Azeri radio says Armenians re-deploy troops on border
ANS Radio, Baku
18 Jun 04
The situation is relatively calm on the contact line of the armed
forces of Armenia and Azerbaijan. However, Armenians are bringing
troops and military hardware towards the Qazax direction of the
border. Residents of Mazam village, which borders Armenia, came to
this conclusion on the basis of the Armenian aggressors’ intensified
activities on the border. The locals say that the Armenian military
have been re-deploying their positions over the past week and the
enemy’s positions are now closer to the village.
Let us recall that four to five kilometres of the road to the villages
of Mazam and Qusci Ayrim go through the front line. The residents of
the villages are moving children to safer areas in order to protect
them from Armenian aggression, as there is a great possibility of
the road being blocked.
The head of the district executive authorities admitted that the
situation in Mazam village is tense. As the road to the village
has been under constant fire from the enemy during the past week,
movement to and from the village has been suspended.
The head of the district executive authorities, Asad Orucov, said
that the enemy used to fire at the village and the road. The OSCE
Minsk Group’s mission which carried out monitoring in the village
on 12 June was informed about the situation which had developed in
the last two weeks. However, the Armenian side ignored the OSCE’s
recommendations. Orucov said that a strong military contingent sent to
defend the village is capable of repulsing the enemy. Thus it is out
of the question that Armenians can besiege the village, end of quote.
[Lider TV, Baku, in Azeri 0800 gmt, said Mazam village came under
Armenian fire on Thursday night 18 June]

France meeting of South Caucasus speakers postponed
Assa-Irada, Baku
18 Jun 04
Baku, 17 June: A meeting between the chairmen of the Azerbaijani,
Georgian and Armenian parliaments planned to be held at France’s
initiative in Versailles on 8 July has been postponed, sources at
the Milli Maclis [Azerbaijani parliament] told Assa-Irada news agency.
The source did not explain the reasons for the postponement, but said
that the speakers’ Versailles meeting might take place in September
or October this year.
We have to say that Azerbaijani Speaker Murtuz Alasgarov’s meeting
with his Georgian counterpart Nino Burjanadze planned for 1 July is
also postponed. The reason is a visit to Azerbaijan by a representative
of the PACE secretary-general in late June.

Armenian president points out areas of CSTO, NATO cooperation – Kazakh TV
Kazakh Television first channel
18 Jun 04
[Presenter] Military-political cooperation between Eurasian countries
was discussed in Astana today.
At the session of the CSTO [Collective Security Treaty Organization;
members are Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and
Russia] member states, the presidents of the organization had talks
in private.
[Passage omitted: The CSTO secretary-general, Nikolay Bordyuzha,
took part in the private talks of the presidents; the CSTO countries
signed cooperation documents]
A document was also signed today on the key areas of cooperation
between the CSTO and NATO.
[Armenian President Robert Kocharyan, addressing a news conference]
The organization reacts to this calmly and positively assesses the
possibility for cooperation between the states and NATO, as well as
in the NATO-CSTO format. The document also indicates the areas of
cooperation. These are regional, international security; the fight
against terrorism; that is the drugs threat; proliferation of weapons
of mass destruction and missile technologies.

CIS security body leaders sign intelligence, facilities sharing deals
Interfax-Kazakhstan news agency, Almaty
18 Jun 04
Astana, 18 June: A number of documents were signed following a session
of the Collective Security Council of the Collective Security Treaty
Organization [CSTO] in Astana today.
The heads of the CSTO member states, Armenian President Robert
Kocharyan, Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka, Kazakh President
Nursultan Nazarbayev, Kyrgyz President Askar Akayev, Russian President
Vladimir Putin and
Tajik President Emomali Rahmonov signed an agreement on the mutual
protection of secret information within the CSTO and an agreement
on effectively equipping their territories and jointly using the
facilities of the CSTO states’ military infrastructures.
The Kazakh presidential service reported this to the
Interfax-Kazakhstan news agency.

