ROMANIA HOSTS CONFERENCE ON BLACK SEA REGIONAL SECURITY
Rompres news agency
12 Jul 04
Bucharest, 12 July: Cooperation of countries in the Black Sea area on
regional security, including border security, is one of the key
factors of European and international security, highlighted
participants to the works of an international conference dubbed
“Strategic planning of a regional border security drill”, organized
between 12-15 July in Bucharest by the George C. Marshall Centre, in
cooperation with the Romanian Foreign Affairs Ministry (MAE), and the
US Department of Defence.
In the opening of the conference, State Minister for the Coordination
of National Defence, European Integration and Justice Ioan Talpes
underscored the importance of more effective international cooperation
within the post-11 September security context, with a view to fighting
proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, ballistic missiles and
risk-bearing materials.
Talpes highlighted Romania’s initiatives in the field, mentioning the
one taken on 20 May 2004 on the development of regional cooperation in
fighting trafficking in nuclear, biological and chemical materials, to
which Bulgaria, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova and the Ukraine are
parties. State Minister Ioan Talpes also pointed out that of late the
cooperation in the Black Sea area has proved to be increasingly
important both for regional and for European and international
security.
Ambassador Mary Ann Peters, director associate for international
relations with George C Marshall European Centre said that
participants would try to find during this border security drill the
best solutions for cooperation between national and multinational
institutions to harmonize procedures in the field for a better
exchange of information and inter-agency cooperation. Safer borders is
one of the most important tasks for a country’s institutions, Mary Ann
Peters said, and at the close of the conference, participants will
have to seek to carry out the solutions found on this occasion.
In his turn, counsellor on terrorism fighting with the US Department
of Defence John Markley appreciated the SECI (Southeastern European
Cooperation Initiative) Regional Centre’s activity in fighting
crossborder crime, saying that at present attempts are made at
strengthening cooperation between SECI-member countries in legal
matters. Markley added that the SECI is a model of cooperation for
other countries in the area, with the GUAM project underway, including
Georgia, Uzbekistan, Armenia and the Republic of Moldova, seeking to
forge a similar partnership.
SECI Centre Director and conference host Yalcin Cakici underscored
that border security is one of the SECI’s main objectives within the
context of the institution’s concern over fighting human beings and
drug trafficking as well as international terrorism. In its four years
of activity, the SECI managed to carry out successful regional
initiatives, becoming part of an integrated European system fighting
crossborder crime and constantly benefiting from US support.
Director for international programmes on the non-proliferation of
weapons of mass destruction with the US Department of Defence Harlan
Strauss said that one of the conference’s main aims is to examine the
ways in which the benefits of the Black Sea area cooperation taking
the form of the Black Sea Cooperation Process can be used.
President of the George C. Marshall Association in Romania Doru
Frunzulica underscored Romania’s activity and efforts in solving
regional security issues, which also contributed to Romania’s
integration into NATO. Frunzulica appreciated that the Black Sea is
nowadays a linchpin for European security, while success in the area
can only be secured through the cooperation of the respective
countries.
The conference is part of an initiative recently launched in Romania
dwelling on regional cooperation on fighting the proliferation of
nuclear, biological, chemical and radioactive materials, with
representatives of national institutions holding positions in border
check, export control, national security and national defence in
member countries of the SECI Regional Committee on fighting
crossborder crime attending.

ARMENIA TO RETHINK MEMBERSHIP IF OSCE ABANDONS CONSENSUS RULE
Arminfo
12 Jul 04
YEREVAN
If the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (PA) abandons the consensus
decision-making rule, this may result in the dictate of super powers
in the organization, which will not be in Armenia’s national
interests, the deputy speaker of the Armenian National Assembly (and
member of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation-Dashnaktsutyun), Vaan
Ovanesyan, told a press conference today.
The OSCE PA’s role in global processes is gradually diminishing, he
said. “The OSCE’s main mission – to ensure security – is now playing
a secondary role in the activities of this organization. The
organization has started to deal with issues which are, in principle,
outside its remit,” Ovanesyan said.
Organizations such as the parliamentary assemblies of the Council of
Europe and NATO are already making claims to the OSCE PA’s role, he
said. “It is natural that high-ranking officials in the OSCE PA, who
have high wages, are doing their best to intensify the organization’s
role in international processes. This is the reason behind the
proposal in the OSCE PA to abandon the principle of consensus
decision-making,” Ovanesyan said.
If the OSCE PA’s new rules are unacceptable to Armenia, the country
will be entitled to suspend its membership of the organization, he
said.

