALTY TO IRAN
Ewen Macaskill, Simon Tisdall And Robert Tait Tehran
The Guardian – United Kingdom
Jun 28, 2006
Maurice Motamed has one of the loneliest jobs in the Middle East. When
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad made his controversial Holocaust statements,
the sole Jewish MP in Iran’s 290-member Majlis (parliament) felt he
had no option but to confront him.
“When our president spoke about the Holocaust, I considered it my duty
as a Jew to speak about this issue,” Mr Motamed said in his office
in Tehran. “The biggest disaster in human history is based on tens
of thousands of films and documents. I said these remarks are a big
insult to the whole Jewish society in Iran and the whole world.”
Mr Ahmadinejad, president of an overwhelmingly Muslim state, has not
apologised. But Mr Motamed said the president had since qualified
his statement by insisting that he had not denied the Holocaust and
was not an anti-semite.
Mr Motamed represents Iran’s 25,000-strong Jewish community, the
largest such group in the Middle East outside Israel. Since 1906
Iran’s constitution has guaranteed the Jewish community one seat in
the Majlis. The Armenian, Assyrian and Zoroastrian minorities together
hold a further four seats.
Although he took on Mr Ahmadinejad about the Holocaust, Mr Motamed
supports the president on other issues, including the standoff with
the US, Europe and Israel over the country’s nuclear programme. “I
am an Iranian first and a Jew second,” he said.
He acknowledged there were problems with being a Jew in Iran, as
there were for the country’s other minorities. But he said that Iran
was relatively tolerant. “There is no pressure on the synagogues,
no problems of desecration. I think the problem in Europe is worse
than here. There is a lot of anti-semitism in other countries.”
Most of his family, including his parents and sisters, left after
the 1979 revolution that brought Ayatollah Khomeini to power, as did
75,000 other Jews, heading mainly for Israel, the US and Europe. But
Mr Motamed, 61, an engineer, stayed. “I love my homeland.”
Jews have been living in Iran in large numbers since Cyrus the Great
freed them from slavery when he captured Babylon in 539BC. Members
of the Jewish community in Iran today, for the most part, keep a low
profile and many Iranians are unaware of their presence. Mr Motamed
said there were about 14,000 Jews in Tehran, which has 20 active
synagogues, 6,000 to 7,000 in Shiraz; 2,000 in Estafan and small
groups scattered throughout the rest of the country.
He confirmed that Jews and other minorities were excluded from
“sensitive” posts in the military and judiciary. And the authorities
refuse to allow Jewish schools to close on the sabbath. But Mr
Motamed said there had been improvements in other areas. Legislation
introduced three years ago overturned a judicial practice of awarding
more compensation to families of Muslim accident victims than to
those of Jews. And when he complained in the Majlis about a TV soap
regularly portraying rabbis as evil, he said the Speaker, Mehdi Karubi,
had expressed support.
Nasser Hadian-Jazy, associate professor of political science at
Tehran University and a childhood friend of the president, said Mr
Ahmadinejad was keen to put the Holocaust row behind him.
“I asked him, ‘Are you anti-Jew?’ He said, ‘I am not.’ I said, ‘Why
not go to a synagogue to express regret for what Iranians have done
to Jews?’ . . . He said, ‘I have another idea, a better idea.’
“He will do something to show he is not anti-Jewish. I hope he will
do it soon. He will make a gesture to the Jews in Iran and that has
implications for Jews elsewhere. What he will say is very important
and will remove the idea that he is anti-semite.”
Saeed Jalili, Iran’s deputy foreign minister and another close friend
of Mr Ahmadinejad, said the Jewish seat in the Majlis “tells you
that we have no problems with Judaism” but said he had not heard of
any planned gesture by Mr Ahmadinejad. “The Jewish community in this
country are very fairly treated . . . Of course, a symbolic gesture
is good and well, but we think that what we do is more than symbolic.”
Jewish MP Maurice Motamed with the parliamentary Speaker, Mehdi Karubi.