updated
News for November 9-26
BBC Monitoring Service - United Kingdom; Nov 24, 2000
Text of report by Azerbaijani newspaper '525 gazet' on 24th November
entitled "If Aliyev cannot liberate Karabakh..."
[subhead] He should resign
[subhead] The council of elders of the [Azerbaijani] Karabakh Liberation
Organization believes that Armenia holds onto Karabakh exactly because of
the policy pursued by the ruling regime
"We assess Armenia's attempts to resettle Yezidi Kurds from abroad on the
occupied Azerbaijani districts of Kelbadzhar and Lachin as a flagrant
violation of international legal norms and another case of infringement of
Azerbaijan's sovereign laws." This was said in yesterday's statement by the
council of elders of the Karabakh Liberation Organization.
The document says that Armenia should put an end to its impudent claims to
Azerbaijan and leave the occupied lands: "We demand that international
organizations and cochairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group make a legal and
political assessment of Armenia's actions and punish it accordingly."
The statement says that [Azerbaijani President] Heydar Aliyev's government
is to blame for bringing the situation to this level: "Armenia rules
Karabakh because of the policy pursued by this regime. If Aliyev cannot
liberate Karabakh, he should resign."
Source: `525 gazet', Baku, in Azeri 24 Nov 00 p2
AZERBAIJAN S FOREIGN MINISTRY REGARDS MEETING OF SEPARATIST REGIMES AS PROPAGANDIST SHOW
The Foreign Ministry of Azerbaijan made a statement in connection with the
recent meeting held in the Moldovan town o Tiraspol on November 20 with
participation of representatives of separatist regimes of Pridnestrovye,
Abkhazia, Nagorno Karabakh and Southern Ossetia. The Ministry of Foreign
Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan announces that such moves of the
self-proclaimed separatist and occupation regimes are over-stressing their
illegal existence, the document says. The Azeri ministry also regarded the
meeting as a propagandist show and expresses solidarity with the analogous
statement of the Moldovan Foreign Ministry.
By Staff Writers
THERE ARE NO ARMENIAN POWs IN AZERBAIJAN
Armenian mass media spread recently a letter of mothers of Armenian
soldiers to Azeri President Heydar Aliyev with the request to release 600
Armenian soldiers allegedly being held in Azerbaijan s prisons. Commenting
on the letter, the State Committee on the Prisoners-of-War, Missing and
Hostages announced that there were no Armenian prisoners in Azerbaijan. It
was also announced by the Committee that such letters were written by
Armenian secret services for bringing to nothing Baku s legal demands on
release of Azeri POWs, missing and hostages being held on the territory of
Armenia. Azerbaijan made an initiative to create a special international
commission for investigation of the problem and adopted an appropriate
appeal to international organizations. But instead of precise
investigation of facts, the Armenian side is doing everything possible to
reveal such facts, as well as those of military crimes and mass killings
of Azeri POWs and hostages on the occupied territories. One of not many
facts proving such crimes is the radio intercept made in April 1993 on the
territory of the Kalbajar region occupied by Armenian troops.
By Staff Writers
ANS News, November 26, 2000
Copyright 2000 Azerbaijan News Service
Azeri envoy to UN says thousands of Armenians living
in Azeri capital
BBC Monitoring Service - United Kingdom; Nov 24, 2000
Text of report Trend news agency report by Azerbaijani newspaper 'Zerkalo'
entitled "Azeri plenipotentiary representative at UN: Tens of thousands of
Armenians living in Baku"
"Despite the lasting conflict with Armenia, tens of thousands of Armenians
are living in Baku," Azerbaijan's permanent representative at the UN, Eldar
Guliyev, has said in his speech at the 55th session of the UN General
Assembly in New York on the subject "Dialogue between cultures".
In his speech, Guliyev noted that "an inaccurate presentation of cultural
and religious stereotypes by producers of popular culture has provoked
anxiety". For instance, presenting Muslims as potential terrorists and
fanatics often creates a mistaken understanding of cultural values. The
diplomat recalled that terrorism had no nationality or religion and that the
latest acts of terrorism in Europe, America, the Middle East and other
regions had been carried out under different political and religious
slogans.
Source: 'Zerkalo', Baku, in Russian 24 Nov 00 p 3
ARMENIAN GROUP TO PROTECT ARMENIANS OF GEORGIA
The action group of the Armenian Resistance has released a statement
saying that it will "struggle to ensure the safety" of ethnic Armenians
living in Georgia's Javakheti region, Noyan Tapan and Caucasus Press
reported on 21 November. The Resistance, which includes public figures in
Armenia and in the Armenian diaspora, did not say what it will do in order
to achieve that goal. PG
RFE/RL Transcaucasia Newsline, November 25, 2000
TENSIONS GROW IN STEPANAKERT
For many of Nagorny Karabakh's erstwhile freedom-fighters, the fruits of victory
are rapidly turning sour.
Anatoly Kuprianov reports from Yerevan
#########################################################################
HL NOTE: The following news articles ignore such basic facts that:
1) Karabakh region of Azerbaijan was, is, and will remain to be a
legitimate part of the Azerbaijan Republic;
2) Karabakh, and seven other regions are illegally occupied by
the Republic of Armenia, the aggressor;
3) That the puppet leaders and regime(s) of some self-proclaimed "NKR"
entity are recognized by no state and lack any legitimacy whatsoever.
Further, the Stalin imposed name of Stepanakert in 1923, is invalid and
the historic name of the city, Khankandi, has been restored since
Azerbaijan's re-establishment of independence.
#########################################################################
Once the trumpet-bearer of Karabakh separatism, Grigory Afanasian is
convinced that the mutinous enclave is once again "rolling towards an
abyss". And war, he warns ominously, is still lurking in the wings.
On February 13, 1988, the Karabakh State University lecturer became the
first activist to stand up in public and call on the local Armenian
population to break away from Azerbaijan. But now, more than a decade
after the Karabakhi forces [HL NOTE: Armenian forces with foreign help]
scored their humiliating victory over Baku, Afanasian is bitter and
disillusioned.
"The authorities and the people live totally separate existences," he says.
"Our leaders are a gang of adventurers who are literally stealing from the
people, forcing them to live in astonishing poverty. Humanitarian aid is
stolen, there are mass waves of emigration and no businessman in his right
mind wants to invest in our economy.
"What is our leadership thinking of?" continues Afanasian. "Does it really
not see that the country is rolling towards an abyss? We've lost all sense
of morality and basic social justice. Such nations are fated to disappear.