Armenian president arrives in Kazakhstan for security summit
Public Television of Armenia, Yerevan
17 Jun 04
[Presenter] President Robert Kocharyan has left for Astana. The summit
of the leaders of the member countries of the Collective Security
Treaty Organization [CSTO] will be held on Friday [18 June]. Deepening
the member countries’ military and military-technical cooperation
will be on the agenda. The heads of state will also touch upon issues
concerning CSTO cooperation with other international organizations. The
summit will also discuss the situation in the regions of the CSTO
member countries, in particular, how the member countries will take
part in the restoration of Afghanistan.
To recap, six countries, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,
Russia and Tajikistan, are included in the CSTO. Before the meeting
of the leaders of these countries, CSTO member countries’ defence,
security and foreign ministers will held a joint session in Astana.
[Correspondent Lilit Setrakyan, over video of meetings, by telephone
from Astana] The delegation led by President Robert Kocharyan has
arrived in the Kazakh capital. Kazakh officials met the Armenian
delegation at Astana international airport. A meeting of the leaders
of the CSTO member countries will be held tomorrow as part of
the CSTO summit. The defence and foreign ministers will also meet
separately. Before the CSTO summit the presidents will also take
part in a forum on the theme of Eurasian Integration: Contemporary
Development Tendencies and Globalization Challenges of the Eurasian
Economic Community. The six leaders will discuss and sign agreements
on adopting unified laws and the circulation of securities among the
Eurasian Economic Community.
The presidents of Armenia, Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan
and Tajikistan will discuss regional and international security issues
during the CSTO summit.
The delegation led by the Armenian president will return to Yerevan
tomorrow evening.

Electoral body urges Karabakh Armenians to take part in Azeri local elections
ANS TV, Baku
18 Jun 04
[Presenter] The Armenian community of Nagornyy Karabakh will start
nominating tomorrow candidates for municipal elections which they
intend to stage on the occupied territories of Azerbaijan. The
secretary of the Azerbaijani Central Electoral Commission, Inqilab
Nasirov, has appealed to Azerbaijani citizens in Nagornyy Karabakh.
[Nasirov] I would like to notify Azerbaijani citizens in Nagornyy
Karabakh that they should not take part in illegal elections. Municipal
elections will be held in the Azerbaijan Republic in December 2004. The
Central Electoral Commission plans, as it always does, to set up
constituency electoral commissions for Xankandi [Stepanakert] and
other administrative-territorial units on the territory of Nagornyy
Karabakh. Azerbaijani citizens living in Nagornyy Karabakh can take
part in these municipal elections to form their local government
bodies. These elections should comply with the law of the Azerbaijani
Republic.

Putin cracks jokes addressing Eurasian forum, slams nationalism, stupidity
Channel One TV, Moscow
18 Jun 04
[Presenter] A meeting of the Interstate Council of the Eurasian
Economic Community began in Kazakhstan’s capital of Astana this
morning. The Presidents of Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia
and Tajikistan are taking part in it. The Armenian leader [Robert
Kocharyan] is participating in the summit as an observer. [Passage
omitted]
Russian President Vladimir Putin has addressed the international
conference “Eurasian integration: contemporary trends and challenges
of globalization” at the Lev Gumilev Eurasian university. [Passage
omitted]
[Correspondent] Opening the conference, Kazakh president Nursultan
Nazarbayev made a speech about problems and prospects of the Eurasian
integration. After that, Putin took the floor, lending the discussion
an informal tone.
[Putin] I have already told [Kazakh president] Nursultan Nazarbayev
that we have arrived here to discuss a humanitarian issue, but he is
not treating us in a humane way. It is six in the morning Moscow time
now. [Laughter among the audience]. I can hardly deliver a wide-ranging
speech about the issues you are going to discuss.
Anyway, there is no doubt that [Russian historian and philosopher
Lev] Gumilev’s ideas have spread among people. Some experts say that
virtually all people are related in the 14th or 15th generation. I
do not know how it looks in the global scheme of things, but in our
land, especially in the Eurasian territory of the former Soviet Union,
we certainly are all relatives, and not in the 14th generation but
closer, obviously. Although, judging from what is written in the
programme that I have, some people are much more closely related
to you. I quote: the forum’s opening ceremony. Then, greetings by
leaders of the Eurasian Economic Community member states. After that,
separately: Kocharyan’s address. [Laughter, a round of applause]
[Correspondent] Joking aside, Putin went on to say that countries
of the former Soviet Union are trying to restore what has been lost
following the disintegration of the Soviet Union, but on a new,
contemporary basis. [Passage omitted]
[Putin] It is far easier to destroy than create. What seemed quite
obvious yesterday, today poses certain difficulties and problems. Using
the intellectual potential of our peoples and taking into account
current developments in the world, we realize that we can safeguard
ourselves from new threats and be competitive in the world of growing
competition only if we combine our efforts.
[Correspondent] Putin was studying the programme of the conference
as other presidents delivered their speeches. Some points of the
programme seemed strange to Putin.
[Putin] I have an impression that enemies of Nazarbayev’s ideas have
infiltrated the pool of organizers. Yes, yes, I’ll explain. There
is a section in the programme called Security of Eurasia. The main
topic for discussion is: “Geopolitical interests of external powers:
the USA, China, the EU, Japan and Russia”. [Laughter]
I understand that one can live according to the principle: “What do I
need geography for? I can take a cab.” However, all one needs to do
is to open a map and see where the Russian Federation is situated –
right in the middle of Eurasia.
Finally, there is the last thing I would like to draw your attention
to. There is a topic [for discussion]: “Conceptual problems of
integrated organizations’ activities”. These problems can be formulated
in a very brief and simple way in three or four sentences. What are
these problems? They are: imperialism, nationalism, personal ambitions
of those who take political decisions and stupidity. Just cave-man
stupidity. But we are clever people. Allow me to finish our today’s
discussion with an appeal: “Clever people of all countries, unite!”
[In a separate report, at 0355 gmt on 18 June, RIA news agency,
Moscow, in Russian, quoted Putin as saying the following: “Speaking
about the security of Eurasia, I think that the overwhelming majority
would agree that not only in Eurasia but worldwide this problem can
hardly be addressed without taking into account the role that Russia
plays in the contemporary world.”]

