A1 Plus | 16:42:37 | 23-06-2004 | Politics |
COALITION SURVIVING
“The newly-forming Opposition is much more dangerous for Armenia”,
Galust Sahakyan, head of Republican Party of Armenia announced during
the discussion held by Political Debate Club.
He is sure system changes are necessary in our state. To achieve that
our society must produce a demand and if we don’t manage to enjoy the
independence we may have only a territory and a president nominated
from the outside in 15 years.
As to the main topic of the discussion, “A Year of Political
Coalition”, Mr. Sahakyan thinks “Republican” Party for instance has
always borne responsibility for key problems of the society and
expressed concern that Armenia must be alarmed only at the actions of
inner powers.
Vigen Khachatryan, Chair of Liberal and Democratic Party, is sure
there isn’ t now a mighty political power in the political field of
Armenia and Authorities do nothing to create a healthy climate for
political competition. “Coalition is just surviving, so there’s no
point is speaking about progress in the country in that case”.

ARMENIA CONCERNED OVER INCIDENT AT NATO CONFERENCE IN BAKU – SPOKESMAN
Arminfo
22 Jun 04
YEREVAN
The Armenian Defence Ministry has expressed concern over the latest
incident in Baku. Members of the Karabakh Liberation Organization
(KLO) burst into the hotel (where a NATO conference was being held)
and tried to disrupt a NATO planning conference in which Armenian
officers were taking part.
The press secretary of the Armenian Defence Ministry, Col Seyran
Shakhsuvaryan, has told Arminfo news agency: “We think that a host
should feel responsibility for organizing such a high-profile event
and prepare the public to this. Representatives of the US embassy in
Baku and Azerbaijani security services took additional measures to
ensure the Armenian officers’ security. The Armenian representatives,
the organizers of the conference and representatives of the
Azerbaijani Defence Ministry were negotiating the further work of the
planning conference. The Armenian side will continue its work in the
conference if the Azerbaijani authorities assume full responsibility
for ensuring the security of the Armenian officers.”

GEORGIAN REVOLT TO INSPIRE ARMENIAN OPPOSITION, PARTY LEADER SAYS
Mediamax news agency
22 Jun 04
YEREVAN
The change of the authorities which took place in Georgia in November
2003 must be an example for the Armenian opposition’s future actions,
a member of the political council of the opposition Republic
(Anrapetutyun) Party and ex-prime minister, Aram Sarkisyan, said in
Yerevan today.
He said that summer will be the time for the Armenian opposition to
get seriously organized. Aram Sarkisyan described as a mistake the
fact that “the opposition has failed to introduce its leader to
society, as this happened in Georgia”.
The ex-prime minister expressed confidence that the change of the
authorities would definitely take place in Armenia. “Our people will
not tolerate the establishment of dictatorship as it happened in
Turkmenistan,” he said.

Azeri officer killed by Armenian sniper – agency
Turan news agency
23 Jun 04

BAKU
Lt Teymur Panahov of the Azerbaijani army was killed by an Armenian
sniper in the village of Dassalahli in Qazax District on the
Armenian-Azerbaijani front at 0730 [0230 gmt] yesterday.
The press service of the Defence Ministry has confirmed the killing of
the officer. According to the same source, the lieutenant received
lethal wound in his head. In turn, the next of kin of the officer said
that he had been shot when protecting his soldiers.
[Passage omitted: Teymur’s biography]
According to unofficial reports, intensive firefights with intervals
have been going on in Dassalahli for two weeks. Several troops were
shot dead in Qazax District recently.

Azeri Foreign Ministry denies Armenian military officers arrived “secretly”
ANS TV, Baku
23 Jun 04

The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry has denied Parliament Speaker Murtuz
Alasgarov’s statement that Armenian officers have come to Baku
secretly.
According to the ministry, Deputy Foreign Minister Araz Azimov made a
special statement as regards the Armenian officers’ visit to Baku
several days ago.
The final planning conference of the NATO Partnership for Peace
exercises due in September is expected to complete its work in Baku
today. The Armenian officers who have come to the Azerbaijani capital
to attend the conference will leave the country only after the
conference.
Those detained outside Hotel Europe yesterday [22 June] in a protest
at the Armenians’ visit, as well as the chairman of the Karabakh
Liberation Organization, have been taken to a remand facility in Qara
Sahar [Black City], said a source from the 20th police station of the
Nasimi district police department.

