Eurasianet
EURASIA INSIGHT
AZERBAIJANI HOPES FOR PEACE DWINDLE WITH KARABAKH DISCLOSURE
Shahin Abbasov and Khadija Ismailova 7/13/06
The sudden disclosure of details from a draft peace agreement on the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict has sparked a surge in pro-war sentiments in
Azerbaijan, analysts say, amid a growing conviction that negotiations
with Armenia serve little purpose.
The tone for Azerbaijan’s official reaction was set on June 22 when
President Ilham Aliyev, addressing military school graduates, termed
the so-called “Prague process” of regular talks about the disputed
enclave “ineffective.” [For background see the Eurasia insight
archive]. The remarks followed a statement from the Organization for
Security and Cooperation in Europe’s Minsk Group, the body charged with
mediating negotiations, and a Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty interview
with US Minsk Group co-chair Matthew Bryza that identified an Armenian
troop withdrawal from the seven occupied Azerbaijani territories and
a possible referendum on Karabakh’s status as among the key points
of a proposed framework agreement. The disclosure was reportedly made
in an attempt to prompt public discussion about the plan.
In an early July interview with the Turkish newspaper Jumhirriyet,
however, Aliyev went on to stress that no agreements had ever been
reached between the two sides. “Armenia and Azerbaijan are very
far from agreement. There are some proposals from the Minsk Group
co-chairs, but their last statement disclosed only a few of these
proposals.”
Bryza’s assertion that an agreement now depends on Aliyev and Armenian
President Robert Kocharian alone has been interpreted as a sign that
the international community itself recognizes that mediation of the
talks has reached a stalemate.
“The style of the disclosure by the co-chairs. . . clearly demonstrated
that the issue is not resolved at all, and that the co-chairs would
be happy to escape responsibility for any future development such
as a resumption of war,” Ilgar Mammadov, an independent political
analyst in Baku, commented.
(Ilgar Mammadov serves on the board of the Open Society Institute
Assistance Foundation-Azerbaijan. EurasiaNet operates under the
auspices of the Open Society Institute in New York.) Mammadov,
however, argued that the perceived failure should come as no
surprise. He suggested that the Armenian and Azerbaijani, deep down,
aren’t interested in talking to each other. “In November 2005,
Mr. Kocharian had to survive a critical constitutional referendum,
and Mr. Aliyev had to do the same with his first parliamentary
elections. They both needed Western support at the polls, and,
therefore, since January 2005 they pretended that progress was being
made at the negotiations,” said Mammadov. “The co-chairs understood
their motives, but still accepted the game in the hope of making use
of it. They failed.”
The proposed referendum on the status of Nagorno-Karabakh, however,
has nonetheless stirred particular concern among both government
officials and the general public. Contrary to Armenia’s interpretation
that such a referendum would be held in Karabakh alone, Azerbaijanis
contend that the vote on the territory’s status must be held nationwide
in Azerbaijan proper as well as in the disputed enclave. The OSCE
statement itself does not specify the conditions under which any
referendum would be held.
“Everybody understands that any referendum conducted only in
Nagorno-Karabakh will result in the dismemberment of the country and
Azerbaijan cannot accept that,” commented Eldar Namazov, president
of the For Azerbaijan Public Forum, a Baku-based non-governmental
organization, and a former advisor to the late President Heydar Aliyev.
In his interview with Jumhuriyet, Aliyev dismissed as misleading
Armenian discussion of the proposed referendum as a quid pro quo
for a withdrawal from the seven Azerbaijani territories that border
on Nagorno-Karabakh.
“Armenia sometimes talks about unreal things. Meanwhile, the reality is
that Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity is not a topic for discussions
and Nagorno-Karabakh will never get independence,” he said.
Talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan, “together with all of
Azerbaijan,” about Karabakh’s status, can only begin after Azerbaijani
residents return to the enclave, Aliyev continued. “The future will
show how much time is needed for such negotiations.”
Local experts cotend that the co-chairs’ statements on the Karabakh
talks have fanned pro-war sentiment in Azerbaijan. “The popular
argument in Baku is that if a reality created by force is acceptable,
then we should create one favorable to Azerbaijan whenever the
opportunity appears,” Mammadov said.
According to Aliyev, the only way to avoid war over Karabakh is
for Armenia to withdraw from the occupied territories without
preconditions. “War must not be ruled out. There is a fragile
cease-fire regime, no security measures are provided at the
front-line. There are no countries separating us, no peacekeeping
troops. Thus, an ‘unpleasant incident’ can appear at any time,”
he told Jumhirriyet.
Azerbaijan’s opposition, its political position considerably
diminished after the November 2005 parliamentary elections, has
also expressed readiness to take up arms for Nagorno-Karabakh. Ali
Kerimli, leader of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (PFPA),
one of the country’s largest opposition parties, has pledged to be
at the front line himself if war breaks out. “I will be at the front
and will call on my supporters to take part in the liberation war,”
he said. According to Kerimli, in 1997 Azerbaijan’s opposition parties
signed a joint memorandum that they would cooperate with all political
parties if war occurs in Nagorno-Karabakh.
In keeping with that approach, the PFPA, in a rare show of solidarity
with the government, also supports Aliyev’s refusal to compromise
on Karabakh.
“The international community will put pressure on the Azerbaijani
leadership, demanding that it accept these principles [in the draft
framework agreement]. But the Azerbaijani opposition, even though the
government always saw us as enemies. . .must support the authorities
to stand up to this pressure,” Kerimli told the news site Day.az on
July 10.
Meanwhile, a series of mysterious fires in the occupied territories,
which first broke out in early June, has further fueled a sense of
building conflict. Armenian officials have denied that the fires were
deliberately set, while the Azerbaijani foreign ministry has published
photos taken from space that it alleges show entire villages burning.
Some Azerbaijanis, especially in the region of Agdam, close to the
frontline, interpret the blazes as a sign that Armenian troops will
soon withdraw. “They do it because they want us to find only burned
villages when we go back to our homes,” commented Alesger Mammadli,
a Baku-based lawyer originally from Agdam region.
Editor’s Note: Shain Abbasov is a freelance journalist in Baku. Khadija
Ismayilova is an analyst based in Washington, DC.

ARMENIAN FOREIGN MINISTER SAYS OSCE CO-CHAIR’S STATEMENT NOT A SURPRISE FOR HIM
Panorama.am
17:46 14/07/06
Armenian foreign minister Vartan Oskanyan told a press conference today
that the principles outlined in the document are mainly acceptable
for the Armenia side, speaking about the document recently made public
by OSCE co-chairs.
However, he and the Armenian leadership do not think this is the best
and ideal document. This is just a compromise version, he says and
Armenia has clearly stated its disposition to it. “We think that the
terms are comprehensive, balanced and a right formula of compromise
is found. It can serve as a good base for negotiations,” Oskanyan
said. He also said they are not going to work on public opinion to
accept the formula unless Azerbaijan also accepts the document.
Minister Oskanyan said the fact that the document is made public
is not a surprise for him. The co-chairs have agreed to open the
document. Oskanyan believes there will be some in Armenia who will
not accept such a resolution of the conflict./Panorama.am/

Ecumenical News International
News Highlights
14 July 2006
Iranian soccer player voted ‘Christian star’ of World Cup
Warsaw (ENI). The only Christian player in Iran’s national soccer
team has been named “Christian star of the World Cup” in a poll
undertaken by a Dutch ecumenical Christian group. Andranik
Teymourian, a 23-year-old midfielder, received 31.3 per cent of
votes in the online contest, organized by Gristelijk, a group of
Protestant and Roman Catholic teachers and lecturers, out of a
shortlist of 11 leading Christian soccer players. [238 words,
ENI-06-0564]
ENI News Highlights contain summaries of ENI articles published
today.
This summary may be copied or re-posted provided the information
printed below is retained.
Individual paragraphs may be reproduced provided ENI is
acknowledged as the source.
ENI Online –
Ecumenical News International
PO Box 2100
CH – 1211 Geneva 2
Switzerland
Tel: (41-22) 791 6088/6111
Fax: (41-22) 788 7244
Email: [email protected]

&phrase_id=47805
07/11/2006 02:01:45 
First symbolical Gay wedding in Armenia
“There are absolutely no obstacles to forbid a gay marriage in Armenia
(…)  I believe that in 10-15 years gay marriages will be celebrated in
Armenia” says Misha
 
