ELMAR MAMMADYAROV: ARMENIAN-COMMITTED ARSONS MAY CAUSE ECOLOGICAL DISASTER IF NOT PREVENTED
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
Aug. 17, 2006
“If the arsons committed by Armenians in the occupied Azerbaijani
lands are not prevented, they will cause an ecological disaster.
Azerbaijan has made concrete offers to Armenian to prevent the fires,”
Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov told journalists,
APA reports.
The Minister said yesterday he received Andrzei Kaspiysk, personal
representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office regarding this matter.
“Mr.Kasprzyk is in Yerevan now to negotiate with Armenia to prevent
the fires. He will also convey our offers to official Yerevan. We’ll
discuss his impressions after that,” Mr.Mammadyarov said.
He noted that if the offer is accepted, actiosn will be taken in the
affected areas with participation of international organizations,
“I do not know in which form the actions will be taken. But I must
say all the relevant bodies will be involved in it.”
Stating that Armenia is responsible for all the developments in
the occupied Azerbaijani lands, Mammadyarov said the issue of
responsibility is mentioned in international conventions.
The Minister also informed about the Foreign Ministry Diplomatic
Academy’s action priorities.
“Initial measures will be implemented soon for the Diplomatic Academy
to function. The Academy will give master’s degree and doctor’s degree
for the time being,” he said.

AZERBAIJAN RETURNED THREE ARMENIAN CAPTIVES
Author: E.Javadova
TREND, Azerbaijan
Aug. 17, 2006
On August 17, three Armenian captives kept in Azerbaijan were returned
to Armenia, Trend has been told in the State Committee on Captives
and Missing People of Azerbaijani National Security Ministry.
Kept within July 2006, three Armenians – Galumyan Martun Kolyalevich,
Karapetyan Goren Victorovich and Aleksanyan Roman Arkadevich –
were transferred to Armenian side on the border territory between
Balajafarli village of Gazakh district of Azerbaijan and Ijevan
district of Armenia.
The process was realized the State Committee on Captives and Missing
People and the Defense Ministry through the mediation of International
Red Crescent Organization.

