Month: October 2006

RZA VEZIRI: IT IS UP TO AZERBAIJANI GOVERNMENT TO PREVENT EXPLOITATION OF GOLD DEPOSITS BY ARMENIANS

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
Oct 2 2006

Armenian government, foreign companies, US State Department,
British Foreign Ministry, and UN have not reacted to the protest
of the Azerbaijan International Mining Operating Company (AIMOC)
against exploitation of gold deposits in Armenian-occupied Azerbaijan
territories, Rza Veziri, AIMOC president told the APA exclusively.

Mr.Veziri said they have not concrete evidences to appeal to the
International Court. The photos taken from satellite do not prove
any excavation.

"Ecology and Natural Resources Ministry criticizes us for passivity.

I signed only an economic contract with Azerbaijan. It is up to the
government to investigate the matter," he said.

TURKEY’S ACCESSION TO EU NOT TO POSE THREAT TO ARMENIA – KOCHARIAN
by Tigran Liloyan

ITAR-TASS News Agency, Russia
September 30, 2006 Saturday

Armenian President Robert Kocharian said on Saturday Turkey’s accession
to the EU will pose no threat to Armenia.

"The system of values such as the freedom of movement and open borders
accepted in Europe should spread on Turkey’s policy, too," he said.

"All these issues should be taken into account not at the last stage
of Turkey’s accession to the EU, but in the beginning," he said.

"We are interested in having a more predictable, safe and democratic
neighbor," Kocharian said.

He pointed out that "in fact, Armenia-Turkish relations are not
formed."

"The heads of the neighboring countries should communicate with each
other not by means of letters, but of diplomatic embassies they should
have, by means of constant consultations and foreign ministries’
contacts," he said.

ARMENIAN GAMES OF THE DINOSAUR
By Taha Akyol

Turkish Press
Oct 2 2006

MILLIYET- Newsweek International Editor Fareed Zakaria once described
French President Jacques Chirac this way: ‘Chirac, the tired old
dinosaur who seems increasingly uncomprehending of today’s world.’
Zakaria was explaining that Chirac couldn’t understand how China
has grown with its market economy. Doesn’t Chirac’s attitude on the
so-called Armenian genocide confirm this view? The tired old dinosaur
who can’t grasp the understanding of history, science and freedom in
today’s world is behind old-fashioned political games. He’s taking
steps to win over Armenia for France in the Caucasian region. This
region is of course very important with its geopolitics and oil,
but Chirac trusts Armenia and declares enmity against Turkey and
Azerbaijan.

Last December 19 French historians published a declaration on ‘Freedom
for History.’ About 700 scholars signed it. They repeated this when the
law on punishing denial of the so-called Armenian genocide was debated
in the French Parliament in May. The declaration said the following:
‘History is not a religion. The historian doesn’t accept dogma,
doesn’t have respect for any prohibition; this can be inconvenient,
but history is not ethics. Historians don’t condemn or glorify,
they explain. History is not the slave of current events.’ The same
law is being considered now. Historian Jean-Pierre Azema compares
the determination of history by law to the Soviet interpretation of
history. France has accepted a law that the good parts of colonialism
will be explained in history books.

Some will ask whether the Armenian question is being debated in
Turkey. As soon as the decision to cancel the conference on Armenia
was made, I criticized the decision on TV. Many people criticized it.

The issue is discussed in Turkey, but banned in France. French
politicians of Armenian origin said the following: ‘Turks massacred
Armenians because the Armenians cooperated with France. Don’t forget
that Armenia used to be a French colony.’ These words aim at French
people who like colonialism, but they are a big lie. Armenia was never
a colony of France. It is a lie, but important. It reflects the hatred
of Armenians and French arrogance. This hatred and arrogance is behind
the law on the so-called Armenian genocide.

CHIRAC PUTS NEW HURDLE ON TURKEY’S ACCESSION

EurActiv, Belgium
Oct 2 2006

In Short:

French President Jacques Chirac believes that admission of the Armenian
genocide should be a precondition for Turkey’s entry to the EU.

Brief News:

The comments by Chirac come only few days after the European Parliament
decided not to make recognition of the Armenian genocide a precondition
to Turkey’s EU accession, in its report voted on 27 September (see
EurActiv, 28 September 2006).

When asked, if Turkey had to recognise the mass killings of Armenians,
between 1915 and 1917 under the Ottoman Empire, to join the EU,
Chirac said: "Honestly, I believe it does. Each country grows by
acknowledging its dramas and mistakes of the past."

The French Parliament is to discuss a law making denial of the Armenian
genocide punishable with up to a year’s imprisonment and a fine of
45,000 euro, on 12 October 2006.

A Turkish-embassy official in Belgium did not want to comment on
Chirac’s statement.

The statement comes at a time when EU-Turkey negotiations face a
slowdown, due to unresolved issues, such as Cyprus and freedom of
speech, which have hindered further progress so far. The Commission
is to publish its progress report on Turkey on 8 November 2006.

ac-puts-new-hurdle-turkey-accession/article-158403

A NUMBER OF ARMENIAN OPPOSITION PARTIES UNITE INTO UNITED ANTI-CRIMINAL MOVEMENT

Noyan Tapan News Agency, Armenia
Sept 28 2006

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 28, NOYAN TAPAN. "The Armenian people is facing the
danger of losing its statehood. Open criminalization of all spheres,
including political one, is taking place in the country."

This was mentioned in the Anti-criminal Movement Declaration signed
by a number of opposition parites on September 28.

According to the declaration, the criminal bodies that appeared in
the power pyramid started a large-scale process of centralization
of criminogenic financial resources. RA citizens are unprotected
in their country. Innocent people become victims of periodically
committed murders and terrorist acts: "These criminal actions are the
consequence of unconcealed arbitrariness and direct encouragement of
Kocharian-Sargsian duet," the declaration read.

According to the document authors, task number one of the current
authorities is to do everything for reproducing the current regime at
the forthcoming elections. For this purpose Serge Sargsian’s grouping
was formed with R.Kocharian’s direct sponsorship from most corrupted
officials and business leaders having criminal roots. The grouping
"under the cover of the Republican Party of Armenia, by bribing and
blackmailing state officials, intimidating the society, media and
politicians, creates conditions for coup d’etat."

According to the declaration, "the most part of the Armenian citizens
did not give themselves up to the criminal-oligarch elements and will
not permit to endanger the Armenian people’s future." The document
authors are sure that criminal elements can be forced out of the
country’s public and political life only with joint resolute efforts.

The parties having signed the document declared that they united into
a united anti-criminal movement.

As of 16:00 the document was signed by 13 parties, including the
Homeland and Honor, Nor Zhamanakner (New Times), National Unity,
People’s Party of Armenia, Constitutional Law Union, Hanrapetutiun,
Social-Democratic Hnchakian and others. Representatives of the
Democratic Party and the Democratic Homeland party also expressed
willingness to join the document.

Nor Zhamanakner Party Chairman Aram Karapetian told journalists that
the declaration is open for another political forces to sign it and
to join the movement.

FORMER BELGIAN FM MICHEL SPEAKS IN SUPPORT OF TURKISH EU MEMBERSHIP

Hurriyet, Turkey
Oct 2 2006

Support for Turkey in the face of pressure from within the EU to accept
Armenian claims of genocide has come from EU Commission member and
former Belgian Foreign Minister Louis Michel. Speaking on the subject,
Michel said yesterday "New political criteria cannot be put in front
of Turkey for it to gain EU membership. Turkey has great importance
for the EU. It is enough just to look and see where energy lines
cross eachother to understand this."

Speaking in Brussels, Michel touched further on Turkey’s role in the
region, and how it was tied to what he called "the EU’s great need
for Turkey":

"Just look at the problems in the region. Take a glance at the problems
in Iraq, the greater Middle East, Iran. You will notice that Turkey
is a key country in this all…..There are parliamentarians from the
European Parliament who seem to behave as though Turkey will become
a member tomorrow. Turkey’s membership will take time, and we must
give the country time to prepare."

GAS SUPPLY TO ARMENIA RESTORED

PanARMENIAN.Net
02.10.2006 12:58 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Russia has restored gas supply to Armenia. As
reported before, September 28 gas supply to Armenia was interrupted
due to reconstruction and regulating of Red Bridge measuring unit
in Georgia.

The work in the unit was planned to last 4 days, however it was managed
to be completed earlier. In that period gas supply for population
of the republic was secured at the expense of reserves of Abovyan
underground gas storage, reports Interfax.

CHIRAC POKES FINGER IN TURKEY’S EYE ON ARMENIA ‘GENOCIDE’
By Andrew Rettman

EUObserver, Belgium
Oct 2 2006

French president Jacques Chirac paid no heed to Turkish sensitivities
on his first-ever visit to Armenia this weekend, calling on Turkey to
own up to "genocide" before joining the EU and comparing the killings
to Nazi Germany’s holocaust.

"Should Turkey recognise the genocide of Armenia to join the EU?" Mr
Chirac asked, AP reports. "I believe so. Each country grows by
acknowledging the dramas and errors of its past…Can one say that
Germany, which has deeply acknowledged the holocaust, has as a result
lost credit? It has grown."

The French leader made the remarks in Yerevan on Saturday (30
September) at a wreath-laying ceremony beside the country’s "Genocide
Monument", before visiting the "Genocide Museum" and writing the
solitary word "remember" in the visitors’ book.

Armenia says Turkish forces slaughtered 1.5 million Armenians between
1915 and 1917 but the Turkish government and Turkish history books
claim that 300,000 Armenians and 300,000 Turks died in a ‘civil war’
in the region.

Fifteen countries, including France, Switzerland, Russia and Argentina,
have previously classified the killings as "genocide" – defined by
the UN as "harmful acts…committed with intent to destroy, in whole
or in part, a national, ethnic, racial or religious group."

