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05/05/2005
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WEBSITE AT <;HTTP:// 1) Schroeder Criticizes Turkish Democracy 2) Oskanian Says No 'Ulterior Motives' for Not Attending Meeting 3) Armenian Not Exactly an Attractive Money Laundering Hub 4) ARS Western Region to Celebrate 95th at Annual Festival 5) ANC of Australia Condemns Vandalism of Armenian Genocide Plaque 1) Schroeder Criticizes Turkish Democracy (Deutsche Welle)--German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder on Wednesday criticized Turkey for a string of deficiencies in its democracy, urging the country to correct them if it wants to join the European Union. "Mistreatment by security forces, limits on freedom of expression, and discrimination against women are incompatible with our common values," Schroeder said at a speech at Marmara University after official talks in Ankara. The German leader also spoke of the "necessity of reform" in religious freedoms in this mainly Muslim country, specifically mentioning a meeting earlier in the day with the Istanbul-based spiritual leader of the Orthodox Church, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I. Turkey is under pressure to remove legal obstacles for non-Muslim religious foundations to fully exercise their property rights and to reopen a Greek Orthodox seminary in Istanbul closed down more than 30 years ago. Schroeder, who was receiving an honorary doctorate from the university, called on Ankara to address problem areas before it begins accession talks with the European bloc on Oct. 3 and urged it to swiftly implement reforms it has already adopted to achieve European norms. Turkey "should not diminish its efforts," he said. "Turkey has achieved many reforms so far but there is still much to do." Armenian Issue Earlier on Wednesday, Schroeder told reporters after meeting Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan that the EU is determined to open accession talks with Turkey on time. He brushed aside concerns that a May 29 referendum in France on the European constitution could undermine Turkey's bid. "No referendum anywhere in Europe will affect Turkey's EU process," he said. Schroeder also backed a Turkish proposal to Armenia to create a joint commission of historians to study the Armenian genocide by Ottoman Turkey. "We want Turkish-Armenian relations to improve," Schroeder said. "Germany is ready to do its best to help in this issue and open its archives." Germany and the Ottoman Empire, from which the present-day Turkish Republic was born, were allies during World War I, when the Armenian massacres occurred. Turkey has come under mounting international pressure to recognize the 1915-1917 killings as genocide; some EU politicians, including the German opposition, argue that Ankara should address the genocide if it wants to join the European bloc. Erdogan, meanwhile, denounced an appeal issued by the German parliament last month calling on Ankara to face up to its history. He said he "conveyed our serious concerns and expectations" on the issue to Schroeder. Cyprus Conflict The two leaders said they also discussed the Cyprus conflict, a major stumbling block to Turkey's EU membership bid. Schroeder pledged he would work for the release of a 259-million euro (335million dollars) EU aid package earmarked for the breakaway Turkish Cypriot community and the activation of measures aimed at easing trade restrictions imposed on the island's Turkish sector. The EU promised the aid last year as a reward for the strong support Turkish Cypriots gave to a UN peace plan, which was killed off due to an overwhelming "no" by the internationally-recognized Greek Cypriot side. The measures have been blocked, however, because of opposition by the Greek Cypriots, who joined the EU last year. 2) Oskanian Says No 'Ulterior Motives' for Not Attending Meeting YEREVAN (RFE/RL)--Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian said on Thursday that no "ulterior motives" exist for his decision to skip a new round of Mountainous Karabagh peace talks, stressing that he was simply too busy to travel to Frankfurt on April 27. He also said the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan are tentatively scheduled to meet in Warsaw later this month. The French, Russian and U.S. mediators were due to hold in Frankfurt more "proximity talks" with Oskanian and his Azerbaijani counterpart Elmar Mammadyarov, but met only with the latter instead. "My schedule for that day was filled with many meetings [in Yerevan]," Oskanian told journalists. "There were no ulterior motives. We have no problem with meeting the co-chairs and Mammadyarov. We are always ready [to meet them]." Oskanian said he never promised the mediators to attend the Frankfurt meeting because "the date was unacceptable to me." "They knew that in advance," he added. While in Frankfurt, Mammadyarov commented tartly on Oskanian's absence. "He is probably again ill," he said, referring to Oskanian's illness that was the