HAILSTORM DAMAGES CROPS IN ARMENIAN DISTRICT
Public Television of Armenia, Yerevan
10 Jul 04
(Presenter) A hailstorm has hit Armenia’s Armavir district. The
farmers of this district have been deprived of their harvest, annual
income, and have got into serious debt. The farmers joke that what is
brought by water is also gone with water.
(Correspondent over video of villages damaged by hailstorm) About 810
hectares of vineyards, grain and vegetable fields of Armavir
District’s village of Janfida were completely damaged by a strong
hailstorm on Friday (9 July). The strong wind broke the windows and
roofs of schools, village and district houses and damaged the
village’s roads. Seven villages of the district have been greatly
damaged.
(Passage omitted: The farmers are complaining about their losses)
(Correspondent) Land is the only source of income for the farmers of
Janfida and other villages. The natural disaster has put these people
in a difficult situation. As well as being deprived of their annual
income, the farmers have got into serious debt. They do not know how
to return bank loans and pay interest rates. The farmers’ only hope is
the government’s support and selling at a high price the part of the
harvest that survived.
A special group set up in the district council is estimating the
damage caused by the hail.
Anna Vartanyan for “Aylur”.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT MEETS OSCE MINSK GROUP COCHAIRS
Mediamax news agency
12 Jul 04
YEREVAN
Armenian President Robert Kocharyan received the cochairmen of the
OSCE Minsk Group on the Nagornyy Karabakh settlement, Yuriy Merzlyakov
(Russia), Henry Jacolin (France) and Steven Mann (USA) in Yerevan
today.
The presidential press service told our agency that “the sides
discussed issues connected with the current stage of the peaceful
settlement of the conflict”.

–Boundary_(ID_jX71HT7MxwMuYtFYPFuD7w)
Armenian NGOs call for peace in Georgia’s South Ossetia conflict
X-Sender: Asbed Bedrossian
X-Listprocessor-Version: 8.1 — ListProcessor(tm) by CREN
Arminfo
12 Jul 04
YEREVAN
The Stability movement which includes a number of Armenian NGOs has
expressed its concern about the deterioration of the situation in the
South Ossetia.
The possibility of military operations and engagement in the conflict
of several districts in the region may result in a large-scale war in
the North Caucasus and this causes serious concern, the movement said
in a statement sent to Arminfo news agency. The possible war will have
a destructive impact on the stability of the entire region. It will
also have a negative influence on the dynamics of development of
various spheres and areas in Armenia. “On behalf of Armenia’s NGOs, we
call on the NGOs operating in Georgia to join their efforts in order
to influence the Georgian leadership and to resolve the conflict
peacefully within the framework of humanity and values of the
mankind,” the statement said.

