Handing over “liberated lands” to Azeris senseless – Armenian foreign minister
Public Television of Armenia, Yerevan,
13 May 04
The discussion of the handing over of the seven liberated territories
from the Armenian side to the Azerbaijani side is senseless. Armenian
Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan announced in an interview with the
Radio Liberty.
He said that no agenda for the meeting between the Armenian and
Azerbaijani foreign ministers has been confirmed. So, any issue can
be discussed.
Vardan Oskanyan did not clarify that the Azerbaijani side will try to
include in to the discussion the handing- over of the territories,
which was spoken about recently in Baku. Oskanyan also noted that
the Armenian side will also introduce some issues to the discussion.
The minister stressed that it is impossible to forget that the
Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents met recently, which they assessed
as positive. The presidents announced that they will instruct the
two countries’ foreign ministers also to cooperate in the same path
during the meeting.
Vardan Oskanyan expressed hope that the foreign ministers’ negotiations
will be continued. Vardan Oskanyan also stressed that Armenia is also
for the settlement, as soon as possible, of the Karabakh conflict. This
is one of the main issues of the Armenian diplomacy.

Azeri TV reports Armenian truce violation
ANS TV, Baku
13 May 04
At about 1500 [1000 gmt] today, the village of Qapanli of Tartar
District came under fire from the Armenian-occupied Agdara District’s
village of Seyid-Suvan. The gunfire from large-calibre machine guns
lasted for 10 minutes. The enemy was silenced with retaliatory fire.
Local residents reported no casualties during the incident.