official reason for the cancellation of their March 2 meeting in Prague. The two men have not had face-to-face encounters since then. "We saw no need for a meeting of the ministers," Oskanian explained. "The co-chairs didn't insist on it probably because they too realized that the ministers have done all they could possibly do and that the next step has to be taken by the presidents." Oskanian added that Presidents Robert Kocharian and Ilham Aliyev are now likely to meet in Warsaw on the sidelines of a Council of Europe summit scheduled for May 16-17. Oskanian did not rule out the possibility of a meeting between Kocharian and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan during the May 9 Victory Day celebrations in Moscow or at the Warsaw summit. "There are no agreements at this point," he said. "Neither the Armenian nor the Turkish side has applied for such a meeting. We should wait and see." "It could be, but nothing is planned," Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul was reported to say in Ankara. 3) Armenian Not Exactly an Attractive Money Laundering Hub YEREVAN (Armenpress)--Central Bank governor Tigran Sarkisian told journalists on Thursday that Armenia is not susceptible to money laundering practices and there exist no individuals or companies that finance terrorism. Speaking before the launch of an international conference on money laundering and terrorism financing in Yerevan, he recalled only two past instances of money laundering. The first involved an Armenian citizen who, in cooperation with some other countries' citizens, transferred a total of $1.4 million from the US to Armenia. He said the information had been sent by US officials; as a result, the Central bank moved to swiftly freeze some accounts in an Armenian bank. He said the investigation into this instance continues. The second instant was connected to the Credit-Yerevan Bank, when it issued $250 million worth bonds and was trying to cash them in various countries; that operation was thwarted by Interpol. He explained that Armenia does not attract illegal financial transactions because it is not a major financial center, and offers no offshore banking--only non-banking financial institutions. However, a 2004 US State Department report on money laundering and terrorism financing noted that high unemployment, low salaries, corruption, a large shadow economy, and the presence of organized crime contribute to Armenia's vulnerability to money laundering. It said Armenia's large shadow economy is largely unrelated to criminal activity other than tax evasion, but schemes that are commonly used in Armenia to avoid taxation are similar to those used for money laundering, including the fraudulent invoicing of imports, double bookkeeping and misuse of the banking system. It also said the Government of Armenia has made great progress in 2004 in bringing legislation and structural capacity up to international standards in the area of money laundering and terrorist finance. On December 14, 2004, the National Assembly adopted a comprehensive anti-money laundering law, "The Law on Fighting Legalization of Illegally Received Income and Terrorist Financing." Armenia is a member of the Council of Europe's Select Committee of Experts on the Evaluation of Anti-Money Laundering Measures (MONEYVAL), a party to the 1988 UN Drug Convention, the UN Convention on Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters, the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, and the European Convention on Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters. During 2004, Armenia became party to the UN International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism and the Council of Europe Convention on Laundering Search, Seizure, and Confiscation of the Proceeds From Crime. 4) ARS Western Region to Celebrate 95th at Annual Festival GLENDALE--The Armenian Relief Society of Western US (ARS-WR) will celebrate its 95th anniversary as it hosts the annual Armenian Cultural and Food Festival, May 14-15, at the Glendale Civic Auditorium. The festival, now in its fourth year, provides a family atmosphere, where Armenian music, art, dance, history, culinary heritage, and children's games can be enjoyed under one roof. Among the many activities planned this year are an Armenian costume show, popular Armenian singers and traditional folk dancing, lessons on traditional "lavash" bread and string cheese making, lively children's music and stories, and booths that exhibit unique local Armenian products. "I'm so proud to represent the ARS on its 95th anniversary, which we will celebrate together at our exciting festival the weekend of May 14th and 15th at the Glendale Civic Auditorium," said Angela Savoian, Chair of the ARS of Western US, Regional Executive Board. "Come celebrate with us." The ARS-WR Regional Executive Board has been planning this event as a group celebration with local chapter participation. Members will travel from as far away as Fresno, San Francisco, and San Diego to attend the 2-day