Shenyаtsi

Vse, kto mozhet, prisoedinyates' k marafonu!!!

AR uzhe ushel v pass, da eshe obvinil pri etom, chto Rossiya ee podstavila. Nikakix obeshanii oni ne davali.... Kak vse eto znakomo, ne tak li?

Opravdat' mogut tol'ko takie zhe zveri....... Mamikon, ti sluchaino ne obkurenni bilm kogda vistavlyal eti varianti?

ARMENIA THIS WEEK Monday, November 8, 2004 NATO HEAD SEES GROWING PARTNERSHIP WITH ARMENIA NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer was in Armenia last week for talks with Armenia's President Robert Kocharian and other officials. De Hoop Scheffer's visit comes following a recent appointment of a NATO envoy for the Caucasus and Central Asia. While in Yerevan, De Hoop Scheffer noted that "the relationship between Armenia and NATO is developing very well indeed," pointing in particular to Armenia's decision to launch an Individual Partnership Action Plan (IPAP), a most extensive NATO cooperation program short of membership, and Armenia's role in Kosovo peacekeeping. Kocharian, in turn, expressed a desire to be more actively involved in NATO programs. Also last week, the NATO Secretary General urged Azerbaijan "to turn a page" in relations with Armenia amid continuing Azeri threats over the unresolved Karabakh conflict. Two months ago, NATO commanders were forced to cancel peacekeeping exercises, due to take place in Baku, over its last-moment refusal to allow Armenian participants to enter the country. Armenian MPs are due to attend a seminar organized in Baku later this month by the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, and radical groups linked to the Azeri government have already expressed their opposition. In an interview last week, U.S. Ambassador to Azerbaijan Reno Harnish recalled that in accordance to NATO charter all partners are welcome to Alliance events and that Baku should make a firm decision in that regard. (Sources: Armenia This Week 7-12, 9-13; AzerNews 11-4; Haykakan Zhamanak 11-4; Zerkalo 11-4; AFP 11-5; Arminfo 11-5; RFE/RL Arm. Report 11-5) ----------------------------------------- ARMENIA'S ECONOMY GROWING DESPITE SHORTFALL IN LEADING INDUSTRY Armenia's economy continues to grow robustly, despite a 25 percent fall in diamond processing over the period, the country's flagship industry in recent years. In a report covering the first three quarters of 2004, the National Statistics Service reported that the overall Gross Domestic Product (GDP), the main economic indicator, has grown by over 10 percent. Even though Armenia's economy is estimated to be close to recovery from the post-Soviet slump, few Armenians appear to be satisfied. A recent poll of nine countries by ROMIR Monitoring, one of Russia's leading public opinion agencies, found that only eight percent of Armenians gave a positive assessment to the state of the country's economy, just ahead of Ukraine (6 percent) and Bulgaria (4), but behind Kazakhstan (32) and Moldova (22). Last week Armenia's government unveiled a draft budget for 2005 that calls for a 30 percent increase in social spending and overall government spending is due to increase by 18 percent to total $702 million. Deputy Finance Minister Pavel Safarian anticipated continued growth in revenue based on estimated eight percent GDP growth and improvements in tax collection next year. Social Affairs Minister Aghvan Vartanian argued recently that 300,000 Armenians underreport their incomes and 130,000 others have jobs, but are not officially registered at all. Armenia is also set to receive additional low-interest loans from international financial institutions to cover budget deficits. The World Bank's South Caucasus Director Donna Dowsett-Coirolo confirmed that additional funds would be forthcoming noting that "independent evaluators overall found that Armenia was one of the best users of [World Bank] credit resources." Official reports also indicate continued stabilization of Armenia's population, which declined significantly throughout the 1990s. According to this data, Armenia's population grew slightly year-on-year to over 3.2 million. Real estate prices continued to skyrocket in Yerevan (33 percent) and grow significantly in smaller towns (11 percent). In January-September 2004, Armenia saw its exports growing by 1.3 percent to $511 million and imports by 4 percent to $975 million. Dependence on outside supplies of energy and fuel continued to keep the trade deficit large. The European Union (EU) countries remained Armenia's top trade partners - accounting for 37 percent of the total turnover. The list of Armenia's top trading partners continued to be topped by Belgium (17 percent of all exports and 9 percent of imports), Israel (12 and , Russia (11 and 13), and the United States (10 and . Armenia's trade with Russia continued to decline, making up just over $152 million in the first three quarters of 2004. A decline in Armenian purchases of Russian rough diamonds, modernization at Armenia's Russian-owned aluminum processing plant and a nearly two-month closure of the Russian-Georgian land border largely accounted for the decline. Armenia currently has the smallest trade turnover with Russia of all former Soviet republics. Over the same period, Russia's trade with neighboring Georgia and Azerbaijan amounted to $224 and $475 million respectively. (Sources: Armenia This Week 8-2, 9-27; RFE/RL Armenia Report 10-15, 29; Arminfo 10-20, 30, 11-1, 2, 5) A WEEKLY NEWSLETTER PUBLISHED BY THE ARMENIAN ASSEMBLY OF AMERICA ---------------------------------------------- [AAA Note: For your information below is a letter from the Co-Chairs of the Congressional Caucus on Armenian issues.] Congress of the United States Washington, DC 20515 November 7, 2004 The Honorable Colin Powell Secretary of State Department of State 2201 C Street, NW Washington, D.C. 20520-0001 Dear Mr. Secretary: We are writing to share with you our alarm over the prospect that Azerbaijan's continued efforts at the United Nations to manipulate the Nagorno Karabakh conflict will, if unchecked, undermine our clearly articulated national interest in the stability of the Caucasus. We refer, of course, to Azerbaijan's recent introduction of an ill-advised resolution on the "situation in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan." This intentionally disruptive resolution threatens the principles and procedures of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) as well as the Minsk Group mediation effort, co-chaired by the United States, France and Russia, to resolve the Karabakh conflict. Azerbaijan's proposal represents a hostile declaration against the entire peace process, aimed only at fostering increased divisiveness. Its consideration can only set back the cause of peace. We are deeply concerned that the OSCE Minsk process cannot survive Azerbaijan's destabilizing tactics. Continued tampering with this process will inevitably produce a chain reaction resulting in its demise. We cannot afford to allow Azerbaijan to continue to disrupt the work of the OSCE, which, as you know, has been recognized by the UN itself as the lead arbiter in this conflict. We value the special role the United States plays as an honest broker in the Nagorno Karabakh peace process. In this capacity, given our desire to keep the parties talking and moving forward, we need to act forcefully against destabilizing steps that will unravel the peace process. Our interests are best served by the continuation of dialogue on the outstanding issues related to Nagorno Karabakh within the OSCE framework, not by the fragmentation of this orderly process. Efforts to reinforce stability and reduce the risk of conflict are in the best interests of the U.S. and the South Caucasus region. To this end, we urge that the United States forcefully renounce this proposal, secure its retraction, and impress upon the Azerbaijani government that it should drop such counter-productive tactics in favor of a serious and lasting commitment to the OSCE Minsk Group process. Thank you for your consideration of our views. We stand ready, of course, to assist you in addressing this matter in the interest of the American people. Sincerely Joe Knollenberg Frank Pallone, Jr. Member of Congress Member of Congress

http://www.nkrusa.org/nk_conflict/cd_rom.html oficial'ni sait Artsakha, gde vi smozhete priobresti CD ob istorii Artsakha kak drevnei tak i sovremennoi, politika, ekonomika, zhizn' prostogo naroda.... xoroshii podarok mezhdu prochim na prazdniki....