Such independence is just a captivating but empty chimera."
Much of Afanasian's bitterness stems from the events of the past eight
months which have seen an atmosphere of suspicion and terror envelop Nagorny
Karabakh.
The dramatic change in mood dates from March 22 this year when President
Arkady Ghukasian was badly wounded by two masked gunmen who waylaid his
Mercedes in downtown Stepanakert [HL NOTE: Khankandi].
During the ensuing witch-hunt, local security forces rounded up more than
100 suspects including General Samvel Babayan, the former defence minister
and Ghukasian's main political rival. Babayan was later charged with
masterminding the assassination attempt and is currently standing trial in
Stepanakert's Town Court.
Grigory Afanasian says the court case itself has done much to discredit the
regime which is trying Babayan according to archaic Soviet and even
Azerbaijani laws.
"I believe that Samvel Babayan will be acquitted," says Afanasian. "The best
option for the authorities in this dead-end situation is to bring this
shameful case to an end and punish those who are really guilty."
Meanwhile, as the regime concentrates on neutralising its enemies, the
republic's economy is in freefall - and thousands have already been forced
to emigrate in a bid to find work.
In an interview with the government newspaper Azat Artsakh (Free Karabakh),
the minister for social support, Lenston Gulian, admitted that unemployment
in the republic had skyrocketed over the past year.
Particularly hard hit were firms controlled by General Babayan. More than
800 people were made redundant in one company alone (Jupiter) -- a
staggering figure for Stepanakert which has a population of just 30,000.
Manushak Danielian, a former Jupiter employee, said that salaries at the
company were two or three times higher than in government organisations.
Unable to find alternative work, Danielian has been forced to rely on money
sent by relatives in Russia.
"If the situation in Karabakh does not change for the better, I'll have no
option but to take my two daughters and go to live with my brother in
Russia. It just isn't possible to stay on here," he says.
"How can you throw 800 people out into the street with a stroke of a pen -
without even considering that they have families to support? Is this the
"law and order" we hear so much about? It would be interesting to see how
our leaders would react if the same was done to them, their wives and their
children."
In state-run enterprises, wages are pitifully low -- somewhere between $20
and $50 a month. Essential products in Nagorny Karabakh, as a rule, cost
twice as much as they do in Yerevan.
Despite its deep-rooted agricultural traditions, Karabakh imports large
quantities of produce from Armenia and Iran.
Local specialists argue that the fertile enclave has the potential to feed a
population four times that of Armenia. However, the deputy agriculture
minister, Vladimir Zakiyan, admitted earlier this year that the state plan
for planting winter crops had badly floundered and only 7,000 hectares of
land were actually being cultivated -- instead of the planned 34,000
hectares.
Harsh social conditions have forced many unemployed Karabakhis to seek
migratory work in Russia, Turkey or Iran. And many traders prefer to do
business with the Azerbaijanis rather than their ethnic kin across the
western border.
Susanna Atayan buys goods in Istanbul and Sadakhlo [HL NOTE: with
predominant Azerbaijani population], in Georgia, then sells them at
Stepanakert markets. She became her family's only bread-winner after her
husband, Vladimir Ovsepian, was badly wounded during the war.
"Beyond the borders of Nagorny Karabakh, there are plenty of Azerbaijanis,
Armenians and Turks who haven't got time for old hostilities," says Atayan.
"Trade unites them and forces them to forget old problems."
But the prospects for small-time traders look bleak. Travel to Turkey has
become increasingly hazardous since several Western countries officially
recognised the 1915 genocide of the Armenians by Turkish troops. And higher
taxes on the Georgian border mean that business trips to Sadakhlo are no
longer economically viable.
Susanna Atayan says that she, like many Karabakh entrepreneurs, will be
forced to try her luck in Iran, where there are no security problems and the
tax rates are reasonable.
But the veterans of the Karabakh independence movement warn that the
people's patience will eventually run out. Grigory Afanasian says the
government must introduce far-ranging reforms in the very near future or
face widespread civil unrest.
He warns, "The leadership of our republic shouldn't forget that the people
of Karabakh have survived many years of fighting. They're still well armed,
and anyway, the war isn't over yet."
Anatoly Kuprianov is a political observer and commentator who specialises in
the Nagorny Karabakh conflict
IWPR'S CAUCASUS REPORTING SERVICE, NO. 59, November 24, 2000
Copyright (c) IWPR 2000
Azeri TV broadcasts second edition of TV bridge with Armenia
BBC Monitoring Service - United Kingdom; Nov 24, 2000
The second edition of a TV bridge called Front Line between Azerbaijan and
Armenia to discuss the Nagornyy Karabakh issue was broadcast on Azerbaijani
private ANS television channel on 23rd November at 1800 gmt.
At the beginning of the programme, which lasted 30 minutes, the Azerbaijani
presenter, Khayal Tagiyev, introduced the subject of this edition -
compromise. He recalled that the two country's presidents had first talked
about compromise in 1998 when "it became clear that the OSCE Minsk Group's
proposal on the principle of a common state did not unambiguously suit the
two countries". He said that he believed that the people in the studio would
define what compromise meant for Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Then the Armenian presenter, Artem Yerkanyan, said that as far as he
remembered, talk about compromise started before 1998 and added that
compromise meant mutual and mutually acceptable concessions. He noted that
according to everybody's opinion, it was compromise which could "help us
settle this conflict". Then he presented the Armenian side's guest in the
studio, Prof Suren Zolyan, the rector of the state institute of foreign
languages, member of the human rights commission under the Armenian
president and former secretary of a special commission for Nagornyy
Karabakh.
The Azerbaijani presenter introduced the guest in the studio - former
adviser to the Azerbaijani president on internal and foreign affairs,
currently political scientist Eldar Namazov, and went through his biography.
The Azerbaijani presenter asked the Armenian guest to say what Armenia
thought compromise was. The Armenian guest said that on the whole it was
difficult for him to say what compromise meant and went on to note that it
presupposed certain appreciation for the opinion of the opposite side. He
said that in 1992 Nagornyy Karabakh's independence was taken as a
compromise. Then he asked Namazov if Azerbaijan understood that the
concession the Karabakh Armenians were ready to make was to part with some
of the territories they controlled in order to ensure their security,
whereas Azerbaijan, as a result of this, could get what it actually did not
own.
Eldar Namazov said that the word compromise had acquired negative
connotations in his country. He recalled that since the beginning of the
conflict, in 1988, Azerbaijan favoured compromise, but lost a round in the
hostilities because it wanted compromise and had not prepared for war,
while, unlike Azerbaijan, the Armenian side had prepared for war and had not
prepared for compromise, which is why it was able to occupy Azerbaijani
lands. He went on to recall the Azerbaijani president's proposal to give
Nagornyy Karabakh the highest degree of autonomy, which was rejected by
Armenia, and said that it was hard for Azerbaijan to think what other
concessions it could possibly make.
Zolyan inquired what Azerbaijan meant by the highest degree of autonomy and
said that he could say the same about Armenia's and Nagornyy Karabakh
Armenians' readiness for compromise and unpreparedness for war, and that
they had been forced to defend their rights.
Then the Armenian presenter proposed to watch a report on an opinion poll
conducted in the streets of Yerevan, asking people about their opinion on
compromise. A woman questioned favoured mutually beneficial economic and
cultural commonwealth with Nagornyy Karabakh. Another woman said that if any
compromises were made "we will practically be losing [territories] again,
and this needs to be stopped. We must not always lose. See for yourself,
there was the historical Armenia, with such a large territory, such a
history, such a country, such a state, while now there is only this plot of
land left. I think that there should be no compromise".
Another person favoured the option of a common state, another proposed to
start settling this issue by establishing economic relations with
[Azerbaijani exclave] Nakhichevan.
The Azerbaijani guest in the studio said that the Armenian opinion poll
regrettably showed what was hindering a compromise - the syndrome of a
winner. And this syndrome, as well as the syndrome of the defeated side, was
"harmful" to the negotiating process.
Then the Azerbaijani presenter proposed to interview various Azerbaijani
people. Independent political scientist Vafa Guluzade said that the Lisbon
summit was "a huge concession". Cochairman of the Azerbaijani Social
Democratic Party Zardusht Alizade said the two countries should go for a
compromise based on human rights in order to find stable peace. The
opposition Musavat Party's secretary, Arif Hajiyev, said it would be
reasonable for troops to leave our territory and refugees to return to their
homes. Novruz Mammadov, head of the international relations department of
the Presidential Staff said that Azerbaijan was giving Nagornyy Karabakh the
highest status of self-government which is the greatest compromise
Azerbaijan could make. A woman in the street said that "there should be no
compromise. Our lands are our lands. Since time immemorial they were ours
and should remain so". Others said the same.
Answering a question from the Armenian side, the Azerbaijani guest said that
asking one side which had lost 20 per cent of its territory in a war about
what other compromises it could make was "a bit unethical and incorrect, and
from the diplomatic point of view - very unproductive". Then he talked about
his vision of compromise by Azerbaijan - the situation should only be
settled on the basis of international law and decisions by various
international organizations.
Answering a question from the Azerbaijani side, the Armenian guest said that
"if there was war, then it is first of all the fault of politicians, of
whom, unfortunately, no-one has responded". Then he said he wanted to say
hello to Vafa Guluzade. He said that the two countries had lost time on
theoretical discussions on international law, while they could have found a
certain compromise. He admitted that everything should be decided on the
basis of international law, but should be based on a concrete thing - what
an ordinary person needs. He called for a search for ways by which "we can
go and find success", and which will suite everyone.
Then Eldar Namazov talked about the "sad fate" of former Armenian President
Levon Ter-Petrosyan who was forced to resign because of his readiness for
compromise with Azerbaijan, and the Armenian parliament's readiness for
compromise as well. He went on to say that many people in Russia thought
that Karabakh belonged to Russia, and not to Armenia, as many officials had
said. He mentioned the presence of Russian military bases in Armenia and
said that Armenia was not independent in decision-making, adding that he had
the feeling that "even if Azerbaijan agrees simply to give Karabakh to
Armenia, the Armenian side will not be given the possibility to take it."
Answering a question from the Azerbaijani presenter, Zolyan said that he did
not agree that Armenia was not independent in its actions and that the same
opinion existed about Azerbaijan. He said: "We should not dispute this - if
this is right of wrong - but show by our actions." He wondered if the two
countries could reach consensus on very simple and necessary issues -
journalists had managed to come to an agreement, after all, he said.
In conclusion Namazov recalled an address but Ter-Petrosyan to the Armenian
people where he called for compromise with Azerbaijan and after which he was
forced to resign. Namazov said that he would like Armenia to definitely
decide if it was ready for compromise or not.
Zolyan said that the countries should search for ways. He said: "I believe
that the way to resolve conflicts is through cooperation. We should not
start cooperation only after resolving the conflict. These are things that
should run in parallel. And the main task that I see is the restoration of
trust. We should also understand that we are destined to live together and
should search for ways out of the crisis together."
The Armenian presenter named the topic of the next edition of the programme
- the probability of resumed hostilities.
Source: ANS TV, Baku, in Russian 1800 gmt 23 Nov 00
Russian leader urges better relations between Azerbaijan, Armenia
BBC Monitoring Service - United Kingdom; Nov 24, 2000
Text of report in English by Russian news agency ITAR-TASS
Moscow, 24th November: The present state of relations between Azerbaijan and
Armenia "cannot satisfy any one of us", President Vladimir Putin said to
Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia Aleksiy II, Catholicos of all Armenians
Gagerin II and [Azerbaijani] mufti [Sheykh ul-Islam Allahshukur] Pashazade
on Friday [24th November].
The situation "affects the interests of Russia and prevents a comprehensive
development of Russia's bilateral relations with Azerbaijan and Armenia",
Putin said. He hopes that "the high authority [of the religious leaders]
will promote peace in relations between the fraternal peoples of Azerbaijan
and Armenia".
Putin drew attention to "the huge role played by the spiritual leaders of
Azerbaijan and Armenia, our fraternal allies, in the achievement of peace on
your land".
The president said he would soon visit Baku. He noted that "he is keeping
permanent contact with Azerbaijani President Heydar Aliyev" and the date of
his visit to Azerbaijan is being discussed. Putin said he would not delay
the visit.
Source: ITAR-TASS news agency, Moscow, in English 1608 gmt 24 Nov 00
Russian, Armenian, Azeri spiritual leaders adopt joint
declaration on Karabakh
BBC Monitoring Service - United Kingdom; Nov 24, 2000
Text of report by Russian news agency RIA
Moscow, 24th November: Spiritual leaders of Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan
have highlighted Russia's exclusive role in the settlement of the conflict
between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Russian Orthodox Church Patriarch Aleksiy
II, Armenian Church Catholicos Garegin II and Azeri Moslem leader Shaykh
Pasha-zade met in the Svyato-Danilov monastery in Moscow.
The leaders adopted a joint declaration and sent a message to the presidents
of the three countries.
The declaration says that the spiritual leaders support international
efforts to settle the conflict and highlight Russia's role in the
settlement. The leaders said they were worried that "extremist groups that
are capable of provoking a new bloodshed" could penetrate in the zone of the
conflict. They decisively condemned aggressive nationalism, xenophobia, the
propaganda of ethnic superiority and humiliation on the ethnic basis.
The leaders called for a greater confidence and openness in the region and
for a broader dialogue between the Armenians and the Azeris.
The letter addressed to Russian President Vladimir Putin, Armenian President
Robert Kocharyan and Azerbaijani President Heydar Aliyev says that the
spiritual leaders stand for peaceful co-existence of the people of Nagornyy
Karabakh. They said they hoped that Aliyev and Kocharyan would be able to
overcome all the obstacles and controversial issues and to find a mutually
acceptable solution to the Nagornyy Karabakh problem.
Source: RIA news agency, Moscow, in Russian 1332 gmt 24 Nov 00
BBC Monitoring/ � BBC, Friday Nov 24 2000
SURVEY - AZERBAIJAN: They thought it couldn't get worse
Financial Times; Nov 22, 2000
By DAVID STERN
For thousands of Azerbaijani refugees in the Bilasuvar camp, life could soon
become even worse. Here on the former Soviet republic's desolate southern
border with Iran, some 18,000 fugitives from the war in Nagorno Karabakh
have made their home for the past eight years.
They live in mud brick hovels, scorched by the sun in the summer and frozen
by winds in the winter, and subsist on handouts from international aid
agencies. No jobs are to be had in a country where unemployment is estimated
unofficially to be 25 per cent.
Now international aid agencies say that they are scaling back their
humanitarian operations in favour of less-expensive development programmes
so that the refugees can begin to look after themselves.
The United Nations High Commission for Refugees is reducing expenses this
year from Dollars 12m to Dollars 4.7m. The International Federation of Red
Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is cutting its budget by half. Other
aid organisations are doing the same, or pulling out entirely.
The reason for the reduction, western officials say, is "donor fatigue" -
the state of exhaustion that occurs when foreign contributors provide money
to what appears initially a short-term crisis, but lose interest as the
arrangement drags on. "Donors don't like to provide for a situation that
seems to have no solutions," says Borje Sjokvist, head of delegation for
IFRC's Baku office.
Resolving Azerbaijan's ongoing struggle with neighbouring Armenia over the
disputed enclave of Nagorno Karabakh, in the country's south-west, does at
the moment appear particularly hopeless.
The conflict, which has claimed more than 20,000 lives, began as a request
to Moscow in 1988 by the province's local assembly to cede from the Soviet
administration in Baku and join up with their brothers in Yerevan. Violence
soon broke out among the villages, which escalated with the end of the
Soviet Union and the easy access it gave both sides to the Soviet army's
arsenal in the Caucasus.
Since the fighting stopped in 1994 the two sides have been locked in
negotiations for a final peace settlement. For the most part they have
failed to make any progress.
Hopes were raised at the end of 1999 that a deal was in the making. After a
series of one-on-one meetings over the summer between Azerbaijani President
Heydar Aliyev and his Armenian counterpart, Robert Kocharian, rumours
circulated in the two capitals that the two leaders would sign an initial
peace deal at the OSCE summit in Istanbul in October last year.
But the assassination in the Armenian parliament of the country's prime
minister, parliamentary speaker and six other government officials buried
any plans for a breakthrough. Since then no new proposals have been offered.
At the heart of the deadlock remains the status of Karabakh. The
Azerbaijanis say that they are willing to grant it "the highest level of
autonomy". This translates into de facto independence for the territory, but
without its own army or foreign policy. The Armenians say they did not win
the war to see the province return to being dominated by Baku. They insist
on complete sovereignity.
There are other issues. Probably most important of these is what to do with
Susha, one of Azerbaijan's most important historical and cultural centres,
but now a ghost town. It is located in the heart of Karabakh, overlooking
the Armenian-dominated capital of Stepanakert.
Although no concrete proposals for a settlement seem to be in the offing,
fears are increasing that time may be running out. Azerbaijan's Mr Aliyev is
rumoured to be in poor health, and if he left the political stage
prematurely it is difficult to see who would have the authority among the
remaining Azeri politicians to reach a deal.
Meanwhile, for Azerbaijan's extensive refugee population - actually referred
to as "internally displaced persons" because they crossed no international
boundaries - hope is drying up that they will ever return home.
The Azeri government is loath to provide them with too much assistance,
experts say, for fear that if the IDPs become too comfortable they may
become settled. This could be viewed as a tacit acknowledgement that
Azerbaijan lost the war and Karabakh is gone forever. Azeri officials, for
their part maintain that there are not enough funds in the state budget to
deal with the problem.
But for the approximately 300,000 Azerbaijanis living in camps, railway
wagons and temporary housing, the ways of the government and aid agencies
are all a mystery. Says Ibrahim Rzaev, 33, an inhabitant of Bilasuvar:
"Eight years have passed and nothing has happened. Sometimes I think that
they have completely forgotten about us." David Stern
Copyright: The Financial Times Limited
Armenian genocide issue "sword of Damocles" over
Turkey and Azerbaijan
daily BBC Monitoring Service - United Kingdom; Nov 23, 2000
[subhead] The West will pursue a policy of isolating Turkey in 21st century
The Armenian propaganda at international level peaked in the last year of
20th century. After the recent show in the US Congress, came the French
Senate's turn which recognized the "genocide of Armenians", that allegedly
took place on the territory of Turkey during 1915-23. By doing this, the
French Senate made its contribution to the dragging of this far-fetched
problem before the Turkic world in 21st century. The Armenian card has
patently become the "trump ace" in order to further complicate Turkey 's
entry into the European Union, notwithstanding the important steps that has
been taken by Turkey to fulfill the conditions of EU membership. The 15th
November session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg adopted a
declaration about Turkey's admission which contains, in particular, a call
on this country's government "to recognize and condemn the genocide of
Armenians, render help to the Armenian community in the country and
normalize relations with Armenia". We should note that the declaration was
adopted by a majority of 234 votes against 213.
