CSTO CONTINUES TO DEVELOP AS MILITARY-POLITICAL ORGANIZATION

RIA Novosti, Russia
November 10, 2004

MOSCOW, November 10 (RIA Novosti) – “After the Collective Security
Session in Astana in June 2004, the CSTO has continued to dynamically
develop as a military-political organization,” Foreign Ministry
spokesman Alexander Yakovenko said in an interview with RIA Novosti.
“The unanimous approval of a draft resolution granting the CSTO
observer status at the UN General Assembly during the UN General
Assembly 6th committee session is evidence of the CSTO’s growing
prestige as an international regional organization.”

In the run-up to the regular CSTO Council of Foreign Ministers meeting,
Mr. Yakovenko said the CSTO was a multifunctional military-political
integration structure that included Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan,
Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan. The purpose of the CSTO is to
develop a system of collective security capable of effectively reacting
to any possible threats to national security of the organization’s
members.

“The questions of responding to new threats and challenges – terrorism
and other violent manifestations of extremism, drugs trafficking,
illegal migration, organized crime, etc. – take an increasingly
prominent position within the CSTO,” he said. “The CSTO Committee of
Security Council Secretaries coordinates the CSTO’s work in this area.”

“The Central Asian Collective Rapid Deployment Forces, which was
created in 2001 and comprises troops from Russia, Kazakhstan,
Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, played an important role in curtailing
Islamic extremist terrorist groups’ activity in Central Asia,” he
said. “Since it was founded, the forces have become an important, or
even decisive, factor in ensuring peace and stability in Central Asia.”

Moscow News (Russia)
November 10, 2004

NINOO BURDZHANADZE CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC ON PROSPECTS FOR
GEORGIAN-RUSSIAN RELATIONS

By Yury Vasilyev The Moscow News

On an official visit to Moscow, Georgian Parliament Speaker Nino
Burdzhanadze offered Russia friendship – but only on certain terms

Russian-Georgian relations have seen a breakthrough – of sorts. Nino
Burdzhanadze, speaker of the Georgian parliament, finally made it to
Moscow. The on again, off again dialogue between Moscow and Tbilisi
has been dragging on for many months; according to the Georgian side,
this is through no fault of its own. Talks have oficially resumed,
but this does not make either side particularly happy.

“What is going on in Russian-Georgian relations oftentimes does not
fit into the bounds of international law,” says Nino Burdzhanadze,
who holds a degree in international law from the Moscow State
University. “But I believe that sooner or later we will manage to
bring these relations back to normal. It would be preferable if this
happened sooner rather than later, of course.”

Why has the relationship not worked out?

I dare say that I have more complaints to make against Russia than
against Georgia. Although of course I can also see shortfalls on our
side. Over the past 10 years our relations have been steadily
deteriorating to the point where it is very difficult to turn the
situation around even if we try. Yet if there is no will…

Not so long ago our relations were discussed at the PACE. On the
Georgian side there was Speaker Burdzhanadze, while the Russian side
was represented by Konstantin Kosachev, head of the RF State Duma
Foreign Relations Committee. Were you not irked by this disparity in
status?

Not at all. I am quite happy dealing with Mr. Kosachev. He is an
intelligent person who has a good understanding of this set of
problems. My main purpose at the time was not to challenge our
Russian counterparts to a duel, to stir debate, but only to inform
our European colleagues about the outstanding problems in
Russian-Georgian relations.

Did Russia pointedly refuse to participate in a two-way discussion?

Not exactly. It was simply that in response to all of our proposals
for a meeting we received discreet indications to the effect that “it
would be better to put off your visit.” But then after Strasbourg, as
you can see, I got an opportunity to come to Moscow, and I very much
hope that Mr. Gryzlov (speaker of the RF State Duma. – Ed.) will soon
visit Tbilisi. In Moscow we had a productive discussion on all
issues, and not only with him.

Specifically what issues?

The most sensitive ones, at least as far as we are concerned. Very
often, despite all of President Putin’s statements about Russia’s
respect for Georgia’s territorial integrity, this is not what we are
seeing in reality. For example, a railway link has been reopened
between Sukhumi (the capital of Abkhazia. – Ed.) and Moscow, but the
Russian side did not bother to coordinate the move with Tbilisi. They
did not even deign to inform us.

In other words, it would have been enough if Moscow duly notified
you?

