Month: June 2005

Azeri President, Turkish premier to discuss regional cooperation
By Sevinc Abdullayeva, Viktor Shulman
ITAR-TASS News Agency
June 29, 2005 Wednesday 9:28 PM Eastern Time
BAKU, June 30 — President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan and Turkish
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who arrived here late Wednesday
night, begin official talks Thursday to discuss bilateral, regional
and international cooperation.
This is the first time Erdogan is visiting Azerbaijan in the capacity
of prime minister.
Diplomatic sources in Baku say Aliyev and Erdogan will begin the
program for the day with a tete-a-tete meeting and members of
Azerbaijani and Turkish government delegations will join them later.
Cooperation in oil and gas industry and other parts of the energy
sector, peace settlement in the Armenian-populated enclave of Nagorny
Karabakh, and promotion of democratic processes in Azerbaijan will
likely dominate the discussions, the sources said.
Aliyev told the CNN Turk channel Wednesday relations between the two
countries are at a very high level at the moment and have moved to
a new dimension.
An entirely new atmosphere is forming in the region thanks to the
projects the two countries are carrying out together, he said,
Aliyev believes new horizons will open for Azerbaijan and Turkey in
the future.
Erdogan and he are expected to sign a range of documents at the end of
Thursday’s talks. The package includes agreements on cooperation in
the economy, technology, education, science, cartography, as well as
agreements on joint actions in emergency situations and on copyright.
The itinerary of Erdogan’s stay in Baku envisions an address to members
of the Azerbaijani parliament, meetings with parliament speaker Murtuz
Aleskerov, Prime Minister Artur Rasi-zade, Azerbaijani and Turkish
business people,
Erdogan will also take part in the cornerstone ceremony at the site
of a new Turkish embassy in Baku.