Armenian president, Iranian oil minister discuss Iran-Armenia gas pipeline
Public Television of Armenia, Yerevan
13 May 04
The main agreement of the construction of Iran-Armenia gas pipeline
will be signed in Yerevan today. A delegation headed by Iranian
Minister of Oil and Gas Bijan Namdar Zanganeh is in Armenian for
this occasion.
During the meeting with Armenian President Robert Kocharyan Bijan
Zanganeh noted that the agreement which will be signed today, is
a result of both sides’ constructive work. The interlocutors noted
the high level of Armenian and Iranian political relations. Noting
that enhancement of the two countries’ cooperation has a favourable
influence on regional developments.
Robert Kocharyan said that the energy industry is a kind of engine
of Armenian-Iranian relations. The Armenian president said that
deepening of cooperation in the energy is of big importance and
Armenia is interested in the successful implementation of the project.
The sides stressed that Armenia-Iran gas pipeline’s construction will
double the volume of bilateral economic relations and will has major
importance for the development and deepening of both Armenian-Iranian
and regional cooperation.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Azeri, Armenian talks in Strasbourg yield no result – paper
Ekspress, Baku
13 May 04
The meeting of the Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers held on
the sidelines of a Council of Europe session in Strasbourg on 12 May
yielded no results, the Azerbaijani newspaper Ekspress has said. The
newspaper quoted the Russian mediator in the talks, Yuriy Merzlyakov,
as saying that the stage-by-stage settlement, which was allegedly to be
discussed at the meeting, was a failure. At the same time, the Armenian
president’s special envoy said that the goal of the meeting was to
update the parties on their positions on the Karabakh settlement. In
accordance with this settlement plan, Armenia is to return the seven
occupied districts around Nagornyy Karabakh in exchange for the
reopening of the railway link with Azerbaijan. The following is an
excerpt from Alakbar Raufoglu report by Azerbaijani newspaper Ekspress
on 13 May headlined “The Strasbourg meeting yields no results. Yerevan
rejects the ‘option to liberate the seven districts'”:
The Azerbaijani and Armenian foreign ministers, Elmar Mammadyarov and
Vardan Oskanyan, held a meeting in Strasbourg yesterday. The meeting
took place on the sidelines of the 114th session of the committee of
the foreign ministers of the Council of Europe member states. Apart
from the ministers, the co-chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group, as well as
the special representatives of the Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents
for the settlement of the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict, Araz Azimov and
Tatul Markaryan, participated in the talks. This was the second meeting
of the new Azerbaijani foreign minister with his Armenian counterpart.
The talks that started at 1700 Baku time [1200 gmt] ended at 2030
[1530 gmt]. After expanded three-hour discussions, the ministers
held tete-a-tete talks. After the talks, the foreign ministers left
without making any statement for the media.
“We managed to hold quite an open and successful meeting,” Russian
co-chairman Yuriy Merzlyakov told Ekspress after the meeting. But
since the talks were “strictly confidential”, it was decided not to
provide information about the ministers’ dialogue.
The discussions were aimed mainly at “familiarization with ideas”,
and the mediators informed the parties about new proposals. “The
participants in the meeting were also made aware of the Azerbaijani
option on seven districts [Armenia returns the seven occupied districts
around Nagornyy Karabakh in exchange for the reopening of transport
links between the two countries],” Merzlyakov said. “What was most
important for us was to compare the positions of the conflicting
parties and to search for possibilities to continue the dialogue.”
Although the Russian diplomat said nothing specific about Armenia’s
stance on the return of the seven districts, he admitted that this
option was a failure. “The position on this settlement option was
equivocal from the very beginning, and therefore, I was against
discussing this idea on its own. But no-one listened to us,” said
Merzlyakov regretfully.
During the talks, Mammadyarov once again voiced the Baku government’s
stance on the settlement. “Our position is unchanged: Azerbaijan
will never agree to Nagornyy Karabakh being independent or part
of Armenia. Any new settlement proposal should be based on these
principles,” the minister said.
The Armenian Foreign Ministry issued a joint statement by the two
countries’ foreign ministers yesterday evening. The statement says
that the meeting of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmen and the Armenian
and Azerbaijani foreign ministers in Strasbourg “opened an opportunity
to discuss future prospects”.
According to the statement, Armenia and Azerbaijan “stated once again
that they were interested in the settlement of the Nagornyy Karabakh
conflict and agreed to continue this useful dialogue”.
The major achievement of the meeting is that the parties agreed to
continue the talks. “We did not focus on specific options, but simply
expressed our views,” the special representative of the Azerbaijani
president for the Karabakh settlement, Araz Azimov, told [the Armenian
news agency] Mediamax after the meeting.
He also commented on the recent calls for war in Azerbaijan and
Armenia. In the official’s opinion, in the current situation, peace
talks “are the best option, and the talks have not run out of their
potential”. Azimov said that the next meeting of the foreign ministers
“will be agreed by the parties, depending on the situation”.
The special representative of the Armenian president, Tatul Markaryan,
also described the talks as “very useful” at a news conference in
Strasbourg yesterday evening. “No new proposals were put forward. The
goal of the meeting between the ministers and the OSCE Minsk Group
co-chairmen was to clarify the parties’ stance, to learn the other
side’s views and to find a common position,” he said.
Asked by French journalists to comment on Azerbaijan’s proposal that
the seven districts be vacated in exchange for the reopening of the
railway link, Markaryan said that Armenia was against this option and
that the Karabakh problem could be resolved only under the “package
settlement” plan. “This is not a conflict just between Armenia and
Azerbaijan, this is also a problem of ensuring the Karabakh people’s
independence and security,” the Armenian diplomat added.
[Passage omitted: Yesterday marked the 10th anniversary of the Karabakh
cease-fire agreement]
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Ukraine to join construction of Iran-Armenia gas pipeline
Public Television of Armenia, Yerevan
12 May 04
The Armenian prime minister [Andranik Markaryan] has suggested that
Ukraine should take part in the competition on the construction of the
Iran-Armenia gas pipeline. This was one of the main issues discussed
during a session of the Armenian-Ukrainian economic cooperation
commission in Kiev. Andranik Markaryan said that Armenian-Iranian
technical consultations are coming to an end, after which the project’s
financing will be discussed.
The Ukrainian prime minister [Viktor Yanukovych] confirmed Ukraine’s
wish to take part in the construction of the gas pipeline.
The Armenian prime minister today discussed the strengthening of
Armenian-Ukrainian economic cooperation with Ukrainian President
Leonid Kuchma.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

US publisher demands British envoy to Armenia be evicted
Public Television of Armenia, Yerevan
13 May 04
[Presenter] The attitude of the foreign countries’ ambassadors,
accredited to Armenia on Armenian genocide is being discussed in the
circles of the Armenian Diaspora.
[Correspondent] The British ambassador to Armenia, Thorda Abbott-Watt’s
remarks made at the end of January 2004, on that the 1915 bloody events
are not genocide made quite a noise. Armenian communities all over
the world are concerned by this remark. Harut Sassounian, publisher
of The California Courier in his article expressed a complaint about
the British ambassador’s remark. In an interview with Armenian Public
TV, Mr Sassounian stressed that it is very hurtful for him that the
similar words were sounded in Yerevan.
[Harut Sassounian, captioned] At least, we can complain. If we
cannot change a position of the settlement of the Karabakh conflict,
we can at least express our dissatisfaction. We can do this, can’t
we? Because it does not demand money or strong force. We must express
our position. We have obligations and rights.
[Correspondent] Harut Sassounian drew parallels between this diplomatic
scandal and the Israeli ambassador to Armenia, Rivka Cohen, who made
similar remarks in 2002. According to Sassounian to hear such remarks
from an ambassador of that country which also was a victim of genocide,
was the most hurtful. In an interview with Armenian Public TV the
British ambassador noted that she does not wish to comment on this
remark. Here is Mr Sassounian’s assessments.
[Harut Sassounian] Bravo, she has learnt something from this event. The
other ambassadors, starting from the US ambassadors and others must be
more careful. It is right that they cannot express another position
against the their government’s position, but, at least, they should
shut their mouths and will be more cautious.
[Correspondent] What is needed to be undertaken in the current
situation? Mr Sassounian answered that only the Armenian government
must solve this issue.
[Harut Sassounian] They must solve this problem themselves. It not
necessary that the ambassador must be evicted from the country. It
they will do that there will be left no ambassadors in Armenia.
[Correspondent] Shortly after our interview, Mr Sassounian made a new
announcement, where he demanded the recall of the British ambassador
from Armenia. According to Mr Sassounian in such cases the Armenian
side’s diplomatic steps are a worthy reply not only to those who do
not respect our people’s hurtful feelings but also it reminds the
Turks that our demand has not been forgotten or a book of history is
not past issue.

