Armenian pro-government MP urges opposition to return to parliament
Haykakan Zhamanak, Yerevan
3 Jul 04

Text of Naira Zograbyan’s report by Armenian newspaper Haykakan
Zhamanak on 3 July headlined “The opposition is outlawed”
An interview with the leader of the National Assembly faction of the
Republican Party of Armenia, Galust Saakyan.
[Haykakan Zhamanak correspondent] Mr Saakyan, there are rumours that
the high echelons of the authorities have already adopted a decision
to regard the absence of the deputies of the Justice and National
Unity blocs as inappropriate and deprive them of deputy mandates.
[Galust Saakyan] No such decision has been adopted. Simply there is a
situation where the opposition has found itself outlawed, and there
are no legal grounds to consider their absence from the National
Assembly to be appropriate. Their return to the parliament will be
difficult, as a legal solution to the problem demands that they be
deprived of their deputy mandates. The opposition can return to the
parliament only as a result of a political agreement. I think it would
be right for the opposition not to miss the chance to return to the
parliament by means of a political agreement.
[Correspondent] Why is the coalition interested in returning the
opposition to the National Assembly?
[Saakyan] The opposition is obliged to return to the parliament, as
there are quite serious problems in the world, as well as within the
country, which are above party and personal interests. First of all,
it is the Karabakh issue, as it is no secret that certain problems
connected with the Karabakh issue may arise in foreign relations. This
is an issue that demands the unification of the opposition and
pro-government forces. But if the opposition sticks to its tough
position and does not return to the parliament, this opposition will
be finally regarded as incomplete and will be seen as a power-hungry
opposition force.
[Correspondent] But the leaders of the opposition say that their
position on the matter of returning to the parliament has not changed.
[Saakyan] In the future, we shall end up facing much more serious
challenges whose culmination is the Karabakh issue. For this reason,
it is necessary for political forces to unite their position on this
matter as was the case in 2001 when all the political forces signed
the known document on the Karabakh issue. And today when processes
around the Karabakh issue are intensifying, the fact that the
opposition is not returning to the parliament will be negatively
accepted by the world community as well. The opposition’s rating has
fallen and will come to nought if they dissociate themselves from the
Karabakh issue. For four months now, the opposition has been staging
rallies and no analytical material concerning the Karabakh issue has
been submitted to society. So, we cannot but think that the actions of
the opposition are directed by different external forces. For this
reason, I think the expected developments around the Karabakh issue
may prompt the opposition to return to the parliament and start its
natural work there.
[Correspondent] Mr Saakyan, if there are problems whose settlement
requires the unification of the whole political field, why do you not
regard their political boycott as appropriate?
[Saakyan] Political boycott is not regulated by the law. In the legal
field, they have no choice but to return to the parliament. In summer,
representatives of the Republican Party of Armenia will try to explain
to them the need to return to the parliament. If we agree, it will be
only a political agreement. There is no other option. But if the
opposition rejects a political agreement, then I shall be the first to
deprive them of their deputy mandates.
[Correspondent] If you do not reach agreement and the opposition does
not come to the parliament in September, is there any way that this
will create a political situation that can be settled only by means of
extraordinary parliamentary elections?
[Saakyan] If the opposition boycotts the autumn session as well and if
there is a new political situation whose final settlement are
extraordinary parliamentary elections, then for me, as a member of the
Republican Party, it may be a very appropriate moment. I am sure that
in the elections, the Republican Party will gain more votes than it
has today. But we should not think only about our own narrow party
interests. The Republican Party will try to persuade the opposition to
return to the parliament, at least we have put forward our
suggestion. The opposition should reply to this. If there is no
political agreement, then the law will step in.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Azeri pressure group vows not to let Armenians attend NATO exercises
Ekho, Baku
3 Jul 04

