“ARMAT” WORRIES ABOUT CURRENT SITUATION IN PROCESS OF SETTLEMENT OF
KARABAKH CONFLICT
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 1. ARMINFO. Center for democracy and civil society
development “Armat” is worried about the current situation in the
process of settlement of the Karabakh conflict. It should be noted
that the ideologists of the formerly ruling party of Armenia Armenian
National Movement, in particular, former speaker of armenian
parliament Babken Ararktsian, vice speaker of the parliament Ara
Sahakian and others are the founders and active participants of the
Center.
In the statement, spread by the Center, the authors said that the
process of peaceful settlement has moved to a decisive phase fraught
with irreversible consequences. As a result speculation by the problem
of settlement of incumbent authorities of Armenia from 1998 and still
the issue of self-determination of Nagorny Karabakh gradually changed
into a territorial argument between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and, as a
result of it, Nagorny Karabakh, declared as a party of conflict, lost
this status and turned from a subject into a object of the conflict,
becoming only a subject of territorial argument between Armenia and
Azerbaijan. The mission of the cochairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group has
been lead to a deadlock. Signing the Istanbul Charter President of
Armenia Robert Kocharian admitted that the basis of the settlement of
the Karabakh conflict is keeping the territorial integrity of
Azerbaijan, said in the statement.
>From the leader, in the plan of establishment of democracy and
conducting democratic reforms, Armenia has turned into an obstacle on
the way of regional development and integration, as a result of which
full political isolation has added to the economic blockade. Due to
the complementary foreign political course of Armenia Azerbaijan
succeeded to present a number of initiatives in international
organizations, which met resolutions unacceptable for Armenia and
Nagorny Karabakh.
The authors of the statement mention: “as a result of inactivity of
the present administration of Armenia Azerbaijan has achieved the
attack on the Armenian diplomacy, submitting to consideration of PACE
the report concerning the Karabakh problem and including in the agenda
of the 59th session of UN General Assembly the issue “on the situation
in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan”. During the whole process
of peaceful settlement of the Karabakh conflict for the first Armenia
is accused of “occupation” of the territories of Azerbaijan. It
became clear from the discussions in UN that almost two months ago the
cochairmen of the OSCE Minks Group have presented a new plan for
settlement to Armenia and Azerbaijan. Even the existence of this plan
is kept in secret from the Armenian society. It gives basis to suppose
that this plan envisions unfavorable for the Armenian side terms of
settlement, experts of the Center Armat think.
The whole Armenian state system and existence of Nagorno-Karabakh
Republic is under the threat. Armenian people faced a threat of war
and unjustified losses. Only the removal of the incumbent
administration from the political arena and formation of a power,
which will enjoy the confidence of the people, may create a
possibility for way out of the situation, said in the statement of the
Center.

FRENCH GOVERNMENT PRESENTS ARMED FORCES OF ARMENIA WITH MEDICAL
EQUIPMENT WORTH A TOTAL OF $1 MLN
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 1. ARMINFO. The government of France has presented
the armed forces of Armenia with medical equipment worth a total of $1
mln. The transfer of the humanitarian assistance was held at the
central clinical hospital of the Ministry of Defence of Armenia.
Ambassador of France to Armenia Henry Cuny mentioned that the gesture
of the French government is of special importance. “Taking into
account the conflict of the region France has limited the cooperation
with Armenia in the sphere of defence”, the ambassador mentioned and
added that any cooperation in the defence sphere might arouse protests
of other countries of the region, and for this reason the French
government has decided to provide assistance in the sphere of army
health-care. Henry Cuny stressed that France has found time and funds
for sending humanitarian assistance to Armenia just at the moment when
France itself needs vehicles in connection the events in Cote
d’Ivoire. He also mentioned that the Armenian side has highly assessed
the assistance of the French Republic and expressed for further
bilateral cooperation.
Deputy Defence Minister of Armenia, Lieut-Gen Arthur Aghabekian, on
behalf of Defence Minister Serge Sargsian and all the servicemen of
the country, expressed gratitude to the government of France and
stressed that the humanitarian assistance will serve only peaceful
purposes. The deputy minister mentioned that the surgical instruments,
blankets and other medical accessories will be distributed to
hospitals.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

