The business of supporting Yushchenko
The Irish Times
December 8, 2004
UKRAINE: If anyone was likely to raise the hackles of the ex-KGB
man in the Kremlin, it was the burly former shipyard worker with the
walrus moustache and taste for revolution, writes Dan McLaughlin
When Lech Walesa clambered onstage alongside Viktor Yushchenko in
Kiev, he conjured both the spirit of Poland’s anti-Soviet Solidarity
movement and the centuries-old ties linking Ukraine to its Western
neighbour. Mr Walesa’s political star has long-since waned in Poland,
but he was greeted as a hero by thousands of Ukrainians for whom
he still embodies a nation’s escape from the grip of Moscow and the
heady start of its journey into the European Union and NATO.
As President Vladimir Putin’s aides in the Kremlin muttered darkly
about Western meddling in Russia’s “sphere of influence”, the
high-profile role played by Polish politicians in Ukraine was a
reminder of the country’s schizophrenic past and present.
While the Russian language and Orthodox Church prevail in industrial
south-east Ukraine, where Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovich is
strongest, the largely agricultural west of the country has much
stronger links with Poland and is dominated by the Ukrainian language
and Catholicism.
Poland ruled this region until the second World War and, along with
Lithuania, controlled most of present-day Ukraine until the 17th
century, when tsarist Russia took over.
It has irked Moscow greatly that the two Baltic neighbours – both
former Soviet satellites and new EU members – have taken key roles
in talks to end the Ukrainian crisis.
Polish President Alexander Kwasniewski and his Lithuanian counterpart,
Mr Valdas Adamkus, have been ever-present at negotiations in Kiev,
with Warsaw particularly keen to become the middle man between Brussels
and the old Soviet Union.
While Russia still calls the likes of Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova and
Armenia its “near-abroad”, the EU has made its interest in them plain
by declaring them part of its own “common neighbourhood”.
After Georgia slipped Moscow’s leash last year in the so-called rose
revolution, which brought a young, West-leaning leader to power, the
“loss” of Ukraine would be a bitter blow to Mr Putin, who presents
himself as a man capable of restoring global prestige to a fallen
superpower.
He has already been humiliated by having to withdraw the
congratulations he sent to Mr Yanukovich on his “victory”, and is
seen as having badly overplayed his hand by twice visiting Ukraine
to back his favoured candidate before the vote.
“That was an unprecedented move,” said Mr Kwasniewski. “It wouldn’t
have carried any risk if the result had been clear, but in the face
of deep divisions such as those in Ukraine there should have been
greater restraint.”
Poland’s press and public have strongly backed Mr Kwasniewski’s
efforts in Ukraine, inspired equally by memories of Solidarity’s
success and the chance to give Moscow a bloody nose while enjoying
EU and US protection.
“This is a huge defeat which the Kremlin has brought upon itself,”
wrote Poland’s influential Gazeta Wyborcza newspaper after the election
results were annulled.
“There’s no stopping freedom,” the newspaper proclaimed, amid something
of a pro-Yushchenko frenzy that saw it giving away copies with free
orange ribbons, the emblem of Ukraine’s opposition movement.
Historically torn apart and parcelled out by Germany and Russia,
Poland’s only worry now lies to the east, where pro-Kremlin Belarus and
Ukraine have offered no real buffer from Russia’s perceived antipathy
since the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991.
“We have the feeling of sharing a common destiny with Ukrainians,”
said former Polish defence minister Mr Bronislaw Komorowski. “Our
past experiences show that we have every reason to fear Moscow.”
But that fear would diminish significantly should Ukraine become, as
appears possible should Mr Yushchenko win the St Stephen’s Day election
re-run, a stable democracy with a strong civil society and growing
economy boosted by Western investment. Ukraine’s 50 million-strong
consumer market would be hugely attractive to Polish business, as
would the opportunity for increased leverage in talks with Russia on
vital gas and oil imports that arrive through Ukraine’s pipelines.
A Westward shift in Ukraine would also benefit the economies of
its other EU neighbours, Hungary and Slovakia, provided it wasn’t
accompanied by violence that prompted a surge in asylum-seekers at
unprepared border crossings.
In most former Eastern Bloc states, a defeat for the Kremlin and its
allies is still often hailed as an automatic triumph for the nation.