Azeri MPs say Armenian officers’ visit “disgrace”
ANS TV, Baku
22 Jun 04

[Presenter in studio] Our parliamentary correspondent has tried to
find out the deputies’ reaction to the visit of Armenian officers.
[Correspondent] I will deliberately not talk about the draft laws
discussed in parliament today. Because while this session of the
parliament was under way, a conference comfortably attended by two
Armenian officers was in progress only 1 km away. By joining that
meeting, Armenians actually insulted the spirit of thousands of
Azerbaijanis killed while defending the country’s territorial
integrity.
Therefore, I will not waste your time by speaking about the
discussions on joining the international postal convention or on the
draft law on state secrets. As a parliamentary correspondent of the
independent republic of Azerbaijan, I personally think it is much more
interesting to watch the reaction of the Milli Maclis [parliament]
chairman to statements by a number of MPs who tried to express their
protest at the Armenian officers’ visit. He simply cut their
statements short.
[Speaker Murtuz Alasgarov shown during parliament session] We are not
discussing that. Is that clear?
[Correspondent] But it is reassuring that even though the parliament’s
assembly hall is simply a place of gossip for many, at least some
deputies did have the courage not to remain tight-lipped.
[MP Zahid Oruc, captioned] I would like to say a few words about the
two Armenians. We have to express our protest today, Murtuz muallim
[form of address]. On Friday our protests will not be worth anything.
[MP Fazail Agamali] Time is passing. It has to be done today. It
cannot be postponed until tomorrow.
[Speaker Alasgarov] Let me repeat, this concerns everyone, so please
take this into account. We will discuss the issue on Friday.
[Another MP, not captioned] Government bodies which respect themselves
should not have allowed the occupying army’s officers to come here. Of
course [interrupted].
[Alasgarov] Listen, we are not discussing this issue. Is that clear?
[MP Sabir Rustamxanli] Please don’t interrupt us. We, members of the
Azerbaijani parliament and citizens of a country at war, think that it
is a disgrace to have allowed representatives of the Armenian army,
whose hands are imbrued with Azerbaijani blood, to set foot on our
soil. This is unacceptable.
[Correspondent] The chairman of the Milli Maclis eventually had to say
his word.
[Alasgarov] They have come secretly and will leave after the first
meeting of the conference.
[Correspondent] The parliament speaker was right, they will leave. But
we will stay: elected from the occupied Qubadli and Zangilan
Districts, MP Imamverdi Ismayilov, who asks in his books whether our
lands and our houses occupied by the enemy are still there, elected
from Xocali Elman Mammadov, a representative of Cabrayil, Karam
Aliyev, and others. And us. But what has been done cannot be
undone. The Armenians have come, seen and won. Yet another time. No
matter how this is being presented to us.
Afat Telmanqizi and Azar Qarayev, ANS.

Germany to help Armenia improve water supplies
Public Television of Armenia, Yerevan
22 Jun 04
[Presenter] Armenian and German businessmen are preparing cooperation
plans. The Armenian side is presenting in Berlin proposals to
increase the volume of commodity turnover. Armenian legislation is
more liberal on protecting investment and ensuring economic
competition.
[Correspondent Hermine Bagdasaryan from Berlin] An additional 8m euros
to improve water supplies to Armenia’s distant districts – Armenian
Prime Minister Andranik has reached this agreement with German
Minister of Economic Cooperation and Development Heidemarie
Wieczorek-Zeul. This is not the beginning of German support, but a
continuation of several years of a programme of improvement for the
republic’s water supply, assisting small and medium-sized businesses
and developing alternative sources of energy.
Minister Zeul asked Andranik Markaryan about the Caucasus Initiative
programme, expressing concern that only Armenia and Georgia are
involved in it. Our neighbours [Azerbaijan] politicize our joint
cooperation in the ecological and economic sectors although Armenia
has declared its readiness for cooperation without any conditions,
Andranik Markaryan said.
Markaryan and Zeul also discussed a peaceful settlement to the
Karabakh problem.
The agenda of the Armenian delegation also included economic
events. More than 200 businessmen have arrived in Berlin to take part
in the Armenian-German economic cooperation forum and industrial
exhibition.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Azeri police arrest organizers of attack on NATO conference
ANS TV, Baku
22 Jun 04

The trial of those arrested in the protest action organized by the
Karabakh Liberation Organization outside Hotel Europe, the venue of a
NATO conference attended by two Armenian officers, was held today. Two
of the arrested, Barat Elmanli and Gunduz Umudov, have been released.
The chief of the Nasimi district police department, Bagir Bagirov, has
told ANS that criminal proceedings have been instituted against five
other people, including the chairman of the Karabakh Liberation
Organization, Akif Nagi.
They are being charged with hooliganism.

