VAHAN HOVHANNISIAN: PERFECT VARIANT OF SETTLEMENT OF KARABAKH CONFLICT
IS STAGE-BY-STAGE, WITH THE PROBLEM OF STATUS SOLVED FIRST

YEREVAN, MARCH 31, NOYAN TAPAN. The fault of the Armenian party is
that it fails to figuratively represent in international instances the
real reasons of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict and doesn’t use as a
“weapon” the consequences of the conflict. Vahan Hovhannisian, the RA
NA Deputy Chairman, a member of ARF Bureau expressed this opinion at
the March 30 parliamnetary hearings dedicated to the Karabakh
issue. According to him, there are three ways led to the targeted
solution of the conflict: war; establishment of any relations only
after the conflict settlement; establishment of relations without
pre-conditions, which may allow to find a solution to the conflict
later. According to the speaker, the first two options are
“Azerbaijan’s” ways. Azerbaijan demands to restore its territorial
integrity with the means of negotiations, otherwise threatening with
the war. The third way is the “Armenian” one. According to Vahan
Hovhannisian, for many times the Armenian party offered to establish
relations of different levels with the prospect to find a solution
later, as a result of discussions of the conflict settlement, mutual
concessions, satisfying both parties. This way is refused by the
Azerbaijan party. According to the NA Deputy Chairman, on April 25,
the Ministers’ Council of the European Union will finally adopt the
program of activities concerning the participation of the three South
Caucasian states in “New Neighbourhood” program. Those will be
“prescriptions”, by which the countries, without becoming a member of
the EU, will become a part of the European united economical
space. The approch of the EU, namely, establishment of guaranteed
peace, is advantageous for Armenia. But this worries Azerbaijan,
“that’s why, from fear, it makes more and more agressive statements.”
According to V.Hovhannisian, it is necessary for Armenia, to implement
serious reforms in all spheres without imitation, to be fully included
in this program. According to the speaker, the perfect variant of the
conflict settlement is the stage-by-stage one, with the the issue of
the status being the foremost to be solved. The package variant is the
greatest concession by Armenia as it agrees to discuss the problem of
the status together with secondary questions. Vahan Hovahannisian
suggests to implement guaranteed solution of the issue of the
status. As the international community refuses to take the role of the
guarantor, Armenia must guarantee the security of the Nagorno Karabakh
and determination of its status independently, as the only decisive
subject is the Nagorno Karabakh people.

SERGE SARGSIAN: “ONE NATION-TWO STATES” MODEL IS BENEFICIAL FOR THE
ARMENIAN PARTY”

YEREVAN, MARCH 31, NOYAN TAPAN. The Karabakh conflict settlement is
possible only in a peaceful way and on the basis of mutual
concessions. Serge Sargsian, the RA Defence Minister, the Chairman of
the Security Council attached to the President of the country, made
such a statement on March 30. Listing those concessions, which the
Armenian party may make, the Minister mentioned, that Armenia
considers as a fundamental concession the fact that Armenia hasn’t
recognized the NKR independence up to now, though the latter was
created in legal way and has existed as an independent democratic
country for many years. “It is a display of kind will in order to
assist the process of peaceful settlement in the framework of the
Minsk group,” the Minister mentioned. Reminding the principle placed
in the January 25 resolution of the PACE, that separation or gaing
indepedence of territories from any country must be implemented via
expression of will of people living in that territory, S.Sargsian
mentioned, that as the second concession, the Armenian party may agree
for another referendum to be held in the territory of the NKR, which
will be organized under the protection of OSCE and UN. According to
the Defence Minister, the third concession is that the Armenian party
may begin negotiations around the security zone of Karabakh. “I am not
a supporter of returning the territories forming the security zone
without taking into detailed account the promblems of the NKR
population’s security,” he stated. According to him, some concessions
may be made through negotiations, provided that the Azerbaijani party
gives clear guarantees of non-resumption of war, confirmed also by
guarantees of authoritative international organizations and
states. According to S.Sargsian, in the strategical sense “one united
people and two states” model is beneficial for the Armenian party: it
will allow the RA and the NKR to be represented parallelly and to
closely cooperate in the international structures. The usage of the
model will also exclude the charges of the NKR annexation addressed to
Armenia. The Minister mentioned that the leaders of Azebaijan and
Turkey have stated many times that the mutual relations of those
countries are built one the principle “two states – one
people”. Really, after the World War I, the Turkish people was
self-determined by creating two states, and there are many similar
examples in the international practics, S.Sargsian emphasized.