[Passage omitted: Armenia's and Turkey's reactions]
There is a need to cite one more factors which contribute to the aggravation
of the situation. One factor is that since 11 years ago, the Armenian
parliament annulled the 1921 Kars Treaty which established Armenia's present
borders, and therefore specified the inclusion of East Anatolia - the
territory of so-called "western Armenia" - into Turkey where the allegedly
notorious "genocide of Armenians" occurred and for which Armenia has
prospects. The said treaty, we should recap, also established the status of
the Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic [Azerbaijani exclave]. In view of this,
current developments might lead the western parliaments to make decisions
and call on Turkey to pay Armenia compensations, and as a result [contribute
to] the new emerging spiral of Yerevan's territorial claims in the territory
of its western neighbour. We know of a similar precedent in history. As we
aware that, up to now, Germany has been regularly paying Israel compensation
for the genocide of Jewish people during World War II.
So, the current situation can be called critical and Ankara has demonstrated
a sufficiently serious reaction to the situation and, for the first time,
reacted to such accusations at the top level. The situation reminds one of a
saying that "tomorrow might be too late", and it is not sufficient to follow
the events but to outstrip them, take pre-emptive measures and neutralize
the enemy's efforts by way of active counterpropaganda. And for the time
being, the hypothesis of the "genocide of Armenians" remains to be "the
sword of Damocles" hanging over the voices [as given, actually heads] of
Ankara and Baku, and might turn into a means of holding back a dynamic
progress that is envisaged in the Turkic world in this century.
Source: 'Yeni Azerbaijan', Baku, in Russian 22 Nov 00 p2
N. Abbasov: "OSCE equal rapport to aggressor Armenia and Azerbaijan
which suffered from this aggression is inadmissible"
Baku.20.11.2000. /AzadInform/. November 17 the national security minister Namig Abbasov received the head of the OSCE Baku office Alexander Kornelissen. The minister touched upon gruesome results of Armenia's aggressive and ethnic cleansing policy against Azerbaijan as well as Armenian special services department's terrorism and violent activity in Azerbaijan. He laid stress on equal rapport of several international organizations in particular OSCE to aggressor state in face of Armenia and Azerbaijan suffered from the Armenian aggression is inadmissible.
Moreover, this is one of reasons preventing sooner resolution of the
Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict.
Minister imparted relevant documents on Armenia's support to terrorism on the state level, on kidnapped Azerbaijani prisoners will be submitted to the OSCE Baku Office one of these days.
In his turn Mr. Kornellisen noted he will sent the documents to the OSCE headquarters as soon as he become familiar with them himself.
AzadInform #496(575) 20/11/2000
Detained Caravan Nothing To Do With Azerbaijan
Azeri Defense Ministry has dismissed a report by Russian TV news program
"Vremia quoting Armenian "Snark news agency as saying that the railway
caravan with arms and ammunition, detained in Rostov, was allegedly en
routed from Ukraine to Azerbaijan for a subsequent use "in Garabagh or
Chechnya .
According to the MOD, some 50 automobiles detained in Rostov on November
15 are loaded with winter clothes and sanitary supplies. These are a part
of the humanitarian assistance from Swiss government to Georgia within
Nato s "Partnership for Peace program.
This fact has been confirmed by Swiss and Georgian governments.
An MOD press-release says this is another provocation on part of Armenia
aimed at spreading misinformation and distracting world attention from
Russia s relocation of its weaponry and ammunition from Georgia to be
subsequently stationed in the Armenia-occupied Azeri territories.
AssA-Irada News, November 20-24, 2000
Ukraine's envoy to Azerbaijan denies military hardware
transfer to Azerbaijan
BBC Monitoring Service - United Kingdom; Nov 22, 2000
[Presenter] On 15th November, the Russian Public TV channel's Vremya [news] programme reported that an echelon loaded with military hardware had been detained in the town of Rostov. Russian Public TV and the Armenian mass media said that the echelon had been sent from Ukraine to Azerbaijan and went on to suggest that it would be used in Karabakh or Chechnya.
In order to check if the reports were true, our colleagues applied to the Ukrainian ambassador to Azerbaijan, Boris Aleksenko.
[Reporter] The ambassador, Boris Aleksenko, who spoke of the current state of Ukrainian-Azerbaijani cooperation, described these relations as strategic partnership. The relations between Kiev and Baku are based on an agreement on strategic cooperation signed during [Ukrainian] President [Leonid] Kuchma's visit to Azerbaijan this spring. The ambassador said that the recent Russian and Armenian press reports about Ukraine rendering military aid to Azerbaijan were a piece of absurd nonsense from Russia's mass media.
[Boris Aleksenko captioned as Ukrainian ambassador to Azerbaijan, speaking in Russian] You know that we - Georgia, Azerbaijan and Russia - have a partnership with the North Atlantic bloc and our partnership - we and NATO signed the Partnership for Peace charter. Our subunits and peacekeeping subunits conduct exercises simulating saving people from the water, catastrophes, accidents and other emergencies. In the same way, Georgia is in the partnership for peace as well. Switzerland therefore gave certain property, hardware and vehicles to Georgia. And this echelon was to pass through Ukraine, Russia and Azerbaijan to Georgia. Unfortunately, this information is presented to viewers in such a way that an impression is created that this is Ukrainian freight, Ukrainian property, Ukrainian goods.
[Passage omitted: reporter quotes Azerbaijani Defence Ministry denial of weapons transfer report; envoy says that in view of CIS's inefficiency, leaders try to solve problems on the basis of national interests]
Source: Space TV, Baku, in Azeri 1300 gmt 22 Nov 00
S. Abiyev proposes to hold a monitoring of weapons and equipment disposed
on occupied Azerbaijani territories
Baku.16.11.2000. /AzadInform/. Yesterday the defense minister Safar Abiyev received the US General Headquarters deputy chief general Richard Myers and deputy defense minister on political affairs Walter Slokombe.
General Myers passed to S. Abiyev greetings of the US defense minister William Kohan and chief of the General Headquarters Henry Shelton. He announced the US Armed Forces European Command leadership is to arrive in Baku shortly.
Cooperation plan for 2001 between US and Azerbaijani Defense Ministry is planned to be signed within the visit frames.
The US deputy defense minister W. Slokombe noted Azerbaijan's security and political stability is of a great importance for US. He stressed the cease-fire regime is general necessary factor for resolution of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict.
Azerbaijani defense minister declared the main reason of the current instability in the Caucasian region are unceasing arming of Armenia and accommodation of unregistered armours and materiel in occupied territory of Azerbaijan - Upper Karabakh. He started a proposal to hold a monitoring of weapons and equipment disposed on occupied Azerbaijani territories.
Safar Abiyev to make a protest statement at the
CIS Defense ministers' next meeting
Baku.23.10.2000. /AzadInform/. Development of the Russian-Armenian cooperation is jeopardizing Azerbaijan, the defense minister of Azerbaijan Safar Abiyev told to AzadInform. However, it can't be resulted with occupation of new territories because now Azerbaijan has a strong Army, he added. Minister laid stress on repeated statements of protest made against increasing of armaments kept in the Russian military bases dislocated in Armenia. Since October 20 Russia was
delivering 76 pieces armored cars to Armenia via Georgian territories.
Azerbaijani officials will make a statement of protest once again during the CIS states' defense ministers' summit scheduled for 25-26 October, defense minister declared.
AzadInform #478(557) 23/10/2000
ARMENIAN, AZERBAIJANI FOREIGN MINISTERS
ASSESS KARABAKH TALKS
Speaking in Strasbourg on 11 November, Azerbaijan's Foreign
Minister Vilayat Guliev said that neither mediation by the OSCE
Minsk Group nor the periodic talks between the presidents of
Armenia and Azerbaijan has yielded progress toward a solution of
the Karabakh conflict, a correspondent for RFE/RL's Armenian
Service reported. Guliev said that visits by the Minsk Group
co-chairmen over the past two years have been "a mere formality,"
as those officials prefer to leave it to the two presidents to
propose a solution. Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian, for
his part, denied that the peace process is deadlocked and said that
the meetings between the two presidents have laid a firm foundation
for further progress, according to Snark as cited by Groong on 13
November. While Guliev had said bilateral economic cooperation is
contingent on a solution to the conflict, Oskanian advocated
embarking on such cooperation immediately without preconditions in
order to "create a more favorable atmosphere in the region." LF
RFE/RL Transcaucasia Newsline, November 14, 2000
MILITARY EQUIPMENT FROM RUSSIAN BASE
IN GEORGIA DELIVERED TO NK
The "Midia-press" information agency states that a shipment of military equipment from Akhalkalaki,
the Russian military base in Georgia, was delivered to Karabakh yesterday, bringing to 70 armored
vehicles, 150 mobile missiles, 15,000 guns, and 25 cars the total amount of equipment that has been
delivered to Karabakh. However, Yury Chanchurian, advisor to the Armenian Ambassador in Russia,
denies this information, declaring that all the equipment is being delivered to the Russian military base in
Armenia with no intention of giving it to Karabakh.
Independent information centre
Glastnost - Caucasus
Daily news service November 9, 2000
ANS-News
PART OF RUSSIAN MILITARY EQUIPMENT TO BE TRANSFERRED TO KARABAKH
As it was informed before, a part of Russian military equipment
and ammunition which are being withdrawn from neighboring Georgia
will be transferred to Nagorno-Karabakh. According to reliable
sources, the issue was discussed on October 26, at the session
held with participation of the governing bodies of force structure
of Armenia and Karabakhi separatists. With the knowledge of the
Command of Russian Troops in the Trans-Caucasus, it was decided to
transfer part of Russian troops withdrawn from Ahalkalaki
(Georgia) to Gumri (Armenia) and Nagorno-Karabakh. According to
specified data, 20 tanks, 60 trop-carriers, 25 armored troop
carriers, 25 air-defense units Shilka, 150 anti-tank reactive
units, some 15,000 units of firearms and 25 different cars are to
be transferred to Karabakh. The first batch of the military
equipment has already arrived in Karabakh.
By Staff Writers
ARMENIANS PLANNING TO PLAY A "KURDISH CARD" AGAINST AZERBAIJAN
The three-day stay of representatives of the International Union
of Kurdish Public Organizations (IUKPC) Ahmad Takh and Mahmud
Shenger in the Nagorno-Karabakh ended on October 26. According to
sources in Moscow, during their visit the Kurdish emissaries held
a series of meetings with the leadership of the self-proclaimed
republic, including the head of "president" Arkady Gukasian's
staff Suren Grigorian, representatives of force structures,
political parties and public organizations. During those
meetings, the IUKPC representatives have reached agreements with
leaders of Armenian separatists on settling several hundred of
Kurdish families on the territory of Azerbaijan's occupied regions
of Lachin and Kalbajar and allotting them plots of land. The same
sources informed that the issue on granting the Kurdish settlers
Armenian citizenship has already been solved. Besides, the issue
on additional allocation of several villages of the Lachin region
for Kurdish settlers from CIS countries and other countries of the
world, including Syria and Iraq. IUKPC representatives are
planning to meet with the Syrian ambassador to Armenia soon for
coordination of concrete terms of arrival of Kurdish settlers from
Syria in mid-November. Analysts in Azerbaijan reckon that
training camps of the terrorist Kurdish Labor Party (PKK) will
created on the territory of the mentioned regions upon creation of
Kurdish settlements there.
By Staff Writers
ANS News, November 10, 2000
KARABAKH [Armenian] OFFICIAL DENIES PLANS TO RESETTLE KURDS ON OCCUPIED AZERBAIJANI TERRITORY
A spokesman for the presidential staff of the unrecognized
Nagorno-Karabakh Republic has rejected as untrue Azerbaijani media reports that the enclave's authorities have reached agreement with representatives of international Kurdish organizations on resettling several hundred Kurdish families from Syria and Iraq in the Kelbadjar and Lachin areas of Azerbaijan, according to Groong citing Snark of 8 November. Those districts are controlled by Karabakh army troops. Turan reported on 8 November that the Kurdish settlers would be granted Armenian citizenship. LF
RFE/RL Transcaucasia Newsline, November 10, 2000
Copyright 2000 RFE/RL
OIC Summit Condemns Armenian Aggression
The 9th OIC summit held in Doha (Qatar) November 12-14 adopted important decisions and resolutions pertaining to the problems of the Islamic world, including three on Armenias aggression against Azerbaijan.
The resolutions in favor of Azerbaijan were adopted unanimously.
For the first time in the history of the Organizations summits, the Doha meeting adopted a document concerning desecration and destruction of historical and cultural monuments in consequence of the Armenian
aggression. The summit also passed the Doha Declaration.
Azerbaijan was represented by Foreign Minister Vilayat Guliyev, Foreign
Ministry said Wednesday.
In his speech, he touched upon the issues of international importance and reported on Azerbaijans role in the system of international relations and integration processes, consequences of a decade-long Armenian aggression, including the deprivation and suffering of Azeri refugees and IDPs, barbaric desecration of historical and cultural monuments in the occupied lands.