Single Economic Space, Eurasian community parallel processes – Kazakh leader
Interfax-Kazakhstan news agency, Almaty
18 Jun 04
Astana, 18 June: Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev does not agree
with an opinion on mutual exclusion of the two integration associations
– the Eurasian Economic Community (EAEC) and the Single Economic Space
(SES).
“Both these integration associations do not exclude one another, and
each association is developing in its own way,” the Kazakh president
said speaking at an international forum entitled “Eurasian integration:
tendencies of modern development and challenges of globalization”
in Astana today.
The development of the EAEC and the SES is fitting well into a
multilevel thesis which has different speeds of integration in the
framework of the CIS, Nazarbayev said.
The SES includes Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Belarus.
The EAEC includes Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and
Tajikistan.
Nazarbayev noted that the EAEC was viable and developing organization
of cooperation of the Eurasian five countries.
“The EAEC countries account for over 80 per cent of external trade
operations and over 60 per cent of customs tariffs have been agreed
in the framework of the CIS,” Nazarbayev said.
At the same time, there are quite a lot of times when we are not
satisfied with the EAEC because we are solving issues slowly which
have to be solved [quickly], Nazarbayev said.
[Passage omitted: The Russian, Belarusian, Armenian, Tajik and Kyrgyz
presidents took part in the forum]

Integration most effective way to fight terrorism – Kazakh president
Interfax-Kazakhstan news agency, Almaty
18 Jun 04
Astana, 18 June: Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev thinks that
integration is the most effective way to fight against new threats.
“I am deeply convinced that the further strengthening and broadening
of integration cooperation is the most effective way to fight against
new threats,” he said speaking at an international forum entitled
“Eurasian integration: tendencies of modern development and challenges
of globalization” in Astana today.
Nazarbayev referred to extremism, terrorism and consequences of
globalization as new threats.
The Kazakh president noted “time had shown that the idea of setting
up a Eurasian union was vital and of great demand”, which he himself
had put forward 10 years ago.
“It has not remained only a theoretical postulate but was really
carried out in practice,” he said.
Nazarbayev sees great possibilities in this initiative for the social
and economic modernization of Former Soviet Union countries and their
limited entry to the system of world economic relations.
The Kazakh president noted “the fruitful operation” of the EAEC
[the Eurasian Economic Community of Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,
Russia and Tajikistan – the former Customs Union] and the Collective
Security Treaty Organization [CSTO]. He also rated positively the
process of the setting up a Single Economic Space.
“I am confident that the further development of integration
associations between our countries will be successful,” Nazarbayev
said.
“A constructive cooperation in the framework of our integration
structures should help to attract other countries of the Eurasian
space to the number of their [integration organizations] members. And
this, first of all, will be a serious basis for the strengthening of
influence of Eurasian integration on the regional, continental and
global scales,” he said.
At the same time, Nazarbayev hopes that the forum devoted to Eurasian
integration “will help to understand and fairly assess achievements
and determine further prospects of integration processes in the former
Soviet Union space”.
In this connection, the president called on the scientific community
“to make maximum efforts to determine the further strategy, its
stages, modern mechanisms and instruments in order to implement our
common idea”.
Nazarbayev thinks that the Former Soviet Union countries “need
a new ideology to develop the society based not only on economic
pragmatism but on common unique, historical and cultural roots,
and close cooperation between our peoples”.
The forum was attended by the Russian, Belarusian, Armenian, Tajik
and Kyrgyz presidents, who are currently in Astana.

ARMENIA THIS WEEK
Friday, June 18, 2004
GREATER NATO ROLE SEEN IN CAUCASUS
The United States expects to see greater Caucasus involvement by the North
Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) as a result of the upcoming NATO Summit
in Turkey, U.S. Ambassador to Armenia John Ordway said this Thursday.
According to Ordway, as part of its stepped up role, the alliance and its
individual members are set to cooperate more closely with the Caucasus
states on issues such as peacekeeping operations and military reform.
Speaking at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in
Washington earlier this week, Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian noted that
Armenia’s cooperation with NATO “is increasing and deepening every day,
every month.” Oskanian said that Armenia’s ties with NATO are now on par
with those of Georgia and Azerbaijan and that they should continue to
develop “in tandem” so as to avoid creation of Cold War-like dividing lines
in the region. Oskanian also noted that Armenia’s security cooperation with
Russia did not preclude his country from developing complementary security
relationships in the West.
NATO Assistant Secretary General for Public Affairs Jean Fournet similarly
told the Azeri press this week that he saw no differences in NATO’s
partnership with Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia. “Each of these states have
some links with Russia that could cause potential difficulties,” Fournet
said. “However, it is also a fact that we have close relations with
[Armenia]… and good, developing relations with Russia.”
The NATO official further cautioned against exaggerated optimism for
alliance membership. “Our doors are open. But joining NATO is a long
process… requiring significant reforms,” he said. In addition, “the South
Caucasus has a reputation of a problematic region with unsettled
conflicts… While NATO does not intend to become involved in conflict
resolution, the alliance can provide post-settlement aid.” (Sources:
6-14; 525ci Gazet 6-17; Arminfo 6-17)
U.S. REPORT ADDRESSES TRAFFICKING ISSUES IN ARMENIA, REGION
While Armenia and its neighbors do not fully comply with U.S.’ minimum
standards on fighting trafficking in persons, their governments “are making
significant efforts to do so,” says the U.S. State Department report
released this week. The annual report ranks countries on a three-tier system
from full compliance (Tier 1) to no efforts to comply (Tier 3). The State
Department established a special office on trafficking based on the 2001
Trafficking Victims Protection Act, championed by Congressmen Chris Smith
(R-NJ) and Sam Gejdenson (D-CT). The Act mandates U.S. aid sanctions to
countries repeatedly placed in the Tier 3 category.
Armenia, along with Azerbaijan, Georgia, Russia and Turkey, are listed in
Tier 2. But Armenia, unlike these states, is not included in the Tier 2
Watch List and appears to have a comparatively less serious trafficking
problem. Of all Eastern European and former Soviet states, only the Czech
Republic, Lithuania and Macedonia are ranked in Tier 1.
As Armenia’s Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian told the Washington Times this
week, there have been some unintended benefits for Armenia due to blockades
by Azerbaijan and Turkey. While causing economic difficulties and inflating
transportation costs, the blockades also kept Armenia off the major routes
for organized crime groups involved in trafficking in persons and narcotics.
As another State Department report issued last March suggested, drug
trafficking is a significantly smaller problem in Armenia than in its
neighboring states, but could potentially exacerbate should borders with
Turkey and Azerbaijan open.
According to earlier reports by the Observatoire Geopolitique des Drogues
(OGD), a Paris-based monitoring group, past and present government officials
in Turkey and Azerbaijan have had long-standing links to Europe-bound opium
and heroine trade from Afghanistan and Pakistan. This month Indian press
claimed that Azerbaijan might even be willing to host Dawood Ibrahim, one of
the top Indian crime bosses living in Pakistan and under U.S. pressure to
leave. Last October, the U.S. Department of Treasury designated Ibrahim, a
major narcotics dealer, a “terrorist supporter” for his reported funding of
Islamic radicals such as al Qaida. (Sources: OGD Annual Report Oct. 98;
Armenia This Week 6-20-03, 3-5; The Telegraph of India 6-4; U.S. State
Department Trafficking in Persons Report 6-14; Washington Times 6-17)
AZERBAIJAN SEEKS ‘ISLAMIC SOLIDARITY’ SUPPORT ON KARABAKH
A ministerial meeting of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC)
held this week in Turkey made another blanket endorsement of the Azerbaijani