It would certainly not have been enough, but at least that would have
been civil. But when you are not even asked whether trains may cross
your state borders – moreover, they tried to pull a fast one on us
(the rail link was purportedly reopened by some commercial
structures) – it is very difficult to talk. I realize that each side
has its own interests to look after. But when I am told here that
“the residents of Abkhazia and South Ossetia are socially
disadvantaged and so we granted them RF citizenship,” I think of the
300,000 Georgian refugees from Abkhazia whose situation is just as
bad, yet they cannot even go to their motherland to visit the graves
of their parents or children.

Do you realize that the citizenship situation is practically
irreversible?

But it was granted unlawfully.

The procedure falls within the jurisdiction of the Russian
authorities. They may grant or refuse citizenship at their
discretion.

That’s just how it was done…

A new generation is growing up in Russia that does not see Georgia as
a friend but, rather, as an enemy. We are witnessing a similar
pattern among the Georgian youth with regard to Russia. After the
horrible tragedy in Beslan – when we empathized with you- Georgia
received yet another slap on the face from Moscow: Foreign Minister
Lavrov all but put the blame for Beslan on Georgia. True, later the
situation was rectified, but it hurts all the same. And that was the
time when the railway line to Sukhumi was reopened. The victims of
Beslan had not as yet been buried, but a brass band was playing in
the Abkhaz capital with people celebrating the departure of the first
train to Moscow. Over the past 10 years, more than 1,500 civilians
have been killed and some 6,000 houses burned in Abkhazia’s
ethnic-Georgian district of Gali. Against this backdrop, I am told in
the course of negotiations in Moscow: “Admit that the Chechens are
terrorists but the Abkhaz are not.” Well, yes, if you think of bomb
attacks on residential buildings and the seizure of a school, you
might agree with this. But then the relatives of those killed in the
Gali district have their own vision of such things.

I feel extremely uncomfortable with the fact that I have to assure
some people in Moscow that we really sympathized with Russia and that
I even have to provide evidence of this sympathy. But look at our
relations with the United States: America always stood by us, coming
through whenever Georgia needed support and even direct assistance,
and it demanded nothing in return for that.

Here is just one example. The return of the Meskhetian Turks to their
native land in Georgia was one precondition for Georgia’s
participation in Coun-cil of Europe (CE) structures. The Americans,
however, made an unprecedented move by relocating thousands of ethnic
Turks living in Krasnodar Krai to the United States and granting them
residence permits. Thus the “CE problem” was taken care of. How is
the Kremlin supposed to react to this?

You oversimplify the situation. But even if everything is the way you
say it is, is this bad? Yes, we have obligations to the Meskhetian
Turks. But, first, the deadline is 2014. Second, we have never
refused to help the repatriation of these people. Yet today ethnic
Armenians live in this area. Returning the Turks there means
provoking a massacre. Third, if Russia wants to be on friendly terms
with us, it should realize that with 300,000 refugees from Abkhazia,
Georgia is not in a position to admit thousands of Meskhetian Turks
in addition to this. So what’s wrong about America’s desire to help
our people?

Nothing’s wrong. The only question is how America’s political
interest in Georgia – which comes through not only in the Meskhetian
problem – is going to turn out for Russia.

Let’s face it: This is not a case of getting something for nothing.
But the United States is helping us build a normal democratic state,
not creating more problems for us. What stops you, for instance, from
facilitating the course of democracy in Georgia? But no, many people
in Russia want to see it as a divided country, easily controlled by
Moscow. So who would you make friends with if you were in our shoes?
Nonetheless, I would like to stress once again: We still want to be
friendly with Russia.

Do you see a way out of the Abkhaz conundrum?

Believe me, the Abkhaz people will realize sooner or later that it is
better to live in peace with Georgia – just as we had lived for
hundreds of years until the Russian empire moved into Abkhazia. What
happened in the presidential election (a pro-Russian candidate,
Khadzhimba, failed to win. – Ed.) is a slap in the face for the
Russian authorities. They were sure that they could control
everything in this land, but the people of Abkhazia showed that this
is not quite so. Thank God for this: At last, they understood what is
good for the Abkhaz people. At times the situation becomes simply
ridiculous: On the one hand, the Abkhaz authorities show us that they
are fighting for independence and international recognition. On the
other, they ask the State Duma to admit Abkhazia to the Russian
Federation. This also holds true for South Ossetia: Separatist
leaders talk about sovereignty, but a point of entry to Tskhinvali
(the capital of South Ossetia. – Ed.) is adorned with a huge picture
of V.V. Putin bearing the inscription “Putin – Our President.” I
greatly respect him, but independence and “Putin Our President” are
things that do not go very well together.

