updated
BBC Monitoring Service - United Kingdom; Jul 24, 2001
The Azerbaijani newspaper 525 qazet has said that the Armenian media's habit of distorting information and misquoting visiting dignitaries is part of attempts by President Robert Kocharyan, who is from Karabakh, to spin out the Karabakh talks process and thus hang on to power. It said that at a recent rally in Gyumri, at which people called on Kocharyan to resign and leave Armenia, showed that the Armenian people realize that they will not enjoy economic prosperity until peace is established and do not trust Kocharyan to achieve this. The paper said the lies were an attempt to soothe the Armenian public as the situation becomes increasingly difficult for the Karabakhis currently ruling Armenia. The following is excerpt from Baxtiyar Tuncay report by Azerbaijani newspaper 525 qazet on 21 July entitled "What does Yerevan's policy of disinformation serve?"
The Armenian population is fed up with the Karabakh Armenians, who have usurped power
Hasan Rowhani, secretary of the Iranian Supreme National Security Council, who recently paid an official visit to Armenia, was inundated with questions as soon as he arrived in Baku. One of these questions was linked to a statement disseminated by Armenian news agencies and attributed to Mr Rowhani. The Iranian guest said no such statement had been made and called this Armenian journalists' fiction.
This situation resembles what happened to Gennadiy Seleznev, speaker of the Russian State Duma, Russian First Deputy Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Trubnikov, as well as official representatives of a number of states, and has something in common with these cases. Everyone remembers that these people also had to deny mendacious and fictitious reports published in the Armenian press.
All these facts are graphic examples of Armenian falsehood, and there are many such examples. These people even distorted the words of Azerbaijani Interior Minister Ramil Usubov, who visited Yerevan, saying that the minister did not call the Karabakh Armenians separatists and terrorists.
For a long time, Armenian officials have been talking about some imaginary Paris principles. Though Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Vilayat Quliyev has stated repeatedly that this was a fiction and has insistently repeated that there were no Paris agreement or principles, there were people in Azerbaijan ready to kick up a fuss by taking on board this Armenian fiction. Therefore, the fact that Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan spoke about a verbal agreement reached in Paris and about the Azerbaijani side allegedly deviating from the "Paris principles" caused a huge outcry.
According to information recently put out by Agadzhanyan, head of the Armenian Foreign Ministry press service, an agreement has allegedly been reached on the seven main principles of a preliminary accord reached at the Paris meeting. Allegedly, there is an agreement on establishing horizontal ties between Karabakh and Baku, international guarantees for the security of the Karabakh Armenians, opening a transport corridor, making changes to the constitution of the Azerbaijani Republic and not opening hostilities.
According to the claims of the Armenian falsifiers, the fact that Azerbaijan unilaterally digressed from the concessions to which it had agreed forced the Minsk Group cochairmen to postpone the Geneva meeting. The strangest thing is that Agadzhanyan, who disseminated these lies, subsequently denied them without ceremony.
In order to understand that Armenian statements about the "Paris principles" are lies, it is enough to look at protests such as "patience has a limit", which the president of Azerbaijan said at a meeting with the OSCE Minsk Group cochairmen in Baku. As is known, both Azerbaijani Defence Minister Safar Abiyev and Foreign Minister Vilayat Quliyev have expressed similar ideas as well.
There is a very important psychological nuance to everything we have said and we will have brought our victory closer if we evaluate it correctly. Pay attention - the Yerevan government is not behind ordinary reporters in the "policy" of distorting the facts and inventing various lies. If we take into consideration that the lies are not only for an Azerbaijani audience, but also for an Armenian audience, we can be sure that Armenian officials are compelled to lie to their people. Why is the Yerevan government compelled to do so? The reason may lie in distrust of the leadership. In any case, the slogans and ideas voiced at a recent rally held in Gyumri [Armenia] and staged by the Armenian National Unity Party show that what has been said might be true. It is interesting that slogans against the Karabakh Armenians were also voiced at that rally and the Karabakhis were accused of occupying Armenia. At the same time, they demanded that [Armenian President] Robert Kocharyan of Karabakh resign and get out of Armenia and it was stressed that he had no interest in settling the Karabakh issue.
We should note that although the Azerbaijani press put out reports about the rally, for some reason, analysts did not think it necessary to pay attention to this important news. In any case, the following idea voiced at the rally reflects the idea of a significant proportion of Armenia's local population: "Kocharyan is trying to keep power by settling the Karabakh problem." This means that some Armenians think that Kocharyan is deliberately spinning out the peace talks and is doing so to keep power.
Of course, this is only one aspect of the issue. But the issue has another aspect. The slogans voiced at the rally showed that the Armenians think their economic situation and well-being will not improve until peace has been established, which is why constructive steps are expected from the government. It is interesting that these ideas have spread more in the country's northern and central districts. The hate of the population in southern districts, especially in Megri District, for the Karabakhis has another source. The population of this district is concerned about the problem of a territorial swap [with Azerbaijan] and does not want to sacrifice their "homeland" for Karabakh.
It can be seen that the Armenian leadership of Karabakh origin is in a very difficult situation and dissatisfaction with them is increasing day-by-day. The leadership is capable of nothing but giving empty promises, inventing lies every day and soothing the population in this way. In a word, the situation is becoming tense. Therefore, there is no need to pay attention to empty statements and pointless words. From this point of view, the empty and pointless words of both Vardan Oskanyan and [Armenian Defence Minister] Serzh Sarkisyan that "if Azerbaijan resumes hostilities, Armenia will give a worthy reply" have no meaning. Both the Armenian army and people are in a degraded state and reports say that corruption is eating away this army from inside. These reports say that desertion and murders in the Armenian army have reached a critical point. The latest military exercises showed that 75-80 per cent of hardware was obsolete and unfit.
[Passage omitted: Details of the economic situation in Armenia]
Source: 525 qazet,Baku, in Azeri 21 Jul 01 p 6
/BBC Monitoring/ � BBC.
Azeri refugees stage rally demanding liberation of land
BBC Monitoring Service - United Kingdom; Jul 23, 2001
Text of report by Azerbaijani TV station ANS on 23 July
The organization for the liberation of Karabakh has staged a rally in Darnagul settlement [of Baku] protesting against the occupation of Agdam District of Azerbaijan by Armenian occupiers. The head of the organization, Akif Nagi, said the picket was mainly attended by refugees living in the capital. The picket called for liberation of the occupied territories and demanded that international organizations stop being useless. The picket adopted a resolution to this effect.
To recap, today is the eighth anniversary of Agdam District being captured by the Armenian occupiers. On 23 July 1993, the Armenians totally surrounded the district - a strategically important place for Karabakh. Taking advantage of internal unrest in Azerbaijan after the Ganca uprising and the weakness of the authorities, the Armenian army staged a large-scale invasion of the district. The town defended itself for 43 days. Dozens of people were killed and 83 villages were occupied. To recap, the population of Agdam District numbered 160,000 people.
Source: ANS TV, Baku, in Russian, 1500 gmt 23 Jul 01
/BBC Monitoring/ � BBC.