Azeri leader focuses on unresolved Karabakh issue at meeting with new envoys
Lider TV, Baku
12 Jul 04
[Presenter] Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity has been violated and,
despite international efforts, Armenia is not retreating from the
occupied territories. We are demanding that our territorial integrity
be restored and the international community express its attitude
towards this, [Azerbaijani] President Ilham Aliyev said at today’s
ceremony when receiving the credentials from the newly-appointed
ambassadors to Azerbaijan from France, Canada, Philippines, Ghana,
Algeria and the United Arab Emirates.
[Correspondent over videos of diplomats and the Azeri president]
France and Azerbaijan are friendly countries. During my tenure as
ambassador, I will further contribute to the comprehensive development
of the relations, the newly-appointed French ambassador to Azerbaijan,
Roland Blatmann, said. He also spoke about the Nagornyy Karabakh
settlement.
The ambassador said that France did nor recognize Karabakh’s
independence and supported Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity. France
supports tete-a-tete meetings between the Azerbaijani and Armenian
presidents, and including foreign ministers, the diplomat said. France
is for a peaceful solution of the conflict.
Speaking about Azerbaijani-French relations, President Ilham Aliyev
said that relations had strengthened after his visit to France at the
beginning of the year. Commenting on the Karabakh settlement, the
president said that Azerbaijan recognized the territorial integrity of
all states and wanted the same attitude towards ourselves.
[Aliyev, voice] France is a cochairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group and is
working as a cochairman. We hope that in the near future, the
Armenian-Azerbaijani-Nagornyy Karabakh conflict will be resolved on
the basis of international legal norms.
[Correspondent] Receiving the credentials of ambassadors from Canada,
Ghana, Philippines, the UAE and the Algerian People’s Democratic
Republic, President Ilham Aliyev said that the relations between these
countries would further develop. At the meeting with ambassadors of
the five states, the president also mentioned the Nagornyy Karabakh
problem.
[Aliyev] The most serious issue our country is facing is the
Armenian-Azerbaijan-Nagornyy Karabakh conflict. Despite all
international efforts, Armenia is not retreating from the occupied
lands and thus the conflict remains unresolved. Azerbaijan’s
territorial integrity has been violated and we demand that
Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity be restored and the international
community express a keener attitude to this issue.
[Correspondent] President Ilham Aliyev has stated that the Nagornyy
Karabakh conflict will soon be resolved fairly with the support of the
international organizations.
Vahid Abbas for Lider TV.

Armenian official says foreign funds make nuclear plant “more safe”
Arminfo
8 Jul 04
YEREVAN
The head of the Armenian State Atomic Inspection Directorate, Ashot
Martirosyan, has told an Arminfo correspondent that the programme of
technical upgrading of the Armenian nuclear station will cost 40m
dollars. He said that the money will be used to carry out some
technical and logistic measures which will make the station more safe.
Ashot Martirosyan said that the US had recently announced the
allocation of 1m dollars to be used when the station would close for
major repairs on 23 July this year. The head of the Armenian State
Atomic Inspection Directorate said that the assistance was mainly
provided by the USA and the European Union although the latter has
lately become less active in the allocation of funds for these
purposes. “The European Union has helped us a lot in improving the
station’s safety as part of TACIS programme however, this help has
lately been frozen due to political constraints,” he said. He added,
however, that since the station remains to be a high risk facility,
the EU will continue to allocate funds to improve its safety. Britain
has also allocated funds towards that. He noted that Russia provides
only technical support in maintaining the plant’s safety at a proper
level.
[Passage omitted: recap of reports on earlier funds]
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Official says European Union committed to raise Armenia’s power plant’s
safety
Arminfo
9 Jul 04
YEREVAN
The European Union is not yet ready to fulfil the commitments it took
on to allocate funds to increase the safety of the Armenian nuclear
station, an Arminfo correspondent has learnt from the EU Head of
Delegation to Armenia and Georgia, Torben Holtze.
He said that two years ago the EU took the commitment to allocate 4 to
5m euros for these purposes, but it has not yet done so. The funds
have not been allocated because the “Armenian side has not yet
submitted a specific programme on increasing the safety of the nuclear
station”. He said that the EU is worried about the nuclear station’s
safety.
About 10 to 15m dollars had been allocated for these purposes in the
past. “We have never said that we are refusing to fund the programme
to increase the safety of the Armenian nuclear station,” he said.

Azeri paper urges government to be more resolute in relations with NATO
Zerkalo, Baku
10 Jul 04

The problem brought about by the participation of Armenian officers in
the Cooperative Best Effort-2004 exercises within NATO’s Partnership
for Peace seems to be drawing to an end.
We have effectively witnessed the Armenian’s victory in this
diplomatic and procedural struggle. And they appear not to have
applied any particular effort to visit Azerbaijan and attend a
preliminary conference for the mentioned NATO exercises. Apparently,
they have simply used ordinary technical facilities by applying to
appropriate bodies in Brussels. This time the Armenians were more
careful not to repeat the past when they could not attend similar
conferences thanks to our efforts.
It turns out that the authorities and society stick to completely
different positions on the issue. The authorities proved too weak to
withstand the pressure from NATO officials and, in a move to justify
themselves, said this was an international event and if the Armenian
officers were to be barred from attending the conference it would deal
a blow to Azerbaijan’s international image and strain its relations
with NATO.
To be frank, we are surprised at the position of NATO
officials. Because unlike Armenia, Azerbaijan is actively cooperating
with NATO. Why does Brussels insist on the participation of the
Armenian officers in the exercises held in Azerbaijan knowing only too
well that this hurts the feelings of our people? Are there
pro-Armenian forces in Brussels who think that the Armenian officers
must attend the exercises by all means? And our authorities hope that
after seeing how fast Azerbaijan is developing, the Armenian officers
will realize that their position is not right and urge their leaders
to sit down at the negotiating table with Azerbaijan.
Let’s note, however, that the Armenians are unlikely to understand
that. First of all, because they will hardly be able to visit the
sites that testify to high living standards (high-rise buildings,
roads, factories, etc.). Secondly, why do they need to see everything
with their own eyes if they can easily see Azerbaijan’s achievements
using the advantages of our 21st-century world?
[Passage omitted: minor details]
The latest developments have set a dangerous precedent. Azerbaijan is
not a NATO member yet but is already retreating under pressure from
the alliance. Our country’s defeat in the issue, though not material
or physical, is beyond doubt. And this deals a moral blow to our
international image as of a partner country. In other words, it
appears that Azerbaijan can make concessions if put under pressure.
We have been hearing quite often that seven Armenian officers are
expected to come to Baku within NATO’s Partnership for Peace programme
in September. A short while ago the deputy foreign minister, Araz
Azimov, said two Armenian officers might attend the exercises. What
will our government’s reaction be? How will society respond? Or, more
importantly, what is to be done?
My suggestion: The foreign affairs and defence ministries have got to
make it clear to NATO officials in a harsher tone than before that
this must not happen again. In principle, our authorities have already
sent the message. Or the mentioned state agencies have to put forward
the initiative to hold activities within Partnership for Peace in
another country aspiring to a NATO membership, such as Ukraine or
Georgia. I don’t think Azerbaijan will end up losing a lot by refusing
to host the alliance’s exercises on its soil.
[Passage omitted: minor details]
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Analyst plays down possibility of Armenia vacating Azeri lands
Yeni Musavat, Baku
11 Jul 04
Text of F. Mammadov report by Azerbaijani newspaper Yeni Musavat on 11
July headlined “Unsuccessful propaganda of ‘successful Karabakh
policy'”
In an interview with Zerkalo newspaper former state adviser and
currently political analyst Vafa Quluzada has said that the reports
suggesting that the Armenians are allegedly preparing to vacate some
of the occupied Azerbaijani districts and that negotiations to that
end are allegedly under way is nothing but empty speculation.
Quluzada added that the possibility of Armenia vacating some districts
is discussed only in Azerbaijan, while Armenia is not making any
preparations for leaving the territories. The political analyst said
that this could happen only if Azerbaijan agreed either to the
annexation of Nagornyy Karabakh and Lacin [Lachin] District to Armenia
or to the provision of Nagornyy Karabakh with the status of
independence.
Quluzada is an experienced diplomat who was involved in the Karabakh
talks for many years and is still believed to be one of the most
competent people on the issue. From this standpoint, his statements
reflect the real situation around Nagornyy Karabakh very
accurately. The point is that on seeing a lack of progress in the
negotiations, the government propaganda has started “generating”
speculation that some of Azerbaijan’s occupied districts may be
freed. For instance, there has been a report that the Turkish,
Azerbaijani and Armenian foreign ministers had recently reached a
preliminary agreement that Armenia would vacate seven Azerbaijani
districts. It wasn’t long, however, before this report proved to be
wide of the mark. Or, reports are spread after every meeting between
the Azerbaijani and Armenian foreign ministers that the sides have
discussed the liberation of five or six districts.
In reality, however, the liberation of Azerbaijani territories can be
discussed only when and if Azerbaijan agrees to the annexation of
Nagornyy Karabakh together with Susa and Lacin Districts to
Armenia. Only against this backdrop can Armenia agree to negotiate the
issue of leaving the other territories.
However, the government propaganda machine is trying to create the
impression that thanks to the “successful” policy of [Azerbaijani
President] Ilham Aliyev the situation is changing for the better and
that the Armenians are about to agree to vacate a number of
districts. This primitive and futile technology has already been used
and is now designed to convince the public of Ilham Aliyev’s
“successful Karabakh policy”.