Conflict creates obstacles for economic development – President

AzerNews, Azerbaijan
Nov 25 2004

President Ilham Aliyev, receiving a delegation led by Turkish State
Minister Gursad Tuzmen on Thursday, said he was satisfied with the
activity of the Azeri-Turkish inter-governmental commission.

Aliyev said that Azerbaijan attaches great importance to the existing
efficient cooperation between the two countries’ business people
and that meetings between Turkish and Azeri entrepreneurs positively
affect strengthening of economic ties.

The President also pointed out the existing economic potential for
expanding these relations, which are further promoted by the friendship
between the two states.

Touching upon the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict over Upper Garabagh,
Aliyev said the conflict is a serious obstacle for Azerbaijan’s
economic development.

“We demand the international community, in particular, the
organizations directly involved in the conflict resolution to approach
the issue fairly and put an end to double standards.”

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Community Calendar

Montreal Gazette, Canada
Nov 25 2004

Galleries and Exhibitions

The Armenian General Benevolent Union of Montreal presents an
exhibition of recent works by artist Roudolf Kharatian on Saturday
and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Dervishian Hall, 805
Manoogian St. in St. Laurent. Vernissage tomorrow at 8 p.m. Call
(514) 748-2428.

[parts omitted]

PACE observers visit Baku

AzerNews, Azerbaijan
Nov 25 2004

Members of the “Ago” monitoring group of the Parliamentary Assembly
of the Council of Europe (PACE) visited Baku last week as part of
their tour of the South Caucasus region.

The goal of the three-day visit was to monitor the fulfillment of
Azerbaijan’s commitments to PACE, in particular, freedom of speech
and human rights. The discussions covered a peace settlement of the
Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict over Upper Garabagh as well.

The PACE monitoring group chaired by the German ambassador to the CE
Roland Vegener met with President Ilham Aliyev, government officials,
leaders of opposition parties, representatives of non-governmental
and international organizations in the country.

The group members also visited penitentiaries and met with
the convicted opposition representatives. Issues pertaining to
democratization, ensuring political pluralism in the country, the
CE-Azerbaijan cooperation, and fulfillment of Azerbaijan’s commitments
to the organization were discussed at President Aliyev’s meeting with
the monitoring group.

The parties considered discussion of the Upper Garabagh conflict
within relevant entities of the PACE as well.

The monitoring group includes ambassadors of other CE member states,
who oversee certain commitments of Azerbaijan to the organization.
The “Ago” group members are expected to submit a report on results
of the visit to South Caucasus at the next PACE session.

The monitoring group was established in January 2001 under the
leadership of Italy’s Ambassador Pietro Ercole Ago.

Details of Azeri, Armenian FMs’ meeting not disclosed

AzerNews, Azerbaijan
Nov 25 2004

On Friday foreign ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia met in Berlin,
Germany to continue discussions on the issues considered during
the previous round of negotiations on the Upper Garabagh conflict
settlement.

The details of the meeting were not reported.

All the four previous meetings of the two countries’ foreign ministers
were held in Prague, Czech Republic.

The Friday meeting was initially scheduled for October 25, but was
postponed after the Armenian side requested some time to analyze the
results of previous meetings.

AzerNews, Azerbaijan
Nov 25 2004

OSCE finalizing report on Upper Garabagh conflict

The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly special envoy on the
Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict Goran Lennmarker is scheduled to visit
Baku on Friday.

Lennmarker’s report on the Upper Garabagh conflict is almost ready,
says head of the Azerbaijani delegation at OSCE PA Sattar Safarov.
Baku has expressed discontent with some provisions indicated in the
report.

During Lennmarker’s visit, these disputed provisions will be
clarified and the final version of the report developed, Safarov
added.

Glendale News Press
LATimes.com
Nov 25 2004

A parking lot of books

SOUTHEAST GLENDALE – With each box carried into the parking structure
across the street from the Glendale Central Library, the library’s
collection of Armenian- language books grew. And grew. And grew
some more.

Movers delivered about 12,500 Armenian-language books to the library
on Wednesday, a collection so large that the books are being stored in
the parking structure instead of the library. The collection, donated
by the now-defunct American Armenian International College, quadruples
the library’s current collection of Armenian- language materials.

The large collection will take some time to sort through. Library
officials expect some books to enter circulation within six months.
City officials value the collection at about $500,000.

Italy to Abstain From UN Vote on Occupied Azerbaijani Lands

Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
Nov 25 2004

Italy opposes admission of Turkey to the European Union (EU) and the
latter may get the EU membership only in 2014, Italian Deputy Foreign
Minister Margherita Boniver said in a meeting with Armenian Foreign
Minister Vardan Oskanian on Tuesday.

The Italian diplomat wished Turkey to open its borders with Armenia,
which entered the EU New Neighborhood program this June, so that the
former could be admitted to the EU.

Turkey has repeatedly stated that it will not open its borders with
Armenia unless the latter withdraws its armed forces from the
occupied lands of Azerbaijan.

The New Neighborhood program rejects the territorial claims by the EU
member states against their neighbors. The Italian official seems not
to have taken this into account and intends to create artificial
obstacles for the admission of Turkey to the EU.

With regard to including the issue on the occupied lands of
Azerbaijan into the agenda of the UN General Assembly session,
Boniver said she backs settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict
within the OSCE Minsk Group. The Italian diplomat stressed that her
country will abstain from voting on any decision at the UN.

Former Italian Foreign Minister Mario Rafaelli was the first chairman
of the OSCE Minsk Group in 1992-1993 and several discussions were
held with the separatist regime of the Nagorno Karabakh in Rome in
this period.

The Italian deputy foreign minister’s “warm attitude” towards Armenia
may be explained by the increasing economic and trade relations
between the two countries.

The trade turnover between Italy and Armenia made up $49 million in
2002 and $59 million in 2003.

OSCE Report On Karabakh Conflict to be Discussed In Baku

Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
Nov 25 2004

AssA-Irada 25/11/2004 11:53 — The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly special
envoy on the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict Goran Lennmarker is scheduled
to visit Baku on Friday. The goal of the visit is to discuss with
Azerbaijani officials his report on the NagornoKarabakh conflict.

The OSCE envoy is expected to meet with President Ilham Aliyev,
Speaker of the Milli Majlis (parliament) Murtuz Alasgarov and Foreign
Minister Elmar Mammadyarov.

Baku has expressed discontent with some provisions of the report,
head of the Azerbaijani delegation at OSCE PA Sattar Safarov has
said. During Lennmarker’s visit, these disputed provisions will be
clarified and a final version of the report agreed upon, Safarov added.

Baku to seek new UN resolution

AzerNews, Azerbaijan
Nov 25 2004

Azerbaijan will not confine itself to discussions on the occupied
Azerbaijani lands at the 59th UN General Assembly session and will
seek adoption of a new resolution, President Aliyev told journalists
while on a visit to the Oil Rocks on Monday. The Foreign Ministry
of Azerbaijan is engaged in intense consultations to gain support on
the issue from as many countries as possible.

Armenia is trying to avail of all means to hamper the discussions,
the President said.

Aliyev pointed out that Armenia’s statements that Azerbaijan will
have to negotiate with Upper Garabagh are ridiculous, and that the
country will negotiate with Armenia as a party to the conflict.

“If Armenia wants the talks to be held with Upper Garabagh, it must
abandon the issue, withdraw its forces from the occupied lands and
stop financing Upper Garabagh from its budget. In this case, we could
solve problems differently and much faster.”

Touching upon the development of oil fields in the country, Aliyev said
that due to the successful implementation of Azerbaijan’s oil strategy,
Azerbaijan has become a rapidly and dynamically developing European
country. He said that when the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) oil pipeline
is put into operation, Azerbaijan’s oil revenues will triple, which
will allow to considerably raise wages and social benefits. 110,000
jobs were opened in the country this year, including 70,000 permanent
positions, he said.

Commenting on the reports on the increase in the project value,
the President said that certain reserves were envisioned during the
discussions on the BTC pipeline construction.

He said that the value of any major project is subject to a decrease
or increase and it is difficult to say at this point how much the
expenses will change.

Aliyev noted that according to the initial version of the project,
expenses were estimated at about $2 billion, but its value was later
reconsidered and brought to $3 billion. “Azerbaijan is fulfilling
all of its commitments. All the payments are made in cash and an
international finance system has been developed. No complications in
this respect are expected.”

UN starts discussions on Upper Garabagh

The UN General Assembly launched discussions on Upper Garabagh
on Tuesday.

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov stated that the OSCE
Minsk Group is working toward the Upper Garabagh conflict resolution
and stressed Armenia’s unlawful policy of settlement in the occupied
Azeri lands.

“750,000 Azerbaijanis have been driven out of their homes in Upper
Garabagh as a result of ethnic cleansing amidst the ongoing talks
between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Besides, the mass settlement of
Armenians in the occupied lands of Azerbaijan continues and we are
well aware of this.”

The Minister said that four resolutions adopted by the UN Security
Council on unconditional withdrawal of Armenian armed forces from
the occupied lands of Azerbaijan remains a basis for the conflict
resolution.

Azerbaijan’s observance to the ceasefire over the last 10 years shows
that Baku gives priority to a peaceful settlement, Mammadyarov added.

The UN General Assembly is expected to vote on a resolution on Upper
Garabagh after the discussions complete.

Azerbaijan’s permanent representative at the UN Yashar Aliyev earlier
forwarded a request to the United Nations to include the issue into
the session agenda. The UN General Assembly approved putting the
issue on discussion by 42 votes, 2 against (including Armenia),
with 99 members abstaining.

Boulder Daily Camera, CO
Nov 25 2004

Family sought freedom, now detained

CU student awaiting deportation thankful for support from community

By Elizabeth Mattern Clark, Camera Staff Writer
November 25, 2004

AURORA – Today is no different from the last 20.

It’s been three weeks since University of Colorado sophomore Gevorg
Sargsyan, his brother, sister and father were detained in a federal
holding center.

The family is awaiting deportation after an immigration judge ruled
they entered the United States fraudulently in 1999 using student
visas. An appeals board agreed.

The family planned to treat Thanksgiving Day as a reunion, when Gevorg
Sargsyan would have a few days free from classes to drive home to
Ridgway. Instead, the 20-year-old who was studying to be a doctor,
has withdrawn from CU – and those memories of classes and exams seem
like a “fantasy,” he said.

“I’ve already received a bill for the spring semester, so things
better work out,” he said.

Wearing a navy-blue uniform, Sargsyan said he spends his days and
nights crying. Sleeping. Reading. Watching television over the chatter
of the dozens of other illegal immigrants in his cement cell.

Two of his professors and a former high school teacher brought him
“problems” to work on – one of them using the dominoes and chess
board he has in the cell.

“Keep that brain working,” his teacher told him.

Sargsyan is finished with all of his “homework” now. He tries not to
let his mind wander to his native country.

The Sargsyans say they were forced to flee Armenia because of
the Russian mafia. They say they fear the mobsters will kill them
upon their return because of alleged crimes there by an American,
a former in-law.

The irony of spending Thanksgiving locked up in the country where they
sought freedom is not lost on them. But they say they’re thankful
for the outpouring of support from their Western Slope community –
a rally, a fund-raising effort to pay legal fees, a lawyer who is
still fighting for them.

Corina Almeida, chief counsel for U.S. Immigration and Customs
Enforcement, said the deportation orders against the family are final
unless a court grants a stay. The fear of persecution by the mafia
does not qualify them for asylum, Almeida said.

“We’re simply enforcing the law, like we do with every alien,
regardless of how much community support they have,” she said. “They
had their day in court.”