AZERBAIJAN-TATARSTAN INTERGOVERNMENTAL COMMISSION HOLDS FIRST MEETING
AzerTag, Azerbaijan
Aug 1 2006
Prime Ministers Artur Rasizade of Azerbaijan and visiting Rustam
Minnikhanov of Tatarstan (Russia) today in Baku presided over the first
meeting of the Azerbaijan-Tatarstan Intergovernmental Commission on
trade, economic, scientific, technical and cultural cooperation.
In his opening remarks the Azeri Premier said Azerbaijan attaches
great importance to development of relations with Russian federation
not only at federal level but also at the level of its subjects.
He pointed out that trade between Azerbaijan and Tatarstan which
totaled $35.5 million last year, reached the volume of $25.7 million
over the first six months of the current year that 3.4 times more
than for the corresponding period of 2005.
Speaking of the global energy projects being implemented in Azerbaijan,
Prime Minister Rasizade stressed the country’s intention to develop
its non-oil sector, as well. He said Tatarstan’s experience in this
field would be very useful for Azerbaijan.
Touching upon the Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,
the Premier said Armenia takes a non-constructive stance as for the
issue of peaceful resolution of the problem.
Prime Minister of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov said his republic is
ready to cooperate with Azerbaijan in both trade and economic and
humanitarian field. He also expressed Tatarstan’s interest in creation
of petrochemical and oil refinery joint ventures with Azerbaijan.
The meeting ended with signing a protocol reflecting prospects of
bilateral cooperation in trade, economic, scientific, technical and
cultural cooperation.
After the meeting, the two premiers answered questions from
journalists. They said, in particular, at this first meeting members
of the intergovernmental commission had agreed on opening in Baku of
the service center of the truck production plan KamAZ, implementation
of joint projects in the field of petrochemistry, machine-building,
and oil-field equipment.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Azeri delegation held monitoring in Shusha prison
TREND Information, Azerbaijan
Aug 1 2006
During the visit to Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh, the delegation headed
by the chairman of Azerbaijan National Committee of Helsinki Citizen
Assembly Arzu Abdullayeva held several meetings, Trend reports with
reference to the National Committee.
>>From 25 to 31 July, the Azerbaijani delegation paid a visit to
Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh. During the visit, the delegation
participated at the international conference held in Khankendi in
relation with the captives, lost persons and prisoners, as well as
conducted monitoring in places where Azerbaijani captives were kept
(Shusha prison).
Abdullayeva noted that in connection with the visit, information
is disseminated in the local press, which doesn’t correspond to
the realities. She stressed that the information aims to divert the
attention of the public from peaceful solution of Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict.
On August 3, Abdullayeva will hold a press-conference dedicated to
the results of the visit and make clear all questions.

Azeri diplomat: “Question of borders’ opening with
Armenia is outside Gars municipality’s competence”
Today, Azerbaijan
Aug 1 2006
“Borders between Turkey and Armenia might be opened within three
terms. Turkish President, prime minister and parliament leader have
announced these terms for several times.
“For opening of the borders Armenia should withdraw from alleged
genocide claims, refuse territorial claims against Turkey, and free
occupied Azerbaijani territories,” Consul-General of Azerbaijan in
Gars has informed APA.
Expressing positive attitude to Gars municipality head Naif
Alibayoghlu’s opinion on necessity of opening of borders, Hasan
Zeynalov said that, there are forces in Turkey that are interested
in the opening of borders with Armenia.
It should be noted that Gars municipality’s head stated necessity
of opening of borders with Armenia in his interview given to Turkish
Daily News. He stressed that opening of borders will not only serve
development of Gars from economical view point, but also will be cheap
and reliable road for Turkish exporters for bringing their goods to
Middle Asia and Far East markets.
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Bryza Meets Azerbaijani Foreign Minister
Baku Today, Azerbaijan
Aug 1 2006
Matthew Bryza, U.S. co-chairman of the OSCE Minsk Group, held talks
today in Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry. First the guest met with Nizami
Bakhmanov, leader of the Azerbaijani community of Nagorno Karabakh,
and then he met with Foreign Minister Elmar Mamedyarov.
After the meeting, Bryza refrained from making comments. He just
stated that he had come to Baku to learn the opinions of the Foreign
Minister and the President. He stressed that he came to Baku as an
OSCE MG co-chairman, to discuss questions related to settlement of
the Karabakh conflict.
Bryza said that on August 2 he will go to Paris to meet with the other
OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmen, Bernard Fassier and Yurii Merzlyakov.