In Turkey, any deviation from the official line can land novelists
or university professors in jail under article 301 of the country’s
new penal code against "insulting Turkishness."

But there has been no official reaction to Mr Chirac’s statements so
far, despite mumblings by unnamed Turkish diplomats in the Turkish
Daily News that they are "worried" about worsening bilateral relations.

Chirac goes further than EU The French leader’s remarks go further
than Brussels’ formal EU accession conditions, which require Ankara
to boost democratic standards in areas such as free speech and to
lift its blockade on Cypriot shipping – but do not mention the thorny
Armenian question.

MEPs voting on a highly-critical report on Turkey’s EU accession
progress last week also opted to cut out a clause calling for
recognition of the Armenian genocide for fear of stirring up a
nationalist backlash in the EU’s most controversial candidate state.

Armenia itself has so far shied away from confrontation on the subject,
with president Robert Kocharian on Saturday saying merely "we would
like that our interests be discussed" in the EU-Turkey accession talks.

The small, landlocked country of 3.6 million people is in a tricky
position: it has closed borders with Turkey in the west; the prospect
of a Russian-Georgian conflict in the north; escalating tensions with
Azerbaijan in the east and borders with international pariah Iran in
the south.

But France plans to keep on pressing the issue with a vote tabled
in parliament on 12 October over a fresh resolution that Turkey must
give the Armenian killings their proper name.

About 400,000 Armenian ex-pats live in France, with some – such as
singer Charles Aznavour – rising to social prominence and with Paris
promising to hold a referendum before it ratifies Turkish EU accession
in the future.

PRESIDENT ALIYEV: "NO TRADE-OFFS IN NK ISSUE DURING MY PRESIDENCY"

Today, Azerbaijan
Oct 2 2006

President Ilham Aliyev participated in the opening of the parliament’s
autumn session.

Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev said on Monday he was in favor of
an active policy in the settlement of the conflict around the mostly
Armenian populated Azerbaijani enclave of Nagorno Karabakh.

The President emphasized a need to use all possibilities for a
peaceful settlement of the conflict, noting that "Azerbaijan will
continue cooperation with international organizations on that issue."

He told a parliament session that co-chairmen of the OSCE Minsk group
for Nagorno Karabakh arrived on Monday in Baku and stressed that his
country "is not going to reject that format of the settlement."

"However, we believe that the activity of other international
organizations can also contribute to a peace process," Aliyev said.

At the same time he stressed that "Azerbaijan will never allow the
setting up of a second Armenian state on its territory."

"Azerbaijan will never sign a peace agreement that would not meet
the national interests of the country," he said. "As a President,
I will never sign it," he emphasized.

The president also said that under a 2007 draft budget, Azerbaijan’s
defense expenditures will grow 17.8 percent, and will reach 900
million dollars.

"The growth of military expenses must not worry anyone. This is our
sovereign right. Besides, a growth of the military budget cannot
automatically lead to a war. We must ensure our security and be ready
for any development of the events," the President said.

URL:

FRANCE ADDS TO EU PRESSURE ON TURKEY

EUPolitix.com, Belgium
Oct 2 2006

French president Jacques Chirac has pressed Turkey to recognise the
role played by Ankara in the Armenian genocide during WW1.

Chirac’s comments came during a visit to Armenia over the weekend
and could indicate a hardening of France’s stance towards Turkey’s
EU membership.

"Should Turkey recognise the genocide of Armenia to join the EU?"
Chirac asked.

"Honestly, I believe so. Each country grows by acknowledging its
dramas and errors of the past."

"Germany has recognised its role in the Holocaust, and has not suffered
as a result. In fact, its status has grown. Turkey would do well…to
take note," he added.

Armenians say up to 1.5 million people were systematically killed by
the Turkish authorities between 1915-1923.

Turkey has acknowledged that large numbers died, but insists that
the overall figure has been overstated.

The French parliament has officially recognised the killings as
genocide.

But Chirac has rejected calls by socialists that denial of the genocide
should become a crime in France.

Germany is also expected to add to EU pressure on Turkey this week –
as Chancellor Angela Merkel heads to Istanbul.

But while Merkel may share French scepticism over Turkey’s EU entry
ambitions, she will also be keen to avert a crisis ahead of her EU
presidency in the first half of 2007.

EU enlargement commissioner Olli Rehn will also be in Turkey this
week – with a carrot and stick message for the country.

Rehn will visit Ankara on Tuesday to pressure officials to deliver
on freedom of expression and religion, and on Cyprus.

Over the weekend the Cypriot government warned there could be no
further accession talks with Turkey if it does not formally recognise
Cyprus.

The Turkish parliament is currently debating a wide ranging reform
package – but EU officials fear it falls short of Brussels’ demands
on free speech and religious minorities.

The European commission is set to report on Turkish progress on
November 8.

Turkish officials will be hoping to avoid the "train crash" Rehn has
warned of.