Armenia, Azerbaijan `Close To Karabakh Deal'

[Gavur]

Azerbaijan Accuses President Aliev For Secret Talks

"ENI MUSAVAT" OPPOSITIONAL NEWSPAPER OF AZERBAIJAN ACCUSES PRESIDENT ALIEV FOR SECRET TALKS WITH OSCE DIPLOMATS

YEREVAN, JANUARY 13. ARMINFO. According to information received from radio "Liberty", the Azerbaijani oppositional "Eni Musavat" newspaper reported that President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliev has talks with the OSCE on the subject of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement and holding a referendum on Karabakh's independence.

According to official sources, from January 2 President Aliev has been on a short-term vacation. Nevertheless, "Eni Musavat" reports that the president first visited Dubai and then left for France. A representative of the Embassy of Azerbaijan in France, who preferred to remain 'incognito', stated that no official visit of the Mr. Aliev to France has been planned. He added that he cannot give any account on the President's private life. In any case the Azeri diplomat did not deny the fact of Ilham Aliev's arrival in Paris. Azerbaijani sources do not provide any information about where the President is now. Supposedly, he will return to Baku next week, as each year on January 20 Azerbaijan honors the memory of the victims of the events in 1990, concludes "Eni Musavat".

[Gavur]

If Azerbaijan Attacks Armenia

IF AZERBAIJAN ATTACKS ARMENIA, COLLECTIVE SECURITY TREATY ORGANIZATION WILL SUPPORT YEREVAN: CSTO SECRETARY GENERAL



YEREVAN, JANUARY 13. ARMINFO. In case if Azerbaijan attacks Armenia, Collective Security Treaty Organization will support Yerevan, says CSTO Secretary General Nikolay Bordyuzha in an interview to Nezavisimaya Gazeta. He mentioned the 4th article of the Collective Security Treaty which says that aggression against CSTO member-states or on CST signatory by other participants of CSTO is considered as aggression against all the members.

At the same time, N. Bordyuzha said the major task of the organization is to create a system which would prevent application of armed forces despite the existing military potential.

In response to the question about a possible use of CSTO potential in settlement of internal conflicts in the member-states, he said that CSTO will not interfere into internal affairs of any country, including CSTO member-states. CSTO is created not to allow bloodshed and forceful settlement of conflicts between countries. N. Bordyuzha says color revolutions are an internal affair of any country if there is no direct infringement on the sovereignty of a country. CSTO potential may be used to hold confronting parties from armed conflicts, bloodshed and mass disorders. It is, first of all, the political potential of the presidents of CSTO member-states, CSTO Secretary General says.

[Gavur]

What happens if Azerbaijan takes control over Nagorno Karabakhsecurity belt?

Regnum, Russia
Jan 14 2006




`Settlement of the conflicts, such as in Karabakh, is a serious
process, and no Santa Claus can magically make any document signed,'
said Karabakh political expert David Babayan, commenting the opinion
that 2006 can be crucial in Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement
(stated for example by current OSCE Chairman-in-Office Karel De
Gucht) in an interview to REGNUM.

Babayan noted that in settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict
there is a question that simply cannot be ignored. First, the
conflict can be only settled by direct negotiations between
Stepanakert and Baku, second, not only governments of Armenia and
Azerbaijan must take part the so-called `risk for peace', but also
the public opinion of both countries must demand peace, and currently
there is no relevant work in societies of both countries, especially
in Azerbaijan. If the authorities focus on reaching definite
agreement without appropriate work with society and in unrealistic
time constrains the authorities should either convince their people
of the need for concessions, which is impossible within such short
period, or exert pressure upon the people. The latter thing is
impossible either and, besides, is fraught with unpredictable
consequences, said Babayan.

According to the political expert, societies both in Azerbaijan and
Nagorno Karabakh long for the settlement, but have different ideas
about it, so the settlement demands not only mutual consent of the
authorities and society, but mutual consent on settlement on the most
acute problems in both countries. Babayan said that in the Nagorno
Karabakh conflict there are no groups that share a same image of
conflict settlement. And actions of Azerbaijan, such as destruction
of the Armenian monuments in Julfa, only demonstrate its hostility
not only to Nagorno Karabakh, but to Armenians on the whole. `They
are destroying stones. What happens if they take control over Nagorno
Karabakh security belt? They will bombard Karabakh cities, poison our
water, block our roads. So all opinions, that Karabakh must return
some of its territories and attempts to mystify the status of
Karabakh are useless,' concluded Babayan.

[Gavur]

Ra Government Has Not Answered Sabina Fraser Yet

A1+
| 20:56:52 | 16-01-2006 | Politics |

Sabina Fraser representing the International Crisis Group announced
recently that the Armenian side is ready to free the security zone
of its armed forces without waiting for the final decision about
the international status of Nagorno Karabakh. In connection with
this announcement the Center of Armenian Civic Initiatives and 9
Parliamentary and non-Parliamentary parties, NGOs have sent a letter
to the RA Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan.

"Many a time has Armenia announced its official attitude towards
the conflict - Karabakh will never form part of Azerbaijan, which
means that the independent status of Karabakh cannot be subject to
discussion, not today, and not 10-15 years ago. The announcement by
Sabina Fraser on behalf of the Armenian Government contradicts the
official attitude of Armenia. Moreover, from the point of view of
diplomatic norms it violates the sovereignty of Armenia, as only the
Armenian State officials can make announcements on behalf of Armenia.

Taking into account the absence of any response from the state bodies
and the fact that the announcement of Fraser has been spread by the
Mass Media, an impression is created that Armenia has retreated from
its attitude about the Karabakh conflict.

Taking into account the fact that Karabakh has principle importance
for the future existence of the Armenian nation in its historical
motherland, and in this connection is similar to the question "To be
or not to be", we ask you to comment on the attitude of the Armenian
authorities towards the announcement of Sabina Fraser. We also ask
you to express the official attitude of the country in connection
with the Karabakh conflict", the letter says.

[Gavur]

Edward Aghajanov, "the Announcements Smell Like Oil"

A1+
| 20:53:32 | 16-01-2006 | Politics |

According to economist Edward Aghajanov, the international ways of
communication have turned into those of pressure. Mr. Aghajanov
considers Armenia's exclusion from the oil-pipeline program
Baku-Tbilisi Ceyhan a serious problem.

"Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan become serious factors in the region. The
most important companies of the world are included into the
oil-pipeline program.

The Azeri President Heydar Aliev announced while putting the first
stone of the pipeline that the pipeline will carry not oil but
policy. Unfortunately, the Armenian authorities did not understand
what he meant".

According to the economist, we could have been included into the
program if the RA authorities acted differently in connection with
the Karabakh conflict. He is also convinced that the conflict will not
restart, "No one will allow war to take place. The latest announcements
of Terry Davis and David Atkinson smelled like oil".

[Gavur]

Karabakh Talks Reportedly Cause Armenian Leader's Aide To Tender Resignation

Iravunk, Yerevan
17 Jan 06

Text of report by Armenian newspaper Iravunk on 17 January headlined
"Isagulyan presented the resignation application"

According to sources close to the president, Garnik Isagulyan, the
presidential advisor on national security, tendered his resignation
last week. He has told the parliamentary factions of the Armenian
Revolutionary Federation Dashnaktsutyun and the Republican Party of
Armenia that the current situation dictated the move as Kocharyan
was set to cede Nagornyy Karabakh and the liberated territories and
he could not work with such a president.

However, our source has said that the team of Robert Kocharyan and
that of Defence Minister Serzh Sarkisyan are settling accounts. The
disagreements between Kocharyan and Sarkisyan have deepened much
in connection with their political future, according to rumours in
the political circles. Garnik Isagulyan has openly announced that he
supports Serzh Sarkisyan. Therefore, the presidential administration
decided to get rid of him.

[Gavur]

Osce Minsk Group Co-charis Meet With Foreign Ministers Of Armenia And Azerbaijan

OSCE MINSK GROUP CO-CHARIS MEET WITH FOREIGN MINISTERS OF ARMENIA AND AZERBAIJAN IN LONDON

YEREVAN, JANUARY 18. ARMINFO. Stiven Mann, Yuri Merzliakov and Bernard Fassie, OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs, had separate meetings with Vartan Oskanian and Elmar Mamediarov, Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan, in London. The Press Service of RA Foreign Ministry informed ARMINFO about this. A common meeting will take place a bit later.

Vartan Oskanian will also meet with Douglas Alexander, UK's European Affairs Minister, today. The sides will exchange opinions concerning Armenia's actions within the framework of European Neighbourhood program. On January 19, Mr. Oskanian will meet with Elmar Mamediarov. The OSCE Minsk group co-chairs will also be present at the meeting.

[Gavur]

Peacekeeping contingent in the zone of Karabakh conflict “will aim at Iran”

In an interview to a REGNUM correspondent, Armenian MP and leader of the Democratic Party Aram Sarkisyan commented on the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement process. He said that the process draws special interest of Iran, in the light of the situation with its nuclear program, because now the possibility of peacekeeping contingent deployment to the conflict zone is discussed.



Sarkisyan said that deployment of peacekeepers presumes NATO forces, and in the situation when the US tries to make Iran act as the US wants, it needs mobile troops at least in the so-called occupied territories and in Azerbaijan, and they will be targeting Iran, so Armenia must analyze this global process. According to the MP, in the current situation Armenia, without changing its main political vector – alliance with Russia – must think more about entering the Shanghai Cooperation Organization , because all global processes demonstrate that a pole of power and stability is forming in the East, and the interests of Armenia are mostly close to the interests of this pole. The main reason for it is that this pole has no intention on annexing Armenia, as the last country that blocks Turkish supremacy in Caucasus, and it is spreading further in Asia. So Sarkisyan proposes to strengthen the existing security system, and try enter EurAsEC and SCO while staying in the CSTO, hoping that Europe and the US will understand Armenian concerns.



He also noted that after familiarization with the report of the US intelligence council, called “Mapping the Global Future” — forecast to the year of 2020 that demonstrates that Armenian place in global politics is mostly in the East and North, so change of the national security system will be a treason of national interests.



Also, Sarkisyan stood against Armenia’s entrance to NATO Program of Individual Partnership (IPAP), because in future it presumes an alliance with NATO. He said that the relations with the OSCE, the Council of Europe, the European Parliament must be developed, but the national security system must stay the same.


Permanent news address: www.regnum.ru/english/575065.html
22:08 01/19/2006

[Gavur]

Azeri Analyst Discloses Gist of ‘Azeri-Armenian Peace Plan’

AssA-Irada 19/01/2006 19:40

An Azeri analyst has made a controversial statement, elaborating on the gist of the ongoing Azerbaijan-Armenia talks on settling the long-standing Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.



“The new conflict resolution plan has lost its confidentiality. Certain conclusions on the ongoing discussions involving Azeri and Armenian experts have been made public,” expert on conflicts Arif Yunusov said.

Yunusov told a roundtable held by the Garabagh Liberation Organization (GLO) on Wednesday that according to the new peace plan, Armenia will first vacate three Azeri Districts – Fuzuli, Aghdam and Jabrayil. Azerbaijan, on its end, will restore communications with this country, he said. Moreover, Armenia’s participation in regional projects will be ensured. The rehabilitation of the railway links between the two countries will allow Armenia to be involved in the TRACECA project, Yunusov said.

The expert continued that afterwards, Armenia will vacate two more Districts – Gubadli and Zangilan. This will enable Azerbaijan to restore its link with the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, which is separated from the rest of the country by Armenian territory, he said.

Yunusov went on to say that after that, peacekeeping forces will be stationed in the freed districts, followed by the return of refugees home. At the same time, about $5 billion will be allocated for the infrastructure rehabilitation in the territories freed from under occupation.

The second stage of the settlement process envisions determination of the Upper Garabagh status. “The parties have already concurred on determining the status issue through a referendum, and only the way it will take place and its timing is yet to be agreed,” the expert said.
Yunusov stressed that Azerbaijan is interested in the participation of Azerbaijanis in the poll and suggests that the issue be tabled in 15-20 years, while Armenia is keen on holding the referendum in five years.

“The agreement envisions granting Nagorno-Karabakh a status that equates to that of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic or even higher. It will have its own parliament, coat of arms, and representations abroad. The armed forces currently being presented as the ‘Garabagh army’ will act in the capacity of the ‘presidential guard’.”

The expert emphasized that since Azerbaijan will be much stronger than Armenia from the economic standpoint in 10-15 years, official Baku hopes this will affect the choice to be made by Garabagh Armenians on the status issue.

Yunusov said that after the status issue is settled, Armenians will vacate the Kalbajar District. The peace accord to be signed will confirm Lachin as Azerbaijan’s territory, however, the district will remain under Armenian control for some time, he added.

[Reincarnated Am]

Anyone know where I can access a good, free, detailed, current map of Artsakh online? I've looked but haven't come across any that fit my needs..

http://www.cilicia.com/rediscover_ma.html