Turkey ‘faces toughest test’ for EU entry
By Daniel Dombey in Brussels and Vincent Boland in Ankara
FT
June 30 2005 03:00
Turkey will face the toughest test ever presented to a candidate for
entry to the European Union and might have to settle for less than
full membership, the European Commission said yesterday.
Setting out the Commissions’s proposals for negotiations with Ankara,
Olli Rehn, enlargement Commissioner, said Turkey would face the “most
rigorous” test of any EU candidate to date, while several of his
colleagues called for a “privileged partnership” instead of membership.
“It certainly will be a long and difficult journey, but the journey
is as important as the destination,” Mr Rehn said, emphasising the
reforms Turkey would need to carry out during the talks.
He highlighted problems over Turkey’s relations with its neighbours –
such as Cyprus and Armenia – and continuing obstacles over economic
issues, such as the pharmaceutical trade and intellectual property
rights.
“It’s a fact of life that privileged partnership will be part of the
political debate in the months and years to come,” he added.
Under the Commission proposals, which will have to be backed by all
25 EU member states if talks are to begin on schedule on October 3,
Turkey will have to implement reforms rather than just promise changes.
Discussion of the proposals took place in an atmosphere shaped by
the recent French and Dutch No votes to the European constitution,
in which concerns about Turkish entry played a big part. In addition,
German elections expected for September could result in a victory
for the Christian Democrats, who are opposed to Turkish membership.
The Commissioners who expressed reservations yesterday about the
proposals included Charlie McCreevy of Ireland, Benita Ferrero-Waldner
of Austria, Viviane Reding of Luxembourg and Markos Kyprianou of
Cyprus. Jacques Barrot of France also opposes Turkish membership. In
the end, the text re-stated the EU’s position that the talks were
“open-ended” rather than explicitly discussing privileged partnership,
but it strengthened the emphasis on limits of the EU’s capacity to
absorb new members.
Countries such as Austria and Cyprus are likely to want to make changes
to the document. “Once the [EU] member states get their hands on the
text, it’s bound to get worse,” said a diplomat from an EU country
friendly towards Turkey.
Austria is likely to want to expand on the idea of privileged
partnership, and Cyprus to intensify calls for Turkey to recognise
it diplomatically. However, the forthcoming British presidency of
the EU will want to keep such demands vague.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIA TO JOIN UNITED SYSTEM OF BUSINESS INCUBATORS
Pan Armenian News
29.06.2005 07:53
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Business incubators and technoparks of 17
states of Western Europe and Central Asia as well as the US,
Germany, Australia and South Africa will create a united network
for information exchange, Enterprise Incubator Foundation chief
specialist Sofia Muradian told .am reporter. She informed that
Armenia was represented at the conference by Enterprise Incubator
Foundation and ViaSphere Technopark. Representatives of business
incubators and technoparks of Western Europe and Central Asia came
to an analogous decision during the regional conference organized
by the Ukrainian Incubator and the Union of Innovation Centers
with the assistance of the World Bank. During the discussion the
working groups set forth their proposals after what projects on the
network creation were submitted. To note, the conference was held
June 8-11, 2005 in Kiev. Exchange of experience and information,
presentation of innovation and achievements as well as development
of telecommunications and some other issues became the main topics
of the discussions.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Armenian National Committee of America – Western Region
104 North Belmont Street, Suite 200
Glendale, California 91206
Phone: 818.500.1918 Fax: 818.246.7353
[email protected]
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
PRESS RELEASE +++ PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release: Wednesday, June 29, 2005
Contact: Lerna Kayserian
Tel: (818) 500-1918
ANC PRAISES LOS ANGELES CITY ATTORNEY ROCKY DELGADILLO
— Ferrahian High School Graduate Who Serves as Deputy City Attorney
Has Photos of Armenia Featured at Exhibit Sponsored By City Attorney
LOS ANGELES, CA ~V The State of California’s largest and most
influential Armenian American public affairs organization, the
Armenian National Committee of America ~V Western Region (ANCA-WR),
issued a statement praising the work of Los Angeles City Attorney
Rocky Delgadillo. Since his election to office in June of 2001,
Delgadillo has established a healthy working relationship with the
Armenian American community and has actively worked to attract a
number of talented Armenian American attorneys to his office.
“Rocky Delgadillo’s tenure as City Attorney for Los Angeles has been
marked by a profound dedication to improving the quality of life for
all Angelenos,” remarked ANCA-WR Government Relations Director Armen
Carapetian. “From launching a neighborhood prosecutors program that
keep our streets safe, to his work in reaching out to the Armenian
American community, Rocky Delgadillo’s commitment to public service
has made our neighborhoods a healthier place to live, work and play,”
the Carapetian added.
Earlier this year, Delgadillo hosted a celebration of art, culture
and heritage at Los Angeles City Hall by featuring a photo exhibit
of images from Armenia taken by his close aide Sara Anjargolian. At
the photo exhibit, the City Attorney made the following remarks:
“Armenian-Americans have enriched every aspect of life in our city,
and across the country — from contributions in science and technology,
to business and commerce, to law and politics, and of course in the
arts. You have also been fighting for recognition of the Armenian
Genocide, with this month marking the 90th anniversary of the deaths
of 1.5 million of your ancestors at the hands of Ottoman Turkey. You
have also been fighting 90 years of continuous denial of the Armenian
Genocide by Turkey. I want to take this opportunity to thank you
for your persistent struggle. By keeping the memory of the Armenian
Genocide alive, you remind all of us of our collective responsibility
to insure that such horrors are never repeated again.”
Sara Anjargolian, a graduate of Ferrahian High School, currently
serves as a policy advisor and deputy city attorney with the City
Attorney’s office. She graduated summa cum laude from UCLA with a
Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Public Policy and then went
on to receive her law degree from UC Berkeley (Boalt Hall) School of
Law. After admission to the California Bar and before heading back
to Los Angeles, Sara joined the Justice Department in Washington,
DC where she served as a trial lawyer.
Most recently, Delgadillo hired a talented up and coming attorney,
Sandy Bedrosian, to serve as a deputy city attorney in the Central
Trials Division. Sandy received her undergraduate degree in both
Political Science and History from USC and went on to graduate from
Pepperdine Law School last year. Sandy gained valuable legal experience
and skills while clerking for Federal District Court Judge Dickran
Tevrizian. Sandy is currently putting these legal skills to good use
for the benefit of the people of Los Angeles.
In addition to meeting with members of the Armenian clergy earlier
this year, Delgadillo spoke at an event held at the United Armenian
Congregational Church on February 1, 2005. At that event, hosted by
the Men’s Fellowship, the City Attorney spoke about the three major
issues he has tackled during his tenure — public safety, education,
and an economy driven by entrepreneurship.
A native of the Eastside of Los Angeles, Rocky Delgadillo received
his undergraduate degree from Harvard University and received his
law degree from Columbia University in New York City. He became the
highest-ranking Latino to win citywide office in more than 100 years
when he was elected Los Angeles City Attorney on June 5, 2001. Running
unopposed, he was re-elected in March 2005 to a second four-year term.
The ANCA is the largest and most influential Armenian American
grassroots political organization. Working in coordination with a
network of offices, chapters, and supporters throughout the United
States and affiliated organizations around the world, the ANCA actively
advances the concerns of the Armenian-American community on a broad
range of issues.
#####

ILHAM ALIYEV SETS TASK TO GOVERNMENT TO BECOME 1O TIMES RICHER THAN ARMENIA
YEREVAN, JUNE 29. ARMINFO. “From the point of view of economic
potential, Armenia cannot compete with Azerbaijan. Today our budget 4
times exceeds theirs. I have set a task to the Government: our budget
must be 10 times higher. We shall achieve this.” Azerbaijani president
Ilham Aliyev made this statement to SNN-Turk TV channel.
Expressing confidence that Azerbaijan has an advantage in the
negotiations process, the president pointed out the necessity of
strengthening the positions of Azerbaijan and Turkey. “We – Turkey and
Azerbaijan are political allies. Our alliance with other countries of
the region is of extreme importance. For example, at present we work on
the project of railway Kars-Akhalkalaki-Tilisi- Baku. Turkey, Georgia
and Azerbaijan are becoming an important force in the region. That
is why I have no doubts that we shall solve this issue. I just want
to do it in a peace way without bloodshed,” Aliyev says for conclusion.

AZERBAIJANI MPS INTEND TO RAISE ISSUE OF REDEPLOYMENT OF
RUSSIAN MILITARY BASES FROM GEORGIA TO ARMENIA AT FORTHCOMING SESSION
OF OSCE PA
YEREVAN, JUNE 29. ARMINFO. Azerbaijani MPs intend to raise the issue
of redeployment of Russian military bases from the territory of
Georgia to Armenia at the forthcoming session of OSCE PA, Vice
Chairman of Azerbaijani parliamentary delegation Eldar Ibrahimov
tells Echo newspaper.
He says that “he intends to raise an issue that one OSCE member-state
– Russia – arms Armenia with its bases withdrawn from the territory
of Georgia.”
To note, Russia does not “arm Armenia,” but re-deploys its bases in
Georgia to its bases in Gyumri, Armenia.

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT RECEIVES MEMBERS OF COORDINATING COUNCIL
OF ARMENIA 2020 PROGRAM
YEREVAN, JUNE 29. ARMINFO. Today Armenian President Robert Kocharyan
has received the members of the Coordinating Council of Armenia 2020
Program Nubar Afeyan and Ruben Vardanyan.
The presidential press-service informs ARMINFO that the president was
informed of the major directions and results of the works carried
out. Afeyan and Vardanyan informed the president of the programs
elaborated and at the stage of elaboration aiming development of
public health, jewelry spheres in the country. A full program and
fulfillment of the work will be presented in the course of a forum
expected in September in Yerevan.
The program Armenia 2020 is an organization of discussions on possible
prospects of long-term development of Armenia and creation of scenarios
of Armenia’s development for the period till 2020 as a result of
discussions. The major goal of the project is unification of Armenia
world wide, contribution to development of the country through joint
discussion of scenarios of development, to expand a common view to
future possibilities to create adequate solutions for application of
the Scenario for Armenia 2020 in conditions of indetermination.

