52 replies to this topic

[Ashot]

Serge Sargsyan met with the Minsk Group Co-Chairs
03.04.2008 14:04

RA President-Elect, Prime Minister Serge Sargsyan who left for Bucharest (Romania) this morning to participate in the Summit of the North-Atlantic Treaty Organization, met with the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs.

Armenpress correspondent reported from Bucharest that before the meeting with the Prime Minister the US Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group Matthew Bryza said this is their first meeting with Serge Sargsyan as President-Elect and is aimed at exchanging views on the negotiation process.

Turning to the question that Azerbaijan has applied to the OSCE to get clarifications about the procedure of dissolving the Minsk Group, Bryza noted he has repeatedly commented on the matter and noted that the negotiation process continues.

Yesterday the Co-Chairs met with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.

Publci Radio of Armenia

[Ashot]

Co-Chairs' meeting with Azeri Presidnet held in a tense atmosphere
03.04.2008 12:12

The meeting of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev was held in a tense atmosphere, Novruz Mammadov, the Head of International Relations Department of Azerbaijani Presidential Administration said to TrendNews.

“During the talks Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev brought to the notice of the Co-Chairs the tough and irreconcilable position on the solution of the Nagorno-Artsax conflict,” said Mammadov.

Mammadov also said that Azerbaijani President demanded OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs to explain the position of the countries they represent regarding the Nagorno-Artsax conflict which was introduced to the UN General Assembly by Azerbaijan. On their part, the co-chairs stated that they supported the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.

Today the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs will make an official statement regarding their positions.

Publci Radio of Armenia

[Ashot]

The latest steps of Azerbaijan oblige Armenia to be more resolute
04.04.2008 17:24

It’s obvious that recently Azerbaijan was trying to use the internal political situation in Armenia to influence the negotiation process on the Artsax conflict settlement, which obligates the Armenian side to be more resolute on questions of principle, RA President Robert Kocharyan told reporters today.

The President underlined that any possibility of change or compromise in our position is excluded. “Just the opposite, in such cases it is necessary to respond from the position of resolute approaches.”

According to Robert Kocharyan’s assessment, the paces of Armenia’s stability and further development should become the best guarantee of ensuring a strong position in the Artsax issue.

The President did not rule out the possibility of recognition of the Nagorno Artsax Republic by Armenia. “I think the latest steps of Azerbaijan simply oblige Armenia to undertake decisive actions, while these actions should be decided by the New President and Government.”

Public Radio of Armenia

[Ashot]

Kiro Manoyan: Azerbaijan has “passed all bounds”

08.04.2008 16:20

Azerbaijan has “passed all bounds” with its aspiration to bring the negotiations out of the OSCE framework, Head of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) Bureau's Hay Dat and Political Affairs Office Kiro Manoyan told a press conference today. He noted that it would be good to take the step in the direction of recognition of Nagorno Artsax and signing a military agreement with it right now.

According to Kiro Manoyan, Armenia has practically recognized Nagorno Artsax. It’s not the first year that interstate agreements have been functioning, Armenia provides loans to Artsax, etc. He noted that “it’s time to show Azerbaijan” that in case it continues the efforts to bring the negotiation process out of the OSCE Minsk Group format Armenia can take harsher steps, and then Azerbaijan will have to negotiate directly with Nagorno Artsax. He expressed confidence that during Serge Sargsyan’s presidency Armenia will not yield its positions on the Artsax issue.

As for possibility of including H. Res. 106 in the agenda of the US House of Representatives, Kiro Manoyan noted that the issue has always been on the agenda and the lobbyists are simply waiting for a more proper opportunity to bring the resolution for a vote. According to him, taking into consideration the principled position of Democratic candidates on the recognition of the Armenian Genocide, the Congressmen may possibly return to the discussion of the question.