A Yushchenko victory, therefore, would be welcomed throughout the
region, except by Moscow-backed regimes like those in Belarus and
Moldova, upon whom pressure would undoubtedly increase.
For men like Mr Walesa, addressing the orange-clad masses in Kiev,
the final battles of the Cold War are only now being decided.
“Twenty-four years ago, I was in the same situation as you are now,”
he told the cheering crowd. “I opposed the Soviet Union and I opposed
communism, and I came out victorious. Now Ukraine has a chance, too.”

FC ratifies 2 protocols expanding Russia-CSTO military coop
ITAR-TASS News Agency
December 8, 2004 Wednesday 9:02 AM Eastern Time
MOSCOW, December 8 — The Federation Council ratified two protocols
that expand military-technical cooperation between Russia and the
member-countries of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO)
on Wednesday.
In particular, the protocol on introducing amendments in the
Russian-Armenian agreement on the Russian military base in Armenia
was ratified. It was noted at a Federation Council session that the
goal of the protocol is to bring the earlier reached agreements on the
Russian military base in compliance with “a higher level of military
and political cooperation of the countries” on the bilateral basis
and within the CSTO framework.
The agreement on the military base was signed in March 1995, and
the protocol on November 11, 2003 in Yerevan. The Armenian side has
already ratified the agreement in April this year that supplements
the bilateral agreement.
The Federation Council also ratified the protocol on
introducing amendments in the agreement on the main principles of
military-technical cooperation among the CSTO states. The CSTO prime
ministers signed the protocol on September 19, 2003 in Yalta.
The parliaments of Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan have
already ratified the document. The document enlarges the field of
applying benefits on arms supplies for the armed forces of the CSTO
states and does not allow their supplies to third countries without
the written accord of a supplier.

Atacan dos iglesias en Mosul, no hay víctimas
Agence France Presse — Spanish
7 dec 2004
MOSUL, Irak Dic 7 — Dos iglesias de Mosul, una caldea y una armenia,
fueron atacadas simultaneamente en esta ciudad del norte de Irak por
hombres armados, sin provocar víctimas, indicaron testigos a la AFP.
Inicialmente se había dado cuenta de un solo ataque.
La iglesia caldea de la ciudad, una de las mayores con que cuenta
la urbe, fue atacada con explosivos por un grupo de hombres armados,
dijo un religioso.
“Hacia las 16H30 (13H30 GMT) varios hombres armados entraron en la
iglesia y después de ordenar a las personas presentes que entraran
en una pieza aledaña colocaron explosivos en diferentes lugares del
edificio”, indicó a la AFP el padre Raghid Aziz Kara.
“Luego nos sacaron a todos e hicieron explotar el edificio. Oímos
tres detonaciones”, dijo el sacerdote al corresponsal de la AFP ante
la iglesia en llamas.
La iglesia, construida en los años 1950 y ampliada en los años 1990,
está situada en el barrio Al Chifa, en el centro de Mosul, ciudad
situada 370 km al norte de Bagdad.
En ese mismo momento otro grupo armado atacó una iglesia armenia en
el este de la ciudad, dijo a la AFP el custodio del lugar, Yussef
Yacub Hanna.
“Los hombres entraron al edificio y me hicieron salir, al igual
que dos feligreses que estaban aquí. Poco después escuchamos las
explosiones”, relató.
El 1 de agosto una bomba explotó en una iglesia de Mosul y otras
cuatro ante iglesias en Bagdad, provocando una decena de muertos.
Estos ataques suscitan inquietud entre la minoría cristiana iraquí,
evaluada en unas 700.000 personas, de los cuales 600.000 son caldeos
(católicos de rito oriental).
–Boundary_(ID_4n4HEnTWMnAop+WtHyT0aQ)–

SERGEY BABURIN: “HEYDAR ALIYEV IS ONE OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT FIGURES IN XX CENTURY”
[December 09, 2004, 13:25:15]
AzerTag, Azerbaijan State Info Agency
Dec 9 2004
In connection with anniversary of the date of death of the national
leader of Azerbaijan people, politician of world scale Heydar Aliyev,
with whose name are connected many historical events of the recent
past, the vice-speaker of the State Duma of Federal Assembly of the
Russian Federation Sergey Baburin has expressed deep condolences to
the Azerbaijan people.
Speaking to correspondent of AzerTAj, Sergey Baburin has told:
“I am grateful to destiny that it has brought me face to face with
Heydar Aliyev during the period when he was the President of the
Azerbaijan Republic. Our meetings in Baku and Moscow, discussion of
the problems connected to situation on the Caucasus, in the world,
situation with the Nagorny Karabakh conflict, have left a trace in my
memory, I have remembered him as the person, not simply living long
and interesting life, but also as one of the wisest politicians of XX
century. I could be familiar with many heads of the states of the world
– presidents, prime ministers … But I can tell unequivocally that from
all my familiar, including the Russian politicians, the wiser person,
than Heydar Aliyev, I did not meet. It was the person who really knew
problems of people and really understood what is necessary to do for
their solution. Responses about him of his colleagues and those who
have faced him were similar, and they even more convinced me of the
opinion that Heydar Aliyev, is, indeed, one of the most significant
political figures in XX century.
In spite of the fact that we were people of different generation and
age, we had close stand in the attitude to life, to values of life,
such as human dignity, civic position, respect for will of people
and its interests. We met both in Russia and in Azerbaijan, and he
was always very affable and benevolent, hospitable, when I came
to Baku. We could with him frankly, and even at times, arguing,
discuss problems.
Certainly, all are grateful to him that there was normal attitude to
the Russian and Russian-speaking inhabitants of Azerbaijan, many of
which due to this have returned to Azerbaijan, to their Motherland.
And it is very important for strengthening these relations and
henceforth. I hope, that the course for brotherhood of Azerbaijan
and Russia which has been announced by Heydar Aliyev, will remain
constant and further. The wisdom shown by Heydar Aliyev, should be
kept after he has physically left us”.
–Boundary_(ID_3ENPp4wuRVTTEYJCOskXuQ)–

Breakaway Karabakh’s parliament passes new electoral code
Mediamax news agency
9 Dec 04
Yerevan, 9 December: The parliament of the Nagornyy Karabakh Republic
(NKR) has passed the Electoral Code in its second and final reading.
In accordance with the new Electoral Code, a third of the MPs will be
elected on party lists, Mediamax news agency’s correspondent reports
from Stepanakert. The Democratic Artsakh Union faction which has a
majority of seats in the NKR’s parliament tabled the motion.
The National Assembly of the NKR also passed the law “On ombudsman”.

MOTHER SEE OF HOLY ECHMIADZIN ISSUES STATEMENT ON CHURCH BOMBINGS IN IRAQ
PanArmenian
Dec 8 2004
The Mother See of Holy Echmiadzin is greatly troubled to learn from
the Armenian Diocese of Damascus, that Armenian and Chaldean churches
were attacked and bombed yesterday in Mosul, Iraq.
His Holiness Garegin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All
Armenians, condemns these terrorist attacks on the churches in Iraq
and their endangerment of the peaceful centuries-old coexistence of
Christian and Muslim peoples. Regarding Iraq’s political crisis, His
Holiness appeals to the country’s Christian and Muslim leaders and
people to display willingness and understanding in halting the danger
of the conflict being categorized as a religious one. The Catholicos
of All Armenians calls upon spiritual leaders and faithful to work
together in brotherly love to reestablish the natural inter-faith
and social life of Iraq.
© PanArmenian
–Boundary_(ID_GW7NWIf29vivOUDSG9C74w)–

NEW PERSPECTIVES OPEN AFTER PUTIN’S VISIT TO TURKEY
Azg/arm
9 Dec 04
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to Turkey ended. The sides
dove into aftermaths. Turkish mass media labeled the meeting a historic
one not as much for the document on “friendship and multilateral
cooperation between Turkey and Russia” as for sides’ strivings
to put the so-called new relations against the USA and the EU.
>>From this perspective the Westâ~@~Ys evaluation of the visit could
be easily predicted. The French Le Figaro wrote on the occasion:
“Times are changing, old enemies become economic partners”. What lies
beyond the U-turn? It must be noted before answering this question that
due to the signed document Russia gained the opportunity to invest
in the spheres of energetics and defense industry of Turkey. And
the Turks got wider perspectives for cooperation in the Caucasus,
Middle East and the Black Sea basin.
Moreover, Russia promised Turkey to import Turkish goods of $1
million in exchange for the exported gas and to defend Turkeyâ~@~Ys
viewpoint on “Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus” at the UN Security
Council. The two states are concerned the most with EU-USA rivalry for
the territories of Russiaâ~@~Ys dominion, Americaâ~@~Ys geopolitical
penetration into this regions, Turkish-American discords and Turkey-EU
relations.
It is obvious that in the situation when USA invades the territories of
Russia â~@~Ys dominion and when Russia has surrendered its positions
in Georgia, Ajaria, apparently in Abkhazia and in Ukraine and as a
consequence the Black Sea turns into an American Sea, Turkeyâ~@~Ys
cooperation with Russia in the South Caucasus, Middle East and the
Black Sea basin will not be functional for Turkey. It would be simply
viewed as Turkeyâ~@~Ys encroachment on American interests and would
force USA to act.
In other words, what interests Turkey and Russia is not the South
Caucasus, Middle East and the Black Sea basin but bilateral regional
cooperation. No matter if the Russian-Turkish plans go in line with
those of the US, they will still back up Turkeyâ~@~Ys positions against
Washingtonâ~@~Ys. As the EU rivals with the US in Russiaâ~@~Ys domain
and balances Russia against USA, the Turkish-Russian cooperation will
give Turkey a trump card against the EU.
Both Russia who is under the threat of being forced out from the
territories of its dominion and Turkey who is maneuvering between
USA and EU are in urgent need of solid ground under their feet.
Turkish press informed on December 7 of a new report on Turkeyâ~@~Ys
EU accession made by Holland, EU chairman country.
The project will be voted at the European Parliament on December 14
and will be discussed at the EU summit on December 17 to be put to
EUâ~@~Ys vote afterwards. This means that President Putinâ~@~Ys visit
and Russian-Turkish agreements came just in time.
By Hakob Chakrian
–Boundary_(ID_JwQkCkKi/fZ+e3dhZoUvIQ)–

ABUE BESTOWS $130.000 TO MEDICAL CENTER AFTER ST. GREGORY THE ILLUMINATOR
Azg/arm
9 Dec 04
Sedrak Atchemian, ABUE (Armenian Benevolent Union for Education)
trustee in the western shore of America, arrived in Yerevan with
a special mission to inquire how the $130 thousand transferred
by the Union for St Gregory the Illuminator medical center were
used. He visited the center accompanied by Stepan Mantarlian, ABUE
representative in Armenia. After having talked to the head physician
of the center Ara Minasian, Sedrak Atchemian said: “Other regions of
Armenia as well as Artsakh will receive such aids. ABUE’s motto is
to be with people and for people”.
Such a mission organized by Harry Sarafian, alumnus of the Yerevan
State Medical University, and Sedrak Atchemian to our doctors and
medical centers once saved numerous lives of our freedom fighters in
90s. A visit to Artsakh to modernize medical establishments of the
region is envisaged to carry out in 2005.
By Hamo Moskofian

Armenian National Committee of Greater Washington
Washington AYF “Ani” Chapter
4906 Flint Drive
Bethesda, MD 20816
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 7, 2004
Contact: Arsineh Khachikian
Email: [email protected]
AYF/ANC Educate over 1,000 Educators about the Armenian Genocide
at National Social Studies Conference in Baltimore, MD
Baltimore, MD- Armenian National Committee and Armenian Youth
Federation activists once again spoke with over a thousand social
studies teachers and handed out over hundreds of educational
packets about the Armenian Genocide at the 84th National Council for
the Social Studies (NCSS) annual conference held at the Baltimore,
MD Convention Center on November 20 & 21.
During the two-day conference, teachers attended a variety of
educational panels and workshops. The conference and exhibit show
attracting over 4000 NCSS members, making it one of the largest
social studies conferences across the nation. Members of the
Greater Washington, DC ANC and AYF as well as the Chicago AYF were
among the 300 exhibitors present at the trade show. For the second
time in as many years, the ANC/AYF participation was made possible
through a generous grant by the Armenian Youth Foundation.
The ANC/AYF booth at the exhibit primarily focused on educating
history teachers about the Armenian Genocide and informing them of
the available resources to help them include this vital topic in
their lesson plans. Over 1000 teachers avidly approached the booth
gathering materials including a folder with information about the
Armenian Genocide provided by Richard Kloian, Director of the
Armenian Genocide Resource Center (AGRC). Several teachers engaged
in conversation with ANC, AYF and history teachers helping with the
booth asking a variety of questions including where to get
additional materials, maps and books about the Armenian Genocide.
Others simply asked what more they can do to help stop the denial
and several teachers commented that they were happy to see the
Armenian Genocide has not been forgotten.
Making the conference a huge success was a postcard campaign
encouraging teachers to log onto TeachGenocide.org, a website
created by ANC of San Francisco as part of its Genocide Education
Project. The website, created specifically for teachers, allows
them to download teaching guides, maps, videos and primary
documents related to the Armenian Genocide as well as the
comprehensive 190-page lesson plans created specifically for public
schools by the ANC-SF and sponsored by the San Francisco Unified
School District.
Also on the website, is information about Facing History and
Ourselves new resource guide: Crimes Against Humanity and
Civilization: The Genocide of the Armenians. This new resource
book gives teachers the opportunity to help their students
understand the dilemmas as well as failure of the international
community to protect Armenians and to later prosecute the
criminals. Furthermore instructional posters on the Armenian
Genocide are now available for viewing and free download on the
site.
The booth was eye-catching with enlarged documents of New York
Times articles from 1915, pictures from Armin T. Wegner’s
collections of genocide victims and maps showing the routes of
deportation and areas in present day Turkey where most Armenians
perished between the years 1915-23. The booth also had a
continuous video playing of various genocide films including Peter
Jennings April 1999 segment on the Armenian Genocide, PBS
documentary on the Armenian Genocide from the Great War Series, and
the BBC Broadcast Armenia: The Betrayed. The booth also had a sign
up sheet asking teachers to tally their state they teach the
Armenian Genocide. Over 30 states were marked including such
states as Alabama, North Carolina and even Hawaii.
Founded in 1921, the NCSS has grown to be the largest association
in the country-devoted entirely to social studies education. The
NCSS engages and supports “educators in strengthening and
advocating social studies.”
This year’s theme of the conference was “Democracy and Diversity:
Social Studies in Action.” The conference focused on “democracy in
a culturally diverse United States, highlight efforts by groups and
individuals to establish and promote democracy in other parts of
the world, and draw attention to the tragedies that seem to be part
of the human experience as peoples across the globe attempt to find
niches that offer peace, freedom, and opportunity to improve their
circumstances in the world.”
AYF/ANC activist Karine Birazian commented on the impact of the
weekend as follows: “This is the second year that we were
exhibitors at the NCSS conference and once again it was a huge
success. Many teachers from all over the United States and Canada
approached the booth, taking information about the Armenian
Genocide as well as signing up sheets to receive additional
information. It was such a great feeling to know that we were
making a difference. We were giving them to tools they need to
incorporate the Armenian Genocide in their classrooms. We are
looking forward to attending the conference in Kansas City next
year as well as even having an educational panel about the Armenian
Genocide.
Ronald Levitsky a board member of NCSS as well as a social studies
teacher at Sunset Ridge School in Northfield, IL actively promotes
genocide awareness at his campus. Levitsky states: “Who today
still speaks of the massacre of the Armenians?” Hitler’s infamous
words uttered in 1939 helped to justify the genocide he was already
perpetrating on the Jews. Yet, with the horrors of Cambodia,
Rwanda, Bosnia, Kosovo, and Darfur, will students learn only that
genocide is inevitable? Samantha Power, author of A Problem From
Hell, speaks of “upstanders” — those few individuals who,
throughout history, fight against genocide. Educators need to
teach about the Armenian Genocide so that, through awareness and
the strengthening of moral conviction, our students will become
“upstanders” and the words “Never again,” can finally become a
reality.”
In closing, AYF Washington Ani Chapter chairwoman Tsoghig
Margossian noted that “overall, this weekend was a huge success in
that our efforts to promote genocide awareness were spread amongst
educators across the country. None of this would have been possible
without the help of Richard Kloian from the Armenian Genocide
Resource Center who supplied us with information made available to
the teachers. We would also like to thank Raffi Momjian and the
members from the ANC of San Francisco who supplied us with the
curriculum materials, as well as the ANC Eastern Regional
headquarters for their invaluable support, and the local members of
the Armenian community of Washington, DC. Finally a special thanks
to the Armenian Youth Foundation, without whose generous grant,
participation at this conference would not have been possible. We
look forward to working with all these activists and organizations
in the future to attend similar conferences and to expand our
genocide awareness efforts.”
#####

AZERBAIJAN CONDUCTS POLICY OF STATE INHABITATION IN OCCUPIED ARMENIAN TERRITORIES
Azg/arm
9 Dec 04
Oskanian-Mamediarov Argument Breeds New Meeting on December 9
The next meeting of RA and Azeri foreign ministers is envisaged to
take place within the framework of the sitting of the Euro-Atlantic
Partnership countries â~@~Y foreign ministers in Brussels, on December
9. Metin Mirza, press secretary of Azerbaijanâ~@~Ys Foreign Ministry,
informed Interfax news agency. Elmar Mamediarov and Vartan Oskanian
agreed to continue the negotiations over Nagorno Karabakh settlement
in the format of “the Prague meetings” in the course of December 5
meeting, Mirza said.
Elmar Mamediarov said in his speech during the meeting in Sofia
that four stages of the negotiations held between the Azeri and the
Armenian Foreign Ministers through the mediation of the OSCE Minsk
group co-chairs inspire with some hope.
“We discussed the key issues during the Prague meetings, including
the issue of returning the Azeri occupied territories, the
issue of restoring the transport and other kind of communication,
reestablishment of natural interstate relations between Armenia and
Azerbaijan, the stage-by-stage settlement of the political issues
concerning the conflict,” Mediamax cited Mamediarov as saying.
According to Mamediarov, Azerbaijan is willing to improve the relations
with Armenia, but “that canâ~@~Yt be achieved in the so-called reality
caused by the armed aggression,” and our neighbor should give up the
illusion that the time plays into his hands”. “At present, we donâ~@~Yt
trust Armenia at all. If we see that Armenia is ready to withdraw its
forces from Azeri occupied territories, the trust may be restored,”
Mamediarov said.
“Armenia should take urgent and effective measures to stop all
the illegal actions in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan,”
he said. “Azerbaijan canâ~@~Yt agree with the statements on ethnic
inequality between the Armenians and Azeris made by the high-rank
Armenian officials. We are sure that the Azeris and Azeri citizens
of Armenian origin can peacefully live next to each other in Nagorno
Karabakh region of my country. The biggest challenge we face in
this region is not the ethnic hatred between the two nations but the
ideas of the past about the territorial demands to the neighbors and
the difference in our wish to become a component part of Europe,”
Mamediarov said.
Azeri foreign minister said putting forward the issue of illegal
inhabitation in the occupied territories at the UN, the official Baku
didnâ~@~Yt try to change the mediation format of Nagorno Karabakh
conflict.
RA foreign minister dedicated the greater part of his speech to NKR,
in Sofia, on December 7. Vartan Oskanian reminded that Azerbaijan
responded with armed aggression to demands of the Armenians to live
a free life and to get self-determination. In particular, Oskanian
cited an extract from the report of CE parliamentarians made in 1992.
“Villages were totally destroyed, peaceful residents were killed,
children were raped after the latest attack of the Azerbaijanis. Taking
into account the decisive superiority of Azerbaijanâ~@~Ys armed
forces over the human resources, the arms and equipment, the level
of providing fuel and food, the frequency of the air flights, rocket
fires and air bombing, one can suppose that few weeks are left before
the fall of Karabakh, if not less. It is obvious that genocide and
expulsion are likely to follow these actions,” RA foreign minister
cited.
Oskanian repeated that no state policy of inhabiting NKR is
conducted. He emphasized that Azerbaijan is conducting state policy
of inhabiting the Armenian occupied territories, i.e. in Shahumian,
Getashen, as well as in Martakert. The UN paid attention to these
actions and instructed Azerbaijan to take measures to give alternative
settlements to the Armenians whose property was illegally taken.
“The existence of 100 of thousands refugees is a result of the military
actions unfolded by Azerbaijan. Unlike my colleague, I will say that
there are refugees from both sides. Besides half of a million Azeri
refugees, there are almost as many Armenian refugees fled both from the
capital of Azerbaijan and from the very territories of the conflict,”
Oskanian said.
Besides, Colin Powell, US State Secretary, stated in his speech at OSCE
meeting in Sofia that there was little progress in the improvement of
the situation in Nagorno Karabakh as well as the separatist areas of
Moldova and Georgia. “The frozen conflicts remain frozen even after
15 years from the end of a frozen war”, Powell said.
By Tatoul Hakobian
–Boundary_(ID_KpS1EUzg5Q8vdCyWdQiVFA)–