Armenian opposition leader says president invited to USA over Karabakh
Arminfo
9 Mar 06
Yerevan, 9 March: “An invitation to [Armenian President] Robert
Kocharyan to visit the USA by the director of the US Millennium
Challenge Corporation is offensive for Armenia,” the leader of the
Democratic Party of Armenia, Aram Sarkisyan, said at the National
Press Club today.
Sarkisyan said that the director of the US Millennium Challenge
Corporation should hold meetings with the Armenian minister of labour
and social security. Sarkisyan described the invitation to the
Armenian president to visit the USA as mysterious in the light of US
State Secretary Condoleezza Rice’s statement saying that the US State
Department is very disappointed with the results of the
Armenian-Azerbaijani talks at Rambouillet.
He believes that the USA could use the Armenian president’s visit to
step up pressure on the Yerevan government in order to soften its
position at the negotiating table. “Increased pressure on Kocharyan by
international organizations can result in his resignation,” the
opposition leader said.
Touching on increasing anti-Armenian propaganda in the Azerbaijani
media and belligerent statements by Azerbaijani leaders, Sarkisyan
said that the Baku government could take military steps only after
receiving permission from the geopolitical players – the USA, Europe
and Russia.

US official hails Armenia’s “important” steps towards NATO
Mediamax news agency
7 Mar 06
Yerevan, 7 March: “The pace of development of US-Armenian
military-political relations depends on Yerevan – our doors are widely
open,” US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and
Eurasian Affairs Matthew Bryza told a press conference in Yerevan
today.
“Whatever pace Armenia chooses, it won’t be too fast for us, the
Americans,” Bryza jokingly said.
Bryza pointed out that last year Armenia has taken a lot of important
steps towards the establishment of closer cooperation with the
Euro-Atlantic community. In connection with this, he especially noted
the Individual Partnership Action Plan (IPAP) between Armenia and
NATO.
Asked about Russia’s relations with regional countries, Bryza said
this was a matter for decision by Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan. He
added that “Russia will continue to remain the major trading partner
of all regional countries”.

Azeri pressure group accuses Hungarian court of bias
Trend news agency
9 Mar 06
Baku, 9 March: The city court of Budapest has taken a biased stance
towards Azerbaijani officer Ramil Safarov by not heeding lawyers’
arguments, as well as the causes and the motivation of his deed
[Safarov is accused of killing an Armenian officer during NATO
courses], the Karabakh Liberation Organization (KLO) has said in a
statement.
The city court of Budapest accepted the findings of the fourth expert
conclusion on Ramil Safarov which said that he was sane when
committing the crime. The findings of two previous expert opinions
were not taken into consideration [the second conclusion said he was
partially sane and the third certified him as not sane]. The KLO
believes that the decision of the city court of Budapest and the
refusal to look into petitions filed by Safarov’s defence represent an
attempt to deliver the harshest verdict on his case at the directives
from the Armenian government.
“The Hungarian authorities could not resist the pressure from the
Armenian leadership and the Armenian lobby. They did not take a fair
position but [acted] in the interests of the political situation. The
KLO resolutely condemns the decision of the court and demands a change
in the position of the Hungarian authorities which was formed under
Armenians’ pressure. If the city court of Budapest delivers an unfair
verdict, this will be a blow to relations between Azerbaijan and
Hungary,” the statement said.

Opposition leader warns Armenia not to let US peacekeepers into Karabakh
Regnum, Moscow
9 Mar 06
9 March: The future development of events in the South Caucasus region
will depend on the further progress of the situation around Iran’s
nuclear programme, the chairman of the Democratic Party of Armenia
[DPA], MP Aram Sarkisyan, has told a news conference at the National
Press Club.
If the UN Security Council takes a decision to apply sanctions against
Iran, the regional countries may turn into a military firing range, he
said.
The Armenian politician believes that the USA will not need Armenian
territory to launch hostilities against Iran, Azerbaijan and Georgia
can do this. “It cannot be ruled out that Azerbaijan will agree to
provide its territory in exchange for pledges that the Nagornyy
Karabakh issue will be settled in its favour,” Aram Sarkisyan said.
“Everyone understands that in the context of a possible war against
Iran, the USA will need to station its peacekeeping contingent in the
zone of the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict. If Armenia agrees to the
deployment of peacekeepers in the conflict zone, it will be its
biggest mistake. This will not lead to a new Kosovo but will further
complicate the situation,” Sarkisyan said.
He believes that the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan have
promised the superpowers that they will sign an accord on a settlement
to the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict which also stipulates the deployment
of NATO peacekeepers. “Nothing was signed at the presidents’
Rambouillet talks, which certainly disappointed the superpowers. It is
not by chance that the USA is recalling its ambassador to Armenia,
John Evans. This means that the country is altering its policy,” Aram
Sarkisyan said.
He also stressed that Ambassador John Danilovich, chief executive
officer for the Millennium Challenge Corporation, had invited Armenian
President Robert Kocharyan to Washington.
“The president will either be suggested a new option for the Karabakh
settlement or obliged to sign the already existing option,” the DPA
leader said. He added that “the existing option is unacceptable for
Armenia”. “It cannot be ruled out that Robert Kocharyan will resign,”
the MP said.

Armenian opposition leader says positions “conceded” in Karabakh talks
Mediamax news agency
9 Mar 06

Yerevan, 9 March: The leader of the Democratic Party of Armenia and
member of the opposition Justice bloc, Aram Sarkisyan, believes that
Armenia “has conceded many of its positions” in the negotiating
process on the settlement of the Karabakh conflict.
Speaking at the National Press Club, Aram Sarkisyan said that
“following the talks in Key West [in the USA], the appetite of the
Azerbaijani side has been growing by the day”. Sarkisyan believes that
several years ago, “the Azerbaijani authorities were psychologically
ready to lose Nagornyy Karabakh and recognize its independence de
facto”, but “the Armenian side was dilatory”.
Commenting on the meeting between the Armenian and Azerbaijani
presidents at Rambouillet [10-11 February], Sarkisyan said that the
leaders of the two countries had promised the [OSCE Minsk Group]
co-chairing countries [Russia, France and the USA] to sign a document
on the settlement of the conflict, “but did not do so and caused the
disappointment of the super powers”.
Aram Sarkisyan believes that Armenia cannot recognize the independence
of the Nagornyy Karabakh republic [NKR] because “back in 1989,
Armenia’s Supreme Assembly made a decision on the reunification of
Armenia and Nagornyy Karabakh, which hinders the official recognition
of the independence of the NKR”.

Russia sees protecting rights of compatriots abroad as a matter of prestige
RIA Novosti
9 Mar 06
Moscow, 9 March: The Russian Foreign Ministry regards the protection
of compatriots abroad as a matter of the prestige and vital interests
of the Russian Federation.
“The Russian position is that it cannot keep out of the concerns and
the problems facing the Russian diaspora in one country or another,
particularly when it is a question of the violation of human rights
and freedoms. It is also our moral duty to fellow-countrymen, and a
matter of prestige and vital interests for the state,” Aleksandr
Chepurin, director of the Russian Foreign Ministry department for work
with compatriots abroad, has said in an interview with RIA-Novosti.
The Russian diaspora, according to the ministry, is one of the biggest
in the world and numbers between 25m and 30m people. Almost half of
them live in the CIS and Baltic countries.
“On the whole the situation in the CIS space is considerably better
than in the Baltic countries,” he said.
At the same time, the diplomat said, the continuing migration of the
able-bodied and socially-active part of the diaspora leads to a
situation whereby the ‘specific weight’ in the diaspora of the
representatives of the population on low income (pensioners, invalids,
single-parent families or families with many children) is increasing.
“What strikes one is the fact that Russians are not properly
represented in power: they, as a rule, are not represented among heads
of local administrations, in judicial or law-enforcement
structures. There have been incidents when compatriots were ‘pushed
out’ from prestigious places in the field of culture, science,
education and health care. In some countries the sore point is the
narrowing of the Russian space. I mean reduction in the number of
Russian schools and the number of TV and radio stations broadcasting
in Russian, as well as limiting access to periodical media in
Russian,” Chepurin said.
According to him, in most CIS countries the Russian-speaking
population is an important factor of domestic and foreign policy, and
bilateral relations with Russia.
“The Russian language dominates the sociopolitical and cultural life
in Belarus and is widely spread in Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Kirgizia,
Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Armenia and Moldova,” he said.
Receiving education in Russian still remains prestigious in many CIS
countries, he added.
“It is clear that reaction to violation of the rights of our
compatriots should be appropriate and be part of the general fabric of
bilateral relations,” Chepurin said.

In Tsalka, as a result of an attack, the person is killed
March 10, 2006
On the ninths of March, at about 6 one o’clock in the evening in the
city of Tsalka (the center of Tsalka area of Kvemo-Kartli region of
Georgia) took place an armed attack on a group of young men of the
Armenian nationality. The attack occurred in the city centre when the
lads were leaving the restaurant after their supper. The citizens
sitting in the car were unexpectedly attacked, were dragged out of the
car and beaten up. According to, both the eyewitnesses, and one of the
victims, the number of the attacking people was about 15 people, and
many of them were armed with cold steel. 23-year-old Gevorg Gevorkyan
was killed, as a result of knife wounds he died shortly after the
incident, V. Saakyan (25) was wounded in the leg, and K.Baloyan (25)
with a serous wound, 7 hours later was delivered to (Aramyants) Tbilisi
city hospital #1. After the attack the criminals escaped. Gevorg’s young
wife has become a widow now.
Baloyan wounded in his left lung had to reach the capital by car along
bumpy roads within 4 hours. Despite of deep wounds, numerous bruises and
greater loss of blood, the condition of the wounded man is stable.
The casualties are not aware of the reason for the attack, committed,
from their point of view, by Adjar or Svan migrants. All victims are
fellows-villagers, dwellers of village Kushchi of Tsalka area.
According to eyewitnesses, after a while, all entrances to the city of
Tsalka from the Armenian villages were blocked by SWAT units. The other
roads including the trunk one leading to the capital were free for
traveling.
In Tsalka area periodically there are periodically conflicts between
Armenian and Greek communities from one side and the Georgians, who
moved to the area from high-mountainous areas Adjara and Svaneti several
years ago, – from the other side. The latter ones settled down in region
after ecological disasters as a result of which their houses and farm
lots had been destroyed. More than 2000 Georgian families were inhabited
into the houses abandoned by the Greeks who had emigrated or temporarily
left for Greece in order to earn their living in the late eighties –
early nineties. Illegal intrusion into other people’s property and
shooting up of the criminal situation in the region due to the
echoemigrants causes natural discontent by the root local population.
A couple of years ago in Tsalka, as a result of similar collisions
already there were already victims, a Georgian and a Greek were killed.
And the largest clash which has captured Tsalka and neighboring
villages, occurred on the 9th of May 2005, between Georgians and
Armenians during which more than 30 people were wounded. As the result
of last year’s incidents, which outnumber several dozens, internal
military units temporarily entered the region. And their efficiency,
against the background of the events repeating today is prejudiced by
the local population.
¿ Armenia.ge
Armenian Cooperation Centre of Georgia

Artur Aghabekyan: Speaking of War Not Serious
10.03.2006 01:46 GMT+04:00
PanARMENIAN.Net
The Armenian Armed Forces are ready to neutralize any encroachment of
the enemy, RA Deputy Defense Minister, lieutenant general Artur
Aghabekyan told journalists. In his words, speaking of war is not
serious. `However every soldier knows he should be ready to repulse
any local incident or full-scale operations,’ Aghabekyan noted. He
also denied any special measures undertaken due to the recent stirring
up at the Armenian-Azeri contact line. `Moreover no trainings with the
participation of the first-class persons subject to call-up are
scheduled for the next few months,’ he underscored.

OSCE monitoring on Armenian-Azeri front line passes off without incidents
Mediamax news agency
10 Mar 06
Yerevan, 10 March: Today, an OSCE mission held routine monitoring on
the contact line between the armed forces of Nagornyy Karabakh and
Azerbaijan in the east of the Talis village of the Mardakert [Askaran]
District of the Nagornyy Karabakh republic (NKR).
The monitoring was held in accordance with a schedule, no cease-fire
violations were registered, the press service of the NKR foreign
ministry told Mediamax.

MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA
—————————————— —-
PRESS AND INFORMATION DEPARTMENT
375010 Telephone: +37410. 544041 ext 202
Fax: +37410. 562543
Email: [email protected]
PRESS RELEASE
09-03-2006
Second Phase of Talks on Action Plan under European Neighbourhood Policy
Completed
On March 6, the second phase of negotiations on the elaboration of the EU’s
European Neighborhood Policy Action Plan was held in Brussels. Armen
Baibourtian, Deputy Foreign Minister headed the Armenian delegation, and
Hugues Mingarelli, European Commission Director for Eastern Europe, the
Caucasus and Central Asia Republics, lead the EU team.
The Armenian delegation consisted of representatives of nearly a dozen
ministries, including deputy ministers and experts from the Ministry of
Economy and Finance, Ministry of Industry and Trade, Ministry of Justice,
Ministry of Energy and Ministry of Education and Science, as well as
representatives of the Presidential Administration and the National
Assembly.
The sides discussed the Draft Action Plan, which included the provisions and
agreements of the first phase of the negotiations held in November 2005.
The sides agreed on some crucial issues coming from the previous phase. A
few other issues and provisions that need further editing will be discussed
later, including new proposals made by Armenia.
During the coming weeks, the sides will work on the necessary changes and a
date will be determined for the next session of negotiations