Public Radio of Armenia

[Ashot]

Galust Sahakyan: The Artsax issue must be solved in a peaceful way and in the framework of the OSCE MG

12.04.2008 14:38

The Nagorno Artsax issue must be solved in a peaceful way and in the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group. There is no change in Armenia’s position: the principles important for Armenia will be reflected in statement of the National Assembly on Nagorno Artsax issue, MP, Vice-President of the Republican Party pf Armenia Galust Sahakyan told a press conference today. According to the MP, the attempts of the Azerbaijani side to hinder the negotiation process, take it out of the Minsk Group framework once again underscored the necessity to reinforce the security of Nagorno Artsax.

The NA statement is addressed to the President and the Government, suggesting to establish such contractual relations with Artsax that will reestablish and make it clear for the international community and Azerbaijan that the issue of NKR security is a priority. “The document does not change Armenia’s principles, it simply resists the challenges Armenia faces,” the Deputy noted, urging to refrain from disputing the Nagorno Artsax issue.

Public Radio of Armenia

[Aratta-Kingdom]

defacto.am

http://www.defacto.a...hp?OP=104884901


COMMENTARIES OF THE NKR MFA INFORMATION AND ANALYTICAL DEPARTMENT ON THE MASS MEDIA QUESTIONS ABOUT THE AZERBAIJANI PARTY’S SPECULATIONS ON THE “KURD SUBJECT” IN THE CONTEXT OF THE AZERBAIJANI-Artsax CONFLICT


Question: Lately, it has become popular in Azerbaijan to look for the Kurd Labor Party (KLP) militants in the NKR. Recently, Nizami Bahmanov has joined the supporters of conducting an “antiterrorist operation” against the KLP militants allegedly available in the NKR. What are these modern tendencies in Azerbaijan’s policy aimed at?
Commentary: Due to the ethnic origin of the governing clan in Baku, the “Kurd subjects” is one of the most sensible domestic policy topics in modern Azerbaijan. The matter is not only in the fact that representatives of the mentioned ethnic group occupy many high-level key posts in Azerbaijan, but also in the role of the “Nakhichevan clan” ancestor, former head of the AzSSR KGB Heydar Aliyev in creating and training Turkey’s number one enemy - the Kurd Labor Party (KLP). Researchers refer the Turkish leadership’s traditional cool terms with late Aliyev-senior just to this circumstance. During his visit to Baku in January 2003, former leader of the ruling Party of Justice and Development in Turkey Radjep Erdogan stated that sections of the Kurd Labor Party operated in Azerbaijan, screened by cultural events. R. Erdogan’s statement caused such a violent reaction in Azerbaijan that the then Minister of National Security of the country Namik Abbasov had to make an official refutation. It is notable that Namik Abbasov did not exclude that there might be such persons in Azerbaijan supporting the KLP and rendering financial assistance to it, but their activity, as Mr. Abbasov assured, was “under the control of the Azerbaijani law enforcement bodies”.
In this context, the immediate reaction of the Azerbaijani party to the misinformation published in the Turkish press, as well as the following attempts of its officials to get rid of the “Kurd problem” in Azerbaijan and to transfer the focus of attention to the NKR are not accidental. Meanwhile, according to the Azerbaijani mass media, former Armenian villages of the Northern Artsax were actively populated with Kurds during the recent years.
Question: What aims does Baku pursue, spreading such insinuations?
Commentary: If we set aside the peculiarity of the “Kurd subject”, then the matter is in Azerbaijan’s regular use of its favorite propagandistic tactics of “tracing” urgent issues of international policy and transferring them to the Artsax conflict. Thus, in different periods, depending on the political situation, the Azerbaijani party stated that the Artsax movement “was inspired by the western secret services for undermining the communist system and brotherhood of nations”; later, it noted that the Artsax Armenians’ demand was initiated by the “imperial ambitions of the Kremlin authorities, who had declared war on sovereign Azerbaijan”. In the framework of their informational-propagandistic war, the Azerbaijani authorities and the structures, funded by them, stated on the existence of Al-Qaida camps and a series of radical Islamic organizations, laboratories for producing nuclear weapons, and nuclear waste burial in the NKR. The Azerbaijani parliamentary delegation at PACE distributed even a document on the Armenian party’s use of nuclear weapons during the military activities in 1991-1994.
Depending on the international political situation, different ways of resolving the Artsax conflict were discussed in Azerbaijan, which, having the same content, were different in their form. They noted the necessity of holding a large-scale “passport regime checkup”, intensifying the Azeri OMON operations, conducting anti-terroristic operations in Nagorno Artsax, realizing pointed bombing of the “terroristic infrastructure”, carrying out humanitarian intervention “for saving the Artsax Armenians from terrorists”, initiating military-police operations for “restoring law and order in Nagorno Artsax”, implementing corresponding “operations on forcing for peace with Azerbaijan”, etc.
So, the tradition of presenting itself as a victim of “local demonstration of the international evil” is not new for Azerbaijan. It fully corresponds to the tactics of solving the Artsax problem with cat’s paw, which Azerbaijan actively fulfills in the context of its European, American, and Russian policy.
However, if previously similar statements were made on an official level, currently, realizing their absurdity, official Baku suggests Nizami Bahmanov for developing such topics. And it’s a pity that Azerbaijan makes use of Nizami Bahmanov in its provocative actions contradicting not only the letter and spirit of the Azerbaijani-Artsax conflict settlement process, but also the common sense.

[Ashot]

Condoleezza Rice: The Artsax issue can be solved if there is political will

16.04.2008 14:39

“I am very much of the view that the Nagorno-Artsax issue is one that could be resolved, and actually, with just a little bit of will, could be resolved relatively quickly,” US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said after the meeting of the Turkish-American group in Washington.

“We have been close several times within the Minsk process, where we have the cooperation of several countries including Russia, the European Union, the United States. It is just going to take taking a couple of difficult decisions and getting an agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia on Nagorno-Artsax,” the Secretary of State declared.

“It needs to be done. I have made the case to both the Armenian Government and to the Azeri Government that they are falling behind the rest of the region because they will not resolve this conflict between them. And frankly, there is plenty of, if you wish to use the word blame, to go around on both sides. This could be done if there’s political will and it ought to – it ought to be done,” Rice concluded.

Public Radio of Armenia

[Ashot]

OSCE Mission registered no cases of ceasefire violation

16.04.2008 15:09

According to an earlier agreement with the authorities of the Nagorno Artsax Republic, on April 15 the OSCE Mission carried out monitoring of the line of contact between the Armed Forces of Nagorno Artsax and Azerbaijan to the north of Takish settlement in Martakert region.

The NKR Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that from the positions of NKR Defense Army the monitoring was carried out by the Coordinator of the OSCE Office, Colonel Imre Palatinus (Hungary), Field Assistants of the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office Irzhe Aberlen (Czech Republic) and Zhaslin Nurtazin (Kazakhstan).

The monitoring was conducted in compliance with a preset schedule, no braches of the ceasefire were registered.

From the Karbakhi side the monitoring group was accompanied by representatives of the NKR Ministries of Defense and Foreign Affairs.

Public Radio of Armenia

[Ashot]

Terry Davis: Parties to the conflict are close to an agreement

16.04.2008 16:56

Secretary General of the Council of Europe Terry Davis declared that the parties of the Artsax conflict are close to reaching an agreement.

“I met with the Foreign Ministers of the two countries and held discussions with them. I have the impression that the parties are close to coming to an agreement. I think we can hope that an agreement will be reached in the near future,” Terry Davis said during today’s press conference.

The Secretary General of the Council of Europe expressed regret for the protraction of the process of settlement of the Artsax conflict. “For a long time the OSCE Minsk Group has been trying to find a solution to the conflict. But we must agree that it is impossible to force the parties to the conflict to accept the ways of solution proposed by the OSCE Minsk Group. The Minsk Group can only play the role of a mediator,” Davis said.