Electronic defense of borders to be established by 2010
Today, Azerbaijan
Aug 1, 2006
Electronic defense systems will be established in Azerbaijan’s borders
by 2010.
The State Border Service chief, Lieutenant General Elchin Guliyev
told journalists this process has already been started in Nakhchivan
Border Division.
He said staff reductions will be held in the Border Troops’ personnel
related to the electronic defense system.
Commenting on charging the Border Troops with the defense of
Azerbaijan-Armenia borders, Guliyev considers it impossible now.
“This depends on the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict to a great extent.
We all look forward and prepare for this day,” he said.
Guliyev also said improvements are expected from the meeting of the
Azerbaijan-Georgia intergovernmental commission for delimitation
of borders scheduled for 3-5 August, 2006 in the Georgian capital,
Tbilisi, APA reports.
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MEN AND WOMEN RELATIONSHIP
Lragir.am
01 Aug 06
According to the facts published by the Procuracy of Armenia, 5 cases
of rape and attempts of rape were reported in the first half of 2006
compared with 9 cases of the first half of 2005.
After learning these data during the meeting of the college of the
Armenian procuracy, a mail reporter said, “Perhaps, women surrender
more easily.” “Or maybe men have started persuading better,” suggested
one of the female reporters.
By the way, unlike the rate of rape, the rate of sexual crime grew.
In the first half of 2005 25 cases, and in the first half of 2006 28
crimes were reported.

WHY DID YERVAND ZAKHARYAN BECOME SO KIND?
Lragir.am
01 Aug 06
The mayor of Yerevan Yervand Zakharyan announced July 31 that the
problem of property of the residents of the neighborhood of Kozern
will be solved in the upcoming two months. The Office of the Defender
of Human Rights reports that Ombudsman Armen Harutiunyan sent the
second official letter July 28 to the mayor of Yerevan.
“I am worried that the recognition of rights of the citizens for
property throughout the expropriation for the development of Yerevan
is often rejected on false grounds,” stated Armen Harutiunyan in
the letter.
Armen Harutiunyan informed Yervand Zakharyan that according to the
citizens, the commission set up to settle this problem says it only
deals with measurement and would not raise the issue of “viewing the
expropriated property as the property of the owner”. We again propose
solving the problem of recognition of the right for property before
expropriation. Probably this became the last chord of “kindness”
of the mayor.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

U.S. SENATE TO DISCUSS NOMINATION OF AMBASSADOR TO ARMENIA
Lragir.am
01 Aug 06
The U.S. Senate will vote to the nomination of Richard Hoagland, U.S.
Ambassador to Armenia. One senator can suspend the vote but it happens
rarely. Nevertheless, the task force on Hay Dat expects that at least
a senator will do it. The Armenian lobby in America demands that the
Senate suspend the nomination of the new ambassador until Hoagland
makes a clear statement on the Armenian genocide.

ILLEGAL BUILDINGS WILL BECOME STATE PROPERTY
Lragir.am
01 Aug 06
The illegal buildings in Yerevan will become state property, announced
the mayor of Yerevan Yervand Zakharyan. He said there are about
112 thousand illegal buildings in Yerevan. The mayor mentioned that
inventory of these buildings is already underway. He also mentioned
that the buildings which comply with architectural standards will be
sold by auction.
“Every illegal building built on state land is built for the state,”
announced Yervand Zakharyan.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

IN KARABAKH THEY ARE EAGER TO KNOW WHY ARMENIA FOUNDATION DOES NOT HURRY
Lragir.am
01 Aug 06
The society in Nagorno Karabakh is worried why Armenia Foundation
does not hurry to start the reconstruction of Martakert, for which 7
million dollars were raised during the November 2005 telethon. The
Lragir has wrote about this for several times, pointing to the
controversies between the NKR government and the leadership of Armenia
Foundation. We have written that the Karabakh government does not
want Naira Melkumyan to continue to be the chief executive of the
foundation. The prime minister of Karabakh announced two months
ago that the foundation is to blame for postponing the project
of reconstruction of Martakert. Afterwards the foundation made an
official release on the reconstruction of the project of Martakert.
The Karabakhopen.com published an article by Murad Petrosyan, the
editor of the Chto Delat Newspaper in Stepanakert where the author
says the reason of the slow pace of the foundation is that in the
Armenian reality moral reputation, sense of duty and organizational
abilities are overlooked in appointing key officials.
“If Ms. Melkumyan, the executive director of Armenia Foundation
possessed the abovementioned traits, would she sit on 5 million
dollars, which have a definite addressee, for 8 months?” asks Murad
Petrosyan.
He says the later construction of infrastructure in Martakert is
put out to tender and the longer the money for construction remains
in the bank, the more income the money will bring. “And if now Ms.
Melkumyan pays herself a salary of 2000 U.S. dollars, soon she will
be able to increase this sum up to 3-4 thousand. If presently she
has three managers and three assistants, soon she will be able to
increase their number up to 6,” writes Murad Petrosyan. However, he
says, it would be wrong to blame only Naira Melkumyan for the slow
reconstruction of Martakert.
“First of all, the one who appointed her is to blame. Second, the NKR
government and NKR President Ghukasyan are to blame for this situation,
as well as the government of Armenia, and especially Robert Kocharyan,
who is the president of the board of trustees of Armenia Foundation,”
thinks Murad Petrosyan.
According to him, the laziness of the president of the board of
trustees would be explicable if only Artsakh were dissatisfied with
the activities of the foundation. Murad Petrosyan says, however,
that complaints were heard on the airwaves of Radio Liberty, which
is broadcast in the large Armenian Diasporan communities. Murad
Petrosyan writes that this is the reason why he cannot understand
the calm attitude of Robert Kocharyan towards all this, especially
that soon there will be another telethon for Shushi and Hadrut.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress