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01/13/2005
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1) Public Organizations Appeal to Guarantee Rights of Azerbaijan’s Armenians
2) Armenian, Russian Relations Remains Priority for Both Countries
3) US-Armenia Parliamentary Group Meets with German Marshall Funds’ Delegation
4) New Abkhazia President Pledges Close Moscow Ties
5) Hamazkayin to Mark 1600th Anniversary of Armenian Alphabet

1) Public Organizations Appeal to Guarantee Rights of Azerbaijan’s Armenians

Marking the 15th anniversary of massacre of Armenians in Baku, Azerbaijan, a
line of public organizations appealed to citizens, as well as to the
government
of Armenia, on Thursday, to do their utmost to guarantee the safety and the
rights of those Armenians still living in Azerbaijan.
Recalling the barbarity of 1990 pogroms against Armenians in Baku, Armenia’s
Policy Research Academy, the Shahumian, Ketashen Compatriotic Union, the
Center
for Advancement of a Civil Community, among other organizations state that the
plight of Azerbaijan’s Armenians–the Azeri government’s policy of
repression–has not properly been introduced to the international community in
the fifteen years since those massacres.
They call on Armenian intellectuals, government forces, non-governmental
organizations, and political forces to work together to unite efforts, and do
guarantee the human rights of Armenians still living in Azerbaijan.
In November and December 1988, a wave of Armenian pogroms swept Azerbaijan.
The worst took place in Baku, Kirovabad (Ganja), Shemakh, Shamkhor,
Mingechaur,
and Nakhichevan. The Soviet press described how, in Kirovabad, perpetrators
broke in a hospice for the elderly, captured and subsequently killed 12 old
Armenian men and women, including several disabled ones. In the winter of
1988,
all Armenians were deported from dozens of Armenian villages in Azerbaijan.
The
same fate befell more than 40 Armenian settlements in the northern part of
Karabagh–outside the borders of the autonomous region which was demanding
self–determination–including the mountainous regions of Khanlar, Dashkesan,
Shamkhor, and Kedabek provinces. The 40,000 Armenians of Azerbaijan’s third
largest city, Ganja, were also forcibly removed from their homes. When it was
over, there were less than 50,000 Armenians left in Baku, out of a total
population of 215,000.
Throughout 1989, sporadic attacks, beatings, looting, and massacres in Baku
reduced that number to 30,000–mostly the elderly who could not leave Baku. By
early January 1990, Armenian pogroms in Baku intensified and became more
organized. On January 13, a 50,000-strong crowd left a rally, broke into
groups, and started methodically, house by house, ‘cleansing’ the city of its
Armenians. Pogroms continued until January 15. The total number of casualties
during the first three days amounted to 33 people. The Soviet press had daily
reports of indescribable horror–dissecting bodies, ripping open the abdomens
of pregnant women, burning people alive–with a daily tally of murders in full
view of the authorities.
Russia’s Soyuz magazine reported that one man was literally torn apart, and
his remains thrown in a garbage container. According to various sources,
several hundred Armenians were killed. The remainder, mostly older Armenians,
were forcibly removed–with many dying during and after deportation. Pogroms
continued until January 20 when army troops were brought to Baku. By then, the
city was fully ‘liberated’ from ‘Armenian elements’ except for a couple of
hundred Armenians in mixed-marriages. During the military conflict over
Karabagh, the latter were literally ‘fished out’ for exchange with Azeri POWs.

2) Armenian, Russian Relations Remains Priority for Both Countries

Russian DM says Armenia remains Moscow’s key ally in the region

WASHINGTON, DC (Combined Sources)–Russian defense minister Sergey Ivanov
affirmed that Armenia remains Russia’s key ally in the South Caucasus.
Ivanov, who is in Washington, DC meeting with US Defense Secretary Donald
Rumsfeld, said during a news conference, “Armenia is home to a big Russian
military base and we have very close economic and cultural ties with Armenia,”
adding that Russia and Armenia are members of the Collective Security Treaty
Organization (CSTO).
Concerning Russia’s relations with Armenia in the context of Kremlin’s
growing
ties with Turkey, Ivanov said Armenia is a sovereign state and decides its
foreign policy priorities independently.
In Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian’s 2004 Armenian foreign policy report,
meanwhile, the development and strengthening of relations with the Russian
Federation remained a priority as well.
The document noted that Russia and Armenia continued to develop and expand
bilateral cooperation in all areas including military-technical, economic, and
humanitarian efforts, as well as within the framework of the Commonwealth
Independent States (CIS) and CSTO.
It also highlights official visits by state representatives from both
countries, including President Robert Kocharian’s trip to Russia, and the
Russian State Duma and Federation Council chairmen Sergei Mironov and Boris
Gryzlov’s visit to Armenia.
The foreign policy report also states that issues of military-technical
cooperation between the two countries were discussed during Ivanov’s visit to
Armenia, as well as during the first meeting of the Russian-Armenian
intergovernmental committee on military-technical cooperation held in
September
2004.
In an effort to expand economic cooperation between the two countries, the
Armenian-Russian Business Association was created, and currently has 100
members.
A railroad ferry between the ports of Poti (Georgia) and Kavkaz (Russia) will
play an important role in the increase of trade turnover between Armenia and
Russia. The implementation of this project will significantly decrease the
cost
of transportation.

3) US-Armenia Parliamentary Group Meets with German Marshall Funds’ Delegation

YEREVAN (Armenpress)–The US-Armenia Parliamentary Group met on Wednesday with
a delegation of US congressmen and representatives of the German Marshall Fund
(GMF), who are in Armenia on a fact-finding visit.
Greeting the guests, head of the US-Armenia parliamentary group Levon
Mkrtchian, praised the work of the Marshall Fund, as well as underscored the
development of inter-parliamentary ties.
During the meeting, regional issues and Armenia’s foreign policy were
discussed.
The German Marshall Fund of the United States is an American public policy
and
grantmaking institution dedicated to promoting greater cooperation and
understanding between the United States and Europe.
GMF does this by supporting individuals and institutions working on
transatlantic issues, by convening leaders to discuss the most pressing
transatlantic themes, and by examining ways in which transatlantic cooperation
can address a variety of global policy challenges.
Founded in 1972 through a gift from Germany as a permanent memorial to
Marshall Plan assistance, GMF maintains a strong presence on both sides of the
Atlantic.

4) New Abkhazia President Pledges Close Moscow Ties

SUKHUMI (Reuters)–The winner of Moscow-backed elections in the rebel Georgian
region of Abkhazia pledged close ties with Russia on Thursday and refused any
deal that would return sovereignty to Tbilisi.
Soon after official results of the re-run on Thursday declared him the new
president, Sergei Bagapsh told a news conference, “Foreign policy will only be
directed towards integration with Russia.”
Russia called instead for talks between Abkhazia and Tbilisi now that the
political turmoil that followed the original disputed poll in October had
ended.
“We have always emphasized that the sooner the situation was regulated, the
sooner conditions could be created for talks between Tbilisi and Sukhumi on
Georgia-Abkhazia regulation,” said Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. “I
believe that now the issue has apparently been concluded, it will be possible
to renew such talks.”
Georgia, a Caucasus state whose democratic revolution in 2003 inspired
Ukraine’s recent election of a pro-Western leader, accuses Russia of meddling
in its internal affairs by backing Abkhazia’s separatist government.
The dispute is a major hurdle to friendly relations between the two ex-Soviet
neighbors.
Official results gave the former businessman a landslide win. His victory in
the October poll was disputed by local officials, who favored his
Moscow-backed
rival Raul Khadzhimba.

DEADLOCK

The disputed poll caused months of political deadlock which ended only when
Russia forced a resolution by closing the border, Abkhazia’s only land
route to
the outside world. Bagapsh then agreed Khadzhimba could run as his deputy.
“Sergei Bagapsh, standing for the post of president, won 90.1 percent of
votes
from voters taking part. His opponent won 4.5 percent,” said Batal Tabagua,
election commission head.
Abkhazia won effective independence from Georgia in a 1992-93 war, but its
economy is still devastated. Once-grand buildings in the capital Sukhumi are
pitted with bullet holes and stand open to the sky.
Russia props up the economy by paying pensions, giving out passports and
allowing cross-border traffic.
Georgia, home to 200,000 ethnic Georgian refugees who fled the war, has
pledged to regain control over Abkhazia, as well as over another rebel region,
South Ossetia.
But Bagapsh said he would not compromise to improve frozen relations with
Tbilisi.
“Abkhazia will hold dialogue with Georgia mediated by Russia and the United
Nations only on an equal basis,” he said.

5) Hamazkayin to Mark 1600th Anniversary of Armenian Alphabet

LOS ANGELES–In a press release issued on Wednesday, the Hamazkayin Cultural
Organization’s regional executives of the United States and Canada announced
that they are planning a series of joint events to mark the 1600th anniversary
of the founding of the Armenian alphabet.
“During 2005, Armenian communities around the world will mark the 90th
anniversary of the Armenian genocide, and the 1600th anniversary of the
Armenian alphabet–both of which have great political and cultural
significance
to the Armenian people. While the recognition of the Armenian genocide sits at
the forefront of issues advanced by Armenians in Armenia and throughout the
diaspora, the Armenian alphabet symbolizes the essence of Armenian culture,”
noted the organization’s statement.
Asbarez will keep the community posted about Hamazkayin’s upcoming events.

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Mideast stock shots – minus war and tyranny

REVIEW

Newsday (New York)
January 14, 2005

BY ARIELLA BUDICK, STAFF WRITER

Third World faces, battered by war and disaster, gaze out of the pages
of the daily newspaper. Their pain is palpable, yet far away, a distance
shaped by differences of dress and culture as well as a sheer quantity
of miles. Our vision of the Arab world, and particularly Iraq, is now
shaped by images of destruction. Pictures of ruined homes, blown-up cars
and wailing civilians are now the principal filter through which we can
understand this part of the world – or so it seems.

The Grey Art Gallery means to issue a corrective to this skewed view of
the Middle East with a show of 20th-century portraits taken in Lebanon,
Egypt and Iraq. These formal, serious images offer a different panorama
of that part of the world. The people staring seriously into the lens
are neither random victims of violence nor grateful recipients of
international largesse, but individuals self-consciously confronting the
camera with unruffled dignity.

The exhibit’s two organizers, Walid Raad and Akram Zaatari, both
contemporary artists, collaborated with a Beirut-based photo archive
called the Arab Image Foundation to assemble a wide range of indigenous
images.

Most striking is a wall of some 4,000 ID photos by Antranik Anouchian
(1908-1991), a Turkish-born Armenian immigrant whose studio was in
Tripoli, Lebanon. Taken for passports, licenses, permits and the like,
these portraits offer a kind of random cross section of Tripoli society.
Oddly, though, Raad and Zaatari have mounted them into a mammoth mosaic
that wipes out the singularity of the separate faces. It’s a curious
echo of the Western media’s take on the Middle East, in which individual
dramas are subsumed into larger stories of war, devastation and tyranny.

The same kind of generalization takes place in another section of the
exhibit devoted to group photos of Iraqi and Egyptian policemen and
soldiers, produced between 1920 and 1940. Rather than simply mounting
and framing these rather prosaic graduation pictures, Raad and Zaatari
have chosen to display them, one after another, in a looped video. Here
it is the changing fashions in uniform design and hairstyle that one
notices rather than the specific faces, which tend to blend into one
another. A 1927 group of graduates sports fezzes. Another group looks
much more Western, dressed in Colonial khaki.

What we see here is different from the usual newspaper fare, but hardly
seems less dehumanizing. Another group of pictures, taken by the Sidon,
Lebanon-based itinerant photographer Hashem el Madani, shows an array of
interchangeable vacationers at the beach, all in bathing suits and
virtually identical poses. What stands out is the formulaic quality of
the shots, the way each person becomes a stock character in a generic
depiction of leisure.

Madani began shooting Sidon’s citizens in 1948, a turbulent year that
saw the founding of the state of Israel and an influx into Lebanon of
large numbers of Palestinian refugees. Yet these photos convey few hints
about the political or social context in which they were taken. Unlike
contemporary news images, these pictures are about nothing but
themselves. Their eloquence is muted by conventionality.

WHEN & WHERE: “Mapping Sitting: On Portraiture and Photography, a
Project by Walid Raad and Akram Zaatari” will be on view through April 2
at Grey Art Gallery, New York University, 100 Washington Square East,
Manhattan. For exhibition hours, call 212-998-6780 or visit

,0,6906765.story?coll=nyc-enthome-museums

Dismal scores

Malaya (The Philippines)
January 14, 2005

By Ellen Tordesillas ([email protected])

Dean Jorge Bocobo shared with us the results of the third Trends in
International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) conducted in 2003
and released last December.

The good news: Asian countries dominate in student math and science
achievement.

The bad news: The Philippines is not one of those Asian countries at the
top. We are, in fact, in the bottom five.

The official TIMSS release said Singapore students were among the top
performers in both mathematics and science at the fourth and eighth
grade levels. Students from the Republic of Korea, Chinese Taipei and
Hong Kong also performed very well across the two subject areas.

“Specifically, in mathe-matics, at both the eighth and fourth grades,
Singapore was the top performing country, having significantly higher
average achievement than the rest of the participating countries.

“At the eighth grade, the Republic of Korea, Hong Kong and Chinese
Taipei also had significantly higher achieve-ment than other
participating countries. At the fourth grade, Hong Kong, Japan and
Chinese Taipei outperformed the rest of the countries.

“In science, at the eighth grade, Singapore and Chinese Taipei were the
top performing countries, having significantly higher average
achievement than the rest of the participating countries. The Republic
of Korea and Hong Kong also performed very well.

“At the fourth grade, Singapore was the top-performing country with
higher average science achievement than all other participating
countries. Chinese Taipei, Japan, Hong Kong and England out-performed
the rest of the countries surveyed.”

In both mathematics and science, grade eight, the Philippines shares the
bottom with Botswana, Saudi Arabia, Ghana, and South Africa. At the
fourth grade, the Philippines is in the lowest three with Morocco and
Tunisia.

But there is one interesting finding in the study where the Philippines
figured positively. Under “gender differences in achievement”, the
results showed in mathematics that gender difference was negligible.
“However, girls had significantly higher achievement than boys in
Serbia, Republic of Macedonia, Armenia, Moldova, Philippines, Cyprus,
Jordan and Bahrain.”

In science, fourth grade level, the average gender difference in
achievement was negligible “although girls had significantly higher
average achievement in Armenia, Moldova, the Philippines and Islamic
Republic of Iran.”

What is TIMSS? It’s the most recent in a very ambitious series of
international assessments conducted in nearly 50 countries to measure
trends in mathematics and science learning.

TIMSS, aims to improve the teaching and learning of mathematics and
science by providing data about students’ achievements in relation to
different types of curricula, instructional practices, and school
improvements.

TIMSS is a project of the International Association for the Evaluation
of International Achievement (IEA), an independent international
cooperative of national research institutions and government agencies
that has been conducting studies of cross-national achievement since 1959.

Conducted first in 1995 and then in 1999, the regular four-year cycle of
TIMSS studies provides countries with an unprecedented opportunity to
obtain comparative infor-mation about their students’ achievement in
mathematics and science.

More than 360,000 students in 49 countries participated in TIMSS 2003.

TIMSS is major under-taking of the IEA, together with Progress in
International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) developed to assess
students’ reading achievement at fourth grade. The TIMSS and PIRLS
International Study Center at Boston College had overall direction of
the project.

The test touched on home and school environment and the findings were:

*Across subject area and grade level, higher levels of parents’
education were associated with higher student achievement in almost all
countries. Also students expecting to finish university had
substantially greater average mathematics and science achievement.

*Students from homes where the language of the test was always or almost
always spoken had higher average achievement than those who spoke it
less frequently.

*There was a clear relationship between the number of books at home and
achievement.

*Achievement was positively related to computer use.

*Students with higher achievement attended schools with positive
climates for learning, with fewer students from disadvantaged homes,
where teachers and students felt safe.

Upcoming Events at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

CREES NEWS
(The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor – Center for Russian and East
European Studies)
Winter 2005

From the Director, Barbara A. Anderson (excerpted)

… Our Brown Bag Series is diverse and compelling with lectures as well
as musical performances. Presentations cover a variety of fields and
locales, ranging from Albanian literature to democracy in Armenia and
Russia, Islam in Chechnya, the Russian monarchy during World War I, and
politics in early Soviet Turkestan.

CREES faculty continue to be recognized for their accomplishments.
Katherine Verdery is the current American Association for the
Advancement of Slavic Studies (AAASS) president, and Ron Suny, who is a
visiting professor at U-M this year but returning to a tenured
professorship next year, is president-elect …

CALENDAR OF EVENTS (All events are in 1636 International Institute, 1080
S. University Ave., unless otherwise noted):

— Wednesday, February 9, 2005 (Noon)
Noon Concert. Piano concert by CREES visiting scholars Milica Skaric and
Vahe Sahakyan. Ms. Skaric, docent in piano education at the Faculty of
Pedagogy in Stip, Macedonia, and Mr. Sahakyan, assistant professor of
sociology at Yerevan State University, will perform Macedonian and
Armenian folk music as well as works from the classical repertoire.

— Wednesday, March 9, 2005 (Noon)
Brown Bag Lecture. “The Making of Islam and Inherent Rebelliousness in
Chechnya.” Presentation by Georgi Derluguian, assistant professor of
sociology, Northwestern University.

— Wednesday, March 16, 2005 (Noon)
Brown Bag Lecture. “Democratization in Armenia: A Sociological
Analysis.” Presentation by Vahe Sahakyan, assistant professor of
sociology and deputy head, Department of Sociology, Yerevan State
University, and U-M visiting scholar through American Council’s Junior
Faculty Development Program. This lecture is co-sponsored by the
Armenian Studies Program at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

NEW COURSE FOR WINTER 2005 SEMESTER AT UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN

— “Readings in the History of the Third Armenian Republic, 1991 to the
Present”
Course: History 302.004, 3 credits.
Instructor: Gerard Libaridian, Alex Manoogian Visiting Professor of
Armenian Studies.
Synopsis: A seminar / discussion course on major original and analytical
texts dealing with Armenia since the collapse of the Soviet Union. The
readings will relate conflicts within the new republic to opposing views
of the purpose of independence, the role of the Diaspora, as well as to
the rise of a new nation-state in the age of globalization.

Email: [email protected]
URL:

Hellenic Resources Network
Thursday, 13 January 2005

Cyprus PIO: Turkish Press and Other Media, 05-01-12

Erdogan is holding contacts in Moscow

Ankara Anatolia news agency (11/01/05) reported from Moscow that the Turkish
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has stated that a political will exists
in Turkey and Russia to make mutual investments. ”Such investments could
not have been imagined 10-15 years ago,” said Erdogan.
In a meeting with Erdogan, President Putin remarked that Russia supports the
UN Secretary-General Annan’s plan on Cyprus. ”We do not think that the
economic isolation of the Turkish Cypriots is fair,” said Putin.

Erdogan and Putin got together with Turkish businessmen in Moscow.

In a speech delivered at the meeting, President Putin stated that the trade
volume between Turkey and Russia will increase. ”Our trade volume could
easily reach 15 billion U.S. dollars and is expected to reach 25 billion
U.S. dollars in 2007. Joint projects should also be encouraged,” said
Putin.

Putin stressed that the cooperation agreement he signed with the Turkish
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer on December 6, 2004, makes an important
reference to the good relations between Turkey and Russia.

”We pay high attention to Turkey’s relations with the European Union. Half
of our trade volume is with the EU states. With Turkey’s integration into
the EU, we are eager to make our relations better,” said Putin. ”In this
framework, many obstacles could be eliminated. Obstacles could be removed
with Russia’s entrance into the World Trade Organization. We are pleased
with Turkey’s positive approach in this regard.

We will soon celebrate the 60th anniversary of the victory against fascism.
We would be happy to see Erdogan at the celebrations on May 9. Erdogan’s
visit will be a turning point in our relations. The year 2005 also marks the
85th anniversary of the foundation of Turkish-Russian relations,” said
Putin.

Speaking after President Putin, Mr Erdogan said that the good relations
between Turkish and Russian businessmen will not only help the two countries
but the whole region. ”Turkey will strongly support Russian membership to
the World Trade Organization. This question will be discussed in Davos on
January 24, 2005,” said Erdogan.

Meanwhile, the Turkish Cypriot Trade and Industry Chamber Chairman Salih
Tunar stated that, despite the Turkish Cypriots’ approval of the Annan Plan,
the Turks still face blockade. ”We want the isolation of Turkish Cypriots
to end and wish to contribute to world peace.”

Erdogan has reminded media members that a ”Russian Year” will be
celebrated in Turkey and a ”Turkish Year” will be celebrated in Russia in
the near future.

Putin added that he discussed the re-construction of Iraq with Erdogan.
”What is happening in Iraq is a matter of concern for the Russians. We will
work together with Turkey on Iraq and with the aim to solve (its)
problems,” remarked Putin.

According to Putin, Turkish and Russian delegations also discussed the
Baku-Ceyhan oil pipeline, railways and means to make better use of the Black
Sea region.

In response to a Turkish journalist’s question on Cyprus, Putin explained
that Russia supports the Annan plan. ”We will vote in the Security Council
according to the document presented to the Council,” said Putin.

Asked about what he thinks on the Karabagh issue, Putin said that
neighbourly relations between Russia-Armenia, Turkey-Armenia and
Azerbaijan-Armenia should be developed. ”We are all aware about the
historical problems between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Russia will contribute
to the peace process,” he indicated.

Erdogan also expressed the view that Armenia must be positive in its
approach to find a solution. ”Turkey’s policy is based on finding a lasting
solution. If Armenia claims that it does not recognize the Kars Agreement,
this would be a negative approach. The Ataturk Airport in Istanbul has been
made available for Armenian passenger flights. We do not want negative
relations with any of our neighbours, including Armenia. We will open our
border with Armenia for trade once we witness a positive approach from
Armenia,” stressed Erdogan.

Associated Press Worldstream
January 13, 2005 Thursday 7:07 AM Eastern Time

OSCE must build on Ukraine election monitoring success, new chairman
says
by: SUSANNA LOOF; Associated Press Writer

VIENNA, Austria

Terrorism and human trafficking remain priorities for the OSCE, but
the 55-nation trans-Atlantic security group must build on the success
its election monitors achieved in Ukraine, the organization’s new
chairman said Thursday.

In his first address to the Vienna-based Organization for Security
and Cooperation in Europe’s permanent council since taking office two
weeks ago, Dimitrij Rupel described the OSCE’s vote monitoring
mission to Ukraine as “essential in restoring faith in the integrity
of the democratic system.”

The group’s monitors said the Nov. 21 presidential election did not
meet international standards. The Ukraine Supreme Court ordered a
Dec. 26 rerun, which opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko won.

OSCE monitors said the rerun had made progress in reaching democratic
standards.

“Expectations are high for what comes next,” said Rupel, Slovenia’s
foreign minister.

“I believe that the OSCE and Ukraine have a good opportunity to
strengthen cooperation across a range of issues, including freedom of
the media, national minorities, democratization, the
political-military dimension and regional security. This opportunity
should not be missed,” he said.

Rupel also said the OSCE needs to be reformed to become more
effective, and that its members need to build on common issues to
“prevent political fault lines from reappearing” in the group.

Russia and other former Soviet republics have accused the group of
having “double standards” by focusing too much some former Soviet
republics and the Balkans while ignoring issues such as the plight of
Russian-speaking minorities in the Baltic countries.

Kosovo also could be a major issue for the organization in 2005,
Rupel said, adding the group should be involved in the review of
Kosovo’s progress later this year. The review is expected to lead to
talks on Kosovo’s future.

Rupel also said the OSCE should “redouble its efforts” to resolve the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and continue efforts to bring sustainable
peace to the Georgian region of South Ossetia.

“We have no magic solutions, but we feel that targeted and pragmatic
steps can contribute to thawing frozen conflicts, consolidating
peace-building processes and supporting democratization,” he said.

In Central Asia, Rupel said more efforts must be taken to control
migration, promote human rights, strengthen human security, improve
border controls and promote cooperation in de-mining and
anti-trafficking measures.

“I also believe we should deepen our efforts to assist the
governments in Central Asia in their democratization processes,
particularly in relation to elections,” he said.

Iraq has requested that the group monitor its Jan. 30 elections, but
diplomats have said the group is unlikely to send a mission because
it is unlikely that its members – many of whom were opposed to the
Iraq war – would reach a consensus on it.

AZERI OFFICIAL SAYS ARMENIAN PULL-OUT FROM SEVEN DISTRICTS ON AGENDA

Turan news agency
13 Jan 05

BAKU

Armenia has acquired an interest in resolving the Armenian-Azerbaijani
conflict and this gives us hope that the negotiations will produce
some results, Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign Minister Araz Azimov told a
news conference in Baku today when commenting on the results of the 11
November meeting of the Azerbaijani and Armenian foreign ministers in
Prague.

Azimov said the negotiations were “objective”, however, there are
“very many” differences and the situation remains “difficult”.

Pointing to Armenia’s growing interest in resolving the conflict,
Azimov said he was cautiously optimistic that the negotiations would
produce concrete results. The Armenian side wants to resolve the
conflict. Armenia has to take a more active part in NATO programmes,
the European Union is getting ever nearer, international public
opinion is changing in favour of Azerbaijan and one of the examples of
that is the report by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of
Europe (PACE) rapporteur on Karabakh, David Atkinson.

(Passage omitted: Reported details)

Azimov described as “speculation” the reports that Armenia’s pullout
from three of Azerbaijani districts was discussed in the
negotiations. He said that as part of “the Prague process” the sides
were discussing the liberation of all seven districts outside Nagornyy
Karabakh in the first stage.

At the same time, Azimov said that in 1998, Azerbaijan had suggested
that five districts be vacated in the first stage in the name of the
TRACECA project. In the spring and summer of 2002, Azerbaijan raised
this issue again. In both cases, the European Union supported the
idea, but it was rejected by the Armenians.

Azimov also dismissed the Armenian side’s speculation about a Key West
agreement. He said the sides had signed only one written document so
far – a joint statement by (former Azerbaijani and Armenian
presidents) Heydar Aliyev and Levon Ter-Petrosyan in Strasbourg on 10
October 1997. The sides were close to reaching an agreement in 1999 as
well, but the Armenian side rejected it, Azimov said.

RUSSIA WILLING TO WORK WITH NEW UKRAINIAN LEADERS – DEFENCE MINISTER

Interfax-AVN military news agency web site, Moscow
13 Jan 05

Washington, 13 January: Russian Defence Minister Sergey Ivanov has
said Russia was willing to work with the new Ukrainian leadership.

“There were many statements made in the course of the election
campaign and the three rounds of the election, but the election is now
over. Ukraine remains in the same place geographically as before the
election, and it is time for normal work for Ukraine and Russia,”
Ivanov told a news conference in Washington.