PAINTINGS OF 13 ARMENIAN ARTISTS REPRESENTED IN “ARAME PICTURE-GALLERY
2005” CATALOGUE

YEREVAN, APRIL 1, NOYAN TAPAN. Paintings of 13 Armenian modern artists
were represented in the “Arame Picture-Gallery 2005” catalogue, the
presentation of which took place on April 1 in the picture-gallery of
the same name. Many of the works represented in the book were
displayed at the picture-gallery. Aram Sargsian, Director of the
picture-gallery, mentioned that the names of artists represented in
the catalogue – Ruben Abovian, Emil Gazaz, Shota Voskanian, Marat
Margarian and others, are well-known not only to Armenian but also
foreign art lovers. Their works were displayed in the famous
picture-galleries of US, Germany, France, Switzerland and other
European countries. “They achieved serious success owing to their
original mentality, rich imagination and high skill,” A.Sargsian
said. According to the director, the “Arame” picture-gallery considers
its main task to raise interest in painting in the republic, as well
as contribute to the international recognition of Armenian
painters. A.Sargsian said that numerous subject and personal
exhibitions will be organized at the picture-gallery during the year
and it’s planned to represent American Armenian painter and sculptor
Emil Gazaz’s personal exhibition to art lovers in autumn.

VLADIMIR KAZIMIROV: IN KARABAKH SETTLEMENT FORMULATION “TERRITORIES
FOR STATUS” SHOULD BE REPLACED BY FORMULATION “TERRITORIES FOR
SECURITY”

YEREVAN, MARCH 31, NOYAN TAPAN. The attention of the world community
should be drawn to the fact that it’s about two years that Azerbaijan
has been conducting the official systematic campaign of threats of
application of force.

Vladimir Kazimirov, former Russian Co-chairman of OSCE Minsk Group,
declared this on March 29 in Yerevan, speaking at the parliamentary
hearings on Karabakh settlement. According to Kazimirov, the campaign
of official Baku aimed at “returning to the battlefield without coming
up to the negotiations table” should have the official response of
OSCE. He mentioned that such conduct is contrary to the efforts of
this organization, under the aegis of which the negotiations process
was held for 13 years, and to the direct obligations of all OSCE
member states. The reporter said that Azeri President Ilham Aliyev,
for whom the Karabakh settlement is much more dangerous than for
father Aliyev, toughened the conditions in order to avoid agreement.

Mentioning that the audience won’t like many statements in
his speech, Kazimirov declared that the hearings once more confirm
that when speaking about the settlement of such a complicated conflict
as Karabakh one “complacency is harmful even for those imagining
themselves winners.” He mentioned that both during the hearings and in
Armenian press the territories beyond Nagorno Karabakh bounds are
called released. In the period of war we might speak about deliverance
from weapon emplacements from where the Karabakh populated areas were
fired, while such a vocabulary is inadmissible in conditions of search
for peace. The reporter also declared that Armenia will manage to hide
under the mask of the guarantor of Nagorno Karabakh security. “It’s a
very convenient position – to consider as if this is an Azeri-Karabakh
conflict and Armenia keeps aside and only morally sympathizes,” he
mentioned and called on to be engaged in real politics.

In the reporter’s opinion, this “propaganda fundamentalism” won’t help
Armenia in international organizations. Vladimir Kazimirov was
surprised at the claims of the Armenian party to David Atkinson’s
report. In his opinion, “this is an attempt to characterize the state
of affairs for the present moment, and what is extremely important,
without going either into the essence of the conflict or its course.”
Kazimirov called the attempt to choose between the principle of
territorial integrity and right to self-determination a deadlock
way. In his opinion, “the pragmatic unprincipled transactions are much
more productive when even if something may be exchanged for another
thing.”

Speaking about the sides’ discussions on package or stage-by-stage
solution, Kazimirov said that the package solution would be ideal but
it can’t be realized in the foreseeable time. “You also won’t agree to
the package, in which Nagorno Karabakh will be hidden within
Azerbaijan’s staff,” the reporter said. He also added that signing of
such a package by Azeri President will be equal to “hara-kiri” for
him. Kazimirov advised to be guided by the stage-by-stage solution
though not by the one suggested by Azerbaijan. In his opinion, the
formulation “territories for status” has one more flaw – it is of
forcible origin though it’s obvious that the forcible solution is
primordial and was thrusted by the opposite side.

Kazimirov considers the principle “territories for security” more
vital and real and considers it necessary to receive real guarantees
of security from Azerbaijan while applying the last principle.