Text of E. Alakbarov report by Azerbaijani newspaper Ekho on 3 July
headlined “‘No special attention is to be paid to the Armenians'” and
subheaded “The Karabakh Liberation Organization is to spare no efforts
to prevent the Armenian flag from being hoisted and the anthem from
being played in Azerbaijan in September”
As we have already reported, Armenian Defence Minister Serzh Sarkisyan
has said that seven Armenian officers will take part in the
Cooperative Best Effort-2004 exercises due in Baku in September 2004
within NATO’s Partnership for Peace programme. Meanwhile, talking
about the September exercises, the head of the Armenian delegation
which attended NATO’s planning conference in Baku, Col Murad
Isakhanyan, said that Armenia will take part in it as part of a
military element. The NATO leadership, he said, made an exception for
Armenia and did not impose restrictions on the number of its
representatives or on their ranks.
“In turn, Azerbaijan guarantees the security of our servicemen. The
Azerbaijani side assures us that even if only one representative comes
from Armenia, the Armenian flag will be hoisted and the anthem
played,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Karabakh Liberation Organization (KLO) has no intention
of giving up the struggle. KLO deputy chairman Samil Mehdi commented
on the Armenian officer’s utterances. “We have information that the
Armenians seriously intend to take part in NATO’s September
exercises,” he said. The Armenian side manages to derive benefit from
any situation, he said. “Yerevan manages to push forward its officers
who have the blood of Azerbaijani officers on their hands. The
Armenians also easily manage to provoke Azerbaijani society to
confrontation and as a result, Azerbaijan is being discredited in the
international arena,” he stressed.
“We always stick to our position. The KLO will take concrete steps if
the Armenian officers arrive in Baku in September,” he said.
Talking about the Armenian officer’s words that the Armenian flag will
be raised and the anthem played in Baku in September, he said that the
members of the organization will spare no efforts to prevent this from
happening.
“This is nasty, mendacious and vile Armenian swank,” the head of the
Azerbaijani Defence Ministry press service, Ramiz Malikov, said,
commenting on the Armenian officer’s words. “No special attention will
be paid to the Armenian officers,” he stressed.
He said that the Armenian officers are coming to Baku to “muddy the
waters”. He complained about the local media which exaggerates
reports about the Armenian officers’ arrival.

Armenia’s presence in Baku-hosted NATO exercises normal – Azeri official
ANS TV, Baku
2 Jul 04

[Presenter] Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign Minister Araz Azimov has a calm
attitude to the news that another group of Armenian officers will
arrive in Baku.
[Correspondent over video of flags of different countries] Official
Baku regards as normal the participation of Armenian officers in the
NATO exercises in Baku within the framework of the Partnership for
Peace programme this September.
[Azimov speaking to microphone] The NATO exercises due in Azerbaijan
in September are very important and large-scale. All NATO and
Partnership for Peace programme member countries have the right to
attend the event.
[Correspondent] Official Yerevan intends to send seven officers to
Azerbaijan in September. Azimov thinks that the number of officers is
defined at the NATO headquarters.
[Azimov] First, the number of officers depends on the format of the
exercises to be held in September. Second, it depends on the scenario
of the exercises. It will also depend on the role given to countries
within the framework of this scenario. Thus, I assume that two or
three people from Armenia might join the exercises in September.
[Passage omitted: reported details]
Parvana Sabirqizi and Azad Ibrahimov, ANS.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Main goal is Armenia’s ties with neighbours – European envoy
Arminfo
3 Jul 04
YEREVAN
“I am here not to comment on the Karabakh issue or Armenian President
Robert Kocharyan’s speech but to boost interparliamentary cooperation
between Armenia and other member states of the Parliamentary Assembly
of the Council of Europe [PACE], PACE Secretary-General Bruno Haller
said, asked by an Arminfo correspondent to comment on the Armenian
president’s speech at the fifth summer session of PACE in Strasbourg.
“My intention is to focus on international cooperation between Armenia
and its neighbours – Georgia, Azerbaijan and why not Turkey. This is
the main goal of my visit, he said. It is the PACE political committee
that is currently dealing with the Nagornyy Karabakh issue, and
European MPs will be able to familiarize themselves with the essence
of this problem after the submission of a special report.
Speaking about the process of fulfilling Armenia’s commitments to the
Council of Europe, Haller expressed his hope that the final version of
the monitoring report will be drafted and submitted for consideration
by October this year. Armenia will have time to do its best to ensure
that the report is positive.
[Passage omitted: Minor details]
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Red Cross reps visit Azeri POW in Karabakh
Space TV, Baku
3 Jul 04

According to a report we have received from the Azerbaijani Defence
Ministry, work is under way to release Aydin Salman oglu Huseynov, a
soldier of the Azerbaijani army, who was taken prisoner three days
ago. Negotiations are under way through the International Committee of
the Red Cross [ICRC].
ICRC representatives have been allowed to visit Aydin Huseynov.
According to the report, representatives of the ICRC office in
Xankandi [Stepanakert] have already met Huseynov. The OSCE has been
informed of this. The circumstances and reasons that caused the
Azerbaijani soldier to cross the [Armenian-Azerbaijani] front line are
being investigated.

