Presidents of Azerbaijan, Armenia may meet in Moscow May 9

Baku Today
AssA-Irada 10/03/2005 12:47

The meeting of Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents, scheduled as part of the
Council of Europe summit in Warsaw on May 16-17, may take place earlier ~V on
May 9.

Both President Aliyev and Armenian President Robert Kocharian have been
invited to Moscow to attend the festivities dedicated to the 60th
anniversary of victory over fascism, the Russian co-chair of the OSCE Minsk
Group Yuri Merzlyakov told ANS TV. The two countries~R foriegn ministers may
not meet for the purpose.

~SWe all know the importance of this meeting. Our foreign ministers may meet
beforehand separately. We have held talks with Minister Mammadyarov in
Prague, while our meeting with Minister Oskanian is likely to take place
when the OSCE fact-finding mission presents its report to the Permanent
Council in Vienna on March 17.

Analysis: Georgia Parliament Ups Ante On Russian Bases
By Liz Fuller

RFERL
10 March 05

Deputies in Georgia’s parilament voted unanimously on 10 March to
call on the government to effectively blockade the bases if the two
countries do not agree on their removal by mid-May.

Under an agreement signed at the OSCE Istanbul Summit in November
1999, Russia undertook to close by 1 July 2000 its military bases in
Vaziani, near Tbilisi, and Gudauta, Abkhazia, and to begin talks with
the Georgian leadership in 2000 on the timeframe for closing its two
remaining bases in Batumi and Akhalkalaki. Russia complied with first
of those commitments, and embarked as required on talks on shutting
down the latter two bases.

But in the course of those talks, Russian officials have consistently
argued that a lengthy time period is required to build housing in
Russia for the troops to be withdrawn from Georgia. (That argument is
specious insofar as many of the personnel at the base in Akhalkalaki
are in fact ethnic Armenians who are citizens of Georgia.) Initially,
Russian officials said they needed 15 years to close the bases, then
14; that figure was revised downward to 11, and then eight years,
according to Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Noghaideli on 9 March.

After the Georgian and Russian sides failed during Russian Foreign
Minister Sergei Lavrov’s visit to Tbilisi last month to make any
progress toward solving either the deadlock over the bases or any
of the problems bedeviling bilateral relations, it was agreed to
establish working groups to seek to narrow the disagreements and
report on 1 May to the countries’ two presidents. Those working groups
will focus on six issues, including the proposed framework treaty
on friendship and cooperation and the timeframe for the closure of
the two bases.”If Russia rejects or refuses to met that deadline,
the Georgian parliament would declare the bases illegal and measures
would be taken to prevent them from functioning: Georgia would,
for example, decline to issue visas to Russian military personnel.”

Despite that agreement, Givi Targamadze, chairman of the Georgian
parliament’s Defense and Security Committee, announced within days of
Lavrov’s departure that the two remaining Russian bases should close by
1 January 2006 at the latest. On 25 February, parliament speaker Nino
Burdjanadze suggested that the Georgian leadership might declare the
Russian bases illegal if an agreement is not reached soon on a date
for their closure. Then on 7 March, parliament deputy Giga Bokeria
unveiled a draft bill that would require Russia to agree formally by
15 May to close the two remaining bases by 1 January 2006. If Russia
rejects or refuses to met that deadline, the Georgian parliament would
declare the bases illegal and measures would be taken to prevent them
from functioning: Georgia would, for example, decline to issue visas
to Russian military personnel.

Bokeria’s draft bill appeared to take the Georgian leadership by
surprise. ITAR-TASS on 8 March quoted parliament speaker Burdjanadze as
telling the independent television station Rustavi-2 that parliament
should not adopt such a bill until after the expiry of the two months
agreed by Moscow and Tbilisi to try and reach a compromise. President
Mikheil Saakashvili also implicitly cautioned the parliament against
adopting the bill. He reaffirmed on 8 March Georgia’s “crystal-clear”
position that the bases should be closed, but proposed waiting to
see whether it is possible to reach an agreement with Russia within
the two month period, as did Prime Minister Noghaideli. Parliament
was scheduled to debate the draft bill on 9 March, but postponed the
debate until 10 March at Burdjanadze’s request.