AZERBAIJAN AND IRAN ACCUSE EACH OTHER IN BEING FRIENDS WITH ARMENIA AND
ISRAEL RESPECTIVELY
Source:ANS
21.07.01--BAKU--The question of opening Azerbaijan�s consulate in Iran
remains open. This was announced by the Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan,
Vilayat Guliyev. It should be noted that Azerbaijan has already complied
with its commitments and opened Iranian consulate in Nakhchivan five years
ago. The Secretary of the Security Council of the Islamic Republic, Hasan
Ruhani said during his visit to Baku that the relations between the two
states were cold adding that the number of political and diplomatic
representatives in both countries should be raised if the states desire to
develop their relations. The Azeri Ambassador to Iran, Abbasali Hasanov
suggested not to touch upon this topic so as not to raise tensions between
Azerbaijan and Iran. Replying to Baku�s accusations of warm relations
between Iran and Armenia, Mr Ruhani cited the example of Azerbaijan-Israel
friendship. Ramiz Mehdiyev, the head of the Presidential Administration of
Azerbaijan (PAA), mentioned that Azerbaijan hasn�t any diplomatic
representative in Israel though the latter has already opened its embassy
in Baku. Mr Mehdiyevs statement was kind of justificatory character. Just
because of Iran, Azerbaijan hasnt opened its embassy in Israel. But the
Azeri foreign ministers opinion contradicts that made by the PA chief. Mr
Guliyev said that the failure to open Azerbaijans embassy in Tel Aviv was
linked only with technical problems. It should be noted that the head of
Azerbaijans foreign diplomacy didnt exclude that the nation would open its
embassy in Israel in future.
By Elchin Hasanov
Copyright 2001 Azerbaijan News Service
Azeri paper sifts positive aspects of territorial swap
with Armenia
BBC Monitoring Service - United Kingdom; Jul 19, 2001
The Azerbaijani newspaper 525 qazet has said that Azerbaijan should continue propagandizing the idea of going to war to resolve the Karabakh issue as this has yielded results and made the mediators more active. It said the USA, Russia and Europe, in the shape of France, have now reached agreement, meaning Russia no longer needs Armenia as it once did to block the West's aspirations in the region. The result of this was that the mediators' talks with the Armenian president this time were described as "tense". According to the paper, the superpowers are also very keen on the idea of a territorial swap and there are many positive aspects to this for Azerbaijan, in terms of giving it access to the Gulf, giving it a link with Turkey that does not necessitate passing through Georgia and creating an obstacle to growing Armenian-Iranian competition. However, the paper argued that the price of these gains should not be giving up Karabakh so the pro-war propaganda campaign should be maintained to keep up the pressure. The following is text of Baxtiyar Tuncay report by Azerbaijani newspaper 525 qazet on 18 July entitled "What can the Megri corridor give Azerbaijan?":
The handover of Megri to Azerbaijan is of extremely great importance to the USA, European Union and Russia
The first half of July was marked by the OSCE Minsk Group cochairmen paying another visit to the region. It is well known that the visit began in Armenia and the first meeting was held with Armenian Defence Minister Serzh Sarkisyan. This is the first important detail to which we should pay attention. The second important detail is the fact that these meetings were attended by Russian First Deputy Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Trubnikov and that Trubnikov, not the low-ranking Nikolay Gribkov, represented Russia in negotiations with the presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia. Another important nuance to which we should pay attention is the fact that the negotiations with the Armenian president proceeded in a tense atmosphere and with the Azerbaijani president - in a normal atmosphere. It is a fact that the cochairmen had something to tell the Azerbaijani president this time.
The fact that the first meeting was held with Defence Minister Sarkisyan and the fact that while in Azerbaijan, they did not omit to exchange opinions with [Azerbaijani Defence Minister] Safar Abiyev, as well as some statements by the cochairmen, testify to serious concern about the latest frequently expressed opinions on the importance of hostilities. This means that the propagandizing of the idea of an "anti-terrorist operation", which is widespread among the public and is being actively supported by the Azerbaijani press, has been effective. That's to say the concern, which comes from a sense of danger, has caused the cochairmen to become active and has made it easier for them to understand that the likelihood of a resumption of hostilities will increase if they do not change the status quo soon.
This fact confirms once again that the chosen method was correct and has to be continued. The propaganda of the idea that military-humanitarian and anti-terrorist operations are important should be continued at the same level in the Azerbaijani press. This is one aspect of the issue. As for another aspect of the issue, we should point out that Trubnikov's participation in the meetings implies that Russia is paying serious attention to peace and security issues in the South Caucasus. This means that the issue was resolved in theory during the Bush-Putin and Chirac-Putin meetings and all the details were prepared to a nicety. Therefore, we can totally trust in what the highly-placed Moscow representative said about an agreement of opinion.
If the USA, European Union (in the person of France) and Russia share the same views, then Russia has given up its tradition of supporting Armenia unilaterally. The Moscow government no longer needs Yerevan as a means to hinder Western interests in the Caucasus. This is the real reason why the negotiations with [Armenian President] Robert Kocharyan were tense. This means that serious pressure was exerted on Armenia for the first time. This time, the Yerevan government was graphically and openly shown that it has been isolated. This is serious progress. The cochairmen's statement - "We have something to tell Heydar Aliyev this time" - shows that this pressure yielded a certain result.
After all this, we think it necessary to touch on another nuance that we observed during the OSCE Minsk Group cochairmen's latest visit to the region. The talk is about [US cochairman] Carey Cavanaugh's answer to a journalist's question about UN resolutions, which causes serious anxiety. It emerges from Cavanaugh's words that those resolutions play no role and the current situation should be taken into consideration. This idea coincides with the Armenian side's view and this proves that the OSCE cochairmen have a double standard approach to the issue.
During the cochairmen's latest visit to the region, another important detail stood out. We would not be wrong if we said that words uttered in reply to journalists' questions about a territorial swap shed some light on that issue. However, no concrete answer was given to the question and nothing was said, hinting that the content of the negotiations were confidential. But this can be assessed as a positive answer to the question. The point is that if such a thing was part of the plan, the cochairmen would undoubtedly have flatly denied that such an issue was on the agenda in order to avoid additional tensions. But of course, this did not happen. Because the handover of Megri to Azerbaijan is of very great importance to the USA, the European Union and Russia. What is primarily implied here is nullifying Iran's influence in the region. If this plan comes off, what will Azerbaijan lose or gain from it?
Right at the start, we should point out that one of the main purposes of the policy of double standards is to force Azerbaijan to go for a territorial swap, agree to put an end to Karabakh's existence as an enclave and hand over Lacin and Kalbacar to Armenia in return for Megri. This is the main concession that is being demanded of Azerbaijan. If the OSCE acts not on double standards, but on its principles, then it should force Armenia to withdraw from the territories it has occupied and create conditions for Azerbaijan to restore its territory, including its sovereign rights to Karabakh. In this case, there can be no talk about a territorial swap. However, the superpowers, which have interests in the region, are trying to kill two birds with one stone: both to achieve peace and implement the idea of a territorial swap.
