AZERBAIJAN’S PRESIDENT SPEAKS TOUGHLY ON NAGORNO-KARABAKH
Aida Sultanova
AP Worldstream
Mar 16, 2006
Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliev on Thursday warned rival Armenia
that his nation could boycott talks on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
if the Armenian authorities don’t soften their stance.
Aliev said Azerbaijan would continue to participate in peace talks,
but warned “this process can’t continue endlessly, and the patience
of the Azerbaijani people and authorities is running out.”
Nagorno-Karabakh is inside Azerbaijan but populated mostly by ethnic
Armenians, who have run it since an uneasy 1994 cease-fire ended six
years of full-scale war. Sporadic border clashes continue to claim
victims, while peace talks have stalled.
Aliev and Armenia’s President Robert Kocharian last month failed
to reach agreement after two days of talks in France on how to end
the conflict. Since then, violence has risen sharply, and the two
countries’ presidents have traded increasingly bellicose statements.
Speaking Thursday to a public congress, Aliev accused Armenia of
“failing to take a constructive stance in talks, being dishonest and
trying to cheat the world public.”
The conflict has held up development of the entire Caucasus region
and badly hurt the Armenian economy which has suffered from blockade
imposed by neighboring Azerbaijan and Turkey.
Aliev on Thursday vowed to maintain the blockade.
“We will never allow the country which seized our lands to participate
in the regional cooperation,” Aliev said. “We have isolated Armenia
from all regional projects.”
He said that the oil-rich Azerbaijan would soon be able to bolster its
military budget to a level comparable to the entire government budget
of Armenia. “Armenia will never be able to compete with us,” he said.
Senior U.S. diplomats, who visited Azerbaijan and Armenia this week
for talks on Nagorno-Karabakh settlement and regional security,
prodded Armenia and Azerbaijan to reach agreement.
“Both sides are strong defenders of their national positions; our
discussions in both capitals were serious,” Daniel Fried, assistant
U.S. secretary of state for European Affairs and Eurasian Affairs,
said Thursday in the Armenian capital, Yerevan.
Fried and Steven Mann, the U.S. envoy to the Organization for Security
and Cooperation in Europe’s so-called Minsk Group of mediators,
have visited Baku earlier this week.
Mann said Thursday in Yerevan that they “felt from each president
that there is interest in moving forward and trying to see what the
sides can negotiate, and the United States is going to support this
in the best way we can.”
___
Associated Press writer Avet Demourian contributed to this report
from Yerevan, Armenia.

GEORGIAN SETTLERS RESPOND TO ARMENIAN PROTESTS IN SOUTHERN GEORGIA
Kavkas-Press
16 Mar 06
Tbilisi, 16 March: About 70 local Svans [resettled natives of the
Svaneti mountain region] have gathered in the centre of Tsalka [town
in southern Georgia with a large Armenian population] in preparation
for a protest rally. Kavkas-Press’s regional correspondent reported
that earlier in the day they had travelled around local villages to
gather supporters.
The protesters told Kavkas-Press that police had tried to prevent
the rally. They said that police had arrested Georgians travelling
from Dedoplistsqaro to Tsalka and were preventing them from attending
the rally.
The protesters are holding the rally in response to the one staged
a few days ago by ethnic Armenians in Tsalka. Tension escalated in
Tsalka last week after 24-year-old ethnic Armenian Gevork Gevorkyan
was killed during a clash between Georgian and Armenian youths. After
the incident local Armenians held a protest rally at which they said
they were being oppressed by Georgians.
There were reports this morning that no rally would take place,
which the head of the Tsalka local administration confirmed.

GEORGIANS STAGE RALLY FOR “PEACEFUL COEXISTENCE” IN MULTIETHNIC DISTRICT
Prime-News
16 Mar 06
Tbilisi, 16 March: Georgian residents of Tsalka District staged
a peaceful rally outside the local administration building today
and called on the non-Georgian population of the district to seek
peaceful coexistence.
The head of the Tsalka District administration, Mikheil Tskitishvili,
told Prime-News that several dozen participants of the rally did
not demand privileges for the Georgian population but agreed with
the administration’s position that law enforcers should carry out
preventive measures more actively. Wrongdoers should be punished by law
equally, regardless of whether they are ethnic Armenians or Georgians,
the rally participants said.
As regards official record keeping, it should be carried out in
Georgian, the state language, they said. The participants called
on the non-Georgian population to live in peace. [Passage omitted:
background on recent protest rallies staged by ethnic Armenians]
There are 10,000 ethnic Georgian and 12,000 ethnic Armenian residents
in Tsalka District.

AZERI TV CRITICAL OF ARMENIAN PRESENCE AT BAKU-HOSTED OSCE FORUM
ANS TV, Baku
16 Mar 06
[Presenter] We have just learnt that representatives of the occupying
state [Armenia] have set foot in Azerbaijan. It is intriguing that
the government does not think this is a sign of Baku’s cooperation
with Yerevan.
[Correspondent] The 14th OSCE economic forum entitled
“Enhancing transport security in the OSCE area” was held in Baku
today. Regrettably, representatives of occupying Armenia have attended
this closed-door forum. The Armenian delegation led by a Nersesyan
of the Foreign Ministry includes this country’s representative to the
OSCE, Minasyan, and Vaan Badalyan of the Transport and Communications
Ministry.
Frank Geerkens, who represents the OSCE’s Belgian chairmanship, said
that the key aim of the forum was to ensure the security of transport
networks and develop transport in the OSCE area.
[Geerkens, talking to reporters with Azeri voice-over] We mainly
focused on regional cooperation. The OSCE mainly deals with three
key issues. First, political and military issues, second, economy
and environment, and third, human rights.
[Correspondent] The Belgian representative sees nothing extraordinary
in the fact that representatives of occupying Armenia are attending
official events in Baku.
[Geerkens] The OSCE deals with conflict settlement and crisis
management. From this point of view, the main priority of the OSCE
chairman-in-office is to find the best way, a diplomatic way, for the
resolution of a conflict and play a coordinating role in this sphere.
[Correspondent] What is more shocking is that Azerbaijani Deputy
Prime Minister Abid Sarifov, who is attending the forum, also sees
nothing extraordinary in the fact that Armenian representatives are
attending the Baku event.
[Sarifov] The presence of the Armenian representatives at the
conference does not mean that we cooperate with Armenia.
[Correspondent] Members of the Karabakh Liberation Organization
attempted to stage an unsanctioned protest but the police thwarted it.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

VARTAN OSKANIAN AND DANIEL FRIED DISCUSS STEPS DIRECTED TO CONTINUING NEGOTIATIONS WITHIN FRAMEWORK OF PRAGUE PROCESS
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Mar 16 2006
YEREVAN, MARCH 16, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. RA Foreign Minister
Vartan Oskanian received early on March 16, Daniel Fried, the Assistant
for the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs of the U.S. Secretary
State, who is in Armenia within the framework of a regional visit, and
Steven Mann, the OSCE Minsk Group U.S. Co-Chairman, accompanying him.
Opinions were exchanged at the meeting concerning a number of regional
and bilateral issues of mutual interest.
Issues of securing the energetic safety of the region, including of
Armenia as well, concerning what the sides stated their approaches,
were discussed. It was mentioned that in this sense, settlement of
the conflicts existing in the South Caucasus will allow to completely
use possibilities of the region in future.
Then the sides discussed the state created on the Nagorno Karabakh
conflict settlement and opinions were changed concerning steps directed
to continuing negotiations within the framework of the Prague process.
A discussion was promoted on the Armenian-Turkish relations as well,
particularly touching upon the issue of opening the border and
functioning of the means of communication.
As Noyan Tapan was informed by the RA Foreign Ministry’s Press and
Information Department, the “Millennium Challenges” program as well
as issues concerning deepening democracy in Armenia were touched upon
at the meeting.
REFERENCE: Daniel Fried started his service in the U.S. Economic Bureau
of the State Department in 1977 where he worked till 1979. In 1980-81
he worked at the U.S, Consulate General in Leningrad. In 1982-85 he
was Political Officer in the U.S. Embassy in Belgrade. In 1997-2000
D.Fried was the U.S. Ambassador to Poland. In 2000-2001 D.Fried was
Principal Deputy Special Advisor to the Secretary of State for the
New Independent States. From January 2001 Ambassador Fried was the
Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for European
and Eurasian Affairs at the National Security Council. Daniel Fried
was appointed the U.S. Assistant Secretary of State in May, 2005.

CHILDREN’S RIGHTS PROTECTION DEPARTMENT TO BE CREATED AT LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT BODIES TILL APRIL
Noyan Tapan
Mar 16 2006
YEREVAN, MARCH 16, NOYAN TAPAN. A National Commission on Children’s
Rights Protection was created in Armenia. Representatives of
different ministries are involved in it. The commission will
regulate works directed to protection of children’s rights in the
republic. Corresponding departments will be created at the Yerevan
Mayor’s Office and all the regional administrations till April to
implement those works at place. Those departments will particularly
be engaged in solution of problems of children being in difficult
situations, left without parental care as well as in issue of placing
those children in different special institutions or returning their
families.
As Lala Ghazarian, the Chief of the Department on Family, Women’s and
Children’s Problems of the RA Ministry of Labour and Social Issues
informed the Noyan Tapan correspondent, at these departments doctors,
pedagogues, psychologists, social workers and lawyers will work. The
latters will be civil servicemen. According to L.Ghazarian, within
the framework of programs of international organizations, re-training
courses will be organized for employees of the departments during
the coming two years, and the departments will be provided with
modern equipment.
It was also mentioned that according to the last data, 36 vagrant and
beggar children, 6751 children left out of the system of comprehensive
education, among them 2888 in Yerevan, are registered in the republic.

FEATURE SERIAL DEDICATED TO 15TH ANNIVERSARY OF INDEPENDENCE OF ARMENIA TO BE SHOT IN 2006
Noyan Tapan
Mar 16 2006
YEREVAN, MARCH 16, NOYAN TAPAN. The “Yerevan” studio envisages to
implement from 2006 works of shooting a 5-parts feature film dedicated
to the 15th anniversary of the independence of Armenia. The Karabakh
war will be widely touched upon in the film. Aleksan Haroutiunian,
the Chairman of the Council of the Public Television and Radio
Company informed about this at the March 15 sitting of the RA National
Assembly Standing Committee on Science, Education, Culture and Youth
Issues. Without defining, he informed that the film director is a
resident of Moscow of the Armenian origin.
A.Haroutiunian also stated that works of technical re-equipment of the
Public Television and the Public Radio will almost completely finish
till the end of this year, and the latters will be ready to secure
digital broadcasting. At the same time, the Council Chairman noticed
that it will be possible to implement digital broadcasting in the case
of existence of the corresponding type of receivers in the republic,
whereas there are no such ones put for sale at present. The Public
Television will also have a main subsidiary building till the end
of the year which will be fundamentally renovated according to the
European standards.

UN REPRESENTATIVE TO ARMENIA MAKES FIRST VISIT TO MOTHER SEE
Noyan Tapan
Mar 16 2006
ETCHMIADZIN, MARCH 16, NOYAN TAPAN. Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos
of All Armenians Karekin II received UN representative to RA
Consuelo Vidal on March 15. According to the information submitted
to Noyan Tapan by the Information Services of the Mother See of Holy
Etchmiadzin, this was C.Vidal’s first visit to the Mother See.
Congratulating the UN representative on the occasion of
her appointment, the Armenian Patriarch wished her productive
activity. Touching upon the effective cooperation implemented between
Armenia and the UN, His Holiness expressed satisfaction for all those
helpfulnesses that the UN structures show in different spheres of
life of Armenia.
The mission and present activity of the cradle of the All Armenian
belief, the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, was also spoken about at
the meeting. The fact of annihilation of the Jugha Armenian khachkars
(cross stones) in Nakhijevan was also touched upon.

CONSTRUCTION OF “YERANKYUNI” SPITAK DISTRICT TO BE COMPLETELY OVER IN APRIL
Noyan Tapan
Mar 16 2006
YEREVAN, MARCH 16, NOYAN TAPAN. It’s envisaged to completely finish
the program of building of the “Yerankyuni” (Triangle) district
of Spitak in April. As Noyan Tapan correspondent was informed from
the Public Relations Department of the “Hayastan” All Armenian Fund
implementing the program, the internal repairs of the last 2 out of
district’s 11 buildings are proceeding at present. It was mentioned
that like the buildings already put into exploitation, each of these
buildings will also have 3-2-room 8 apartments.
One of the “Yerankyuni” district’s buildings was built with the
financing of the “Hayastan” Fund’s German local body and the rest 10
with the funds of the British local body. To recap, the Fund started
the district construction in 1999.

DEMOCRACY IN ARMENIA IS THE ISSUE WHICH U.S. OFTEN TOUCHES UPON, DANIEL FRIED SAYS
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Mar 16 2006
YEREVAN, MARCH 16, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. “I hope that in
future as well I’ll have possibility to visit Armenia and work with
the Government of Armenia on our general issue which is building of
the future of Armenia,” Daniel Fried, the U.S. Assistant Secretary
of State for the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs informed at
the March 16 joint press-conference with Steven Mann, the OSCE Minsk
Group American Co-Chairman.
He attached special attention to development of democratic processes
in Armenia and mentioned that democracy in Armenia is the issue which
the U.S. often touches upon.
Daniel Fried stated that his and Steven Mann’s visit to the region
has three important goals. The first: after the Ramboillet meeting to
discuss the negotiation process on the Karabakh issue settlement in
Baku and Yerevan. The second: to consider the South Caucasus’ future,
taking into account the state when regional problems like the issues
of Nagorno Karabakh, Abkhazia, Osetia, will already be solved and
“the countries of this region will be able to develop their future in
peaceful and safe conditions and will be able to make their choice
freely, without any outer pressures.” The goal of the visit is also
discussing of the energetic issues, “particularly connected with the
events taken place in January, this year.”
As for the one if the U.S. will assist Armenia in the issue of building
a new atomic power station, Daniel Fried mentioned that Europe and
U.S. observe problems of diversification of energic sources. “I know
what a solution those issues will get in general and particularly
relating to Armenia. I’ve heard that there is great interest in atomic
energy in Armenia, and I’ll inform Washington about it,” he stated.