Month: October 2005

RMENIA RECEIVES US$ 4 MILLION FROM THE GLOBAL FUND

Armenpress
Oct 5, 2005

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 5, ARMENPRESS: The Global Fund to fight HIV/AIDS,
Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM) has committed a further US$ 4 million
to support the National Program on HIV/AIDS prevention in the Republic
of Armenia for the next 3 years, 2005-2008. This is the Phase II of a
total of US$ 7.2 million GFATM grant. Phase I of the grant – US$ 3.2
million – was successfully completed in September 2005, and Armenia
received a high score from the GFATM for the performance during the
Phase 1.

The official signing ceremony of the Phase II Grant Agreement between
the Global Fund Portfolio Manager for Latin America and Eastern
Europe Dr.

Valery Chernyavskiy and World Vision Armenia National Director
David Thomson took place on October 5 at the Armenia Marriott Hotel
in Yerevan. Government officials and the members of the Country
Coordination Commission on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria issues
took part at the ceremony, which was followed by the press conference
for journalists. Established in January 2002, the Global Fund aims
to rapidly disburse grants to supplement existing spending on the
prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria
while maintaining sufficient oversight of financial transactions
and programs.

The Country Coordination Commission on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and
Malaria issues in Armenia (CCM) overseas the implementation of the
grant as the coordinating commission for the National Program on
HIV/AIDS activities in the Republic of Armenia. World Vision was
nominated as the Principal Recipient (PR) of the grant in 2003 by
the CCM and, in partnership with different bodies experienced in the
area of HIV/AIDS, works to support the implementation of the National
Program on HIV/AIDS prevention.

For the first time in Armenia PLWH gained access to the antiretroviral
(ARV) therapy thanks to the GFATM grant. Presently, 23 PLWH are
receiving ARV treatment, including 3 children. Through partnership
with the Ministry of Health, the National Center for AIDS Prevention,
Ministries, local and international NGOs, Phase II will build on the
success from Phase I, and will continue to implement a wide range of
activities in the areas of prevention, care and support targeting the
general population with particular emphasis on the youth, key groups,
and PLWH.

“Various governmental, nongovernmental and international organizations
working in the field of HIV/AIDS, as well as representatives
of vulnerable groups and people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWH) have
contributed their potential into the forming multisectoral response to
HIV/AIDS epidemic in the country and in the process of implementation
of the National Program on HIV/AIDS Prevention in the Republic of
Armenia”, said Mkhitar Mnatsakanyan, CCM Chair, President of the
Armenian Red Cross Society.

“Only all together can we address the challenge of HIV/AIDS in Armenia
and The Global Fund gives real chance through support to the National
Program to slow down the rates of HIV infection and to protect the
people of Armenia”, said David Thomson.

Needles and pins for acupuncture trial reporter

HoldtheFrontPage.co.uk
5.10.2005
Regiona l press news

By HoldtheFrontPage staff

Offering herself up as a practice pin cushion to an acupuncturist is a
lot more calming than Sutton Guardian reporter Nina Jacobs thought it
would be.

As I walked cautiously into Sylvia Gulbenkian’s practice room a slight
rush of adrenalin washed over me as the realisation that having leapt at
the chance to try a session of acupuncture, I did actually have to go
through with it.

Unlike most people in my office who shrank with horror at the thought of
volunteering to be treated with needles, I felt no anxiety at offering
myself as a practice pin cushion.

That was until now.

But any fears I might have had about what I was letting myself in for
were quickly quelled when Sylvia asked me to lie down on her consulting bed.

I instantly felt relaxed at the prospect of an easy task and far more
prepared for Sylvia to bring out her box of needles.

Having never seen an acupuncture needle before, I was fascinated by just
how fine they were and agreed for Sylvia to insert one into a point on
my forehead.

Within seconds she had pinched the skin between my eyes together and
inserted the tip so it was sticking out at right angles to my face. I
felt no pain at the needle’s insertion and would have been totally
unaware of its presence if it were not for the photographer zooming his
camera lens to take a close up shot.

“The point between the eyebrows is called yin tang it’s a very calming
point and it’s good if you have got things like insomnia or if people
are stressed. But it can make you feel a bit tired,” says Sylvia.

She explains she has chosen this part of my body because it is a
miscellaneous acupuncture point and not organ specific.

It dawns on me quite quickly that apart from the obvious and simplistic
association of acupuncture with needles, this is an area of alternative
medicine about which I am clearly ignorant.

Invented by the Chinese more than 2,000 years ago, this subtle system of
medicine is practised in hospitals and clinics throughout modern China
and is often used alongside western medicine.

Sylvia explains how our bodies are filled with channels of energy or Qi
(pronounced “chee”) which need to flow freely for us to enjoy good health.

“If an organ is weak or something is blocking the channel then you would
use acupuncture to make the energy flow again.

“The liver makes the energy flow through the body so if, for example,
you had a throbbing headache, there’s a point on the foot which is part
of the liver channel which you would treat.

“I might do local points near the head but I might use a needle on the
big toe which is the start of the liver channel,” she says.

With about 365 points all over the body, Sylvia says she usually uses
points from the elbows to the hands and from the knees to the toes.

She also uses a lot of points on the back and abdomen.

“You can’t access the heart channel too close to the heart because it is
too deep, but it runs down your arm it actually ends just before your
fingernail on your little finger.

“The points nearer the end are the most powerful but areas like the
elbow are more gentle.”

Do you have a story about the regional press? Ring 0116 227 3122/3121,
or e-mail [email protected]

European Union
5 Oct 2005

NEGOTIATING FRAMEWORK
Principles governing the negotiations
1. The negotiations will be based on Turkey’s own merits and the pace will
depend on Turkey’s progress in meeting the requirements for membership. The
Presidency or the Commission as appropriate will keep the Council fully
informed so that the Council can keep the situation under regular review.
The Union side, for its part, will decide in due course whether the
conditions for the conclusion of negotiations have been met; this will be
done on the basis of a report from the Commission confirming the fulfilment
by Turkey of the requirements listed in point 6.
2. As agreed at the European Council in December 2004, these negotiations
are based on Article 49 of the Treaty on European Union. The shared
objective of the negotiations is accession. These negotiations are an
open-ended process, the outcome of which cannot be guaranteed beforehand.
While having full regard to all Copenhagen criteria, including the
absorption capacity of the Union, if Turkey is not in a position to assume
in full all the obligations of membership it must be ensured that Turkey is
fully anchored in the European structures through the strongest possible
bond.
3. Enlargement should strengthen the process of continuous creation and
integration in which the Union and its Member States are engaged. Every
effort should be made to protect the cohesion and effectiveness of the
Union. In accordance with the conclusions of the Copenhagen European Council
in 1993, the Union’s capacity to absorb Turkey, while maintaining the
momentum of European integration is an important consideration in the
general interest of both the Union and Turkey. The Commission shall monitor
this capacity during the negotiations, encompassing the whole range of
issues set out in its October 2004 paper on issues arising from Turkey’s
membership perspective, in order to inform an assessment by the Council as
to whether this condition of membership has been met.
2 EN
4. Negotiations are opened on the basis that Turkey sufficiently meets the
political criteria set by the Copenhagen European Council in 1993, for the
most part later enshrined in Article 6(1) of the Treaty on European Union
and proclaimed in the Charter of Fundamental Rights. The Union expects
Turkey to sustain the process of reform and to work towards further
improvement in the respect of the principles of liberty, democracy, the rule
of law and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, including
relevant European case law; to consolidate and broaden legislation and
implementation measures specifically in relation to the zero tolerance
policy in the fight against torture and ill-treatment and the implementation
of provisions relating to freedom of expression, freedom of religion,
women’s rights, ILO standards including trade union rights, and minority
rights. The Union and Turkey will continue their intensive political
dialogue. To ensure the irreversibility of progress in these areas and its
full and effective implementation, notably with regard to fundamental
freedoms and to full respect of human rights, progress will continue to be
closely monitored by the Commission, which is invited to continue to report
regularly on it to the Council, addressing all points of concern identified
in the Commission’s 2004 report and recommendation as well as its annual
regular report.
5. In the case of a serious and persistent breach in Turkey of the
principles of liberty, democracy, respect for human rights and fundamental
freedoms and the rule of law on which the Union is founded, the Commission
will, on its own initiative or on the request of one third of the Member
States, recommend the suspension of negotiations and propose the conditions
for eventual resumption. The Council will decide by qualified majority on
such a recommendation, after having heard Turkey, whether to suspend the
negotiations and on the conditions for their resumption. The Member States
will act in the Intergovernmental Conference in accordance with the Council
decision, without prejudice to the general requirement for unanimity in the
Intergovernmental Conference. The European Parliament will be informed.
6. The advancement of the negotiations will be guided by Turkey’s progress
in preparing for accession, within a framework of economic and social
convergence and with reference to the Commission’s reports in paragraph 2.
This progress will be measured in particular against the following
requirements:
3 EN
? the Copenhagen criteria, which set down the following requirements for
membership:
* the stability of institutions guaranteeing democracy, the rule of law,
human rights and respect for and protection of minorities;
* the existence of a functioning market economy and the capacity to cope
with competitive pressure and market forces within the Union;
* the ability to take on the obligations of membership, including adherence
to the aims of political, economic and monetary union and the administrative
capacity to effectively apply and implement the acquis;
? Turkey’s unequivocal commitment to good neighbourly relations and its
undertaking to resolve any outstanding border disputes in conformity with
the principle of peaceful settlement of disputes in accordance with the
United Nations Charter, including if necessary jurisdiction of the
International Court of Justice;
? Turkey’s continued support for efforts to achieve a comprehensive
settlement of the Cyprus problem within the UN framework and in line with
the principles on which the Union is founded, including steps to contribute
to a favourable climate for a comprehensive settlement, and progress in the
normalisation of bilateral relations between Turkey and all EU Member
States, including the Republic of Cyprus.
? the fulfilment of Turkey’s obligations under the Association Agreement and
its Additional Protocol extending the Association Agreement to all new EU
Member States, in particular those pertaining to the EU-Turkey customs
union, as well as the implementation of the Accession Partnership, as
regularly revised.
7. In the period up to accession, Turkey will be required to progressively
align its policies towards third countries and its positions within
international organisations (including in relation to the membership by all
EU Member States of those organisations and arrangements) with the policies
and positions adopted by the Union and its Member States.
4 EN
8. Parallel to accession negotiations, the Union will engage with Turkey in
an intensive political and civil society dialogue. The aim of the inclusive
civil society dialogue will be to enhance mutual understanding by bringing
people together in particular with a view to ensuring the support of
European citizens for the accession process.
9. Turkey must accept the results of any other accession negotiations as
they stand at the moment of its accession.
Substance of the negotiations
10. Accession implies the acceptance of the rights and obligations attached
to the Union system and its institutional framework, known as the acquis of
the Union. Turkey will have to apply this as it stands at the time of
accession. Furthermore, in addition to legislative alignment, accession
implies timely and effective implementation of the acquis. The acquis is
constantly evolving and includes:
– the content, principles and political objectives of the Treaties on which
the Union is founded;
– legislation and decisions adopted pursuant to the Treaties, and the case
law of the Court of Justice;
– other acts, legally binding or not, adopted within the Union framework,
such as interinstitutional agreements, resolutions, statements,
recommendations, guidelines;
– joint actions, common positions, declarations, conclusions and other acts
within the framework of the common foreign and security policy;
– joint actions, joint positions, conventions signed, resolutions,
statements and other acts agreed within the framework of justice and home
affairs;
– international agreements concluded by the Communities, the Communities
jointly with their Member States, the Union, and those concluded by the
Member States among themselves with regard to Union activities.
5 EN
Turkey will need to produce translations of the acquis into Turkish in good
time before accession, and will need to train a sufficient number of
translators and interpreters required for the proper functioning of the EU
institutions upon its accession.
11. The resulting rights and obligations, all of which Turkey will have to
honour as a Member State, imply the termination of all existing bilateral
agreements between Turkey and the Communities, and of all other
international agreements concluded by Turkey which are incompatible with the
obligations of membership. Any provisions of the Association Agreement which
depart from the acquis cannot be considered as precedents in the accession
negotiations.
12. Turkey’s acceptance of the rights and obligations arising from the
acquis may necessitate specific adaptations to the acquis and may,
exceptionally, give rise to transitional measures which must be defined
during the accession negotiations.
Where necessary, specific adaptations to the acquis will be agreed on the
basis of the principles, criteria and parameters inherent in that acquis as
applied by the Member States when adopting that acquis, and taking into
consideration the specificities of Turkey.
The Union may agree to requests from Turkey for transitional measures
provided they are limited in time and scope, and accompanied by a plan with
clearly defined stages for application of the acquis. For areas linked to
the extension of the internal market, regulatory measures should be
implemented quickly and transition periods should be short and few; where
considerable adaptations are necessary requiring substantial effort
including large financial outlays, appropriate transitional arrangements can
be envisaged as part of an on-going, detailed and budgeted plan for
alignment. In any case, transitional arrangements must not involve
amendments to the rules or policies of the Union, disrupt their proper
functioning, or lead to significant distortions of competition. In this
connection, account must be taken of the interests of the Union and of
Turkey.
6 EN
Long transitional periods, derogations, specific arrangements or permanent
safeguard clauses, i.e. clauses which are permanently available as a basis
for safeguard measures, may be considered. The Commission will include
these, as appropriate, in its proposals in areas such as freedom of movement
of persons, structural policies or agriculture. Furthermore, the
decision-taking process regarding the eventual establishment of freedom of
movement of persons should allow for a maximum role of individual Member
States. Transitional arrangements or safeguards should be reviewed regarding
their impact on competition or the functioning of the internal market.
Detailed technical adaptations to the acquis will not need to be fixed
during the accession negotiations. They will be prepared in cooperation with
Turkey and adopted by the Union institutions in good time with a view to
their entry into force on the date of accession.
13. The financial aspects of the accession of Turkey must be allowed for in
the applicable Financial Framework. Hence, as Turkey’s accession could have
substantial financial consequences, the negotiations can only be concluded
after the establishment of the Financial Framework for the period from 2014
together with possible consequential financial reforms. Any arrangements
should ensure that the financial burdens are fairly shared between all
Member States.
14. Turkey will participate in economic and monetary union from accession as
a Member State with a derogation and shall adopt the euro as its national
currency following a Council decision to this effect on the basis of an
evaluation of its fulfilment of the necessary conditions. The remaining
acquis in this area fully applies from accession.
15. With regard to the area of freedom, justice and security, membership of
the European Union implies that Turkey accepts in full on accession the
entire acquis in this area, including the Schengen acquis. However, part of
this acquis will only apply in Turkey following a Council decision to lift
controls on persons at internal borders taken on the basis of the applicable
Schengen evaluation of Turkey’s readiness.
7 EN
16. The EU points out the importance of a high level of environmental
protection, including all aspects of nuclear safety.
17. In all areas of the acquis, Turkey must bring its institutions,
management capacity and administrative and judicial systems up to Union
standards, both at national and regional level, with a view to implementing
the acquis effectively or, as the case may be, being able to implement it
effectively in good time before accession. At the general level, this
requires a well-functioning and stable public administration built on an
efficient and impartial civil service, and an independent and efficient
judicial system.
Negotiating procedures
18. The substance of negotiations will be conducted in an Intergovernmental
Conference with the participation of all Member States on the one hand and
the candidate State on the other.
19. The Commission will undertake a formal process of examination of the
acquis, called screening, in order to explain it to the Turkish authorities,
to assess the state of preparation of Turkey for opening negotiations in
specific areas and to obtain preliminary indications of the issues that will
most likely come up in the negotiations.
20. For the purposes of screening and the subsequent negotiations, the
acquis will be broken down into a number of chapters, each covering a
specific policy area. A list of these chapters is provided in the Annex. Any
view expressed by either Turkey or the EU on a specific chapter of the
negotiations will in no way prejudge the position which may be taken on
other chapters. Also, agreements reached in the course of negotiations on
specific chapters, even partial ones, may not be considered as final until
an overall agreement has been reached for all chapters.
8 EN
21. Building on the Commission’s Regular Reports on Turkey’s progress
towards accession and in particular on information obtained by the
Commission during screening, the Council, acting by unanimity on a proposal
by the Commission, will lay down benchmarks for the provisional closure and,
where appropriate, for the opening of each chapter. The Union will
communicate such benchmarks to Turkey. Depending on the chapter, precise
benchmarks will refer in particular to the existence of a functioning market
economy, to legislative alignment with the acquis and to a satisfactory
track record in implementation of key elements of the acquis demonstrating
the existence of an adequate administrative and judicial capacity. Where
relevant, benchmarks will also include the fulfilment of commitments under
the Association Agreement, in particular those pertaining to the EU-Turkey
customs union and those that mirror requirements under the acquis. Where
negotiations cover a considerable period of time, or where a chapter is
revisited at a later date to incorporate new elements such as new acquis,
the existing benchmarks may be updated.
22. Turkey will be requested to indicate its position in relation to the
acquis and to report on its progress in meeting the benchmarks. Turkey’s
correct transposition and implementation of the acquis, including effective
and efficient application through appropriate administrative and judicial
structures, will determine the pace of negotiations.
23. To this end, the Commission will closely monitor Turkey’s progress in
all areas, making use of all available instruments, including on-site expert
reviews by or on behalf of the Commission. The Commission will inform the
Council of Turkey’s progress in any given area when presenting draft EU
Common Positions. The Council will take this assessment into account when
deciding on further steps relating to the negotiations on that chapter. In
addition to the information the EU may require for the negotiations on each
chapter and which is to be provided by Turkey to the Conference, Turkey will
be required to continue to provide regularly detailed, written information
on progress in the alignment with and implementation of the acquis, even
after provisional closure of a chapter. In the case of provisionally closed
chapters, the Commission may recommend the re-opening of negotiations, in
particular where Turkey has failed to meet important benchmarks or to
implement its commitments.

TENSE SITUATION IN JAVAKHK

Armenian Gendarme Beat Several Residents of Akhalkalak

October 5, 2005

AZG | YEREVAN – Situation in Akhalkalak was very tense yesterday. Tax
officers from Akhaltsakha closed 10 stores demanding acquirement documents
for the goods they traded. Shop-keepers told them that they bring goods from
Tbilisi and get no document there. A few hundred residents of Akhalkalak
gathered before the town administration protesting activities of tax
officers. Nairi Iritsian, mayor of Akhalkalak, told daily Azg on the phone
that Armenian gendarmes from local gendarmerie tried to break up the rally
but met resistance. The gendarmes used bludgeons calm down protesters;
several shots were heard too. As Iritsian said, one people from each side
were taken to hospital as a result of the fight. Our source in Akhalkalak
said that Georgian President’s representative in Samtskhe-Javakhk region,
Georgi Khachidze, was in Akhalkalak yesterday evening.

Mayor Iritsian claims that what they call “gendarmerie” operates only in
Javakhk and Tsalka. It employees local Armenians to press on Armenians of
Javakhk, Iritsian said.

Wisman without experienced duo
Wednesday, 5 October 2005
by Khachik Chakhoyan

Armenia coach Henk Wisman has named a 21-man squad for the final FIFA
World Cup Group 1 qualifier against Andorra. The notable absentees are
suspended defender Sargis Hovsepyan and Harutyun Vardanyan, who has
retired from the national team after being omitted from the starting
lineup against the Netherlands last month.

Armenia squad

Goalkeepers: Roman Berezovsky (FC Dinamo Moskva), Gevorg Kasparov (FC
Pyunik), Armando Hambartsumyan (PFC Slavia Sofia).

Defenders: Valeri Aleksanyan (FC Pyunik), Robert Arzumanyan (FC
Pyunik), Aleksandr Tadevosyan (FC Pyunik), Karen Dokhoyan (FC Krylya
Sovetov Samara), Egishe Melikyan (FC Metalurh Donetsk), Artashes
Baghdasaryan (FC Kilikia).

Midfielders: Agvan Lazarian (FC Pyunik), Romik Khachatryan (OFI Crete
FC), Karen Aleksanyan (CSF Zimbru Chisinau), Hamlet Mkhitaryan (FC
MTZ-RIPO Minsk), Armen Tigranyan (FC Pyunik), Samvel Melkonyan (FC
Banants), Artur Voskanyan (FC Pyunik), Artavazd Karamyan (AFC Rapid
Bucuresti).

Forwards: Edgar Manucharyan (AFC Ajax), Ara Hakobyan (FC Stal
Alchevsk), Aram Hakobyan (FC Banants), Aram Voskanyan (FC Yesil
Bogatyr Petropavlovsk), Galust Petrosyan (CSF Zimbru Chisinau).

ASBAREZ ONLINE
TOP STORIES
10/05/2005
TO ACCESS PREVIOUS ASBAREZ ONLINE EDITIONS PLEASE VISIT OUR
WEBSITE AT <;HTTP://

1) US Plays Key Role in Resolving Deadlock in Turkey-EU Talks
2) Campaign Kicks-off for November 27 Referendum on Constitutional Reforms
3) Uruguay Armenians Stage Protest against Turkey’s Accession to EU
4) Opposition, Police Clashes Jar Azerbaijan Election Campaign
5) Armenia Receives $4 Million to Combat HIV/AIDS

1) US Plays Key Role in Resolving Deadlock in Turkey-EU Talks

ANKARA (AFP)–US lobbying was instrumental in breaking a deadlock that
threatened, until the last minute, the start of Turkey’s membership talks with
the European Union.
The talks opened early Tuesday in Luxembourg when the 25 EU foreign
ministers,
after more than 20 hours of wrangling, overcame Austria’s insistence to
include
in the negotiating guidelines an offer to Turkey of `privileged partnership’
instead of full membership.
Another sticking point–less in the limelight but just as vital for Turkey
–was a demand that Ankara refrain from vetoing attempts by EU member
states to
join other international bodies.
The Turkish government interpreted this as a possible means of forcing it to
agree to an eventual bid by EU-member Cyprus, which it does not recognize, to
join NATO.
That is where US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice stepped in `to underline
Washington’s interest in support for Turkey as they begin their accession
talks
with the EU,’ as State Department spokesman Sean McCormack deftly put it.
As EU foreign ministers struggled to broker a deal in Luxembourg, Rice called
Austrian leaders and asked them to drop their objections to Turkey.
She then called Turkish leaders to hear their complaints, and then persuaded
Cypriot President Tassos Papadopoulos to soften his stance, paving the way for
Turkey to clinch a deal with the EU.
`We think that decisions about NATO membership should be left to NATO
members,’ US State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said in Washington on
Monday, without going into details of Rice’s calls.
The intervention was much appreciated by Turkey, a predominantly Muslim but
strictly secular state Washington praises as a role model of co-existence
between Islam and democracy.
`We are very content’ with the US support, foreign ministry spokesman Namik
Tan told reporters here Wednesday.
`They backed this project because of the importance they place on the
expansion of the space where common values, such as democracy, rule of law,
and
market economy, prevail,’ he said.
The United States attracted storms of criticism from EU leaders in the past
for meddling in the bloc’s internal affairs by actively lobbying on behalf of
Turkey.
When US President George W. Bush said during a visit to Ankara last year that
Turkey `ought to be given a date’ for EU entry, French President Jacques
Chirac
angrily retorted that the US leader had gone too far.
But both Turkish and US diplomats say the picture was different this time.
`They [the US] did not mean to twist the EU’s arm but to help them understand
the global repercussions of their decision,’ said Turkish diplomat, who did
not
wish to be named.
`The US displayed a very strategic vision… If the talks had collapsed, the
idea of an alliance between civilizations would have suffered; there would
have
been a great frustration in the East,’ he said.
An Ankara-based foreign diplomat said Rice’s mediation should not be seen as
`an attempt by the US to insert itself in EU decision-making.’
`The US was not a leader in the negotiations, it only saw an opportunity to
play a supportive role’ to help Turkey’s EU bid, the diplomat, who spoke on
condition of anonymity, told AFP.
Turkey’s Vatan newspaper, meanwhile, linked the lack of any European
criticism
of Rice’s mediation this time to improved EU-US ties, strained because of
French and German opposition to the war in Iraq.
`Nowadays, the US acts together with Paris and Berlin on sensitive issues
such
as Iran and Syria,’ the daily said.
But it warned that seeing Washington’s support as a `kiss of life’ for
membership talks would be an `exaggeration.’
`The real battle in Europe was essentially waged by Turkish diplomats and
politicians,’ it said, `…and the first to say thank you abroad are, rather
than
Bush and his team, the left-wing and Green parties and the intellectuals of
Europe.’

2) Campaign Kicks-off for November 27 Referendum on Constitutional Reforms

YEREVAN (Combined Sources)Official campaigning for a referendum on proposed
constitutional reforms kicked-off in Armenia on October 4, after President
Robert Kocharian signed a law establishing the nationwide vote would take
place
on November 27.
If passed, the amendments would create a strict separation of powers between
the judicial, executive, and legislative branches, and pass greater powers
from
the president to parliament and the prime minister, They would also remove the
President from the Council of Justice, a body that plays a key role in
appointing judges, and would eliminate a clause outlawing dual citizenship for
diaspora Armenians.
Besides the Council of Europe, the amendments have been publicly endorsed by
the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, as well as the US and
Great Britian.
To pass, the amendments must be backed by at least one third of Armenia’s 2.4
million eligible voters, and would enter into force two years from the
referendum.

3) Uruguay Armenians Stage Protest against Turkey’s Accession to EU

YEREVAN (Yerkir)–Members of Uruguay’s Armenian community demonstrated outside
the European Union (EU) mission in Montevideo, to protest the start of
membership talks with Turkey, and to demand the latter recognize its genocide
of Armenians before being granted membership into the Union.
Ethnic Armenian member of the Uruguay Parliament Lilian Keshishian,
accompanied by another member of parliament Iván Posadas joined the October 3
protest, organized by the Armenian Revolutionary Federation’s `Armenia’ Youth
Union.
Protesters held posters reading `Historic truth cannot be hidden,’ `Turkey,
admit to your crime–the Armenian Genocide,’ and `No to Turkey’s accession to
EU unless Armenian Genocide recognition.’
A delegation handed an EU representative a petition signed by 30,000 people,
demanding the EU deny Turkey membership, unless the country recognizes the
Armenian genocide.

4) Opposition, Police Clashes Jar Azerbaijan Election Campaign

(Eurasianet.org)–With just five weeks to go before Azerbaijan’s parliamentary
elections, the chances for constructive dialogue between Azerbaijan’s
opposition and the government seem to be fading.
On October 1, after a breakdown in talks between the authorities and
opposition leaders, about 700 protestors took to the streets of central
Baku to
call for a fair and transparent parliamentary vote on November 6.
Truncheon-wielding riot police moved in quickly to break up the protest, the
second such unauthorized gathering in a week.
Authorities have warned in recent weeks that they will use force to prevent
opposition groups from staging `provocations’ against the government during
the
final weeks of the election campaign. The city government had refused to
sanction the October 1 rally in the city center, offering instead a site far
from the city center.
The opposition has presented the government’s reaction to the October 1
gathering as a violation of their right to free assembly. `We will fight for
citizens’ rights to assemble and to create a democratic pre-election
situation,’ said Ali Kerimli, the leader of the opposition Popular Front. `The
government’s illegal bans will not stop our battle.’
Police report that they detained 34 people during the October 1 rally,
although Kerimli claims as many as 200 were arrested. Riot police could be
seen
at times making free use of their truncheons to beat back protestors from the
planned demonstration site, and several participants were reported badly
injured
The October 1 protest followed an attempt by the opposition a week earlier to
hold an unauthorized demonstration in Jafar Jabbarli Square. The protest was
suspended after the Azadliq bloc, which includes the Popular Front Party of
Azerbaijan, Musavat Party and Democratic Party of Azerbaijan, agreed to resume
talks with government officials under the mediation of the Organization for
Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE)’s Baku office.
Fuad Mustafayev, deputy chairman of the Popular Front, said that the decision
to negotiate with the government was taken following an appeal to the bloc’s
leadership from Ali Hasanov, head of the public-political department of the
presidential staff. Opposition leaders said talks took place after US
Ambassador Reno Harnish called President Ilham Aliyev’s chief of staff, Ramiz
Mekhtiev.
Up to 100 supporters of the Azadliq bloc were reportedly detained during the
September 25 protest. They were released following the start of the
OSCE-mediated talks. Kerimli said that the negotiations focused on the
`guaranteeing of our constitutional right to hold a meeting in the center of
the city.’ He said Azerbaijani law states that opposition political parties do
not need permission to hold rallies, but must only notify the authorities
ahead
of time. The government disagreed, but consented to holding to further
discussions on the issue, according to Kerimli.
However, government representatives failed to show for a September 29
round of
talks on potential venues for the October 1 rally. Maurizio Pavesi, head of
the
OSCE office in Baku, blamed the authorities for the breakdown in dialogue,
adding that Hasanov had `personally told me’ that he would attend the OSCE
talks that day. `I am very surprised by the behavior of the government
representatives,’ Pavesi told reporters on September 29.
`Frankly speaking, we had opportunities to find compromises. The failure of
the Baku executive authorities and the ruling New Azerbaijan Party to attend
the meeting shows that they have no will to continue a dialogue with the
opposition,’ Pavesi went on to say.
The OSCE mission chief stated that while some of the routes proposed by the
opposition for a demonstration in central Baku were problematic, others could
have served as the topic of further discussion. An OSCE report issued
September
30 complained that Azerbaijani authorities were not acting on OSCE
recommendations for improving the election process.
The head of the presidential executive staff, Ramiz Mehdiyev has maintained
that the government sees no need for dialogue with the opposition. In a letter
forwarded to opposition leaders by the Baku mayor’s office, Mehdiyev said that
the government had proposed five potential venues for a Baku demonstration.
`They may choose one out of the five and hold their rally. In my view,
everything is clear as for venues, and there is no need for extra conversation
there,’ he stated.
Ali Hasanov, the presidential aide, seconded that view. He maintained that
the
opposition could stage demonstrations only in places assigned by the mayor’s
office. `The number of such places is limited and we are not going to discuss
other routes’, Hasanov said.
Meanwhile, leaders of the Azadliq bloc insist on holding rallies in the
center
of the city. `We were prepared for negotiations with authorities, but we will
not abandon the idea to hold a rally,’ Kerimli said. The next demonstration
has
already been scheduled for October 8.
Azerbaijani Prosecutor General Zakir Garalov that authorities would act
swiftly and firmly to any illegal assembly, adding that the Azadliq bloc held
responsibility for keeping its supporters within the law. Hasanov, meanwhile,
urged the opposition to avoid confrontation with police, noting that strict
measures will be taken against `those breaking the law.’
Mediators appear to be losing hope that a dialogue between authorities and
opposition leaders can be resumed. `The OSCE will spare no efforts to arrange
meetings. We tried to eliminate the likelihood of the 25 September
confrontation in Baku once again,’ said Pavesi, commenting on the failed talks
that preceded the October 1 protest. `Regrettably, we did not manage it and
the
government did not understand the problem.’

5) Armenia Receives $4 Million to Combat HIV/AIDS

YEREVAN (Armenpress)–The Global Fund to fight HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and
Malaria (GFATM) has committed $4 million to support the National Program on
HIV/AIDS prevention in the Republic of Armenia for the next 3 years
The grant comes in the second of a two-phased, $ 7.2 million GFATM program.
The first grant of $3.2 million was successfully completed in September 2005,
with Armenia receiving a high score for implementation.
Established in January 2002, the Global Fund aims to rapidly disburse grants
to supplement existing spending on the prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS,
Tuberculosis and Malaria while maintaining sufficient oversight of financial
transactions and programs.
The Country Coordination Commission on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria
issues in Armenia (CCM) overseas the implementation of the grant as the
coordinating commission for the National Program on HIV/AIDS activities in the
Republic of Armenia.
World Vision was nominated as the Principal Recipient (PR) of the grant in
2003 by the CCM and, in partnership with different bodies experienced in the
area of HIV/AIDS, works to support the implementation of the National Program
on HIV/AIDS prevention.
For the first time in Armenia PLWH gained access to the antiretroviral (ARV)
therapy thanks to the GFATM grant. Presently, 23 PLWH are receiving ARV
treatment, including 3 children.
Through partnership with the Ministry of Health, the National Center for AIDS
Prevention, Ministries, and local and international NGOs, Phase II will build
on the success from Phase I, and continue to implement prevention, care, and
support targeting the general population, with particular emphasis on the
youth, key groups, and PLWH.

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.

PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V.Rev.Fr. Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: [email protected]
Web:

PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon

Armenian version:

HIS HOLINESS ARAM I MEETS WITH THE CARDINAL OF TORONTO

His Holiness Aram I held a meeting with the Cardinal of Toronto, His
Eminence Aloysius Mattew on October 3.

The two spiritual leaders first met alone and then they were joined by
Prelate of Canada Archbishop Khajag Hagopian, Prelate of the Eastern Prelacy
of United States Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan, Pastor of St. Mary church of
Toronto V Rev Fr Meghrig Parikian, Communications Officer of the
Catholicosate of Cilicia V Rev Fr Krikor Chiftjian and Staff Bearer Rev Fr
Housig Mardirosian.

Discussions revolved around issues related to cooperation between the
Catholicosate of Cilicia and the Vatican, ecumenical relations and the
problems the churches in Canada face.

##
The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the Ecumenical
activities of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer to the web page of
the Catholicosate, The Cilician Catholicosate, the
administrative center of the church is located in Antelias, Lebanon.

Ecumenical News International
Daily News Service
05 October 2005

Noting Christians’ pressures, churches plead Turkey’s cause with EU
ENI-05-0753

By Jonathan Luxmoore
Warsaw, 5 October (ENI)–The head of one of Turkey’s largest
churches has appealed on behalf of local Christians for the
country’s admission to the European Union, after promised
membership negotiations came close to cancellation amid disputes
between EU governments.

“Turkey’s aspiration to join the EU is an opportunity for
East-West reconciliation,” the Armenian Apostolic Patriarch of
Constantinople, Mesrob II, said in a letter to EU ministers and
parliamentarians. “Pressures in recent days from various circles
to postpone the Turkish membership process cause us concern.”

Still, improved rights for Turkey’s 100 000 Christians have been
cited as a precondition for the country’s EU admission, talks on
which were promised last December after a 40-year Turkish drive.

The patriarch’s letter was published on 1 October by the
English-language Turkish Daily News in the run-up to the
projected 3 October opening of accession talks, which were
initially blocked by Austria at the EU’s weekend meeting in
Luxembourg.

Speaking “in the name of Armenians, Christians of other
confessions and Jews” living in Turkey, the patriarch said a
decision on Turkish membership would mark “an important turning
point in world politics”.

“We pray for a successful, peaceful integration process, and that
Armenians, who form the largest Christian community here, will
find their proper place,” said Patriarch Mesrob, whose church
dates from the early fourth century and has around 70 000 members
in Turkey, where more than 98 per cent of the 70 million citizens
are Sunni Muslims.

Most denominations continue to complain of discrimination,
including the Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarchate, which has been
refused permission to reopen its theological seminary, forcibly
closed in 1971. The Orthodox church has also been stopped from
making essential repairs to its 72 Istanbul churches.

Turkish membership of the EU was also supported by Roman Catholic
Bishop Luigi Padovese, the apostolic vicar of Anatolia, who said
Turkey had been a Christian centre for centuries.

“Our Christian roots are precisely in Turkey – this is where
Saints Paul and Luke were born, where a large proportion of the
New Testament came into being, where seven of the first councils
of the still-undivided church were held, and where the Creed we
recite on Sundays gained its shape,” Padovese told Poland’s
Catholic news agency, KAI, on 3 October.

The Commission of EU Catholic Bishops’ Conferences declared
support for Turkish membership in November 2004, adding that it
saw “no religious obstacle” to the presence of a predominantly
Muslim country. However, it cautioned that Turkey had so far
failed to meet the EU’s criteria for accession, including respect
for religious freedom and the legal status of churches, the
rights of women and non-Muslim minorities. [452 words]

All articles (c) Ecumenical News International
Reproduction permitted only by media subscribers and
provided ENI is acknowledged as the source.

Ecumenical News International
PO Box 2100
CH – 1211 Geneva 2
Switzerland

PRESS RELEASE
Armenian Center for National and International Studies
75 Yerznkian Street
Yerevan 375033, Armenia
Tel: (+374 – 1) 52.87.80 or 27.48.18
Fax: (+374 – 1) 52.48.46
E-mail: [email protected] or [email protected]
Website:

October 5, 2005

ACNIS Turns Eleven: Raffi Hovannisian’s Public Address

Yerevan–Today the Armenian Center for National and International Studies
(ACNIS) celebrated its 11th anniversary of public service, creative
inspiration, and analytical research. On the occasion and in the presence of
professional staff and media representatives, ACNIS founder and Heritage
Party chairman Raffi K. Hovannisian delivered his annual address.

Underscoring the most serious challenges for Armenia in the new era, Raffi
Hovannisian pinpointed the adverse phenomena still plaguing Armenian
domestic and foreign policy, and in particular the perils of endemic
corruption, the rule of caprice and lawlessness, growing poverty, and the
predictable consequence of emigration. “In this quickly-changing world, when
the governed expect of their leaders a flexible mind, a consensus-building
capacity, and a profound worldview, we simply do not have the right to
entrust our nation’s destiny to those who have appropriated its foreign
policy in the same way as they have done with the country’s economy, turning
one and the other into a shadow structure driven by personal gain.”
According to Hovannisian, this mode of operation has made a mockery of the
national interest, has alienated the country’s citizens from their
authorities, and has weakened the foundations of our once-national
solidarity. From the standard-bearer of democracy and liberty in the region,
Armenia is now retreating to the backwaters of cynical authoritarian
dominion.

A striking reflection of the public’s shaken trust toward its governors,
Raffi Hovannisian continued, is the current package of constitutional
amendments which is likewise being used by the powers that be for cheap
propaganda purposes. “These proffered improvements will remain a mere word
game as long as the most basic and universal precept–the separation of
executive, legislative, and judicial authority–has not become a reality.”
And this, in Hovannisian’s words, can be secured only by an administration
that has received a broad public mandate through free and fair elections.
Until that day comes to pass, the constitutional changes will simply be
reminiscent of an unsuccessful attempt quickly to hide the cracks of an old
and run-down building by means of “European-style remodeling.”

The wide-ranging speech of Armenia’s first Minister of Foreign Affairs
focused also on major flaws in diplomacy and external policy which have
resulted from the situational activity of hypocritical officials who have
little in common with national interests, guiding principles, and public
confidence. Raffi Hovannisian scored the myopic and reactive nature of the
Armenian presidency not only in terms of the watershed divide in the
Armenia-Turkey relationship, but also in the context of European Union
integration. “It is foreseeable that in its best-case scenario Turkey can
only become an EU member in synchronization with Armenia, and in the process
it will have to undergo serious and irreversible reforms, confront its
history, reject any imperial ambitions, and so forge a comprehensive
resolution of all outstanding matters with Armenia.” Pursuant to the
precedents set by a number of civilized countries, Hovannisian sounded the
imperative to work for the historic opportunity to turn enmity into
partnership.

The extensive work of quality carried out by ACNIS in the past eleven years
demonstrates that, odds notwithstanding, Armenia is capable of claiming its
place of desert and dignity among the family of nations, provided of course
that it rediscovers itself as a civilizational contributor to the world and
strives to unite the tremendous political, economic, cultural, and
intellectual potential of all Armenians across the globe. Finally becoming a
real Homeland for the entire Armenian nation, Raffi Hovannisian concluded,
is the best way for Armenia to overcome the complex impasse it currently
faces.

Founded in 1994 by Armenia’s first Minister of Foreign Affairs Raffi K.
Hovannisian and supported by a global network of contributors, ACNIS serves
as a link between innovative scholarship and the public policy challenges
facing Armenia and the Armenian people in the post-Soviet world. It also
aspires to be a catalyst for creative, strategic thinking and a wider
understanding of the new global environment. In 2005, the Center focuses
primarily on civic education, conflict resolution, and applied research on
critical domestic and foreign policy issues for the state and the nation.

For further information on the Center, call (37410) 52-87-80 or 27-48-18;
fax (37410) 52-48-46; e-mail [email protected] or [email protected]; or visit

P U B L I C A F F A I R S O F F I C E NEWS RELEASE
EMBASSY OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
AMERICAN AVENUE 1
YEREVAN, ARMENIA
TELEPHONE (+374 10) 46 47 00; 46 47 01; 46 47 02
E-MAIL: [email protected]

September 28, 2005
U.S. EMBASSY BRINGS LIBRARY SPECIALIST TO ARMENIA
>From September 5 through September 17, Dr. Leigh Estabrook, professor of
library and information science, professor of sociology, and director of the
Library Research Center at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign,
participated in the U.S. Embassy Library Speaker Series. Dr. Estabrook’s
2-week visit focused on creating of a curriculum for the first Library
Science Masters Degree Program in Armenia, as well as on revising and
updating the Library Sciences Bachelors Degree curriculum at Yerevan State
Pedagogical University. During her visit, Dr. Estabrook worked closely with
library specialists in Yerevan and other regions, and visited many libraries
throughout Armenia.