ARMENIAN DEFENCE MINISTER, US OFFICIALS DISCUSS KARABAKH, ARMY REFORM
Mediamax news agency
16 Mar 06
Yerevan, 16 March: Armenian Defence Minister Serzh Sarkisyan suggested
today that monitoring be carried out on the contact line between the
Armenian and Azerbaijani armed forces more often and that the results
be made public.
The defence minister said this at a meeting with US Assistant Secretary
of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Daniel Fried and the US
co-chairman of the OSCE Minsk Group, Steven Mann, the spokesman for the
Armenian Defence Ministry, Col Seyran Shakhsuvaryan, has told Mediamax.
The defence minister said that these measures would help prevent
truce violations.
Serzh Sarkisyan thanked the USA for efforts in the settlement of the
Nagornyy Karabakh conflict, undertaken within the framework of the
OSCE Minsk Group, noting that he was an optimist and believed that
they would achieve success.
Relations between Armenia and NATO “are developing rapidly”, the
Armenian defence minister said at a meeting with the representative
of the US European Command, Col Mike Anderson, who accompanies US
Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Fried.
On behalf of the European Command, Mike Anderson thanked the Armenian
defence minister for the service of the Armenian peacekeepers in Iraq,
stressing their professionalism. He also thanked the Armenian military
leadership for cooperation and openness exhibited during the work of
the US Defence Assessment Team in Yerevan.
Speaking about reforms in the Armenian army, Serzh Sarkisyan said that
within 10 years the republic would have armed forces more compatible
with international standards.

US OFFICIAL DENIES ARMENIAN-AZERI TALKS REACHED STALEMATE
Mediamax news agency
16 Mar 06
Yerevan, 16 March: US Assistant Secretary of State for European and
Eurasian Affairs Daniel Fried has denied that the negotiation process
on the Karabakh settlement “has reached a stalemate”.
“Based on our meetings with the Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents,
we can say with confidence that the talks will be continued,” the
US assistant secretary of state said in Yerevan today. Daniel Fried
also noted that both sides continued to “firmly pursue their national
interests”.
The US assistant secretary of state stressed that prior to his visit
to the region he and the US co-chairman of the OSCE Minsk Group,
Steven Mann, had met the Russian and French co-chairmen and got their
“full support”. Daniel Fried denied reports that there were allegedly
disagreements between the mediators.
Steven Mann, for his part, said that the Armenian and Azerbaijani
presidents “show interest in progress” and “the USA is ready to
provide every support to them”.

