Artsakh  Newsletter

VOLUME 4, No. 5-6

BRIEFLY...

Stepanakert, June 3.  The NKR Central Electoral Committee (CEC) announced that the period for nomination of candidates for this year's presidential elections is June 27 to July 12.  The candidates will have to register during the week of July 17-22.  In order to ensure nomination, candidates must

secure 1,500 signatures from their supporters residing in at least four provinces of Nagorno Karabakh.  According to the same announcement, election campaigns can officially start no earlier than July 23 and must stop on August 10, one day before the elections.  After the polls close on August

11, the CEC will announce the preliminary results in 28 hours; the final results will be released in 72 hours.  If a candidate appeals the election results, the announcement of final results may be delayed for up to ten days. 

NKR President Met with Armenian Deputy Defense Minister

Stepanakert, June 18.  President Arkady Ghoukasian received the Armenian Deputy Defense Minister Lieutenant General Manvel Grigorian.  Focusing on cooperation between the Defense Ministries of Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh, they stressed the importance of strengthening defense capabilities of two countries in order to guarantee the continuation of the eight-year ceasefire regime.     

Ceasefire Regime is Eight Years Old

Stepanakert, June 19.  HALO Trust, a non-governmental British charity, marked the defusing of its one millionth mine since the inception of the organization.  President Arkady Ghoukasian attended the ceremony.  The manager of the mine-clearing program in Nagorno Karabakh Shane Pritchard said that with the active cooperation of the NKR Defense Ministry and Department for Emergency Situations, HALO Trust cleared 6,178 acres of land and defused 37,000 unexploded munitions.  Ghoukasian thanked the HALO Trust for its important mission in Nagorno Karabakh and underscored the importance of its cooperation with military and civilian governmental institutions.

May 12 of this year marked the 8^th anniversary of the cease-fire regime in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict zone.  On May 12, 1994, after two years of large-scale military actions a meeting of defense chiefs of all three conflicting parties took place in Moscow, Russia.  During the meeting the parties to the conflict reaffirmed their earlier agreement to cease military actions.  A cease-fire agreement, bearing the signatures of Armenian Defense Minister Serzh Sargsyan, Azeri Defense Minister Mamedrafi Mamedov and NKR Defense Army Commander Samvel Babayan was signed as a result of the Moscow meeting.  The cease-fire, despite minor violations, holds.  The Line of Contact between the armed forces of Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan is regularly monitored by the Office of the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office on Nagorno Karabakh conflict.

Armenian Energy Experts Visit Nagorno Karabakh

Stepanakert, June 24. The Director of the Engineering Center of the Armenian Academy of Science Rafael Ghazarian and the Chief Specialist of the "Armhydroproject" enterprise Roland Manukian visited Nagorno Karabagh.  During their meeting with President Arkady Ghoukasian they discussed the energy system of Nagorno Karabakh.  Manukian underscored utilization of Nagorno Karabakh's water resources for energy production and expressed readiness to help develop a system of small hydro power plants. 

Stepanakert, May 22.  The Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement congratulating the independence of East Timor.  It said in part, "East Timor's independence puts to rest concerns about the risks involved in recognizing new independent states.  Nagorno Karabakh, just like East Timor suffered from colonial oppression.  We hope that the same approach will be objectively applied during the settle

Armenian Assembly of America's Chairman met with the Nagorno Karabakh President 

ment of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.   Nagorno Karabakh, through great sacrifice, has coped with humanitarian crises and build an independent statehood.  Based on respect for human rights and peoples' right to choose their own destiny, recognition of new states is the natural path of development of international relations."

Yerevan, May 26.  President Arkady Ghoukasian met with the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Armenian Assembly of America Peter Vosbikian and its Executive Director John Jamian in Yerevan.  They discussed the recent meeting of the Personal Representatives of President of Armenia and Azerbaijan on the Nagorno Karabakh conflict that took place in Prague and the cooperation between the NKR government and the Armenian Assembly.  Ghoukasian stressed that without the direct participation of Nagorno Karabakh representatives it would be difficult to make positive progress in negotiations.  Vosbikian and Jamian assured Ghoukasian of their intent to continue assisting the NKR government in its work with the government of the United States. 

Stepanakert, May 3.  An international conference entitled "Activity of NGOs of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Nagorno Karabakh after September 11" took place in Stepanakert. Representatives of various NGOs from a several countries attended the conference, including Mary Kaldor, the Co-Chair of the Helsinki Citizen's Assembly (Great Britain), Mient

Jan Faber, Secretary General of the Interchurch Peace Council (Netherlands), Eldar Zeynalov, Director of the Azerbaijani Human Rights Center and Zalina Tahirova, Coordinator of the League of Azerbaijani Women.  They discussed protection of human rights, the Nagorno Karabakh conflict resolution, and the role of non-governmental organiza

tions in the South Caucasus.  National Assembly Chairman Oleg Yesaian and Foreign Minister Naira Melkoumian later received the participants of the conference stressing the importance of protecting human rights, the establishment of normal relations and regional cooperation among the neighboring states.