Nevertheless, Georgia declares its readiness to open its
privatization market to Russian business. What are you going to give
and what do you demand in return?

We are not giving anything just like that – this is a matter of
negotiations. We invited Russian businessmen, indicating that we
would be happy to see investment capital. Georgia is ready to open
itself up to economic cooperation, but on a mutually beneficial
basis. We must be sure that Russia’s presence in the Georgian economy
will not work against our national interests.

Are you happy with the RAO UES Unified Energy System’s presence in
the energy sector?

Mr. Chubais keeps his promises, in particular the promise to supply
power to Georgia. If the relations between our two countries are
built on such a pragmatic and constructive foundation, I am confident
that we will be able to avoid many problems.MN

FACT BOX

Burdzhanadze, Nino Anzorovna, was born on July 16, 1964; in 1981,
finished A. Tsereteli Secondary School #2 in the city of Kutaisi with
a gold medal, entering the Tbilisi I. Dzhavakhishvili University
School of Law in the same year; in 1986, she was admitted to the
graduate school at the Moscow State University (MGU) International
Law Department, in 1990 defending a Cand.Sc. dissertation, titled
Problems of International Organizations and International Maritime
Law; from 1991, associate professor at the Tbilisi University
International Law and International Relations Department; author of
approximately 20 academic papers, published in Georgian, Russian, and
English; since 1995, an elected member of the Georgian parliament;
from 1998, chairperson of the parliamentary Committee on
Constitutional and Legal Affairs and Law Enforcement; from 2000, head
of the parliamentary Foreign Relations Committee.

In November 2001, Nino Burdzhanadze was elected speaker of the
Georgian parliament. On November 22, 2003, following Eduard
Shevardnadze’s resignation, she was acting president, running the
country until a new head of state was elected (January 26, 2004),
thereupon resuming her functions as speaker of parliament.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ASIAN CHILDREN’S FILM FESTIVAL FROM NOVEMBER 14

The Hindu, India
November 10, 2004

Our Staff Reporter

The second annual Asian Children’s Film Festival will get underway
in the twin cities here on November 14, featuring about 80 children’s
films from more than 10 countries in the continent.

The week-long festival being organised by the Children’s Film Society,
Andhra Pradesh (CFSAP) in association with the Andhra Pradesh State
Film, Television and Theatre Development Corporation (APFTTDC) has
entries from Iran, China, Japan, South Korea, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka,
Armenia, Israel, Syria apart from the host nation, according to the
festival director, M. Veda Kumar, in a statement here on Tuesday.

While the main venue for the festival is the Hari Hara Kala Bhavan
in Secunderabad, there would be screenings at the Jawaharlal
Nehru Technological University, Masab Tank, Potti Sriramulu Telugu
University, Nampally, and the Ravindra Bharathi mini-theatre from
November 16 to 19.

<subheadline> Morning show

</subheadline>

In addition to these, there would be a special morning show at 9 a.m.
in nine theatres in the twin cities and eight in the neighbouring
Ranga Reddy district for the convenience of schoolchildren.

He said interested school managements could contact the CFS office
at Street no. 11, Himayatnagar, the APFTTDC office at A.C. Guards
or the respective Deputy Educational officers of their zones for
delegate cards and participation. Further details can be had on
27635669 or 9246579395.

The Hindu, India
November 9, 2004

CONFLICTING REPORTS ABOUT CAUSE OF ELEPHANT’S DEATH

Our Staff Correspondent

There have been conflicting reports over the death of the
eight-year-old elephant Komala that was to fly out to Armenia as a
Gift of Goodwill.’ The animal died on October 22 barely a few days
before it was to be gifted to Yerevan Zoo in Armenia.

It is learnt that the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) report
received by the Police Department rules out poisoning, while the
member-secretary of the Karnataka Zoo Authority, R.S. Suresh, today
claimed that the report that they received from Institute of Animal
Health and Biologicals suggested poisoning as the cause of death.

In the light of conflicting reports, the governing council of the zoo
decided to meet the Police Commissioner, Praveen Sood, to find out
the contents of the report submitted by the FSL.

Even as the reports were received by these two agencies, the
governing council of the zoo met here. The meeting was attended by
the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, R.M. Ray; the executive
director the zoo; Manoj Kumar; the Mayor, Dakshinamurthy; and the zoo
authority chairperson, Susheela Keshavamurthy. While taking stock of
the situation, the meeting took the versions of the employees, who
all along have been demanding action against veterinary doctors for
alleged dereliction of duty. The closed-door meeting discussed steps
to be initiated to protect the animals and other measures to be taken
to improve the situation in the zoo.

<subheadline> Complaints

</subheadline>

Mr. Suresh told presspersons after the meeting that they had received
complaints from the employees against the veterinarians, and that
some had complained even against the zoo Deputy Director,
Chandrashekar. Measures, both administrative and security, had been
taken to strengthen the security at the zoo, and the security officer
of the zoo, Govindaraju’s services had been discontinued already, he
said.

Mr. Suresh said that of the three doctors, one had been transferred
already, and measures were being taken to appoint another
veterinarian on contract. Meanwhile, the employees of Sri
Chamarajendra Zoological Gardens demanded action against the doctors
in the light of the FSL report.

Reaping and Writing
By EDWARD WYATT; Compiled by Lawrence Van Gelder

The New York Times
November 10, 2004 Wednesday
Late Edition – Final

Four novelists, two poets and two writers of nonfiction have been
chosen by the Lannan Foundation of Santa Fe, N.M., to receive $925,000
in literary awards and fellowships for their work. The poet W.S. Merwin
will receive the foundation’s lifetime achievement award, carrying
a $200,000 prize. Three literary awards of $125,000 each will go to
Rikki Ducornet, a novelist in residence at the University of Denver
and author of ”Gazelle,” a novel set in Cairo in the 1950’s (Alfred
A. Knopf, 2003); Peter Reading, a British poet; and Luis Alberto Urrea,
for his nonfiction work, including ”The Devil’s Highway” (Little,
Brown, 2004), an account of a group of Mexican men who died in the
desert while crossing illegally from Mexico into the United States
in 2001. The Lannan Foundation also awarded literary fellowships to
Edwidge Danticat, above, a novelist and author of ”The Dew Breaker”
(Knopf, 2004); Thomas Frank, a social critic and author of ”What’s the
Matter With Kansas?” (Metropolitan, 2004); Mavis Gallant, the Canadian
novelist and short-story writer; Micheline Aharonian Marcom, born in
Saudi Arabia and author of ”The Daydreaming Boy” (Riverhead, 2004),
a novel about a survivor of Turkey’s Armenian massacres; and Rebecca
Seiferle, the author of three books of poetry, including ”Bitters”
(Copper Canyon Press, 2001). EDWARD WYATT
From: Baghdasarian

Murder, they wrote; profit, they hope
by LAUREN BAYNE ANDERSONTimes Staff Writer

St. Petersburg Times (Florida)
November 10, 2004 Wednesday

Murder, they wrote; profit, they hope. But even if the book flops,
their marriage has prospered.

INDIAN SHORES – For 20 years as an emergency doctor, George Kamajian’s
daily routine often included abuse, murder and death.

“Once I was even threatened by this huge criminal I was treating,”
he said. “I threatened him back. To survive, sometimes you have to
act crazier than the patients.”

Wanting to forget his long, harrowing days at work, Kamajian, 53,
found an outlet for his stress in writing. But he didn’t put the
white coat out of his mind entirely.

Instead, his stories wove together his medical knowledge with his
interest in Egyptology. His wife, Debra, 45, often hovered behind him,
reading over his shoulder.

“I’d get little notes the next day left on napkins, saying, take this
out, put this in,” he said. Soon after, she began adding passages of
her own.

The couple, who moved to Indian Shores this year, never planned to
become authors, but years after they began writing as a hobby, they
published their second book,<I> The Eyes of Horus, </I>in June.

Horus </I>is the story of Derek, a detective, and Kelly, a medical
examiner and emergency room doctor, who solve a murder mystery through
medical research.

The characters find clues that lead them from New England to Florida
and finally to Egypt, where they discover the double crown of Egypt,
an ancient artifact.

The pair incorporated themselves into the book. His medical experience,
their Armenian background and their dry sense of humor all factor in.

“As writers, you put yourself into it a little, so I could be Kelly
and George could be the detective,” Debra Kamajian said. “When you
get that intensely into any subject, you don’t exist in a vacuum;
you’re writing with own experiences.”

Although the authors are on their second book, George Kamajian
remains an emergency room doctor. But he practices far from his
Pinellas beachfront condo. To avoid paying Florida’s higher medical
malpractice premiums, he commutes twice a month to Massachusetts for
work. The couple lived in nearby Rhode Island for almost 10 years
before moving to Florida in August.

They started writing<I> Horus </I>in 1999 after their daughters,
6 and 7, were born. To break up the monotony, they began a book of
humorous short stories with unconventional, ironic twists, titled<I>
And That Was That</I>. The book was picked up quickly in 2003 by a
small Canadian publisher.

But after years of working on the 400-page novel <I>Horus, </I>they
had a pile of rejection letters from publishers after more than
100 queries.

Debra Kamajian said they thought about self-publishing but opted not
to because of the stigma attached to it.

“With all the money we spent on postage, sending manuscripts to
publishers, we could have published ourselves,” she said. “But when
you say “self-published,’ a lot of people poo-poo it.”

After a year of letdowns, the Kamajians received a call from Barbara
Turner, owner of Briarwood Publications, a small publisher in Virginia,
who was interested in the book. Briarwood publishes about six books
a year, many by professors working toward tenure.

“I was so excited; I thought, a publisher believes in us,” she said.
“We kept the telephone message for a year and a half.”

Turner said she immediately loved<I> Horus, </I>but alerted the
authors that once the book was published, they would have to work
even harder to publicize it.

“I told them, I’m small press and you’re unknown, so we really need
to work here,” Turner said.

Debra Kamajian – with the personality more of a cheerleader than
the co-author of a medical murder mystery – energetically took on
marketing.

The homemaker canvassed neighborhoods, placed fliers on car windows
and talked up the book.

Slowly, her drive is paying off<I>. Horus</I> is available at
Amazon.com and at some local libraries, and will soon be available at
Waldenbooks in Clearwater. She has set up a book signing at Westfield
Shoppingtown Countryside for early December.

But publicity isn’t cheap. Already, they have spent more than $1,000
on poster boards, fliers and banners.

“It does come out of our pocket, but it’s okay, because the whole
point is for people to read it,” she said.

They make about $1 on each book, which retails for $9.95. Thousands
of copies have been shipped to distributors across the country,
but Turner said that because<I> Horus </I>was recently printed,
she couldn’t estimate how many had sold.

“Books are unique in that what I might think is going to be a great
seller might not be,” Turner said. “It’s like throwing mud up against
a wall: Some will stick. Some won’t.”

Her goal is to be able to walk into a bookstore and find<I> Horus
</I>readily stocked on the shelves.

George Kamajian said whether or not the book becomes a hit, writing
it was worth the time.

“Am I optimistic about<I> Oprah? </I>No,” he said. “But this book has
brought me so much closer to my wife, and for me, that’s the strength
of it.”

The couple continue to write, weaving their life experiences –
sometimes odd – into their stories.

Walking along the beach recently, George Kamajian spotted an
out-of-place object that had washed in. He recognized it as a human
bone.

Examining it with puzzlement, he looked up and said, “This is the
start of the next book.”

German, French foreign ministries visit Georgia
By Tengiz Pachkoria

ITAR-TASS News Agency
November 10, 2004 Wednesday 8:55 AM Eastern Time

TBILISI, November 10 — Georgian State Minister for Settlement of
Conflicts Georgy Khaindrava discussed the situation in Abkhazia and
South Ossetia with the political directors of the German and French
foreign ministries, Michael Schefer and Stanislas Lefevre de Laboulaye,
on Wednesday.

Khaindrava’s press service said Schefer and Lefevre de Laboulaye
“have expressed support of their countries for the stance of the
Georgian government on peaceful settlement of the conflicts” with
Georgia’s two provinces.

The officials of the German and French foreign ministries will meet
during their one-day visit to Tbilisi President Mikhail Saakashvili,
Foreign Ministry Salome Zurabishvili and Prime Ministry Zurab Zhvania.

Schefer and Lefevre de Laboulaye will travel to Armenia’s capital
Yerevan on Thursday.

Azerbaijani president repeats demand that ethnic Armenian forces withdraw from disputed enclave
by AIDA SULTANOVA; Associated Press Writer

Associated Press Worldstream
November 9, 2004 Tuesday

BAKU, Azerbaijan — Ethnic Armenian forces must withdraw from the
disputed enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh before Azerbaijan signs a peace
agreement with Armenia to resolve nearly a decade of tense relations,
Azerbaijan’s president said Tuesday.