While Russia celebrated last May 27th, the 13th anniversary of
decriminalization of male homosexuality, the same, happenned in Armenia less
than 3 years ago. Thanks to its entrance in the Council of Europe, the ex
Soviet Republic had to amend its criminal code. The big fight for gay rights
is only rising in this small country of 3 million inhabitants. With its tiny
gay community, Armenia is not yet thinking of holding a gay pride festival
in Yerevan. Homophobia is still high like in any emerging country. Although
gay Armenian activists regularly take part to LGBT conferences in Europe,
some have decided to go further. A few gays and lesbians Armenians living in
France have created their own organization (AGLA) in which they try to
promote tolerance towards LGBT in their home country. They have their web
site. They also have their float every year at the Paris Gays Pride. 
 
Misha and Harut, who both live in France where they became lovers, have
decided to symbolically seal their love in their home country. Last week,
they both returned to Echmiadzin’s Cathedral, an equivalent to Vatican for
Armenian Christians, and organized their own wedding ceremony.
 
Misha is part of this new wave of Eastern European activists who do not want
anymore to maintain the “status quo” : “If during the last 30 years, the
situation of GLBT people has improved in the Western world, because each
year queers walked in the streets and stood up for their dignity. You cannot
achieve any improvement just by sitting there and waiting for better time.
Nobody will never give anything to us. There will be no gifts. We should
fight for our rights”.
 
Read below our interview with Misha.
 
GayRussia : How it was possible to make this ceremony in a church ?
 
In January 2006 I met Arnaud here in Paris. He came to our association’s
monthly gathering in the Gay Center. He is a French-Armenian. We liked each
other and started dating. Two months later we decided to move to a new
apartment and live together. I’m atheist and have no religion, though my
family has Christian background. Arnaud is a believer and he always wanted
that we celebrate our union in a church. I love him and I know how important
it was for him to seal our commitment in a religious place. So I said that
I’d agree to go to a church and exchange the rings, no matter if our
marriage is approved by the priest or not. Arnaud somehow hoped that priests
would accept our marriage, so he called the Armenian church in Paris and
introduced himself under his Armenian name – Harout. He asked the priest if
we can marry in the church. The cleric cursed and hang up on him. He was
very upset. I said : damn the priest, we’re going to make it our way. I
suggested that we make a trip to Armenia and get married in Echmiadzin’s
Cathedral without any cleric’s authorization or approval. For Arnaud this
plan was very exciting and it was more than symbolic trip. Echmiadzin is the
Holy See of the Armenian Apostolic Church. It is an equivalent of Vatican
for Armenian Christians. So we bought tickets and went to Armenia. On June
19, we came to the Cathedral. I asked Arnaud if he accepts to be the man of
my life for the best and the worst, until the death separates us. I knew the
answer, but it was still a very nervous moment. We kissed each other
after exchanging the rings that we had prepared for each other in secrecy.
That’s how I became a married man. It was a very memorable day.
 
GR : Did many people attended your ceremony ?
 
We didn’t look for publicity trying to make this ceremony in a very
confidential way. We were taking risks by going to Echmiadzin. I kind of
a feared the religious fanatics who could agress us if they knew what we
were doing there. So we have chosen Monday morning, so the Cathedral would
be not crowded. I called some friends among local gays and lesbians to
assist us and be our witnesses. I invited also my sister who lives in
Yerevan and a couple of straight friends. We were seven. A lesbian friend
was filming the ceremony with a video camera and my sister was taking the
pictures. She was so touched by the event that she missed the moment when we
exchanged rings and kissed each other. So we have no pics of our kiss, but
we have it on the tape. Ouf!
 
GR : What was the reaction in your city ?
 
As I said above we didn’t publicize the event in Yerevan. My family, my mom,
sister and nephew still live there. My mom asked me to be very discreet and
avoid any move that can put their lives in danger. We agreed to give an
interview to an online weekly called ArmeniaNow.com
This was our only contact with a media outlet in Yerevan. We asked the
reporter to publish his article after we leave the country.
 
GR : You both live in France and this ceremony was only symbolic. Did you
want to provoke a reflexion in the Armenian society ?
 
Since December 1, 2001 the day our association was founded in Paris we
strive to promote queer issues in the Armenian society. Our first action was
to put pressure on the Armenian authorities so they would abolish the
anti-gay article in the penal code. We have constantly protested against any
homophobic move from the Armenian government or mass media. In October 2004,
we organized a protest picketing in front of the Armenian Embassy in Paris
when the country was caught by homophobic hysteria provoked by extreme right
activists. We sent open letter to the president and PM of Armenia
by demanding them to take legislative measures which will punish hatred
towards gays the same way racism and xenophobia are condemned by law in
Armenia. There was no reply from the President neither from the PM. But we
know that they had read our letter, because it was published in the
newspaper Haykakan Zhamanak.
 
 We realize that our action has limits. We are in Diaspora and not in
Armenia. We do the pressure from outside and nothing happens inside the
country. That’s why we strongly boosted and favoured any move from local
gays and lesbians to get organized. This year a group of local queer
activists has created “Menk”. It is the first organisation of its kind aimed
at supporting gays and lesbians but also working in the area of AIDS
prevention. We hope that this group will start growing because there is a
huge need for it in Armenia. The reality is that the Armenian
society remains extremely homophobic where the homosexuality is still
considered a disease. Whenever the media outlet speaks about gays,
it presents homosexuality as a depravation or immorality. This subject is
always approached from a negative point of view. Until the country’s
political class and the mainstream intelligentsia view homosexuality as a
threat there won’t be any debate in this country. The few intellectuals who
speak out in our support are gently silenced or ignored. For the time
being nor the government neither the Armenian society is open for a public
debate on the queer issue. And our marriage will not provoke any reflexion,
because nobody will let the debate take place.
 
GR : Did you get a coverage in the Armenian papers ?
 
Not in the papers, but on the website of ArmeniaNow.com – it is a bilingual
Armenian/English weekly. They have interviewed us and published an article
about our wedding. You may read the article here.
 
GR : Does Armenian law says that marriage is only between a man and a woman
?
 
The Armenian constitution doesn’t precise if the civil marriage should be
held between a woman and a man. So legally, there are absolutely no
obstacles to forbid a gay marriage in Armenia. But who will dare to marry in
Armenia ? I mean gays in Armenia are just starting to come out of a closet.
Speaking of marriage is a little bit pre-mature. But I believe that in 10-15
years gay marriages will be celebrated in Armenia without being considered
as a phenomenon. 
 
GR : In Russia, some says that organizing gay prides is a provocation to the
society as well as any other form of fight that involve the medias. Do you
consider your action as a provocation ?
 
Those who think that Gay Pride is a provocation, may be before making such
quick and stupid statements they should learn the history of the gay
movement. The first Gay Pride march took place in New York in the end of
60s. There were gay riots due to police harassment. In 1970, a year after
the riots, gays and lesbians organised a March commemorating those
events. The New York has launched the gay movement in the West. Today, the
LGBT people around the world organise a Gay Pride march each year. It is a
pacific way for us to express our anger and claim our civil rights. If
during the last 30 years, the situation of GLBT people has improved in the
Western world, because each year queers walked in the streets and stood up
for their dignity. You cannot achieve any improvement just by sitting there
and waiting for better time.
 
Nobody will never give anything to us. There will be no gifts. We should
fight for our rights. Here in France, the gay movement has achieved a
relative improvement, but the gay couples are still considered as a
second-zone citizens. The gays can still be beaten and insulted in Paris.
The only thing that has changed in France is that now the State (along with
the public opinion) condemns the violence towards gays, but it is not yet
ready to accept gays as equal citizens. I’d say there is no place on earth
where gays do not have to fight for their rights. Would it be in Moscow, in
New York, in Paris, in Yerevan, in Tokyo or in Baghdad, it is difficult to
be gay. We are still considered as outcasts. Everywhere we endure the
violence. The only difference is in the ways the violence is expressed
towards us. In Russia and in Armenia the anti-gay violence is brutal,
because the government, intelligentsia and the media are all together
homophobic, in France, in the US, in the West, in general, the violence is
more delicate and sophisticated, but it exists.
 