position in the Karabakh conflict. OIC is the world’s only major
intergovernmental organization that has for years succumbed to Azerbaijani
lobbying on the issue. OIC countries, led particularly by Turkey and
Pakistan, also have endorsed similar Azeri efforts at the UN. Both Turkey
and Pakistan have provided military support to Azerbaijan.
The Azeri officials have succeeded in including its ostensibly non-religious
conflict with Armenia and NKR into the “Islamic agenda” at the OIC’s Summit
in Malaysia last October. In return for support against the purported
“Armenian aggression,” Azeri leaders have endorsed such “Islamic causes” as
Turkish-occupied Cyprus and Pakistani-occupied Kashmir. Earlier this year,
Azerbaijan’s religious leader Allahshukur Pashazade also condemned the
Israeli assassination of the leader of the Hamas terrorist organization.
Starting in the early 1990s, the Azeri government forged ties with Islamic
radicals from throughout the Middle East, including some 2,000 recruits from
Afghanistan, to fight against Armenians in Karabakh. Following the war, many
of them stayed in Azerbaijan forming a basis for creation of local al Qaida
cells. By late 1990s, according to a U.S. indictment, al Qaida operatives
were sufficiently entrenched in Azerbaijan to coordinate terrorist bombings
against U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. While in recent years, Azeri
security agencies have cracked down on groups tied to al Qaida, their
elements are believed to have remained in the country. (Sources: R&I Issue
Brief “Azerbaijan and Islamic Terrorism” 9-10-01; Dawn (Pakistan) 1-14-02;
NG.ru 10-17-03; Azertaj 10-21-03; Zerkalo 3-23; Arminfo 12-23-02, 3-24;
Anadolu 6-16)
ARMENIA’S POLITICAL SEASON CONCLUDES
The Armenian opposition leaders wrapped up for the summer their efforts to
oust President Robert Kocharian after holding last Wednesday their smallest
yet public demonstration in Yerevan. Unlike past opposition protests, the
city government sanctioned this week’s rally. Also, by last week,
law-enforcement agencies dropped charges against most of about fifteen
opposition activists prosecuted for their alleged efforts to overthrow the
government through popular protests. The protests have been diminishing in
size and regularity since April.
Last year’s presidential candidates Stepan Demirchian and Artashes Geghamian
and former Prime Minister Aram Sargsian, who led the protests, promised to
“regroup” and to continue their efforts later this year. They gave no
indication they would return to talks with the three-party coalition
government, which broke down last month. The talks began following the
Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) resolution calling on
both the government and opposition to make compromises and begin dialogue.
The PACE Rapporteur for Armenia Jerzy Jaskiernia (Poland) noted last week
that the government has implemented some of the PACE recommendations and
urged it to continue reforms.
Last month, Armenia’s coalition government offered the opposition minority
in parliament veto rights over election legislation, constitutional reform
and anti-corruption efforts. Speaking at the Center for Strategic and
International Studies (CSIS) in Washington last Monday, Foreign Minister
Vartan Oskanian said that the coalition’s offer remains on the table.
Oskanian further expressed hope that the opposition will take up this offer
in the next several months and that “eventually [the opposition leaders]
will realize that they need to be engaged for the sake of the country.”
(Sources: Armenia This Week 3-12; 4-9, 23, 30; 5-14; Eurasia.net 6-9;
6-14; RFE/RL Armenia Report 6-14, 16; Regnum.ru 6-16)
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Armenia to help in Iraq reconstruction
Published 6/18/2004 3:35 PM
WASHINGTON, June 18 (UPI) — Armenia is the latest country to join President
Bush’s “Coalition of the Willing,” in rebuilding Iraq.
In an interview with UPI earlier this week, Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan
Oskanian said his country would contribute, albeit in “a very symbolic” way.
“We are ready to become engaged in rebuilding Iraq, but our resources are
very modest, so it’s going to be a very modest contribution, nevertheless,
the willingness is there.”
Armenia, Oskanian said, will be contributing doctors, medical personnel and
experts to help clear mines, as well as trucks, drivers and technicians. The
force amounts to about 100 people.
The minister said he believes all neighboring countries in the region should
contribute to the normalization of Iraq. Iraq’s Armenian community is
comprised of roughly 25,000 people.
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