Ilham Aliev also said he would not cancel an upcoming NATO-sponsored
seminar to which Armenian lawmakers have been invited, telling
journalists that Azerbaijan must not isolate itself from the
international community. Some veterans of the early 1990s war over
Nagorno-Karabakh, an ethnic Armenian enclave within Azerbaijan, have
protested the participation of Armenian lawmakers in the Nov. 26-28
seminar in Baku.

The status of Nagorno-Karabakh has kept the two South Caucasus nations
from reaching a peace agreement since the end of open hostilities
in 1993, in which 30,000 people were killed and about one million
left homeless. The enclave has been controlled by ethnic Armenian
forces since a 1994 cease-fire and incursions and shooting breaks
out regularly, despite a buffer zone separating the two sides.

Negotiators under the auspices of the Organization for Security and
Cooperation in Europe are trying to work out a final agreement on
the enclave, but no visible progress has been made in recent years.

Speaking during a visit to Astara, south of the capital, Baku, Aliev
again hinted at military action if no negotiated solution is reached.

“We demand with justification that the seized territory be freed and
the occupation forces withdraw,” Aliev said.

Later, Aliev told residents of another southern Azeri town: “If we see
that talks and negotiations conducted within international structures
don’t give any results, then we will have to resort to other methods.”

The leader of Nagorno-Karabakh, meanwhile, said in an interview on
Armenian television Tuesday that Azerbaijan had no other option except
to negotiate a final agreement on the enclave’s status.

“As far as Azerbaijan’s readiness to negotiate over Nagorno-Karabakh
is concerned, I am convinced that it has no other option, because
the question of Nagorno-Karabakh cannot be resolved without the
participation of Karabakh residents,” Arkady Gukasyan said.

Aliev also told journalists at a later stop that he would not give
in to what he called an “uproar” over the participation of Armenia
lawmakers in the NATO seminar.

“We can’t isolate ourselves from the ongoing peace process, “Aliev
said. “We want diverse international activities to be conducted in
Azerbaijan – conferences, seminars, including those conducted by
international organizations.”

Officials at NATO’s parliamentary assembly secretariat in Brussels
have said if no Armenian delegation is allowed to attend, the seminar
will be called off.

Armenia “torpedoes” Karabakh talks – Azeri official

Turan news agency
10 Nov 04

Baku, 10 November: The inclusion of the issue of Azerbaijan’s occupied
territories into the agenda of the 59th session of the UN General
Assembly seriously worries the Armenian leadership, Matin Mirza, press
secretary of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry, said commenting on
Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan’s statement about Yerevan’s
readiness to resume the Prague negotiations. He pointed out that
Armenia has not officially informed Azerbaijan about its readiness
to resume the negotiations and Baku has learnt it from the mass media.

Mirza said it is inadmissible to link the resumption of the Prague
negotiations to the forthcoming UN discussions. Oskanyan’s remarks
that Azerbaijan should not hope that the Prague negotiations can
be conducted at the same time as the UN discussions are aimed at
“torpedoing” the negotiating process. The Armenian side resorts to
such “destructive” tricks every time there are favourable conditions
for making progress in the negotiations, Mirza said.

As for the Armenian side’s aspiration to achieve direct negotiations
between Azerbaijan and the Karabakh separatists, according to the
mandate of the Minsk Conference and the OSCE Minsk Group of 1992,
the sides to the conflict are Armenia and Azerbaijan. The Azerbaijani
and Armenian communities of Nagornyy Karabakh are interested sides.

Mirza stressed that under no circumstances will Azerbaijan withdraw its
proposal to discuss the situation in the occupied territories at the
UN. He said that Azerbaijan’s initiative is dictated by its anxiety
about Armenia artificially resettling the occupied territories with
the aim of changing the demographic situation.

Russian envoy advises Armenia to prioritize national interests

Mediamax news agency
10 Nov 04

Yerevan, 10 November: The ambassador of the Russian Federation to
Armenia, Anatoliy Dryukov, considers that “the level of relations
reached between Armenia and Russia can be described as very high”.

Anatoliy Dryukov voiced this opinion today at a meeting with professors
and teachers of Yerevan’s Grachya Acharyan University.

Commenting on the presence of pro-Western and pro-Russian moods in
Armenia, the Russian ambassador said that “if Armenia prioritizes its
national interests, then the vector of relations will remain correct”.

At present, Armenia and Russia are facing the task of maintaining
and expanding relations that have shaped between the countries for
centuries, Dryukov said. He said that several negative points in
bilateral relations “are of no significance” and “are temporary
in nature”.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress