PanARMENIAN.Net
Kocharian Familiarized ICRC President with Current
Stage of Karabakh Problem
07.04.2006 23:23 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Today Armenian President Robert Kocharian met with
President of the International Committee of the Red Cross Jakob
Kellenberger, reported the RA leader’s press service. The
interlocutors discussed the programs implemented with the assistance
of the ICRC. Robert Kocharian said Armenia has always expressed
readiness to create favorable conditions for the work of the ICRC
members.
By the guest’s request, the Armenian leader familiarized him with the
current stage of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement.

PanARMENIAN.Net
Bush Administration Going to Boost Military Aid to
Azerbaijan
07.04.2006 23:37 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Bush administration is going to
increase the volume of the military aid to Azerbaijan,
Department of State Deputy Spokesman Adam Ereli stated
at a briefing. The executive has already submitted the
budget inquiry to the Congress.
According to Ereli, the decision should be viewed as a
support to the policy of `civic control over the armed
forces and the military cooperation targeted at
stability in the region as well as the integration,
operative compatibility and training of the states of
the region.’
According to some informal sources, the U.S. intends
to allocate Azerbaijan $28 million for the support of
democratic reform, $4.5 million as military assistance
and $885 thousand for the training of the military,
reported ITAR-TASS

PanARMENIAN.Net
CIA Latest Report Says 16% Azerbaijani Lands `Seized’
07.04.2006 23:45 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The report issued the other day by
the Central Intelligence Agency says that 16% of the
Azerbaijani lands is seized. This information is based
on cartographic data and is not a point at issue,’
PR-officer of the U.S. Embassy in Azerbaijan Jonathan
Henick stated. In his words, the same figure was
mentioned in the CIA previous reports.
`We say that not 20 but 16 per cent of the Azeri
territory is seized but it doesn’t make much
difference. Washington always supported and recognized
the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan,’ he remarked.
Mr. Henick said the terms of Azerbaijani President’s
visit to the United States will be determined during
the meeting of Azeri FM Elmar Mammadyarov with
Secretary Rice, reported Day.az

PanARMENIAN.Net
Armenia Ready to Offer All Possible Guarantees to
Azeri Footballers

07.04.2006 23:50 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenia is holding talks with the
FIFA and is ready to offer all the possible guarantees
to the Azeri footballers is the match takes place in
Yerevan, Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian
stated in an interview with Vremya Novostey newspaper.
`I believe it’s possible and hope a similar match can
be held in Baku,’ the Minister remarked. To remind,
Armenia and Azerbaijan fell into the same selection
group of the Championship of Europe to be held in
Germany in 2008.

PanARMENIAN.Net
Azeri MFA: Baku Cannot Prohibit Azeri Journalists from
Visiting Karabakh
08.04.2006 01:01 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ `Azerbaijan is a democratic state
and we cannot prohibit journalist from going where
they want,’ head of the department of press and
information policy at the Azeri MFA Tahir Taghizade
stated. In his words, it would be more advisable for
the Azeri journalist to go to Karabakh after `the
seized territories are liberated, communications
restored and peacekeepers deployed.’ `When the issue
of return of Azeris to Nagorno Karabakh is discussed
the trips of journalists there will be not only
possible by essential,’ Taghizade said.
To remind, Azerbaijani FM Elmar Mammadyarov said there
is nothing bad in the journeys of Azeri journalists to
Nagorno Karabakh while Deputy FM Halaf Halafov called
to bar such trips.

PanARMENIAN.Net
Amnesty International: CIA Secret Planes Landed in
Azerbaijan
08.04.2006 01:15 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Amnesty International, a worldwide
movement of people who campaign for internationally
recognized human rights, has issued a new report on
the CIA secret prisons in foreign states. The 20-page
report contains the stories of seven prisoners, who
were subjected to torture in the secret jails. They
are Arabs and a German citizen of Syrian origin.
The report maintains the data on the flights of the
planes of the third states conveying the prisoners to
the secret jails for most part situated on the
territories of the NATO member states. Among the
countries where the planes landed Russia, Uzbekistan,
Spain, Switzerland, Cyprus, Libya and Azerbaijan are mentioned.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PanARMENIAN.Net
5th Block of Hrazdan Heat Power Plant Sold to Gazprom
for $248.8 Million

07.04.2006 22:22 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ By the RA government decision of
April 6, the 5th block of the Hrazdan Heat Power Plant
was sold to Gazprom for $248.8 million, Armenian
Energy Minister Armen Movsisyan told journalists.
Movsisyan said $188 million will be subsidized to the
consumers during the period of April 10 – December 31,
2008, the rest of the sum will be transferred to the
budget. The tariff of 90 000 AMD for 1 thousand cubic
meters of gas set for natural persons will be
subsidized by the state at the rate of 25 000 AMD
while the tariff of $146.51 set for major consumers
will be subsidized at the rate of $52.01. The funds
will be transferred to the off-budget account. During
next two years the Russian party should invest some
$150-160 million in the 5th block of the Hrazdan Heat
Power Plant and complete the block. The agreement also
notes that till 2009 Gazprom will not change the price
for gas.