England’s Short knocked-out of World Chess Championship in Libya
AP Online
Jun 23, 2004
MAHMOUD KASSEM

The top two chess players at the World Chess Championship have earned
a place in round three that starts Wednesday but England’s Nigel
D. Short was knocked out the night before in the biggest upset of the
tournament so far.
Short, world No. 15 and No. 5 in the tournament, drew Tuesday’s second
round two game with his Polish opponent Michal Krasenkow after 71
moves in an English defense opening that forced the Brit to bow out of
the contest early.
The English grandmaster who was once a world champion finalist against
Garry Kasparov lost his game Monday with Krasenkow, seeded No. 57 in
the competition, due to a serious blunder that robbed him of a
rook. He needed to win Tuesday’s game to have a chance at a tiebreaker
with his weaker-ranked Polish opponent.
Shorts compatriot Michael Adams, No. 2 in the tournament and No. 8 in
the world, fared better in the day’s games, beating his Armenian
opponent Karen Asrian with comeback determination. A draw between the
two players in the first game of round two on Monday had upped the
stakes for Tuesday’s match.
Asrian, the weaker player, initiated a Caro-Kann exchange defense that
developed into Panov-Botvinnik attack but he could not stave away his
opponent’s meticulous thrust and resigned after 46 moves.
Tournament favorite Veselin Topalov of Bulgaria continued to sail
through the opening rounds without much suspense.
Elsewhere, the youngest player and only American left in the
tournament, 16-year-old Hikaru Nakamura, proved that he had done his
homework before coming to Tripoli. He made it to round three after
beating his higher ranked opponent by 1.5 points to half a point.
“Yesterday’s game, which I won, was more exciting because today was
just a draw. Both of us were low on time and I managed to outplay him
with a rook and a knight,” Nakamura told The Associated Press of the
creative endgame from Monday’s first game of round one.
Fifteen of the 32 games played Tuesday ended in draws and required
rapid and blitz games to eliminate the stubborn hangers on.
Cuba’s Lenier Dominguez, one of eight players to reach the final
sudden death round, displayed inspiring stamina to topple higher-rated
Vladimir Malakhov of Russia in a battle that lasted until the early
hours of Wednesday.
Short on time, Dominguez got a lucky draw in the second blitz game but
came back with a strong attack in the sudden death round and cordoned
off black’s king with two rooks and a queen on the “f” file.
The World Chess Federation, known by its French initials FIDE, began
its Tripoli championship Saturday despite Libya’s refusal to allow
players from Israel and the absence of many top players. Only two of
FIDE’s top 10 were participating, apparently because many players were
angry that the world’s strongest rated player, Kasparov of Russia, was
to be allowed to play the winner without having to go through
qualifying rounds.
Libya, which is putting up the US$1.5 million in prize money for the
tournament, has been struggling to shake off its reputation as a rogue
state that sponsors terrorism and foments trouble around the
world. Welcoming the chess tournament and making a failed bid to host
the 2010 soccer World Cup were seen as part of a campaign to clean up
its international image.

Azeri pundits against Armenian officers’ presence at Baku-hosted NATO
meeting
Ekspress, Baku
23 Jun 04

Text of Telman report by Azerbaijani newspaper Ekspress on 23 June
headlined “Armenians pursue certain goals in coming to Baku” and
subheaded “According to experts, they are trying to disrupt the NATO
event”
Armenian officers have attended a regular NATO conference which was
held in Baku within the framework of the Partnership for Peace
programme.
Political expert Aydin Agayev thinks that the Armenian officers tried
to disrupt the conference by attending it and damage relations between
our country and this bloc. [Unclear sentence omitted]
Agayev thinks that refusal to cooperate with leading organizations
will bring about Azerbaijan’s isolation as is the case with
neighbouring Iran. However, our interviewee said he was tired of those
organizations’ biased statements and double standards.
Political expert Xaladdin Ibrahimli described the green light to the
Armenians’ arrival in Baku as a mistake.
“I cannot understand how the Armenian officers who have occupied our
lands are allowed to come to Azerbaijan?”
The political experts think that not only individuals, but also
society itself – politicians, NGOs, the intelligentsia and journalists
– should oppose such cases.
The chairman of the supreme council of the Democratic Party of
Azerbaijan [DPA], Nuraddin Mammadli, thinks that protest actions over
the Nagornyy Karabakh problem are not sufficient. However, the DPA
member, who regards cooperation with NATO on military service as
important, does not want to see Azerbaijan and Armenia in the same
organization.
“According to the alliance’s regulations, its member countries should
not attack each other. Under these circumstances, the Nagornyy
Karabakh problem will become less important,” Mammadli said.