CUSTOMS OFFICIALS OF AZERBAIJAN START CHECKING OF DOCUMENTATION OF
CARGO DETAINED IN THE BORDER WITH GEORGIA
TBILISI, DECEMBER 1. ARMINFO. Working group of the custom officials of
Azerbaijan which started checking of documentation of cargo detained
before in the Azerbaijani-Georgian border has arrived in Tbilisi
Tuesday, TURAN was told in the Embassy of Azerbaijan in
Georgia. According to the same source, the term of clarification and
of the stay of the working group in Georgia are not known. “Check
will last as long as it is necessary”, noted the representative of the
Embassy.
According to TURAN, customs officials of Azerbaijan will check the
documents for almost all detained cargo. If some of them are intended
for Armenia they will not be allowed. This month the Azerbaijani side
detained almost 900 cargo wagons going from central Asia to
Georgia. The reason was the information that part of cargo went from
Georgia to Armenia. Baku treats it as violation of the agreement with
Georgia and demanded explanation from the official Tbilisi. The Head
of the Georgian railway Onoprishvili admitted in fact that part of
cargo was delivered to the Armenian border.
Even in 1998 Baku prohibited transportation of cargo going to Armenia
and from Armenia via the territory of Azerbaijan. Bilateral agreement
between Baku and Tbilisi was signed last year.
The Azerbaijani press noted more than once about the facts of delivery
of cargo to Armenia via Azerbaijan. The Armenian press and officials
did not conceal that Armenia bought through some false firms the Azeri
goods, and first of all oil products. However, official Baku refuted
it.
According to informed sources, among cargo transported in transit via
Azerbaijan to Georgia and then to Armenia there were strategic goods:
oil products, food, cotton, products of machine building, various
equipment and so on.

ARMENIAN AND RUSSIAN MPs INTEND TO HOLD CONSULTATIONS ON RELATIONS
WITH NATO
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 1. ARMINFO. Armenian and Russian MPs are going to
hold consultations to overcome possible misunderstanding over
Armenia’s and Russia’s relations with NATO. Such a decision was made
by the Armenian-Russian interparliamentary cooperation commission.
Russian sources report that in the protocoal of their last meeting the
commissioners say that Armenian-Russian political and military
cooperation is on high level and meets the national interests of both
sides. They say that the Armenian-Russian military alliance is a key
element of regional security and should be developed in future. The
commissioners say that the military-industrial integration of Armenian
and Russian companies should be encouraged for the development of
economic cooperation in the military-technological sphere. The
commissioners have decided to enhance the cooperation of Armenian and
Russian MPs at international organizations with preliminary
consultations on topical issues to be discussed there.
The speaker of Russia’s Council of Federations Sergey Mironov says
that Armenian-Russian interparliamentary relations are on high
level. But the Armenian and Russian MPs should more actively cooperate
at CIS Interparliamentary Assembly and in the framework of Caucasian
Four. Special attention should be given to joint struggle with
terrorism and the Karabakh conflict settlement.
The next meeting of the commission is to be held in Yerevan in May
2005. The key topic is the operation of the companies given by Armenia
to Russia under the Assets Against Debt program.

Azeri spiritual leader hails Islamic organization’s support
MPA news agency
1 Dec 04
BAKU
“The Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) is the only
international organization that defends Azerbaijan’s position on the
Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict,” the head of the Spiritual Board of the
Muslims of the Caucasus, Allahsukur Pasazada, has told an OIC meeting
under way in Qatar.
The OIC meeting is being attended by Azerbaijani President Ilham
Aliyev.
Without denying the fact that even within the OIC there are countries
supporting Azerbaijan rather weakly, the sheikh explained this by
their fear of the world’s superpowers.

2ND IRAN-ARMENIA ELECTRICITY LINE TO BE LAUNCHED TODAY
Asia Pulse
Dec 01, 2004

TEHRAN, Dec 1 Asia Pulse – A second line of the Iran-Armenia electricity
network with a capacity of 230 kw is due to be inaugurated today.
Iranian Energy Minister Habibollah Bitaraf and his Armenian counterpart,
Armen Movsisian, will be attending the inaugural ceremony.
“Electricity exchanges between the two countries will reach a total of 450
megawatts through this project,” the managing director of the Iranian SANIR
Electricity Company said.
Alireza Kadkhodaei said that the project costs US$8.4 million.
He also announced that the two countries` energy ministers are scheduled to
sign an agreement for construction of a third line of the the two countries`
electricity network.
Meanwhile, Iran and Armenia on May 13 signed an agreement to construct a
42-km gas pipeline between the Armenian cities of Megri and Kajaran.
The project is to be inaugurated during an upcoming visit of Energy Minister
Bitaraf in Armenia.
The Iran-Armenia trade volume is expected to reach US$10 billion in the next
20 years with implementation of the above-stated project.