Выборы в шутку в посольстве США в Армении: Керри-42, Буш-8, Кочарян-1 "Демократия - это трудная работа. В США будет сделан выбор, избранный кандидат станет президентом страны" - заверил посол США в Армении Джон Эванс гостей, собравшихся в дипмиссии, чтобы в прямом эфире ведущих мировых телекомпаний понаблюдать за ходом президентской гонки в США. В пять утра по местному времени в посольство стеклись армянские журналисты, представители различных политических и общественных кругов. Принял участие в мероприятии и секретарь совета безопасности при президенте Армении, министр обороны Серж Саркисян. Армянский министр выразил уверенность, что вне зависимости от того, какой выбор сделают американские граждане, качество армяно-американских отношений не претерпит коренных изменений. "Думаю, отношения продолжат взаимовыгодно развиваться, в том числе и в военной сфере", - заявил министр. Отвечая на вопрос - зависит ли решение Армении об отправке контингента в Ирак от того, кто возглавит США на предстоящий срок, Серж Саркисян заявил, что данный вопрос целиком и полностью зависит от решения Национального Собрания Армении. Присутствующий здесь же лидер оппозиционной партии "Национальное Единение" Арташес Гегамян выразил точку зрения, что основная задача новоизбранного президента США должна состоять в недопущении столкновения цивилизаций, что может реально статься, учитывая современные геополитические процессы. По его мнению, точкой такого столкновения может стать Нагорный Карабах и Армения - "христианская цитадель в исламском окружении". "Думаю, победитель выборов президента США должен будет начать свою деятельность с решения именно этого вопроса", - заявил Гегамян. Отметим, что посольство США в Армении организовало утром в среду, когда на западном полушарии американцы еще продолжали опускать бюллетени в избирательные урны, шуточные выборы для всех приглашенных. Итоги этих выборов были подведены и оглашены в присутствии самих голосующих. Убедительную победу - 42 голоса против 8 - одержал сенатор-демократ Джон Керри. В избирательной урне обнаружился также один голос в пользу партии "зеленых" и один "за" Роберта Кочаряна, который, впрочем, и не претендовал на пост главы Соединенных Штатов.

На паруснике "Киликия" реет флаг и Нагорного Карабаха Президент Нагорного Карабаха Аркадий Гукасян принял экипаж армянского парусника "Киликия" во главе с капитаном, президентом Клуба морских исследований "Аяс" Кареном Балаяном. Как сообщает корреспондент ИА REGNUM в Степанакерте, Аркадий Гукасян назвал миссию мореплавателей исторической. "Очень символично, что первый свой визит после причаливания к берегу вы решили нанести именно в Арцах (историческое название Нагорного Карабаха – ред.), ту часть нашей родины, где сейчас решается судьба всего армянства. Мы гордимся вами и считаем вашу миссию геройством. В первую очередь, вы доказали миру, что мы - могучая нация и готовы преодолеть любую трудность, что мы помним и уважаем свою историю. Очень важно для нас, что на паруснике всегда реял флаг Нагорного Карабаха. И это еще одно свидетельство признания НКР", - сказал Аркадий Гукасян. Отметив, что очень трудно руководить непризнанной республикой, так как с этим связаны многочисленные проблемы, Аркадий Гукасян сказал, что осуществляя свою миссию, парусник "Киликия" в определенной мере решил для НКР и политический вопрос, так как весь мир узнал о карабахском флаге, а посредством него и о стране. "Судьба Киликии очень похожа на судьбу Арцаха. Мы также, преодолевая огромные трудности, доказываем миру, что имеем исторические основы для стремления к независимости, что имеем право быть государством. И я уверен, что достигнем больших побед", - подчеркнул Аркадий Гукасян. При этом глава карабахского государства подчеркнул, что стоящие перед НКР сложные задачи невозможно решить без поддержки всего армянства, и в данном контексте "Киликия" выполнила миссию объединения нации. "Вы еще раз напомнили нашим соотечественникам в различных странах мира о том, что армяне - народ, имеющий историю, что он ставит перед собой серьезные задачи и в состоянии сегодня добиваться исторических побед, которые имел в течении веков", - сказал Аркадий Гукасян. Капитан парусника Карен Балаян рассказал об идее создания "Киликии" и ее дальнейших планах. Корабль, построенный в Ереване по чертежам и рисункам XIII века, осуществляет плавание по самыми популярным торговым маршрутам той эпохи. В портах прибытия парусник встречали представители местной армянской диаспоры. По словам капитана, другой целью этого путешествия является – напоминание миру о том, что некогда древняя Армения была морской державой. В ходе первого этапа мореплавания судно посетило десятки стран Средиземноморья и Европы. В конце встречи, в котором приняли участие также председатель Национального Собрания НКР Олег Есаян, премьер-министр Анушаван Даниелян, министр иностранных дел Ашот Гулян, капитан парусника Карен Балаян согласно морским традициям передал на хранение главе карабахского государства старый флаг Нагорного Карабаха, который наряду с флагом Республики Армения развевался на борту парусника во время его продолжительного путешествия по водным просторам мира. Взамен президент передал капитану новый флаг НКР, а также изображение герба республики. В состоявшейся после встречи с президентом беседе с журналистами Карен Балаян отметил, что сооружение парусника и навигация в техническом плане преследовали цель повторить те торговые пути, которые в средние века соединяли Киликию-Армению с внешним миром. В психологическом плане, по его словам, пребывание большого экипажа на малом корабле без современных условий – это интересное научное исследование, направленное на изучение того, как чуствовали себя на судне наши предки-мореплаватели. "Мы воспринимаем парусник также как символ, соединяющий народы и культуры, разъединенные морями. Представители армянства различных стран встречали нас в портах очень тепло. Они почувствовали и осознали, что Армения не только существует, но и ставит себе большие цели, достигая их, так как подобного рода программы, как правило, позволяют себе лишь развитые государства, и впервые такое осуществляет развивающаяся страна", - сказал Карен Балаян. Перезимовав в Венеции, парусник возобновит свое путешествие по морям планеты. В мае будущего года он направится в Амстердам.