Armenia, Russia to confront Karabakh conflict in Moscow talks – spokesman
ITAR-TASS news agency
3 Jul 04
MOSCOW
The Nagorgyy Karabakh problem will be one of the main subjects of the
talks between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Armenian
Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan, Aleksandr Yakovenko, official
spokesman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, said today in connection
with Oskanyan’s visit to Moscow on 5-7 July.
Yakovenko said that “Russia is ready to further the process of
settlement of the conflict and to guarantee an agreement acceptable to
both sides [Armenia and Azerbaijan]”. “The sides involved in the
conflict must find a compromise to resolve the problem themselves,” he
said.
During the talks the sides will focus “on issues of cooperation
between the countries within the framework of the CIS [Commonwealth of
Independent States], including the sphere of the Collective Security
Treaty Organization and the Eurasian Economic Community, and
coordination of efforts by the two countries’ foreign ministries to
improve the situation in the Caucasus”. The issues of trade, economic,
cultural and humanitarian cooperation will be given priority.
“Moscow and Yerevan are resolute to take deliberate and necessary
steps to fight terrorism in all its manifestations on the bilateral
and multilateral basis,” Yakovenko said. “Effective practical
cooperation of law-enforcement agencies and security forces is making
political collaboration in the antiterrorism area stronger”.
Oskanyan’s visit “will give a fresh impetus to the Russian-Armenian
relationship, which has a firm legal basis,” Yakovenko said.
The programme for Oskanyan’s visit includes a meeting with Andrey
Kokoshin , chairman of the State Duma Committee on the Commonwealth of
Independent States and Relations with Compatriots.

Georgia not to close Azeri schools – paper
Ekho, Baku
26 Jun 04

An official of the Georgian Education Ministry has denied reports that
the schools of the country’s ethnic minorities will be closed as a
result of reforms in the education system, the Azerbaijani newspaper
Ekho has reported. Levan Takheladze said that the quality of education
in the schools of Georgia’s ethnic minorities leaves something to be
desired. In Azeri, Armenian and Russian schools they study by the
books that come from those countries, he said. The Education Ministry
intends to translate Georgian textbooks into the languages of the
ethnic minorities so that they can receive education in line with
Georgia’s own standards, Takheladze told Ekho. The following is a text
of E. Quliyev report by Azerbaijani newspaper Ekho on 3 July headlined
“The Georgian Ministry of Education intends not to close Azeri
schools, but rather to bring the education system in them in line with
the educational standards of that country”. Subheadings have been
inserted editorially:
The threat of closure
The threat of the closure of all 168 Azeri-language schools in Georgia
within the next two or three years will emerge as a result of planned
reforms in the education sector of that country, the chairman of the
Qeyrat movement of the Azeris in Georgia, Alibala Asgarov, has said in
a conversation with Ekho.
According to him, the Georgian education minister [Kakha Lomaia] made
a statement recently that from 2006 all classes in the Georgian
schools would be taught in the country’s national language.
According to Asgarov, the minister explained that these measures were
not directed against the schools of national minorities and that the
latter could study the history and geography of their historical
motherland and their native tongue in their own language. “It has to
be noted, however, that ethnic Azeris in Georgia have been officially
banned from studying the history and geography of Azerbaijan since
1996. Only the native language remains,” Asgarov said. According to
the chairman of Qeyrat, in contrast to the educational system of
Azerbaijan, schools in Georgia are funded from local budgets which
mainly consist of land taxes.
“The authorities say that ethnic minorities who are interested in
preserving their schools should think about sources of funding
themselves. But the ethnic Azeris have no funds to keep the
schools. The reforms will violate the right of the ethnic Azeris to
education.”
Ethnic minorities cannot afford to fund their schools
In turn, the former member of the Georgian parliament, Zumrud
Qurbanov, said in a conversation with Ekho that he did not regard as
trustworthy the rumours that the schools of the ethnic minorities will
be closed soon or the burden of keeping them will be placed on the
ethnic minorities themselves. “There are 170 Azeri schools in Georgia
and some 200 Armenian schools. It is obvious that ethnic minorities
cannot afford to fund this number of educational institutions.
According to the Georgian constitution and international law,
secondary education schools should be funded by the state,” the former
deputy said.
Meanwhile, the ethnic Armenians are not pleased with the planned
educational reforms in Georgia either. For example, according to the
A-Info news agency, cultural departments in predominantly
Armenian-populated districts have shown their displeasure with the
project because, if it is implemented, the Armenian schools will lose
99 per cent of their specialists even if the transformation is
implemented gradually. Significant funds are required to train
specialists who speak Georgian, but the state cannot afford to
allocate them.
Georgian official denies schools to be closed
In turn, the head of the Georgian Education Ministry press service,
Levan Takheladze, said in a conversation with Ekho that the planned
reforms in the educational sector of Georgia do not envisage the
closure of the schools of the ethnic minorities. According to him, the
education system in the schools of the ethnic minorities will be
brought as a result in line with the standards of the Georgian
schools.”
The head of the press service noted that the quality of education in
the schools of the ethnic minorities leaves something to be
desired. “In Azeri schools, they study by the books that come from
Azerbaijan, in Armenian schools they study by the books that come from
Armenia, and the Russian schools get books from Russia. Naturally,
this state of affairs does not please the leadership of the Education
Ministry because these manuals are intended for and written according
to the standards of the countries in which they are published. This is
why the Georgian Education Ministry decided to translate, using its
own resources, the books that are used in Georgian schools into the
languages of the ethnic minorities. This will allow the ethnic
minorities to receive education that fully complies with the standards
of the Georgian education system,” Levan Takheladze said. According to
him, rumours that the funding of ethnic schools will become a concern
for the ethnic minorities are not true. Takheladze emphasized that the
funding of the schools is a duty of the country’s government and that
the authorities have no intention of delegating their duties to the
ethnic minorities.
In a conversation with Ekho, the newly-elected member of the Georgian
parliament, Allahverdi Humbatov, described all talk about the closure
of the Azeri schools as a rumour spread by unsuccessful
politicians. According to Humbatov, the incumbent Georgian authorities
are not conducting an anti-Azeri policy. “Ethnic Azeris in Georgia
currently live better than they lived before, and in the future they
will live better than now,” the parliamentarian concluded.