OSCE welcomes contacts between Armenian authorities, opposition
Mediamax news agency
13 May 04
Yerevan, 13 May: Vladimir Pryakhin, the head of the OSCE office
in Yerevan and ambassador, has welcomed the resumption of contacts
between the authorities and the opposition in Armenia.
“I call on both sides to engage in a genuine dialogue to settle
the existing differences within the constitutional framework,”
Pryakhin said. He said that “a dialogue is the best way to reach
mutual understanding and develop political stability”, Mediamax news
agency reports.
Pryakhin also called on the Armenian authorities to re-consider
the cases of people detained during the recent demonstrations and to
continue efforts to reform the Code of Administrative Violations. This
would make it possible to eliminate the practice of administrative
detentions, “which is incompatible with European standards”, he said.

Opinions on 10 years of Azerbaijan, Armenia cease-fire – paper
Ayna, Baku
12 May 04
The fighting on the Azerbaijani and Armenian contact line was suspended
on 12 May 1994. Prior to this day, the Bishkek protocol was signed
in Kyrgyz capital between Azerbaijan, Armenia and the Azerbaijani
and Armenian communities of Nagornyy Karabakh.
[Passage omitted: war figures]
We wonder, how did Azerbaijan benefit from the 10-year truce period?
Respondents’ answers to this question vary.
An employee of the Defence Ministry press service, Capt Ilqar Verdiyev,
believes that over this 10-year period, the Azerbaijani army has
been transferred into a perfect body commanded from a single centre
and brought into compliance with the NATO standards: “Our country
has been participating actively in the NATO’s Partnership for Peace
programme since 1996. Our military education system has been brought
into compliance with the NATO standards. We have taken advantage of
the cease-fire period sufficiently. At present Azerbaijani army is
capable of liberating the occupied territories.”
But Lt-Col Uzeyir Cafarov, independent military journalist, said that
had that period been used properly, the Azerbaijani army should have
been stronger than it is now: “True, a number of military reforms
have been accomplished, but we should also look at the enemy on the
opposite side. That army resorted to illegal means to arm itself. The
leadership of the Azerbaijani army does not pay much attention to
procurement of weapons and ammunition. Actually, we should have
become the leader among the South Caucasus countries over the past
period. Regrettably, this is not the case.”
Zardust Alizada, independent pundit, branded the cease-fire years as a
“lost time”. “Enforcing a cease-fire regime in 1994 was very important
as we needed to win time to create an army, adjust our affairs and
liberate the occupied lands. Unlike many other opposition members, I
hailed the truce at that point. But I was wrong. It turned out that
the government benefited from the cease-fire regime to strengthen
its position. I consider that the 10-year is a lost period and the
policy pursued over this time is equal to national treason.
The deputy executive secretary of the [ruling] New Azerbaijan Party,
MP Bahar Muradova, is optimistic. She says that the classification of
the cease-fire period as “lost years” is wide of the mark: “Although
we have not reached a peaceful solution to the Karabakh problem over
the cease-fire period, we managed to prepare appropriate grounds for
it. First, Azerbaijan has achieved political and economic successes,
the mighty army able to liberate the occupied lands has been created.”
[Passage omitted: Predictions on the outcome of the conflict are
inappropriate]
The former head of the presidential secretariat, Eldar Namazov,
does not consider the reforms, implemented in Azerbaijan during the
cease-fire period, efficient: “This includes both the policy for
Karabakh settlement and the development of the country. Azerbaijan
could have been the leading country in the South Caucasus over these
10 years. Despite our sufficient potential, ineffective reforms did
not lead us towards these targets.”
[Passage omitted: other similar opinions]

