Month: November 2006

ARMENIAN REPRESENTATIVE OF FRENCH SENATE ON VISIT TO BAKU
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
Nov 22 2006
Armenian Pierre-Henry Godshiyan participates in the 28th plenary
session of BSECO PA held in Baku, APA reports.
The representative of French Senate Foreign Relations Department
Godshiyan accompanies French Senate member Bernard Fernier who has
come to participate in the plenary session.
Godshiyan is considered one of the persons defending Armenians
interests in the French political circles. He does his best for the
adoption of the bill making the so-called Armenian genocide denial
punishable. Pierre-Henry Godshiyan got visa to Azerbaijan from
Azerbaijani Embassy in France in early November. Embassy consulate
rejected to give explanation about the fact.

FRENCH AMBASSADOR LAUDS TURKEY AS BROKER FOR EU, MIDEAST
By Economy News Desk
Zaman, Turkey
Nov 22 2006
As the rift between Turkey and France over the French draft bill on
the alleged Armenian genocide deepens, France’s Ambassador to Turkey
Jean-Paul Poudade said: “Because of issues relating to internal
politics, politicians are exaggerating something. This draft will
not be ratified.”
Noting that the membership talks between Turkey and the European
Union should continue without interruption, Poudade stressed the
importance of this for both sides. Speaking at a dinner held by the
Istanbul Chamber of Commerce, the French ambassador said: “If it wants
to establish dialogue with the Islamic world, Europe could do it via
Turkey. When Turkey is admitted into the union, the difficulties in
the Middle East will be alleviated to a great extent.
Sooner or later, one should maintain peace with their neighbors,
especially if they are an EU member.”
Poudade further stressed that French and Turkish businessmen should
collaborate more often to strengthen the ties between the countries.

SENIOR REPUBLICAN SEES NO KARABAKH SETTLEMENT UNTIL 2012
By Ruzanna Stepanian
Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
Nov 22 2006
A senior Republican Party (HHK) member thinks no solution will be
found to the Nagorno-Karabakh problem in the next several years.
Galust Sahakian, the leader of the party’s parliamentary faction,
told Armenian media on Wednesday that he sees no solution to the
Karabakh problem in the coming years, but added: “Some approaches
can be formed and certain results can be registered, but I see the
ultimate solution no sooner than in 2012.”
“At this point neither the international community nor any country
has expectations from us,” Sahakian explained.
After elections, according Sahakian, the newly elected president will
need time “to familiarize himself with the problem and get involved
in the negotiations.”
Sahakian sees a solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh problem in 2012,
as at that time “a change of generation will take place and the next
generation will take the power.” And the new generation, according to
him, “will be less restrained” and will make “more resolute decisions.”
The same, according to the parliamentarian, concerns Azerbaijan.
Sahakian believes the new generation [of leaders] in Azerbaijan will
not be “that much interested in Karabakh”, which, he said, will be
favorable for the Armenian side.
“This is a natural way,” Sahakian said, adding that it does not mean,
however, that the current authorities thus want to shift the burden
on the generation to come.
As regards a possible return of lands during the settlement process,
the senior HHK representative said: “Our position is: first Karabakh’s
status and after that open negotiating processes.”
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

FRENCH ARMENIAN BILL DISSIDENT TO SETTLE IN TURKEY
By Ali Ihsan Aydin
Zaman, Turkey
Nov 22 2006
Politicians were not the only ones to react to the French bill that
would make denial of the alleged Armenian genocide punishable by law.
Historian Jean Michel Thibaux, who strongly opposed the draft, is
preparing to apply for Turkish citizenship and settle in the Turkish
city of Antalya. Thibaux, who is planning to move in 2007, will lecture
on history at Akdeniz University. The well-published historian is
currently studying the Turkish language. His admiration for Turkish
culture dates back many years. The French bill had the greatest impact
on his recent decision: “I’ve loved Turkey for such a long time,
and I was considering becoming Turkish. The draft accelerated that;
I was outraged.” He offered an interesting analogy on the overall
situation of his country: “My country is going bankrupt; it’s going
straight to hell.”
Thibaux describes Turkish culture as “one which resembles me, speaks
to me and amazes me…” Thibaux, who will arrive in Turkey to attend
the Seb-i Arus ceremonies in December in commemoration of great Muslim
thinker Mawlana, currently lives in a tiny yet lovely French town on
the Mediterranean coast. Speaking to Zaman, Thibaux made important
statements about his decision to live in Turkey, the draft on the
alleged Armenian genocide, and the overall situation in his country.
How did you decide to become a Turkish citizen? How did this idea
arise?
My idea to become a Turkish citizen dates way back. My father was
very fond of Turkey and naturally this love passed onto me. Since my
first visit to Turkey 25 years ago, the Turkish people and Turkish
culture have amazed me. This was an extraordinary sentiment that I
felt whenever I returned from Turkey to France. The idea of becoming
a naturalized Turk was fully materialized in 2000. At last, I chose
the soil that speaks to me, and resembles me.
So, it is not a reaction to the Armenian draft bill?
I have been fond of Turkey for a long time and I was already
considering becoming a Turkish citizen. The Armenian draft bill
accelerated the entire process. I was outraged! And I sent a letter
to Mehmet Dulger. The first bill recognizing the Armenian genocide
was outrageous. In reaction to this bill, I issued a historical
declaration, which I sent to the Turkish parliament as well. With
the adoption of the recent draft, I said, ‘I will become a Turk!’
Will you renounce your French citizenship?
It is impossible. Under the French Constitution, we do not have to
make such a choice. However, we are permitted to live in accordance
with the “other citizenship,” that is to say, the Turkishness.
independent of French citizenship. My reaction is not with France,
but with French politicians. If there had been wiser men in the French
Assembly, the Armenian question would not even have been brought to
the agenda of the country.
Have you applied for Turkish citizenship? At what stage is the process?
My application for Turkish citizenship will materialize in the
weeks ahead. The Turkish authorities have all the information and
documents they need about me. On the other hand, I also sent a letter
of motivation to the interior minister. I was invited to Konya in
December. I suppose we will discuss the issue there. I started learning
Turkish with the aid of audio tapes and CDs. When I settle in Antalya,
I will hire a teacher. I hope I will be able to speak Turkish within
two or three months.
How did your friends and relatives react to this decision?
Contrary to what might be expected, pretty well. Nobody has strongly
protested. My family was excited. My son will also become a Turkish
citizen. The intellectuals I often debate with understood my
rationale. One prominent French friend will accompany me to Konya.
After my decision, those who are close to me adopted a different
stance toward Turkey.
After becoming a Turkish citizen, will you consider living in Turkey
as well?
I am considering living in Antalya from early 2007 on. Following
the media coverage of my situation, the rector of Akdeniz University
contacted me. He said they were considering giving me a chair in the
university, and that they would be honored if I accepted it. I am
an expert on antiquity. I have lectured extensively on this. I’ve
published three dictionaries. I intend to give antiquity lectures
in Antalya. As a resident of the Mediterranean, I would have a hard
time living in a city like Ankara. On the contrary, in many respects,
Antalya is similar to the place where I currently live.
What do you think about the denial bill? Will the draft be approved?
What are your remarks about the French attitude when it comes to its
own past? Sarkozy had said that ‘the sons would not apologize for
their fathers’ faults.’
For me, the draft bill has no value. Only 119 out of more than 500
deputies approved it. The draft does not represent the French nation.
I would like to recall that the person who put forward the draft is
the deputy of the predominantly Armenian Drome region. If I rely on my
own sources and President Chirac’s hidden will, I can say that this
proposal will not be ratified at the Senate. The worst case scenario
is the adoption of a bill with significant modifications so that it
will be impossible to implement. France should stay away from another
nation’s past. It should first look at its own past, and try to draw
conclusions. Sarkozy quoted from my statement, “We cannot hold the
sons responsible for what their fathers did.” It is the historians’
job to shed light on the past.
First the suburbs, then university youth rioted. What is going on
in France?
France is having a serious identity crisis. Because it was unable to
adapt itself to the modern world, it is now incapable of resolving
the identity problems of the main constituents of the country. What
is more, the middle class is becoming poorer. The situation of the
laborers and small businesses is getting worse. I do not know how
we can deal with this collapse. France is avoiding its problems. We
are going bankrupt. It is the sin of our national arrogance and
self-conceit. We are still living with the victories of the past. In
the 1960s, France was the fifth-largest power in the world. Now it
ranks 19th. When will its fall toward hell end?

IRAN BORDER-GUARDS SPREAD NEWS ABOUT CROSS DESTRUCTIONS IN JULFA
Azeri Press Agency
Nov 22 2006
“Iran border-guards first saw the destruction of the crosses in
Armenian cemetery near the old Juga territory.” These ideas belong
to Derenik Melikyan, the editor-in-chief of Alik newspaper published
in Armenian language in Iran, APA reports.
Derenik Melikyan says that there are enough schools, churches and
media meeting the demands of Armenians in Iran, Armenian historical
monuments, especially, Surb Tatevos temple in Atrratakan are protected
by the government.
“The only difficulty for Armenians is the activity of local Turkish
speaking circles. But both Armenian community and Iran government
observes their activity and takes needed measures in any case,”
he said.
Derenik Melikyan also said that Iran diplomatic circles have also
warm relations with Armenians living in the foreign countries. He
also said the information about Armenian monuments in Iran and Surb
Tatevos temple was posted in the website of Russia Embassy. It should
be noted that with the support of Iran government Armenians call
some Christian monuments in South Azerbaijan to be theirs. So, Iran
government already suggested including Black Church (Surb Tatevos)
temple to UNESCO World Heritage sites.

AZERBAIJAN COPES WITH THE OIL WINDFALL
By Ahto Lobjakas for RFE/RL (22/11/06)
ISN, Switzerland
Nov 22 2006
>From the minute you arrive in Baku, you can smell the oil.
In a glass jar it looks nothing like the black viscous substance one
would expect, but more like petrol. Experts praise Azerbaijani oil
as among the best in the world.
Overheat concerns But the oil does have a dark side. According to a
recent report by the European Bank of Reconstruction and Development
(EBRD), Azerbaijan is one of the world’s fastest-growing economies
with over 26 percent growth.
However, local officials admit the economy could “overheat.”
Azerbaijan remains an economy in transition whose long-term future can
only be secured by means of a viable non-oil sector. And the question
many are asking is how, in a country where corruption is so rampant,
is that money going to be spent?
Clare Bebbington, a spokeswoman in Baku for multinational oil
company British Petroleum (BP), which is Azerbaijan’s main partner
in tapping the oil wealth, describes managing this wealth as an
“enormous opportunity,” but also an enormous challenge.
“In 2006, the government of Azerbaijan will receive around US$3
billion in oil revenues from our projects. At US$60 a barrel, the
full-cost revenues are actually around US$230 billion. That is an
unprecedented shock for any economy, it’s also many, many times the
current levels of GDP,” Bebbington says. “Now, it’s impossible to
predict the oil price, what the oil price will be in the future and
BP doesn’t make a prediction. But what we have tried to do is to be
as open as possible in terms of making some sort of projection about
the likely level of receipts so that people can begin to understand
what will happen over the next decades.”
Apart from oil, Azerbaijan is also betting on gas. The Shah Deniz gas
field in the Caspian Sea southeast of Baku is estimated to contain
some 50 to 100 billion cubic meters of gas.
Diversification One of Azerbaijan’s potential pitfalls is lack of
economic diversification. Mikayel Jabbarov, Azerbaijan’s deputy
economic development minister, says his government is aware of the
dangers.
“We’re planning well enough against any severe shocks. Our non-oil
economy is growing very fast, in fact last year, data which analyses
non-oil economic development in Azerbaijan for the years 1999-2005
indicates that the non-oil sector in Azerbaijan on the average
has grown faster than in CIS [Commonwealth of Independent States]
countries, in EBRD countries, and also in Black Sea and Caspian Sea
countries,” Jabbarov says.
The government has set up what Jabbarov calls a “hydrocarbon fund”
of US$1.5 billion to stabilize the economy. In March, a state-run
investment company with an initial budget of US$100 million was
created to give loans to small- and medium-sized companies working
outside the oil industry.
However, within Azerbaijan there is much criticism of the government’s
oil fund. Its critics have said there is little to no oversight of
the body. And corruption is still cancerous in Azerbaijan. The country
languishes near the bottom of the annual corruption perceptions index
drawn up by Transparency International.
Energy hub Jabbarov says that Baku also has clear ambitions to become
a transit hub for Central Asian oil and gas.
“What we would like certainly to see is the continued increase of
transit, [the] continued increase in shipping, in transportation of
hydrocarbons, and in other products as well,” Jabbarov says.
Oil tankers already cross the Caspian Sea to feed the
Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline to Turkey. Hopes for a trans-Caspian
gas pipeline to supply Turkey and the EU further down the line are
receding, however, despite Baku’s lobbying.
Energy experts in Baku say Western multinationals do not believe
there are sufficient gas resources available cheaply enough in either
Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan to justify such an investment. This
augurs well for Russia’s drive to dominate the transit market from
Central Asia.
Problems with democracy Azerbaijan’s democracy is still weak, with
restrictions on media and dubious electoral practices. Recently,
an Azerbaijani court gave police the right to detain two journalists
for two months for publishing an article allegedly insulting Islam.
And on 16 November, Azerbaijani police broke up an opposition rally
demanding an end to pressure against independent media.
Critics say the EU has turned a blind eye to Azerbaijan’s nastier
democratic practices largely because it is interested in Azerbaijani
oil.
Frozen conflict Then there is the unresolved issue of Nagorno-Karabakh,
a region inside the internationally recognized borders of Azerbaijan,
but occupied by Armenian troops together with seven neighboring
districts since a 1994 cease-fire ended fighting.
The war with Armenia has bequeathed Azerbaijan more than 800,000
refugees, most living in bleak conditions in and around Baku.
Azerbaijan’s government says it wants the conflict resolved by
peaceful means, but has not ruled out war. According to Deputy Minister
Jabbarov, the defense budget accounts for 15 percent of all government
spending in 2006, and exceeds US$1 billion.
Compared to Azerbaijan’s neighbors, that’s a huge sum that’s likely
to be sustained. But in the military, as in every other sector of
public life, a problem remains: where exactly is that money going?
Sometimes the answer to that question is visibly evident. On the
outskirts of Baku, palatial villas perch on hillsides overlooking
the Caspian Sea. Fancy restaurants are packed with foreign and local
oil executives.
But there is another Azerbaijan of rural poverty and refugee camps,
of post-apocalyptic vistas of oil-polluted wastelands – an omen
perhaps of what could happen when the oil runs out.