In fact, the principle of a territorial swap is of benefit to Azerbaijan, too. But such a swap is a disaster for Armenia in the real meaning of this word. Therefore, Azerbaijan is required to make more concessions to make Armenia agree with this. In fact, Azerbaijan is being forced to give up de jure control over Karabakh. But this cannot be allowed to happen under any circumstances. This means that the maximum autonomy that we can grant to the Karabakh Armenians can be on the level of Tatarstan's autonomy [in Russia]. This can be implemented only if Megri is placed under Azerbaijan's full jurisdiction and if the territory to be handed over to Armenia in return is not even one centimetre more than that. If Megri is not placed under Azerbaijan's jurisdiction, there can be no talk about such broad autonomy.
If we get Megri, this will be very important to us. The biggest thing we will gain will be the creation of a fence between Armenia and Iran, which will make Iran's attempts to prop up Armenia's sinking economy futile. In any case, Yerevan will be totally dependent on Azerbaijan and Turkey. The hydroelectric power station that Iran plans to build on the Araz River on the territory of Megri will be of use not to Armenia, but to Azerbaijan. Of course, this is only one aspect of the issue.
There is no need to explain what the success of the above plan and the appearance of a direct link between Azerbaijan and Naxcivan and Turkey mean to us.
Besides that, the issue of a territorial swap will create a direct link with Turkey and will end our dependence on Georgia. That's to say it will be our alternative way to the West and it will be of extremely great importance to the strengthening and consolidation of our independence. At least customs duties to be paid to Georgia for trade relations with Turkey and tourist transportation will be minimized, as a result of which millions of dollars will be saved.
Finally, Moscow-Tehran railway lines will be restored, which will enable our country to make a lot of profit. Moreover, this will lead to economic ties between Tabriz and Baku, which is very important to ethnic and moral ties. Even the creation of such ties will revive the Moscow-Tehran railroad and cause southern Azerbaijan's economy to blossom, which is also important. Apart from all this, our country will get a route to the Persian Gulf. This means not only a big economic profit, but also great geopolitical and strategic gains.
Now we have to define a political course that will help solve the issue quickly, save our refugees from sufferings, minimize our concessions and maximize our gain. We have every opportunity for this. At a news conference in Baku, the cochairmen did not say that Azerbaijan is an oil-rich country just for the fun of it, though it has nothing to do with the matter. Both these words and the words that "a side that has heights wins a war and now these heights are in the hands of Azerbaijan" were not uttered for the fun of it either.
Yes, now all the heights are in our hands and we can launch a victorious attack. To this end, it is important that we should do everything possible to propagate the idea that our military-humanitarian and anti-terrorist operations are important, put pressure on the cochairmen, who are afraid that their interests might be endangered in this way, and force them to put pressure on Armenia. These are the proper tactics. This can also bring another benefit. If an unexpected problem comes up and we have to start hostilities, we will have prepared the population for hostilities from a psychological point of view. Therefore, it is necessary not to pay attention to Cavanaugh's words that "some irresponsible journalists and politicians have taken the peace process hostage", think of our own national interests instead of those of the superpowers and continue the propaganda.
If the cochairmen are worried that their interests in the region will be endangered and wish an end to the propaganda of the importance of military-humanitarian and anti-terrorist operations, they have to amend their position and bring it as close as possible to Azerbaijan's just and fair stance in line with OSCE principles.
Source: 525 qazet,Baku, in Azeri 18 Jul 01 p 6
/BBC Monitoring/ � BBC.
Foreign Minister: Use Of Military Means Possible
Azerbaijan may reconsider its position if the talks on a Karabakh
settlement produce no result at a certain stage, Azerbaijani Foreign
Minister Vilayat Guliyev said in an interview with the Turan news agency
on 17 July. Guliyev noted that his country was trying to settle the
problem by peaceful means for the time being and would continue to work in
this direction. However, it cannot continue forever, he said. Guliyev did
not rule out the possibility using military means to settle the Karabakh
conflict, noting that Azerbaijan cannot be satisfied with the current
situation.
In the meantime, a high-ranking World Bank official says the bank will
increase economic assistance to Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia if they
find solutions to the ethnic conflicts in the volatile region, reported a
RFE/RL correspondent from Yerevan.
Johannes Linn, the bank's vice president for Europe and Central Asia, said
the success of World Bank efforts to promote economic integration in the
impoverished South Caucasus depends on progress in internationally
sponsored negotiations to end the conflicts in Nagorno-Karabakh, Abkhazia,
and elsewhere in the region.
Linn made the comments today in Yerevan at the end of his tour of Armenia,
Azerbaijan, and Georgia.
RFE/RL Azerbaijan Report, July 20, 2001
Armenian minister does not fear Azeri "threats" of war
BBC Monitoring Service - United Kingdom; Jul 19, 2001
Text of report by Armenian news agency Mediamax
Yerevan, 19 July: Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan said today [presumably 18 July] in an exclusive interview with Mediamax that "the threats about a resumption of hostilities being voiced in Baku cannot frighten us".
The minister recalled that "the current situation - refugees, loss of territories, and all that Azerbaijan is complaining of today is a consequence of Azerbaijan's bellicose policy of 1992-94 and of the war that it unleashed." According to Oskanyan, if Azerbaijan in its time had discussed at peace talks Karabakh's lawful right to self-determination, the situation would be completely different today.
The method of solving the Karabakh problem that Azerbaijan has selected is similar to the method used with regard to Kosovo, Vardan Oskanyan said. "We think that trying to correct this mistake using the same erroneous methods is doomed to failure. We have rejected and continue to reject the use of force or the threat of its use as a method for solving such problems. However, I would like to give my assurances that any military encroachment will receive a fitting response," Vardan Oskanyan stressed in his exclusive interview with Mediamax.
Source: Mediamax news agency, Yerevan, in Russian 0538 gmt 19 Jul 01
/BBC Monitoring/ � BBC.
Armenian minister says Azeris to blame for no progress in Karabakh peace talks
BBC Monitoring Service - United Kingdom; Jul 19, 2001
Text of report by Armenian news agency Mediamax
Yerevan, 19 July: Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan said in today's [presumably 18 July] exclusive interview with Mediamax that the Azerbaijani side's stance is the only reason for the absence of progress in talks on peaceful settlement of the Karabakh problem.
When asked by Mediamax to comment on statements by the Azerbaijani foreign minister on "Armenia's non-constructive stance", Vardan Oskanyan said: "I would like to recall that Mr Quliyev described the mediators in the same way as well, and talked about their pro-Armenian stance. Let us look at what emerges - one of the parties to the talks accuses of a non-constructive stance not only the other party but also the mediators who represent three of the world's most influential counties. Does it not become obvious after this which of the sides really has a non-constructive stance?"
The minister recalled that in 1998 Azerbaijan rejected the OSCE Minsk Group cochairmen's proposal containing the concept of a "common state". According to Oskanyan, this proposal was a unique attempt at compromise which combined two basic principles of international law - the territorial integrity of states and nations' right to free self-determination. "Therefore, we can draw the conclusion that Azerbaijan is not ready to solve the Karabakh problem through compromises," the Armenian foreign minister told Mediamax.
Source: Mediamax news agency, Yerevan, in Russian 0538 gmt 19 Jul 01
/BBC Monitoring/ � BBC
ARMENIAN FOREIGN MINISTER ASSESSES KARABAKH PEACE PROCESS
In an exclusive interview with Mediamax on 18 July that was circulated by
Groong the following day, Vartan Oskanian rejected charges made by his
Azerbaijani counterpart Vilayet Quliev that the Karabakh peace process has
been stalemated by Armenia's "unconstructive" position. Oskanian implied
that it is Baku which has occupied such a position. He likewise denied
Quliev's claim that the so-called "Paris principles" for resolving the
Karabakh conflict are "a myth," noting that the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs
have repeatedly referred to the existence of the framework agreed upon by
the Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents during their talks in Paris in
March and Florida in April. Oskanian also argued that the unrecognized
Nagorno-Karabakh Republic "has never been part of an independent
Azerbaijani state." He noted that the present Azerbaijan Republic is the
successor to the 1918-1902 independent Azerbaijani state that did not
include Nagorno-Karabakh, and that the enclave declared its independence
from Azerbaijan (in September 1991) in accordance with existing Soviet
legislation. LF
RFE/RL Transcaucasia Newsline, July 20, 2001
Azeri boy killed, another wounded by land mine
BBC Monitoring Service - United Kingdom; Jul 18, 2001
Even sappers are killed by land mines, to say nothing of children
A boy was killed by a land mine on 13 July near the village of Yuxari Kurdmahmudlu in Fuzuli District [partly occupied by Armenia], near the Kondalancay river. Seven-year-old Asim Ahmadov lost his leg and sustained numerous fragmentation wounds. It was impossible to save his life and the boy died in hospital. His friend, 12-year-old Alca Alcayev, was more lucky. As a result of slight fragmentation wounds he spent a very short time in hospital. However, he is certainly seriously psychologically scarred for a long period of time.
Civilian sappers, who observe strict security rules and are protected by special means, are also killed by these sinister war "toys", not to mention children. The Azerbaijani National Agency for Anti-Mine Action (ANAMA) reports that on 3 July this year a sapper, Arif Babayev, lost two fingers of the right hand from an unexpected land mine explosion.
[Passage omitted: land mines still pose threat despite seven-year cease-fire]
A press release of the UN Representative Office in Azerbaijan reports that a poll among the local population in front line districts and districts bordering on Armenia revealed zones of heightened land-mine danger covering an area of over 30m square kilometres. The aforementioned incident near the village of Yuxari Kurdmahmudlu occurred in an area not considered dangerous in land mine surveys. ANAMA experts assumed that the land mine had most probably been brought in by a stream.
[Passage omitted: ANAMA's background]
ANAMA information representative Aziz Aliyev told Ekho that the research had revealed 47 villages with mine fields. International Eurasian Press Fund is preparing mine surveys in accordance with ANAMA's studies.
Nobody can say with certainty how many land mines remain on the liberated territories. Aliyev says that only regular armies register their mine fields. But in our case, when irregular military groups fought on both the Azerbaijani and Armenian sides over a certain period, there was no such registration. Therefore, land mines should be cleared on the basis of statements by local people - where army positions were located, where mine explosions were heard etc.
Source: Ekho, Baku, in Russian 18 Jul 01, p 5
/BBC Monitoring/ � BBC.
Azeri paper questions government's front line refugee resettlement plans
BBC Monitoring Service - United Kingdom; Jul 17, 2001
The Azerbaijani newspaper 525 qazet has questioned the wisdom of the Azerbaijani government's plans to resettle refugees on territory adjacent to the Karabakh front line on the grounds that the building of villages on this territory would cost a lot and, without a peace agreement, it would be a risky strategy as hostilities could break out at any time and they would again find themselves in a war zone. It also said that such long-term plans suggested the authorities did not see refugees returning to their homes in Karabakh for a long time to come, suggesting they are not ready to go to war to recapture territory. The following is text of A. Aslanov report by Azerbaijani newspaper 525 qazet on 17 July entitled "Migrants will be resettled in the front line zone?":
The building of new villages for permanent residence is planned on non-occupied territories in Agdam and Fuzuli
The press service of the State Commission for Refugees reports that the chairman of the commission, Deputy Prime Minister Ali Hasanov, received a delegation headed by the World Bank's vice-president for Europe and Central Asia, Johannes Lynn, in Baku last week. One of the issues discussed at the meeting was the living conditions of refugees and forced migrants as well as the activity of the social development fund.
One of the most interesting issues in the report on the meeting was government plans for the near future regarding the living conditions of forced migrants.
During the meeting Hasanov also spoke about the need to discuss an appeal regarding the construction of new villages for the resettlement of forced migrants from Agdam and Fuzuli Districts on the non-occupied territories of these districts to alleviate the tension in the living conditions of these people.
It thus emerges that the government is again planning to send migrants to the partially-occupied districts - the conflict zone, because of its failure to find any other way to improve the conditions of migrants. True, it is impossible to describe as good, or even normal the migrants' conditions in tent camps, which are the shame of Azerbaijan.
At the same time, the resettlement of migrants in the conflict zone is illogical. It is known that, in fact, there is no life in the occupied districts. At present, the conditions for people to live and work normally do not exist there. Resettling people there in this situation could, on the contrary, worsen their situation even further. Although, should the necessary conditions be established by that time, some of the migrants could be returned to their lands. This is, however, only beneficial in theory because even a child knows that if a corresponding peace agreement does not exist between the conflicting parties, then hostilities could in principle resume at any time. In such a case, what would be the fate of the people resettled in the villages built on a possible battle ground? Besides, is there any need to spend millions of dollars of aid on this?
Additionally, these government plans allow us to draw some conclusions regarding the prospects for settling the conflict. Given that the villages are to be built in the future then, to put it mildly, it would seem there is a very remote chance of migrants returning to the occupied territories soon. The fact that the government is already thinking not about the occupied territories, but other territories, further strengthens these assumptions etc.
Finally, as far as the public's recent bellicose mood is concerned, everyone already knows about this. At a recent meeting with the OSCE Minsk Group cochairmen even the head of state regarded this as natural. Maybe this is true. Then isn't it strange that knowing about this increasingly military mood, the government wants to resettle migrants on these territories. Or, on the contrary, the Azerbaijani leadership is going to do this because it is confident that the hostilities will never start (i.e. Azerbaijan will not start them).
Source: 525 qazet, Baku, in Azeri 17 Jul 01 p 2
/BBC Monitoring/ � BBC.
New society of Armenian Azeris appeals over Armenian atrocities
BBC Monitoring Service - United Kingdom; Jul 18, 2001
Text of unattributed report by Azerbaijani newspaper 525 qazet on 18 July entitled "Who bears responsibility for the deportation of western Azerbaijanis?"
The Western Azerbaijan International Society has adopted an appeal to the Azerbaijani people, the UN, the Council of Europe, the OSCE and the Azerbaijani president. The society's appeal says that the Azerbaijani people have been deported several times. These deportations led to massive losses, both human losses and loss of lands. Regarding the fate of Karabakh, which is currently under occupation, the document says that the society is ready to fight with all its might to liberate the occupied lands.
The document addressed to the UN, the Council of Europe and the OSCE cites Armenian hostilities and its feud against Azerbaijan since the 19th century. The document draws attention to the occupation of the remaining lands in 1988.
The authors of the document believe that [former] secretary general of the central committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev, [former] first secretaries of the Armenian and the Azerbaijani central committees, Suren Arutyunyan and Abdurrahman Vazirov are among those responsible for this crime.
The appeal sent to the Azerbaijani president says that the key aim of establishing this society is to take Armenia to the International Court for atrocities against Azerbaijanis.
Source: 525 qazet,Baku, in Azeri 18 Jul 01 p 3
/BBC Monitoring/ � BBC.
Azerbaijan threatens to take Karabakh by force
BBC Monitoring Service - United Kingdom; Jul 17, 2001
Text of report in English by Russian news agency Interfax
Baku, 17 July: Azerbaijan does not rule out a possibility of using military-political means to settle the problem of liberating the occupied territories [in Nagorno-Karabakh], Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Vilayat Quliyev has said.
"The present status-quo cannot satisfy Azerbaijan. The current situation is beneficial for the Armenian side, but Azerbaijan will never agree to have its lands seized. Azerbaijan's patience is not limitless," he said.
Source: Interfax news agency, Moscow, in English 1045 gmt 17 Jul 01
/BBC Monitoring/ � BBC.
Azeri ex-defence boss: professional army to solve Karabakh issue in 2 months
BBC Monitoring Service - United Kingdom; Jul 17, 2001
Text of Zabil Muqabiloglu report by Azerbaijani newspaper 525 qazet on 17 July entitled "We shall solve the Karabakh problem in two months"
Gen Tacaddin Mehdiyev thinks that it is necessary to launch successful military operations to this end
"If Azerbaijan starts a war, there is no doubt that it will be victorious. The prospects for us winning the war are wonderful," Tacaddin Mehdiyev, former defence minister and chairman of the committee to protect the rights of officers, says. The former defence minister said he did not believe that a peaceful solution to the problem would be in Azerbaijan's interests: "I do not believe that a peaceful solution to the problem will guarantee that Karabakh will remain a full part of Azerbaijan. I think the problem can be resolved only in a military way. I cannot see any way other than the military way on this issue." In Mehdiyev's opinion, both Azerbaijan's economic potential and its manpower mean it is capable of winning if the war starts: "Some people say that if we start hostilities, the countries of the world and the international community will adopt a negative attitude towards us. But I do not think that any country will stop us liberating our own lands because we have no intention of occupying anyone's land."
The former defence minister said that the Azerbaijani army has already become stronger and has matured: "Over these years, the Azerbaijani army has become much stronger. The current state of our army is much better than when it was created." Mehdiyev said that Azerbaijan should urgently adopt a military doctrine: "The state should have a blueprint on how to liberate our lands. If this work is not carried out, we will be forced to sign the peace agreement offered to us." In the former minister's opinion, if successful military operations are carried out, it will be possible to solve the Karabakh problem in two months. Mehdiyev also said that Azerbaijan needs to create a professional army to win the war if the hostilities resume. Mehdiyev said he had prepared a blueprint for this: "I see Azerbaijan's future only in creating a professional army. I do not believe that the Azerbaijani army will be successful without this. It is more expedient to maintain a 40,000-strong professional army than a 100,000-strong army." The former minister also added that in the issue of creating a professional army, Azerbaijan should make use of Turkish, Russian and NATO experience; "We should not wait for some proposals from the [OSCE] Minsk Group cochairs or any other people. Azerbaijan should put forward its demands categorically and unambiguously and state its position. Azerbaijan can never give its territories to someone as a present."
The former minister also noted that serious work should be carried out in the country to increase the public's patriotic and fighting spirit.
Source: 525 qazet,Baku, in Azeri 17 Jul 01 p 5
/BBC Monitoring/ � BBC.
Walking a Dangerous Road to Peace
Hard Issues Remain for Mediators in Conflict Between Armenia and
Azerbaijan
By John Ward Anderson
Washington Post Foreign Service
Sunday, July 15, 2001; Page A16
EAST OF FIZULI, Azerbaijan -- Generally speaking, walking through a
minefield is not the preferred way to get from Point A to Point B.
But for a delegation of U.S., Russian and French peace negotiators trying
to end 13 years of conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia, the 2 1/2-mile
march through a heavily mined no man's land separating the two combatants
was more than just an exercise in getting to the other side.
"If there are new hostilities, this is the most likely place where
fighting will break out," said Carey Cavanaugh, a troubleshooting U.S.
ambassador with a theatric flair who is a co-chairman of the three-nation
mediating group. "We are very concerned about . . . recent saber rattling.
We think it's irresponsible. We see no way further hostilities will
advance peace in this region, and we deliberately crossed here to shine
the international spotlight on that."
The conflict between the former Soviet republics of Azerbaijan and Armenia
revolves around control of Nagorno-Karabakh, a remote mountainous enclave
inside Azerbaijan that is populated principally by ethnic Armenians who
want to become either independent or a part of Armenia.
The mediation effort has made significant headway since the beginning of
this year in brokering a final peace -- details of which are closely
guarded. The presidents of the two countries have agreed to about 80
percent of an armistice -- including one of the most politically sensitive
issues, the final status of Nagorno-Karabakh -- but several contentious
issues remain, negotiators said. The effort has been complicated by recent
calls in Azerbaijan to consider renewed military action.
"Nobody wants to resume military action," Nikolai Gribkov, the Russian
co-chairman of the mediating group, told a group of Azerbaijani lawmakers
in the capital, Baku. "It's easy to start a war, but it's very difficult
to stop it. We've had a war in Chechnya for six years, and there's no way
we want you to suffer that."
Fighting, which killed about 30,000 people, peaked following the 1991
collapse of the Soviet Union, when Armenian troops seized Nagorno-Karabakh
and hundreds of square miles of Azerbaijani territory surrounding it,
occupying a large swath of Azerbaijan. Russia helped negotiate a
cease-fire in 1994, but about 100 people a year are still killed by
snipers and land mines near the line of control.
The mediation effort has a highly unusual level of personal involvement by
the presidents of the United States, France and Russia, each of whom has
met with his Armenian and Azerbaijani counterparts in recent months to
prod the process ahead and urge a spirit of compromise. President Bush met
separately with the leaders -- Robert Kocharian of Armenia and Heydar
Aliyev of Azerbaijan -- in Washington in April after a four-day,
U.S.-sponsored round of negotiations in Key West, Fla.
Wednesday's minefield crossing was part of the effort to keep the two
presidents from backtracking on the progress they made in Florida in the
face of strong opposition to compromise by their intensely proud and
nationalistic citizens.
White flak jacket around his torso, freshly painted green helmet atop his
head and garment bag slung over his shoulder, Cavanaugh stepped gingerly
along the path, pointing to spots where mines had been excavated earlier
that day for the passage. "We're the first foreigners in this area since
the fighting stopped" about eight years ago, he said. "Nobody's crossed
here in years. They'll re-mine as soon as we're across."
Insisting on walking across the line of control ensured that the 14-member
negotiating team flew over and drove through a wide swath of Azerbaijan
that is occupied by Armenia. What the group saw was complete destruction:
mile after mile of razed villages, destroyed farms and factories, and
overgrown fields and vineyards speckled with broken grain silos and rusted
water tanks.