Armenian fugitives to move to third country by late July – Azeri minister
Azad Azarbaycan TV, Baku
2 Jul 04

[Presenter] The case of a group of 200 Wahhabis, which has been
drawing up plans against the state, will be submitted to court in the
near future, Azerbaijani National Security Minister Namiq Abbasov has
told ATV. The minister went on to say that prosecutors are trying to
establish the Wahhabis’ main purpose although the fact that they have
been drawing up plans against statehood has been confirmed.
[Passage omitted: reported details]
[Correspondent over video of Namiq Abbasov] According to the minister,
the case will be submitted to court as soon as it is completed. Judges
will have a final say.
As for soldier Aydin Huseynov who has been taken prisoner in the south
of Agdam District, the minister said that the state commission of the
Azerbaijani National Security Ministry for POWs, hostages and missing
persons is not dealing with the issue yet. According to the minister,
the Armenian side has not registered our soldier as a prisoner of war
yet. Mr Abbasov said that the state committee will be come to grips
with the issue as soon as the soldier is granted prisoner of war
status.
As for the plight of Artur Apresyan and Roman Teryan who fled Armenia
to Azerbaijan on 8 April, the minister said that work is under way to
move them to a third country and a final decision on the issue will be
made by late July.
Vusala Karimova and Bahruz Aliyev for “Son Xabar”.

HEIKKI TALVITIE: EU IS INTERESTED
Azat Artsakh – Republic of Nagorno Karabakh (NKR)
02 July 2004
On June 30 NKR president Arkady Ghukassian met with the special
representative of the European Union on the South Caucasus Heikki
Talvitie who was in Stepanakert for a two-day visit. During the
meeting Mr. Talvitie said that the European Union is greatly
interested in the peaceful settlement of the Karabakh conflict. In
this reference he mentioned that the EU is ready to assist to any
undertaking, any progress in the peaceful process. The special
representative pointed out the importance of establishing an
atmosphere is confidence between the conflict parties without which it
is impossible to achieve positive results in the negotiation
process. In his turn the president of NKR thanked Heikki Talvitie for
his visit to Nagorni Karabakh, which testifies to the wish of the EU
to attend to the real situation in the conflict area and to favour the
settlement of the crisis. He supported the opinion of the special
representative on the necessity of mutual trust. At the same time the
president of NKR mentioned that the Karabakh party has offered to
Azerbaijan to undertake joint efforts for creating an atmosphere of
trust but did not receive a corresponding response on the part of
Baku. Arkady Ghukassian especially pointed out the danger of the
growing anti-Armenian hysteria and rooting of the hostile image of the
Armenian in Azerbaijan. Once again the head of NKR emphasized the
importance of full-right participation of Karabakh in the talks
without which the problem of settlement will aggravate. Speaking about
the processes Arkady Ghukassian mentioned that the process of
democratization in all the public and political spheres in Karabakh
has already been deeply rooted. He added that Nagorni Karabakh goes on
to have its contribution to the process of integration and become part
of Europe. The participants of the meeting appreciated the fact of
maintenance of the cease-fire and emphasized the inadmissibility of
solving the conflict through force. At the end of the meeting the
president of NKR said that hopefully the visits of representatives of
European organizations to Nagorni Karabakh will be regular.
AA.
02-07-2004
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

EXPECTING PROGRESS
Azat Artsakh – Republic of Nagorno Karabakh (NKR)
02 July 2004
In the framework of the regional visit the special representative of
the EU on the South Caucasus Heikki Talvitie was in Stepanakert on
June 29-30. Heikki Talvitie summed up the results of the visit during
the press conference. He mentioned that his mandate is not limited to
coordination of relationships between the EU and Armenia, Azerbaijan
and Georgia but supposes aid for the peaceful regulation of the
regional conflicts. Heikki Talvitie stated that the EU pays serious
attention to the South Caucasus and would like the countries of the
region to profit from the possibilities provided. In particular it was
mentioned that Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia are already involved in
the program ` Wider Europe: New Neighbours’. Speaking about the role
of the EU inthe peaceful settlement of the Karabakh conflict, Heikki
Talvitie mentioned that in 1996-1998 he was the co-chairman of the
OSCE Minsk Group on the settlement of the Karabakh conflict and
naturally is directly acquainted with the conflict. He emphasized that
formerly the EU was for implementing rehabilitation programs in the
Karabakh conflict area only after the political settlement of the
issue but now the situation has changed. The EU intends to implement a
progressive policy and undertake projects for maintaining an
atmosphere of mutual confidence and restoration of the economy and
communications as soon as there is the least progress in the
negotiation process. Heikki Talvitie did not say whathe meant by
saying progress but he pointed out that there are situations when we
have to understand once another. In regard to the negative reaction of
Azerbaijan to the upcoming elections to the municipalities in NKR
Heikki Talvitie mentioned that the European Union has not yet worked
out mechanisms for dealing with such situations. He said that similar
situation occurred in Abkhazia, and now the EU is thinking whether to
send there official observers or not. According to him, most probably
they will send representatives of non-governmental organizations. He
also emphasized that each society must organize their lives themselves
and not to wait for the interference of the international community.
Actually the representative of the EU confessed the simple truth
against which Baku makes appeals. Heikki Talvitie mentioned the
importance of the settlement of conflicts for the development of the
region. In this context he pointed out that the new policy of the
Georgian authorities and their attempt to establish relationships with
Russia shifted the process of peaceful settlement to a new plain. Now
the restoration of communications is considered. The same will be
possible in the Karabakh conflict area again in the case of progress
in the peaceful process for which the OSCE is responsible. As Heikki
Talvitie mentioned at the beginning of the press conference, it is
impossible to assist to the peaceful process not being in Karabakh. He
emphasized that he came to get acquainted. In this reference the
representative of the EU emphasized that he noticed significant
differences between the present situation and the situation ten years
ago. He said that the people of Karabakh managed to restore much with
their own efforts and this corresponds to the interests of the EU. He
mentioned that during the meetings they clarified the frames of what
the EUcan do for Karabakh. According to him, for this first of all the
wish and will of the conflict parties is required. At this moment
three countries of the region are involved in the program `Wider
Europe: New Neighbours’, said Heikki Talvitie answering the question
what status the EU accepts for Karabakh. Although he added that they
try to view the region as one entity. Heikki Talvitie mentioned that
he does not expect miracles from his visit because the negotiation
process lasting for ten years did not produce results. However, he
hopes that there will come the time when an atmosphere of confidence
will be established and they will try to understand one another.
NAIRA AHYRUMIAN.
02-07-2004