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WEBSITE AT <;HTTP:// 1) Vandals Desecrate Armenian Monument in Budyonovsk 2) Top Iranian Diplomat Discusses Cooperation with Armenian Officials 3) Germans, French Lead Hostility against Turkey EU Membership 4) Russian Paper Predicts Heightened Tensions in Javakhk 1) Vandals Desecrate Armenian Monument in Budyonovsk KRASNODAR (Combined Sources)--An Armenian monument in the southern Russian town of Budyonovsk was desecrated for the second time in less than six weeks on July 16, reported Yerkramas, a weekly paper published by the local Armenian community. The monument, dedicated to the town's Armenian founders, had first been vandalized in February 2005. The newspaper reported that lampposts surrounding the monument and a cross-stone were damaged this time, while a dead cat was placed under its arch. The fence surrounding the church was also set on fire, although it was quickly put out. Yerkramas editor Tigran Tavadyan said, "We are indignant at the inaction of the local police for whom it seems to be easier to find and deport labor emigrants from Armenia than to catch real criminals." The monument was inaugurated on October 17, 2004 as a token of Armenian-Russian friendship. Budyonovsk was founded in 1799 by Armenians from Karabagh who were given a charter by Russian Emperor Paul I. The monument represents a 16-meter cross-topped dome symbolizing the first name of the town, Soorp Khatch. 2) Top Iranian Diplomat Discusses Cooperation with Armenian Officials YEREVAN (Armenpress/IRNA)--Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian met with Iran's special envoy for Caspian affairs Mehdi Safari on Tuesday to review bilateral relations, as well as international issues of mutual interest. Oskanian commended Tehran's persistence to conduct a balanced policy and ensure regional stability. While both sides expressed satisfaction with the development of bilateral relations, they suggested bolstering cooperation in various areas including small and medium-sized businesses, tourism, education, and culture. The Armenian foreign minister also briefed the Iranian diplomat on the pace of the Mountainous Karabagh conflict resolution. Safari, who is in Yerevan on a three day visit, reiterated his government's intention to continually develop positive relations with Armenia. Safari also met with Minister of Energy Armen Movsisyan to discuss the implementation of joint projects in energy sector. Movsisyan highlighted the importance of bilateral cooperation with Iran in various energy fields and expressed satisfaction with growing trend of bilateral cooperation with Iran. 3) Germans, French Lead Hostility against Turkey EU Membership Austria and Cyprus Pose New Obstacles BRUSSELS (Reuters)--European Union president Britain fended off Austrian and Cypriot attempts on Monday to raise new hurdles to Turkey's bid to open EU membership talks, while a survey showed a majority of Europeans opposed Ankara's entry. The Eurobarometer survey, published by the EU's executive European Commission, showed 52 percent of people in the 25-nation bloc opposed Turkish membership and that only 35 percent were in favor. Hostility was strongest in Western Europe. Only 32 percent in the 15 old West European member states supported Turkish accession. The Austrians (80 percent), Germans (74 percent), and the French (70 percent) were the most hostile. Opposition to Turkey has grown by 24 percentage points in Austria, 20 in Germany, and six in France since the Eurobarometer survey last asked the question in 2002. After EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn briefed the bloc's 25 foreign ministers on the proposed draft negotiating mandate for talks with Ankara, Austria and Cyprus voiced familiar objections, diplomats said. Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said it was not the right moment to discuss the issue, promising ministers they would have a substantial discussion at an informal meeting in Wales in early September. Despite public opinion, EU leaders committed themselves last December, and again in June, to open membership negotiations with Turkey, and voters would have their say once there was an accession treaty to ratify, said Straw. Austria Questions Turkish Bid Austrian Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnick said the EU should not rule out alternatives to full membership and asked why the Commission was planning to publish its next report on Turkey's progress only after the talks started. She also questioned the EU's capacity to absorb such a large and economically backward country. "We have always thought it would be smart to explicitly spell out an alternative," Plassnick told a news conference. "We stress the issue of [the EU's] absorption capacity accordingly." But Plassnick did not endorse the views of Finance Minister Karl-Heinz Grasser, who said in an interview with Britain's Financial Times newspaper and Austria's Der Standard that the EU should postpone entry talks with Turkey and consider Balkan membership hopefuls instead. Grasser, a right-wing maverick, voiced similar views before EU leaders took the decision last December to open negotiations with Turkey. Nevertheless, the Austrian government went along with the EU decision. Cypriot Foreign Minister George Iakovou demanded to know what conditions Turkey would put on signing a protocol extending its EU customs union to the 10 new member states which joined last year, including Cyprus. Ankara is expected to sign the document in the next few weeks but has said it will make clear the act is not tantamount to recognition of the government of the Republic of Cyprus. Turkey has kept 35,000 troops in Northern Cyprus since it invaded the east Mediterranean island in 1974 in response to a Greek Cypriot coup in Nicosia, engineered by Greece's then ruling military junta. Diplomats said that while no foreign minister made an explicit link, some had said it would be difficult for them if the EU opened negotiations with Turkey before starting talks with Croatia, whose membership bid has been stymied by its failure to arrest and hand over a wanted war crimes suspect. Straw said the two cases were not linked, but he pledged an EU task force would review Croatia's record again in September to see whether it had cooperated sufficiently with the UN war crimes tribunal in The Hague to warrant starting talks. The Eurobarometer poll of 29,328 voters in the 25 EU member states was conducted by TNS Opinion and Social between May 9 and June 14, spanning the period in which France and the Netherlands rejected a planned EU constitution in referendums. 4) Russian Paper Predicts Heightened Tensions in Javakhk JAVAKHK (Combined Sources)--A recent conflict between Georgians and ethnic Armenians living in the mostly Armenian populated region of Javakhk in Georgia was covered by the Russian newspaper Pravda, which wrote, "While at first glance the incident appears insignificant, it can potentially become a grave problem for Georgia." The paper writes that until now, stability in the region has been maintained because of the Russian military base there. "But once the Russian servicemen leave the region, serious ethnic and economic problems will emerge--which Georgia is unable--and unwilling to cope." According to the Russian newspaper, Ria Novosti, the residents of the Armenian-populated town of Akhalkalak, in Javakhk, attacked a local branch of Tbilisi State University on Sunday, shattering windows and breaking furniture. They also attacked Georgian students, after learning that they had "cleaned up an abandoned church and surrounding grounds, located in the remote village of Samsa." The chairman of Javakhk's Virk party, however, said those reports are not accurate. Tavit Rstakian told Radio Liberty that student and a representative of the Georgian church in Javakhk entered the church with tools and began to desecrate Armenian inscriptions by removing stones. Armenian women at the church began to protest their actions, and were subsequently thrown out by the students. A local source was quoted by the Regnum news agency as saying that Armenians were deeply offended by the developments and rose to defend the church from being seized by Georgians. A police investigation has been launched under the law on religious intolerance. 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.