Mr. Davis expressed confidence that the peaceful resolution of the conflict first of all corresponds to the interests of the residents of the region. The CoE Secretary General added that “the militaristic spirit has calmed down in the region, which will help to reach peace.”

Public Radio of Armenia

[Ashot]

The Armenia Fund Accomplishes a Number of School Furnishing Projects

16.04.2008 17:38

The Armenia Fund accomplished several furnishing projects during the month of March including the Parakar Art school, school N10 in Abovian, Kotaik region, schools N 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 in Artik, Shirak region, secondary school in Kndzoresk, Siunik region and School N78 in Yerevan. All these projects have been initiated and financed through contributions from the Armenia Fund’s French Affiliate.

The Art School after Hovik Edgaryan located in the village of Parakar with a population of 7000 was renovated in 2007 with funds from the Armenia Fund French Affiliate. The furnishing project at a total cost of 13,758,549 AMD includes items such as chairs, tables, sofas, hangers, mirrors, drawers, desks, two looms, an oven and a shaping machine for producing ceramic items and a computer. The project is named in memory of the late Loussintac and Sahak Tchopourian.

Around 200 students from Parakar and nearby villages of Tairov, Merdzavan, Ajgek, Baghramyan, Norakert, Ptghunk, Arevashat, Musaler attend different classes at the school. Piano, brass band, dancing, painting, tapestry, pottery and carpet-making classes have classrooms of their own. With facilities for ceramics and carpet-making classes available now, the school administration has started registering pupils who want to enroll on it.

The instructor of the painting class Liparit Shahinyan said they now have 26 children attending the class instead of the 12 they had earlier this year, as they now have 12 easels instead of 6 and more tables and chairs in the classroom. “There was always much interest in painting and pottery classes, but we did not have enough facilities for all those who wanted to join us. We are grateful to the Armenia Fund and our donors for their timely assistance and the stimulus the new environment provides. It is not only pupils who enjoy the new painting tools, it is us, the teachers, who are inspired to do better,” said the instructor. Anahit and Anush have been attending the painting classes for 2.5 years now. They said they always enjoyed them but with the new furnished room and tables of their own they enjoy the classes better. Anahit, 13, is quite certain about her future profession and is seriously planning to become a fashion designer.

Two years ago a class for brass band opened at school. Today it has 10 students and a nice display of a dozen instruments – trumpet, clarinet, trombone, baritone, and viola –on the wall in the classroom. The instruments lay idle in the Parakar secondary school where they belonged in and were passed over to the art school so that the brass band class could use it. With the support of the local municipality they were repaired and now make an impressive collection of Soviet era brass instruments.

Principal of the school Almast Svajyan was greatly excited when showing around the school that was no longer just a nicely renovated and an orderly place which could do with new and more pieces of furniture earlier this year.

Appropriate maintenance is felt in every corner of the building. Although the school was renovated only seven months ago, it is not without the efforts of Ms. Svajyan and her team that the building is kept in good repair; a lot is currently being considered and done to add to it. The curtains obtained by the school management for the concert hall are a perfect match with the chairs. “We are all so pleased with the new interior; it’s an incredible change. We really appreciate the efficiency with which acquisition of the furniture was organized. And we know that not every school in Armenia enjoys the conditions we do today. Many thanks to the Armenia Fund and our friends in France for the school we have,” said Ms Svajyan.

Fittings such as pictures, small rugs and other decorations are part of the principal’s plans. According to her due to the Armenia Fund renovation and furnishing projects the school has now four job openings – one for an administrative assistant and three for support staff. On April 6 the school hosted the festival of sport dances in which groups from Yerevan, Gyumri, Vanadzor, Sisian and Echmiadsin participated.

Within the Armenia Fund upcoming project banisters will be built along the stairs and a fence put up around the building so as to provide safety for school children and prevent the flowers and grass from being trampled.

Similarly eight classrooms for a donation of 3,688,300 AMD drams were furnished in N10 School in Abovian city. The school received tables, chairs, blackboards and hangers. The classrooms were sponsored through the French-Armenian Association for Friendship, Normandy Association for Armenian Solidarity and in memory of late Mihran, Nvart Hatsagortsian.and their son Jirair.