ANCA WARNS ARMENIAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY GROUPS ABOUT TARC/ICTJ THREAT
TO ARMENIAN CAUSE

WASHINGTON, MARCH 31, NOYAN TAPAN. Responding to the Turkish
government’s increasingly aggressive campaign to deny justice for the
Armenian Genocide, the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA)
circulated on March 28 a letter warning all the leading Armenian
American organizations about the “quiet, but profoundly dangerous,
campaign by Turkey aimed at the very heart of our community’s struggle
to secure full recognition, proper commemoration, and a just
resolution of the Armenian Genocide.”

ARAM KARAPETIAN: “WE ARE DOOMED TO VICTORY”

YEREVAN, MARCH 31, NOYAN TAPAN. “The process of national revolution
will start in April. And I am absolutely convinced to declare that we
are doomed to victory,” Aram Karapetian, Chairman of the Nor
Zhamanakner (New Times) party, declared at the March 30 second special
congress of the party. According to him, taking into account the
“pre-revolutionary situation” formed at present, there are 2 ways of
its solution, first, authorities’ negotiations with the opposition,
and second, unless this takes place all pre-conditions for the
realization of the Kyrghyzian variant will arise in the country.
Meanwhile the leader of Nor Zhamanakner party assured that there will
be no attacks on shops and breakage of cars, everything will proceed
in an exclusively peaceful way.

According to Karapetian, the party plans to realize the revolution by
3 stages: visits and meetings in all Armenian marzes, active agitation
activity with the population on the spot, collection of the critical
mass that should bring forward the main slogan to the authorities:
“Victory Everywhere and at All Times.” Aram Karapetian pessimistically
treats the conversations about a revolution from without. According to
him, the main conditions should mature in the country itself, which is
a pledge for the revolution. As for rumours that this or that
politician is a creature of some state, he declared: “We are nobody’s
friends and expect nothing from others, nobody promised us anything.
If I had come not from Russia but, for instance, from Czechia, would
they call me the minion of Czechs?” According to Aram Karapetian, the
party headed by him is going to propose the President that he should
dissolve the NA and government and then resign himself. Then at last
transparent and fair elections are to be held.

DIMITRIY RUPEL: “AGRESSIVE LANGUAGE AMONG PARTIES TO BE EXCLUDED”

YEREVAN, MARCH 31, NOYAN TAPAN. The OSCE continues to believe that
political way is the only one for solving the Karabakh
conflict. Stating about it at the March 30 press conference in
Yerevan, Dimitriy Rupel, the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, the Foreign
Minister of Slovenia, called to cease attempts to resume the
fire. “Agressive language among the parties should be excluded, we
should aim to bring the parties closer through dialogue,” D.Rupel
said. According to him, he envisages to discuss the issue of attempts
to break the regime of cease-fire, which have recently become more
frequent, during his coming visit to Baku.

Concerning statements of Azerbaijan high ranked officials about the
necessity of solving the Kharabakh problem in the military way,
D.Rupel stated: “The OSCE does not believe in such means. We shall
make attempts to assure Azerbaijan that no means other than peaceful
negotiations are acceptable.” As for the involvement of Nagorno
Karabakh in the process of the negotiations, the OSCE
Chairman-in-Office mentioned: “I can imagine the situation when the
opinion of the interested parties will be asked. But the main players
in this game are Armenia and Azerbaijan.” According to him, the
Karabakh conflict is a “special case”, which cannot be compared with
other conflicts on the post-Soviet territory.

Both D.Rupel and Vardan Osakanian, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of
Armenia, expressed satisfaction with the results of D.Rupel’s visit to
Yerevan and called the meetings taken place of full value and
effective. According to them, at the meetings of the OSCE
Chairman-in-Office with the Chairman the RA NA and the RA Foreign
Minister, the first and foremost issue was the peacesful settlement of
the Karabakh conflict.

Vardan Oskanian highly estimated the efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group
in the peaceful settlement of the Karabakh conflict.

According to him, the Minsk Group has not exhausted itself, it is able
to play a great role in the process of settlement. He also expressed
confidence, that a meeting of the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan
will take place in May: it may happen on May 9 in Moscow or on May 16
in Warsaw.