Баку "пытается создать впечатление, что очень заинтересован в продвижении переговорорного процесса" 2 ноября состоялась пресс-конференция министра иностранных дел Нагорного Карабаха Ашота Гуляна, посвященная его недавнему визиту в Соединенные Штаты Америки. Как сообщает корреспондент ИА REGNUM в Степанакерте, Ашот Гулян отметил, что это был первый его визит в США в должности министра иностранных дел НКР. Глава внешнеполитического ведомства подчеркнул значение встреч в Конгрессе США, в ходе которых, в частности, были обсуждены вопросы, связанные с американо-карабахскими отношениями, нынешним состоянием процесса карабахского урегулирования. Говоря о встрече с сопредседателем Минской группы ОБСЕ Стивеном Манном, Ашот Гулян отметил важность обсуждения с американским посредником вопросов, связанных с перспективами урегулирования карабахского конфликта в контексте последних развитий. Среди встреч с представителями армянской общины США министр выделил беседу с известной благотворительницей, председателем центрального офиса Армянского Общего Благотворительного Союза (АОБС) Луиз-Симон Манукян. "Потенциал сотрудничества с АОБС велик, и в результате сотрудничества мы сумеем реализовать в Нагорном Карабахе значительные программы", - сказал Ашот Гулян. Значение посещения офисов Армянского Национального Комитета Америки и Армянской Ассамблеи Америки (ААА) Ашот Гулян связал с необходимостью углубления сотрудничества между властями НКР и армянскими организациями США. Говоря об организованной Мичиганским университетом конференции в городе Анн Арбор, глава внешнеполитического ведомства с сожалением констатировал, что заместитель министра иностранных дел АР Араз Азимов всячески старался воспрепятствовать его участию в конференции, однако встретив решительный отпор со стороны организаторов, сам вынужден был отказаться от участия в мероприятии. Подобный шаг, отметил Ашот Гулян, не может способствовать активизации переговорного процесса в целом, налаживанию отношений с карабахской стороной. Отвечая на вопрос о желании Турции играть более заметную роль в переговорном процессе по карабахскому урегулированию, Ашот Гулян сказал: "Вовлеченность Турции в переговорный процесс не воспринимается однозначно. Может быть, на этот вопрос мы смотрели бы иначе, если бы со стороны Турции осуществлялась другая политика. Сегодня, к сожалению, позиция Турции в вопросе карабахского урегулирования ничем не отличается от позиции Азербайджана". Глава внешнеполитического ведомства НКР отметил важность потенциала обществ, вовлеченных в конфликт, который, по его словам, не используется ввиду деструктивной позиции азербайджанской стороны. "Новые власти Азербайджана не прекращают попытки полностью ликвидировать отношения с Нагорным Карабахом на всех уровнях. В условиях же отсутствия двустороннего диалога стороны становятся все более недоверчивыми друг к другу", - сказал Ашот Гулян. Говоря об инициировании Азербайджаном обсуждения в ООН вопроса занятых в ходе вооруженного противостояния территорий, Ашот Гулян отметил, что "эта акция полностью отвечает пропагандисткой политике Баку по отвлечению внимания международного сообщества от сути карабахского конфликта". "В Азербайджане прекрасно понимают, что указанные территории находятся под контролем Нагорного Карабаха, и Армения не имеет какого-либо отношения к этому", - сказал министр, подчеркнув при этом, что "значительная часть территории Нагорного Карабаха, в том числе весь Шаумянский район, находятся под оккупацией Азербайджана". "На протяжении последних нескольких лет Азербайджан предъявляет Нагорному Карабаху многочисленные надуманные обвинения, цель которых - бросить тень на все растущий имидж НКР. Мы не раз заявляли о том, что готовы обсуждать любой вопрос, в том числе, вопрос территорий, но Азербайджан пытается подменить решение всего пакета вопросов решением тех проблем, которые отвечают исключительно его интересам. При этом Баку пытается создать впечатление, что очень заинтересован в продвижении переговорорного процесса", - отметил глава внешнеполитического ведомства НКР. Министр подчеркнул, что самым коротким путем окончательного решения карабахской проблемы является возобновление переговорного процесса в полноценном формате - с участием Нагорного Карабаха как полноправной стороны переговоров. Ашот Гулян опроверг распространенную агентством "Интерфакс" информацию о намеченной на конец месяца "командно-штабной тренировке военных ведомств непризнанных республик", в том числе Нагорного Карабаха. Он отметил, что каких-либо договоренностей на сей счет нет. "Кроме обеспечения безопасности народа и неприкосновенности границ, армия Нагорного Карабаха не имеет каких-либо других важных задач, тем более вне пределов НКР", - сказал министр иностранных дел Нагорного Карабаха.

A WEEKLY NEWSLETTER PUBLISHED BY THE ARMENIAN ASSEMBLY OF AMERICA October 17, 2004 San Francisco Chronicle Armenia reveals ancient treasures, new life Mountains, monasteries and modern capital Jane Wampler, Special to The Chronicle Yerevan, -- Armenia - On a clear autumn day, the smell of fresh cement and the sound of chisels and hammers permeates the capital city of Armenia. Sidewalk cafes overflow with suited businessmen and couples talk over demitasse cups of strong, boiled coffee. Fashionable women in rimless sunglasses and stiletto heels walk arm in arm, sidestepping wheelbarrows and loose paving stones, and several new luxury hotels are nearly booked to capacity. It's clear that Armenia is making a comeback. Again. After surviving genocide, 70 years of Soviet domination, a devastating earthquake in 1988 and millennia of foreign marauders who whittled this once-massive kingdom to one-tenth of its size, this Eurasian country of 3 million inhabitants is reassuming its role of phoenix. Because it was cloaked behind the Iron Curtain for most of the 20th century, few Westerners, until recently, have glimpsed of this culturally rich, mountain republic tucked between the Caspian and the Black seas. What only the privileged have known, until this past decade, is that this is an astonishingly beautiful country of high mountain lakes, snow-capped peaks, ancient monasteries, cascading rivers and archeological ruins so impressive they ought to be behind the velvet ropes of a museum. Perhaps more significantly, for a region of the world more associated with terror than tourism, many Westerners are surprised to hear that this predominantly Christian nation -- bordered by Iran, Turkey, Georgia and Azerbaijan -- is politically stable and welcoming to tourists. Try to buy a single peach from a roadside fruit stand and the old woman will wave your money away. Ask a farmer if you may take a photo of him with his crop of newly harvested red peppers, and he will press a bag of 20 of them into your hand, refusing payment. The prices are particularly tourist-friendly. At Old Erivan Restaurant, one of Yerevan's dozens of eateries that serve quality Armenian fare, my husband and I enjoy a meal of lavash, tomato and cucumber salad, a cheese platter, lamb stew and khorovatz (a meat and vegetable shish kebab) -- washed down with several strong Armenian beers -- for under $15. [...] While those who visited shortly after Armenia regained independent statehood found gutted factories and streets stripped of trees for fuel, today they find fountains spraying and flowers blooming along boulevards lined with Russian olive and locust trees. Crowds of stylishly dressed mothers and children walk down Khanjian Street to buy roasted coffee beans, potatoes, onions, ice cream and fried sweet cakes from street vendors. But despite Armenia's forays into modernism and self-sufficiency, the rich and tragic past hasn't dimmed. Nor does anyone want it to: Armenia's 4,000-year-old history is its main draw. Many consider this country the cradle of civilization. The biblical rivers of Tigris and Euphrates originate in the original Armenia, the 16,945-foot-high snow-capped Mount Ararat (now inside Turkey's borders) holds what many believe to be the remnants of Noah's Ark in its crevasses, and there even is reference in the Bible to Ararat, the name of the former Armenian kingdom. In 301 A.D., Armenia became the first nation to embrace Christianity as a state religion (a dozen years before Rome) -- another factor that shapes this tiny republic's past and present tourist appeal. A common sight from spring through fall are "monastery tours": busloads of people on weeklong organized sightseeing excursions that shuttle from such Hellenistic pagan temples as the 1st century Garni, to the 3rd century Echmiadzin Cathedral, home to the Supreme Catholicos of the Armenian Apostolic Orthodox faith. At Echmiadzin (think: Vatican but smaller) nonbelievers mingle with pilgrims to view ancient silver chalices, bejeweled crosses and religious relics such as a metal spearhead believed to have pierced the side of Christ. Group tours are plentiful, but if you want to strike out solo, consider hiring a driver who speaks English to ferry you through the countryside, or even to the main sites of the capital city. That's what we did during a one-week visit in late September. We found our driver, Boris (a former Soviet-system mathematician now struggling, like many of the highly educated, to reinvent himself), through the Armenian Tourism Development Agency, which was happy to supply us with a list of recommended English-speaking guides. We chose several sites, all southeast of Yerevan, for a 2-1/2-day excursion. They included the famous dungeon of Khor Virap; Noravank monastery; the historically and spiritually significant Tatev Monastery; the Bronze Age celestial observatory, the Zorats Stones; and a natural wonder, Devil's Bridge. Something to keep in mind: Although the map shows Armenia to be a small country, getting from point A to point B can take longer than you anticipate. There are no super highways here. And it takes time to wait out cattle crossings, to dodge potholes and to wind up narrow mountain roads. [...] Getting there A passport and visa are required. Three-week tourist visas are relatively easy to obtain through the Armenian consulate in Los Angeles (for details, click on "Consular Affairs" at www.armeniaemb.org or call 310-657-6102), or at Zvarnots Airport upon arrival. [The embassy site also] has sightseeing tips and lodging information under its "Discover Armenia" link. [...]

