Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
April 28 2006
Garabagh mediator cites new approach

Baku, April 27, AssA-Irada
The approach toward settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Upper
(Nagorno) Garabagh conflict has somewhat changed, Russian ITAR-TASS
news agency quoted the US co-chairman of the mediating OSCE Minsk
Group (MG) as saying.
Steven Mann said the new approach envisions advancing step by step
and putting off certain complex issues until later.
`From this standpoint, suitable grounds have emerged for compromises
[by the conflicting sides] on the conflict resolution,’ the
intermediary said, adding that the dispute could not be resolved once
and for good.
Mann said he would visit Moscow next week to hold consultations with
the other co-chairs.
The OSCE mediators are due to meet in Moscow on May 2, followed by
their visits to the region.*
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

“POLITICAL SCIENCE IN XXI CENTURY” REPUBLICAN II STUDENTS’ SCIENTIFIC
CONFERENCE HELD IN YEREVAN

YEREVAN, APRIL 28, NOYAN TAPAN. The “Political Science in XXI Century”
republican II students’ two-days scientific conference started work at
the Armenian-Russian (Slavonic) State University on April 28. More
than 40 students of RA leading institutions of higher education
particiate in the conference.
According to the information submitted to Noyan Tapan by the
organization committee of the conference, the political science in
Armenia is a new science, and similar conferences have important
meaning for students of the political science, international relations
departments. All the events on political sciences implemented in
Armenia today are of one-off, thus, not countinuous character. And
this conference differs just with the fact that it has a goal every
year to give young people possibility to reveal their preferences and
potentials in this sphere. Best speeches made at the conference will
be given monetary and encouraging prizes.

Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
April 28 2006
Armenian parliament prepares document on Garabagh
Baku, April 27, AssA-Irada
The Armenian parliament’s foreign relations commission has prepared a
document concerning settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Upper
(Nagorno) Garabagh conflict entitled `The conceptual basis for the
conflict resolution’.
`It is high time this document was passed. It will ensure the
political forces in the Armenian parliament will adhere to a common
position in various international organizations,’ the commission
chairman Armen Rustamian stated.
He added that the opinions of 14 political forces were taken into
account when developing the document.*

AZERBAIJAN’S MILITARY PREVALENCE IS MYTH
Yerevan, April 28. ArmInfo. In the last years Azerbaijan has been
selling its military prevalence over Armenia – but it is a myth, the
senior research worker of the Institute of World Economy and
International Relations of the Russian Academy of Science Alexander
Krylov said during the international conference Caucasus 2005 in
Yerevan today.
In his report on Azerbaijan Krylov said that in fact Azerbaijan can’t
have such a prevalence as long as Armenia is member of Collective
Security Treaty Organization. Besides, Azerbaijan can’t start a war
because foreign investors don’t want it.
Despite its declared integration into NATO mostly because of the US’
great role in the building of the Azeri navy and the
Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline, Azerbaijan is not in the fairway of
the US’ policy. In 2004 Baku and Tehran drastically improved their
relations, the Iranian capital is involved in dozens of joint
projects. In 2005 Azerbaijan’s commodity turnover with Russia exceeded
$1 bln. Turkey is trying to attain this level too but Turkish-Azeri
relations are less profitable economically as Turkey pays for Azeri
fuel in light industry products mostly.
Given the bitter experience of the Kyiv events of late 2004 Russia
refrains from expressing political sympathies in Azerbaijan but
obviously they in the Kremlin consider the Azeri opposition as the
successor of the adventurous policy of Abulfaz Elchibey.

WITHDRAWAL OF RUSSIAN MILITARY BASE FROM ARMENIA IS NO PRIORITY ISSUE
FOR USA

Yerevan, April 28. ArmInfo. The recent statements for the Western
political figures testify to the fact that the presence of the Russian
military base in Armenia is not desirable for USA. Rouben Safrastian,
head of Department for Turkish Studies at RA National Academy, said in
the interview to ArmInfo.
At the same time he emphasized that the withdrawal of the Russian
military base from Armenia is not a priority issue for the USA, as
that will not hinder the probable actions against Iran. He added that
in coming two years big changes may take place in the region around
the situation in Iran. “The USA haven’t used all of their pressure
tools for withdrawal of the Russian military stations from Armenia,”
he stated.

PATRIARCH OF KILIKIAN SUPREME HOUSE CATHOLICOS ARAM I OFFERS TO TURN
FROM SENTIMENTS TO BUSINESS AND DEVELOP MECHANISMS OF INTEGRATION OF
ARMENIANS OF WHOLE WORLD
Yerevan, April 28. ArmInfo. The speakers go no further of idle talks
on the forum “Armenia-Diaspora” and holding of such assemblages for
this reason is not expedient, the Patriarch of the Kilikian Supreme
House the Catholicos Aram I expressed such opinion in the interview to
the “Yerkir” newspaper.
Aram I offers “to turn from idle talks to business, having specified
what are the state’s priorities and what they offer”. In the opinion
of Catholicos, it is necessary to exclude a “pseudo-tourist approach”
of Armenia to the issues of interrelations with the Armenian Diaspora
representatives, the emotions of whom are often played on, thus,
making distinctions between the citizens and non-citizens of Armenia.
Talking about the unity of Armenians, Aram I expressed
misunderstanding of the “centralization of Armenians” by the current
policy. “The Armenian diaspora is various and it is necessary to well
define the role of the Fatherland and Diaspora as sensible, romantic
and one-sided formulations in this issue are harmful. The Diaspora has
something to offer the Motherland but it has no right to interfere
with the state affairs of Armenia just as the Motherland has no right
to dictate to the Diaspora”, the Catholicos said. He also noted that
it is necessary to put an end to omissions between the Diaspora and
the Motherland by developing mechanisms of actions to serve for the
welfare of the Fatherland and strengthening of the Armenian Army, the
guarantee of the state system and unity of the nation.