PanARMENIAN.Net
Baku Militaristic Statements Cause Nervousness among
Those in Arms
08.04.2006 00:01 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ `I wouldn’t like to comment on the
statements by the Russian President and look for ties
between the situation in Kosovo and Karabakh, but I am
convinced that the Nagorno Karabakh conflict can be
settled if the main condition is fulfilled. The
Karabakh people should be granted the right to decide
their future,’ Armenia Foreign Minister Vartan
Oskanian stated in an interview with Vremya Novostey
newspaper.
In his words, neither of the parties benefits from the
protraction. `Azerbaijan doesn’t rule out a military
settlement. But one should keep in mind that a
generation of people knowing no other situation but
the present one is growing in Nagorno Karabakh. And it
will be hard to change anything. We reiterate that the
resolution should be peaceful and base on compromise
by both sides,’ the RA FM stated.
At the same time he remarked that Baku’s militaristic
statements on the readiness to settle the problem by
force cause nervousness among soldiers, officers and
all those in arms. `They commence fire… Pay attention
to the fact that the ceasefire is violated not at the
Karabakh and Azeri contact line but at the contact
line of Azerbaijan and Armenia. This way Baku send
signals to the international community that the
conflict is between Armenia and Azerbaijan, what is
not true,’ Vartan Oskanian said.

AZG Armenian Daily #064, 08/04/2006

Foreign policy
VARTAN OSKANIAN: ARMENIA ISN’T GOING TO LEAVE CIS
According to the schedule of his visit to Russia,
today, Vartan Oskanian, RA Foreign Minister, will meet
with his Russian colleague Sergey Ivanov. Mr. Oskanian
has already met with Igor Ivanov, Secretary of RF
Security Coiuncil, and Yuri Merzliakov, the Russian
Co-chair of the OSCE Minsk group.
Oskanian stated in Moscow that Armenia continues
participating in the arrangements within the framework
of CIS. He said this in response to the forecasts of
some experts that state that Armenia is going to limit
cooperation with the CIS member states.
In his turn, Mr. Merzliakov said after the meeting
with Mr. Oskanian in the interview to “Liberty” Radio
Station, that he had quite an interesting and fruitful
conversation with Mr. Oskanian about the settlement of
Nagorno Karabakh issue. “I representted the plans of
the Co-Chairs to Mr. Oskanian, while he represented
the official position of Armenia on the issue. The
details will be known after the meeting of Mr.
Oskanian with Mr. Lavrov,” Mr. Merzliakov said. . He
added that the OSCE Minsk group Co-Chairs are likely
to visit Yerevan and Baku in mid May.
By Aghavni Haroutiunian

AZG Armenian Daily #064, 08/04/2006

Karabakh issue
EU ALREADY `PONDERING’ OVER POST-CONFLICT SITUATION IN
KARABAKH
Peter Semneby Dissatisfied With Militant Statements
At joint press conference with Vartan Oskanian on
April 5, Peter Semneby, newly appointed representative
of the European Union in the South Caucasus,
emphasized once again that the EU wants to more
actively involve in the process of frozen conflict
regulation. According to Oskanian one of the key tasks
before Semneby is to involve in the Karabakh issue not
as a mediator but as a contributor to the talks
process.
Member of the Swede rescue mission in 1988 earthquake,
Semneby emphasized the difference between his and his
predecessor’s mandates. In general, the EU signals
that it wants a more tangible role in “defrozening”
frozen conflicts. Another distinguishing factor is the
discussion of the EU’s New Neighborhood Action Plan.
Semneby touched upon the importance of using the
so-called window of opportunity of 2006 for productive
negotiations. Based on his meetings in Baku and
Yerevan, Semneby finds that no side approaches the
issue to gain time. Semneby thinks that there will be
no changes in the format of the OSCE Minsk Group.
Armenian foreign minister gave no details on the
Kelbajar issue that turned into a stumbling block in
Rambouillet talks but said that “we failed to settle
the key issue in the agenda but we have to continue
the negotiations because what we have today on the
table contains rather positive elements and we simply
need to build up on them. The remaining issues are the
most complex ones and we have to try to find
solution.” If Azerbaijan is able to display political
will then, Oskanian thinks, it will be possible to
advance in the settlement process and achieve
additional progress in coming months. But if there is
no progress in 2006 that would not be the end of the
world, Oskanian said. Despite elections in 2007
possibility of progress should not be ruled out.
As to the military settlement of the conflict, the
foreign minister said that this conflict has no
military settlement and the best proof is that Armenia
has won the war but the conflict is still there.
“Azerbaijani started war twice and lost both times but
the conflict is not settled. I think this is the best
lesson for Azerbaijan that this conflict cannot be
settled militarily and has to be settled through
negotiations and the only way for that are mutual
concessions.” According to Oskanian, Armenia has made
concessions recently, “we are today on the verge and
have no way to step back. It is the time for
Azerbaijan to take equivalent steps for us to go
forward and reach the finish.”
The European diplomat again expressed dissatisfaction
with Azerbaijan’s militant statements. Semneby
repeated his words uttered in Baku that a new war will
have fatal consequences. “I think that message was
registered in Baku,” Semneby said. Both sides
understand “historic responsibility” in reaching a
settlement in the conflict, he said.
Semneby mentioned in his speech that if the regulation
lingers Armenia’s relative isolation will continue.
Asked if the foreign minister had told the EU special
representative that Armenia can develop with closed
borders too, Oskanian said: “I did not tell him as he
knows about that.”
By Aghavni Harutyunian