ARMENIA THIS WEEK Monday, November 1, 2004 MEDIATORS, ARMENIA CRITICIZE AZERBAIJAN'S KARABAKH TACTICS Mediators from the United States, Russia and France last week criticized Azerbaijan for its effort to force a debate on the Karabakh conflict at the United Nations' General Assembly (UN GA). Capitalizing on solidarity from members of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) and using a UN procedural loophole, Azerbaijan was able last week to introduce the Karabakh issue as an additional item on the UN GA agenda. UN GA resolutions, unlike those of the UN Security Council, are not mandatory for member states. The UN consensus is for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), and not UN, to deal with the Karabakh conflict. In a deliberately vague memorandum that does not mention either Armenian or Karabakh authorities, Azerbaijan alleged that unnamed entities were engaged in "illegal activities" in Karabakh, "in particular by transfer of settlers in order to create artificially a new demographic situation in those territories." Azeri officials and government-connected entities have made numerous unfounded accusations against Armenia and Karabakh over the years. Just last week, Azeri Deputy Parliament Speaker Ziyafet Askerov told British MP's that Osama Bin Laden might be hiding in Karabakh. Armenian observers believe that Azerbaijan chose the "settler issue" to raise at the UN since that might resonate the most with Islamic countries, on whose support Azerbaijan is counting, and which are known for their criticism of Israel's settlement policies. Armenia's Ambassador to the UN Armen Martirosyan accused Azerbaijan of an effort to scuttle ongoing peace talks and attempt to add a "religious dimension" to the Karabakh conflict. Martirosyan also repeated Armenia's position that should Baku step back from talks on a comprehensive settlement of the conflict and make efforts to separately address its individual components, such as raised in its UN proposal, then Azerbaijan should deal directly with the Nagorno Karabakh Republic's (NKR) government. Although Azeris had negotiated directly with NKR when the sides secured the ongoing cease-fire, Baku has refused to recognize the existence of Karabakh authorities since then. France's Deputy Ambassador to the UN Michel Duclos, speaking also on behalf of the U.S. and Russia, argued that Azerbaijan's proposal "would be harmful to efforts to find a just, lasting settlement" to the conflict. The Netherlands' Deputy Ambassador to the UN Arjan Hamburger, speaking on behalf of the European Union and several candidate countries, opined that the UN GA session underway was "neither the time nor the venue to pursue this and that the Azerbaijan initiative may jeopardize the on-going negotiations." Ninety-nine countries, including the United States, abstained from voting on what are typically consensual decisions. Azerbaijan's UN envoy Yashar Aliyev admitted last week that his country's initiative in the General Assembly was "meeting numerous resistances," but indicated that Azerbaijan would press on for a debate. Turkey, Pakistan and Iran, along with thirty-eight other, mostly Muslim countries, backed Azerbaijan's effort. The Armenian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hamlet Gasparian noted, however, that 40 percent of mostly Muslim OIC member countries did not succumb to pressure from Azerbaijan and Turkey. Azerbaijan also secured the support of Ukraine after the Azeri President Ilham Aliyev made an unscheduled visit to meet with the pro-government candidate facing a tight presidential race there. Georgia did not participate in the vote. As part of the UN discussion last week, the three mediators also suggested sending an OSCE fact-finding mission to the region as a way to address any concerns about developments there. Armenian officials indicated that they would welcome such a mission, but noted that it would be up to the NKR leadership to approve visits to areas under Karabakh's control and that any mission should cover both sides of the Line of Contact. Azerbaijan has made no public comment on the proposal and it had previously opposed similar missions. Writing last week, the Azeri daily Zerkalo indicated that Azerbaijan was deliberately seeking to undermine ongoing talks and that "Baku's move might bury pressure exerted on Baku by super powers to make it sign an unfavorable peace accord." Most Armenian observers see Azerbaijan's latest effort as another indication that its government is aiming to postpone any settlement. Earlier this year, President Aliyev stated publicly that he was not "in a hurry" to resolve the conflict, and that since Baku was anticipating additional revenues from development of the Caspian oil, the country would soon be better positioned for a new war in Karabakh. Armenian officials have in turn warned Azerbaijan of "disastrous consequences" should its leaders resort to military force as they did in the early 1990s. (Sources: Armenia This Week 2-13, 4-23, 6-18, 8-2, 8-30; Agence France Presse 10-20; ANS TV 10-27; UN GA Press Release 10-27, 29; Armenian Foreign Ministry 10-29; Azertag 10-29; Zerkalo 10-29)

Rebyata, perexodite na PM, pozhaluista.....

Шахматы. Женская сборная Армении победила азербайджанок на Олимпиаде Завершающий день всемирной шахматной Олимпиады был примечателен противостоянием женских сборных Армении и Азербайджана. Победу одержали армянские девушки со счетом 2-1. На первой доске Элина Даниэлян уступила азербайджанской оппонентке Зейнаб Мамедьярове, однако две другие представительницы Армении в лице Лилит Мкртчян и Сирануш Андреасян нанесли поражение Фирузе Велиханле и Мейрибан Шукурове соответственно. Отметим, что обе сборные на призовые места не претендовали и этот поединок носил чисто принципиальный характер. В итоге сборная Армении обосновалась на 11-ом месте, а азербайджанские шахматистки на 22-ом. Еще за несколько туров было известно, что сборная Китая обеспечила себе золотые медали. На втором месте шахматистки США, а на третьем россиянки.

Vot eshe odin "shedevr" sosedei: "Иностранцы не должны посещать "оккупированные территории" без согласия Баку Руководитель администрации президента Азербайджана Рамиз Мехтиев на пресс-конференции для СМИ заявил, что глава государства Ильхам Алиев отрицательно относится к несогласованным визитам иностранцев на "оккупированные территории" Азербайджана. Рамиз Мехтиев подчеркнул, что на разных встречах с представителями зарубежных государств по данному вопросу Баку выражает резкое недовольство. "Нагорный Карабах - неотъемлемая часть Азербайджана, поэтому все, кто туда направляется должны иметь согласие Азербайджанского государства", - сказал Рамиз Мехтиев."

Mne vot tut drug posovetoval, chtobi ne dyatlom ego nazivat', a to chto dyatel delaet, t.e. sushestvitelnoe slovo ot slova "dolbit'"..... nu sam ponimaesh'... y dyatla deistvitel'no rezul'tat ot etogo ne ploxoi......

Ix sluchaino ne dyatlami (ot slova dyatel) zovut? Esli soglasen, to mi vashego ministra budem tak i nazuvat', "DYATEL"!

Брюс Джексон: "Мне непонятно, почему Нагорный Карабах не принимает участия в переговорах"В ходе двухдневного ознакомительного визита в Нагорный Карабах делегация политических деятелей и экспертов Соединенных Штатов Америки и Европы во главе с президентом Германского Фонда Маршалла США Крейгом Кеннеди и руководителем "Проекта переходных демократий", председателем Комитета НАТО в Сенате США Брюсом Джексоном провела встречи с президентом Нагорного Карабаха Аркадием Гукасяном, министром обороны Сейраном Оганяном, представителями неправительственного сектора республики. Как сообщает собкор ИА REGNUM в Степанакерте, сегодня по итогам встреч Брюсс Джексон дал пресс-конференцию. Отметив, что это его второй за нынешний год визит в Нагорный Карабах, Джексон сказал, что осуществляемая Германским Фондом Маршалла США программа в первую очередь преследует цель продемонстрировать европейскому сообществу важность скорейшего решения существующих в регионе Южного Кавказа конфликтов. Необходимость скорейшего установления стабильности в регионе он увязал с происходящими здесь геополитическими процессами, в частности, вовлечением южнокавказских государств в программу "Новые соседи: расширенная Европа". При этом Брюс Джексон отметил, что на Стамбульском саммите НАТО Южный Кавказ был признан регионом, имеющим стратегически важное значение для европейской безопасности. "Мы имели возможность побывать на линии соприкосновения, увидеть масштабы всех тех разрушений, которые имели место как в азербайджанонаселенных, так и армянонаселенных пунктах. Посещение этих регионов произвело сильное впечатление на членов нашей делегации, и мы еще более убедились в необходимости скорейшего решения карабахской проблемы с тем, чтобы подрастающее поколение никогда не прошло через все это снова", - сказал Брюс Джексон. Руководитель "Проекта переходных демократий" отметил, что в ходе визита члены делегации не ставили себе целью представить какой-либо вариант урегулирования конфликта. Основная цель визита, по его словам, заключалась в том, чтобы объяснить правительственным кругам западных стран, что решение карабахской проблемы должно быть в списке важнейших задач властей, а также довести до широкой общественности информацию о конфликте, ибо чем информированнее будет население, тем больше правительственные круги будут заинтересованы в разрешении проблемы. Отвечая на вопросы журналистов, Брюс Джексон сказал, что в ходе встречи с президентом Аркадием Гукасяном был обсужден и вопрос участия Нагорного Карабаха в переговорном процессе. "Лично мне непонятно, почему Нагорный Карабах не принимает участия в переговорах в рамках Минской группы ОБСЕ. Любое решение будет более эффективным, если будет учтено мнение народа Нагорного Карабаха, так как конфликт в первую очередь касается его", - отметил Брюс Джексон. Перед отъездом из Степанакерта гости посетили город Шуши. Напомним, что в состав делегации входили также бывший министр иностранных дел Испании Ана Палацио, депутат Национального Собрания Франции Пьер Леллуш и другие. Делегацию сопровождали представители западных СМИ, в частности, газет "Файненшл Таймс", "Франкфуртер Альгемайне Цайтунг" и др.

Эльмар Мамедъяров: Баку ждет ответа из Еревана Азербайджанская сторона ожидает ответа из Еревана касательно продолжения процесса мирного урегулирования нагорно-карабахского конфликта. Об этом 26 октября журналистам сообщил министр иностранных дел Азербайджана Эльмар Мамедъяров. Он напомнил, что четвертая встреча глав МИД Армении и Азербайджана имела место 30 августа в Праге, после чего результаты консультаций были доложены президентам 15 сентября в Астане. Президент Армении Роберт Кочарян, по словам главы МИД Азербайджана, в Астане взял тайм-аут "для анализа итогов проведенных встреч и обмена мнений на уровне глав МИД двух стран". "Мы теперь ожидаем того, когда они вернутся к переговорному процессу и с какими мыслями, - сказал Мамедъяров. - Конечно, мы хотим, чтобы эти переговоры продолжились как можно быстрее как в Праге, так и, возможно, в иных местах. Мы хотели бы, чтобы те договоренности, тот обмен мнениями и те выводы в определенных областях, к которым мы пришли, был продолжен". Глав МИД Азербайджана сообщил, что имеет соответствующие инструкции со стороны президента и сейчас, наверное, Вардан Осканян ожидает инструкций от президента Армении. Он также подчеркнул, что все проводимые переговоры направлены на то, чтобы Армения освободила 7 оккупированных районов вокруг Нагорного Карабаха и вынужденные переселенцы возвратились к родным очагам. "По этому поводу мы пока не получили ответа из Еревана, как и со стороны сопредседателей, которые, как считает азербайджанская сторона, должны активней работать и продолжать эти переговоры", - сказал он. Об этом сообщает Day.az со ссылкой на "Тренд". ------------------------------------------------------ Etot Mamedyarov napominaet mne muzhika iz anekdota..... Idet muzhik vecherom po doroge i vidit odin na kortochkax polzaet i ishet chto-to pod fonarem. "Ti che ishesh muzhik?" - sprashivaet proxozhii..."Ala, dengi poteryal, teper ishu taaa.... i ne mogu naiti ...", "A gde poteryal to?", "voon tam vidish, gde kusti rastut...", "A che tut ishesh togda?", "A tut svetlo taa....".... Tak i etot Mamedyarov, s trubchatoi rozhei boltaet odno i tozhe i zhdet drugogo rezultata . Nado dat' im ponyat', chto esli delat' odno i tozhe, to ot etogo drugogo rezul'tata ne budet.... Nu skol'ko mozhno. Neuzheli u sosedei ne ostalos' nikogo kto smog bi ob'yasnit' Mamedyarovu. Ob etom eshe davno Enshtein ved' skazal .... ne pomny tochno ego slov, poetomu skazhu svoimi slovami "eto glupo zhdat' raznie rezul'tati, esli delat' odno i tozhe..." , ".... problema ne reshitsya, skolko bi ne staralis', esli ispravlyat' v nenuzhnom meste..."....