Azeri ANS TV lashes out at BBC for “serious digressions” in Karabakh reports
ANS TV, Baku
12 May 04
[Presenter Natavan Babayeva] The BBC has replied to a warning letter
from the ANS Independent Broadcasting and Media Company. ANS has
advised to its partner in the sphere of information to overcome
serious digressions in its information policy during the recent year.
[Correspondent, over video of ANS letter, the BBC letter, BBC
Russian.com web page] What has happened with the BBC which was famous
as a symbol of impartial and balanced journalism in its time? Listeners
to the BBC Russian Service’s morning programmes on the Nagornyy
Karabakh conflict during the recent month have frequently asked this
question to ANS, which is one of the companies broadcasting these
programmes. Appealing to BBC managers on 6 April this year, the ANS CM
[radio] management demanded an explanation on the serious changes in
the BBC’s information policy as well. As a result of the monitoring,
the ANS CM management has determined the biased nature of dozens of
reports prepared by the BBC service in Baku and informed its partners
about this.
The BBC management’s attention was also drawn to the anti-Azerbaijani
activity of the editor of BBC Russian Service, ethnic Armenian Mark
Grigoryan. We should note that this individual has been popularizing a
pro-Armenian stance and trying to do his best to prove that Nagornyy
Karabakh belongs to the Armenians, using his position in the BBC and
Azerbaijani correspondents forced to work and subordinate to him.
Today we received a reply from the BBC with regard to all our
complaints. Olexiy Solohubenko, executive editor, Eurasia, BBC World
Service, writes that a special meeting of editors has been held with
regard to the ANS complaints and all facts have been attentively
examined, and though it could be regarded as strange, defects have
been discovered neither in the activity of the BBC Russian Service
nor even in reports of editor Mark Grigoryan, despite the submitted
undeniable facts.
But we again draw the attention of our companions, who have a glorious
past in information provision, to these defects. This morning the BBC
Russian Service broadcast a 20-minute report dedicated to the 10th
anniversary of the truce agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The
report unequivocally presents the Azerbaijanis as supporters of peace
and poor things avoiding the war. Instigating a capitulatory policy,
the thoughts of an Armenian political scientist and of Vladimir
Kazimirov, former Russian co-chairman of the OSCE Minsk Group who is
famous for his pro-Armenian stance, dominate in the report as expert
opinions. In Vladimir Kazimirov’s view, the option for the settlement
of the conflict is the determination of the Nagornyy Karabakh status
and the return of refugees only after this.
We should note that the scenario voiced by Vladimir Kazimirov is the
option which the Armenians desire. But Azerbaijan and international
organizations, including the UN, demand the return of the refugees to
their lands and only after this to determine the status of Nagornyy
Karabakh. But for some reason, this point was forgotten in the report
prepared under Mark Grigoryan’s supervision. As for political
scientist Aleksandr Iskandaryan, invited by the BBC as an expert,
he says that the Baku government is not interested in the settlement
of the conflict because if [Azerbaijani President] Ilham Aliyev makes
concessions in the Karabakh conflict, he will lose his political power.
[Voice of Iskandaryan in Russian with Azeri voice-over] First, the
Azerbaijani leadership and Ilham Aliyev have some more important
problems than the settlement of the Karabakh conflict. Maintaining
power, concentrating the flow of money in the hands of their clan,
distributing posts and other related issues are among them. Second,
the Azerbaijani leadership do not need true compromise as well,
because that compromise will sweep them away.
[Correspondent] Finally, I would like to draw your attention to the
BBC’s web site dedicated to Nagornyy Karabakh. Here one can see words
of Ali Aslanov, pupil of the 10th form and a refugee from Susa [town
in Karabakh], or to say more precisely, a blue quotebox presented
as an important statement by the BBC. 16-year-old Ali says: [the
TV pictures shows words in Russian in a blue quotebox on a web page]
It seems to me that Susa is not my motherland. [The following words
were not included in the voice-over: I have been living in Baku since
seven years of age] I like this city, I can say that I do not remember
my first home. All my friends live in Baku.
In our opinion, there is no need for additional comment. Zaur Hasanov,
ANS.

Armenian opposition rejects dialogue with ruling coalition
Mediamax news agency
13 May 04
Yerevan, 13 May: Armenia’s united opposition today refused
to participate in the negotiations with the ruling coalition
and independent parliamentary factions due to the fact that “the
authorities have not taken effective steps to meet the main demand” of
the opposition, or to be more precise, “to overcome the situation that
has developed in the country since the 2003 presidential elections”,
the Justice bloc and the National Unity Party said in a statement
approved in Yerevan today.
A member of the Justice bloc, Shavarsh Kocharyan, told a press
conference in Yerevan today that the opposition was ready to discuss
all issues with the coalition, but only after the consideration of
the opposition’s main demand.
The secretary of the Justice bloc, Viktor Dallakyan, told journalists
that at a rally scheduled 14 May, the opposition is planning to demand
that President Robert Kocharyan resign and answer “who is to blame for
the failure of the dialogue between the opposition and the coalition”.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress