 |
 |
 |
| |
|
| Republic of Armenia
Total area:
29,800 sq. km
Slightly larger than Maryland
Bordering states:
Azerbaijan (east) 566 km
Nakhichevan (south) 221 km
Georgia 164 km
Iran 35 km
Turkey 268 km
Population:
3.6 million
68% urban
110.5 persons/sq. km
Ethnic composition:
93.3% Armenian
1.5% Russian
1.7% Kurdish
3.5% Assyrian, Greek, other |
|
Leadership: Robert Kocharian, President; Armen Darbinian, Prime Minister; Vardan Oskanian, Foreign Minister; Khosrov Harutiunian, Parliament Chairman.
Independence: Armenia established its independence on September 21, 1991.
CIS membership status: Armenia joined the CIS in March 1992 and CIS Defense Treaty in May 1992.
Constitution: A constitution was adopted by national referendum on July 5, 1995.
Elections: Parliamentary elections were held May 30, 1999. Presidential elections were held in March 1998.
Diplomatic representation: The United States representative to Armenia is Ambassador Michael Lemmon. The Armenian representative to the United States is Ambassador Arman Kirakossian. The Armenian representative to the United Nations is Ambassador Movses Abelian. |
|
PRESS FREEDOM IN ARMENIA, 1997
Compared to 1996, a record year for press freedom violations in Armenia, 1997 did not bring any major new encroachments upon the rights of journalists and media freedom. But the ongoing tension between Armenia and neighboring Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh, the Armenian-populated enclave within Azerbaijan’s borders, continues to provide an impetus for the government to tightly rein in the press. Even the resignation on February 3, 1998, of President Levon Ter-Petrossian, who reigned over the media crackdown of the past two years, under pressure from hard-liners in the government, is unlikely to bode well for press freedom, at least in the near future.
Journalistic freedoms are regulated by a Soviet-era media law, adopted in October 1991. The law bans censorship, but outlines a list of restricted topics, such as incitement to violence and hate speech. While those restrictions reflect standards within the European Convention on Human Rights, the law also limits "false and unverified information," a vague phrase that can readily be twisted by authorities.
|
|
MONTHLY CHRONOLOGY
6 May: President Robert Kocharian issues a decree removing the governmental ban on the activities of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) imposed by the Ter Petrosian government in December 1994. The decree follows the justice ministry's decision in February to lift the ban on the party after reaching an official determination that the ARF is in full compliance with legal requirements concerning political parties. The ARF, the country's largest opposition party during the Ter Petrosian Administration, was particularly singled out by the previous government in an effort to marginalize and repress the Armenian political opposition and its media.
7 May: The leader of the "Yerkrapah" parliamentary bloc, Smbat Ayvazian, announces that it will transform itself into a proper political party in preparation for the next round of legislative elections. The Yerkrapah bloc, the largest group within the parliament with 70 deputies in the 190-seat legislature, is the only political group advocating a new electoral system consisting of mainly single-member constituencies. Throughout the parliamentary debate underway over the country's new electoral laws, most political parties are seeking a revised ratio of seats determined by single-mandate constituencies and proportional representation. The Yerkrapah leader adds that there can be no cooperation with either the Armenian Communist or the former ruling Armenian National Movement (ANM).
8 May: The former ruling Armenian National Movement (ANM) executive board votes 24 - 2 to endorse the continued leadership of former Yerevan Mayor Vano Siradeghian. Siradeghian, also a former interior minister and close associate of former president Levon Ter Petrosian, faces significant internal ANM opposition, most notably by former parliamentary speaker Babken Ararktsian and former central bank head Bagrat Asatrian.
11 May: President Robert Kocharian appoints David Vartanian, a leading member of the National Democratic Union, as the new chief of the oversight service within the presidential administration. The head of the National Democratic Union, Vazgen Manukian, garnered 12 percent of the vote in the first round of the March presidential election and criticized the election as "neither free nor fair." This nomination follows the recently announced appointment of Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) member and former parliamentarian Roland Sharoyan as the new minister of Culture, Sport and Youth Affairs.
12 May: Meeting with President Kocharian and Prime Minister Armen Darbinian in Yerevan, Executive Secretary of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) Boris Berezovskii discusses plans for the expansion of economic cooperation between Armenia and the CIS. The officials also review the status of the international mediation effort of the Nagorno Karabagh conflict.
12 May: The internal dispute over the management of the government-funded Russian language "Respublika Armeniya" daily newspaper escalates as the newspaper staff goes on strike over the parliamentary appointment of Shamiram Aghabekian as the new editor. The appointment replaces current editor Ashot Gazazian, who enjoys the support of the paper's staff.
12-13 May: Prime Minister Darbinian submits his government's economic program to the parliament. The plan proposes to contain inflation, seeks annual growth of six percent in the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and calls for a new tax stimulus package aimed at encouraging investment and job creation. According to the details released to the press, the plan also envisions an additional $1 billion in revenue over the next five years from continued privatization. The prime minister also commits his government to completing the reconstruction of the earthquake-damaged northern regions of the country by the year 2001. Although the program is criticized by nearly all factions, the parliament adopts the plan following little substantial debate.
13 May: The parliament begins consideration of a new electoral law proposed by the Communist faction calling for a new ratio of 100 seats to be chosen by party list and 31 to be selected by single-member constituencies. The majority Yerkrapah bloc opposes the proposal's emphasis on proportional representation and expresses its desire to revise the 100-31 ratio downward to a new ratio of 80 to 51 seats.
14 May: Parliament Chairman Khosrov Harutiunian announces his opposition to any plan to dissolve the parliament and hold early elections. The current parliament is serving a four-year term which will not expire until the summer of next year.
18 May: In a ceremony at the U.S. embassy in Yerevan, two leading Armenian non-governmental organizations, the Yerevan Press Club and the Armenian Helsinki Association, each receive the first annual joint European Union-United States Democracy and Civil Society awards for accomplishments in "promoting democracy and a market economy and the protection of human rights." The awards also comprise $20,000 in cash grants.
19 May: President Kocharian appoints an ad hoc committee, headed by former presidential candidate and current presidential adviser on legal reform Pariur Hairikian, charged with the coordination of constitutional amendments and revisions. The appointment is seen as the fulfillment of a significant campaign pledge to address the calls by many political parties and groups for various constitutional changes. The existing constitution was drafted by a number of officials and allies of the Ter Petrosian government and established a system of government marked by a strong executive, a weakened legislature and a judiciary without significant independence.
19 May: Meeting with Israeli Ambassador to Armenia Ehud Moshe Eidman, President Kocharian says that his government in very interested in the Israeli experience in developing agriculture and technology and will seek to expand bilateral economic cooperation. The Israeli ambassador, based in Tbilisi, presents his credentials to the Armenian president and attends a celebration organized by the country's Jewish community to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the founding of Israel.
20 May: Prosecutor-General Henrik Khachatrian announces significant progress in the investigation into the murder of several prominent figures during 1993 and 1994. The victims in these high profile murder cases include the former head of the country's railways, Hambartsoum Ghandilian, former Yerevan Mayor Hambartsoum Galstian, former Armenian KGB chairman Marius Yuzbashian and Writers' Union head Vardges Petrossian. Although details of these investigations are not released, Khachatrian states that an arrest warrant has been issued for Romik Ghazarian, the former head of Ter Petrosian's security service who is currently living in Moscow.
20 May: Transportation Minister Yervand Zarkarian states that one of his leading priorities is to ensure the reliability and efficiency of the country's external railway and communication links through neighboring Georgia. Zarkarian adds that he is seeking EU financing for the modernization of the Yerevan-Gumri-Batumi highway.
26 May: In a report to the parliament, Finance and Economy Minister Eduard Sandoyan reveals that Armenia's foreign debt has increased to nearly $700 million, of which 45 percent is debt owed to the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Sandoyan adds that Armenia owes Russia nearly $110 million and $52 million in outstanding debt to the European Union states.
27 May: Officials of the prosecutor-general's office announce an investigation into the operations of the recently-privatized Armentel corporation and the activities of former Communications Minister Grigor Poghpatian. Several top Armentel managers are rumored to have been arrested in connection with an investigation into corruption and bribery related to the firm's privatization late last year. Ninety percent of Armentel was sold to the Greek Hellenic Telecommunications Organization (OTE) for $142.5 million.
28 May: In a speech marking the anniversary of the May 28th founding of the first independent Republic of Armenia in 1918, President Kocharian highlights the need for a "powerful army" and states that Armenia must be endowed with a "strong state structure" and "galloping economic growth" in order to ensure the survival of the nation in the complicated and unstable region.
|
|
Republic of Georgia
Total area:
69,700 sq. km
Slightly larger than S. Carolina
Bordering states:
Armenia 164 km
Azerbaijan 322 km
Russia 723 km
Turkey 252 km
Population:
5.57 million
56% urban
78 persons/sq. km
Ethnic composition: 69% Georgian, 9% Armenian, 6% Russian, 6% Ajarian*, 5% Azerbaijani, 3% Ossetian, 2% Abkhazian.
Georgia includes the autonomous republics of Abkhazia and Ajaria and the South Ossetian Autonomous Region.
*- The Ajarians are a distinct ethnographic group of Georgians. |
|
Leadership: Eduard Shevardnadze, President; Irakli Menagrashvili, Foreign Minister; Nickol Lekishvili, Secretary of State; Zurab Zhvania, Parliament Chairman.
Independence: Georgia established its independence on April 9, 1991.
CIS membership status: The Georgian government joined the CIS on October 23, 1993.
Constitution: A constitution was adopted in August, 1995, which reinstates a presidential form of government and provides for a strong executive branch and a unicameral 235-seat parliament. A constitutional court was also created. The constitution, however, does not address the status of Abkhazia, Ossetia or Ajaria.
Elections: Presidential elections were held November 1995. Parliamentary elections were held October 31, 1999.
Diplomatic representation: The United States representative to Georgia is Ambassador Kenneth Yalowitz. The Georgian representative to the United States, as well as Canada and Mexico, is Ambassador Tedo Japaridze. The Georgian representative to the United Nations is Ambassador Peter Chkiedze. |
|
PRESS FREEDOM IN GEORGIA, 1997
There has been a progressive trend toward press freedom in Georgia. One of the best examples of that trend was the legal victory of Rustavi-2, the leading independent Georgian TV station, which had been forced off the air in July 1996. On November 4, 1996, the Georgian Supreme Court ruled that the denial of Rustavi-2’s license was unlawful and ordered its restoration. Another positive achievement was the dismissal of Security Minister Shota Kviraya, who had ordered the tapping of opposition journalists’ telephones. Reporters nevertheless still face obstacles to practicing their profession freely. The Law on the Press and Other Mass Media allows journalists and media outlets to file appeals in disputes with government agencies over licensing and accreditation, as in the case of Rustavi-2. Although it forbids censorship, the law contains some limits on disclosing "state secrets," hate speech and inflammatory language, and infringement on "the honor and dignity" of citizens, which can easily be misused. The law also leaves no doubt that state-run media remain under strict government surveillance.
|
|
MONTHLY CHRONOLOGY
11 May: President Eduard Shevardnadze announces that his government is drafting a plan to transform Georgia into an "asymmetric federal state" in an attempt to negotiate a settlement to the Georgian-Abkhazian conflict. According to the few details available, this would offer Abkhazia greater autonomy than that held by Ajaria or South Ossetia. During the announcement, the Georgian president adds that he is also launching a new initiative to foster trilateral relations between Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan.
12 May: The head of the Abkhazian parliamentary faction, Germane Patsatsia, announces his resignation from the parliament to join the Georgian paramilitary organization engaged in military operations in the southern Abkhazian Gali district. Patsatsia calls for government funding, medical care and the formal legalization of the paramilitary organization.
12 May: United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan calls for the formation of a new 294-person United Nations (UN) force empowered to safeguard the unarmed UN observer mission deployed in western Georgia. The move follows the kidnapping of four members of the UN mission in February.
13 May: Shevardnadze meets with the leader of North Ossetia, Aleksandr Dzasokhov, in Tbilisi to discuss new approaches to mediating the South Ossetian and Abkhazian conflicts. The North Ossetian leader promises to assist in the resolution of the Abkhazian conflict and stresses the necessity of reaching a solution to the Ossetian dispute as the first step toward the resolution of all conflicts in the region. Dzasokhov also praises the Georgian government's new willingness to recast the Georgian state into a federative structure, stating that this approach may be prudent for the other conflicts in the region, including the Nagorno Karabagh issue.
16 May: United Nations Special Envoy Liviu Bota expresses concern over the resumption of hostilities and sporadic clashes between Abkhazian and Georgian forces. The UN envoy adds that given the current reality of the situation in the region, any withdrawal of peacekeeping forces from the Georgian-Abkhazian border areas would lead to an immediate outbreak of war. Criticizing the Georgian desire for a tightening of the economic blockade of Abkhazia, Bota states that such an embargo only exacerbates efforts to reach a negotiated solution to the conflict.
18 May: Seventeen Abkhazian policemen are killed in a raid by the Georgian "White Legion" paramilitary unit in the village of Repi in the Gali district. The renewal of armed clashes between Georgian paramilitary units and Abkhazian forces in the Gali district in the past few weeks have significantly hindered the negotiations underway.
20 May: Newly appointed Defense Minister David Tevzadze holds his first press conference and reports that conditions in the Georgian armed forces are "unbearable" and promises to stem the increasing number of desertions among conscripts. The new defense minister, replacing the pro-Russian Vardiko Nadibaidze, adds that the Georgian military will accelerate its cooperation and joint training programs established with the United States and Turkey. Tevzadze is seeking to modernize the military by introducing civilian structures and he plans on appointing a civilian as a deputy defense minister. The defense minister also announces the dismissal of Naval Commander Otar Chkhartishvili for involvement in "financial irregularities."
21-22 May: Georgian and Abkhazian military forces are put on alert after several serious clashes between Abkhazian forces and units of the White Legion paramilitary organization are reported in the Gali district. The renewed fighting over the past few weeks has led to the dispatch of additional Abkhazian troops to the region in an effort to stem the attacks of the Georgian paramilitary units. Georgian government officials have accused the Russian peacekeepers of assisting the Abkhazian forces in the vicinity of their deployment.
28-30 May: After several days of intense fighting between Abkhazian and Georgian forces, President Shevardnadze and Abkhazian President Vladislav Ardzinba agree to enforce the recently-reached cease-fire agreement. As a result of the fighting over the past several weeks, nearly 30,000 ethnic Georgians have fled their homes in the southern Gali district of Abkhazia.
|
|
| Republic of Azerbaijan
Total area:
81,800 sq. km
Slightly smaller than Maine
Bordering states:
Armenia (West) 566 km
Armenia (southwest) 221 km
Georgia 332 km
Iran (south) 432 km
Iran (southwest) 179 km
Russia 284 km
Turkey 9 km
Population:
7.3 million
54% urban
89 persons/sq. km
Ethnic composition: 71% Azerbaijani, 11% Talish, 6% Russian, 4% Lezgi, 3% Daghestani, 3% Kurdish.
The autonomous republic of Nakhichevan (pop. 350,000; 5,500 sq. km) was placed under Azerbaijani administration in 1921. |
|
Leadership: Geidar Aliyev, President; Artur Rasizade, Prime Minister; Tofik Zulfugarov, Foreign Minister; Murtuz Aleskerov, Parliament Chairman; Shamshaddin Khanbabayev, Premier of Nakhichevan.
Independence: Azerbaijan established its independence on August 30, 1991.
CIS membership status: Azerbaijan joined the CIS on September 24, 1993.
Constitution: A new constitution was passed by referendum in November 1995.
Elections: Parliamentary elections were held November 1995. Presidential elections were held October 1998.
Diplomatic representation: The United States representative to Azerbaijan is Ambassador Stanley Escudero. The Azerbaijani representative to the United States is Ambassador Hafiz Pashayev. The Azerbaijani representative to the United Nations is Eldar Guliyev. |
|
| PRESS FREEDOM IN AZERBAIJAN, 1997
The Azerbaijani government continues to practice Soviet-style censorship over the print media, although constitutional and legal safeguards exist on the books. Despite a 1996 presidential decree removing military censorship, instituted during the conflict with Armenia over the Armenian-populated enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh, journalists and media-watch groups reported that the practice has persisted along with political censorship. The country’s 1995 constitution and its criminal code contain provisions that effectively ban criticism of the president and make libel a criminal offense. Leading independent and opposition newspapers had dozens of articles, commentaries, and even letters to the editor censored throughout the year, forcing them to fill the blank spaces chiefly with cartoons. The primary targets of censorship were articles about human rights violations in Azerbaijan, interviews or statements by opposition politicians, and reviews of the political situation. Journalists continue to suffer beatings and violent threats, as well as police harassment while on assignment.
|
|
MONTHLY CHRONOLOGY
4 May: Communications Minister Nadir Ahmadov announces that the medium-wave broadcasts of Radio Liberty will be allowed to resume in Azerbaijan. Transmission of the Azerbaijani-language programs had been blocked by authorities two weeks ago on the grounds that Radio Liberty had violated Azerbaijani law by failing to obtain the required licensing. The banning of the programs was strongly criticized by Western countries and organizations for being politically motivated and the decision to resume the service is seen as a direct result of this pressure.
4 May: A formal diplomatic protest to the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry is lodged by the Iranian Embassy in Baku over the publication in two opposition newspapers of a map showing the Azerbaijani border extending north into Russia and south into Iranian territory. The Iranian government is sensitive to any suggestion of Azerbaijani ties to the large ethnic Azeri population of northern Iran.
5 May: A joint statement is issued by five of the country's largest opposition political parties vowing that they will boycott the presidential election scheduled in October if an election law, currently under consideration, is adopted. According to the opposition leaders, the draft election law would grant an unfair advantage to the Aliyev government and would encourage voter fraud and electoral irregularity.
5 May: President Geidar Aliyev announces a new amnesty for a group of 81 convicts, including several imprisoned for complicity in the October 1994 attempted overthrow of the Azerbaijani government. Aliyev also states that he will propose a new measure to the parliament allowing for the pardoned release of some 10,000 additional convicts. The amnesty excludes those convicted of capital crimes.
8 May: Security forces deployed around the parliament building to contain a demonstration by the opposition "Movement for Democratic Elections" group, arrest fifty of the four hundred demonstrators and forcibly disperse the others. The demonstration is held to protest the new presidential election law which is under consideration.
9 May: During a visit to Baku, Ukrainian Prime Minister Valeriy Pustovoytenko meets with President Aliyev and Prime Minister Artur Rasizade to review plans for the shipment of Azerbaijani oil by tanker from the Georgian port of Supsa to the Ukrainian facilities at Odessa. According to the terms of the plan, a small amount of the Azerbaijani oil will be refined for domestic use while the remainder will be transported to Western markets through the Odessa-Brody pipeline which is currently under construction.
10 May: President Aliyev celebrates his 75th birthday with a formal party attended by over 1000 guests, including foreign dignitaries, various diplomatic officials and oil company executives. In comments at the party, Turkish President Suleiman Demirel reaffirms Turkish support for Azerbaijan and praises President Aliyev's support for selecting Turkey as the route for the export of Azerbaijani oil.
11 May: A protest of approximately fifty demonstrators is dispersed outside of the Russian embassy in Baku. The demonstration is held to protest the recent killing of an Azerbaijani trader in Moscow, an incident alleged to have been ethnically motivated. Similar demonstrations are held in Moscow.
12 May: The Commission of the European Union (EU) announces a new humanitarian aid package for the Caucasus with Azerbaijan receiving 4.1 million ECU (approximately $5.2 million). The aid to Azerbaijan is nearly the total amount for Georgia and Armenia combined and is to be used in humanitarian and refugee programs by non-governmental agencies.
12 May: Several leading Azerbaijani news agencies issue a report quoting presidential adviser Vafa Guluzade as promising direct talks with the Nagorno Karabagh leadership on the condition that Karabagh and Armenia agree to recognizing Karabagh as an autonomous area within Azerbaijan. The Azerbaijani official is also cited as warning Armenia not to rely on Russian support any longer since Moscow and Baku are developing very close ties and common interests defined by the need for stable relations to ensure the development of Azerbaijan's energy sector.
12 May: Representatives of fourteen opposition political parties denounce the four-year cease-fire agreement in effect along the Azerbaijani-Karabagh border as "working against Azerbaijan's national interests." The opposition statement adds that the cease-fire has allowed Armenia and Karabagh to strengthen themselves military while Azerbaijan has accomplished nothing during that time.
14 May: Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma and Ian Rushby, the president of British Petroleum in Kiev, meet to discuss Ukraine's role in the transport of oil from Azerbaijan's offshore reserves in the Caspian Sea. According to the British Petroleum executive, the Baku-Ceyhan pipeline proposal is unrealistic and the Odessa-Brody pipeline route should be considered more favorably. British Petroleum, a leading member of the consortium of international companies involved in the development of the Caspian reserves, also states that it now favors securing more than one pipeline route for Caspian oil. The Odessa-Brody pipeline and its associated port facilities will have an annual capacity of 12 million metric tons of oil upon completion.
15 May: The Azerbaijani parliament votes 91-5 to adopt a new electoral law. Opposition Musavat Party Chairman Isa Gambarov and Azerbaijani Popular Front Chairman Abulfez Elchibey respond by issuing a joint statement criticizing the law as ensuring the government's manipulation of the upcoming presidential election. According to the new law, the president holds the power to appoint half of the 24-member Central Electoral Commission, with the other half of the body to be appointed by the ruling New Azerbaijan Party. Both opposition parties threaten to boycott the October election unless significant changes are made to the law.
15 May: Reaffirming an earlier agreement, Turkish Energy Minister Cumhur Ersumer and senior Azerbaijani and Georgian energy officials meet in Istanbul and sign a memorandum of intent stipulating their primary reliance on the proposed Baku-Ceyhan pipeline route for the transport of Azerbaijani oil. The presidents of the three countries are expected to formally ratify this protocol in September.
18 May: At the conclusion of a meeting between Georgian Parliamentary Speaker Zurab Zhvania and President Aliyev in Baku, it is announced that the reconstruction of the Baku-Supsa oil pipeline and the construction of the terminal facilities at Supsa and Poti on the Black Sea will be completed by October. There has been significant internal disagreements over the financing of the pipeline between the Azerbaijan International Operating Company (AIOC) and the Azerbaijani State Oil Company SOCAR. The AIOC is the operational arm of the international consortium of oil companies developing the largest offshore reserves in the Caspian.
19 May: The heads of two leading Azerbaijani opposition political parties issues a statement sharply criticizing the May 11th agreement between Armenia and Nagorno Karabagh on foreign ministerial cooperation and the coordination of policy. The statement, issued by Abulfez Elchibey of the Azerbaijani Popular Front and Etibar Mamedov of the Party for National Independence, urges the Aliyev government to "build up military construction and step up diplomacy" to manage the situation, warning that the agreement is an attempt to "provoke Azerbaijan to resume hostilities."