ARMENIAN ECOLOGISTS INTEND TO APPLY TO CONSTITUTIONAL COURT FOR
APPLICATION OF AARHUS CONVENTION IN ARMENIA
Yerevan, April 28. ArmInfo. The Government of Armenia does not fulfill
the provisions of the International Aarhus Convention, and Armenian
ecologists are ready to apply to the Constitutional Court to make the
authorities apply the convention, Armenian ecologists and lawyers said
at a press conference, Friday.
Thus, according to Vice President of Armenian Botanical Society Gohar
Oganezova, recently the Secretariat of the UN Economic Commission for
Europe Convention on access to information, public, participation in
decision-making and access to justice in environmental matters, known
as Aarhus Convention, has confirmed the given fact. The government
fully ignores the right of the public to participate in
decision-making on specific types of activity. This fact neutralizes
the public influence on adoption of ecologically important decisions
by government bodies. Meanwhile, de-jure recognition of Aarhus
Convention provides for recognition of the importance of open activity
of government bodies. While, in Armenia the public is often informed
last about regular claims for green areas, she said.
In her turn, Representative of Transparency International Regional
Development Center Sona Ayvazyan said a number of environmental
organizations of Armenia tried to protect the “Dalma Gardens” against
claims in the court, however, the legislation of Armenia has many
loop-holes and the government takes advantage of them. The last
instance they applied was the Court of Cassation. The latter rejected
their application stating that “the violations in the case of ‘Dalma
Gardens’ are not subject to consideration.” The given response
testified to the weak mechanisms of control over fulfillment of the
legislation and the insufficient preparedness and awareness of the
persons making decisions in the sphere of ecology, S. Ayvazyan
said. “Access to justice is secured just formally in Armenia, whereas
it is almost impossible to win any legal case on protection of the
citizens’ ecological rights,” she stressed.
To note, ratification of Aarhus Convention by Armenia in 2001 was to
regulate the procedural issues connected with public access to
information, public, participation in decision-making and access to
justice in environmental matters.

AN ARMENIAN OFFICER WOUNDED AS A RESULT OF CEASE-FIRE VIOLATION BY
AZERBAIJAN

Yerevan, April 28. ArmInfo. A regular violation of the cease-fire
regime by Azerbaijan resulted in wounding of an Armenian officer.
Armenian Defense Ministry press-service reports Azerbaijan as firing a
section of Ijevan-Noyemberyan road approximately at 3:30 PM
yesterday. Senior Lieutenant Gegham Mikaelyan was wounded in the cabin
of “Kamaz.” He was taken to Noyemberyan town hospital at about 4:00
PM. Doctors say his life is no longer in danger.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIAN GRAND MASTER LEVON ARONYAN CALLED THIRD CHESS PLAYER OF WORLD
UPON 2005 RESULTS
Moscow, April 28. ArmInfo. The Russian journal “64- Chess Review”
summed up the traditional competition “Oscar” for the eleventh
time. This prize is presented to the best chess player of the last
year. Until now it was presented to the Russians Garri Kasparov (5
times) and Vladimir Kramnik and to the Indian Vishvanatan Anand (4
times). The world champion, a Bulgarian Veselin Topalov became the
holder of “Oscar-2005”. 361 lists from 68 countries of the world was
taken into account during calculation. There were journalists, eminent
chess specialists and grand masters among the voters.

ITAR-TASS News Agency
TASS
April 27, 2006 Thursday 07:26 AM EST
Georgia ready to accommodate deported Meskhetian Turks
by Tengiz Pachkoria
Tbilisi is ready to welcome back and accommodate in Georgia
Meskhetian Muslims, who were deported by the Soviet authorities from
southern Georgia to Central Asia, Georgian State Minister Georgy
Khaindrava said on Thursday.
He heads the state commission for repatriation of the population
deported by the Soviet authorities in the 1940s.
“We will take into account the Meskhetian Muslims’ traditional
pursuit – agriculture – and we are ready to settle them in rural
areas in eastern and western Georgia,” he said at an international
conference on repatriation of Meskhetian Muslims to Georgia.
“At this stage for certain reasons their return to Mesheti is not on
the agenda,” he said.
In some regions of southern Georgia there are Armenian enclaves and
people there are worried the return of Muslims may cause tensions in
the region.
“Georgia will be unable to properly accommodate the repatriated on
its own,” Khaindrava said.
He expressed the hope that “some international organizations and the
countries where Meskhetian Muslims currently reside will help
Georgia.”
Taking part in the two-day conference are representatives of the
UNDP, the European Centre for Minority Issues, and non-govermental
organizations of Meskhetian Muslims residing in Russia, Azerbaijan,
Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkey and Ukraine.
Almost 300,000 Meskhetian Muslims reside in these countries,
including 60,000 in Russia.
Georgia as a member of the Council of Europe pledged to settle the
issue of repatriation of Meskhetian Muslims by 2011. Around 40,000
Meskhetian Muslims want to resettle to Georgia.