MAJOR TASK AT GIVEN STAGE OF SETTLEMENT OF KARABAKH
CONFLICT IS STRENGTHENING OF CEASE-FIRE: V.KAZIMIROV
YEREVAN, JUNE 29. ARMINFO. The major task at the given stage of
settlement of Karabakh conflict is strengthening of cease-fire and
guarantee that military actions will not be resumed, the former
co-chair of OSCE MG Vladimir Kazimirov tells APA.
He says the opening of communications is, indeed, important, but it
is not of the most important ones. The circumstance that despite the
confidentiality of negotiations, initiatives were made public
testifies to the focus on the external effect and not fundamental
developmental work with Armenians, Kazimirov thinks. ‘For over 17
years Azerbaijan had strictly blocked Nagorny Karabakh and Armenia
and inclined Turkey and other states to it despite the calls of
international structures. Is it easy to believe in a readiness for a
sharp change at present?’ Kazimirov asked. Giving a positive
assessment of the proposal on contacts with Nagorny Karabakh,
Kazimirov says that aspiration to bring everything to a dialogue at a
level of communities once more confirms the unwillingness to resume a
direct contact Baku-Stepanakert. Karabakh is a conflicting party and
it can be seen in international documents and a number of agreements
of 1993-94 on restriction and stoppage of military actions, Kazimirov
says. In his words, neither the road nor the oil pipeline can
guarantee that military actions will not be resumed, but they can
contribute to it indirectly.
As regards the expected involvement of experts into the negotiation
process, Kazimirov called it inevitable when ideas agreed on must be
put on paper, adding that “it will open a new line of difficulties in
the process of formulation and details. Sometimes, there is a
temptation to escape with general mutually- acceptable formulas, but
it will save from disagreements only for some period of time.
Shrotly, experts will have must uneasy work to do,” Kazimirov thinks.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ILHAM ALIYEV MAKING DIVING LINES
YEREVAN, JUNE 29. ARMINFO. President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev is
sure in possibility of settling the Karabakh conflict and wants to
achieve it in a peace way. Ilham Aliyev expressed such an opinion in
his interview to the TV channel SNN-Turk.
In his opinion, the issue must be settled between Armenia and
Azerbaijan. “The given format is determined and the negotiations
are held just in this format. Armenia insistently tries to involve
Nagony Karabakh into the process, but we are against it.” He explains
such position of Baku by the fact that the “lands were occupied by
Karabakh and not Armenia.” The president thinks the present meetings on
settlement of the conflict are in a positive directions. He explains
it by the fact that “the international organizations and the OSCE
MG engaged in the given issue have understood that Azerbaijan will
never yield Nagorny Karabakh and will never put with the violation
of its territorial integrity.” In this connection, Ilham Aliyev
expresses readiness to provide Armenians residing in Karabakh
a status of high autonomy and ensure their security. “Including
jointly with international organizations. But Nagorny Karabakh is an
Azerbaijani land. The sovereignty of Azerbaijan must not be violated
and territorial integrity must be restored,” he says.
Not confused with his own illogic, Ilham Aliyev says that “400,000
Armenia live in Georgia, and they do not demand independence. They
live also 500,000 Azerbaijanis and they do not demand anything
either.” Developing his idea, President Aliyev says “if Armenians
want to create an autonomy in all the states they reside, a dozen
of Armenian states will occur in the world. It is illogic and
contradicts to the International Law.” He also says “there are
hopes in the negotiation process, but I cannot say whether there is
progress.” “Progress will be when we achieve agreements on this or
another issue. There are hopes as the processes in the world are
not in favor of Armenians, The political picture in the region is
changing. Azerbaijan as part of the EuroAtlantic community supports
very close ties with NATO, European Union, USA. Armenia wages other
policy and its allies are on the other side,” Aliyev explains.

THE FINES FOR LAW VIOLATION MUST BE RAISED
A1plus
| 18:05:50 | 29-06-2005 | Social |
The open-air cafes of the Hrazdan canyon and the Round park, as
well as the restaurants «Now Dzoraberd» and «Urartu» on the Proshyan
street are the noisiest places in Yerevan. According to the Yerevan
municipality commerce and service department head Karen Gevorgyan,
one of the reasons of loud noise in the open-air cafes is that the
owners of the cafes are not aware of the allowed norms of music.
According to the RA Health Ministry anti epidemic inspectorate deputy
head Marietta Basilisyan, suchlike «objects» must be visited frequently
and they must be fined.
Today Municipality commerce and service department head Karen
Gevorgyan informed that a week ago they have visited 39 open-air
cafes in Yerevan. 16 of them have received preliminary warnings for
violation of music norms.
But according to Mr. Gevorgyan if they continue to violate the norms,
they will be fined for 30 000-50 000 drams. But still, according to
him, in order to solve the problem the fines must be raised up to
300 000 drams.
According to Mrs. Basilisyan, the violations of music norms do not
harm the health of the people very seriously, but the continuous loud
music can cause serious illnesses.
–Boundary_(ID_zDLZkImquRNzcMMDga+/+w)–
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress