“ABOUT 90 PERCENT OF TURKISH COMMODITIES ARE EXPORTED TO THE POST-SOVIET STATES, WHEREAS TURKEY’S MAIN PARTNER IN THE CONSTRUCTION FIELD IS RUSSIA”
Regnum, Russia
June 27 2007
Moscow, 27 June 2006 – Almost all the region of the South Caucasus,
including the Nagorno Karabakh conflict zone, is Turkey’s sphere of
interests, which is discussed at all bilateral meetings, political
scientist, turkologist Viktor Nadein-Rayevskiy commented to REGNUM on
the proposed visit to Russia of Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer
at a news briefing at the Caucasus Institute for Democracy. The visit
is planned for June 28-30.
Nadein-Rayevskiy said that the coming meeting of the two presidents
is hardly related to Turkeys’s striving to access the EU. “Russia
has her own relations with the EU and her own relations with Turkey.
Russia is a country that maintains partnership with all the EU member
countries but does not envision accessing the union in the foreseeable
future. This is not one of Russia’s objectives.”
Russian-Turkish relations at their current stage of development
Nadein-Rayevskiy evaluated as “normal, friendly, including closest
economic cooperation.” “Our relations are a complex thing. About
90 percent of Turkish commodities are exported to the post-Soviet
states, whereas Turkey’s main partner in the construction field is
Russia. However, shuttle trade that used to make up from $3bn to
$10bn a year of commodity circulation is not any more so flourishing.
But this form of trade is becoming obsolete. Russian consumers demand
other quality now.” The expert added that the economic cooperation
between the two countries has not faded away because Turkey started
to keep an eye on the quality of her exported goods.

MAMMADYAROV: “NK CAN HAVE AUTONOMY STATUS SIMILAR TO NAKHCHIVAN, TATARSTAN, BASHKIRIA”
Today, Azerbaijan
June 27 2007
“The framework agreement proposed by OSCE Minsk Group American co-chair
Matthew Bryza envisages main principles and ways of settlement of
the conflict.
“The issue on the status of Nagorno Karabakh is given priority in
the document,” Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov told
journalists.
According to APA, he said the status of Nagorno Karabakh was on focus
in the negotiating process.
“We need to consider the form of autonomy to be given to Nagorno
Karabakh. This autonomy can be in Nakhchivan, Tatarstan, Bashkiria
and in other models. There exist conceptual issues regarding the
status. The issue of status should be considered together with
communities of Nagorno Karabakh, and relations should be established
between these communities,” Mr.Mammadyarov said.
Commenting on Armenian parliament speaker Tigran Torosyan’s claims that
Azerbaijan artificially delays the negotiating process, Mammadyarov
called these claims groundless.
“I have met with my Armenian counterpart more than ten times since
I took the post of Foreign Minister. We are ready to continue the
negotiations. The conflict is a sensitive issue. We realize that
it can be solved through stages not in package form,” The Foreign
Minister said.
The Minister also said Armenia’s intention to make public the results
of all the talks held shows its non-interest in the resolution of
the conflict.
He also commented on recent massive fires in the occupied Azerbaijani
territories set by Armenian Armed Forces, “The Foreign Ministry has
written to the OSCE chairman Karel de Gucht. Personal representative
of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office Andrzei Kasprzyk will arrive in Baku.
He will leave for the front zone to investigate the issue of fires.”
URL:

AZERI, ARMENIAN PROBABLE TO MEET UNDER G8 SUMMIT – FM MAMMADYAROV
Author: R.Abdullayev
TREND, Azerbaijan
June 27 2007
A meeting of the Azerbaijani and Armenian Presidents in St-Petersburg
under the forthcoming summit of G8 is not ruled out, Azerbaijani
Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov, told journalists.
However, prior to summit the OSCE Minsk Group co-chair Matthew
Bryza plans to tour the region. “Only after the visit the co-chairs’
position will be cleared up, while a meeting of the Foreign Ministers
will determine the conduct of a new meeting of the heads of state.,”
Mammadyarov underlined.
Besides, a frame agreement, some details of which were publicized by
the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs were very actual.
The document reflected issues on the status of the Nagorno-Karabakh.
“However, it is necessary to resolve conceptual issues. If sides
come to an agreement peaceable co-resistance of the two communities
of Nagorno-Karabakh, the question will be discussed. Undoubtedly,
Nagorno-Karabakh should have a status. It is still to define whether
it will be similar to the status that Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic,
or Tatarstan, or Bashkordistan holds. It all will be topic of future
discussions,” the Azerbaijani FM announced.

