PACE RESOLUTION ON NAGORNY KARABAKH IS UNFAVORABLE FOR ARMENIAN SIDE:
VAHAN HOVHANNISIAN
YEREVAN, JANUARY 28. ARMINFO. The resolution of the Parliamentary
Assembly of the Council of Europe on Nagorny Karabakh is unfavorable
on the whole for the Armenian side. Vice Speaker of National Assembly
of Armenia, member of the bureau of the party ARF Dashnaktsutiun Vahan
Hovhannisian stated during the news conference at the National press
club, Friday.
Of course, there are separate provisions in the document, proceeding
from the interests of the Armenian side, the vice speaker said. Among
them the call on to the authorities of Azerbaijan to begin a dialogue
with representatives of Nagorny Karabakh on determination of the
status of this region. Despite the fact that the PACE resolution on
Nagorny Karabakh is of recommendation nature and cannot have a legal
influence on the process of settlement of the Karabakh conflict within
the framework of OSCE Minsk Group, it is dangerous that Azerbaijan
succeeded to bring the discussions concerning the Karabakh problem
from the format of OSCE Minsk Group to other international instances
who know little about the kernel of the Karabakh conflict, Vahan
Hovhannisian stressed. And it is the omission of the Armenian
diplomacy, he said. “All the experts, including the cochairmen of the
OSCE Minsk Group, who have examined the genesis and the history of the
Karabakh conflict, know well in whose side is the truth.
Just that’s why, beginning from 1998 the positions of the Armenian
party concerning the Karabakh conflict have been taken into
consideration in all the proposals of OSCE Minsk Group. And that’s why
these proposals were rejected by Azerbaijan, the vice speaker
said. According to him, Azerbaijan, realizing the fact that it cannot
reach a success in the negotiation process within the framework of the
OSCE Minsk Group, as it is difficult to mislead the cochairmen, has
transferred the discussions of the Karabakh conflict to international
instances who know about it a little. Just for this reason the
Armenian side has declared that PACE is not the most favorable arena
for discussion of the Karabakh problem. However, it the fact is
important that no one of the international structures supports the
militarist aspirations of Azerbaijan in the Karabakh problem, and in
the process of peaceful negotiations the Armenian party will be able
to reach certain achievements.
The negotiation process for settlement of the Karabakh conflict is
going on, it means this issue has not reached a deadlock”,
Hovhannisian said. He stressed that a special advice format with the
participation of the heads of Armenian delegations to international
structures will be established at the National Assembly for increase
of the efficiency of the parliamentary diplomacy.

ARFD CONDEMNS STATEMENT BY PACE RAPPORTEUR ON KARABAKH
YEREVAN, JANUARY 28. ARMINFO. The Armenian Revolutionary Federation
Dashnaktsoutyun party considers inadmissible the statement by PACE
rapporteur on Karabakh David Atkinson that the principle of a nation’s
self-determination right is not applicable to the Karabakh people,
says ARFD member, parliamentary vice speaker Vahan Hovhannissyan.
Especially inadmissible is the statement that “if Azerbaijan agrees to
Karabakh’s independence PACE will not object.” This is in fact a call
on Azerbaijan to toughen its position in the Karabakh
issue. Hovhannissyan says that ARFD warned that Atkinson’s report
might be biased as he “reeks of oil” and that Armenia should do its
best to invalidate this report. “One should not underestimate the
factor of Azeri oil and Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline in the Karabakh
issue,” says Hovhannissyan noting that his statements do not refer to
the British government but its cdertain officials.
Commenting on the acknowledgement of Azerbaijan’s territorial
integrity by some states Hovhanissyan says that this principle is more
clearly formulated than that of a nation’s self-determination and
that’s why the international community prefers the former to the
latter. That’s exactly why Armenia should not react to such statements
so acutely. “We should stay immune to such statements. Armenia too
recognizes Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity but without Karabakh who
has never been part of independent Azerbaijan,” says Hovhannissyan.

