OFFICIAL CHRONICLE
On 11 March, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev received Marc Holtzman, Vice- Chairman of international bank, ABN Amro Corporate Finance. Commenting on his meeting with the Azerbaijani President within the framework of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Holtzman noted that Ilham Aliyev's speech on Azerbaijan's economic opportunities and achievements made a deep impression on the participants at the forum and aroused great interest. Emphasizing the importance of the meetings held within the framework of the Davos World Economic Forum, President of Azerbaijan said the discussions were useful and encouraged opportunities for cooperation.
On March 11 the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev received Francesco Ricci Bitti, President of the International Tennis Federation (ITF), and Shamil Tarpischev, President of the Russian Tennis Federation. Ilham Aliyev spoke of the intensive development of sports in the country and state care and attention rendered to it, stressing that modern sports infrastructures meeting international standards were created in the regions of the country as well. President Aliyev expressed his confidence that in Azerbaijan, a modern infrastructure would be created for the development of tennis too. The President of the International Tennis Federation said that tennis has a great tradition in Azerbaijan and mentioned the Azerbaijani tennis players Ahmarov, Likhachov, and Biryukova. He said there were the necessary conditions and grounds for the development of tennis, and great attention to the sport would also have a positive influence on tennis in Azerbaijan.
The President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev received the head of the TV channel "Mir" Radik Batyrshin on 11 March. Importance of humanitarian cooperation and information exchange among CIS countries was stressed at the meeting. Discussions also focused on Mir TV channel`s activities in this area.
On Tuesday morning [11 March] the Bulgarian President Georgiy Pirvanov arrived in the Azerbaijani Region of Shaki, located in 352km northwest of Baku. He is on a familiarization visit which will end this evening, Rafael Mejidov, the head of the public and political department of the Shaki District Executive Power, told Trend . During his visit to Azerbaijan on 10 March, the Bulgarian President met with his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev. Mejidov said that Pirvanov became familiar with the Palace of Shaki Khans and other places of interest of ancient Nukha (Shaki), as well as tourist areas.
On 12 March, Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev received the delegation of Turkish Marmara Group Strategic and Social Research Foundation, headed by Akkan Suver. At the meeting, the attendees stressed the successful development of relationships between Azerbaijan and Turkey in all fields, extension of relations and expressed their confidence for further continuation of successful ties between Azerbaijan and Marmara group.
On 13 March, Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev sent a letter of congratulations to the outstanding representative of Azerbaijani literature, the people's writer Anar on his 70th birthday. The letter says, "In your works of different genre dedicated to profound problems, you made worthy contributions into the development of literature in the country. Your creative work which is notable for its vitality, naturalness, flowing language and variety of styles has played an important role in the formation of artistic and aesthetic tastes of Azerbaijani readers. Your pen is different with multiple directions of activities. Your work intended for theatre and cinema have been always the centre of attention with the audience. The films for which you wrote scenarios and which were directed by you reflected your professional cinema ability. Your critical literature and scientific essays created with the spirit of national consciousness emerged as a result of your prose talent. These works have completely reflected your attitude towards valuable monuments of our national culture, a range of great personalities and events of our classic and contemporary literature. President Aliyev highly appreciated Anar's activities as a public figure and his long-standing position as chairman in the Union of Writers of Azerbaijan.
Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev signed an Executive Order setting up a training surgery clinic at the Azerbaijan Medical University. Under the presidential order, AZM 1,000,000 will initially be allocated from the President's Reserve Fund for the start of the construction activities. The President has instructed the Cabinet of Ministers to deal with tasks arising from that order. The order becomes effective from the day of issuance.
On 13 March, the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev received the Prime Minister of Georgia Vladimir Gurgenidze at the President Office. The meeting focused on intensively developing relations between the two countries in all fields, including the field of economy. Moreover, more emphasis was given to the mutual visits and further cooperation prospects.
Foreign policy
The US ambassador to Azerbaijan Anne Derse is sorry about the fact that the annual report of State Department does not indicate a significant improvement in the overall human rights environment in Azerbaijan. According to her, the report includes important issues for the United States such as media freedom, freedom of assembly and political participation in this election year. Addressing some of these key areas of concern - media freedom, freedom of assembly and political participation in the pre-election period will be very critical for conducting free and fair elections, the Ambassador said. "Citizens in a democracy must a have a right to assemble freely, peacefully and express their political views," the Ambassador said. Derse also said that the strategic choice of Azerbaijan is for freedom, democracy and Euro-Atlantic integration, and this report will be taken as a constructive criticism. According to the Ambassador, the defense of human rights and democracy requires constant vigilance and constant effort by the governments and society. The US State Department released its annual report on Human Rights around the world for 2007.
A British diplomat, special representative of the European Commission (EC) in Baku, has been appointed the ambassador of this organization in Azerbaijan, the EC Office in Baku told Trend on 13 March. The EC office was officially opened in Baku on 4 February. Alan Waddams arrives in Baku on 13 March as the head of the European Commission office in Azerbaijan. Following the opening of the EC office in Baku, Europe House, which has functioned in Azerbaijan since 2002 to coordinate relations between Azerbaijan and the European Union, will terminate its activities at the end of April. The EC Representation in Baku will operate on trade and economic projects.
The Ukrainian Premier, Yuli Timoshenko, intends to discuss energy cooperation within the framework to implement the White Stream gas pipeline project. The head of the Ukrainian government will visit Baku at the beginning of April for this purpose, Andrei Shkil, the MP of the Ukrainian parliament said to Trend by telephone from Ukraine 13 March. The White Stream project which was initiated by Yulia Timoshenko during her visit in Brussels in February envisages the construction of the gas pipeline commencing from Turkmenistan via Azerbaijan to the Georgian port of Supsa and onwards through the Black sea seabed, through the Crimea to the European Union countries. Brendan Devlin, the assistant to the EU coordinator on south gas transport projects of the East-West corridor said in February that EU is interested in the implementation of the White Stream project which will enable the expansion of the gas supply to the European Union. According to Devlin, the project can be financed from the technical point of view by financial resources to realize the projects in order to establish the unified Trans European energy network. Earlier the visit was scheduled for mid-March. However, it became clear yesterday that Timoshenko plans to arrive in Azerbaijan after Ukrainian President Victor Yushenka's visit to Baku fixed for the end of March, the MP said.
"We should be very correct with regards to the Resolution adopted by the UNO, which was submitted by the Azerbaijani side. However, not depending on those which take place in the UNO, everybody should know that Washington and Baku co-operate with each other well. I can say that sometimes we do not support each other in the UNO because each country has its own views," the U.S. Co-Chairman of the OSCE Minsk Group, Matthew Bryza, said in his interview with Azerbaijani TV channel ANS, commenting on the UN General Assembly's adoption of the Resolution on Situation in Occupied Territories of Azerbaijan. On 14 March the UN General Assembly supported the Resolution on Situation in Occupied Territories of Azerbaijan, which was presented by the Azerbaijani side. Some 39 countries voted for and seven countries against the Resolution. 100 members abstained voting, a source in the UNO stated. The Resolution highlights serious concerns that the armed conflict in the Nagorno-Karabakh territory of Azerbaijan and its surrounding regions is continuing presenting threats for the international peace and security and adversely affects the humanitarian situation in the South Caucasus countries.
The President of Azerbaijan is not opposed to meeting with Serj Sarkisyan, the new President of Armenia. The newly-elected President of Armenia Serj Sarkisyan is prepared to meet with the Azerbaijani President within the framework of the NATO summit to be held on 2-4 April, Vardan Oskanyan, Armenian foreign minister said in Yerevan on 13 March. "If the co-chairmen put forward a proposal and Azerbaijani President takes part in the NATO summit, President Ilham Aliyev will consider the proposal," Novruz Mammadov, the head of the Department for the International Affairs of the Presidential Administration of Azerbaijan said to Trend on 14 March. Azerbaijani President informed Mathew Bryza, the American co-chairman of Minsk Group of his principal consent to continue talks with Armenia during Bryza'a visit to the region, Novruzov said. "Coordinating the date of the meeting will be discussed during my meeting with the OSCE Minsk Group chairmen in Vienna which will take place on 15 March. It will be a separate meeting with the co-chairmen and after our meeting the mediators will hold a meeting with the Azerbaijani foreign minister," he said. The last meeting between acting Armenian President Robert Kocharyan and Azerbaijani President took place in July 2007 in St Petersburg. The presidential term for Robert Kocharyan terminates on 9 April and Serj Sarkisyan who won the 19 February elections will take over the post of president. According to Novruzov, the breach of the ceasefire agreement between the two countries cannot create setbacks for continued talks. "There are no other means but for negotiations in order to solve the conflict," he said.
PARLIAMENT
The Parliament of Azerbaijan ratified the report of the Government (Cabinet of Ministers) regarding socio-economic results of the last year, and highlighting its approval provided consent to the Government to continue its activities for this year. As a results of the discussions, 94 MPs voted for and 6 MPs against the Government. On 14 March, the Parliament of Azerbaijan heard the report by the Government with regards to socio-economic results of 2007. The report was presented by the Prime Minister of Azerbaijan, Artur Rasizade. The report was positively assessed. The opposition MPs sharply criticized the report and required resignation of the government. The MPs from the ruling New Azerbaijan Party highly assessed the activities of the Government. They accused opposition MPs of prejudice with regards to the Government. According to them, firstly opposition leaders should resign.
The Speaker of the Azerbaijani Parliament Ogtay Asadov said that the assailants who attempted to kill the employee of Azadlig newspaper will be made answerable in the near future. "A criminal case has been filed into the stabbing of the journalist and the investigation is underway," Asadov said at the parliamentary meeting on 14 March. On 13 March, at 8.00pm Agil Khalil, a journalist of the Azadlig newspaper, was stabbed in the chest by unknown assailants. He was immediately taken to the Clinical Medical Centre where he was operated on. Panah Huseyn, a member of the Parliament's opposition faction Musavat, urged for the matter to be discussed at Parliament. The request was rejected by the Speaker who stated that the crime would be solved.
The Group of MPs 'Musavat', which represents the opposition in Azerbaijan Parliament, requires that the Government (Cabinet of Ministers) should resign. "The only way to improve the activities of the Government is for the resignation of the Cabinet of Ministers," said the member of Group of MPs 'Musavat', Panah Huseyin at the meeting of the Parliament. On 14 March the Government of Azerbaijan made a report at the Parliament with regards to the socio-economic development in 2007. Huseyin sharply criticized the report provided by the Prime Minister of Azerbaijan, Artur Rasizade. "Today the Parliament is discussing the issue of trust in the Government. I think that there are no grounds for trust in the Government. In 2007 the occupied Nagorno-Karabakh territory of Azerbaijan was not released. No steps were taken to resolve the socio-economic problems. The social situation of the underprivileged society, pensioners and disabled people became worse as compared to 2006. In 2007 the quality of life decreased. In 2008 the situation was further worsened. The number described with regards to the newly-created jobs does not correspond to reality. Therefore, the current Government should resign and the Cabinet of Ministers should be re-formed," the MP said. In reply, the Chairman of Azerbaijan Parliament, Oktay Asadov, said that opposition cannot positively assess the work done in Azerbaijan. "I consider that this year, a serious approach will be demonstrated to review the Government's activities, but the opposition did not change its image and still sees everything in gloomy tones," he added. Another opposition member MP, Fazil Gazanfaroglu, said that changes should be made to the items of trust on the Government in the Constitution because even if Parliament does not trust the Government and President does not approve it, the Government will continue its activities.
POLITICAL MOVEMENTS
The MP Group of Musavat is preparing a Plan of Action for the presidential elections in Azerbaijan, MP Panah Huseyin, a member of the Group, stated to Trend . The presidential elections will be held in Azerbaijan in autumn 2008. Musavat MP Group unites five opposition MPs. According to Huseyin, should Musavat nominate its candidate to the presidential post, then the MP Group will take an active part in the election campaign. The MP Group will be active in the election process. "We will observe results of the election process and discuss issues connected with the election process in Parliament," MP said.
Sardar Jalaloglu, the chairman of the democratic Party of Azerbaijan (DPA) blames the Azerbaijani opposition for its indecision connected with the upcoming presidential elections. "Delays by the opposition will interest the authorities," Jalaloglu stated to Trend . DPA, Musavat and Umid Parties made the decision to participate in the upcoming presidential elections in Azerbaijan in autumn 2008 with their own candidates. More than 10 parties have not yet made any decision concerning their participation in the elections. Opposition Popular Front, Liberal, Citizen and Development parties, united in the Azadlig bloc, are to boycott the elections. Jalaloglu believes that the opposition must specify the form of bloc or coalition and number of candidates to participate in the presidential elections. DPA will participate in the presidential elections with its own candidate.
NGOs elected to the Council for State Support of NGOs, who committed violations which contradict the Statute of the Council will be deprived of grants in the future, Arastun Mehtiyev, Deputy Head of the Public - Political Department at the Presidential Administration, stated to Trend on 12 March. Under a decree by the Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev from 13 December 2007, the Council for State Support of NGOs was created. Eleven members will be represented in the Council at the Presidential Administration. NGOs are divided into eight groups and three candidates will be elected from each group (in total 24 candidates). The President will appoint eight members of the Council. Three members will represent State departments. Six candidates for membership in the Council were elected. According to Mehtiyev, the Council will be the main department, which will develop state policy in the third sector. "The Council will play a key role in establishment of partnerships and cooperation among State departments and NGOs. This department will improve the legislative basis of NGOs, and will become a department which will provide consultative, financial, technical and organizational aid to NGOs," Mehtiyev said. The Government will render financial support to tackle realistic projects. The projects are to popularize Azerbaijan's interest in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict abroad, protection of rights of internally displaced persons in International Courts, as well as protection of rights of families, children, women and youth. All submitted projects will be assessed during the contest. NGOs will account before public and State departments. The Finance Ministry will control financial expenditures.
The Azerbaijani opposition Azadlyg bloc hopes that its proposal to introduce changes into the election bill will be implemented. "We hope that our demands may be partially implemented. If the changes take place, we will take part in the upcoming presidential elections," Ali Karimli, chairman of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (PFPA), stated. PFPA, Liberal and Citizen and Development parties, which are united in Azadlig, stated to boycott the elections if no changes take place in the composition of election commissions and no democratic atmosphere is provided. The presidential elections will be held in Azerbaijan in autumn 2008. Karimli said that PFPA has started its preparations for the presidential elections. Karimli stated that neither bloc nor parties, has stated any final decision about the boycott of elections. "We have not changed our decision, We will still boycott if our demands are not met," Karimli added. "But still, we must prepare for the approaching presidential elections," Karimli. On 15 March, the issue to implement the pre-election preparations will be discussed during the meeting of Supreme Assembly of party. Other issue of the meeting includes staging of the rallies and mass protest actions.
Isa Gambar, the chairman of oppositional Musavat (Equality) party of Azerbaijan stated that Azerbaijani society is not inclined to the boycott of the presidential elections. "The society wants to change a government by means of elections," Isa Gambar said to journalists on 12 March.
The regular presidential elections in Azerbaijan will be elected in October 2008. The bloc Azadlig (Liberty) uniting three opposition parties including Popular Front, Liberal and Citizens and Development have announced that they would boycott the elections if the composition of the election committees is not changed and special venue for protest actions and airtime are not allocated for the opposition until the elections. According to Gambar, the boycott of the elections can affect the democratization processes in the country. But is impossible to change a government by means of boycott. The elections are the only way to do it. Gambar also said that the Musavat party has already launched a special program developed for the presidential elections. The fact that the party does not get prepared for the elections at the moment is due to the certain reasons. "Each stage requires relevant measures. At this stage we are determining the list of our activists who will take part in the election process as observers of the election committees. Besides, we are studying the election rolls," he said. At this stage, Musavat gives preference not to the nomination of unified opposition candidate for the presidential elections, but to the ways how to work with the dissatisfied electorate.
The Liberal Party of Azerbaijan (LPA) will participate in the upcoming presidential elections, if the pre-election situation is changed. "LPA is always ready to participate in the upcoming elections. But we will take part in the presidential elections only if our demands are met," Lala Shovkat, leader of LPA and co-founder of Azadlig bloc, stated to Trend . Ali Karimli, chairman of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (PFPA), said that the party had started preparations for the presidential elections. He stated that, neither the bloc nor the parties, has stated the final decision about the boycott of elections. "We still have not changed our decision. We will boycott if our demands are not met," Karimli added. Shovkat believes that Azadlig will be ready to participate in the presidential elections, if democratic conditions are created on the threshold of elections. "There is a need for free competition, freedom of speech and assembly, and equal rights are provided to all the candidates for the participation in presidential elections". People will lose their belief in the political parties, in case the elections fail. "We do not want to lose hopes of the public," Shovkat said. Azadlig unites three opposition parties- PFPA, Liberal and Citizen and Development parties.
The United Intelligentsia of Azerbaijan (UIA) will support an independent candidate during the presidential elections. The presidential elections in Azerbaijan will be held in autumn 2008. "UIA plans to support a candidate who will represent the population," Eldaniz Guliyev, UIA chairman stated to Trend . The candidature of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, as well as Isa Gambar, leader of Musavat party, Sardar Jalaloglu, chairman of Democratic arty, Igbal Agazadeh, chairman of Umid, Fazil Gazanfaroglu, chairman of Great Establishment, and Rasul Guliyev, chairman of Open Society party have been nominated for the presidential post. Most of the population does not believe in the opposition and Government, Guliyev said. "We will support the candidate who does not represent any party or Government. Political parties tend not to have reform programs for when they occupy the Government," Guliyev said.
The opposition Classical Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (CPFPA) will participate in the presidential elections till the end, if the party specifies its candidate. "We will participate in the elections if we will nominate a candidate,' Mirmahmud Miralioglu, CPFPA chairman stated to Trend on14 March. In Dec 2007, the party took a decision to participate in the presidential elections scheduled in mid of Oct 2008. The name of the candidate from the party will be specified during the next Supreme Assembly. The team of candidates for the presidential post will be formed; therefore, other political parties will render assistance to the candidate from CPFPA. The main support is expected from the Union for Democracy party-members. Miralioglu said that the Democratic Elections Centre, where CPFPA is represented, will not become the election bloc to support the party's candidate. As several parties, united in the Centre, will nominate their candidates for presidential post. Zalimkhan Mammadli, chairman of CPFPA Supreme Assembly, informed trend News that the candidature of Miralioglu will be nominated for the presidential post.
Azerbaijan's governing New Azerbaijan Party (NAP) has opposed the notion that the authorities are responsible for the attempt on the life of an employee of the opposition Azadlig newspaper. "The stabbing of a journalist is another provocation against Azerbaijan and it was intended to create a myth regarding the problems of freedom of speech and press in the country," MP Ali Ahmadov, the deputy chairman and the executive secretary of the NAP, said to journalists on 14 March. On 13 March, at 8.00pm Agil Khalil, a journalist of the Azadlig newspaper, was stabbed in the chest by unknown assailants. He was immediately taken to the Clinical Medical Centre where he was operated on. A criminal case has been filed. According to Ahmadov, the attempt on the journalist's life is part of a perfidious plan. Both the authorities and the journalists of Azerbaijan should cooperate in the investigation of the crime. "We will see who has initiated these plans," he said.
NAGORNO-KARABAKH
The Nagorno-Karabakh problem is complicated because this territory [of Azerbaijan] is under Armenia's occupation, Zbignev Bzhezinskiy, the former adviser to national security at the US Presidents' Administration, stated in an interview for BBC Russian Service on 11 March. "This issue needs continuous and patient mediation, which will enable a decrease in the level of hostility and hatred, which both sides in the conflict guide," he said. With respect to independence of Kosovo and Chechnya, Bzhezinskiy said that both Kosovo and Chechnya deserve independence, whereas it is impossible for Chechnya due to political realities.
The International Crisis Group (ICG) calls on Azerbaijan and Armenia to take all necessary measures to remove incidents in the contact line of the Azerbaijani and Armenian armed forces. "We are very concerned about the 4 March armed clashes on the Armenian-Azerbaijani frontline. This was perhaps the largest cease-fire violation since the 1994 cease-fire agreement," Magdalena Frichova, Director of the ICG Caucasus project said in her e-mail interview on 11 March. Beginning on 4 March, the ceasefire agreement was breached on the contact line of Azerbaijan and Armenia in the direction of the occupied territory of Azerbaijan. Injuries were reported. Frichova said that the ICG deeply regret the resulting loss of human life, including the deaths of two Azeri civilians. "We hope both sides will avoid a repetition of these incidents," she said.
The Armenian Armed Forces violated the ceasefire agreement by firing at the Azerbaijani National Army from positions located at the unnamed hills in the Goranboy region of Azerbaijan from 3.50pm to 4.10pm on 10 March; from the unnamed hills in the Fizuli region and from nearby the Ashagi Veysalli village from 7.00pm to 10.35pm; from the nearby of the Chilabert and Seysulan villages in the Terter region from 10.10pm to 11.15pm; from the Javahirli village in the Agdam region of Azerbaijan from 4.10am to 4.15am on 11 March. The National Army of Azerbaijan retaliated and no casualties were reported.
The Armenian Armed Forces violated the ceasefire agreement by firing at the Azerbaijani National Army located in the villages of Kokha Nabi and Agbulag in the region of Tovuz of Azerbaijan from positions located at unnamed hills in the Berd region of Armenia and from the nearby villages of Mosesgekh and Chinarli from 8.55pm to 2.55am on 11-12 March; from unnamed hills in the Fizuli region from 8.05pm to 8.25pm; and from the nearby village of Javahirli in the Agdam region of Azerbaijan from 4.25am to 4.30am on 11 March. The National Army of Azerbaijan retaliated and no casualties were reported.
The Committee of Russian parliament on CIS and for the Work with Compatriots who held hearings in the parliament on the settlement of the conflicts in CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) and on appeals made to Russia to recognize the independence of Abkhazia, South Ossetia and the Trans-Dniester Region did not add Nagorno-Karabakh conflict into its agenda deliberately. The chairman of the Committee Aleksey Ostrovskiy said. According to Russian MP, the decision of the Committee not to include Nagorno-Karabakh to its agenda is attributed to the fact that Russia sees a number of tendencies positive enough to solve the conflict by Azerbaijan and Armenia. Aleksey Ostrovskiy is sure that, unfortunately, Russia can assist in solving the conflict only in case Baku and Yerevan wish so and are prepared to find a compromise settlement. The chairman of the Committee of Russian parliament on CIS and for the Work with Compatriots stated that Russia unambiguously supports territorial integrity of all counties.
The name of the parliament hearings itself did not suggest the discussions on Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Tatiana Moskalkova, the deputy chairman of the Committee on CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) and for Work with Compatriots of the Russian parliament -who held hearings on the settlement of the conflicts in CIS and on appeals made to Russia to recognize the independence of Abkhazia, South Ossetia and Trans-Dniester region, said to Trend . Moskalkova said that there are a lot of conditions for giving a special status to Nagorno-Karabakh territory which does not enable to put it on the same level with South Ossetia, Abkhazia and Trans-Dniester region, as the Nagorno-Karabakh population are not citizens of Russia. "We aim at protecting the rights and interests of the Russian citizens and Russians. A large proportion of Abkhazia and South Ossetia population are Russian citizens and the RF Constitution requires the government to protect its citizens regardless of their location," the deputy chairman of the Committee said. According to Moskalkova, however, the name of the parliament discussion and the fact that the population of self-declared Nagorno-Karabakh Republic is not citizens of Russia are not only the sole reason of non-participation of Nagorno-Karabakh representatives in the hearings. "This is a dispute between the two countries-Azerbaijan and Armenia, and it requires totally different format and different political and legal settlement means. Therefore, the issue was not brought up for the discussions in the Committee on CIS," the Russian MP said. As to Abkhazia and South Ossetia, Moskalkova said that they have a common border with Russia and Russia has already begun to take concrete steps for their economic integration and to protect Russian investments in these Republics. " Russia is already taking measures to solve these problems originating from non-recognition of these Republics. If these problems will be solved, it will not have anything to do with Kosovo," she said.
Armenia's newly elected President Serzh Sargsyan is ready to meet with President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, during the NATO summit to be held in Bucharest on 2-4 April, Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan said in Yerevan on 14 March.
On 12 March, the Armenian Armed Forces violated the ceasefire agreement by firing at the Azerbaijani National Army from the territory located near the Fizuli region at 8:05p.m to 8:35p.m and from Chilabert village of Tartar region from 2:00am to 2.30am on 13 March. The National Army of Azerbaijan retaliated and no casualties were reported.
The U.S. Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, expressed her doubt that the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh would be solved soon, saying there are problems on both sides, ITAR-TASS reported. "I am not sure that the conflict can be settled soon. The parties have been close several times to solving the conflict, but there have been problems on both sides. I must emphasize that this is the case at the moment and we are trying to make sure that both sides act responsibly," Rice said Rice said a state of emergency in Armenia, imposed recently after rioting against the results of a presidential election, had made it necessary to suspend some U.S. programs. "We are very concerned about the heating-up rhetoric," Rice told the lawmakers. "But I think the way to do it, the way to deal with this, is to try and maintain open channels between both sides and to try to get them to reach a solution."
On 14 March the UN General Assembly supported the Resolution on Situation in Occupied Territories of Azerbaijan, which was presented by the Azerbaijani side. Some 39 countries voted for and seven countries against the resolution. 100 members abstained voting. The Resolution highlights serious concerns that the armed conflict in the Nagorno-Karabakh territory of Azerbaijan and its surrounding regions is continuing presenting threats for the international peace and security and adversely affects the humanitarian situation in the South Caucasus countries. The UN General Assembly urges the member-countries to respect and support sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan within its internationally recognized borders. "The General Assembly again states that no country should recognize legal the situation created as a result of occupation of the Azerbaijani territories. No country should promote or assist continuation of the situation," the adopted document says. In a new resolution Azerbaijan calls on UN Secretary General to deliver a comprehensive report to implement the resolution. The draft resolution requires an immediate, complete and unconditional withdrawal of all Armenian Armed Forces from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan urges UN member states to confirm the indefeasible right of the people driven out from the occupied lands of Azerbaijan to return to their land and states the need to provide conditions for them to do so including the full rehabilitation of the territories damaged by the conflict.
The Armenian Armed Forces has violated the ceasefire agreement by firing at the Azerbaijani National Army from positions located at the unnamed hills in the Fizuli region of Azerbaijan and from nearby of Garvand, Garakhanbeyli and Ashagi Abdurahmanli villages from 2.00pm to 2.20pm and from 11.40pm to 12.00am on 13 March; from the nearby of Seysulan village in the Terter region from 3.10pm to 3.30pm; from the unnamed hills in the Goranboy region and from nearby of Tapgaragoyunlu village from 3.20pm to 3.40pm and at 11.50pm, from nearby of Javahirli village in the Agdam region of Azerbaijan from 4.55am to 5.05am on 14 March, the Azerbaijani Defence Ministry reported. The National Army of Azerbaijan retaliated and no casualties were reported.
The co-chairmen of OSCE (Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe) on the settlement of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict do not support the draft resolution on Situation in Occupied Territories of Azerbaijan introduced to the UN General Assembly. "The draft resolution will not gain our support. All the Minsk Group co-chairman countries are of the same opinion. The draft does not indicate on what both the chairmen and conflicting parties were working towards," Yuri Merzlyakov, the Russian co-chairman of Minsk Group said to Trend on 14 March. Merzlyakov said that the Resolution is too one -sided. "The draft resolution indicates those items which are interesting only to Azerbaijan. The project is one-sided, unbalanced and not timely at all. We all did not expect this," Merzlyakov said.
The Armenian Armed Forces has violated the ceasefire agreement by firing at the Azerbaijani National Army from positions located at the unnamed hills in the Fizuli region of Azerbaijan and from nearby of Garvand, and Kuropatkino village of Khojavand region located nearby Mehdili village of Jabrayil region from 10:15pm to 10:25pm and from 10:4511:00p.m on 14 March, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry reported. The National Army of Azerbaijan retaliated and no casualties were reported.