Karabakh ready to repel Azeri attacks – NKR DM
Regnum, Moscow
26 Jan 05

Text of report by Russian news agency Regnum headlined “The defence
minister of Nagornyy Karabakh: ‘We are ready for a successful
counterattack'”
“The year 2004 saw unprecedented progress in the issue of
strengthening the front line of the Nagornyy Karabakh defence army. A
great deal of work was carried out to construct on the front line
engineering installations that would allow the command and personnel
to wage positional warfare and foil all the attempts of the enemy to
advance if hostilities resume,” the defence minister of Nagornyy
Karabakh, Lt-Gen Seyran Oganyan, said during a press conference on the
results of the 2004 army year.
He said that the command and staff exercises held in August last year
showed that the command and units of the army of the Nagornyy Karabakh
Republic [NKR] are capable of fulfilling properly the tasks they are
set. “A great deal of work was carried out to strengthen army
discipline, reduce the number of emergencies and military crimes (one
premeditated murder was registered),” the minister pointed out.
Seyran Oganyan also said that the wages of the military have increased
in 2005 and about 750m drams [1.27m dollars] will be allocated for
improving the housing conditions of officers and about 300m drams
[over 500,000 dollars] have been earmarked for improving the housing
conditions of the families of those killed in the war and war
veterans. The NKR defence minister pointed out that 2005 will see
improvements in the combat and professional skills and knowledge of
officers and rank-and-file soldiers. Special attention will be paid to
“the first fighting” if the war resumes because “the world’s war
experience shows that the biggest casualties occur in the initial
period of hostilities,” the minister stressed.
“Every year the NKR defence army sees certain progress, which is
stated not only by the command of the army, but also confirmed by
checks, inspections, command and staff exercises, as well as by the
commander-in-chief’s visits to army units,” the NKR defence minister
said.
Asked by journalists about Baku’s warlike rhetoric, the NKR defence
minister, Seyran Oganyan, said: “Of course, the command of the NKR
defence army is concerned about such statements, since the Karabakh
side’s task is to achieve a peaceful solution to the Karabakh
conflict. However, the balance of forces in the region is maintained
and Azerbaijan will not manage to solve anything by force. In any
case, we are ready to repel such attempts, and not only to defend
ourselves, but also to launch a successful counterattack.”
Touching on the visit by the OSCE monitoring mission to the
territories controlled by the NKR scheduled for the end of February,
Seyran Oganyan said that “he views such monitoring normally”. “These
territories are under the total control of the NKR authorities.
However, we cannot ban our citizens from farming in these territories.
At the same time, our duty is to ensure law and order in populated
areas. As for the fate of the territories themselves, a major
negotiating process lies ahead and any decision on these territories
should be adopted within the framework of this process,” the minister
said.

PACE INTENDS TO HELP OSCE MG RATHER THAN SUBSTITUTE FOR IT
YEREVAN, JANUARY 27. ARMINFO. “We are not going to substitute or OSCE
Minsk Group we just wanted to help the o-chairs,” PACE rapporteur on
Nagorny Karabakh David Atkinson says in an interview to BBC.
The over 10 year wrk of MG has yielded no results. PACE’s objective is
to bring about some parliamentary aspect in the confict settlement and
to enhance the role of the conflicting parties’ parliaments in the
process. This may give new settlement ideas. “After the adoption of
the resolution we are expecting the Azeri government to start
contacting Nagorny Karabakh representatives and discussing mutual
problems with them,” says Atkinson noting that these discussions may
be held in Strasbourg too.
In 1994-1995 when Atkinson was the chairman of the PACE committee for
CE non members he organized such a meeting in Strasbourg and all the
parties to the conflict were there. Unfortunately the meeting brought
no results. “But I think that the recent initiatives will be
fruitful.” The CE can make its own contribution to the peace process
but this is not substitution for MG. The major reason for no result in
the past years was the lack of contacts between the Azeri authorities
and Nagorny Karabakh representatives.
The CE’s initiative is expected to generate contacts that may lead to
the conflict settlement.
Asked if he was pressured by the Armenian or Azeri sides while
drafting his report on Nagorny Karabakh Atkinson says that he has his
own idea of the problem and his goals coincided with the opinions of
both Armenian and Azeri delegations.
From: Baghdasarian

ARMENIA AGAINST TURKEY’S MEDIATION
YEREVAN, JANUARY 27. ARMINFO. Turkey has an erroneous idea of Nagorny
Karabakh and Armenian-Azeri relations, Armenia’s FM Vardan Oskanyan
says in an interview to Zaman (Turkey).
Ankara dos not or does not want to perceive the gist of the
problem. The Karabakh conflict is not a territorial dispute between
Armenia and Azerbaijan. The Karabakh Armenians are struggling for
their independence. They do not want to be citizens of Azerbaijan and
part of that country. Presently they are building up their own
independent state. Before the Karabakh conflict no single Azeri
territory was controlled by the Armenians. All this is the result of
the conflict.
Oskanyan says that Armenia cannot accept Turkey’s intermediation as
Ankara is Baku’s ally and supports it everywhere. Asked about the
possibility of withdrawal of troops from the controlled territories
Oskanyan says that Nagorny Karabakh has always been an Armenian
land. As for the other controlled districts this issue should be
settled by Nagorny Karabakh and Azerbaijan.

WE HOPE THAT VERY SOON TURKEY WILL OPEN BORDER WITH ARMENIA: ARMENIA’S FM
YEREVAN, JANUARY 27. ARMINFO. In an interview to Zaman Armenia’s FM
Vardan Oskanyan said that there is no reference to territories or
compensation on the Armenian foreign policy agenda.
Our foreign policy goal is international recognition of the Armenian
Genocide, together with recognition by Turkey. What happened in 1915
is quite obviously Genocide. Turks have differing opinions about
that. Let’s let people openly discuss this issue. We are democratic
societies. There is no need to become concerned that Armenia is trying
to place this issue on other countries’ agendas. Turks, too, can lobby
in different countries, work with them. However, Armenia absolutely
does not view this as a precondition for the improvement of relations
with Turkey. We have never said that Turkey first acknowledges the
Genocide. We could have resolved the matter through dialogue, had
there been diplomatic relations between the two countries. How are we
to resolve this issue? Since we’re not able to resolve it at the
governmental level, then there are efforts to seek solutions at other
levels, through other channels.
Asked if Turkey’s entry into the EU will facilitate this claim
Oskanyan said that today, there are two important problems between
Armenia and Turkey: opening the border, and Genocide. For the
improvement of relations, Genocide recognition is not a precondition
but open borders automatically are. No one can insist that there can
be normal relations between two countries if the border between them
is closed. However, even without Genocide recognition, it is possible
to normalize relations. The Genocide is a moral, broader issue. The
EU, too, would like for Turkey to recognize the Genocide at some stage
in the process. We hope that these matters will be included in the
agenda for negotiations between Turkey and the EU to begin later this
year. But on the border issue, we can’t wait 10-15 years or longer,
for Turkey to be accepted into the EU, for there to be some positive
movement. We hope that very soon, Turkey will open the border.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Azeri Defence Ministry denies “heavy clash” on Karabakh front line
Assa-Irada, Baku
27 Jan 05
BAKU
Armenia has once again violated the cease-fire, ANS TV reported today.
Passage omitted: details of ANS report
An Azerbaijani army soldier, Aqil Mammadov, born in 1986, was killed
in a fight.
Passage omitted: more details
The Azerbaijani Defence Ministry has partly denied the report. In a
report provided to Assa-Irada news agency, the ministry’s press
service said that there had been no heavy clash and that an
Azerbaijani soldier had been killed by Armenian fire in a cease-fire
violation.

AZERBAIJAN, IRAN SET TO COOPERATE IN NATIONAL SECURITY, ANTITERROR FIGHT
Turan news agency
27 Jan 05
BAKU
“The Azerbaijani Republic and the Islamic Republic of Iran will make
effort to make the Caspian a region of peace, stability, good
neighbourhood and cooperation,” says a joint statement for the press
on the results of the official visit of Azerbaijani President Ilham
Aliyev signed by the presidents of the two countries in Tehran
yesterday (26 January).
The document notes: “The sides stressed the importance of continuing
constructive dialogue to coordinate the convention on the legal status
of the Caspian based on consensus among the Caspian littoral states
and expressed in this connection their wish to boost efforts of the
special working group comprising deputy foreign ministers of the
Caspian states.”
In addition, the statement stresses that it is important that the
framework convention on protection of the marine environment of the
Caspian signed by all the Caspian states in Tehran in 2003 is ratified
and comes into force as soon as possible.
The sides intend to continue close bilateral and multilateral
cooperation “with the aim of strengthening the international
political, economic and legal order based on sovereign equality and
territorial integrity of all countries, non-interference in their
domestic affairs” and other accepted international legal norms.
Baku and Tehran confirm their readiness to continue cooperation within
the framework of the UN and its bodies, the Organization of Islamic
Conference (OIC) and other world and regional international
organizations.
The sides noted with satisfaction that the current contractual basis
serves as a reliable ground that ensures the comprehensive development
of relations between the two countries.
Azerbaijan and Iran also intend to cooperate in the fight against new
global threats such as international terrorism, illegal trade in
drugs, psychotropic substances and precursors, transnational organized
crime, human trafficking and illegal arms trade.
The sides once again stressed that the UN and OIC resolutions on the
Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict have to be implemented and this problem
should be resolved “based on sovereignty, territorial integrity and
inviolability of the borders of the Azerbaijani Republic”.
The statement also stresses the sides’ intentions “to cooperate in the
field of national security and in accordance with individual
agreements, to facilitate ties between corresponding structures of the
two countries”.

COOPERATION OF ARMENIAN AND RUSSIAN ICHTHYOLOGISTS
Azg/arm
28 Jan 05
The Inner Hydrosystems’ Research Institute of the Russian Academy of
Sciences will conduct a five-year research of the Sevan Lake in
cooperation with Armenian hydroecologists and ichthyologists. The
Armenian hydroecologists are going to participate at the research
program of Russia’s lakes and reservoirs. A ship designed for research
has arrived from Russia to help the research. The ship ‘s equipment
enables to pursue researches in deep waters.
The Russian scientists will bring to Armenia Ekholot, a sonograph that
will provide information on the lake’s bottom’s relief, fishâ=80=99s
number and locations.
The Armenian and Russian scientists will supplement each other as both
sides have specialists that the other side lacks.
By Karine Danielian

GEORGIAN MONASTERIES IN ARMENIAN-POPULATED REGION
Azg/arm
28 Jan 05
“This was the way that St Nino passed while going inland, to
Mtskhet. For that reason the monastery of St Nino was built at the
shore of Parvana Lakein 1989”, said father Antony from the monastery.
The monastery is located by Poga village in largely Armenian-populated
Ninotsminda region. The monks, solely Georgians, spend their time here
in prayers. The local Armenians are in friendly relations with the
residents of the monastery, 5 monks as yet.
“Only in 1989 it became possible to built the monastery as the region
was a closed zone and one had to have an ID to pass through here”
Antony explained. It was built by Georgian Patriarch’s order.
Father Antony says that the main reason for building the monastery was
to bring people to God. “We live here, baptize children and explain to
curious people what the Orthodoxy and the Georgian Church are”.
The vegetable garden and the cattle are the only source of their
food. “We do everything ourselves and people help occasionally. People
come here from everywhere, mainly the capital”, father Antony said.
Mother Shushanik is the supervisor of the woman’s cloister which was
built 3 years later, in 1992. “We were four at first but today there
nine of us”, mother Shushanik said.
Telling why they chose Ninotsminda region for their cloister, mother
Shushanik said: “This is a holy place for Georgia as St Nino,
illuminator of Georgia, passed through here on her way to Georgia from
Armenia”.
Mother Shushanik said that there is a Sunday school at the cloister
where they have not only Georgian but also Armenian pupils learning
Georgian and English.
The inhabitants of two monasteries celebrate the day of St Nino on
January the 1st in an open church at the Parvana Lake after which the
Georgian clergy that is participating at the celebrations goes to
Mtskhet by the route thatSt Nino passed in 4th century.
Speaking of the future mother Shushanik said: “We make no plans here,
we simply live carrying out our daily jobs praying and serving the
Lord”.
By Aghavni Harutyunian in Poga

ARMENIAN AND FRENCH MPs PROTEST AGAINST INSINUATIONS OF THEIR TURKISH
COLLEAGUE
YEREVAN, JANUARY 27. ARMINFO. Head of the Armenian delegation to PACE,
Vice Speaker of the Armenian Parliament Tigran Torosyan and a member
of the French delegation to PACE Fransua Roshlua have sent letters of
protest to CE Secretary General Terry Davis in connection with the
behavior of Presiding Chairman of the PACE Political Committee,
representative of the Turkish delegation Abdul Gyadir Atesh.
During PACE session dedicated to discussion of the draft resolution on
Nagorny Karabakh, the latter misled European MPs stating that a day
before the Political Committee had allegedly rejected the proposal of
the Armenian party on replacement of the formulation “separatist
forces” into “forces aspiring for indepedence.” In the meantime,
before the session, the Political Committee accepted the new
formulation proposed by the Armenian party by majority of votes.
Earlier, Torosyan in his interview to the Armenian Public Television
stated that it was insinuations of the Turkish MP who had misled PACE
deputies that the amendment was not included into the final version of
the resolution on Nagorny Karabakh.

SENTENCE ABOUT ARMENIAN GENOCIDE EXCLUDED FROM BOOKS ON HISTORY IN GERMANY
Azg/arm
28 Jan 05
Armenialiberty website informed that under Turkey’s pressure the
statement on the Armenian Genocide was excluded from the school
manuals on history in Germany. Die Welt magazine informed that a
Turkish diplomat sent a letter of protest to Matthias Plazek, head of
Brandenburg region. As a result, the sentence “for example, the
genocide of the Armenian population of Anatolia” was excluded from the
book on history for 9-10 grades. Plazek explained this by the
following excuse: “The genocide is an extremely important issue to be
touched upon in half a sentence.”
The newspaper stated that in Germany the massacre of the Armenians is
mentioned in the books only in the region of Brandenburg. Shavarsh
Hovsepian, chairman of the Central Committee of the Armenian
Organization, told the newspaper that that was a scandal. “it is a
pity that they decide what kind of text-books to have in Brandenburg
under the dictate of Ankara,” he said. The head of this region is a
member of the Social-Democratic Party that is for Turkeyâ=80=99s
membership to EU. At present, almost 2 million Turks are dwelling in
Germany, the Turkish community is the biggest in this country.
By Ruzan Poghosian