22 May: The head of the government-affiliated Spiritual Department of Muslims of Azerbaijan, Sheikh Haji Pashazade, holds a press conference in Baku to denounce the activities of Christian missionaries and other foreign religious organizations in the country. According to Pashazade, the missionary activity in Azerbaijan has created a "dangerous situation that threatens to split the country" and calls on all government departments and ministries to investigate these religious groups for "illegal activities."
28 May: Two rallies are held in the suburbs of Baku to mark the 80th anniversary of the founding of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic in 1918. Over four thousand participants gather near the grave of one of the republic's founders while a smaller rally of around 600 people is organized by the ruling New Azerbaijan Party. The security forces cordon off the main Azadlyg Square in central Baku to prevent any opposition demonstrations.
|
|
Republic of Nagorno Karabagh
Total area:
4,800 sq. km
Slightly smaller than Delaware
Bordering states:
Azerbaijan
Population:
150,000
31 persons/sq. km
Ethnic composition:
95% Armenian
5% Assyrian, Greek,
Kurdish, other |
|
Leadership: Arkady Gukasyan, President; Leonard Petrossian, Prime Minister; Naira Melkoumian, Foreign Minister; Oleg Yessayan, Parliament Chairman
Independence: The Republic of Nagorno Karabagh was established on September 2, 1991 and declared its independence on January 6, 1992.
CIS membership status: Nagorno Karabagh is not a member of the CIS.
Constitution: The Parliament approved a constitution in June 1992.
Elections: Parliamentary elections were held April 30, 1995 for the 33-seat parliament. Presidential elections were held September 1997.
Diplomatic representation: The Nagorno Karabagh representative to Armenia is Garen Mirzoyan. Artak Haroutiounian is the representative of Nagorno Karabagh to the European Community and the European Parliament. Vartan Barseghyan is the Director of the Nagorno Karabagh Republic Public Affairs Office in the United States. |
|
| |
|
MONTHLY CHRONOLOGY
6 May: Speaking at a press conference during a visit to Germany, Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian states that for the internationally mediated negotiations on the Nagorno Karabagh conflict to be successful, they must be conducted without any preconditions. Reaffirming Armenia's position on the mediation effort of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Oskanian states that Yerevan finds any approach that leaves Nagorno Karabagh within Azerbaijan proper as "unacceptable." The foreign minister adds that if all parties to the conflict can come to a basic agreement, there would be no need for outside peacekeepers. Following a meeting with Oskanian, the German representative to the OSCE working group on Karabagh, Frank Lambach, notes that in contrast to the statements of other diplomats, he finds the Armenian position on the conflict "pragmatic" and "capable of promoting a solution to the conflict." The German official adds that the existing conflict resolution models advanced by the OSCE are not applicable to the Karabagh conflict and a new revised peace plan should be drafted.
11 May: Armenian Foreign Minister Oskanian signs a formal protocol on ministerial cooperation and consultation between Armenia and Karabagh with his Karabagh counterpart, Naira Melkoumian. The agreement provides for the coordination of diplomatic and political policies with a specific focus on the formulation of policies regarding the international mediation of the Karabagh conflict.
13 May: Representatives of the three co-chairing nations of the working group on Karabagh of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) meet with Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian in Yerevan. The Armenian foreign minister briefs the OSCE officials on his government's position on the Karabagh issue and reaffirms Armenia's rejection of any phased or staged approach by the OSCE, insisting on a comprehensive package peace plan incorporating all issues and elements of negotiation. Armenia also calls for the establishment of direct, bilateral talks between Azerbaijan and Nagorno Karabagh. The visit of the OSCE delegation, the first since the new Armenian government came to power, comprises of meetings with Armenian, Azerbaijani and Karabagh officials. The delegation is led by, Jacques Vogier of France, Yuri Yukalov of Russia, and Lynn Pascoe of the United States.
14 May: Arriving from Yerevan, officials of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) meet with Karabagh leaders in Stepanakert. Karabagh Foreign Minister Naira Melkoumian and President Arkady Gukasyan reaffirm their government's commitment to forging a peaceful solution to the conflict and request that the OSCE negotiations resume, but stress their insistence on securing adequate security guarantees for the Karabagh population.