FILM TELLING ABOUT KARABAKH WAR BY ARMENIAN EDITOR SCREENED AT 34TH
ROTTERDAN FILM FESTIVAL
YEREVAN, JANUARY 28. ARMINFO. Four short films by Armenian editors
Arsen Azatian and Narine Lazarian participate in the 34th Rotterdam
Film Festival (Holland) opened Thursday. Head of the International
Festival “Gold Apricot,” a member of the Association of Movie Critics
and Movie Journalists, a jury of Rotterdam Festival Susanna
Haroutiunyan told ARMINFO.
She said that Azatian’s film “At the Roadside” (“Champezrin”) was
presented at the festival. A beautiful, sympathetic story about war
and the need to have a home. 1992, Karabakh: a military convoy is
evacuating the civilian population that is being shelled. In a
deserted area, the soldiers try to persuade an old man who refuses to
leave his home to come with them. The stubborn old man – who speaks in
the Karabakh dialect – is played by the excellent actor Rafael
Jrbashian. Besides, three films by Narine Lazarian will be screened
at the festival.
– a friendly, poetic episode from the life of a man, his
donkey and their dialogue. A friendly, poetic episode of the everyday
life of a man, his donkey and their dialogue.
, the ‘bogey-man’ is dedicated to and is about the brilliant
film director Sergei Paradzhanov (1924-1990). The film festival has a
special bond with Paradzhanov; Hubert Bals had invited him personally
to come and receive a cash prize in 1988 in Rotterdam, which was
Paradzhanov’s first journey outside the Soviet Union. Paradzhanov’s
visit was an ’emotional high point’ (Peter van Bueren) of Bals’ last
(seventeenth) festival.The film shows Paradzhanov via a roundabout
route. We see him arrive severely ill in Yerevan, the capital of
Armenia, after a stay in Paris. Later, after his death, his body is
prepared for a death mask. We also see pictures of Paradzhanov at home
and the shooting of what to be his last film, Confession. He
interrupted this production himself when he realised that the means
available were completely inadequate.The soundtrack quotes Paradzhanov
about a variety of issues. He talks about his discord with the
authorities, narrates lyrically about his stay in Rotterdam and above
all about his art. There is lots of bitterness as Paradzhanov talks
about the constitutional state, soldiers and his imprisonment.A calm
camera style helps capture the melancholy of Paradzhanov’s last
days. Pictures of nature, the city, the airport ensure a visual story
filled with contrast. The camera does not provoke, but
reflects. – a refrigerator truck loaded with
humanitarian aid arrives in Armenia. The drivers are unable to locate
the road to Yerevan and keep looking for it. Parallel to this a string
of ludicrous stories unfolds. This is the story of Radio Yerevan in a
nutshell, according to its makers. They added: ‘This looks like a
simple rendition of the main plot, but it certainly isn’t. The truck
is not important, nor is the fact that the drivers only find Yerevan
when they leave the town, nor even the chain of extremely ludicrous
events, nor the boy’s flashbacks to the sixties, nor the ‘radio’
effects that play with reality, nor even the eroticism. The substance
of this film cannot be put into words and the plot can at most be
expressed in a poetic image: ‘within the depth of your blue eyes my
heart is yearning for the golden splash’. The need for this film today
was hanging in the air. The film is so short that it does not
distinguish between important and irrelevant, black and white, hours
and seconds. The film is laughter you wouldn’t want to share with
others, like secret self-inflicted wounds. We simply tried to open up
the innermost, most fragile and cherished layers of our egos and the
instinct to survive makes us laugh. And the laughter drives us
mad. Our country is at war today and that frightens us. But if we’re
scared, we fight more bravely, confront death more daringly and end up
laughing. What makes us laugh? Is it war, death or bravery? We do not
aspire to provide ready answers with the film, we’re all in the same
boat. We merely cry out about what you hear in the outcry. Take it or
leave it: this is our expression of the self. Radio Yerevan was made
with the support of the Rotterdam Film Festival.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

VISIT OF OSCE MG TO REGION MUST BE CONSIDERED AS SUCCESS IN FOREIGN
POLICY OF ARMENIA: LEADER OF AZERBAIJANI ORGANIZATION FOR LIBERATION
OF KARABAKH
YEREVAN, JANUARY 28. ARMINFO. The visit of OSCE MG to the region must
be considered as a success in the foreign policy of Armenia Leader of
the Azerbaijani Organization for Liberation of Karabakh Akif Nagi said
at a press-conference, Thursday.
He said that at the first stage of that trip, Azerbaijan was forced to
concessions i.e. “the delegation included in it neither representative
of Azerbaijan nor Turkey.” Besides, Nagi expressed indignation at the
fact that the delegation will inspect the regions nearing
Karabakh. but not in Karabakh. he said.
Nagi stated that the mission must pass via the territory of Azerbaijan.
At the same time, as regards the security of the delegation, he said
that this issue should not be laid on Azerbaijan, Akif Nagi noted that
at first, OLK planned to prevent the visit of the delegation to
Azerbaijan, however, “later we decided that pretexts are searched not
to allow the delegation to arrive in Nagorny Karabakh and we refused
from our initial idea. After the mission’s report in favor of Armenia,
we shall hold actions connected with the activity of that organization.”
Commenting on PACE resolution of Nagorny Karabakh, OLK Chairman said
that the resolution can be used only as a starting point for more
serious steps in future. At the same time, he said that the resolution
has a balanced approached to Armenia and Azerbaijan, it lays stress
upon the status of Nagorny Karabakh.

Azerbaijani soldier killed by Armenian forces
Friday, January 28, 2005

FOREIGN
BAKU – The Associated Press
  An Azerbaijani soldier was killed on the cease-fire line separating
government troops from ethnic Armenian forces controlling the Nagorno-Karabakh
enclave and a swath of surrounding territory in the ex-Soviet republic, the Defense
Ministry said on Thursday.
  The military chief in the disputed enclave, meanwhile, said strengthened
defenses on the cease-fire line mean that any Azerbaijani attempt to take back
the territory will be thwarted and could prompt “successful counterattacks.”
  The latest death on the dividing line and the bellicose warning added to
tension that persists more than a decade after a 1994 cease-fire ended a
six-year war over Nagorno-Karabakh that killed 30,000 people and drove a million from
their homes.
  Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry said ethnic Armenian forces opened fire near
the village of Shurabad shortly before midnight Wednesday, killing an
Azerbaijani soldier.
  Gunfire sporadically breaks out between the opposing forces, and the
dispute has raised fears of renewed war. International efforts have failed to
produce a settlement between Azerbaijan and Armenia, which supports
Nagorno-Karabakh’s internationally unrecognized government.
  Also Wednesday, Nagorno-Karabakh defense chief Seiran Oganian said that
“large volume of construction work” done on the front line over the past year
would enable ethnic Armenian forces to “freely conduct trench fighting in the
case military action begins, turning aside all attempts by the enemy to move
forward.”
  “We are prepared … not just to defend ourselves but to conduct successful
counterstrikes,” Oganian said.
  Ethnic Armenian forces also control a large amount of adjacent territory,
including land that links the enclave with Armenia. Disputes over the
additional territory have been one of the factors preventing Armenia and Azerbaijan
from settling the conflict.
  International monitors from the Organization for Security and Cooperation
in Europe, which has been seeking to foster a settlement between Armenia and
Azerbaijan for a decade, are due to tour the ethnic Armenian-held territory in
the coming days.
  Oganian, who spoke at a news conference, said that Nagorno-Karabakh
authorities “cannot prohibit our citizens to farm in these territories.”
© 2004 Dogan Daily News Inc. | Rights and Permissions
turkishdailynews.com.tr:

ROBERT KOCHARIAN AND ARKADI GHUKASIAN DISCUSS ISSUES REGARDING KARABAKH
SETTLEMENT
TEHRAN, January 26 (Noyan Tapan). The literary soiree entitled “To be
Frank…” dedicated to prominent poet Paruir Sevak was held at the
“Nairi” hall of the Sasun district of Tehran on January 21 upon the
initiative of the “Nor Dar” (“New Century”) recital group of the
Literary Department of the Armenian “Sipan” cultural union. According
to the “Alik” (“Wave”) daily newspaper, during the arrangement headed
by Angel Minasian members of the “New Century” group recited 35 works
of Sevak to the accompaniment of guitar and piano. Such an arrangement
was also held on January 22.

US AMBASSADOR TO ARMENIA WILL MAKE A AT
UCLA ON FEBRUARY 17
YEREVAN, JANUARY 28. ARMINFO. Honorable John M. Evans, U.S. Ambassador
to the Republic of Armenia, will speak at UCLA on Thursday afternoon,
February 17, 2005, at 2 p.m., in the Viewpoint Conference Room of
Ackerman Union (student union building, level A). Evans was confirmed
by the Senate in June, took his oath of office in August, and
presented his credentials in Yerevan in September 2004.
US Embassy informs ARMINFO that the Ambassador’s visit to UCLA is
being arranged by Professor Richard Hovannisian, AEF Chair in Armenian
History, with the cooperation of the Armenian Students
Association. Evans has stated that he looks forward to a free and open
exchange with students, faculty, and members of the public who wish to
attend the afternoon forum. He will begin the hour with a brief
overview titled “Report from Armenia–2005.”
A native of Williamsburg, Virginia, John Evans studied Russian history
at Yale University and Columbia University. Since entering the foreign
service, he has served in a number of posts, including Tehran, Prague,
Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Washington D.C., as well as on special
commissions and peace-keeping missions in Europe. His role in
coordinating the American response to the Armenian earthquake of 1988
earned him a medal and statement of appreciation from the Armenian
government. Prior to his appointment as Ambassador to Armenia, Evans
directed the State Department’s Office of Russian Affairs.
Ambassador Evans will be accompanied by Mrs. Donna Evans, former
President of the World Affairs Council of Washington, D.C., Robin
Phillips, Mission Director for the U.S. Agency for International
Development, Eugenia Sidereas, the State Department’s Desk Officer for
Armenia, and Aaron Sherinian, the Embassy’s Political Officer and
Assistance Coordinator in Yerevan.

KARABAKH LEADER STRESSES ARMENIAN ARMY’S ROLE IN KARABAKH SECURITY
Arminfo
28 Jan 05
YEREVAN
Armenia does its best to defend Nagornyy Karabakh. But it is one thing
when representatives of Nagornyy Karabakh raise some issues and it is
quite another thing when Armenia represents them, the president of the
Nagornyy Karabakh Republic, Arkadiy Gukasyan, has told journalists in
Yerevan.
“In this context, I consider that our opportunities will expand if
Karabakh takes part in negotiations and defends its positions itself,”
the president stressed. The president also pointed out that the
Armenian army was the main guarantor of the security of the Nagornyy
Karabakh people and state.
“If we have any fully formed structure, it is the army. I am confident
that we will have future with a strong army. The truth is that the
army has been resolving problems in our region until now. God willing,
this will never happen again, and problems are resolved politically.
But nevertheless, we need a strong army,” the president said.

ARMENIAN DEPUTY SPEAKER SAYS COUNCIL OF EUROPE’S KARABAKH REPORT “REEKS OF
OIL”
Mediamax news agency
28 Jan 05
YEREVAN
Armenian Deputy Speaker Vaan Ovanesyan is concerned at the Azerbaijani
authorities’ attempt to take the format of the Karabakh problem
settlement outside the OSCE Minsk Group framework and into the
parliamentary structures of the Council of Europe, NATO and other
organizations, where the superficial study of the problem is being
carried out.
Ovanesyan said this at a meeting with journalists at the National
Press Club in Yerevan today.
In this way official Baku avoids settling the conflict, and the Minsk
Group co-chairmen are really involved in solving it, taking into
consideration the opinions of all the parties to the conflict, he
said. The deputy speaker expressed an opinion that discussions of this
issue at experts’ level in any case lead to proposals which are more
advantageous to the Armenian side than to the Azerbaijani one. He
recalled that after the change of the authorities in Armenia in 1998
all the proposals of the OSCE Minsk Group were rejected by Azerbaijan.
Ovanesyan noted that reports of international structures are
non-binding since the mandate to settle the Karabakh problem belongs
to the Minsk Group. At the same time, the deputy speaker expressed
concern at the fact that PACE (Parliamentary Assembly of the Council
of Europe) rapporteur David Atkinson in his speech devalued the
mediators’ work holding them responsible for the difficulties in the
settlement process. Ovanesyan also condemned the report for the
failure to mention the prime cause of the conflict.
“The document reeks of oil,” he said, noting that the report took into
account the interests of oil consortiums engaged in the construction
of the Baku-Ceyhan oil pipeline.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

UN RURAL AID AGENCY ISSUES 20M-DOLLAR LOAN TO ARMENIA
Mediamax news agency, Yerevan
28 Jan 05
YEREVAN
The (UN) International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) has
allocated a 20m-dollar loan to Armenia.
An appropriate agreement was signed by IFAD Chairman Lennart Bage and
Armenian Minister of Agriculture David Lokyan in the capital of Italy
today, Mediamax’s special correspondent reports from Rome. Armenian
President Robert Kocharyan also attended the ceremony of signing the
document.
David Lokyan said that 10m dollars would be spent on issuing loans to
farmers in Armenia via the republic’s commercial banks. The remaining
10m dollars will be channelled into the projects of modernization of
Armenia’s agricultural infrastructure.
The IFAD chairman highly assessed Armenia’s success in the sphere of
agricultural reforms at the meeting with Robert Kocharyan. Lennart
Bage stressed that the loans issued to Armenia were used with high
efficiency.
Armenian Minister of Agriculture David Lokyan said today that the
credit programme was designed for four years and its realization would
begin in a few months.