Artillery barrages caused much of the ruin in the early 1990s, and other
damage was from people who stripped the land of anything useful to take
with them. What is left now here and in much of the occupied territories,
members of the mediation group said, is essentially a tear-down
civilization, blanketed over several hundred square miles, that will have
to be almost completely rebuilt, at a cost of hundreds of millions of
dollars.
There were occasional signs that Armenian civilians were farming the
region, which is supposed to be occupied only by soldiers. Settlements in
the occupied territory could complicate negotiations and the eventual
return of about 750,000 Azerbaijanis who fled the area almost a decade ago
and now live in refugee camps scattered around Azerbaijan.
Beyond humanitarian concerns, the conflict has been elevated on the
international agenda for several reasons. France and particularly the
United States have large and politically powerful Armenian populations and
lobbies pushing for a resolution. Azerbaijan and Armenia are sandwiched
among Russia, Turkey and Iran, and any renewed hostilities could draw in
those powers on opposing sides, with Russia supporting Armenia and
Azerbaijan backed by Iran and Turkey, a NATO country.
Both countries receive massive amounts of international aid because their
economies have been strangled by war-related blockades and sanctions that
probably will be lifted only after a final peace is sealed. They lie just
west of oil-rich Central Asia and the Caspian Sea, and many plans for
pipelines to the west call for oil and gas to be transported across or
near their borders. Also, political analysts say that Azerbaijani leader
Aliyev, 78 and in failing health, is eager to settle the conflict to boost
the succession chances for his son, Ilham.
Some of those issues are what originally prompted more intense,
face-to-face negotiations between Kocharian and Aliyev, who have met 16
times since the spring of 1999 trying to bridge their differences. During
those talks, according to a diplomat familiar with their meetings, they
developed "enough of a rapport to flush out what kinds of things might be
possible," and at the Key West sessions, ideas and issues were committed
to paper.
Vardan Oskanian, Armenia's foreign minister, said time was running out,
because both Armenia and Azerbaijan have presidential elections scheduled
for the spring of 2002, and "early January of next year will be election
time already. Everything will be so political it will be impossible" to
finalize a peace plan.
Negotiators met with both presidents last week to help refine some
proposals, they said, and to encourage them to prepare their people for
compromise. They refused to say what has been agreed to so far.
Azerbaijanis are adamant that Nagorno-Karabakh, which during Soviet times
was about 75 percent Armenian, remains part of their country but said it
would be granted full autonomy. People in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia say
the region is part of Azerbaijan only because it was ordered to become so
in the 1920s by Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin. They demand that
Nagorno-Karabakh have equal status with Azerbaijan and not be under the
Azerbaijani government.
"Karabakh will never be part of Azerbaijan," declared Col. Avsharyan
Eduard Mkhitar of the armed forces of Karabakh, who commands a tank unit
with several dozen Soviet-made T-72 tanks. "Karabakh can and must be
united with Armenia."
Other apparently unresolved issues include the status of Shusha, a
mountain town overlooking Stepanakert, Nagorno-Karabakh's capital, which
Christian Armenians and Muslim Azerbaijanis both claim as a religious and
cultural center. And it seems likely that there will have to be some sort
of corridor exchange: Armenians want free passage between their country
and Nagorno-Karabakh -- preserving the existing Lachin corridor -- and
Azerbaijanis want free passage from the main part of their country to
Nakhichevan, a small province in the west near Turkey that is completely
separated from Azerbaijan by a 20-mile-wide stretch of Armenia. It, too,
is a Stalin-era peculiarity.
"The issues that remain are vexing -- surmountable, but hard," said
Cavanaugh, the U.S. negotiator. "Almost every problem in the Middle East
is replicated here: disputes over a holy historic and cultural center,
illegal settlers in occupied areas, questions about status and sovereignty
and the return of refugees."
The Middle East is also instructive, he said, because public negotiations
have enabled critics to attack proposals they don't like before an entire
Middle East peace package can be assembled, which continually rips the
process apart before it can be completed.
"It's easy to attack a compromise if you can't say, 'This is what you get
for it,' " Cavanaugh said. "I think President Aliyev and President
Kocharian want to frame a package so they can say to their people, 'If you
can accept these details, you get peace now.' "
Copyright 2001 The Washington Post Company
Azeri foreign minister condemns OSCE for not abiding by its principles
BBC Monitoring Service - United Kingdom; Jul 17, 2001
Text of Turan report by Azerbaijani newspaper Ekho on 17 July entitled "Azerbaijan's patience is not infinite"
Foreign Minister says negotiations cannot continue indefinitely
In an interview with Turan news agency, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Vilayat Quliyev commented on the results of the OSCE Minsk Group cochairmen's visit to the region:
[Quliyev] The visit of the OSCE Minsk Group cochairmen showed that initiatives aimed at speedy settlement of the Karabakh problem have not been removed from the agenda. However, there is nothing definite yet. A whole number of issues need to be clarified. It will only be possible to speak about definite results when a considerable number of differences are removed and the sides will reach common agreement on this issue.
It is noteworthy that the cochairmen came here through Armenia and the part of Nagornyy Karabakh occupied by Armenian units. This shows that the temporary pause in the negotiating process after the meeting of the two presidents - [Azerbaijani President Heydar] Aliyev and [Armenian President Robert] Kocharyan - in Key West was a result of Armenia's non-constructive position and the fact it was not ready to make the necessary compromises to establish peace.
We hoped very much that the visit by the cochairmen would help to remove this non-constructive atmosphere. Unfortunately, Armenia has again stuck to its position and shown its unwillingness to make compromises. Therefore, it is not possible to talk about the positive results of the visit.
[Correspondent] Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan is talking about the "Paris principles" for settling the Karabakh conflict. What kind of principles are these?
[Quliyev] These principles are the latest Armenian myths. There are no Paris principles. It is only possible to speak about the principles for settlement when they are agreed with both sides and are confirmed at least in a draft document. But there is no such document. During the meetings between Aliyev and Kocharyan in Paris, with the participation of French President Jacques Chirac, views were exchanged twice on resolving the Karabakh conflict, but no definite agreements were reached.
The Armenian side, which is not ready or does not want to settle the conflict, is trying to evade responsibility for the break in negotiations and create confusion in Azerbaijan by using some fantasy about "Paris principles".
[Correspondent] Do you think that the potential of the OSCE mission has been exhausted?
[Quliyev] The basic principles of this organization are territorial integrity and the inviolability of borders of member states. This principle was particularly underlined in the final document of the OSCE Helsinki meeting in 1975. The protection of the territorial integrity of member states was confirmed at the OSCE Budapest, Lisbon and Istanbul summits.
However, today the OSCE almost agrees to the crazy demands of the Karabakh separatist leader, Arkadiy Gukasyan, regarding the need to take into account "the existing realities".
It emerges that separatists can create illegal state formations and an organization which should ensure security in Europe reconciles itself to this. This is unacceptable to Azerbaijan.
We highly praise cooperation with the OSCE and attach great importance to its peacekeeping mission. However, the patience of our people and the Azerbaijani state is not infinite. The OSCE should either refute its principles or ensure that they are observed.
[Correspondent] How realistic is the use of military means or political means to resolve the conflict?
[Quliyev] This cannot be ruled out, given that Azerbaijan cannot accept the status quo as satisfactory. The situation which has emerged only suits the Armenian side. However, Azerbaijan will never agree to the occupation of its lands. I am confident that our people and state will restore historic justice at all costs.
[Correspondent] The Armenian defence minister [Serzh Sarkisyan] told the cochairmen that Armenia would never be the first to start military actions.
[Quliyev] This is an absurd statement. Does Armenia intend to occupy new Azerbaijani land or the territories of neighbouring countries? Azerbaijan should certainly liberate its land and restore sovereignty over its own territories. Now we are trying to resolve the issue peacefully and will continue to work towards this until every opportunity has been exhausted. However, this situation cannot go on forever. If the negotiations do not yield any definite results at some stage, Azerbaijan reserves the right to reconsider its position.
Source: Ekho, Baku, in Russian 17 Jul 01 p 4
/BBC Monitoring/ � BBC.
AZERBAIJANI PRESIDENT ACCUSES OSCE OF BETRAYING ITS PRINCIPLES...
Meeting on 12 July in Baku with Portuguese Foreign Minister Jaime Gama,
Azerbaijan's President Heidar Aliev argued that the OSCE, of which
Portugal will assume the rotating chairmanship in 2002, should acknowledge
that it is betraying its professed commitment to protect the territorial
integrity of member states by refusing to condemn Armenia's violations of
that principle, Turan reported. "Impunity creates a bad precedent,"
ITAR-TASS quoted Aliev as saying. LF
...MEETS WITH MINSK GROUP CO-CHAIRS
President Aliev also met in Baku on 12 July with the OSCE Minsk Group
co-chairmen to discuss the continuing search for a solution to the
Karabakh conflict. Reuters quoted Russian co-chairman Nikolai Gribkov as
saying that Aliev has affirmed his commitment to a peaceful solution. "It
is some irresponsible politicians and reporters who have held the peace
process hostage [by calling for renewed hostilities]," he added. According
to ITAR-TASS, Aliev said that "Azerbaijan is ready to make certain
compromises to ensure peace, although this runs counter the norms of
international law," emphasizing at the same time that the concessions
Armenia is required to make should be commensurate with those by
Azerbaijan. Reuters suggested that Azerbaijan has demanded the return of
the Karabakh town of Shusha, to which Armenia is unlikely to agree. The
Armenian daily "Zhamanak" speculated on 12 July that Azerbaijan had done
so in order to sabotage the ongoing talks. LF
Azeri foreign minister "regrets" OSCE mediators' focus on war talk
BBC Monitoring Service - United Kingdom; Jul 14, 2001
Text of report by Azerbaijani TV station ANS on 13 July
[Presenter] It is interesting that Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Vilayat Quliyev's view of the OSCE Minsk Group cochairmen's visit to the region does not differ from the opposition leaders' opinion. The minister suggested that the mediators might be interested in starting a war.
[Correspondent over video showing Quliyev in his office] Foreign Minister Vilayat Quliyev describes the current visit by the cochairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group to the region as routine. He said that the OSCE cochairmen should not assume the role of an observer and that the aggressor should be punished. Quliyev believes that various means could be used for this. He considers Armenia to be the main reason for a lack of any progress in resolving the conflict. Either Azerbaijan should resolve the conflict by itself or given that the OSCE exists, this organization should settle the conflict, the minister believes. Noting that even though the deadline for the peaceful negotiations had not expired, he added that patience was also not endless.
He regretted that instead of making Armenia give up its destructive position on the conflict, the cochairmen had paid great attention to war statements in Azerbaijan. He said that some forces might be interested in maintaining the status quo. If instead of influencing the aggressor the cochairmen are focusing their attention on war statements in Azerbaijan, whose land is occupied, we can assume that the cochairmen themselves are interested in this. Gulsan Aliyeva, ANS.
Source: ANS TV, Baku, in Azeri 1600 gmt 13 Jul 01
/BBC Monitoring/ � BBC.
OSCE MINSK GROUP CO-CHAIRS RECEIVED BY AZERI PRESIDENT
Source:ANS
12.07.01--BAKU--The President of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev received the
OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs. The Azeri president said he liked their
current route of travelling in the region. The president recommended the
co-chairs to visit other regions than Agdam and Fuzuli, which they visited
during their previous and current trips. The U.S. co-chair of the Minsk
Group, Carey Cavanaugh said the route of the visit wasnt chosen
accidentally. The American diplomat said the countries they represent deal
with adjustment of the conflict. According to Mr Cavanaugh, although he
has repeatedly stated that the president of Azerbaijan was supporter of
peace, he sometimes hears militaristic thoughts made by President Aliyev.
The Groups Russian co-chair Nikolai Gribkov said there were no
disagreements among co-chairs. The French co-chair Philippe de Suremain
agreed to his colleagues thoughts. President Aliyev said in his turn that
the recent activities of the co-chairs were praiseworthy. According to the
head of the Azeri state, it was the first time since 1992 that the Minsk
Group co-chairs are dealing with the problem so closely. Mr Aliyev said
the situation was favorable and the states involved in the peace process
have reached a new stage in adjustment of the conflict. The Azeri
president also said the co-chairs had never been so united in this issue.
Mr Aliyev called on the co-chairs not be surprised by some militaristic
statements as they were natural, because the occupied Azeri lands must be
released. In conclusion of the meeting, the Azeri president reminded an
Azeri tradition when a man deprived of anything rushes to the fight
forgetting about his life. The meeting then continued behind closed doors.
By Natavan Babayeva
OSCE GIVES RECOMMENDATIONS TO AZERBAIJAN, INSTEAD OF CRITICIZING ARMENIAS ACTIONS, SAYS PRESIDENT ALIYEV
Source:ANS
12.07.01--BAKU--President Heydar Aliyev greeted the Portuguese delegation
led by Jaime Gama, the Foreign Minister of Portugal, and said that the
Pyrenean nation which is to take over the OSCE chairmanship was obliged to
solve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. From this point of view, the current
visit of the Portuguese minister was important, President Aliyev said. We
havent been involved in the conflict but well try to support the peace
negotiations, Mr Gama said. The high-ranking guest also added that his
delegation had come to Azerbaijan not to talk much but to hear what
Azerbaijan had to tell about its stance. Mr Aliyev reminded that the main
principles of the OSCE are inviolability of frontiers and territorial
integrity, as well as reservation of international law norms. The Azeri
president said that Armenia violated the principles of OSCE which Mr
Aliyev blamed for indifference. According to the head of the Azeri state,
the OSCE hasnt shown its reaction to such a behavior by Armenia, while its
always trying to give some recommendations to Azerbaijan. The president
said that the OSCE must think over it reputation. As a answer to all of
the above-mentioned, the Portuguese minister said he didnt accept the
Azeri presidents words as criticism but as a stimulus for strengthening
the activities of the organization when his nation takes over the OSCE
chairmanship.
By Narmina Rustamova
WE COULD START A WAR BUT WE DONT WANT TO SHED BLOOD: AZERI PRESIDENT
Source:ANS
12.07.01--BAKU--The President of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev received the
Latvian Foreign Minister Indulis Berzins July 11. The head of the Azeri
state expressed his gratitude to the high-ranking foreign guest for his
nations support to Azerbaijan during its accession into the Council of
Europe, of which Latvia is the chairing country currently. Mr Berzins said
his delegation had conducted a number of fruitful meetings and visited a
refugee camp. According to the Latvian minister, development of economic
cooperation between the two nations could promote joint resolution of
existing problems. The Latvian minister also asked the Azeri president to
inform him on the current situation in the TransCaucasian region. In
reply, Mr Aliyev told him a brief history of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
and said the delay in the adjustment process was the result of the
non-constructive position held by the Armenian leadership. We could give
them an adequate rebuff and unleash a war against Armenia which has
violated all international norms but we dont want blood to be shed, the
Azeri president said. The Latvian minister praised Mr Aliyevs stance and
said negotiations were the only way for resolution of the conflict. The
visiting Latvian delegation spoke more of development of bilateral
economic relations. The president of Latvias ParexBank, Valerins Kargins
said he was going to share with Azeri banks his experience in the field of
management of securities and exchange. Members of Latvias Azeri community
complained of lack of enough information on the processes going in
Azerbaijan. The Azeri president said appropriate structures will be
charged with solving this issue.
By Narmina Rustamova
OSCE MINSK GROUP HOLDS MEETINGS IN ARMENIA
Source:MPA
11.07.01--YEREVAN, Armenia--Carey Cavanaugh, the U.S. co-chair of the OSCE
Minsk Group, said during a meeting with Armenian President Robert
Kocharian that the principles of the Key West peace talks should be
revised. According to Mr Cavanaugh, theyve discussed with Armenian
president the issues set in Paris and in Key West, Florida. The meeting
with Mr Kocharian showed how difficult the resolution of the conflict is,
said the U.S. co-chair. The co-chairs, as well as Russias Ambassador to
Armenia, Anatoly Driukov and Deputy Foreing Ministrer of Russia,
Vyacheslav Trubnikov discussed during the meeting with the Secretary of
Armenias National Security Council, Defense Minister Serge Sarkisian the
peaceful ways of resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh problem and the
military and political situation in the region. The OSCE co-chairs
mentioned the constructive approach of Armenia and its determination to
save the peace in the region and have expressed their opinion that such a
moment is convenient for peaceful resolution. Mr Sarkisian said that the
number of shootings was reduced in the Azeri-Armenian border and added
that his nations armed forces havent occurred any losses in the region.
This means that a progress has been reached at peace talks of Azeri and
Armenian leaders. Mr Sarkisian assured the co-chairs that his country wont
broke ceasefire first. The heads of the co-chairing country keep holding
the conflict at the center of their attention considering the recent stage
as a real opportunity for reaching the conflicts solution, said the
co-chairs at the meeting with Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian.
According to them, the comon position of their countries is as follows:
the final decision of the conflict cannot be achieved by a military way.
By Staff Writers
IDPs SUFFER FROM INFECTIOUS DISEASES AND LACK OF WATER
Source:ANS
12.07.01--AGJABEDI--13 of the internally displaced persons (IDPs) settled
in the Takhtakorpu village of the Agjabedi region are said to have been
infected with malaria. This was announced by the head physician of the
Lachin central regional hospital Shakir Isayev. IDPs say the number of
malaria-infected is much higher. They also note that the number of
tuberculosis-ill persons is even more. Dr. Isayev says the unbearable
conditions in which refugees and IDPs are living are excellent environment
for spreading the diseases like malaria. The first deputy head of the
Lachin region, Aydin Abbasov says the water problems of refugees and IDPs
will find their solution soon. An Italian relief organization is dealing
with this problem. Mr Abbasov said $300,000 are planned to spend on these
works. We would remind you that up to 16,900 IDPs are settled in the
Agjabedi region.
By Vafa Ibrahimova
Copyright ANS
Armenia, Azerbaijan for peaceful solution on
Nagorno-Karabakh
The presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan reaffirmed their commitment to a
peaceful solution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and to a cease-fire in
and around the disputed enclave, diplomats said at the end of trip
intended to rally flagging support for peace initiatives in the region.
Officials of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe spoke
with reporters in Baku, the Azerbaijani capital, on Thursday after
visiting Armenia and the enclave itself and meeting with leaders on all
sides.
"Peace cannot be brought to the region by military means," said the U.S.
co-chairman of the OSCE's so-called Minsk Group, Carey Cavanaugh.
Cavanaugh was accompanied on the trip by his counterparts Nikolai Gribkov
of Russia and Philippe Suremain of France.
Gribkov said the Nagorno-Karabakh question was expected to occupy a
"proper place" during the meeting of the Group of Eight top industrialized
nations in Genoa, Italy next week.
"In this context, our current trip acquires a special importance and we
have to provide our leaders with detailed accounts of the talks and
impressions we have as a result of this visit to the region," he said.
Azerbaijan's President Geidar Aliev, who met with the diplomats Thursday,
said he was convinced that a peaceful solution would be the best outcome.
However, "the negotiating process cannot last forever. Further delays in
the peace process may lead to a situation that would have tragic
consequences," Aliev warned.
Armenia and Azerbaijan battled for years for control over
Nagorno-Karabakh, a mostly ethnic Armenian enclave within Azerbaijan.
Armenian forces achieved control over the entire enclave and neighboring
areas of Azerbaijan before the sides negotiated a cease-fire in 1994, and
Azerbaijan says more than 1 million people have been displaced.
Copyright 2001 The Associated Press
Aleskerov: Doing business with Armenia means betraying Azerbaijan
Azerbaijani Parliament Speaker Murtuz Aleskerov said on Friday that doing
business with Armenia prior to providing the territorial integrity of
Azerbaijan means betraying his country.
Aleskerov, who has been in Turkey since the beginning of this week as a
guest of his Turkish counterpart Omer Izgi, visited Marmara Group
Foundation yesterday.
Speaking during the visit, Aleskerov said he was visiting Turkey in order
to improve political and economic relations between Turkey and his
country, and called on Turkish businessmen to make more investment in
Azerbaijan.
Recalling that 20 percent of Azerbaijani territory is still under
occupation by Armenia, Aleskerov maintained, "We have heard that some
Turkish businessmen want to do business with Armenia prior to providing
the territorial integrity of our country, which means betraying
Azerbaijan," he said.
Urging Turkish businessmen to wait until a solution is reached between
Azerbaijan and Armenia, Aleskerov claimed that doing business with Armenia
now will not bring any benefit to either Turkey or Azerbaijan.
In an exclusive interview with the Turkish Daily News, Aleskerov on
Wednesday said that he was against the steps taken between Turkey and
Armenia to improve economic and cultural ties, despite the lack of
political ties between the two countries.
"Who are the people? Aren't they the ones who elect the government, the
ministers?," Aleskerov asked, stating his reaction towards the efforts to
form a bridge between the people of the two rival countries in the
Caucasus, Armenia and Azerbaijan.
"Armenians visiting our country commit crimes and are involved in bombings
and attacks," Aleskerov said, reflecting a big mistrust towards the
Armenians.
Expressing his pleasure in the establishment of a culture center carrying
Azerbaijani President Haydar Aliyev's name, he said that a center for
Ataturk [Founder of Turkish Republic] researches has been set up under the
direction of Aliyev in Azerbaijan.
Copyright 2001 Turkish Daily News
News referred from Habarlar-L