EU SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE FOR THE SOUTH CAUCASUS TO VISIT BAKU ON 21 APRIL
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
April 18 2006
The European Union delegation will be visiting Azerbaijan from April
21 to 23. The Azerbaijani permanent representative office in EU told
APA that the objective of the visit is to agree on the Action Plan
in the framework of the European Neighborhood Policy Program.
An official of the representative office told that main discussions
will be held in May when the EU delegates will visit first
Armenia, Georgia and then Azerbaijan. The EU mission is composed of
representatives of the EU Board, European Commission, EU presidency,
Austria, which chairs the EU as well as representatives of Finland,
which will chair the organization for the next term. The EU special
representative for the South Caucasus Peter Semneby is also in the
mission.
The Foreign Ministry told APA that the visitors will have talks with
President Ilham Aliyev, Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov, other
high ranking state officials as well as meet opposition parties and
NGOs representatives.
The European diplomats will hold a press conference on 22 April.

OSKANIAN: “CO-CHAIRS HOLD DISCUSSIONS WITH BOTH SIDES TO ORGANIZE THE PRESIDENTS MEETINGS”
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
April 18 2006
“OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmen hold discussions with both sides to
organize meetings of presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan,” Armenian
foreign minister Vardan Oskanian has told journalists.(APA)
According to him, it is too early to say anything about the date of
the next meetings of Ilham Aliyev and Robert Kocharyan. “Holding
of meetings between the presidents would be efficient then when
mediators’ visits to the region had positive results. If the situation
in Rambouillet talks is not changed, the next meetings between the
presidents will not be efficient.”

SAFAROV TO SERVE HIS SENTENCE IN HUNGARY AND LEAVE
Lragir.am
18 April 06
The investigation and trial of the case involving Azerbaijani Ramil
Safarov who had hacked to death the Armenian army officer Gurgen
Margaryan in Budapest in January 2004 lasted for two years. The
verdict was passed April 13, 2006. Ramil Safarov was sentenced to
life imprisonment, 30 years without the right for pardon.
On April 18 Nazeli Vardanyan, Gurgen Margaryan’s attorney, announced
in Yerevan that till the last day of the trial the Azerbaijanis tried
their hardest to have doctors certify Safarov as an insane. However,
the efforts of Azerbaijanis failed. Both the district attorney and
our lawyers, relying on the evidence – an axe bought beforehand,
the ethnic motivation of the murder, an attempt of murder, etc. –
were able to prove that the assassin had acted upon a plan, was
conscious of what he was doing, and was sane. In his final speech
the murderer did not plead guilty; he said he had lost self-control,
did not want to kill, had not planned a murder.
The justice did not believe either this, or Safarov’s words that he
did not speak Russian well and denied his own testimony uttered in
Russian. The Hungarian court was surprised to learn that a cold-blooded
killer could be proclaimed Year’s Person.
The Armenian lawyers say it was the triumph of European justice and
human values, and more than just a defeat for Azerbaijan. The court
administered the harshest punishment the Hungarian laws provide for.
Safarov will serve his sentence in Hungary, at a maximum-security
penitentiary. Even if Azerbaijan succeeds in signing with Hungary an
agreement on extradition, it will not be applied to Safarov. “By the
end of the investigation there was a decision of the district attorney
to transfer the case to a Baku court. We prevented it. They have been
consistently trying to transfer the case to Baku. Presently there is
no agreement yet.” If the 30 years in the verdict pass, and Safarov,
who will be 60 by then, is pardoned, he will be banished from Hungary
and will have no right to enter this country for 10 years.
The Armenian party sued material and moral damages, 3.5 million and 5
million Hungarian forints respectively. All in all 8.5 million forints,
which is about 160 thousand euros.
The hearing of the case involving Ramil Safarov who had attacked the
officers of the remand prison in Budapest is scheduled in May.

ROUXBAIX FUTSAL WILL RETURN TO THE UEFA FUTSAL CUP FOR THE 2006/07 EDITION AFTER CLAIMING THEIR THIRD FRENCH TITLE IN A ROW
uefa.com, Switzerland
April 18 2006
Final glory
The northern club were 6-5 winners in Beauvais against
Issy-les-Moulineaux Futsal in a repeat of the 2005 final. It means
the club will again be France’s representatives in Europe’s premier
club competition, having been involved in this year’s preliminary
round. The 2005/06 UEFA Futsal Cup was the first time a team from
France had entered the competition and it was a major step forward
for French Futsal.
High hopes
In a four-team mini-tournament played in England, Roubaix failed to win
any of their three matches against Tal Grig Yerevan of Armenia, hosts
London White Bear FC and Dinamo Tirana of Albania but expect better
things next time around. “Last year we were only discovering the UEFA
Futsal Cup, now we expect to improve,” said coach Nordine Benmarouche.
Top team
Only formed in 2002, Roubaix were regional champions of the north
within two years and quickly became the nation’s top team. However,
they were always rated as outsiders in the London mini-tournament
last September, but hinted at a major shock when David Vieira gave
them a seventh-minute lead against favourites Yerevan in their first
match. However, the Armenian champions eventually won 7-2, and London
defeated Roubaix 6-0. All but out, Roubaix then faced Tirana and
lost 5-1.

IMPORT OF ARMENIA-MADE HARMFUL FOOD PRODUCTS TO AZERBAIJAN PREVENTED
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
April 18 2006
Food products made in Armenia, which were brought to Azerbaijan from
Vladimir province of Russia was prevented in Samur border checkpoint
today. The north bureau of APA was informed by the Samur border
checkpoint.
During preliminary investigations it turned out that a person named
Rovshan Hajiyev was to bring the products to the Kutas LLC in Baku.
The products contained substances which are harmful for human body.
Additional information will be given after the investigation is
over.

ISMAYILOV: I AM SURE THE COURT OF APPEAL WILL COMMUTE VERDICT ON RAMIL SAFAROV AND WE’LL WIN
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
April 18 2006
Lawyer Adil Ismayilov-legal family representative of Azerbaijani
army officer Ramil Safarov, who was jailed to life in prison for
murdering Armenian army officer Gurgen Markarian in Hungary, held a
press conference today (APA).
The lawyer said it is early to say that Azerbaijani side loosed
the trial.
“Regrettably, there is a spirit of failure in Azerbaijan. We have
not loosed. We filed an appeal against the verdict. I am sure the
Court of Appeal will commute verdict and we’ll win the trial,”
Ismayilov underlined.
The lawyer also said that the judge of the trial took a biased stance
from the very beginning, but they did not react to this as the trial
was on.
“I can say a lot of examples proving biased stance of the judge. Even
in the second court session, three translators were involved into
the trial. The judge explained that the Hungarian government ensured
all opportunities for the sides as a life sentence was expected. An
Armenian officer gave testimony later on. His statements to the
final court session were contrary to his testimony to the primary
investigation. The judge had to announce a break as a way out of the
situation. After the break the Armenian officer said his testimony to
the preliminary investigation was not translated clearly. The judge
ignoring expert opinions on three forensic medical examinations shows
his biased stance. As you know, the first forensic medical examination
was done in Russian which Ramil Safarov does not know well. Therefore,
the experts concluded that he was conscious when he committed the
crime. After the next two medial examinations experts concluded
that he was unconscious while committing the crime. In this case,
the judge could commute his punishment without any limits.
However, the judge illegally did not accept the expert opinions and
got the opinion he wanted in the end,” the lawyer said.
Ismayilov also said the judge interrupted Safarov during his latest
testimony, which is unacceptable according to Hungarian laws. The
lawyer thinks the Court of Appeal will investigate law violations
committed during the preliminary investigation and court proceedings.
And Safarov will receive punishment for his deed and personality. The
Court of Appeal can review the appeal within a year.
“We hope, there will be no need to appeal to the European Court.
Otherwise, the defendant might appeal to the European instances,”
the lawyer concluded.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

MESROB II TO ATTEND ARMENIAN CONFERENCE
Hurriyet
Turkish Press
April 18 2006
Press Review
Mesrob II, the Armenian patriarch of Turkey, will attend for the
first time a conference on the Armenian issue entitled, “The Art of
Co-Existence in Ottoman Society: The Case of the Turkish-Armenian
Relations.” Mesrob II confirmed that he would attend the three-day
conference beginning Thursday in Kayseri and said, “I am going
to the conference this time because it’s been organized by young,
well-intentioned academics. They came to Istanbul and sincerely told
their stance.” Professor Metin Hulagu, deputy dean of the Faculty of
Science and Letters of Erciyes University, said that the participation
of the patriarch was very important for them, and added, “We spoke
face to face with Mesrob II in Istanbul. We told him our aim. We
told him that we’re not destructive but constructive. And he agreed
to attend the conference and give a speech.”

KOTRA STAFFER WAS MISS IRAQ FOR A DAY
Chosun Ilbo, South Korea
April 18 2006
The recently crowned Miss Iraq, Tamar Goregian is interviewed on ABC
television on April 11./AP-Yonhap
The recently crowned Miss Iraq, Tamar Goregian, has returned the crown
after receiving death threats from Islamic extremists. Goregian is a
former employee of the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA).
According to KOTRA’s Baghdad trade office, Goregian, who is of Armenian
descent, worked as a part time employee and was in charge of arranging
negotiations when a KOTRA market opening team was in the country. “I
do feel proud that we had Iraq’s most beautiful woman working for us,”
trade office chief Seo Kang-suk said,
AP reported on April 13 that the winner of the competition was “very
troubled” by the death threats from Islamic extremists.
According to the report, the pageant to pick Iraq’s representative
for the Miss Universe contest in Los Angles in July was held on April
9 in a club in Baghdad. Four days later, Goregian returned the crown.
It passed to the runner-up, who also refused citing the same fears,
as did the third runner-up. Now the crown has finally settled on the
hardy scalp of originally fourth-ranked Silva Sahagian.
To avoid the extremists, Sahagian is hiding at an undisclosed location.
news/200604/200604180019.html

ALIYEV’S VISIT NOT TO SOLVE GARABAGH CONFLICT – US ENVOY
Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
April 18 2006
The US ambassador in Baku Reno Harnish has said Azerbaijani President
Ilham Aliyev’s upcoming visit to the United States will not solve
the long-standing Armenia-Azerbaijan Upper (Garabagh) conflict.
“The US and Azeri presidents may exchange views on the principles
discussed by the [mediating] OSCE Minsk Group over the past two years,
while the conflict resolution depends on future meetings between the
Azeri and Armenian leaders,” Harnish told local ATV channel.
The envoy said Aliyev’s visit will be essential in terms of bilateral
ties as well as Azerbaijan’s development on the regional and global
scale.
Harnish said he had no specific information concerning bilateral
documents to be signed during the visit.
“I have focused my attention on the discussions to be held by the Azeri
president. He will hold important talks with a number of White House
officials, including Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, Secretary
of Energy Samuel Bodman, Treasury Secretary John Snow and others. A
meeting between the two countries’ presidents will be held as well.”
The ambassador added that President Aliyev may also meet with ethnic
and religious groups, representatives of democratic institutions and
businesspeople. A number of regional issues will be in focus during
the meetings, including the Iran problem.

US MEDIATOR TO VISIT AZERBAIJAN
Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
April 18 2006
The US co-chairman of the OSCE Minsk Group brokering settlement to
the Armenia-Azerbaijan Upper (Garabagh) conflict is due to arrive
in Baku from the Armenian capital this weekend, according to the
spokeswoman for the US embassy in Armenia, Elizabeth Santos.
Steven Mann’s visit was earlier scheduled for Tuesday and the reasons
for the postponement are not disclosed.
Santos said that prior to the visit, Mann is expected to meet with
the Russian mediator Yuri Merzlyakov. He will leave for Yerevan on
Thursday and further visit Azerbaijan.
While in Armenia, Mann is scheduled to meet with President Robert
Kocharian and Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian. He may hold a news
briefing in conclusion of the discussions, the diplomat said.
Armenia earlier claimed that the US mediator’s visit to the region
would be confined to his meetings in Azerbaijan.
This will be the second visit by Mann to the region since the fruitless
round of talks between Presidents Ilham Aliyev and Robert Kocharian
in Rambouillet, France in February. He paid his last visit to Baku
jointly with the US Department of State Assistant Secretary for
European and Eurasian Affairs, Daniel Fried, on March 13.