FRENCH CO-CHAIRMAN OF OSCE MINSK GROUP TO HOLD TALKS IN BAKU
by Viktor Shulman
ITAR-TASS News Agency
April 11, 2006 Tuesday 01:24 AM EST
French co-chairman of the OSCE Minsk Group Bernard Fassier will
discuss with the Azerbaijani leadership on Tuesday issues of settling
the Karabakh conflict. According to diplomatic sources, Fassier will
hold consultations in Baku with Azerbaijani President Ilkham Aliyev,
Foreign Minister Elmar Mamedyarov and special representative of the
head of state for the Karabakh conflict settlement Araz Azimov.
The sides are expected to discuss possibilities for the intensification
of negotiations within the Prague process. It was launched by the
foreign ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia in Prague two years ago
with the mediation of the OSCE Minsk Group for Nagorno Karabakh in
which the United States is a co-chair along with France and Russia.
According to the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry, issues related to the
Karabakh problem settlement will be high on the agenda of consultations
of the American co-chairman of the Minsk Group, Steven Mann in Baku on
April 18. Mann is expected to discuss with the Azerbaijani leadership
certain proposals of the American side on the conflict settlement.
“These proposals are very interesting. Official Baku will study them
and express its view during Mann’s visit,” the Azerbaijani foreign
minister said in an interview to the AzerTaj state news agency. In his
view, the Karabakh conflict is the “largest obstacle to the political
and economic development of Azerbaijan and it is necessary to intensify
efforts in this sphere.”

CHINA’S GDP GROWTH RANKS 6TH IN ASIA
Comtex News Network, Inc.
April 11, 2006 Tuesday 10:47 AM Eastern Time
BEIJING
China saw its growth rate of gross domestic product (GDP) for 2005
reach 9.9% and take the sixth place in Asia, according to a report
released by Asian Development Bank (ADB) on April 6.
Azerbaijan ranked first with a record growth rate of 26.4%, buoyed
by production and export of crude oil and natural gas. Armenia and
Afghanistan took the second and third place respectively. Japan,
as a developed country, saw its GDP stand at 2.8%.
The economic growth prospect of developing countries in Asia relies
heavily on the three major economies here, namely, China, India
and South Korea, whose combined economic aggregate accounts for 66%
of the Asia’s total, revealed the chief economist with ADB.
ADB predicted China’s GDP grow by 9.5% in 2006. Previously, Mr. Qiu
Xiaohua, director of the National Bureau of Statistics of China, said
that the country’s growth rate of GDP is likely to hit 9% this year.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

COUNTRY, WHICH RESORTS TO SOLUTION OF KARABAKH ISSUE BY FORCE, WILL BE EXPELLED FROM CE
PanARMENIAN.Net
11.04.2006 22:29 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The country, which resorts to solution of Karabakh
issue by force, will be expelled from the Council of Europe (CE),
Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) President Rene
van der Linden stated today. “In case hostilities resume in Nagorno
Karabakh, I do not consider a country, which uses armed forces to
solve the conflict can stay in the CE,” he said. The PACE President
urged the parties of the NK conflict to give up militant statements
and recognize that the conflict can be solved by peaceful tools
exclusively, reports Mediamax.

COPIES OF SERIES OF TRUE FACTS ON KARABAKH DISTRIBUTED AMONG PACE MEMBERS
PanARMENIAN.Net
11.04.2006 22:47 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ “Series of True Facts about Karabakh” books
have been distributed by MP Ganira Pashayeva on April 11 at PACE
spring session in Strasbourg at the initiative of the Azerbaijani
delegation. The books have been distributed both among the CE members
and representatives of the mass media.
In Pashayeva’s words, that way members of the Azerbaijani delegation
of PACE keep the attention of the PACE on the issue of “occupation
of part of Azeri territories by Armenia.”
The book being disseminated by the PACE Azeri delegation is only
a small brochure in English with photos, head of the PACE Armenian
delegation, NA Vice-Speaker Tigran Torosyan told a PanARMENIAN.Net
reporter. In his words, the brochure comprises isolated facts with
comments in the form of constant accusations against Armenia as an
aggressor. “The brochure concerns Armenian terrorists, occupants –
nothing new, this was many times spoken about by Azeris at the PACE,”
Torosyan remarked.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

BAKU OBJECTS TO EUROPARLIAMENT SURVEY IN NAKHICHEVAN
PanARMENIAN.Net
11.04.2006 23:28 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Official Baku may agree that the European
Parliament mission start a survey at the destroyed Armenian cemetery
in Nakhichevan “only with the condition of bilateral survey,” APA
reports. The mission is composed of 10 persons that are to travel to
Armenia at first.
Speaking at an official conference on April 6th, the President of
the European Parliament was joined by the leaders of its political
parties in strongly approving the body’s decision to send a delegation
in Djulfa, in the Nakhichevan region of Azerbaijan. The aim of the
mission is to investigate the destruction by Azerbaijan of the Armenian
cemetery in Djulfa, a treasure of world architectural heritage that was
effectively destroyed. The EP leaders unanimously decided to entrust
this mission to the Commission on EU-Armenia parliamentary cooperation
rather than to an ad-hoc delegation, as it had initially been planned.
The mission is being sent in accordance with the Parliament’s
resolution “on cultural heritage in Azerbaijan,” which was adopted
in February of 2006.
This measure “demands that Azerbaijan allow missions, who are dedicated
to surveying and protecting archaeological heritage, in particular
Armenian heritage, onto its territory.” The delegation will be composed
of ten Members of the European Parliament (MEP) who are members of
the Commission of EU-Armenia parliamentary cooperation group. They
are set to travel to Djulfa as part of their trip to Armenia from
April 17th to 21st.

OSCE MG HOPES FOR CREATING “NEW OPPORTUNITIES” IN KARABAKH TALKS
PanARMENIAN.Net
11.04.2006 22:20 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group intend to visit
the Nagorno Karabakh conflict region in May, OSCE MG French co-chair
Bernard Fassier stated in Baku April 11. Co-chairs’ trips to the
region aim at possible rapprochement of the parties to conflict,
the mediator said. He hoped that the visit will convey an impulse
to the new phase of talks. Last year the mediators did much, but
it was not managed to attain progress at the Rambouillet meeting of
the presidents, Fassier remarked. He expressed co-chairs’ hopes for
creation of “new opportunities” in the talks, which will pave way
for new meetings of the presidents.
The French co-chair stated that he had arrived in Baku with specific
proposals, but he could not reveal these. There is nothing especially
new about them, he added. In his words, The MG can only provide new
ideas to help attain peace. The responsibility to find a middle line
at the talks lies on the parties of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict,
Fassier underscored. In the former half of the day Fassier had talks
with Azeri FM Elmar Mammadyarov. The meeting was held behind closed
doors and no statements were made after it, reports Trend.

CE NOT WORKING FOR FULL MEDIATION IN KARABAKH TALKS
PanARMENIAN.Net
11.04.2006 23:11 GMT+04:0
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Head of the PACE Interim Committee on Nagorno
Karabakh Lord Russell-Johnston said he thinks of the opportunity
of resumption of hostilities in the conflict zone “with great
displeasure.” Lord Russell-Johnston remarked, “creation of the NK
Committee at the PACE does not mean we work for becoming full mediators
in the talks.” “The OSCE Minsk Group has been professionally dealing
with it for over 10 years now and I do not think the CE can replace it.
Our task is to provide the necessary assistance to the OSCE MG
co-chairs,” said head of the PACE Interim Committee.
Russell-Johnston did not rule out a visit of the Interim Committee to
Armenia and Azerbaijan, as well as meetings with NK representatives
this year. “We also consider the opportunity to organize a meeting
between Armenian and Azeri MPs, however speaking of concrete agreements
is early still,” Russell-Johnston said, Mediamax reports.

ALIYEV TO DISCUSS KARABAKH ISSUE IN US
PanARMENIAN.Net
12.04.2006 00:29 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ “Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s visit to the
United States scheduled for 28 April has long been planned. During
the visit, bilateral issues between the two countries will be
discussed,” Ali Hasanov, head of the Presidential Administration
social and political department told journalists. Mr. Hasanov said
that President Aliyev will have talks with US President George Bush,
State Secretary Condoleezza Rice and OSCE MG American co-chair Steven
Mann. The Nagorno Karabakh issue and relations with Iran will be in
focus of the meetings, Hasanov said.
Hasanov also criticized the OSCE MG activities. “If Russia, France,
US shut their eyes on “Armenia’s aggression” the OSCE Minsk Group
is pointless institution then. It is natural that the United States
does not want the war to break out in the South Caucasus, neither
do we. We do not want our oil revenues to be spent on war. However,
for the sake of liberation of our territories we’ll mobilize not only
oil revenues but also family incomes. It is important to put pressure
on Armenia to prevent war,” Hasanov remarked.
The head of the department does not think that the Azerbaijan-US talks
will also focus on Iran issue. He said Iran and US will decide their
relations themselves. “This issue concerns these two countries.
We have relations with the US as well as with Iran.
Our citizens keep in touch with Iran,” he concluded, APA reports.

SAFAROV KILLING SLEEPING MAN OF NO IMPORTANCE TO BAKU
PanARMENIAN.Net
12.04.2006 00:41 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ “Not only Adil Ismaylov, but also Hungarian lawyers
are guilty for bad defense of Ramil Safarov. His defense was also very
badly organized at the state level,” stated Chair of the Karabakh
Liberation Organization (KLO) Akif Nagi. In his words, Hungarian
Prosecutor Veronica Kish was “influenced by Armenian authorities
and Diaspora. She openly supports them and cites facts that are not
confirmed anywhere.
Besides, it does not matter, whether the Armenian was asleep or no,”
Nagi said.
At the same time Nagi does not consider the events in the Budapest
court a failure of the Azeri party. “I would call it irresponsibility
of Hungarian judicial authorities. Besides, let Armenians not be happy
prematurely. There is still time and we still believe the court will
pass a just decision,” the KLO leader said.
To remind, during the court hearing on March 4 the prosecutor demanded
life sentence for Safarov without the right for amnesty during the
initial 30 years. The prosecutor stated the crime was committed with
special cruelty and threats the national security of Hungary.
He also emphasized Safarov was responsible at the moment of
committing the crime. In her turn Hungarian lawyer Gabriella Kaspar,
who represents interests of the Armenian party, added the murder of
Gurgen Margaryan should be considered a genocide, as it is committed
on the national ground.

COMMISSION FOR WORKING OUT NATIONAL SECURITY CONCEPT MET
PanARMENIAN.Net
12.04.2006 00:47 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The third session of the Interdepartmental Commission
for Coordinating the Working out of the National Security Concept was
held in Yerevan, chaired by Secretary of the National Security Council
and the President of Armenia, MOD Head Serge Sargsyan. According
to the Spokesperson of the Armenian MOD Head, colonel Seyran
Shahsuvaryan, during the session 250 proposals presented before were
considered. These specifically refer to the section on Challenges to
the National Security of Armenia and Ensuring It. During exchange
of views the Commission Secretariat was commissioned to edit the
proposals and include them in the concept.