SHAVARSH KOCHARIAN: IMPLEMENTATION OF THEIR RIGHT TO
SELF-DETERMINATION BY KARABAKH PEOPLE IS EXCLUSIVE

YEREVAN, MARCH 31, NOYAN TAPAN. Implementation of the right to
self-determination by the Nagorno Karabakh people is exclusive not
only from the position of unexceptional legal basis, but also of other
possible criteria of self-determination. Shavarsh Kocharian, a member
of NA “Ardarutiun” (Justice) faction, the Chairman of the National
Democratic party, stated about it in his speech at the parliamentary
hearings dedicated to the Karabakh conflict settlement on March
29. According to him, among these criteria are, particularly, the
impossibility of existance of Armenians and Azeris in one republic,
the ethnic structure of the population, responsibility for
consequences of the self-determination.

The speaker emphasized that already for 15 years the NKR has been
funcioning a succesful independent state with all its attributes:
separation of powers, efficient army under the civic control, state
governance and local self-governance bodies formed by elections.

Touching upon the legal side of the conflict, the speaker mentioned,
that from the time of dissolution of the Soviet Union, two independent
and nations having equal rights, the Republic of Azerbaijan and the
NKR, were formed in the territory of the Soviet Republic of Azerbaijan.
Hence, the Nagorno Karabakh people have overcome in legitimate way the
principle of territorial completeness used towards Azerbaijan. In
Kocharian’s opinion, the terms “stage-by-stage” or “package” mustn’t
disguise the main problem of settlement, the status of the
NagornoKarabakh.

According to him, implementation of self-determination, used by
people’s expressing their will, must be the main pillar of Karabakh
settlement.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ROBERT KOCHARIAN AND DIMITRIY RUPEL DISCUSS KARABAKH PROCESS AND
ISSUES CONCERNING ARMENIA-EU COOPERATION

YEREVAN, MARCH 31, NOYAN TAPAN. The process of Karabakh settlement
became the key subject of discussion at the March 30 meeting of RA
President Robert Kocharian with the members of the delegation headed
by Dimitriy Rupel, OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Slovenia’s Foreign
Minister. Dimitriy Rupel mentioned the importance of activization of
contacts and negotiations between the sides in the issue of solution
of the problem and confirmed the readiness of OSCE to assist to the
process in every way possible. According to RA President’s Press
Service, Robert Kocharian emphasized that Armenia has always been for
solution of the problem by the way of searching verges of cooperation
with Azerbaijan.

According to Robert Kocharian, the establishment of regional
cooperation, as well as Karabakh’s participation in the negotiations
will have a significant influence on achievement of progress in the
process of settlement. Issues concerning Armenia-EU cooperation were
also touched upon at the meeting. The same day RA NA Speaker Artur
Baghdasarian received the delegation headed by OSCE
Chairman-in-Office. According to RA NA Press Service, issues
concerning legislative reforms in Armenia, in particular, Constitution
and Electoral Code, local self-government bodies and judicial system,
were discussed during the meeting.

Artur Baghdasarian mentioned the importance of immediate pluralistic
work with OSCE and PACE experts in realization of the reforms. 4 main
problems were mentioned in connection with constitutional reforms:
human rights protection, establishment of a balance among legislative,
executive and judicial powers, reform of local self-government
system. The NA Speaker mentioned that Armenia fulfils its obligations
in accordance with the schedule, a working group was established in
the parliament, the goal of which is to bring Armenia’s legislation
into line with the EU criterion. Expressing satisfaction with the work
done, Dimitriy Rupel, OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Slovenia’s Foreign
Minister, mentioned the importance of realization of the
above-mentioned legislative reforms in accordance with the
international standards.

SUGAR PLANT OF SEVAN TO DOUBLE ITS PRODUCTION THIS YEAR

SEVAN, MARCH 31, MOYAN TAPAN. The CJSC Sugar Plant of Sevan, which is
the only company in Armenia that produces granulated sugar, is
planning to produce 5-7 tons of granulated sugar this year, which is
twice the amount produced last year. The company’s director general
Armen Arakelian told NT correspondent that the plant meets 5-7% of the
domestic demand amounting to 100 thousand tons.

According to A. Arakelian, granulated sugar is of strategical
importance, so the state should assist with its production. There are
currently some obstacles, in particular related to the estimation of
customs value and the collection of a 10% customs duty from raw
sugar. A. Arakelian pointed out the necessity of legislative
amendments so that raw sugar imports will not be liable to customs
duties. A. Arakrlian noted that at present, the local sugar beet is
not used in sugar production. It is envisaged to make capital
investments and install equipment to process local raw materials. He
said that in this case the company will provide assistance to farms
for organizing the production of sugar beet.