AZERBAIJANI AND ARMENIAN PRESIDENTS MIGHT MEET IN ST.PETERSBURG IN JUNE
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
June 27 2007
Azerbaijani and Armenian Presidents might meet in St.Petersburg,
Russia, in the framework of the G8 Summit in July, Foreign Minister
Elmar Mammadyarov told journalists.
He said the exact date of the Presidents’ meeting will be specified
following the OSCE Minsk Group American co-chair Matthew Bryza’s
visit to the region.
“We need to wait for Mr.Bryza’s visit to the region. After that OSCE
will take position regarding the meeting of Azerbaijani and Armenian
Foreign Ministers, and the meeting of the Presidents will be possible
following that,” Mr.Mammadyarov said.

AZERBAIJAN’S DEFENSE MINISTER: ARMENIANS FEAR WAR
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
June 27 2007
“The preparedness of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces enables to liberate
our territories by force. We need only time to take this step,”
Azerbaijan’s Defense Minister, Colonel General Safar Abiyev told
journalists. Stating that not only Armenia but also super states take
interest in the Nagorno Garabagh conflict, the Defense Minister said
some states aim at wielding influence on Azerbaijan.
“These states are still on the same opinion. They will give up if they
see Azerbaijan is powerful. We’ll prove this,” Mr.Abiyev underlined.
Commenting on his Armenian counterpart Serj Sarkisyan’s claims
that Azerbaijan does not intend to conduct war, Abiyev called these
statements groundless, “I do not care what he says. These statements
aim at calming down the Armenian community, remove fear among the
people. Armenians fear war.”
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

MAMMADYAROV: NK CAN HAVE AUTONOMY IN NAKHCHIVAN, TATARSTAN, BASHKIRIA AND OTHER MODELS
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
June 27 2007
“The framework agreement proposed by OSCE Minsk Group American co-chair
Matthew Bryza envisages main principles and ways of settlement of
the conflict. The issue on the status of Nagorno Garabagh is given
priority in the document,” Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Elmar
Mammadyarov told journalists.
He said the status of Nagorno Garabagh is on focus in the negotiating
process.
“We need to consider the form of autonomy to be given to Nagorno
Garabagh. This autonomy can be in Nakhchivan, Tatarstan, Bashkiria
and in other models. There exist conceptual issues regarding the
status. The issue of status should be considered together with
communities of Nagorno Garabagh, and relations should be established
between these communities,” Mr.Mammadyarov said.
Commenting on Armenian parliament speaker Tigran Torosyan’s claims that
Azerbaijan artificially delays the negotiating process, Mammadyarov
called these claims groundless.
“I have met with my Armenian counterpart more than ten times since
I took the post of Foreign Minister. We are ready to continue the
negotiations. The conflict is a sensitive issue. We realize that
it can be solved through stages not in package form,” The Foreign
Minister said.
The Minister also said Armenia’s intention to make public the results
of all the talks held shows its non-interest in the resolution of the
conflict. He also commented on recent massive fires in the occupied
Azerbaijani territories set by Armenian Armed Forces, “The Foreign
Ministry has written to the OSCE chairman Karel de Gucht. Personal
representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office Andrzei Kasprzyk will
arrive in Baku. He will leave for the front zone to investigate the
issue of fires.”

AZERBAIJAN, EGYPT: RULING PARTIES TO COOPERATE
AzerTag, Azerbaijan
June 27 2007
A delegation led by the Deputy Chairman and Executive Secretary of
the Yeni Azerbaijan Party (YAP) Ali Ahmadov on the invitation of
Chairman of the Council Assembly of the Arab Republic of Egypt,
Secretary General of the country’s ruling “National Democratic”
Party Shaffat Ash-Sharif has arrived in Egypt, 25 June.
Ali Ahmadov, in his meeting with Shaffat Ash-Sharif, informed on Yeni
Azerbaijan Party founded by the nationwide leader of Azerbaijan
Heydar Aliyev in 1991, the ongoing processes in the country,
the gained accomplishments in democratization process. He also
highlighted on international contacts of Azerbaijan, its cooperation
with all world states, ensuring the political, economic and human
rights in the Republic. Ali Ahmadov gave detailed information on
the Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno Karabakh conflict that resulted in
occupation of 20 percent of Azerbaijani lands. Azerbaijan adheres peace
settlement of the conflicts, he said, and also stressed necessity of
return of the refugees and IDPs to their homelands. ‘The conflict is
a serious obstacle for development of the entire region’, Mr. Ahmadov
underlined.
Shaffat Ash-Sharif, in his turn, updated on activity of the “National
Democratic” Party, stressing necessity of development of links between
the two ruling parties.
Touching upon the Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno Karabakh conflict,
Shaffat Ash-Sharif said ‘every country’s territorial integrity is
inviolable and he appraises Azerbaijan’s fair position in settlement
of the problem’. Mr. Shaffat Ash-Sharif said ‘Egypt appreciates the
negotiation efforts of the OSCE to solve the problem’, noting that
they hope the conflict ‘would be settled within the principle of
territorial integrity of states and peacefully’.
The parties had comprehensive exchange of views on current state
of the friendly and cooperation ties between Azerbaijan and Egypt,
and their development.

