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OUR MISSION IS TECHNICAL AND NOT POLITICAL, SAYS HEAD OF OSCE FACT-FINDING MISSION TO NKR
According to ARMINFO's special correspondent to Stepanakert, Haber also said that she had heard much from Arkady Ghoukassyan and could assess the situation in the monitored territories right. The monitoring will result in a report for OSCE Minsk Group. The Minsk Group co-chairs refrained themselves from comments. On behalf of the co-chairs, Russian mediator Yuri Merzlyakov said that he was very glad to visit Stepanakert again, pointing out < this time the visit is unusual. > He said that the mission would start its work on finding and fixing fact of settlement of the above territories on January 31. ARMENIA WILL SUPPLY CIGARETTES TO IRAQ YEREVAN, JANUARY 31. ARMINFO. Armenian producers have agreed on supply on cigarettes to Iraq in the current year. Talking to ARMINFO, President of the Armenian LTD International Masis Tabak Michael Vardanyan says that an oral agreement on this was reached last year when Iraqi specialists visited Armenia. Supply of five containers of cigarettes monthly is in question, which is a rather big lot, he says. For example, Vardanyan says that 45 containers of cigarettes of native and foreign producers are monthly sold in the country. At present, Armenian producers expected Iraqi orders. The president of the company says that cigarettes from Armenia will be supplied in spite of the fact that a joint production of cigarettes with participation of the largest Armenian producer Grand Tobacco was established in Iran last year. It should be noted that there are two big producers of cigarettes in Armenia, Grand Tobacco and International Masis Tabak. Three billion cigarettes are daily sold in the country. The share of local production is half of the market. INTERNEWS-ARMENIA NGO PRESENTS FILMS SPONSORED IN 2004 YEREVAN, JANUARY 31. ARMINFO. The Internews-Armenia NGO presented today the film projects it sponsored in 2004. Several dozens of films were presented in the Planet, Social Films, Reports From Georgia and Films About Marginal Social Sections nominations. The Social Films contained agitation to help poor people; the Reports From Georgia films were about the reforms following the Rose Revolution in that country; while the Films About Marginal Social Sections were about those who found themselves bellow the poverty line and beyond the governmental attention. Proclaimed the best were the films by Public TV journalist Artak Alexanyan, journalist from Intercap TV company (vanadzor) Irina Suleymanyan, film directors Arzuman Haroutyunyan, Karen Arshakyan and Monarch TV group. The project will not be financed in the next few years. US MAY USE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE TO PRESSURE TURKEY IN IRAQI ISSUE YEREVAN, JANUARY 31. ARMINFO. The US may use the Armenian Genocide as a trump for pressuring Turkey in the issue of Iraq, says Milliyet (Turkey). This concern is due to the 2005 commemoration of the 90th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide in Armenia and many countries and to the fact that many European parliaments are considering the Armenian Genocide recognition. Especially worrisome is the statement by a European ambassador that Condoleeza Rice may be not very much included to prevent initiatives for the Armenian Genocide acknowledgement unlike the previous US state secretary and that "Washington may wish to use the problem to pressure Turkey in the Iraqi issue." The Turkish FM is sensing a potential problem here. Ankara is taking no step without considering the Armenian Genocide problem. The Institute of Turkish History is preparing a series of articles on the issue. Historian Betul Aslan has published a book entitled "The Armenian Events in Erzurum" which is one more attempt to mislead the international community. In fact Aslan is trying to prove that 50,000 Turks were killed in Erzurum and neighboring areas in 1918-1920. Milliyet regrets that the May 2005 Vienna conference of Armenian and Turkish historians will not take place because of Armenia's refusal. RUSSIA'S FM'S FEB 1 VISIT TO BAKU CAUSES CONTROVERSIAL RESPONSE IN AZERBAIJAN MOSCOW, JANUARY 31. ARMINFO. Russia's FM Sergey Lavrov is being suspected of planning to involve Azerbaijan in some political and economic jobbery. v According to Sohbet Mamedov and Elhan Shahinoglu, the Azeri analysts of Nezavisimaya Gazeta (Moscow), Lavrov's Feb 1 visit to Baku has caused much clamor in Azerbaijan. The local media are reporting that Lavrov will insist on Azerbaijan's accession into Collective Security Treaty Organization. In response the Azeri national patriots are accusing their authorities of treason and are claiming that Azerbaijan's sovereignty is at risk. But many doubt this. Particularly politologist Zardust Alizade says that Lavrov is experienced enough to touch on a ticklish subject like CSTO membership especially as CSTO member is Armenia. Meanwhile the Azeri FM says that the key goal of Lavrov's visit is to prepare for the mid Feb Moscow meeting of Ilham Aliev and Vladimir Putin. With his Azeri counterpart Elmar Mamedyarov Lavrov is to discuss economic, Caspian status and Caspian Summit issues with a special emphasis on joint anti-terror activities. Of course the Karabakh problem is still a serious obstacle to the successful development of Azeri-Russian relations. In Moscow Russia will be asked to stop being a neutral mediator and to actively influence its strategical ally Armenia. Lavrov may face complaints concerning the recent pro-Armenian statements by OSCE Minsk Group Russian Co-Chair Yuri Merzlyakov who said that Nagorny Karabakh is also a party to the conflict. One more reason for the public concern in Azerbaijan might be Lavrov's Armenian roots. Some Azeri experts say that unless Lavrov succeeds to agree with the Azeri authorities on the key issues Russia may lose its influence on Azerbaijan leaving the key roles in the region to the US and the EU. But if Moscow makes certain concessions Baku will continue respecting its interests in Azerbaijan and may intensify economic relations including between Russian and Azeri regions. It was for this reason probably that Russia has proclaimed 2005 the year of Azerbaijan in Russia and invited Pres.Aliev to Moscow. HEADLINES OF FEBRUARY 31 JANUARY
OSCE EXPERTS ARRIVE IN STEPANAKERT
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STEPANAKERT, JANUARY 31. ARMINFO. Our mission is technical and not political. We
shall only inspect and fix facts, said Head of the OSCE mission on collection of
facts on settlement of the territories controlled by Nagorny Karabakh, Director
of OSCE Department of German Foreign Ministry Emili Margaret Haber told
journalists after her meeting with NKR President Arkady Ghoukassyan, yesterday
in the evening.