Armenian diplomats still in Equatorial Guinea to get pilots released
Arminfo
30 Nov 04
YEREVAN
After the six Armenian pilots were imprisoned in Equatorial Guinea,
the Armenian delegation is still in that country to discuss the
further fate of the Armenian pilots with the local authorities.
The Armenian delegation has been allowed to visit the pilots, the
press service of the Armenian Foreign Ministry told Arminfo news
agency. Ambassador Sergey Manaseryan and the deputy head of the
Armenian state protocol service, Gevorg Petrosyan, are having ongoing
negotiations with various representatives of the Equatorial Guinean
leadership, including the secretary-general of the ruling Democratic
Party, Filiberto Ntutumu Nguema. Meetings have been scheduled with the
Equatorial Guinean foreign minister. A statement by the Armenian
government in connection with the review of the case of the Armenian
pilots will be submitted during the meeting. The Armenian delegation
maintains close contact with the pilots’ defence lawyer (?Ponciano
Mbombo Nwo) who intends to appeal against the sentence at the Supreme
Court of Equatorial Guinea.
However, the court has still not provided the written version of the
sentence, only after which it will be possible to appeal to the
Supreme Court.
[Passage omitted: South Africans’ defence lawyers are also waiting for
the sentence in a written form; background to the case]

New body to make sure no freight gets to Armenia via Azerbaijan – TV
ANS TV, Baku
30 Nov 04
[Presenter Aytan Safarova] The Azerbaijani State Customs Committee’s
delegation is in Tbilisi. The delegation is to verify the documents of
the companies which own the freight in the wagons that have been
stopped at the Boyuk Kasik station [on the Georgian-Azerbaijani
border].
[Correspondent] The damage inflicted on the other side by Azerbaijan’s
stricter control over the railway freight heading for Georgia is
around five to six million dollars, (?Irma Stepnadze), the
spokesperson of Georgia’s Department of Railways, has told ANS TV. She
said that the overall amount of losses is still being calculated. The
temporary detention of freight wagons on the border has also inflicted
some losses on Azerbaijan. The Azerbaijani State Railway Department
did not disclose the amount but said that since this has to do with
national interests, the losses are not that important.
The Azerbaijani bodies, especially the State Customs Committee,
started to seriously search the wagons from Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan
and Russia which head for Georgia through Azerbaijan a month ago. The
Baku government explains this by the subsequent transit of some of the
commodities, particularly of oil, to Armenia. According to documents
signed by the Georgian and Azerbaijani heads of states, commodities
cannot be transited to a third country if this runs counter to
Azerbaijan’s interests. As for the commodities, they include oil,
liquefied gas, grain and flour.
[Passage omitted: minor details]
Azerbaijan’s ambassador to Georgia, Ramiz Hasanov, has said that the
verification of companies by the Azerbaijani State Customs Committee’s
delegation will take until the end of the week.
[Hasanov over telephone] This process will take some time, about three
or four days. Some proposals will be made after that. They are
investigating, verifying documents and figures. There is no proposal
as yet. On the basis of their investigation we will make some
proposals and will take some measures.
When I say investigation I mean that they are checking what are those
companies, what are the amounts and so on.
[Correspondent] Despite suffering losses, the other side does not
protest at the process.
[Hasanov] There is no discontent at all. They understand and we cite
some bilateral agreements. We have the right to do this.
[Correspondent] During the talks the creation of a special body under
the Azerbaijani embassy in Georgia was also discussed. The body is to
include representatives of the Azerbaijani State Customs Committee,
Azerbaijani State Railway Department and the State Oil Company of the
Azerbaijani Republic and to oversee that freight transited from
Azerbaijan to Georgia reaches its destination. The Tbilisi government
has already agreed to the creation of the body, Hasanov said. The body
is expected to start working soon.
Ayaz Mirzayev, ANS.

