AZERI EXPERT SAYS 10-15 YEARS NEEDED TO CLEAR MINES IN OCCUPIED TERRITORIES
ANS TV, Baku
18 Apr 06
Nazim Ismayilov, director of the Azerbaijani National agency for
Mine Action (ANAMA), has said that it will take Azerbaijan about
10-15 years and require 400m dollars to clear mines in the occupied
territories which cover 350m-400m sq.m..
In an interview with the “Point of View” programme on the private
Azerbaijan TV station ANS on 18 April, Ismayilov said that the agency
is implementing a joint programme with the Azerbaijani Education
Ministry to raise public awareness of the issue.
Speaking about the territories which are under the Armenian occupation
he noted that 22m sq.m. of land in Azerbaijan have been cleared of
mines to date, at a cost of 13m dollars.
No further processing is planned.

AZERI POLITICIAN WARNS OF “SECRET US PLAN” ON IRAN, KARABAKH
Yeni Musavat, Baku
18 Apr 06
Excerpt from E. Mammadli report by Azerbaijani newspaper Yeni Musavat
on 18 April headlined “Azerbaijan is face-to-face with terrorism”
and subheaded “PCC says new situation is threatening Karabakh”.
A round-table conference “On the influence of the regional situation
on Azerbaijan and changes expected in the Karabakh issue” was held
yesterday [17 April]. The Political Coordination Centre (PCC) organized
the conference.
Farac Ulusoy, leader of the National Revival Movement which is a member
of the PCC, said that the political situation in the region might
require changes in Azerbaijan’s approach to the Karabakh conflict. “A
new idea has emerged – let the war start regardless of who will
eventually possess Karabakh. We would like to know the current stage
of the Karabakh talks and the government policy on how to settle the
conflict. On the other hand, we demand that the government account for
prophylactic measures taken to resolve a possible humanitarian disaster
in the event that plans against Iran are implemented,” he said.
[Passage omitted: MP Nasib Nasibli urged the Azerbaijani authorities
to revise their foreign policy]
Isgandar Hamidov, chairman of the NDPA [National Democratic Party of
Azerbaijan], said that Azerbaijan’s foreign policy was at the level of
“blind optimism” of the 1970s. “If Azerbaijan had a foreign policy,
it would not be in this situation. The invitation of the Azerbaijani
leadership to the USA is the biggest threat to Karabakh,” he said.
The USA has drawn up a plan to return Zangilan, Qubadli and Cabrayil
districts [along the border with Iran, currently controlled by Armenia]
to Azerbaijan. “Because America needs this area as a foothold to
hit Iran. They want to deploy peacekeeping forces in Karabakh if the
Azerbaijani authorities do not agree to this option.
The danger is that the peacekeepers will be stationed not on the border
between Azerbaijan and Armenia, but between Agdam and Askaran [town in
breakaway Nagornyy Karabakh]. Therefore, we demand that the Azerbaijani
authorities disclose their position to the public,” Hamidov said.
Azerbaijan’s economy will be dealt a big blow if there is an attack on
Iran, he said. Measures must be taken now to prevent a humanitarian
disaster. “America wants to topple the mullah regime in Iran and
create a confederation with the leaders of the Persian and Kurdish
communities,” Hamidov said.
It is also beyond doubt that many terrorists from organizations
controlled by Iran will come to Baku, Hamidov said. “We must be ready
for that. Azerbaijan is face-to-face with terrorism,” he said.
“All of this is bound to affect Karabakh,” Hamidov said and announced
that the PCC plans to stage a rally devoted to the threat to Karabakh
on 6 May.

SEYRAN OHANYAN: IN CASE OF ANY PROVOCATION NKR DEFENSE ARMY IS READY TO CONTEST EVERY INCH OF GROUND
ArmRadio.am
19.04.2006 13:56
“In case of any provocation the Defense Army of Nagorno-Karabakh
is ready to contest every inch of ground,” NKR Minister of Defense,
Commander of the Defense Army, Lieutenant-General Seyran Ohanyan said
during the meeting with Armenian journalists.
According to him, the situation at the border is currently calm.
“Fire is sometimes opened at the front line. However, the both
the Officer staff and the soldiers take the shoots calm.” The
Lieutenant-General said, adding that it speaks about the good
moral-psychological state of the NKR Army.
In the Commander’s words, the situation may demand undertaking of
preventive measures.
“When we see that the rival affords violations of different kind,
we should scold,” he said.
Turning to the theme of a thunder war speculated by Azerbaijan,
the Lieutenant General noted that Azerbaijan has no such
opportunity. First, the Armenian positions are protected with a mined
zone, which prevents the enemy’s rapid advance. And the most important
factor is the psychological state of the people.
A reserve call up has been accomplished in the framework of
the large-scale military exercises held for several days in
Nagorno-Karabakh.

BAKU SPEAKS OF INTENTION TO FORM ‘AZERI AUTONOMY’ IN ARMENIA
Yerkir
19.04.2006 12:21
YEREVAN (YERKIR) – Azerbaijan’s Way political movement has created an
initiative group to return “western Azeris, expelled from Armenia,
to their native lands and providing autonomy to them.”
Leader of the movement Ilgar Gasymov reported, ”in 1948-53 and 1988
over one million Azeris were expelled from Armenia.” ”We plan to
hold mass actions worldwide from April 24 to May 8. Turkish and Jewish
organizations will support the events,” he remarked.
Gasymov also reported that signatures will be collected and Azeri
representatives in the PACE will present those documents. Fazil
Gazanfaroglu and others considered “return of Azeris deported from
Armenia” as a demand of the day.
Gazanfaroglu reported he will submit the issue in the Milli Mejlis
agenda.
To note, the statement on ”return of western Azeris, deported from
Armenia, to their native lands and providing autonomy to them,”
drawn by Azerbaijan’s Way movement, is sent to the Azeri leader,
Speaker and FM, reports Trend.
–Boundary_(ID_1aQOz0g/Q5mbDyYXtj8zrQ)–

IRAN TO WARN BAKU ABOUT “SURPRISES” POSSIBLE AFTER JOINING ANTI-IRANIAN COALITION
PanARMENIAN.Net
19.04.2006 01:26 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The visit of the Iranian Defense Minister to
Azerbaijan scheduled for April 19 is conditioned by the anxiety over
Azerbaijan’s possible joining the anti-Iranian coalition, Azeri
political scientist Zardusht Alizade stated. In his words, before
attacking Iran the United State will make an attempt to involve just
one Muslim state into the anti-Iranian coalition. “It’s not ruled
out that Azerbaijan can become this very state. That is why the
Iranian Defense Minister is arriving to Azerbaijan to explain what
“surprises” the joining the anti-Iranian coalition is pregnant with,”
Alizade said, reported Day.az.

GARNIK ISAGULYAN DOES RESEARCH
Lragir.am
19 April 06
On April 19 the story of an institute become known; its name was
announced two years ago but recently it has been served in a dish
at last. It is the Institute of Political Research, established on
the June 10, 2004 decision of the government of Armenia and operated
within the administration of the president of Armenia. The founder
and the president of the board of the institute is Garnik Isagulyan,
adviser to the president of Armenia. On April 19 he gave a news
conference to give the new address of the Institute of Political
Research. The institute occupies 6 rooms in the library building of
the Academy of Sciences of Armenia. Before the Institute existed,
if it existed at all, in the residence of the president of Armenia.
However, the institute will not stay long at this address. The
government has provided a five-storey building at 44 Arshakunyats
Street which will be ready to receive Garnik Isagulyan and experts
in six months.
“I repeat and I will be saying this quite often that the institute
does not face any problems thanks to the head of state because he
accepts all our proposals,” says Garnik Isagulyan. He also says it
is not clear when the government decision on establishment of the
institute would be implemented if the president had not attended to
it personally. Nevertheless, besides the president, Garnik Isagulyan
thanks the government, the National Assembly and all the other agencies
which contributed to the Institute of Political Research.
The major goal of the institute is political analyses for the
president of Armenia. The topics are not unlimited, but there are
topics, such as the Karabakh issue and the developments connected
with our four neighbor countries, that are under constant attention,
and reports on these are extended to the president every week. These
reports are confidential, but generally Garnik Isagulyan assures
that their activity will be open, their analyses will be open, they
will not be pro-governmental or opposition, and most importantly,
they will be independent. The institute will be funded from the state
budget, and Garnik Isagulyan finds this to be the main guarantee of
independence. In 2006, for instance, the political research for the
president of Armenia will cost taxpayers 107 million drams.
“It was extremely important for the institute not to depend on
other sources of funding in order to be independent,” says Garnik
Isagulyan. However, being a governmental agency that is funded
from the budget does not mean that the institute headed by Garnik
Isagulyan cannot accept orders. It can and is willing to, assures
Garnik Isagulyan. Any agency, both Armenian and foreign, political
and nonpolitical, opposition of pro-governmental, can order research
and, of course, pay for it. The president of the board of the IPS
Garnik Isagulyan assures that the experts are highly qualified, and
their analyses could have even enriched the desktop of Condoleezza
Rice, says Garnik Isagulyan. However, Rice would first have to order
and pay. The analyses are free for the president, the government,
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Defense. Garnik
Isagulyan plans to increase the members of the staff from 42 to 72.
The minimum salary is 150 thousand drams.

LAURELS FOR A NATIONAL SECURITY CONCEPTION
Lragir.am
19 April 06
Adviser to President of Armenia Garnik Isagulyan announced April 19
that the government decision of 2004 set a goal before the Institute
of Political Studies he heads to work out a conception of national
security. However, there is a problem: the conception is presently
being worked out by another agency.
“You know that the strategy of national security is being worked out
by the commission set up on the order of the president of Armenia,
headed by Serge Sargsyan, the secretary of National Security under the
president of Armenia, but the institute is actively engaged in it,”
says Garnik Isagulyan.
The notable thing is that Garnik Isagulyan had initiated the conception
of national security and he had even suggested that political forces
become engaged and extend proposals. Presently, however, Garnik
Isagulyan is engaged in the work of the agency, headed by Serge
Sargsyan. It is also possible that he makes proposals.

EU TROIKA DELEGATION TO ARRIVE IN ARMENIA APRIL 20
PanARMENIAN.Net
19.04.2006 19:55 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ EU Troika delegation led by Austrian State
Secretary Hans Winkler will arrive in Armenia within regional visit
framework, reported RA MFA press office. The Ambassador of Austria
and Finland to Armenia, EU Envoy for the South Caucasus as well as
representatives of the European Commission and EU Council will serve
on the delegation. Meetings with Armenian President Robert Kocharian,
Parliament Speaker Artur Baghdassaryan and Foreign Minister Vartan
Oskanian are scheduled.

ARMENIAN GENOCIDE RECOGNITION ISSUE ENTERED NEW STAGE
PanARMENIAN.Net
19.04.2006 20:06 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Armenian Genocide recognition issue has entered
a new stage. Almost all of the leading states recognized this fact and
even the U.S. doesn’t deny it, leader of ARF Dashnaktsutyun faction,
historian Levon Mkrtchian told PanARMENIAN.Net reporter. In his words,
Armenia should take the advantage of the international community’s
positive attitude about the Genocide recognition and pursue a more
precise line towards Turkey. “It’s time to speak of compensations,
since without it the fact of recognition loses sense. For Armenia
the matter concerns not only moral and material side but appears as
a security issue as well,” the ARFD leader said.
Levon Mkrtchian underscored that is the neighbor state doesn’t
acknowledge the crime committed against a whole nation the opening
of the Armenian-Turkish border and the Nagorno Karabakh conflict
settlement can be protracted for an uncertain term.
At the same time the faction leader remarked that the Arab world
and Iran support Armenia in struggle for the Armenian Genocide
recognition. “Iran has not declared it at the state level but it sides
with Armenia. Actually, the majority of states arrived at a conclusion
that the Armenian Genocide in Ottoman Empire should be recognized,”
Levon Mkrtchian said.

CHAIRMAN OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY MET WITH FOREIGN DIPLOMATS
ArmRadio.am
19.04.2006 16:40
Today Chairman of the National Assembly Arthur Baghdasaryan met
representatives of Embassies of OSCE member states and international
structures accredited in Armenia.
Noting that it is the first time all political forces have
agreed upon the draft of the Electoral Code, the Speaker of the
Parliament thoroughly presented the basic changes, informing that
the draft has been already sent to the Venice Commission and OSCE
for expertise. Arthur Baghdasaryan noted that the joint group of
OSCE and Venice Commission experts is expected to visit Armenia in
June. During the visit discussions on the new Electoral Code and
administrative issues will be organized. US Ambassador to Armenia
John Evans, Head of the OSCE Office in Yerevan Vladimir Pryakhin,
Ambassador of the Republic of Italy Marco Clementi and UN Resident
Coordinator Consuelo Vidal stressed the importance of the provision
of legal bases and expression of political will for holding the 2007
and 2008 elections in commitment with international standards.