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KARABAKH CONFLICT MAY BE SETTLED PEACEFULLY PROVIDED THAT KARABAKH TAKES PART IN NEGOTIATING PROCESS AS EQUAL PARTY
KARABAKH'S AUTONOMY WITHIN AZERBAIJAN IS UNACCEPTABLE TO FORMER
MILITARY COOPERATION BETWEEN TURKEY, AZERBAIJAN AND GEORGIA IS
DIRECTED TO STRENGTHENING STABILITY IN REGION
JANUARY 14. Military cooperation between Turkey, Azerbaijan and Georgia is directed to strengthening stability in the region. The editor of the newspaper "Turkish Daily News" Yusuf Kanle, who is in Yerevan these days, expressed such an opinion in the talk with an ARMINFO correspondent. According to him, the trilateral cooperation will prevent the possible attempts of Armenia to resume hostilities. He expressed hope for Armenia's joining that alliance. Touching upon the Karabakh conflict Kanle mentioned that Ankara has been closely watching the development of the Karabakh proces and was ready to Touching upon the problem of the recognition of Armenians' genocide of 1915 in Ottoman Turkey Kanle stated that in Turkey they think that there have been victims from Armenian and Turkish parties during the World War I. However, at the beginning of the century the Turkish powers condemned and punished the organizers of the Armenian slaughter. According to him, only the historians of two countries can give answers corresponding question. They must jointly examine the events, taken place at the beginning of the last century. TRIAL OF POGHOS POGHOSSIAN MURDER CASE CONTINUES
GANG MEMBERS, WHO COMMITTED OVER 20 HEAVY CRIMES, DETAINED IN ARMENIA
JANUARY 14. Members of a gang, who committed over 20 heavy crimes, including robbery, murder, were detained in Armenia. As ARMINFO was informed in the press-service of the Armenian General Prosecutor's Office, among the detainees were three Vanadzor citizens. The gang launched its activities particularly in Vanadzor. However, it carried out an assassination in Yerevan as well. The criminals had two machine-guns, which one of them stole during its service in army. Other members of the gang are still wanted. The Lory General Prosecutor's Office initiated an investigation on this case. |
JANUARY 14. A peaceful solution to the Karabakh
conflict is possible provided that Karabakh takes part in the
negotiating process as an equal party, Karabakh's President Arkady
Ghoukassyan told Turkish journalists.
As ARMINFO learned from Ghoukassyan's press service, he also said
Karabakh has never been part of the independent Azerbaijan. He said
Karabakh has all the attributes of an independent state.
JANUARY 14. Karabakh's autonomy within
Azerbaijan is unacceptable to Stepanakert, considering the aggressive
moods on the part of Baku, Karabakh's foreign Minister Naira
Melkoumyan told Turkish journalists.
She said the status of independent unit is most acceptable to
Karabakh. Melkoumyan stressed the importance of creation of an
atmosphere of confidence in the region. Karabakh has proposed that
Azerbaijan's regions bordering on Karabakh be supplied with
irrigation water. However, this initiative has been rejected by
Azerbaijan, Melkoumyan reminded. Besides, Azerbaijan has three times
dismissed proposals by international mediators over the last four
years.
Melkoumyan said the problems of "occupied territories" and return of
refugees may be settled only after a peaceful settlement is
reached.
JANUARY 14. The minor court of Yerevan's Center and
Nork-Marash districts continued hearing the case of murder of the
Georgian citizen Poghos Poghossian in the "Aragast" cafe. Today, the
trial heard the testimony of six witnesses. Thus, 18 of the 31
witnesses in the case have already been questioned.
At today's sitting testifying was the waitress of the "Aragast" cafe
who was serving Poghos Poghossian's table. According to her, she did
not notice anything. The two barmen, the goods manager and a
policeman could not tell anything essential to the court either.
In his turn, the journalist Voskan Mamikonian, who was at the cafe
that day, pointed out that he was sitting at the table near to the
one occupied by Poghos Poghossian and his companions. After President
Robert Kocharian and the singer Charles Aznavour left, he noticed a
commotion, people gathered near the restroom and heard the cry
"dead". According to him, he did not see the defendant Aghamal
Harutiunian in the commotion, as well as among the people who
gathered near the restroom.
It is to be noted that there was a discrepancy between the testimony
given by Voskan Mamikonian in court and his evidence during the
preliminary investigation. For instance, in court Mamikonian pointed
out that nobody approached the table occupied by Poghos Poghossian
and his companions and that he did not see them in the commotion.
However, during the preliminary investigation Mamikonian said that
after the president left the people occupying the next table were
called and three of them went towards the steps. He also saw the
three being beaten. Mamikonian accounted for the discrepancies in his
evidence by a long period of time that passed.