15 May: A three-member delegation from Nagorno Karabagh begins a 17-day tour of the United States and Canada to promote closer relations with the various organizations based in the diaspora. The delegation includes Minister of Culture Armen Sargsian, culture ministry sports representative Gary Balayan and noted actress and activist Zhanna Galstian.
20 May: A meeting is held in Yerevan between Armenian Prime Minister Armen Darbinian and Nagorno Karabagh Prime Minister Leonard Petrosian to finalize plans for accelerated economic integration. Specific programs coordinating taxation, customs and monetary policies are reviewed. The Armenian prime minister also announces plans for government assistance to help establish a state treasury in Karabagh.
21 May: Armenian Foreign Minister Oskanian states that the current Armenian position regarding the Nagorno Karabagh conflict advocates neither outright independence for Karabagh nor its unification with Armenia. The foreign minister adds that Armenia favors a comprehensive negotiated solution to the conflict with Nagorno Karabagh having "new horizontal relations with Azerbaijan" and excluding any "subordination" to Azerbaijan. This statement follows earlier comments by Karabagh President Arkady Gukasyan announcing that Karabagh is a "de facto independent state" but is willing to compromise on "concluding parity and treaty relations with Azerbaijan." Armenian Parliamentary Speaker Khosrov Harutiunian also issues a clarification of Armenia's position by saying that the agreement on bilateral cooperation between the parliaments of Karabagh and Armenia constitutes "de facto, but not de jure, recognition of the independence of Nagorno Karabagh."
22 May: Turkish Military Chief of Staff, General Ismail Hakki Karadayi, announces that he is close to concluding a formal agreement with his Russian counterpart on the formation of a joint Russian-Turkish military "rapid reaction force" to be deployed in the Caucasus during crises. The Turkish military official also states that the force may be used for peacekeeping duties in the region, including possible deployment along the Azerbaijani border with Nagorno Karabagh.
23 May: A diplomatic dispute between the Armenian and Turkish foreign ministries erupts over the selection of the site for the next bi-annual summit of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). Turkey is seeking to host the summit in Istanbul in 1999, but is opposed by Armenia. Yerevan officials have stated that they may not participate in the OSCE summit if it convenes in Turkey, a country which has no diplomatic relations with Armenia and has engaged in an active transport and communications blockade of Armenia for the past five years.
25-26 May: President Gukasyan and Prime Minister Petrosian meet with a visiting U.S. Congressional delegation led by Representatives Frank Pallone and Patrick Kennedy in Yerevan. During discussions with the Congressmen, the Karabagh president stresses the need for direct bilateral talks with Azerbaijan as the most effective means to securing a fair solution to the conflict. Additional meetings are held as the delegation travels to Stepanakert, including a meeting with Parliamentary Speaker Oleg Yessayan during which an overview of the economic and political reforms being carried out by the Karabagh government is presented. Both Congressmen are members of the Congressional Armenian Caucus and have long been involved with events in Armenia and in the region.
27 May: The chairman of the Nagorno Karabagh Parliamentary Defense and Security Committee, Murad Petrosian, calls on Karabagh Prime Minister Leonard Petrosian to resign to "make way for new people who are clever and creative organizers such as Karabagh Defense Minister Samvel Babayan." The parliamentarian also calls for a series of unspecified "radical changes" in the Karabagh government's economic policies and urges greater "flexibility" in all areas of government policy.
The source for the PRESS FREEDOM, 1997 in the Caucasus profiles is the:
Attacks on the Press in 1997
Committee to Protect Journalists, 1997
|
For
additional information, contact the:
Armenian National Committee of America
888 17th Street, N.W., Suite 904
Washington, DC 20006
phone (202) 775-1918 ** fax (202) 775-5648
E-mail: anca@anca.org
Internet: http://www.anca.org/
|
|
| Copyright © Armenian
National Committee of America, 2000. All Rights
Reserved. |
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
Stratomedia, Inc.