Armenian Festival to volunteer at various booths. The Glendale Civic Auditorium is located at 1401 North Verdugo Road in Glendale (the cross street is East Mountain Street). Admission will be $4 for the public (very young children are admitted free of charge). The non-stop entertainment will begin on Saturday, May 14, at 1 pm, with the official opening ceremony at 2 pm. The entertainment will continue until midnight. The festival will continue on Sunday, May 15, at 11 am until 7 pm. Advertisers and sponsors are welcome. For more information, contact the ARS-WR Regional Executive headquarters at (818) 500-1343 (phone), (818) 242-3732 (fax) or office@arswestusa.org (<;). The ARS-WR headquarters is located at 517 W. Glenoaks Blvd., Glendale, CA 91202-2812. The ARS was founded in New York City in 1910; the establishment of the first two ARS-WR chapters west of the Mississippi followed in Fresno (1915) and Hollywood (1918). 5) ANC of Australia Condemns Vandalism of Armenian Genocide Plaque RYDE--The Armenian National Committee of Australia joined the Armenian-Australian Community in condemning the deliberate removal by vandals of the Commemorative plaque in Meadowbank Memorial Park marking the 90th Anniversary of the Armenian genocide. The plaque was dedicated on April 24, 2005, on the 90th Anniversary of the Armenian genocide, during a solemn ceremony presided by Archbishop Aghan Baliozian, Primate of the Armenian Apostolic Church of Australia and New Zealand, along with the Mayor and Councilors of Ryde City Council, and the State Member for Ryde, Hon. John Watkins, as well as hundreds of members of the Armenian-Australian Community. Two weeks earlier, Ryde City Council unanimously passed a resolution recognizing and condemning the Armenian genocide, as well as condemning all attempts to deny it. "This criminal act of vandalism is a shameless example of the extent to which certain denialist of the Armenian Genocide will go to eradicate the memory of the 1.5 million men, women and children who fell victim to the first genocide of the 20th Century. Such people forget; however, that they live in a democracy where public officials will not be intimidated or deterred by such criminal behavior," said Armenian National Committee of Australia President Dr. Tro Kortian. He added, "We are confident that the law enforcement authorities will bring these criminals to justice." The New South Wales Government also condemned this crime, as Justice Minister John Hatzistergos called it a "disgraceful and cowardly act." The Ryde City Council and the New South Wales Parliament (which in 1997 also unanimously passed a resolution condemning the Armenian genocide and all attempts to deny it) have added their unequivocal voice to the growing international call that the memory of the Armenian genocide must never be allowed to be erased. The text of ANC Australia's letter to Ryde City Council is provided below. For more information Email: info@anc.net.au or visit Dear Mayor Perram and Councilors, We assume that by now you have received the standard genocide denial diatribe from the Turkish Embassy/Consulates and their cohorts. We regret that you have had to witness first-hand the ugly sight of genocide denial. Whilst we find such views repugnant, it is the price we are prepared to pay for the democratic rights and freedoms we have in Australia, which we must all cherish and up-hold. The criminal actions of the hitherto unknown individual(s) who vandalized the Armenian Genocide Memorial Plaque at Memorial Park, Meadowbank, however, strikes at the very heart of our democratic society. In particular, it can only be seen as a direct attack on the democratic expression of Ryde City Council embodied in its recent unanimous Motion to recognize and condemn the Armenian Genocide. Having witnessed the passage of that historic Motion and the spirit in which it was passed, we are confident that Ryde City Council would never allow itself to be intimidated or swayed by the cowardly actions of criminals. We call upon the Council unequivocally to condemn this disgraceful attempt of denying the Armenian Genocide, and to re-instate the Plaque as soon as possible, with appropriate measures to prevent a similar occurrence. We again convey our sincere appreciation and gratitude to the Mayor, Councilors and Officers of Ryde City Council for the passage of the Armenian Genocide Memorial Motion and the dedication of the Memorial Garden and Plaque on the occasion of the 90th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. The Armenian-Australian Community, in particular those residing in Ryde, will never forget those historic events. All subscription inquiries and changes must be made through the proper carrier and not Asbarez Online. ASBAREZ ONLINE does not transmit address changes and subscription requests. (c) 2005 ASBAREZ ONLINE. All Rights Reserved. ASBAREZ provides this news service to ARMENIAN NEWS NETWORK members for academic research or personal use only and may not be reproduced in or through mass media outlets.