On 8 March, a senior Russian military official condemned the planned
debate as an attempt at blackmail, and on 9 March the Russian Foreign
Ministry warned that the debate would make it more difficult for the
two sides to reach the hoped-for compromise agreement. “The Russian
side will shortly submit its proposals aimed at finding solutions to
existing problems,” the Foreign Ministry statement continued.

In what have may have been a deliberate leak intended to defuse
mounting tensions, on 10 March, izvestiya.ru quoted an unnamed Russian
Defense Ministry official as saying that Russia does not want to keep
the bases in Georgia forever, but their personnel will be redeployed
to the Caucasus to serve in a new mountain rifle division which will
be formed only three or four years from now. While that time frame
might appeal to the Georgian leadership — in that the bases would
theoretically have been closed prior to the expiry of Saakashvili’s
first presidential term — it may not be enough to mollify the
parliament. And that anonymous statement represents a clear retreat
from earlier Russian arguments in favor of simply renaming one or
both bases an “anti-terrorism center.”

Meanwhile, the Georgian State Employment Agency is already addressing
the problem of providing employment for the Armenians who currently
account for up to one third of the personnel at the Akhalkalaki base,
and who are already expressing unease at the prospects of losing
their livelihood in a region with few employment opportunities. The
Georgian daily “Rezonansi” on 10 March quoted the agency’s chairman,
Levan Peradze, as saying that a job-creation program is in the works,
and he suggested some of the personnel in question may find jobs
in private security services. And Goga Khachidze, who was recently
named governor of the Djavakheti region where the Akhalkalaki base
is located, pledged the same day that the Georgian leadership will
do everything possible to ensure that its closure “is painless”
for the local Armenian population.

As the Georgian authorities have failed consistently to deliver on
earlier promises to improve conditions in the remote, mountainous
and impoverished region, the Armenians are understandably skeptical.
David Rstakian, leader of the Virk party that represents the local
Armenian community, was quoted by Caucasus Press on 10 March as
saying, “The Armenians of Javakheti will do all they can to prevent
the Russian troops from leaving Akhalkalaki. If Russia refuses to
pull out its troops, it may need our help.”

That help, he implied, would be willingly offered

ARMENIANS PREFER TO KEEP THEIR MONEY IN CASH US DOLLARS

   YEREVAN, MARCH 10, ARMENPRESS: A recent survey conducted by the
Armenian Central Bank to find out what hard currency cash Armenians
prefer to have revealed that 84 percent of cash held by citizens was
in US Dollars. According to Hakob Zorian, head of a Central Bank
department, the amount of cash in hard currency kept by Armenians
increased from $572 million in 2003 to $915 million in 2004, of which
871 million were in US Dollars. In 2003 this figure was $560 million.
The per capita amount of hard currency cash was equal to $190 in 2003
and $304 in 2004.
   The survey was conducted among 900 households. It also revealed
that well-to-do families kept 98 percent of their cash money in US
Dollars, middle-class families kept 82.4 percent of their money in
greenbacks, while very poor families only 15 percent of their cash.
   Also 57 percent of respondents preferred to keep their savings in
US Dollars, 35 percent in the national currency-dram and 6 and 2
percent in euros and other hard currencies respectively.
   He also said last year around $760 million were remitted by
Armenians working abroad to their families in Armenia, a 26 percent
rise against the previous 2003. He said forty percent of respondents
receive money transfers from abroad.

–Boundary_(ID_5sabq6+ePy8eTpXTQ0AiLg)–

ASBAREZ ONLINE
TOP STORIES
03/10/2005
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1) Turkey Chooses to deal with Armenia through Tbilisi, Not Moscow
2) Armenia Rejects Turkish Proposal for Genocide Study
3) 100th Anniversary of Kristapor Mikaelian’s Death to be Marked in Bulgaria
4) Armenian Monuments in Georgia Destroyed
5) Kocharian Meets with Eduardo Eurnekian
6) Georgian Prime Minister Arrives in Armenia