ARMENIANS IN GEORGIA’S JAVAKHETI REGION WANT ARMENIAN DECLARED OFFICIAL LANGUAGE
Rustavi-2 TV, Tbilisi
16 Mar 06
[Presenter] Ethnic Armenians in Akhalkalaki [town in Georgia’s
Samtskhe-Javakheti region] have called for Armenian to be declared a
second official language in Samtskhe-Javakheti. A special appeal to
parliament is being drawn up. A meeting of the council of Armenian
social organizations led by the heads of the council’s six members
ended in Akhalkalaki a few minutes ago.
There has been more tension in the region since the killing of [ethnic
Armenian] Gevork Gevorkyan in Tsalka last week during a clash outside
a restaurant.
[Mels Torosyan, captioned as member of the (?Akungi) movement,
in Russian] I don’t know what I can call it. People are not being
informed and it is not clear who organized it. If we are allowed to
gather and make comments on the air then it’s all right. When rumours
are being spread it is another matter. Who is behind it? You know
better than I do.
[Presenter] Our correspondent Lasha Kveseladze is in Akhalkalaki and
joins us now live. Lasha, do we know what is in the text of the appeal?
[Correspondent] Yes, we do. Armenian social organizations have been
holding a meeting on local television at which they said there had been
reports that there would be a protest rally today. The rally did not
take place and the organizers of the previous protest [on 11 March]
denied any involvement in a planning a rally. At the previous rally
Armenians were calling for Armenian to be a second official language
in predominantly Armenian areas. Today they officially decided to
write a special appeal to MPs.
[Davit Rustakyan, captioned as member of the Virk movement, in
Russian] It is about the declaration of the Armenian language as a
second official language in ethno-geographically Armenian areas. A
decision was made to appeal to the four Armenian MPs in [the Georgian]
parliament so that they could raise the issue in there. If they refuse,
we will be forced to make use of the relevant clause in the Georgian
constitution and begin gathering signatures for a petition.
[Correspondent] Members of Armenian social organizations say that it
is not their fault that they do not understand Armenian [as heard,
presumably means Georgian] and because of that they face problems. They
say Georgians from other regions of the country are being appointed
to local government posts in the region. In addition, if Armenian is
declared an official language, money will no longer have to be spent
on teaching Georgian in the region.
They also mentioned the protest rally taking place in Tsalka today
which they said had been organized by Svans [natives of Georgia’s
mountainous Svaneti region who have been resettled in the area]. They
welcomed the Svans’ protest.
[Azat Mipaktsyan, captioned as member of the Javakhk movement, in
Russian] They rang and said that representatives of Svaneti wanted to
hold a peaceful rally to ask for the forgiveness of those Armenians
who were harmed there. If that is what it really is about and they
want to admit their mistake, we welcome that. That is very good,
but if it is for another reason it is not.
[Correspondent] The only big protest today took place outside the
Akhalkalaki local administration. There the main issue there was
electricity supply problems in the region.

USA BUILDING RADAR STATION IN ARMENIAN CAPITAL – AZERI DAILY
Yeni Musavat, Baku
13 Mar 06
Excerpt from report by Kanan in Azerbaijani newspaper Yeni Musavat
on 13 March headlined “Armenia’s military and political line remains
unchanged” and subheaded “An expert says this country is not expected
to become pro-Western in the near future”
A radar station is being built on the territory of the US embassy
in Armenia. Reports on the matter say that the construction is
already under way on the six-hectare area which has been allocated
for the US embassy in the capital Yerevan. The reports also say that
Russia has got angry at the Armenian leadership’s consent to this
construction. Considering this facility to be a threat to itself,
the Russian leadership has been exerting pressure on the [Armenian
President Robert] Kocharyan government.
The construction of the military facility in the Armenian capital
by the USA is a demonstration of this country’s increased pressure
on Armenia. At the same time, this fact can be described as another
stage in the policy of freeing Armenia from Russia’s claws. We wonder
whether the political orientation of Armenia, Russia’s outpost in
the Caucasus, can change.
Political scientist Rasim Musabayov believes that the US government
does not rely on the Armenian defence systems, and that is why,
it may create a minor defence system to defend its embassy in
Armenia. But this system is unlikely to have major capacity:
“The construction of the radar station on the territory of the US
embassy may have some intelligence purposes. But it cannot be for air
defence purposes. Even if they get this capacity, this [air defence]
is possible only locally. Probably, the US embassy does not rely on
Russians’ air defence of the Armenian territory and builds this station
to defend the embassy. But this does not mean that the station that
will be built on the territory of the embassy can replace Russia’s
air defence facilities.”
[Passage omitted: Musabayov says Armenia’s foreign policy unlikely
to change]
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ISSUES OF MAKING AWARE OF CITIZENS’ LEGAL KNOWLEDGE DISCUSSED
National Assembly of RA, Armenia
March 16 2006
On March 16 Artur Baghdasaryan, President of the National Assembly,
received Karen Kendrick, Director of the American Bar Association
and the delegation headed by Richard Hyde, Deputy Head of Mission of
Great Britain and Northern Ireland of the United Kingdom.
During the meeting the sides focused on the issues concerning the
awareness of the citizens’ rights, rise of their legal knowledge, and
in that context the possibilities of cooperation with the National
Assembly. Mr. Hyde touched upon the problems of the citizens’ legal
knowledge, awareness of electoral process in the coming pan-national
elections, noting that the year 2006 can become a year of the peace
window, and the year 2007 – a year of democracy window for Armenia.
In those processes both sides highlighted the cooperation with the
National Assembly. An agreement was reached to determine the form
and volumes of the cooperation in the future discussions.

CONFERENCE : SOUTH CAUCASUS – BETWEEN FROZEN CONFLICTS AND FROZEN PEACE
Wilco de Jonge Bron: Press Now
Oneworld, Netherlands
March 16 2006
A program about the condition of the civil society in the emerging
democracies in the South Caucasus.
This area is one of the most complex and conflict-prone
regions of the former Soviet Union. Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia; as
well as the disputed areas of Abkhazia, South Ossetia and
Nagorno-Karabakh are home to a true patchwork of ethnic and religious
groups.
Since the collapse of the Soviet Union this has caused several
complex and long lasting conflicts. Furthermore the democratisation
process in these country’s is bothered by the everlasting strong
influence form Russia in this region. There are however also a few
positive developments. Azerbaijan and Armenian have taken the first
steps towards a peace process, and since the Rose Revolution of 2003
Georgia tries to outwrestle herself – with a fresh national awareness-
of the Russian sphere of influence.
The evening is mainly organised around two themes: the freedom of
press and expression in the South Caucasus, and the relation Caucasian
Countries have with Russia.
With: Akaki Gogichaishvili (Producer from Rustavi 2 – Georgia), Boris
Navasardian ( President of Yerevan Press Club – Armenia) and Arif
Aliyev (Editor in Chief of the Gun, daily newspaper in Azerbaijan).
Moving Worlds is an initiative of the debalie in co-production
with NCDO.
This evening is also in co-production with Press Now, Mira Media and
Media diversity Institute.
Ticketbox and reservations
prices: regular 7,50 / reduction 5,-
opening times
weekdays 14.00-18.00 or till an 1/2 hour after the start of the
last program
weekend 11/2 hour before the start of the first program of the day.
reservation number: 020 55 35 100 (during opening-times)
debalie / Kleine-Gartmanplantsoen 10 / 1017 RR / Amsterdam
_2&articleId=7882
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ISMAYILOV: “RAMIL SAFAROV CAN BE EXTRADITED TO AZERBAIJAN AFTER COURT AWARD”
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
March 16 2006
Lawyer Adil Ismayilov, official representative of the family of
Azerbaijani army officer Ramil Safarov, who is accused of killing
an Armenian officer in Hungary, held a press conference on the last
trial of Safarov held on 7 March (APA).
The lawyer said that the opinion of the 4th forensic medical
examination was announced in the last trial. He added that the opinion
of the 4th examination coincided with the 1st medical examination.
“According to the conclusion of the 1st forensic medical examination,
Ramil Safarov had consciousness when he committed a crime. In the 2nd
examination, Safarov was reported to be partially conscious and to
be unconscious, according to conclusion of the 3rd medical examination.
Ramil Safarov would receive a light punishment if the opinion of the
1st forensic medical examination was in force,” the lawyer said.
“The matter is, the first expert Gal Kafalina proposed in the previous
trial that Ergin Nat and Gabr Kovach conduct the forensic medical
examination. Thus, these experts are close to Gal Kafalina.
The final examination was conducted by the experts recommended by
Kafalina, and the conclusion of the 1st examination was reaffirmed,”
Ismayilov reported.
The lawyer also said though Safarov’s intellectual level was low
evaluated during the 1st examination but highly during the last one.
The cause is Safarov was interrogated in Russian first time, but in
Turkish for the last one.
Assistant director of the school Safarov graduated from, Colonel
Atilla Demeter and Major Zoltan Balton also testified in the last
trial. They expressed their satisfaction of Ramil. The next trial of
Ramil Safarov was appointed to April 4 and 13.
The sides will address the trial on 4 April, and court decision will be
made on 13 April. The lawyer also said that Safarov can be extradited
to Azerbaijan after the court award. He guessed that Ramil who is
accused of Article 166 of Hungarian Criminal Code can be sentenced
to 10 or 15 years in jail.
“I do not think he will be sentenced to life imprisonment,” the
lawyer added.
Ismayilov also expressed his dissatisfaction of Azerbaijani televisions
not attending the trials of Ramil.
“Two or three Armenian televisions film every trial. This influences
the court to a certain extent. None of the Azerbaijani TV channels
has ever filmed the trial. The chair of the Armenian Bar Ruben
Saakyan attended the last trial. I think Azerbaijani high officials
should participate in the trials. This issue should be made urgent,”
Ismayilov said.