EU draft report lists conditions for starting entry talks with Turkey
Cyprus News Agency, Nicosia
1 Dec 04
Brussels, 30 November: The Foreign Affairs Committee of the European
Parliament approved the draft report of Dutch Member of the European
Parliament Camiel Eurlings on Turkey’s accession course, inviting the
council to open negotiations with Turkey without undue delay,
stressing that the withdrawal of the Turkish forces in Cyprus “is a
necessary step forward on the way to further ease tension” on the
island.
The draft report, which was approved by 50 votes to 18 with six
abstentions, lists all the conditions that have yet to be met. On
Cyprus, the MEPs want to see greater efforts from the Turkish
authorities on the Cyprus issue.
“Whilst respecting the democratic will of the Greek Cypriot
community,” which rejected a UN plan for a settlement in an April
referendum, the Foreign Affairs Committee is disappointed that a
solution has not been found and calls on “the Turkish authorities to
maintain their constructive attitude” in finding “an equitable
solution to be negotiated using as a basis the [UN Secretary-General
Kofi] Annan plan and the principles upon which the EU is founded.”.
The MEPs believe that “a withdrawal of Turkish forces is a necessary
step forward on the way to further ease tension”.
Since membership negotiations would take place between Turkey on one
side and the 25 member states, including Cyprus, on the other, the
MEPs consider that “the opening of negotiations naturally presumes the
recognition of Cyprus by Turkey”.
The idea of offering Turkey a “privileged partnership” rather than
membership of the EU if it does not bring itself into compliance with
the Copenhagen criteria was rejected by the Committee but it may be
put to the vote once again during the December plenary session.
The report urges Turkey to maintain good neighbourly relations and to
abstain from “threats and tension-prone activities.”
At the same time, the MEPs ask Turkey to pursue its efforts at
reconciliation with Armenia and to reopen the border with this
country.
The Committee approved amendments by MEPs Ioannis Kasoulidhis, Charlie
Tannock and Bernd Posselt encouraging Turkey to implement the legal
changes it has approved and their application as regards to education
and radio and television transmissions for non-Muslim minorities
(Greeks, Armenians, Jews and Syrians).

ANSA Notiziario Generale in Italiano
Mercoledì, 1 Dicembre 2004
UE:TURCHIA, ANKARA DOVRA’ RISOLVERE ANCHE PROBLEMI MINORANZE ;
SI PRECISANO CONDIZIONI PER OTTENERE AVVIO NEGOZIATO
ANKARA
(ANSA) – ANKARA, 1 DIC – La Turchia, per ottenere la data di
avvio del negoziato di adesione con l’Ue, deve impegnarsi a
risolvere al piu’ presto possibile i problemi ancora aperti con
le sue minoranze etniche e religiose, come curdi, ortodossi ed
aleviti e a normalizzare le sue relazioni con l’Armenia. E’
quanto riportano oggi i quotidiani turchi Cumhuriyet e Milliyet
che fanno riferimento alla bozza di un documento, trapelato a
Bruxelles nei giorni scorsi, che contiene alcune linee guida per
i capi di stato e di governo che il 17 dicembre dovranno
decidere la data di avvio del negoziato con Ankara e le sue
condizioni.

In particolare, per quanto riguarda la questione curda, l’Ue
sembra orientata a chiedere ad Ankara -secondo i due giornali-
“passi piu’ attivi”, e “negoziati con le organizzazioni
curde” al fine di mettere fine al conflitto. Secondo Cumhuriyet
l’Ue si spingerebbe fino a chiedere “un accordo di cessate il
fuoco con il Pkk” (una cosa che -secondo gli analisti-
difficilmente la Turchia potra’ mai accettare).

Per quanto riguarda i cittadini turchi di religione ortodossa
(sono circa 2000), l’Ue chiede ad Ankara di riaprire la scuola
religiosa ortodossa di Hebeliada (un’isola vicino Istanbul)
chiusa da diversi anni e alla cui riapertura si oppongono gli
ambienti islamici ortodossi che hanno influenza sull’attuale
governo turco.

Per gli aleviti, che si considerano una religione separata
dall’islam e che lo stato ed il governo turco continuano ad
assimilare ai musulmani, l’Ue intende chiedere un riconoscimento
della loro identita’ separata, in quanto “minoranza non
musulmana”, con le conseguenze che cio’ comporta.

Quanto ai rapporti con l’Armenia, con cui la Turchia non ha
relazioni diplomatiche e contatti aerei solo 4 volte la
settimana, l’Ue chiede, come misura urgente, l’apertura di un
passaggio di confine ed un avvio di normalizzazione delle
relazioni avvelenate dal rifiuto di Ankara di riconoscere il
“genocidio” degli armeni del 1915 ad opera degli ottomani e
dalle conseguenze della guerra azero-armena del Nagorno
Karabakh, oggi sotto sovranita’ armena.

(ANSA).