ASBAREZ Online [04-11-2006]

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04/11/2006
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WEBSITE AT <;HTTP://WWW.ASBAREZ. COM 1) ARF Is for Territorial Integrity of Georgia 2) Armenia Must Always Be Ready for War 3) Azeri Leader to Meet George W. Bush 4) Case against Four Turkish Journalists Dropped 5) Armenian Writers' Conference Ends with Special Ceremony 6) Armenian Military Says Hundreds Still Kept in Azeri Captivity 1) ARF Is for Territorial Integrity of Georgia YEREVAN (Noyan Tapan)--Vahan Hovhannisian, Vice Speaker of the Armenian Parliament and Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) Bureau member, said that the ARF is not at all against the territorial integrity of Georgia. Responding to a question of the "Golos Armenii" (Voice of Armenia) newspaper, he also said the ARF is not responsible for the strained situation in Javakhk. According to Hovhannisian, if the Georgian state is willing to give wide autonomous rights to its national minorities (Abkhazians, Ossetians), the law-abiding Armenian citizens in Javakhk deserve the same rights. "I think that Georgia, entering different European structures, must show a European approach to the issue of national minorities," Hovhannisian stated. 2) Armenia Must Always Be Ready for War YEREVAN (Yerkir)--Armenian Defense Minister Serge Sargsian said Tuesday that Armenia, like any other country, must always be prepared for war. "The Defense Minister of any country, the Armenian Defense Minister in particular, must realize that military operations may start at any moment," said Sargsian in response to a question about whether or he foresees a chance of war. Regarding the increased ceasefire violations along the Armenia-Azerbaijan border zone, the Defense Minister said that today's situation is no different from the previous situation. "There have always been shots fired, and even if there is a difference, the situation has become milder," he added. 3) Azeri Leader to Meet George W. Bush WASHINGTON (Armenpress)--Azeri President Ilham Aliyev will meet with US President George W. Bush later this month to discuss energy and the promotion of democracy in Asia, the White House said Monday. Bush and Aliyev will also discuss Azerbaijan's role in helping stabilize Iraq, Afghanistan, and Kosovo during the April 28 meeting. Aliyev will also discuss Karabagh conflict regulation issue and US-Azerbaijan bilateral relations, Trend news agency cited the head of the social-political department of the Azeri president's executive staff Ali Hasanov as saying. 4) Case against Four Turkish Journalists Dropped ISTANBUL (AP)--A court on Tuesday dropped charges against four Turkish journalists accused of insulting the country's courts, but decided to press ahead with the trial of a fifth journalist. All five journalists were on trial for criticizing in print a court's decision last year to shut down a conference in Istanbul about the genocide of Armenians by Turks during the Ottoman Empire. Prosecutors said their writings were illegal attempts to influence the outcome of a trial and insulted the court system. On Tuesday, the court dropped charges against journalists Hasan Cemal, Ismet Berkan, Haluk Sahin, and Erol Katircioglu, on grounds that prosecutors had not filed charges within the required two-month period following the publication of the articles, the state-run Anatolia news agency reported. The court, however, decided to proceeded with the trial of Murat Belge, a columnist for the liberal Radikal newspaper, the agency said. The trial is seen as a test of Turkey's readiness for membership in the European Union. Turkey, which embarked on membership talks in October, is under heavy pressure from the EU and human rights organizations to address its infringements on freedom of expression. The five had faced between six months to 10 years in prison. Charges on the grounds of insulting the republic, state institutions or "Turkishness" are frequently leveled against journalists, scholars, and dissidents. Discussion of the Armenian genocide is still extremely sensitive in Turkey, which vehemently denies that the Genocide took place. The conference in September went on despite the court order to close it down after organizers changed the venue at the last minute. It was the first time the issue was publicly discussed in Turkey. A case against Orhan Pamuk, the country's best-known novelist, for "insulting Turkishness," was dropped earlier this year after Turkey came under harsh criticism from the EU. 5) Armenian Writers' Conference Ends with Special Ceremony The Third Pan-Armenian Writers' Conference officially ended with a special ceremony held on the evening of April 9 in the Antelias headquarters of the Catholicosate of Cilicia, under the patronage of His Holiness Aram I. The president of the Writers' Union of Armenia, Levon Ananian thanked His Holiness Aram I on behalf of the participants in the conference and Armenian writers who were unable to make the conference. Ananian expressed his gratitude not only for the organization of the conference, but for the love, support, care, and commitment that the Armenian Pontiff shows towards Armenian writers and culture. Following the heart-felt words of the oldest participant in the conference, poet Jack Hagopian, a similar opportunity to speak was given to the youngest participant, poet Nanor Indjedjigian. IN her speech during the closing ceremony, the young poet said she considered Armenian literature to be a source of youth. His Holiness Aram I then delivered the concluding remarks, expressing his impressions of the conference. The Catholicos made use of his experience as a participant in numerous national and international conferences to make several constructive suggestions for the next conference. The Pontiff proposed that in the future more time be reserved for discussion sessions, which should include more questions than statements. He suggested penetrating into the heart of the presented topics and bringing problems clearly under the spotlight. His Holiness stressed the importance of participation by the youth, considering it the source of persistence of Armenian institutions, culture, and literature. His Holiness Aram I particularly emphasized the importance of looking for new paths to cooperation between Armenia and the diaspora and pointed out that Armenian literature can help contribute to this. In this context, he focused on mutual recognition and acquaintance, stressing that Armenian language textbooks should include the works of both Armenia-based and diaspora-based Armenian writers. His Holiness called on bravely facing difficult and sensitive issues rather than escaping from them. Mentioning the issue of dictation as an example, he said that as one of the strong factors of the Armenian nation's unity, the matter needs to be discussed in a periodical manner. His Holiness Aram I then identified the deterioration of quality in all the fields of Armenian literature as a major problem and called for establishing a new level of quality with collective efforts and commitment. At the end of the ceremony, His Holiness Aram I decorated the president of the Writers' Union of Armenia with the "St. Mesrob Mashdots" insignia. The Seminary choir then performed a series of national and patriotic songs to mark the end of the conference. 6) Armenian Military Says Hundreds Still Kept in Azeri Captivity YEREVAN (RFE/RL)--Hundreds of Armenian prisoners of war and civilians remain in Azeri captivity nearly twelve years after the end of large-scale fighting in Karabagh, a senior Armenian Defense Ministry official said on Tuesday. "We have information that they are used as slave labor in Azerbaijan," said Colonel Ashot Balian, a member of a ministry commission dealing missing Armenian soldiers and civilian hostages. "The Azerbaijani authorities keep moving them around and leaving no traces of them." "I therefore can't name any specific locations, but we are convinced that they are in Azerbaijan. Some are even said to have been relocated to Turkey," he said. "We still hope that our missing sons will return to their families one day." The Azeri authorities have denied holding any Armenian prisoners in the past. The Red Cross, which has offices in both Baku and Yerevan, is the main international institution that arranges Armenian-Azeri prisoner exchanges and repatriations. Both conflicting armies continue to turn to it for assistance after reporting soldier disappearances. All subscription inquiries and changes must be made through the proper carrier and not Asbarez Online. 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