1) Turkey Chooses to deal with Armenia through Tbilisi, Not Moscow

ANKARA (Combined Sources)–During a briefing to members of the press, Turkish
Foreign Ministry spokesman Namik Tan announced on Thursday that Turkey will no
longer conduct diplomatic relations with neighboring Armenia through its
embassy in Moscow, opting to use its official representatives in Tbilisi
instead.
Turkey’s move, according to Tan, is driven by issues of practicality.
Tbilisi’s proximity to Turkey offers a number of advantages for a government,
whose current diplomatic relations with Armenia primarily centers on nominal
matters, such as issuing travel visas.
The Turkish news agency “Marmara” reported, however, that Turkey’s decision
has little to do with geography. Troubled by Russia’s traditionally close
relations with Armenia, Turkey purportedly decided to send an unambiguous
message to its Russian counterparts by moving its workload to Georgia.
Russian authorities stated that they “respectfully accept” Turkey’s decision.

2) Armenia Rejects Turkish Proposal for Genocide Study

(Reuters)–Armenia on Thursday rejected a Turkish proposal for an impartial
panel of historians to test Armenian claims their people suffered a
genocide at
the hands of Ottoman Turkey.
“The historians have already said their piece and it is now down to Turkey to
determine its attitude,” Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian said in an interview
with Reuters.
“It is not a question for historians. They have already done their work…But
since Turkey denies this, this has become a political issue and so needs a
political solution,” he said.
Ankara is keen to show it has nothing to hide amid growing calls, including
from members of the European Union it seeks to join, for it to recognize [the]
genocide took place.
Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan suggested on Tuesday that teams of
historians from both sides should be given full access to state archives in
Turkey and Armenia to settle the argument once and for all.

3) 100th Anniversary of Kristapor Mikaelian’s Death to be Marked in Bulgaria

YEREVAN (Yerkir)–The 100th anniversary of Armenian Revolutionary Federation
co-founder Kristapor Mikaelian’s tragic death will be marked on March 10-11 in
Bulgaria’s capital of Sofia, the ARF press services reported on Wednesday.
One of the Armenian revolutionary movement’s most influential figures,
Mikaelian was killed on Bulgaria’s Mount Vitosh, along with his friend
Vramshapuh Kentirian, while testing a bomb intended to be used during an
assassination plot against Ottoman Sultan Abdul Hamid II–the man who
spearheaded the massacres of the 1890s, which claimed the lives of up to
300,000 Armenians.
One hundred ARF members from around the world have arrived in Bulgaria to not
only participate in the memorial events dedicated to Mikaelian. At the same
time, representatives of ARF youth and student organizations convened their
annual conference in Sophia on March 8, to coincide with ceremonies honoring
Mikaelian.
Twenty seven youth from throughout thirteen countries, including Armenia,
Canada, France, Greece, Iran, Lebanon, Syria, and the United States have begun
their meetings, and plan to visit Mikaelian’s grave to renew their oaths to
the
organization.

4) Armenian Monuments in Georgia Destroyed

YEREVAN (Armenpress)–The Georgian Diocese of the Armenian Church described
the
ongoing destruction of Armenian monuments in Georgia as “acts of
vandalism,” in
a recently released press release that also asks, “When will the
nightmare–which has been sweeping over Georgia for the past decades, and has
recently gained momentum–finally end?”
Armenian khachkars (cross-stones) are being destroyed in Kakheti region of
Christian Georgia. “Georgian monks do not hide their intentions to destroy all
monuments with Armenian inscriptions,” they state, including the Gremi church
in Kakheti provice.
According to the Diocese, many Armenian khachkars dating back to 12-17th
centuries have been destroyed in the ecclesiastical complex of Gremi.
The complex is currently closed to the public for renovation. But the
Georgian
Armenian Church alleges that Monks from a nearby Georgian monastery are
actually engaging in the destruction of Armenian cultural heritage during a
period of “renovation.”
“It is saddening that while Georgian ~Qpatriots~R destroy Armenian cultural
heritage~Ethey do not realize that they are annihilating not only their own
history, but also an all-Christian heritage that reaches far beyond the realm
of national importance,” the Diocese said.
Gremi, the former capital of the Kingdom of Kakheti is located on the left
bank of the river Alazan. It became the capital of Kakheti in the year 1466.
Armenians played an important role in the development of the town, as they
controlled business and trade. The town blossomed and developed even more
until
the beginning of the 17th century, before the Persian invasions (1614-1616)
led
by Sheikh Abasa. Many historical documents detail Armenian presence in Gremi
during the period.

5) Kocharian Meets with Eduardo Eurnekian

YEREVAN (Armenpress)–President Robert Kocharian met with Argentinean-Armenian
businessman Eduardo Eurnekian to discuss the pace of implementation of an
investment program at Armenia’s biggest airport. Eurnekian also spoke about
his
intention to invest heavily in Armenia’s agriculture.
In December 2001, Eurnekian signed an agreement with the Armenian government
giving him control of Yerevan’s Zvartnots international airport for the
next 50
years.
Eurnekian’s Aerpouertos Argentina group, which runs 33 airports across South
America, will build a new modern airport terminal within the next three years
that will handle the bulk of flights to and from Armenia.
Under the terms of the concession agreement signed by Eurnekian and Prime
Minister Andranik Markarian, Aerpouertos Argentina will also expand
Zvartnots’s
runway and upgrade other airport facilities.
“Our goal is not only to construct a good airport but also ensure high
quality
services there,” Eurnekian had said at the signing ceremony.

6) Georgian Prime Minister Arrives in Armenia

YEREVAN (Combined Sources)–A delegation headed by Georgian Prime Minister
Zurab Nogaideli arrived in Armenia on March 11 for a two day working visit.
The
Georgian Prime Minister will meet with his counterpart Andranik Margarian and
President Robert Kocharian.
Meanwhile, transportation of rail cargo between Azerbaijan to Georgia was
renewed on March 7 as a result of an agreement reached by the two sides while
Prime Minister Nogaideli was in Baku last week, Black Sea Press.
The talks in Baku referred to the readiness of the Georgian party to provide
written guarantees that no goods received from Azerbaijan will then be
exported
to Armenia.
Thorough Azeri inspections of cargo bound for Georgia at the Georgian-Azeri
border to ensure that no cargo was in fact destined for Armenia has meant
hundreds of cargo trucks being held at the border since November 2004.
Nogaideli discussed this issue while on a two-day visit to Azerbaijan, during
which he also met with Azeri President Ilham Aliyev and other senior officials
to discuss a wide spectrum of issues of bilateral cooperation, especially in
the economic sphere.
Prime Minister Nogaideli had also proposed to hold a meeting of the CIS
heads of government in Tbilisi on June 3, saying that the proposal would need
to be approved by the CIS Executive Secretariat.
President Mikhail Saakashvili appointed Zurab Nogaideli as Prime Minister
of Georgia on February 8, following the death of Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania
from carbon monoxide poisoning.

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ARMENIA BETS ON NATO
Samvel Martirosyan

Eurasianet
3/10/05

As part of its expansion into the South Caucasus, the North Atlantic
Treaty Organization (NATO) is taking a more active interest in
longtime Russian ally Armenia. A visit by NATO Secretary General
envoy Robert Simmons last month marked the high point for
Armeniaâ~@~Ys ties with the Western defense alliance, and Yerevan
seems eager to maintain the momentum.

Simmonsâ~@~Y February 23-24 visit at times appeared a careful
balancing act. In statements with Armenian Defense Minister Serge
Sarkisian, the NATO representative took care to emphasize that
stronger relations with NATO should not be cause for concern in
Moscow about the countryâ~@~Ys participation in the Collective
Security Treaty Organization, the post-Soviet defense alliance made
up of Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,Tajikistan and Russia.

“We do not compete in the region, but are building a constructive
partnership, including also [with] Russia, which is an active player
in CSTO [the Collective Security Treaty Organization],” Simmons told
reporters. “Armeniaâ~@~Ys participation in CSTO does not affect in
any way the degree of its relationship with NATO.”

To reinforce that line, emphasis was placed on collective initiatives
that have included Russian participation or an international focus
â~@~S in particular, the deployment of Armenian peacekeepers to
Kosovo and Iraq as well as contributions made by Yerevan to the
US-backed campaign against international terrorism. A group of NATO
consultants is scheduled to travel to Armenia to advise the Armenian
defense ministry on various defense programs, but details of this
assistance have not been released.