BAKU MAY REVIEW PARTICIPATION IN KARABAKH TALKS – ALIYEV
Interfax Russia, Russia
March 16 2006
BAKU. March 16 (Interfax-Azerbaijan) – Azerbaijan could review its
participation in the Karabakh talks if Armenian occupation of Azeri
territories continues, Azeri President Ilham Aliyev said.
Although a ceasefire has been observed for 12 years, talks on Armenia’s
position have been ineffective, Aliyev told the 2nd world congress
of Azeris in Baku on Thursday.
“What is to be done? Consultations are underway in Azerbaijan. If we
see that Armenia wants to upset peace and should it succeed in these
efforts, Azerbaijan will of course have to review its position on its
further participation in the peace process,” the Azeri president said.

MEETING AT NA STANDING COMMITTEE
National Assembly of RA, Armenia
March 16 2006
On March 16 Hranush Hakobyan, Chairwoman of NA Standing Committee
on Science, Education, Culture and Youth Affairs, met with Erwin
Asenbauer, President of “AFIDE” Association of Former United Nations
Industrial and Development Experts and Arshaluys Tchgnavorian, Former
Deputy Director of UN General Issues. Mr. Erwin Asenbauer informed
that the goal of “AFIDE” Association is to support the countries
being on the road of economic development. It was mentioned that it
is envisaged to set up an Association office in Yerevan.
In Mrs. Hakobyan’s view the Association can start its activity
studying the government-submitted “Medium-Term Development” pogramme
and the “Armenia’s Future Till 2020,” made by the support of Diasporan
Armenians. Mrs. Hakobyan highlighted the investment of scientific
achievements in the sphere of economy. She proposed the experts of
“AFIDE” Association to study the problems of harmonizing economy with
ecology, the basin of lake Sevan, the social and economic situation
of the population of Armenia’s regions. The cooperation in the sphere
of economy and the organization of the conference on the problems of
harmonizing economy and science were highlighted.
Other issues were also discussed at the meeting.

OSKANYAN RECEIVED DANIEL FRIED
DeFacto Agency, Armenia
March 16 2006
March 16 RA FM Vardan Oskanyan received the U.S. Assistant Secretary of
State for European and Eurasian Affairs Daniel Fried, who had arrived
in Armenia within the frames of the regional visit accompanied by
the OSCE Minsk group American Co-Chair Steven Mann.
According to the information De Facto got at the RA MFA press service,
in the course of the meeting the parties had discussed a number
of regional and bilateral issues. In part, they exchanged opinions
concerning Armenia’s energy security. It was noted that settlement
of the conflicts in the South Caucasus would allow fully using the
region’s potential. The parties touched upon the situation over
the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement and discussed the steps
to be taken to continue the negotiations within the frames of the
Prague process. Vardan Oskanyan and Daniel Fried also dwelled on the
Armenian-Turkish relations, in particular, on the issues referring to
unblocking the border and exploitation of the communication. In the
course of the meeting the interlocutors also discussed the issues
relevant to the Millennium Challenge program and strengthening
democracy in RA.