When it comes to our marriage being a provocation. I don’t care anymore what
people think about us. I don’t care if the church or the public opinion in
Armenia approve our marriage. What counts for me is that we decided
to celebrate our love in a symbolic way, in a symbolic place. And we did it.
We did it for us, first of all. There is no possibility for us to marry in a
religious or in a civil way. So when you have no possibility, you improvise.
And the advantage of improvising is that you do not need any authorisation.
Any gay couple can enter the church, synagogue or mosque and celebrate its
union the way it considers to be acceptable for them. Any way, when you live
in a society where the straight majority rules, whatever you do as a gay
person it will be considered as a provocation or subversion. So if being
free in this world means to be subversive, than let us be provocative.
 
GR : Do you think it can be possible to hold a gay pride in Armenia ?
 
In the year 2020 may be (laugh). I honestly do not think that Gay Pride
march should take place everywhere. Each gay movement has to be specific to
the society in which it brews. It is up to the local gays to decide. If the
gays and lesbians in Armenia will need to do a march, I’m sure they will
have all our support. If they don’t, we won’t push them. All I know for the
time being is that the Armenian gays and lesbians need to get organized.
When there will be many gay organisations, I’m sure the movement will find
its own way of fighting. For the time being, the gays in Armenia lack
courage and solidarity.
 
GR : How big is estimated the Armenian gay and lesbian community ?
 
I think it is a desperate affair to give any figures in this matter. I never
believed in gay statistics. Some people in the Western world believe that
10% of the human population is gay. I suspect it to be introduced by some
smart ass marketeers willing to sell products and services to gay
clientele. If we follow this ridiculous assumption than there should be
300.000 gays in Armenia. For me, it is just a nonsense. I think that
sexuality is a very incertain and fluid matter and we will never have even
the approximatively fair statistics about it. How about they gays who ignore
that they are gay ? And what about those gays who refuse to admit that they
are fags ? Should we count them or not ?
 
GR : What is the legal status of homosexuality in Armenia ?
 
Armenia was part of the USSR up until 1991. In 1936, when Armenia became the
Armenian SSR, it has copied the Stalin-era soviet penal code. So, according
to the article 116 of the old penal code the homosexual relations between
men were punishable up to 5 years of imprisonment. After the break-down of
the Soviet Union, almost all ex-Soviet republics have abolished the anti-gay
law in their new penal code. This was not the case in Armenia. When Armenia
decided to join the Council of Europe in 2001, one of its accession
conditions was the abolition of the article 116. Officially, the anti-gay
law has disappeared in August 2003. As you see, the gay liberation movement
started in this country only 3 years ago. Still a long way to go.
 
GayRussia.Ru
–Boundary_(ID_7JTV4pA/Z OxBo4xqtKmYgQ)–

AZG Armenian Daily #132, 15/07/2006
Economic Cooperation
MICHAEL WEINSTEIN: IN 2006 EUROPEAN BANK FOR
RECONSTRUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT TO DOUBLE CREDIT
ALLOCATIONS FOR ARMENIA
In 2006, the European Bank for Reconstruction and
Development will allocate EURO 40 million of credit to
Armenia, against EURO 20 million allocated last year.
Michael Weinstein, Head of EBRD Office in Yerevan,
stated at today’s press conference.
He said that till now, excluding the $28 millions of
credit allocated for the renovation works of
“Zvartnots” airport, the bank has allocated additional
EURO 28 million for implementation of 9 new projects.
Earlier, ERBD had allocated 11 new projects in the
private sector of Armenia.
Armenia began cooperating with EBRD in 1992. As of
June 2006, the volume of the allocated credits made
EURO 102 million.
By Ara Martirosian
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Hezbollah Leader Declared “Full-Scale War” to Israel
PanARMENIAN.Net
15.07.2006 13:12 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah
Lebanese radical grouping, has promised a “full-scale war” to
Israel. He said, “You wanted open war, you will get it.” He also
emphasized, “neither rules, nor agreements are in effect any more,”
reports EuroNews. This statement followed after Arab TV channels
broadcasting the Israeli aircraft bombing of Hezbollah headquarters
in Beirut past Friday.
After the air attack Hezbollah supporters erected their flag on
handrails of a bridge situated near the headquarters and also destroyed
by Israelis. Some 70 persons on the Lebanese side and over 10 on the
Israeli one fell victim of the conflict, which broke out 3 days ago.
Israel had launched a military operation after fighters of Hezbollah,
which controls south Lebanon, kidnapped two Israeli soldiers. Israeli
PM Ehud Olmert viewed this act as declaration of war. Israeli aircraft,
battleships and artillery have bombed Beirut international airport
and two military airdromes, bridges and roads in the south of Lebanon,
military objects of Hezbollah. Lebanon is practically fully isolated.

G8 Summit Opened in St. Petersburg Today
PanARMENIAN.Net
15.07.2006 13:24 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ G8 Summit opens in St. Petersburg today. For the
first time Russia leads the forum. Ensuring global energy security
will be a major subject at the summit.
A comprehensive document on energy security issues will be adopted at
the summit. It will be composed of two parts – a political statement
and an action plan.
According to many observers, matters of current international policy,
specifically Middle East situation, can also be a core question,
though these were not on the agenda initially.
Urgent international issues like struggle against terrorism,
non-proliferation, conflict settlement, as well as development of world
economy and finance, international trade, environment protection will
also be considered.
As reported before the G8 summit may also discuss settlement of the
Nagorno Karabakh conflict. Besides, according to reports, Armenian
and Azeri Presidents may meet within the summit, however the hearsay
was not confirmed.

Armenia 132nd on Happy Planet Index
PanARMENIAN.Net
15.07.2006 13:46 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ New Economics Foundation research center has made
public the Happy Planet Index. Economic, environmental and medical
criteria, as well as results of public surveys were taken into account
when drawing the Index. It turned out that life is the happiest in
Vanuatu. The top ten includes Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic,
Panama, Cuba, Honduras, Guatemala, Salvador, as well as Saint Vincent
and the Grenadines.
The US is only the 150th in the list, while China is 31st, Brazil –
65th, Italy – 68th, Iran – 69th, UK – 108th, Israel – 119th (it is
interesting that life in Palestine is much happier), France – 131st.
Among post-soviet countries people live happier in Kyrgyzstan (19th
position), while Tajikistan is 25th, Uzbekistan – 60th, Georgia –
103rd, Azerbaijan – 107th, Kazakhstan – 127th, Armenia – 132nd,
Moldova – 149th, Lithuania – 151st, Latvia – 160th, Belarus – 165th,
Turkmenistan – 169th, Russia – 172nd, Estonia – 173rd, Ukraine –
174th. Living is most horrible in Zimbabwe (178th place).
The Index authors note that Central America residents enjoy their
lives to the utmost. Another significant factor, which has impact
on the level of happiness, is living on an island state, reports
Washington ProFile.

OSCE MG Co-Chairs to Hold Consultations in Paris in August
PanARMENIAN.Net
15.07.2006 14:35 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Co-Chairs of the OSCE MG for settlement of the
Nagorno Karabakh conflict intend to hold next consultations in Paris,
said Azeri FM Elmar Mammadyarov. In his words, in Turkey he will meet
with OSCE MG US Co-Chair Matthew Bryza, who reported his intention
to visit Yerevan and Baku in late July – early August.
During Bryza’s visit situation will be analyzed and opportunity of
progress in the talks will be considered. “The American diplomat has
a number of proposals. However, the question of the next meeting at
the level of FMs of Armenia and Azerbaijan is still open. It will
be considered during Bryza’s regional visit,” Mammadyarov said,
reports Trend.

Armenian Citizens Being Evacuated from Lebanon
PanARMENIAN.Net
15.07.2006 15:46 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ According to the data of July 15, there are
no Armenian citizens among population, who suffered from Israeli
aircraft bombings of Beirut, Acting Spokesperson of the Armenian MFA
Vladimir Karapetyan told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter. In his words,
several dozens of Armenian citizens are in Lebanon at present. “The
main goal of the Armenian Embassy in Beirut is to secure Armenian
citizens. The Armenian Embassy in Lebanon takes all measures to
evacuate Armenian citizens. They should be transported to Aleppo,
Syria, and then to Armenia,” Karapetyan remarked.