RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty, Czech Republic
April 20 2006
Ethnic-Armenian Forces End Military Exercises in Karabakh
The Nagorno-Karabakh army in training, 2005
(Photolur)
April 20, 2006 — Ethnic-Armenian forces in Nagorno-Karabakh
concluded a week of military exercises today in the disputed enclave.
About 1,500 soldiers took part in the exercises, which took place
mainly around the central Agdam region. The area is near the
so-called line of control that separates ethnic-Armenian and
Azerbaijani forces.
The drills were observed by the defense minister and chief of general
staff from Armenia.
Nagorno-Karabakh is part of Azerbaijan but is populated mostly by
ethnic Armenians. Clashes regularly break out between the two sides.
At least 30,000 people have been killed and 1 million made refugees
during six years of open conflict that
ended with a ceasefire in 1994.

HANS WINKLER: WE BELIEVE IN CLOSE COOPERATION WITH ARMENIA
YEREVAN, APRIL 20, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The joint press
conference of RA Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian and head of the
delegation of EU Troika, State Secretary of Austrian Foreign Ministry
Hans Winkler was dedicated to issues of development of cooperation
between Armenia and European Union, as well as to summing up of the
results of the delegation’s visit to Armenia.
The participants of the press conference gave a high estimation
to the results of Troyka’s visit to Armenia, as well as to current
negotiations between Armenia and EU dedicated to discussion of the
Actions Plan. The work at the latter will be over soon as the third
stage of the negotiations will start already in early May. Vartan
Oskanian estimated cooperation between RA and EU as “extensive
and deep” and expressed the hope that further discussion of issues
regarding Armenia’s integration to European structures will bring
effective results. In his turn, Hans Winkler emphasized that the
South Caucasus is a very important region for EU. “EU is interested
in close cooperation with the South Caucasus and considers that the
negotiations on the Actions Plan are a basis for further development
of cooperation between EU and the South Caucasus.
We also believe in close cooperation with Armenia”. According to
him, EU attaches great importance to human rights and development
of democratic processes in Armenia. As for the fact why EU is so
reserved in its reaction towards the violations during the elections
in Armenia and whether EU has a differentiated approach to Armenia
in this issue, Hans Winkler answered: “EU applies general approaches
towards all countries. I think it is clear what we expect from the
elections and there should not be incomprehension here”. Issues
regarding the sphere of energy, including diversification of energy
sources, took a special place at the press conference. Hans Winkler
confirmed the interest of EU in closing the Armenian Nuclear Power
Plant as provision of security on it does not correspond to the
current international standards. Meanwhile, he mentioned that each
country has its strategy in this sphere and has the right to solve
its problems itself. As for the possible consequences for Armenia
of the fact that almost all entities appeared in RF’s hands, Vartan
Oskanian said that diversification does not depend on the circumstance
in whose hands the energy entities are, the most important here is
diversification of sources of energy production and ways of supply
of energy carriers. “Of course, we would like diversification to
be in the issue of countries, too, but it came so that none of the
countries except Russia expressed interest in this issue,” Oskanian
declared. He admitted that indeed the most part of the Armenian energy
entities appeared in the hands of one state, whereas, in his opinion,
everything depends on the clauses of these agreements: “I think these
agreements completely protect our energy security”.

CONCESSIONS CANNOT BE ONE-SIDED, NKR PRESIDENT SAYS
STEPANAKERT, APRIL 20, NOYAN TAPAN. It is impossible to solve any issue
without NKR and everybody understands this. The more NKR takes part
in the negotiations process the more efficient these negotiations
will be”. NKR President Arkadi Ghukasian declared this on April
19. Meanwhile he said that the Karabakh party’s participation in
the negotiations does not depend on NKR. Touching upon the issue
of concessions, NKR President said that “they should be spoken
about at the negotiations table”. But, according to A.Ghukasian,
NKR’s concessions depend on those of Azerbaijan. “There will not be
one-sided concessions. We are ready for concessions and this means
concessions on both sides,” he emphasized. In connection with possible
holding of a new referendum on Nagorno Karabakh’s self-determination
A.Ghukasian said that NKR has established its self-determination
long ago. According to him, Karabakh has held a referendum but the
world did not recognize the results of this referendum. “If today
we have an opportunity for the world and Azerbaijan to recognize the
referendum results, I think that this is a subject for discussion,”
NKR President said.

PARLIAMENTARIANS OF ARMENIA ALSO TO PARTICIPATE IN HEARINGS TO BE
HELD AT NKR NATIONAL ASSEMBLY ON APRIL 21
YEREVAN, APRIL 20, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. On the initiative of
the NKR National Assembly Standing Committee on Foreign Relations,
parliamentary hearings dedicated to prospects of settlement of
the Karabakh problem will be held on April 21. The goal is to
define positions of all the political forces representated at the
Parliament of Nagorno Karabakh. In the case of reaching a common
agreement concerning the principles, most probably, parliamentary
forces will make a joint statement. At the request of the initiator,
the delegation of the RA NA Standing Committee on Foreign Relations,
headed by Committee Chairman Armen Rustamian will participate in
the discussion. The latter informed the Noyan Tapan correspondent,
that Aram Sargsian, a representative of the “Ardarutiun” (Justice)
faction, the Chairman of the Democratic Party of Armenia, independent
deputy Hmayak Hovhannisian as well as Shavarsh Kocharian, a member of
the Standing Committee on Social, Health Care and Nature Protectional
Issues, a representative of the “Ardarutiun” faction, the Chairman
of the National Democratic Party will leave for Karabakh from the
Commission members.

POSSIBILITY TO TAKE UNAWARES NKR DEFENCE ARMY BY AZERBAIJAN IS
EXCLUDED, SEYRAN OHANIAN ASSURES
YEREVAN, APRIL 20, NOYAN TAPAN. “We have the respective intelligence
services and the possibility to take unawares our army by Azeris
is excluded”. NKR Defence Minister Seyran Ohanian informed about at
the meeting with journalists. According to him, “if even they manage
to occupy our trenches, they do not know what they can expect from
the NKR Defence Army”. S.Ohanian also emphasized that the engineer
constructions and barriers are perfected year by year.
As S.Ohanian affirmed, in order to have long-term peace we should be
first of all ready for a war. According to him, the preferable variant
of settlement of the problem is a way of negotiations. S.Ohanian
considers that though RA leadership carries on this process rather
consistently, it would be desirable that NKR leadership also take
part in the negotiations.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

RA FOREIGN MINISTER AND DELEGATION OF EU TROIKA DISCUSS CURRENT STATE
AND PROSPECT OF ARMENIAN-TURKISH RELATIONS
YEREVAN, APRIL 20, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Issues regarding
the third stage of the negotiations on EU-Armenia Actions Plan within
the framework of the EU New Neighborhood policy were discussed at
RA Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian’s April 20 meeting with the
delegation of EU Troika that arrived in Armenia within the framework
of the regional visit. Emphasizing that Armenia shares the same values
with EU, head of the delegation, State Secretary of Austrian Foreign
Ministry Hans Winkler said that EU attaches importance to progress in
the Caucasian region and especially to democratic processes. As Noyan
Tapan was informed from RA Foreign Ministry Press and Information
Department, the interlocutors exchanged thoughts about regional
problems, energy issues and development of democracy. They especially
stressed the necessity of holding free and fair parliamentary and
presidential elections in the future. RA Foreign Minister and the
members of the European delegation also touched upon the current
state and prospect of Armenian-Turlish relations in the light of the
negotiations on Turkey’s membership to EU. They exchanged thoughts
about the current state and prospects of the Nagorno Karabakh
settlement.
Ambassadors of Austria and Finland to Armenia, EU Special
Representative to the South Caucasus, representatives of the European
Commission and EU Council were also included in the delegation.

VAHAN HOVHANNISIAN: IN KARABAKH PROCESS NEGOTIATIONS WITH AZERBAIJAN
SHOULD BE NO LONGER CONSIDERED AS FIRST AND FOREMOST
YEREVAN, APRIL 20, NOYAN TAPAN. The official Yerevan is not going
to make more concessions that those being spoken about for already
several years. Vahan Hovhannisian, RA NA Vice-Speaker, member of the
ARF Dashnaktsutiun Bureau, declared this at the April 20 meeting at the
National Press Club. “I think that the negotiations strategy, as well
as statements made for the purpose of presenting Armenia in a more
beneficial position in the negotiations process for making progress
in the negotiations should not be mixed with the ultimate aim,”
he mentioned commenting upon RA Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian’s
statement that the Armenian side is ready to delay the discussion
of the issue of Nagorno Karabakh status for some time. Oskanian, in
particular, had declared that “if Azerbaijan agrees to the reality
that the Nagorno Karabakh people has the right of self-determination,
that can be used not immediately but in the future, the Armenian
side is ready to immediately discuss the issues connected with
liquidation of the consequences of the conflict – territories,
refugees, other issues connected with security”. “After all, if
Azerbaijan once admits that it recognizes the Nagorno Karabakh’s right
of self-determination, it can retract its words with difficulty in
the future”, Vahan Hovhannisian emphasized. According to the speaker,
such statements voiced by the Armenian side show that henceforth not
such a great importance is attached to what Azerbaijan will do or
will say. According to him, today the negotiations with Azerbaijan
should be no longer considered as the first and foremost issue on
the agenda. The first and foremost should be the efforts of Armenians
aimed at Nagorno Karabakh recognition in the international sphere in
this or that way, which will contribute to Azerbaijan’s taking more
conciliatory position.

RA PRESIDENT POSITIVELY ESTIMATES EU’S GROWING INTEREST IN SOUTH CAUCASIAN REGION
YEREVAN, APRIL 20, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. On April 20, RA
President Robert Kocharian received the delegation of the European
Union Troika led by State Secretary of Austrian Foreign Ministry Hans
Winkler. As Noyan Tapan was informed from President’s Press Service,
the sides exchanged thoughts about cooperation between the European
Union and the South Caucasian countries.
Appreciating the EU’s growing interest in the region, the President
attached importance to the final adoption of the Armenian Actions Plan
within the framework of the EU New Neighborhood policy and said that
it will make country’s further cooperation with EU more clear and
understandable. “We consider the Actions Plan as an exact orbit of
bilateral relations, which creats a new opportunity for implementing
purposeful and systematized reforms,” the President stressed. Then
Robert Kocharian presented the last developments of the negotiations
on the Nagorno Karabakh peaceful settlement and Armenia’s approaches
towards issues of energy security and regional cooperation.

VAHAN HOVHANNISIAN: RUSSIA’S STEPS TOWARDS ARMENIA MAKE ANXIOUS EVEN THOSE
WHO ARE FOR FIRM ALLIANCE WITH RUSSIA
YEREVAN, APRIL 20, NOYAN TAPAN. The solutions to energy problems
between Armenia and Russia that have an economic character indeed
are considered as a political compulsion. Vahan Hovhannisian,
RA NA Vice-Speaker, member of the ARF Dashnaktsutiun Bureau,
expressed such an opinion at the April 20 meeting with journalists,
commenting upon the sale of the 5th power unit of Hrazdan Thermal
Power Plant (TPP) to Russia for the purpose of mitigating the tariff
for gas. “Everybody understands that Russia could also propose
other ways out, more beneficial for Armenia but it did not do it,”
he mentioned. According to V.Hovhannisian, in the economic plan the
solution is optimal “as if you have a nothingness having a cost of
several dozens of millions, i.e. a half-built building, and have
neither a possibility to complete nor to run it, it is beneficial
to sell it at the maximum price”. The only problem, according to
the speaker, is the difficulty of looking for an alternative but
it should not be connected only with Russia. Because of Armenia’s
geographic position this alternative is connected with Iran which is
currently in rather a hard position itself. According to the speaker,
we should also think about internal resources, not only in the respect
of development of energy also development of economy in general. “I
think that the main work to be done at present should be aimed at
building the second, more secure, powerful and modern nuclear power
plant,” NA Vice-Speaker mentioned. Answering journalists’ questions,
Vahan Hovhannisian said that “as a result of Russia’s steps towards
Armenia being not well thought-out” really a growth of anti-Russian
moods takes place in the country. “Such steps taken by Russia towards
Armenia really make anxious also those who are for a firm alliance
with Russia,” V.Hovhannisian declared.
According to him, it becomes obvious that economic interests start to
dictate a political direction to the Kremlin. “Therefore, the debt
of 100 mln is not remitted to Armenia and we pay for gas a larger
sum than Turkey,” NA Vice-Speaker emphasized.

RA FOREIGN MINISTER AND OSCE MINSK GROUP CO-CHAIR DISCUSS PROSPECT
OF CONTINUING NEGOTIATIONS ON NAGORNO KARABAKH SETTLEMENT
YEREVAN, APRIL 20, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. On April 20, OSCE
Minsk Group American Co-chair Steven Mann was received by Armenian
Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian. As Noyan Tapan was informed from RA
Foreign Ministry Press and Information Department, the interlocutors
discussed the current stage and prospect of continuing the negotiations
on the Nagorno Karabakh settlement.