The municipality of Vaulx en Velin in France with a total cost of 5,510,000 AMD drams funded five classrooms in schools number 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 in Artik, Shirak region. It is planned that the municipality will go ahead with the full furnishing of these schools.

School 78 located in the center of Yerevan received new furniture with a total cost of 4,283,200 AMD drams. It includes desks, chairs, tables, bookshelves, blackboards, as well as hangers.

The secondary school in Kndzoresk, another beneficiary of the Armenia Fund project, received sport facilities with donation from Michel Tchaloyan. The project was implemented in memory of Melik and Jirair Melik Mardirossian.

The Armenia Fund Executive Director Vahe Aghabegians welcomed the successful accomplishment of the projects. “By giving our young generation modern schools with appropriately furnished classrooms we make yet another step towards a better life for them. We want them to choose to stay and study in their home communities and truly enjoy their learning. The Armenia Fund is doing its best to support the government in its attempts to provide schools to the standard and thus solve the most basic problem existent in the country’s educational system today,” says Mr. Aghabegians.

Public Radio of Armenia

[Ashot]

Elmar Mammadyarov: Armenian, Azeri Presidents may meet in June

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov told reporters in Baku that the meeting between the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan Serzh Sargsyan and Ilham Aliyev may take place in June of the current year.

“We decided that the negotiations should continue. Most probably, a meeting on the level of Presidents will take place in June,” Mammadyarov said.

To remind, on May 6 the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan met in Strasbourg.

“A new President has been elected in Armenia. It is very important for Azerbaijani side to meet with new government of Armenia. We should know whether they are ready for peace negotiations, or not,” Mammadyarov added, noting that during the meeting with Edward Nalbandian he once again declared about the position of Azerbaijan, according to which the Artsax conflict should be solved in the framework of Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity.”

Public Radio of Armenia

[Ashot]

Seyran Ohanyan: No one wants to return to war

09.06.2008 15:56

There are 26 frontier settlements in Armenia, which are situated in the zone of possible attack from the rival: these settlements need the special attention of the authorities. RA Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan told a press conference today that 21 of the frontier settlements are located in Tavoush marz, 5 – in Vayots Dzor.

“Azerbaijan has more frontier settlements, but we refrain from shooting in their direction. The four Armenian young people crossed the Azeri border from Khachik village in Vayots Dzor. The statement of the Azerbaijani side about the “diversion group” is nonsense. It’s the same if we present the same accusation against the Azeri soldier that crossed the border. I met with the head of the delegation of the International Committee of the Red Cross in Armenia and expressed our concern. I think our citizens must not worry, the exchange will take place,” Seyran Ohanyan said.

Turning to the belligerent statements of the Azerbaijani President, the Minister noted that “Armenia stands for the peaceful resolution of the issue, no one wants to return to war, neither does the people of Azerbaijan.”

Public Radio of Armenia

[Ashot]

Alexander Stubb: There is no alternative to a peaceful resolution of the Artsax conflict

10.06.2008 12:56

Chairman-in-Office, Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb met the three Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group in Helsinki on Monday to discuss developments related to the Nagorno-Artsax conflict.

Ambassador Yuri Merzlyakov of the Russian Federation, Ambassador Bernard Fassier of France and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Matthew Bryza of the United States, along with Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk, the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office on the Nagorno-Artsax conflict, briefed Minister Stubb on recent developments, in particular on the meeting between the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan on 7 June in St. Petersburg.

Minister Stubb expressed his full support for the work of the Minsk Group Co-Chairs. "Conflict resolution in the OSCE area is a key priority of the Finnish Chairmanship. I encourage Armenia and Azerbaijan to make full use of the Minsk Group Co-Chairs' facilitation and to consider seriously the proposal for the basic principles for resolving the conflict. There is no alternative to a peaceful resolution of the conflict," he said.

Public Radio of Armenia