Izvinite za latinicu, no u menya poka po drugomu ne poluchaetsya..... Shaxnzaryan v svoei rechi podderzhal poetapni process uregulirovaniya Artsakhskoi problemi, drugimi slovami bil zaodno s nashimi sosedyami. No rech' Davida bila napravlena ne o reshenii problemi, a o tom kak nineshnie praviteli obeix Respublik, ne xotyat reshat' etu problemu, a derzhat vse eto na vozduxe t.k. v takoi atmosfere legko derzhat'sya za vlast'... No Shaxnazaryan ne ponimaet, ili dazhe ochen' xorosho ponimaet, prosto pudrit mozgi drugim, chto poetapni variant uregulirovaniya uzhe davno v processe. "Partnerstvo vo imya Mira" s NATO, odin iz takix malenkix shazhkov, kotorie tak uporno reklamiruet Shaxnazaryan. Kak mi vidim, AR sovsem ne gotov k tomu, o chem sam uporno krichit. Budapeshtskaya tragediya, tozhe tomu dok-vo. Poetapni process nichto inoe, kak milni puzir', kotori razduvayt nashi sosedi, i kotori tak NEumelo podderzhivayt takie kak Shxnazaryan. Vipadi s tribuni v adres Zulfugarova, a potom bratskoe rukopazhatie na perekurax s Zulfugarovim, govoryat chetko kakoe nutro u etogo cheloveka. Koroche, Shaxnazaryan, dazhe ne riba, on uzhe mertvi politik. On okazalsya sam v toi yame, kotoruy tak uporno roet drugim. Zulfugarov Tofik, nichego novogo tak i ne skazal. Govoril o dvoinix standartax, s kritikoi v adres Kazimirova. Govoril o bezhncax i o kakoi to spec programme ob obespechenii poslednix xoroshim zhil'em i produktami. Govoril o tom kak kazhdi bezhenec mozhet vozvratitsya v svoi doa kak polnocennie xozyaeva i Armeniya etomu pripyatstvuet, eshe provodil paralleli mezhdu Artsakhskoi prblemoi i Chechnei(!)....koroche demagognichal mnogo. Na perekure, ya ego sprosil, kak eto ya smogu vozvratitsya v Baku v svoy kvratiru (v kotoroi kstati zhivut chechenci) kak polnocenni xozyain, i kto mne obespechit garantiy. On nevnyatno i opyat', kak demagog, vnyatno nichego ne otvetil, no skazal, chto verit v to chto mirnoe prozhivanie nashix narodov vozmozhno. Na vopros, kakaya eta programma idet po bezhencam, esli oni prozhivayt v takom plachevnom sostoyanii, tozhe ne poluchil otveta. Mne voobshe kazhetsya, chto specialnaya programma o bezhncax, eto kak raz derzhat' ix v takix usloviyax. Poetomu ona i nazivaetsya specialnoi programmoi, kak eto zayavil Zulfugarov. Razve ploxo, pokazivat' vsem gostyam AR, lydei s 15 letnim yarlikom "bezhenec" i usloviya v kotorom oni zhivut. Edinstvennoe, chto ne ponimayt sosedi, chto eto uzhe igraet protiv nix samix, no nikak v ix polzu... Mnogo sam sebe protevorechil o tom, pri kakix usloviyax Baku soglasitsya sest' za stol peregovorov s Artsakhskimi predstavitelyami.... koroche Zulfugarov i Shaxnazaryan brat'ya....v chem v principe ne stisnyaetsya priznat'sya sam Shaxnazaryan (s tribuni on raz 10 govoril, chto Zulfugarov ego "blizkii drug"... a Zulfugarov tolko odin raz otvetil emu tem zhe, i to potom sekund 5 otkashlivalsya....mi s drugom molcha ulibnulis' eshe togda).... Mne ponravilos' vistuplenie odnoi zhenshini (imeni ne pomny) kotoraya, zatknula rot turku, kotori kritikoval Franciy, kak odnogo iz igroka v predstavitelya Evropi v Minckoi Gruppe. Ona emu napomnila, chto Evorpa odna druzhnaya sem'ya i Franciya na danni moment, predstavitel' ix Evropeiskoi sem'i. Poetomu kritikovat' Franciy ona ne pozvolit, tak kak ona predstavlyaet interesi vsei Evropi, a ne tol'ko Francii. Turok, xot' i professor, nichego krome tupoi ulibki ne mog vizhit' iz sebya.... Obeshannie fotki skoro budut. Kazhdi den' zhdu sam.... esli kto ix zhdet, poterpite, budut...

KOCHARIAN COMPLETES GEORGIA VISIT AMID TERRORISM SCARE Armenian President Robert Kocharian was on a three-day official visit to Georgia last week for talks with President Mikhail Saakashvili and other Georgian leaders. Kocharian's otherwise successful visit was marred when weapons were found in a Tbilisi music hall, where both Presidents were due for a jazz concert. Kocharian and Saakashvili went to the concert despite the find. Security guards discovered a sniper rifle and an AK-74 machine gun with ammunition at the "Ajara" music hall on Saturday, an hour before the Presidents were planning to arrive. Georgia's Interior Minister Irakly Okruashvili said that Georgian investigators were treating the case as attempted terrorism. The country's Ministry of State Security, which is conducting an investigation, has so far refused to comment. Deputy Speaker of the Armenian Parliament Tigran Torosian urged a thorough investigation, noting that it is so far unclear if either or both Presidents were targeted. Kocharian began his visit traveling by car the 120-mile road from Yerevan to the Georgian border, where he was met by Saakashvili. The two Presidents then continued by helicopter over the remaining 40-mile section of Tbilisi-Yerevan road, which is due to be repaired later this year. Transportation issues continue to top the bilateral agenda, with most of Armenia's surface trade with the outside world passing via Georgia's Black Sea ports and a smaller portion through the Georgia-Russia highway. That highway had been closed by Russia for almost two months after increased terrorist attacks in southern Russia, but according to a Georgian official was opened on the day of Kocharian's arrival in Georgia. Two days earlier, Georgia also allowed two buses and several trucks that had been stuck in South Ossetia to pass into Armenia. Last March, Saakashvili promised to improve Armenia-Georgian transportation routes and reduce tariffs for Armenian goods. While in Tbilisi, Kocharian noted improvement in the treatment of Armenian travelers by Georgia's traffic police. The tariff issue has yet to be resolved, however. Saakashvili also said that he was "indebted to the population of Javakheti," a largely Armenian populated province, long ignored by Georgian governments. He promised to visit the province, when he succeeds in securing necessary foreign loans for re-building a dilapidated road between Javakheti and the Georgian capital. Last week, the two Presidents agreed on a cooperation plan for the province's development. Meanwhile, according to Arsen Ghazarian, the head of Armenia's main business association, Armenian companies were invited to bid on the Georgian ports of Poti and Batumi. Also last week, Georgia requested a resumption of Armenian electricity supplies as Tbilisi was again forced to ration electricity following an apparent diversion on one of its main power lines. These supplies have comprised a bulk of bilateral trade, which stood at $54 million last year, under 3 percent of Armenia's total foreign trade. (Sources: Armenia This Week 1-16, 3-12, 10-18; Arminfo 10-21, 25; RFE/RL Armenia Report 10-21; Regnum 10-22, 24, 25)

Vistuplenie Ashota Gulyana v Vashingtone: ""Nagorno Karabakh: Realities and Prospects for Development" Presentation of the NKR Foreign Minister Ashot Goulian at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) Washington, DC October 19, 2004 Dear Ladies and Gentlemen, It is a great honor for me to address the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), an institution known worldwide for its work on issues of global concern and particularly on international security. When contemplating the state of present-day South Caucasus, the international community, including American policy-makers and policy analysts, frequently express anxiety about stability and security in our region. Establishment of normal civilized relations between Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan is, without a doubt, a necessary condition for the long-term stability and security in the South Caucasus. For these reasons, the attention you are granting me and the people of Nagorno Karabakh that I represent is especially worthwhile. That is even as the entire United States and much of the world are preparing to hold their breath over the unnervingly close context in the Presidential elections, just two weeks away. The South Caucasus today is region of competing geopolitical and geo-economic visions and designs. It would seem that the attention accorded by great power interests would contribute to the region’s stability. However, with the long-running conflicts still unresolved, the region remains a powder keg and any misstep might risk turning it into an area of chaos and instability. Any conflict resolution effort in the South Caucasus, particularly in Nagorno Karabakh, demands careful analysis and consideration of all local interests. In the past 15 years, a number of delegations, among them American diplomats and members of Congress, as well as regional experts, have visited Nagorno Karabakh, met with its leaders and public in an effort to understand the conflict and its roots. For our part, it was a pleasure to hear that the approach we have adopted - to build a statehood based on democratic institutions and respect for human rights - corresponds to their vision of what our region should look like. It can be argued that the violation of human rights and the rights of a whole nation were and are precisely the factors at the root of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. I would like to remind you that the Nagorno Karabakh issue first became an international problem in 1918 after the fall of the Russian Empire and as newly independent Armenia and Azerbaijan began to demarcate their borders. Karabakh was at the time internationally recognized as a disputed area. But in the end through a decision of a political party organization of a third state - the Caucasus bureau of the Russian Communist Party - the overwhelmingly Armenian population of Nagorno Karabakh was denied its natural territorial and national unity and transferred to Soviet Azerbaijan. Through the entire period of this forced and unnatural incorporation, the rights of the Karabakh Armenians were systematically violated by the Soviet Azerbaijani government. In spite of this pressure, the local population continued to defend its right to free development and preservation of its unique culture. A new stage of the movement for Karabakh’s freedom began at the end of 1987, with massive meetings and demonstrations involving tens of thousands of local people. These actions of the Armenian population were strictly peaceful and constitutional in nature. Unfortunately in response, the Soviet Azerbaijani leaders tried to provoke inter-ethnic clashes. Azerbaijan responded to Karabakh’s democratic demands with pogroms and mass murders of ethnic Armenians throughout Azerbaijan, including in Sumgait, Ganje and Baku, and a complete blockade of Nagorno Karabakh, which remains in effect today. An all out war was unleashed in 1991, which continued until 1994, when in May of that year a cease-fire agreement came into effect and continues to hold to date. The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) began to deal with the Nagorno Karabakh conflict in 1992, when the present format of the peace process was established. While giving due credit to the OSCE and its Minsk Group for all of their efforts towards resolution of this long-running conflict, I would nevertheless have to note that in seeking a political settlement of the conflict, the mediators have paid little attention to the legal aspects of the issue. All through the peace process, Nagorno Karabakh leaders repeatedly stressed that the basis for our separation from Soviet Azerbaijan in 1991 was so legally sound that it could provide an important foundation and support to an eventual political settlement of the conflict. The establishment of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR) was declared on September 2, 1991, shortly after Azerbaijan announced its own independence, in full conformity with basic norms and principles of international law. Creation of NKR did not contradict the "Declaration of re-establishment of the state independence of the Azerbaijan republic," since Azerbaijan was re-established in the framework of the 1918-20 republic, which did not include Nagorno Karabakh. NKR’s independence was supported by a popular referendum, in which the vast majority of Karabakh’s population voted for complete independence from Azerbaijan, whose leaders had in turn proclaimed their independence from the USSR. That referendum was conducted on the basis of the Soviet law "On the procedure of secession of a Soviet Republic from the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics." Article 3 of that law demanded that should a republic, such as Azerbaijan, decide to leave the Soviet Union, autonomous entities and compactly settled national minorities, such the Nagorno Karabakh Autonomous Region and adjacent Armenian-populated districts, have a right to decide their own legal and political future through a referendum. Negotiations with participation of mediators began just as the major fighting was getting underway. The Nagorno Karabakh leadership participated in these negotiations from the beginning, pursuing two major goals: to stop the bloodshed and to convince the international community that subordinating Nagorno Karabakh to Azerbaijan was impossible. Our principle and position from day one and to date is that there is no alternative to a peaceful settlement of this conflict. As you know, the current stage of the peace process is not marked by intensive negotiations. Recent meetings between Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan, as well as their Foreign Ministers, certainly facilitate the peaceful dialogue. However, as the most recent meetings in Prague and Astana confirmed, not much progress has been made in terms of content of these talks. Moreover, considering the recent unfortunate experience with the Paris and Key West negotiations, when Azerbaijan disowned principles reached at those talks, we are not overly optimistic about Azerbaijan sticking to whatever new approaches we may agree on. A logical question is therefore should the parties agree to another set of principles, would they share the fate of Paris and Key West principles. Regarding our own participation in negotiations, our position is clear - Nagorno Karabakh cannot remain outside the process of settlement that relates directly to its own fate. Mediators recognize this quite well and they continue to insist on Karabakh’s participation in the process. Only with Karabakh’s participation, can these negotiations become truly effective in the way of achieving the soonest and most viable settlement. I would recall that the May 1994 cease-fire agreement, which marked the most tangible progress towards resolution of the conflict so far, was achieved with direct participation of Nagorno Karabakh as a full party to the talks that undertook and delivered on a set of commitments in terms of establishment and preservation of the cease-fire regime. We are also convinced that a successful continuation of the peace process depends on stability in our region, which in turn is the sum of stable conditions in all of the regional entities. In the years of independence, we have succeeded in creating a functioning and politically stable state and society, which is perhaps one of the most successful in the Caucasus. We now have an established state institution including a legitimately elected Parliament and President that enjoy popular confidence and command influence throughout Karabakh. The Army of Defense of Nagorno Karabakh, which protected our people from Azerbaijani aggression, today is under civilian control and serves as the main and real guarantor of the security of our statehood and our people. Additionally, Nagorno Karabakh has embarked on the way of reform aiming to establish a market-based economy. This is in spite of the estimated multi-billion dollar damage the war caused our infrastructure. Due to fighting, and especially due to Azerbaijan’s indiscriminate aerial and artillery shelling, close to half of all of Karabakh residents lost their homes, that is more than 18,000 private houses and apartments; destroyed also were some 200 schools and kindergartens, about 170 healthcare facilities, close to 85 percent of our manufacturing capacity and hundreds of other facilities. To rebuild and, at the same time, reform our economy, we had to rely mostly on our own resources, long-term credits from Armenia and humanitarian aid from our Diaspora. We did not just survive. We have established a legal system that regulates economic relations, which allows us to make a gradual and balanced transformation to a market economy. We have completed privatization of land and small and medium enterprises. Today, Karabakh has become an attractive place to work for foreign investors, thanks both to our natural riches and liberal tax laws, as well as our stability and security of investments. Just in the past four years, foreign investments in Karabakh have twice exceeded the size of our budget, resulting in the overall economic recovery and development. Today, the private sector makes up for 80 percent of our industrial output, while that figure was only 20 percent in 1999, just five years ago. Major foreign investment programs have focused on mining (which we did not even have in Soviet days), agribusiness, communications, tourism and other services. Using this opportunity, I would like to again extend our gratitude for the humanitarian assistance from the United States, which since 1998 has helped the victims of war in Nagorno Karabakh. This assistance is allocated through the USAID and its non-government contractors. The first portion of this assistance in the amount of $20 million has already been spent. The second stage of the program, worth $15 million, is currently underway. The funded projects include restoration and construction of pipes for drinking water, healthcare facilities, micro-financing and de-mining. This assistance has eased the lives of thousands and I would like to assure you that every tax-payer dollar allocated by Congress to Karabakh has served its intended purpose. Confident of the international community’s desire to establish stability and viable peace in our region and interest in the development of the South Caucasus, we have always been ready for dialogue to achieve these goals. We remain committed to this constructive approach today, even though we have yet to see reciprocity from our counterparts in Azerbaijan. Specifically, a set of confidence-building measures (CBMs) in the conflict area, which our leadership proposed in 2001, was rejected by Azerbaijan, even as the U.S. Congress repeatedly offered to fund such measures. These CBMs are designed to establish basic cooperation between Azerbaijanis and us, even before the final settlement of the conflict. One example is water resources sharing that could potentially benefit both sides and require only modest finances. Such CBM’s remain of utmost importance considering the near total absence of mutual trust and recently stepped-up militarist rhetoric in Azerbaijan. The Azerbaijani leadership, while avoiding all contact with Nagorno Karabakh, goes as far as to try to prevent any contact between non-government organizations and even individuals. Azerbaijani peace activists who have visited Nagorno Karabakh have been harassed and assaulted upon their return to Azerbaijan. Capitalizing on Nagorno Karabakh’s absence from international organizations, Azerbaijan tries to discredit us through baseless accusations and insinuations. There is really no limit to their propagandistic zeal. To believe our opponents, Karabakh is straight out of the Mad Max movies, with chaos reining, nuclear waste buried from around the world, slaves traded, terrorists roaming free and illicit drugs plentiful. Even though it is well-documented that it was Azerbaijan that enlisted the forces of chaos and xenophobic hatred, such as the international terrorist Shamil Basayev and radical Afghan mercenaries that later made up the core of the Taliban, in its war against us in the early 1990s. We have repeatedly requested that international organizations and governments, including the United States, send monitoring groups to Karabakh to study on location the baseless allegations made by Azerbaijani officials. Not surprisingly, Azerbaijan for its part does all it can to prevent such visits. The goal of the Azerbaijani government is to maintain a verbal smokescreen over Karabakh so that the international community and Azerbaijan’s own citizens remain ignorant of Karabakh’s realities particularly that Karabakh is well ahead of Azerbaijan in terms of democratic development. At the same time, Azerbaijan also tries to avoid exposure of the baseless nature of its accusations. In this regard, we would like to see a principled position of foreign governments and international organizations, which, we are certain, are interested in objective information out of Karabakh. The United States, in particular, as a co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group and a country playing a leadership role around the world, certainly realizes the importance of building mutual confidence in the region and are capable of influencing the Azerbaijani leadership so that it backs off its military threats, works towards promotion of tolerance within their country and eventual peace throughout our region. Today, we are witnessing the formation of an open society in Nagorno Karabakh. We have the necessary legal framework and political climate for continued democratic development. Since the declaration of independence in 1991, we have conducted several presidential, parliamentary and local elections, which were observed and positively evaluated by independent observers, including monitors from the United States. Most importantly, this is a reflection of the commitment of our people to democratic principles and our will to move forward as an independent state. Our position on the peace process and foreign policy in general is based on the fact that we are representatives of a democratically elected government of Nagorno Karabakh, whose purpose is to serve and, most basically, provide security to our citizens. Democratically developing Nagorno Karabakh cannot be subordinated to an Azerbaijani state, with its wholesale violation of the rights of Azerbaijanis themselves and its history of genocidal policies against Armenians. The Azerbaijani government, which has made not even a single positive gesture towards Nagorno Karabakh since this conflict began, makes it abundantly clear that Nagorno Karabakh’s independence from Azerbaijan has no alternative. Our position is also based on realities of the world today. We believe that the international community can serve as a guarantor of Nagorno Karabakh’s existence and security of its population by recognizing Nagorno Karabakh Republic as a subject of international law. The non-recognition of NKR is frequently explained by reluctance of setting a precedent. But these precedents have already been set. New trends in international relations show that nations that are forcefully incorporated into newly-established states and suffer from pressure from central - in fact, colonial, - undemocratic governments, have a natural right for a separate existence. We have seen this in East Timor and Eritrea. Finally, in Kosovo it took the U.S. leadership to stop ethnic cleansing and attempted Genocide and to establish a de-facto independent entity, something, we as a nation succeeded in doing almost exclusively on our own. Based on this fundamental right, we will continue to seek international recognition of NKR’s independence. Our demand is legally sound and is grounded on a simple human desire to live freely in peace and dignity. We do not want what is not ours but we can not compromise on our basic right to exist. In this effort we count on the understanding of the international community, which is, without a doubt, interested in the long-term stability and security of the South Caucasus. It is by taking into account the rights and fundamental interests of all nations of our region, including Armenians in Karabakh, that this important goal can be reached. Thank you for your attention."