Nonetheless, NATO has not been reticent about carving out its own
niche in the region. In March 1 testimony before the US Senate Armed
Services Committee, NATO Supreme Allied Commander General James Jones
stated that the Caucasus has become a strategically important region
for the alliance.

“The Caucasus is increasingly important to our interests. Its air
corridor has become a crucial lifeline between coalition forces in
Afghanistan and our bases in Europe”, said Jones. “In addition to
maintaining our traditional lines of communication and access, we
seek access to new facilities and routine freedom of transit to the
Black Sea, the Caucasus, the Levant, and Africa in order to advance
U.S. national interests.”

As part of that initiative, NATO signed a transit agreement with
Georgia on March 2 that would allow the alliance to ferry supplies
for its International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan via
Georgian air space, roads and railways.

Over the past year, Armenia has been actively developing its own
cooperation with the collective, too. In November 2004, NATO
Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer paid an official visit to
Yerevan in which he described NATOâ~@~Ys relationship with Armenia as
“developing very well, indeed.” The government has turned a deaf ear
to public protests about the deployment of peacekeeping troops to
Iraq, and is currently at work on an Individual Partnership Action
Plan (IPAP), reportedly scheduled for release soon, that would form a
crucial first step toward eventual NATO membership. In September 2004
President Robert Kocharian appointed veteran diplomat Samvel
Mkrtchian to act as the countryâ~@~Ys representative to NATO
headquarters in Brussels, a position previously filled by
Armeniaâ~@~Ys Belgian ambassador.

But more than a desire to stay on the right side of the West â~@~S a
rising influence in the Caucasus — could drive Armeniaâ~@~Ys NATO
interest. A December 2004 poll by the Armenian Center for National
and International Studies showed that most Armenians favor membership
in both NATO and the expanding European Union. [For additional
information, see the Eurasia Insight archive]. One opposition bloc
â~@~S made up of the Liberal Progressive Party, the Republic Party
and former Foreign Affairs Minister Raffi Hovannisian â~@~S has
already been formed with the express intention of securing
Armeniaâ~@~Ys exit from the CTSO in favor of NATO and strengthening
Armeniaâ~@~Ys focus on the West.

Commenting on the results of Simmonsâ~@~Y visit, Armenian Defense
Minister Serge Sarkisian emphasized that further cooperation with the
defense collective is in the works. “Iâ~@~Yd like to once again state
that we are going to keep up the adopted direction and develop our
ties,” he stressed.

That cooperation, however, has not been without its stumbling blocks.
In June 2004, President Robert Kocharian refused to attend a NATO
summit meeting in Istanbul, citing strained relations with Turkey, a
NATO member state with which Armeniaâ~@~Ys dealings have long been
acrimonious. Nor have ties with fellow Partnership for Peace member
Azerbaijan proven particularly collegial. Much attention continues to
focus on an Azerbaijani military officerâ~@~Ys brutal axe murder of
an Armenian counterpart at a February 2004 Partnership for Peace
training session in Budapest. Fearing for their security, two
Armenian parliamentarians did not attend a November 2004 NATO seminar
in Baku.

Armeniaâ~@~Ys dispute with Azerbaijan over the breakaway region of
Nagorno-Karabakh perhaps poses one of the largest obstacles to
further NATO cooperation, government officials say. “If we didnâ~@~Yt
have an unsettled conflict, we would have more opportunities to
participate in such programs,” the defense ministryâ~@~Ys press
service quoted Sarkisian as saying.

If meant as a diplomatic hint for NATO assistance with
Nagorno-Karabakh, however, the statement failed to secure a desirable
response. Simmons categorically rejected the notion that NATO might
dispatch peacekeeping troops to Nagorno-Karabakh in a bid to end that
conflict. “NATO does not directly participate in conflict resolution
and doesnâ~@~Yt discuss the issue of locating its peacekeeping forces
in the region.”

Editorâ~@~Ys Note: Samvel Martirosyan is a Yerevan-based journalist
and political analyst.

–Boundary_(ID_sfpAL/sUjt+lnWk+kh/B9g)–

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

CONFLICT SETTLEMENT AND STATE BUILDING

Azat Artsakh – Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR)
10 March 05

On March 5 the political party â~@~Movement 88â~@~] conducted
a round-table meeting at the City Hall of Stepanakert on the topic
â~@~Settlement of Karabakh Conflict and State Building: Problems
and Relationsâ~@~]. At the meeting the political forces of Karabakh,
representatives of the authorities and experts were present. By this
kind of undertaking â~@~Movement 88â~@~] aimed to promote the
political settlement of the Karabakh issue and effective participation
of the public in the solution of urgent problems of state building in
Artsakh. The leader of the political party â~@~Movement 88â~@~]
Edward Aghabekian mentioned that the public has the right to take
part in the discussion and solution of problems of people living
in the country, and on the political stage of Karabakh there is an
urgent need for such discussions. Commending these discussions in
the political life of Armenia, the vice chairman of â~@~Movement
88â~@~] Gegham Baghdassarian gave some information on the first
round-table meeting held in Yerevan in the month of February to
which experts from Karabakh were invited too; at the meeting it was
arranged to organize a round-table meeting of the political forces
of Armenia and Karabakh in Stepanakert. Touching upon the current
problems discussed at the meeting Gegham Baghdassarian pointed out
the importance of the problem of devising an operating model of
interrelations in the Diaspora. According to him, the Diaspora pays
serious attention to the policy of the genocide only, whereas it would
be preferable if the Diaspora was interested in the problem of Karabakh
as seriously. According to Member of Parliament Maxim Mirzoyan,
Karabakh adopted two historical documents: the document on unification
with Armenian in February 1988 and the Declaration of Independence in
September 1991. According to him, the adoption of those two documents
was from the legal aspect correct and pertinent. â~@~The problem
is that we ourselves must recognize our independence and only then
the Diaspora. It was our lot to build an independent state with all
its attributes,â~@~] said the member of the National Assembly. The
chairman of the NA committee of foreign relations Vahram Atanessian
commented on the topic of the meeting in reference to Karabakh having
been left out of the negotiation process. Giving facts on the typical
features of the stages of settlement of the Karabakh conflict, Vahram
Atanessian emphasized that the principles of Paris meetings between
Kocharian and Aliev have been circulated since 2001, whereas the
public is not acquainted with the details of the meeting of the two
presidents. â~@~We must find out what status the Armenian diplomacy
considers as preferable for Karabakh, and whether the option acceptable
for Armenia is acceptable for Karabakh as well,â~@~] said the head
of the committee of foreign relations. According to the co-chairman
of the political party â~@~Azat Hayrenikâ~@~] Artur Tovmassian,
presently Baku is much more interested in the construction of the oil
pipeline Baku â~@~S Geihan than in the settlement of the Karabakh
conflict. Aliev Junior is convinced that foreign investors will
invest money only in stable regions, in other words, the resumption
of military actions in Karabakh by Azerbaijan is excluded because
economic growth is the problem N 1 in Azerbaijan. Member of Parliament
Vahram Balayan stressed the idea that a country which won the war
does not have the right to beg. â~@~From the very beginning we
had assumed a yielding position, whereas Azerbaijan demands,â~@~]
he mentioned adding that the international community had from the
very beginning given a chance to Karabakh to do its first steps in
diplomacy. The proof to this is the signature of the Karabakh party on
the document of armistice. As the leader of the National Democratic
Party Murad Petrossian characterized it, national interests underlie
the settlement of the Karabakh conflict. Naturally, it should be
found out what interests the super powers pursue. The co-chairman of
the political party â~@~Azat Hayrenikâ~@~] Rudik Hiusnunts thinks,
it is necessary for the political forces to unite and have a common
standpoint. â~@~The problem of Karabakh is the problem of all the
Armenians but it must be solved in Karabakh. This means that there is
need for continuity of similar meetings of political forces,â~@~]
said R. Hiusnunts. The meeting was concluded by the assertion that
similar meetings should be organized more frequently.

NVARD OHANJANIAN. 10-03-2005 [spacer.gif] [spacer.gif]

–Boundary_(ID_jkCYZrTPPceYQUGGF018JQ)–

ZAMAN ONLINE

INTERNATIONAL 03.11.2005 Friday – ISTANBUL 08:13

Armenia Refuses Offer for Joint Study by Historians

By Foreign News Service
Published: Thursday 10, 2005
zaman.com

Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanyan has refused an offer for a joint
study by Turkish and Armenian historians on the so-called Armenian genocide
allegations. Oskanyan turned down Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan’s offer, on the grounds that the joint study had no base.

Oskanyan said they have made clear their stance on the issue. Saying that
they had already stated the findings of their historians, Oskanyan added:
“Turkey should put forward their case. There is nothing left for historians
to do.” Meanwhile, Turkey has decided to continue its relations with Armenia
via its embassy in Tbilisi rather than Moscow. Turkish Foreign Ministry
Spokesman Namik Tan said: “We have reached the conclusion that the Tbilisi
embassy is more effective than the Moscow Embassy in many respects. In the
light of this evaluation, our transactions with Armenia will be executed by
the Turkish embassy in Tbilisi from now on.” Armenia, meanwhile, carries out
its transactions related with Turkey via its Moscow embassy. Tan also
determined that the foreign ministry was always alert to the genocide
claims.

Istanbul

Armenia, Azerbaijan trade accusations over skirmishes near Nagorno-Karabakh

The Associated Press
03/10/05 16:04 EST

YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) – Armenian and Azerbaijani authorities blamed
each other Thursday for the latest skirmishes along a tense buffer
zone surrounding the disputed enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Nagorno-Karabakh’s military said that Azerbaijani troops opened fire
on the enclave’s soldiers and tried to advance on Wednesday, but were
rebuffed. Both sides suffered casualties, it said.

Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry, in turn, accused ethnic Armenian
fighters from the enclave of having fired at Azerbaijani positions
four times over the last two days. Several Azerbaijani servicemen were
wounded, it said in a statement Thursday, according to the Interfax
news agency.

Armenia’s Defense Ministry spokesman Seiran Shakhsuvarian dismissed
the Azerbaijani statement as false.

Nagorno-Karabakh has been under the control of ethnic Armenians
since the early 1990s, following fighting that killed an estimated
30,000 people. A cease-fire was signed in 1994, but the enclave’s
final political status has not been determined and shooting breaks out
frequently between the two sides, which face off across a demilitarized
buffer zone.

The Armenian forces also hold some territory adjacent to
Nagorno-Karabakh.

2005 DECLARED YEAR OF PERFECT ARMENIAN

   YEREVAN, MARCH 10, ARMENPRESS: Armenian authorities have declared
2005 the Year of Flawless Armenian. Lavrenty Mirzoyan, head of a
government language inspection, told Armenpress an extensive set of
events highlighting perfect Armenian will be held across the country
from March 15 to April 15. As part of the events a thorough study of
the language used in advertisements and printed press will be made to
detect wrong usage of language.
   Mirzoyan said the inspection is carrying out a program intended
for Armenians, mainly refugees from Azerbaijan, who want to improve
their language skills. He said all lessons are free of charge.

–Boundary_(ID_fo/C2BHPF/8+FaFJ3tzjGw)–

TERMS OF RECURRENT MEETING OF ARMENIAN AND AZERI FMs TO BE DETERMINED
WITHIN NEXT FEW DAYS

10.03.2005 02:53

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian has
called the information that Armenia and Azerbaijan intend to conclude
an agreement over settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict not
true. In his words, there is no concrete arrangement on a new meeting
of the Armenian and Azeri Presidents yet. As of the dialogue of the
Foreign Ministers of the two countries, Vardan Oskanian noted that
the terms of the recurrent meeting will be determined within the next
few days. The head of the foreign department of Armenia did not agree
with statements that «Armenia is losing the settlement process.»
In his words, the issue of self-determination of the Nagorno Karabakh
people remains priority for Yerevan. However, Vardan Oskanian added,
«there is also the territorial element present, as the territory,
where the Nagorno Karabakh has determined itself has never been part
of independent Azerbaijan.» «The hybrid of these two approaches
strengthens our position in the talks,» he noted.

–Boundary_(ID_82ayFY1f7+utqub/OZxLBw)–