PRESS RELEASE
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia
Contact: Information Desk
Tel: (374-10) 52-35-31
Email: [email protected]
Web:

Oskanian Expresses Armenia’s Government Sympathy and Condolences to the
Russian people and the Russian government

During a press conference with Georgian Foreign Minister Gela Bezuashvili in
Tbilisi, on June 27, the first day of his working visit to Georgia, Minister
Oskanian expressed the sympathy of the Armenian government and the Armenian
people on the murder of four Russian diplomats in Iraq. He expressed his
condolences to the government of the Russian Federation and the Russian
people.
—

ANOTHER LETTER FOR ROBERT KOCHARYAN?
Lragir.am
27 June 06
On these days there has been a more intensive indirect dialogue
between Armenian and U.S. officials in the form of statements. The
new OSCE Minsk Group co-chair, Assistant Secretary of State Mathew
Bryza made several interesting statements. Namely, he stated that
democracy in Armenia falls behind of Azerbaijan. Bryza had also
revealed the details of negotiations for the settlement of the
Karabakh conflict. The reaction of official Yerevan shows how serious
these statements are. The press secretary of the president and the
Foreign Ministry tried to reply to Mathew Bryza, and the former even
threatened that Armenia would publish the history of the past 7-8
years of negotiations. In the meantime, the Lragir.am has learned
that besides statements the U.S. officials sent a letter to official
Yerevan. The letter is said to have been written by John Danilovich,
Chief Executive Officer of the Millennium Challenge Corporation.
There is information that Danilovich touched upon democratization in
Armenia, which is the main stipulation of the Millennium Challenge
Account. Moreover, he even said that the United States may reconsider
allocating 235 million dollars to Armenia.

WE HAVE NO TRUNCHEONS, THEY HOLD A CONGRESS
Hakob Badalyan
Lragir.am
27 June 06
Count chickens in fall, Republicans in summer. We have to admit that
the Republican Party had not given the society a surprise during its
biography in power as it did by holding an extraordinary congress
on July 22. In the meantime, summer is raging in Armenia, and human
brains are on the point of melting. What a risk did the Republican
take, staking their own brain?
However, the midsummer extraordinary congress is out of fear
rather than out of risk. Besides, what is risking a brain for the
Republicans if the whole is risked, power, posts, business and finally
freedom? This is the reason for holding a congress of the Republican
Party at the high of the summer vacation. The party leaders hold the
congress on July 22 for the Republicans, who attend the congress,
not only understand but also feel that their leisure, interrupted
for a while, can be lost forever. For them to realize what they are
going to lose. If the Republican leaders are treating the activists
of their own party so severely, the situation must really be serious.
The Republicans could have waited until fall to hold a congress,
especially that the rest of the political sphere, including the
Republicans, delayed all the questions of political developments
until fall. What happened suddenly? What is the reason for this
hastiness? Especially for a ruling party, which added the post of
speaker of the National Assembly to that of the prime minister.
Perhaps they realized that they are given part by part to take away
the whole at once. However, most probably, it was too late when they
realized this. They should have known before taking it part by part
and refuse the part to keep the whole. Now they can only count on
the “great combinator”. However, he is not the same as he used to
be. It is true that now he is an honorary citizen of the Center,
but he has never liked to be in the center, especially as a citizen,
who can get killed in the street by a stray bullet. A citizen when
already dual nationality is under consideration.
In other words, a citizen should have been a past stage, but it is
just coming up. And many others are coming up. Some of them are from
the United States: an OSCE Co-Chair, an ambassador, directors of other
offices. They are coming, so let them come, but as soon as they come,
they make announcements, advising Armenia to learn democracy from
Azerbaijan. Whereas, how nice it was when there was nothing new!
Whereas, now the new are on the way, but statements are already
there. In this sense, the summer congress of the Republic is belated,
independent from what problems they are solving. They could have
spent the money of the congress more effectively, and bought 500
batons instead of 250 and distributed to the Police. Otherwise, how
much do they have to wave 250 batons for it to be cool in summer and
warm in winter?