“We are well aware of Mr (President-elect Viktor) Yushchenko’s
statement to the effect that he would like to pay his first official
visit in his new capacity to Moscow,” the minister said.

Answering a question on prospects in Russian-Armenian relations,
Ivanov said: “We will not push Armenia in any direction. It is a
sovereign state, and Armenia will decide itself in what direction it
should develop.”

The defence minister also noted the dynamic development of
Russian-Turkish relations.

“I cannot see any major problems in relations with that country except
for double standards in the fight against terrorism,” he
said. According to the minister, Turkey is top of the league in terms
of numbers of its nationals killed in Chechnya as members of rebel
gangs. There have been several dozen of these, Ivanov added.

AZERI RULING PARTY OFFICIAL UPBEAT AHEAD OF EUROPEAN BODY’S KARABAKH DEBATE

Trend news agency
13 Jan 05

BAKU

“The reflection of Azerbaijani realities in PACE rapporteur David
Atkinson’s report will make useless any Armenian propaganda based on
lies. The European deputies defending European values will support
Azerbaijan’s fair cause,” the deputy executive secretary of the ruling
New Azerbaijan Party, Mubariz Qurbanli, has told Trend.

Qurbanli said there were reports that Armenian MPs were seriously
preparing for the winter session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the
Council of Europe (PACE). However, this is unlikely to make any impact
on Atkinson’s report.

“At a time when the Armenian occupation of a fifth of Azerbaijani
territory and the deportation of more than 1m refugees and internally
displaced persons from their homes are recognized facts, all the
Armenian lies will not be very convincing. On the other hand, I hope
that during the discussion of the report, the members of the
Azerbaijani delegation will be able to give a due response to Armenian
propaganda based on lies,” Qurbanli said.

KHACHQARS AND CHURCHES OF QARVATCHAR

beginning in previous issue

Azg/arm
14 Jan 05

Yeghish Markosian knows all ins and outs of Qarvatchar and the place
of every ruined church and of centuries-old khachqars (cross-stone).

“This was an Armenian land, not a Turkish. Turks do not have churches
and khachqars. Let me take you to tens of villages and show you each
church and khachqar. Some 150 years ago it was the land of Armenians
and will stay as such”, uncle Yeghish tells in hoarse voice.

A khachqar at the town’s historic museum dating back to 916 AD withan
inscription in middle Armenian used to be presented to the visitors of
the museum before 1993, when Karabakh forces took control over
Qarvatchar, as an “Albanian khachqar”.

There are dozens of churches and monasteries in Qarvatchar (lying in
ruins or semi-ruined) one of which, Dadivanq, is a pearl of medieval
Armenian architecture. This church of 13 century is being
reconstructed today.

Qarvatchar in the structure of Red Kurdistan

The nomadic Kurds and the Caucasian Tatars settled down in the region
of Qarvatchar in 19th century. It was the time when they adjusted the
name of Qarvatchar to their language, calling it Qyarvajar then
Qelbajar or Qyalbajar.

Anania Shirakatsi, Armenian scholar of 7th century, in his “Geography
Guide” mentions of Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh) as the 10th province of
Great Hayq that had 12 regions and the 2d region was Vaykuniq with
Tsar as center. Movses Kakhankatvatsi also mentions Vaykuniq. Later on
this stony region was renamed into Tsar, Upper Khachen and eventually
Qarvatchar or Qaravatchar (stone seller).

In 1920, when the two-years-old state of Azerbaijan became Soviet,
Qarvatchar was forcibly conjoined with Azerbaijan. The Red Kurdistan
was formed in 1923 and the region of Qarvatchar with thousands of
Kurds and Azeris united with the newly formed administrative unit. The
Red Kurdistan dissolved in 1930, and Qarvatchar (Qyalbajar) with 1936
square kilometers became one of 60 Azeri regions. The Kurds of
Qyalbajar numbering few thousands assimilated with the Azeris.

Azeri historiography considers the khachqars and churches of
Qarvatchar and Nagorno Karabakh to be Albanian.

By Tatoul Hakobian in Qarvatchar