Mezhdunarodnaya konferenciya kotoroaya proxodila v Ann Arbor, kuda bil priglashe MID Artsakha, Ashot Gulyan, sostoyalas'. Sledite za etoi temoi, v kotoroi ya vistavly vistuplenie Mr. Gulyana, a tak zhe svoi konspekt za polni den' 10/23/04. Nu a esli sovsem korotko, to nashi sosedi pokazali v ocherednoi raz, naskol'ko oni (da, da, da, kak raz taki oni), ne ponimayt vsei problemi vokrug Artsakha. Napadaya na Rossiy s takimi vipadami kak dvoinie standarti i provodya paralleli s Chechnei ( vistuplenie T. Zulfugarova v adres V. Kazimirova). Vistuplenie togo zhe Zufugarova s kritikoi v adres Minskoi Gruppi i EvroSoyza. Vistuplenie Tureckogo Professora s kritikoi v adres toi zhe Evropi (v chastnosti Francii). Vistuplenie D. Shaxnazaryana, s ego "ideyami" i ne pravilnoi politiki obeix resspublik (moe lichnoe mnenie o nem kar'eristski/revanshistski/artisticheski chelovek presleduya tolko personalnie celi....) Obo vsem etom i bolshe podrobno skoro s fotkami...... (ya zhdu elektronnuy versiy vistupleniya Ashota Gulyana, chtobi ne perepechatovat'....).

Ostalos' dve nedeli do viborov v prezidenti USA. Dva raza obzhigat'sya o Busha armyane ne budut, eto uzhe ponyatno, no stoit li nam obzhigat'sya o Keri? Ya k primeru boikotiruy eti prezidentskie vibori. Esli vsya armyanskaya diaspora USA boikotirovala vibori, mi smogli bi pokazat' svoy poziciy posleduyshim pretendentam, kakie interesi u nas i naskolko ser'ezno mi k etomu otnosimsya. Keri takoi zhe urod kak i Bush. Na viborax golosuyt "za", no ne "protiv". Prisoedinyaites' k boikotu. Nam bezrazlichno kto budet u vlasti esli im bezrazlichna nasha bol'.....

Tema "Robert Kocharyan, Prezident Armenii i ego politika" udalena po prichine bolshogo riska dlya ocherednix nedoponimanii mezhdu polzovatelyami.......

Esli ne perestanite etot bazar, temu polnost'y udaly k chertu......

Vezde i vsegda pri lyboi informacii proveryatsya istochnik..... rebyata, vzroslie lydi, eto ved' turki govoryat' o telefonnom razgovore..... Simon ili Batumeli, eti 4 stranici prostaya reakciya, esli informaciya podtverditsya.... xotya ya lichno, uzhe perestay udivlyatsya nashim severnim sosedyam.... Vsem privet