Attending the summit was chairman of the Caucasus Clerical office
Sheikh-ul-Islam A. Pashazadeh. Min. Guliyev held meetings with the state minister for foreign relations of Qatar Mr. Ahmad Abdullah Mahmud, first vice-premier, foreign minister of Kuwait Shaikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jabir Al-Sabah, Egyptian foreign minister Amr Musa, OIC secretary general Izeddin Laraki, foreign minister of Saudi Arabia Amir Saud Al-Feisal, foreign minister of Jordan Abdel Illah Hatib, and deputy foreign minister of Syria al-Muallim.
AssA-Irada News, November 14 - 16, 2000
Cease-fire Shattered
From 9.14 till 9.24 p.m. on November 12, units of Armenian
troops, located five km south-east of the Javahirli
residential area of the occupied Agdam province, opened
submachine- and machine-gun fire at the Azeri armed forces
positions located in Ahmadagali village of the same
province.
No casualties are reported by the MOD press-center.
AssA-Irada News, November 13, 2000
ANS Interview with Novruz Mamedov: Karabakh Problem
Date: Tue, 14 Nov 2000 14:23:17 -0800 (PST)
HOST: Eldaniz Veliyev
GUEST: Novruz Mamedov - Chairman of the Presidential
Administration's International Relations Department
QUESTION: I guess Azeris are gradually forgetting the Karabakh
problem. What do you say?
ANSWER: I don't think so. Perhaps, this issue hasn't been paid
much attention to lately due to parliamentary elections. This is
why there are such thoughts that Karabakh is allegedly forgotten.
But the President of Azerbaijan is dealing with this problem.
QUESTION: But it's not a priority as it used to be.
ANSWER: Maybe Karabakh is not the most important one among those
topics covered by you.
QUESTION: What concrete things are being done that we don't pay
attention to?
ANSWER: The things done could be divided into two parts: firstly,
the works being done daily on diplomatic channels and secondly, the
events, meetings etc. attracting much of the public's attention.
This topic is the primal line of Azerbaijan's foreign policy. I
think the problem has reached a stage when a search is ongoing for
solving it.
QUESTION: You are talking about headway. But I think we reached
the most undesirable stage of the Karabakh problem solution. Kurds
are currently being settled in Karabakh. Talks are ongoing between
them and Armenian leaders.
ANSWER: The leadership of Azerbaijan has always been ready for
talks. But sometimes the political processes going in the
neighboring country prevent us from doing that. Now, the elements
of coming to agreement are being sought.
QUESTION: Based on what do you say that?
ANSWER: On the whole, the time has been working for Azerbaijan
lately. We have been accepted into the Council of Europe. This is
very important.
QUESTION: We are hoping for the Council of Europe, which
recommended Azerbaijan to try solve the Karabakh problem
peacefully. It means that we?ll have to wait for several years for
the problem's solution. International organizations are unable to
solve anything. Karabakhis are losing their identity. Who will we
send to Karabakh?
ANSWER: We can't forget Karabakh. We don't have the moral right
to do so. Armenians, who live abroad and have never seen Armenia
so far, never forget their motherland.
QUESTION: Today is November 14. It means 47 days are left till
the end of the year. In its turn, it means that a little time is
left till President Heydar Aliyev can keep his promise, because he
named this year The Year of Solution of Karabakh Problem. So,
we'll have to pin our hopes with next year's Santa Claus?
ANSWER: This is a very serious problem. I think this is not the
right approach. We still have 47 days left.
QUESTION: Thank you, we very much hope that something
extraordinary will happen by the end of the year and we?ll be able
to solve the problem within this short period of time.
Copyright 2000 Azerbaijan News Service
KARABAGH PEACE PROSPECTS DISCUSSED IN VIENNA
Head of the Azerbaijan community of Upper Garabagh Nizami
Bahmanov has visited Vienna, Austria, to meet with OSCE
executives and discuss ways of a negotiated settlement of the
Garabagh conflict.
In a meeting with co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Mr.
Bahmanov spoke of the deplorable living conditions of more
than 1 million Azeris, who have become refugees in consequence
of Armenian aggression.
He indicated that the Azeri community of Garabagh is holding
out hope for the OSCE in resolving the protracted conflict.
Besides OSCE MG co-chairs, the meeting was attended by
Armenian ambassador to Austria D. Tabibian.
Mr. Bahmanov also met with the Romanian ambassador to the OSCE
Mr. Bota, representative of Turkey in the Minsk Group Mr.
Cevik, and Austrian ambassador to the OSCE Mr. Stefan-Bastle,
according to Foreign Ministry.
Armenia, Iran Have Excellent Relations, Official Says
YEREVAN (Armenpress)--Iran's Minister of Foreign Affairs Kamal Kharrazi
and Armenian Minister of Defense and Secretary of National Security
Council Serge Sarkisian discussed the expansion of bilateral relations and north-south cooperation, Wednesday, the Iranian IRNA news agency reported.
At the meeting, Kharrazi pointed to good relations between the two
countries and said the laying of an Iran-Armenia gas pipeline was of great importance. He added that positive steps have been taken to set up the gas pipeline but new momentum is needed to start the project.
Calling the north-south dialogue important, Kharrazi said the
materialization of a north-south axis would be a guarantee for Armenia's communications and would also play an effective role in promoting regional stability and security.
Sarkisian thanked Iran for its efforts to end the Karabakh crisis and
termed relations between Iran and Armenia as "excellent." He also called for further expansion of bilateral ties.
Sarkisian pointed to the importance of an Iran-Armenia gas pipeline
project and said the project is important both from economic and security points of view.
Later in the day the Armenian defense minister met with Iranian president Khatami and handed over a written message from Armenian President Robert Kocharian to President Khatami.
Pointing to friendly relations between Iran and Armenia, President Khatami said the expansion of cooperation between the two countries would strengthen regional security and stability.
He stressed the need for strong ties between the two countries, given the fact that they are neighbors and share common stances on many regional and international issues.
Khatami said Iran's policy is to bring countries closer to each other and remove disputes among them, adding that development and progress is a common wish of both Iran and Armenia.
Emphasizing cooperation among all regional countries, including Iran and Armenia for creating a secure and stable region in Central Asia, President Khatami expressed hope that the problem of Karabakh would be resolved peacefully.
On the project of transferring gas from Iran to Armenia, the president
expressed hope that the project would be implemented with the
collaboration of the two sides, and by making use of existing
capabilities.
Copyright 2000 Armenpress
BIG BROTHER REFUSES TO TAKE SIDES
Both Armenia and Azerbaijan try to win Russia's support
over the Nagorny Karabakh deadlock
By Ara Tadevosian in Yerevan
Armenian politicians have dubbed Vladimir Putin's forthcoming visit to
Azerbaijan a "diplomatic slap in the face" for Robert Kocharian's government in Yerevan.
The move -- announced during Kocharian's recent visit to Moscow - has
ruffled feathers across Armenia, which has always considered itself to be Russia's favourite in the South Caucasus. And many observers suspect
Azerbaijan will take the opportunity to win Russia support over the dormant Nagorny Karabakh conflict - during which Azerbaijan lost more than a fifth of its territory.
David Shahnazarian, chairman of the 21st Century Party, said, "Kocharian's visit to Moscow ended in total failure. Like many other states, Russia clearly considers Armenia is not a very serious country.
"The news that Putin would be making an official trip to Baku came as a
diplomatic slap in the face for Kocharian. I can't describe it any other way."
Meanwhile, Russian foreign minister Igor Ivanov spent last week in talks with his Azerbaijani counterpart, Vilayat Guliev. Both ministers hailed the forthcoming visit as a "new page" in relations between the two nations.
Early signs that Azerbaijan was working to improve diplomatic ties with
Moscow came last month when President Heidar Aliev's security forces
extradited seven ethnic Chechens suspected of planning the terrorist bombing in Budennovsk last September.
Baku is clearly hoping that Russian intervention will bring the Nagorny
Karabakh peace talks to a swift conclusion. Guliev later told reporters that he met with Ivanov "in a spirit of friendship to discuss the existing issues between our two countries. This meeting again demonstrated that there are no problems between us which can't be resolved at the negotiating table."
Armenia regards such overtures with growing suspicion - especially since Kocharian's meeting with Putin focused on many of the same issues.
After a long discussion behind closed doors, both presidents signed a
Declaration on Allied Cooperation between Armenia and Russia for the 21st Century. Among other considerations, the document outlines plans for a Caucasus security pact involving Russia, Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan.
After the historic meeting, Kocharian was quick to tell Russian newspapers of his new-found empathy for Boris Yeltsin's successor in the Kremlin.
"In conversation, we understand one another on many issues by just
exchanging a few words," said the Armenian leader. "You get the impression that we are thinking in the same terms - after all, we grew up in the same country. And, in my view, it's impossible for members of our generation not to understand one another."
However, in his first official announcement on the Nagorny Karabakh
conflict, the ever pragmatic Putin showed little desire to take sides - or even take an active part in the peace process.
"I don't believe that Russia has any special rights in the regulation of the Karabakh conflict," said Putin. "We have a clear understanding of which boundaries Russia can't cross in the regulation of any peace process, including the one taking place in Karabakh. I often hear it argued that if Russia really wanted, it could swiftly resolve the Karabakh deadlock. I don't agree with such statements and consider them to be the last crumbs of imperialist thinking," he added.
The Russian president also added that both parties were likely to make
compromises and concessions during the peace process - and he didn't want to create the impression that they had been pressurised to do so by interference from Moscow.
In essence, Russia is adopting the same stance taken by Minsk Group partners America and France who are "prepared to support any solution that the warring parties can find."
Although Putin's words aroused little comment in Armenia, the Russian media was quick to draw its own conclusions. Kommersant newspaper said that Kocharian had tried but failed to win Russian support over Nagorny Karabakh while another daily newspaper, Nezavisimaya Gazeta (The Independent Newspaper), took the opportunity to hit out at the Russian authorities.
An editorial in the latter read, "Kocharian's visit was a litmus test for Russian policy on the Southern Caucasus. Moscow has apparently opted to set an isolationist course in its relations with the countries of the CIS and sees no real need to conceal this."
However, Kocharian didn't come away from Moscow empty-handed. An inter-state agreement was signed with a view to dropping visa regulations between the two countries while military ties were strengthened during a meeting between the two defence ministers, Serzh Sarkisian and Igor Sergeev.
On the eve of the visit, Sarkisian had hinted to local media that the
Armenian army would "soon be equipped with new technology". Most observers have taken this to mean that Armenia will soon be buying military supplies from her northern neighbour.
Armenia continues to see Russia as a guarantor of its security, says the head of the Armenian Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Vardan Oskanyan. He stressed that the underlying reason for this stance is the fact that
"Armenia still has unresolved military and political tasks with its two
immediate neighbours, Turkey and Azerbaijan."
Ara Tadevosian is director of the Armenian independent Mediamax agency
IWPR'S CAUCASUS REPORTING SERVICE, NO. 55
www.iwpr.net
Council of Europe
Committee of Ministers takes decision on Armenia and Azerbaijan
STRASBOURG, 09.11.2000 - The Council of Europe Committee of Ministers
today adopted two resolutions inviting simultaneously Armenia and
Azerbaijan to join the Organisation, to be confirmed when the date of
the accession ceremony is fixed.
The Committee of Ministers said it considered that the two countries
are willing to comply with Council of Europe standards and decided to
monitor their democratic progress on a regular basis, in the light of
the commitments which they gave in their exchange of letters with the
Chair of the Committee in October 2000. If necessary, it will set up
working parties to help it to do this.
The Committee has asked the Government of Azerbaijan to submit, within
a month, a report responding to the criticisms voiced by the
international observer mission after the parliamentary elections on 5
November 2000, and to rectify the instances of reported frauds. A
group has been set up to monitor this question, and will report by
mid-January.
While asking the Venice Commission to give the reform process at
present under way in both countries its backing, the Ministers
insisted that both governments must step up their joint efforts to
secure a peaceful settlement of the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh.
The accession procedure for the two Caucasian countries began in 1996
when they were granted special guest status with the Parliamentary
Assembly (on 26 January and 28 June 1996 respectively); the two
countries subsequently applied for membership on 7 March and 13 July
of the same year.
The Parliamentary Assembly voted in favour of both countries'
accession in June 2000, while making a number of recommendations on
reforms they need to introduce to bring their entire legislation and
practice in line with Council of Europe's principles and standards.
Armenia will have 4 seats in the Parliamentary Assembly while
Azerbaijan will have 6.
Press Contact
Sabine Zimmer, Council of Europe Press Service
Tel. +33 3 88 41 25 97 - Fax. +33 3 88 41 27 90
E-mail: [email protected]
News referred from Habarlar-L