AZERBAIJAN’S POSITION IN CE REMAINS FIRM – AZERI REP AT CE
Author: A.Ismayilova
TREND, Azerbaijan
Aug. 17, 2006
Trend ‘s exclusive interview with Azerbaijani representative at the
Council of Europe, Agshin Mehdiyev
Question: How do you estimate the current level of relationships
between Azerbaijan and the Council of Europe? What is the country’s
position at the CE?
Answer: The relationships between the Azerbaijani government and the
CE Committee of Ministers are on progress. Periodically there evolve
questions, but are solved smoothly.
As to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE),
here it is dealt with episodes, when any reporter, a group of MPs,
voices his dissatisfaction with definite events. For instance,
the well-known co-rapporteurs Andreas Gross and Andreas Herkel hold
tendentious position in respect to Azerbaijan. For instance, they
provoked the issue on consideration of the mandate of Azerbaijani
delegation at the PACE. However, the Assembly did not support them.
Together with the parliamentary delegation we try to resist such
attempts and thus far we have succeeded.
Question: How could you explain the tendentious position by some
individuals and groups?
Answer: Firstly, we should not forget that the attitude towards
Azerbaijan is not unilateral. We have too many friends, but also
too many enemies. Azerbaijan is a country with rich history and
natural resources. It should be not ignored that this is the Muslim
country and it is not accepted unilaterally at the Christian European
circles. Perhaps, the Armenian lobby is permanently and purposefully
working against Azerbaijan.
Question: How do you estimate the influence of the Armenian lobby on
the Council of Europe at present?
Answer: It is not so weak. They [Armenians] are frank provocateurs.
We have started the propaganda activities only 10-20 years ago,
whilst for many years Armenians have been conducting anti-Turk,
anti-Azerbaijani, anti-Muslim propaganda, introducing themselves
as miserable.
Nevertheless, Azerbaijan’s influence is also rising. In the pretext
of our successes, developing with the other countries, including the
European and Christian world, the Armenian lobby will exist no longer.
Question: Could we expect any ‘surprise’ from Armenia in the autumn
session of the PACE?
Answer: I don’t think so. To my mind there will be no issue linked
with Azerbaijan.
Question: Does the Azerbaijan delegation plan to raise an issue on
fire in the Armenian-occupied territory of Azerbaijan?
Answer: Certainly, Azerbaijani delegate can put forward this issue
in one of the meetings of the committee and demand for appointment
of a rapporteur. It is possible in this order.
Question: Could the CE send its experts to the territory following
a report by an international organization, the OCSE?
Answer: That is a right question: This is a serious problem,
because there is a particular coordination among the international
organizations. One can frequently observe the cases when their
positions contradict each other.
However, the CE is a serious and independent organization and it holds
a very principle standpoint on some issues, and that distinguishes it
from others. Now we have to hold a position based on arguments and
facts. Sometimes, the questions are put forward, while no concrete
arguments are presented for this respect.
Question: Do the CE representatives plan to pay visit to Azerbaijan
in the nearest future?
Answer: A new PACE rapporteur on Azerbaijan, Tony Lloyd, plans to
visit Azerbaijan this autumn. No visit is on schedule prior to the
session. A mission of the CE Congress of Local Authorities will visit
Azerbaijan after the session and municipal elections so as to carry
out monitoring of pre-election situation in Azerbaijan. Terry Davis,
the General Secretary of the PACE, is expected to Azerbaijan. It is
necessary to work over it.
Question: Does the CE plans to carry out monitoring at the municipal
elections?
Answer: There were sounded ideas that the Congress of Regional and
Local Authorities was probable to dispatch its observers.
Question: When does the PACE Ad Hoc Committee on Nagorno-Karabakh
plan to meet and what issues will be on agenda?
Answer: No concrete date is named for the time being. Perhaps, prior
or after the autumn session. I think sooner or later the agenda of
the Committee of Ministers will include an issue on concrete results
of Paris process, state of negotiations and the necessity for the
issue is evolving.
Question: What will be Azerbaijan’s benefits?
Answer: Those who are currently involved in the conflict resolution,
I mean the OSCE Minsk Group and others, will feel that there are
people who take interests in their work. I’d avoid from using acute
phrases. The CE will prove its estimation. Especially, it is dealt
with the organization that unites 46 European countries.
Of course, I can’t say that the CE has always protected Azerbaijan’s
interests. However, there are some positive milestones, although I
still consider it insufficient. In this case they defend justice.
They should preserve their image as a supporter of justice.
Question: Could it affect the OSCE Minsk Group’s activities?
Answer: We have always considered as many international organizations
are involved in the process as better. But we have never said that
these organizations should replace the OSCE Minsk Group. And there
is no issue on replacement in the OSCE Minsk Group on agenda.

AZERI PRESIDENT RECEIVED DELEGATION LED BY U.N. HIGHER COMMISSIONER ON REFUGEES
Author: S.Ilhamgizi
TREND, Azerbaijan
Aug. 17, 2006
On August 17, the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev received the
delegation headed by U.N. Higher Commissioner on Refugees Antonio
Guterres,Trend has been told by the press-service the President’s
Office.
During the meeting, Aliyev noted that the occupation of Azerbaijani
lands by Armenians, in result of which more than one million people
have become refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs), is the
key problem for Azerbaijan. He pointed out that Azerbaijan carries
out necessary measures to improve the living conditions for refugees
and IDPs, and in the near future, all tent camps will be liquidated.
Aliyev voiced his confidence that this visit will give further
opportunities to expand the relations between Azerbaijan and U.N.
Higher Commissariat.
Antonio Guterres satisfactorily remembered the meeting with national
leader of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev at the summit of OSCE held in
Lissabon. The guest notified that a decision was made last year on
the issue that U.N. Higher Commissariat on Refugees will pay further
attention to resolve the problems of refugees and IDPs. According to
him, from this point of view, the visit to Azerbaijan assumes a great
importance. He highly assessed the efforts of Azerbaijan government
to upgrade the living standards of refugees and IDPs, and expressed
his hope that the relations between Azerbaijan and U.N. will develop
in the future.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

CONFORMATION OF AZERBAIJAN’S ROADS TO INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS REQUIRES $5 BN AND 15 YEARS
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
Aug. 17, 2006
Azerbaijan is behind Armenia of the length of primary roads,
Transportation Ministry Traffic Service Department chief Javid Gurbanov
told a media briefing, APA reports.
Of 18 799-km-long roads, 1% are primary roads, 5% is secondary roads,
29% are third-category and 55% are four-category roads.
“Conformation of Azerbaijan’s roads to international standards requires
at least $5 bn and 15 years”.
Totally, the automobile roads of Azerbaijan is some 30 000 km in
length of which 18 799 km are priority roads.

TURKISH FM: OUR POSITION ON OPENING BORDERS WITH ARMENIA REMAINS UNCHANGED
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
Aug. 17, 2006
“Turkey’s position regarding opening its borders with Armenia remains
unchanged,” Turkish Foreign Ministry press secretary, ambassador
Namig Tan told APA’s Turkey bureau.
As concerns Kars local authorities head Naif Alibayoglu’s statement
on importance of opening Turkey-Armenia borders, Mr.Tan said Turkey
is a democratic state, everyone can express his own views openly.
“However, this issue concerns the government rather than the local
authorities head. There is no changes in the position of the Turkish
government with regard to opening the borders and we are not going
to do that,” the press secretary said.

UN HIGH COMMISSIONER MET CHAIRMAN OF STATE COMMITTEE ON AFFAIRS WITH REFUGEES AND IDPS
Author: S. Ilhamgizi
TREND, Azerbaijan
Aug. 17, 2006
On August 17 UN High Commissioner on Affairs with refugees and IDPs
Antonio Guteres and the delegation headed by Director of the European
Office of UN High Commissariat Pirkko Kourulayne met Chairman of the
State Committee on Affairs with Refugees and IDPs, Vice-Premier Ali
Hassanov, the State Committee told Trend today.
Issues concerning refugees and IDPs, their helath condition, and
their way of life were discussed during the meeting. Ali Hassanov
brought to the guests` notice that the situation with Azerbaijanis
who had to leave their lands as a result of the Armenian occupation
is very hard. He also pointed out that the Azerbaijan Government does
all possible to improve their living standards.
In his turn A. Guterres pointed out that he satisfied with the
attention and care the Government of Azerbaijan renders to refugees
and IDPs. He also pointed out that UN High Commissariat on Affairs
with Refugees and IDPs Worldwide as far as possible does its best to
help Azerbaijani refugees and IDPs.
UN representatives also met the Azerbaijan Foreign Minister and other
officials of the country.

ARMENIAN CIVILIANS TRANSFERRED UNDER ICRC AUSPICES
Source: International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) – Switzerland
Reuters AlertNet, UK
Aug. 17, 2006
Geneva (ICRC) – On 17 August three Armenian civilians were handed over
to the Armenian authorities under the auspices of the International
Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The operation took place on the road
between the Azerbaijani town of Gazakh and the Armenian town of Ijevan.
The ICRC, participating as a neutral intermediary, facilitated the
transfer at the request of the Azerbaijani and Armenian authorities
after ICRC delegates had met the civilians and verified that they
had accepted the handover of their own free will.
Since the start of its activities in connection with the Nagorny
Karabakh conflict in 1992, the ICRC has helped repatriate or transfer
659 people, and the organization will support any similar operation
in the future should the need arise.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

AZERBAIJAN PRESIDENT ILHAM ALIYEV RECEIVES UN HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
Aug. 17, 2006
Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev today received the delegation
of the United Nations led by High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio
Guterres.
The President’s press service told the APA the President said the
fact that Armenia occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan’s territory
forcing about million of Azerbaijanis to flee their homeland and
become refugees and internally displaced persons, continues to be a
major problem for the country.
He noted the Government has been taking steady measures to improve
the living conditions of the refugees and IDPs, adding all the tent
camps will be removed very soon as not wanted.
President Ilham Aliyev also said he believes this visit will contribute
to further enhancement of cooperation between Azerbaijan and Office
of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
Antonio Guterres said the UNHCR decided last year to pay more attention
to dealing with the problems of refugees and IDPs, stressing the
importance of his visit to Azerbaijan from this aspect.
Mr. Guterres highly appreciated the Azerbaijani Government’s efforts
towards bettering the lives of refugees and IDPs.
He also said he believes the cooperation between Azerbaijan and UNHCR
will further develop.

EURASEC – UKRAINE’S CHESTNUTS, ARMENIA’S FEARS AND KYRGYZSTAN’S LESSONS: INTERVIEW WITH KONSTANTIN ZATULIN
Regnum, Russia
Aug. 17, 2006
Konstantin Zatulin is Member of the Russian State Duma, Head of the
CIS Institute
REGNUM: Mr. Zatulin, the EurAsEC summit in Sochi is over. Experts
say that its key topic is energy. What agreements could have been
reached at the summit, particularly, to overcome the Ukrainian-Russian
“gas conflict”?
The Sochi forum is certainly a very important event, and one of its
most important points – to me – is that Ukrainian Prime Minister Viktor
Yanukovich is taking part in it. It is hardly a coincidence that the
head of the new Ukrainian government has first come to Russia exactly
now that it is hosting a EurAsEC summit.
Here we can see a hint from both sides that the former plans to
involve Ukraine in the Common Economic Space (CES) are coming back.
It was exactly because of Ukraine’s setback from real integration
that the SEC project was stalled. Now, after some pause – the orange
policy in Ukraine and the comeback of Viktor Yanukovich – integration
projects are coming back into the spotlight. And this moment should
not be missed even despite the seemingly domineering energy agenda.
Of course, energy security is a very painful problem for Ukraine, and
in Sochi Yanukovich will have to raise the problem of energy supplies
to make it clear – first of all, to his opponents – why exactly he
is there. This is especially important as those very opponents have
left him not a very good legacy: I mean not so much the contracts
made as the very simple fact that there is very little gas in Ukraine
and the winter is not very far. No gas has been stored so far, while
Naftogaz is almost bankrupt. That’s what Yanukovich has to deal with,
and even his most active supporters – somewhere deep in their hearts –
rely, first of all, on his ability to agree with Russia.
At the same time, I would like to note that today the key vexing
factor for Ukraine in its aggravating gas problems is not Russia but
Turkmenistan. Ashgabat’s plans to raise the disbursing price of its
gas from $60 to $100 may cause quite a dramatic change in the structure
of the Turkmen-Russian gas cocktail Ukraine is receiving today.
REGNUM: Is there any possibility that the policy of the new Ukrainian
government or the interference of Russia in the Ukrainian-Turkmen
talks may reduce the gas tariff for Ukraine?
I don’t see any possibility of Russia’s reducing the tariff. It would
be a naïve and irresponsible step on Russia’s part – a step that would
be contrary to the general tendencies in the world. On the other
hand, they may well review the terms of gas supplies. For example,
they may credit Ukraine or reconsider some accompanying problems,
like the ownership of Ukraine’s gas networks or the possibility of
Russia, Ukraine and Germany forming a consortium. I don’t see why
the sides cannot discuss these problems again, though it seems it
was the Ukrainian politicians who preferred to drive their own selves
into a deadlock.
As regards the talks with Turkmenistan, Russia has certain ways to
interest the Turkmen side, though it will be hard for the Russians to
explain why they can raise the tariffs while the Turkmens can’t. The
Russians should, first of all, understand why, in the first place,
they are pulling others’ chestnuts out of the fire. First of all, they
should understand the logic and the dynamics of the home politics in
Ukraine. Yanukovich himself has given cause for that by saying that,
for example, the status of the Russian language is a pragmatic problem
because of the lack of Constitutional majority. In Sochi he made a
symptomatic statement that, as soon as they form such a majority,
the Party of Regions will redeem its electoral promises.
So, what the Universal says is not a dogma for Yanukovich and
even though in considering the status of the Russian language the
Universal refers mostly to the Constitution, it also refers to the
European Charter.
I would like to especially note that, besides the problems of energy
and integration, Russia and Ukraine have many more problems to
discuss. They in Russia realize that the Yanukovich government is a
government of compromise who is capable of showing positive dynamics
in relations. This is one more coin to Yanukovich’s “money-box,”
which will allow him to further strengthen his positions in Ukraine,
especially as there are different people in the new Ukrainian
government. It’s no coincidence that Yanukovich has come to Sochi
without Foreign Minister Tarasyuk, who is well known for his
anti-Russian views.
REGNUM: How real is the prospect of Armenia’s joining EurAsEC and
Moldova’s getting closer to it?
I am not sure that Moldova will show a constructive position. There are
serious grounds for not trusting the words of Moldavian politicians.
For Armenia EurAsEC membership is certainly of strategic importance.
No coincidence that Armenian President Robert Kocharyan is now in
Sochi as an observer. Of course, Armenia should make this decision
itself, based on its own economic priorities and goals. However,
we should also keep in mind that Armenia is full member to the CSTO.
Another significant factor influencing Armenia’s plans is the Karabakh
problem, which will hardly be solved in the near future.
On the other hand, Armenia’s integration plans are strongly
restrained by the position and behavior of Georgia, who prevents
normal communication between the South and the North. Yerevan is
greatly suffering from Georgia’s destructive policy of blockading the
Armenia-Russia railroad in Abkhazia and from its revengeful plans
with respect to Abkhazia and South Ossetia – something Armenia has
nothing to do with. It seems that the moment of truth is ripening
not only in Russian-Georgian but also in Armenian-Georgian relations.
Until now Armenia has been demonstratively neutral. They have tried to
avoid any tensions with Georgia, they have been consciously damping
down the problem of Javakheti and have even refused to support the
protest actions of Armenians in that Georgian region.
I think that they in Armenia should also realize that Georgia’s
adventurism will certainly cause complications – and Armenia will
be the first to suffer from them – as this all is leading to drastic
changes in the force distribution in the region, which is certainly bad
for Yerevan. I can understand the fears of the Armenian authorities,
but they should realize that this problem is caused by Georgia and
does not depend on Armenia. The slapdash policy of the Georgian
leaders is a big threat to all the region’s countries. In fact,
the Georgian authorities are implicating their own country into a
new civil war that may spur up new conflicts all over the regions.
As regards Armenia, it continues being dependent not so much on its
neutral relations with Georgia as on the presence of Russia and its
position in the region.
REGNUM: Some Russian experts say that Moscow will use the Sochi summit
for warning the EurAsEC member-states against getting much too close
with the US and note that this, first of all, refers to Kyrgyzstan…
They probably mean that under Akayev Kyrgyzstan was the first CIS
country to join WTO. Let’s admit that this membership has given no
special happiness to the Kyrgyz people. The country has turned into
a kind of Klondike and has gone through most severe crisis. Its very
integrity is under question and is being preserved just artificially
for fear of a possible chain reaction in the region. The US’ support,
particularly, its military base in Manas, has not insured the country
against such developments.
Balancing between the interests of Russia and the US in hope for
results gives no results, as a rule. Kyrgyzstan should better refrain
from hypocrisy and show more clarity in its attitudes. Left to the
mercy of the fate, many in Central Asia hoped that the role of the
US’ closest friend will help them to strengthen their positions, but
later they understood that to be friend with the US means to give it
part of one’s own sovereignty. The most vivid example is Karimov. The
Americans proved this with the “knack” of elephant in china-shop, which
resulted in a civil war in Kyrgyzstan and Andijan events in Uzbekistan.
At the same time, I think that today Russia has no claims against
Kyrgyzstan. The sides are cooperating on a whole range of issues,
and Kyrgyzstan is fulfilling its commitments. By the way, it
was exactly and exclusively Kyrgyzstan who officially objected to
Ukraine’s admission into WTO even though they in Ukraine did much –
even against their own interests – to push their country into WTO
ahead of Russia. And their stumbling was due mostly to Kyrgyzstan.
As regards Kyrgyzstan’s own membership, once they have joined
WTO, nobody is going to persuade them to leave it. True, this is
contradictory to Russia’s EurAsEC plans, but this is up to the Kyrgyz
leaders to overcome all possible contradictions.
–Boundary_(ID_s2rCPwEihwapuKugE5 6oLA)–