TURKEY SHOULD SUBSIDISE POOR SE REGION – REPORT
Reuters, UK
Nov 22 2006
ANKARA, Nov 22 (Reuters) – Turkey should pay a monthly subsidy to
around five million poverty-stricken people in its mainly Kurdish
eastern regions to help kickstart the local economy, said a U.N.-backed
report unveiled on Wednesday.
Incomes in eastern Turkey are about one third of the national average
and as little as 7 percent of the average income in the European Union,
which Turkey hopes to join.
Ankara must at least double the east’s income before it can join the
EU, the report said, echoing concerns about regional income disparity
in Turkey made by the European Commission.
“About 60 percent of the population in the region lives under the
poverty threshold and that poverty has acquired a chronic character
as it is passed on to successive generations,” said the report.
It said public investment in these regions remained at about one
third of the national average.
The report suggests a subsidy of 150 Turkish lira to each family that
qualifies and puts the total cost at 771 million lira ($572 million).
The average family in the east has five children.
The region’s economy has suffered from more than two decades of
conflict between security forces and separatist Kurdish guerrillas
that uprooted thousands of people and created ghettos of unemployed
migrants in the region’s cities.
The proposed “citizenship income” and other measures such as free
lunches for students would help boost employment and develop the
regional market, allowing a gradual revival of local entrepreneurship,
the report suggested.
Turkey is required to close the wide gap between its western and
eastern regions under its obligations to the EU, with which it began
accession talks last year. The gap is wider in Turkey than in any
other candidate or member state.
The report also called for public investment in tourism to attract
more visitors from Iran, Georgia and Armenia and also ethnic Armenians
living abroad.
From: Baghdasarian

DANONE TURKEY INVESTS ~@20 MILLION ANNUALLY
By Abdulhamit Yildiz
Zaman, Turkey
Nov 22 2006
As reactions against France’s alleged Armenian genocide draft
law continue, French companies in Turkey are concerned economic
relationships may be damaged.
Danone Turkey General Director Serpil Timuray said they staunchly
opposed the genocide law: “While boycotting, please do not forget the
nearly 15,000 farmers we buy milk from and our 1,700 workers,” he said.
Investors, including Carrefour and Danone, called on Paris to withdraw
the draft law as they have begun to use the “Made in Turkey” label
more distinctly on their products.
Timuray, whose Danone products were removed from shelves in some
market chains in the first days of the boycott, thinks they are being
unjustly treated.
“We, too, feel that reaction in our heart. We decided to respond
with democratic action and held a signature campaign,” Timuray said,
adding France-based Danone’s plants in Turkey contributed a great
deal to the overall employment in the country.
Danone Turkey employs 1,700 people and collects milk from 15,000
Turkish farmers daily.
Six hundred dealers sell their products under the Danone umbrella.
The group attaches major importance to Turkey, one of the countries
where it is experiencing the most rapid growth.
The French company, which earns ~@14 billion annually, allocates four
percent for investment every year.
The company allocated ~@20 million in 2006 for new investments in
Turkey, and the total amount the company has allocated Turkey so far
exceeds ~@250 million.
Danone employs 15 Turkish administrators in production and sale works
in the countries where it operates.
Danone Turkey’s CEO said it was too early to fully assess the effects
of the boycott.
Stating she did not approve such actions from a country trying
to attract foreign capital, Timuray noted the draft law disturbed
everyone.
Stressing they held a signature campaign, the French company’s CEO
said, “We did not consider this a company initiative, we took action
as citizens. Our general headquarters in France supported this;
we lobbied in a sense.”
Timuray believes Turkey has an image problem coupled with poor
advertising.
Companies investing in Turkey, like Danone, could be used as an example
and their recent progress could be turned into a good image campaign.
The picture of Turkey dating back 20 years in the minds of many in
Europe may be replaced with the new one.
Advertising Fines Misfortune for Companies
Turkey’s TV advertising and regulation council objected to the
advertisements for Danacol and Benecol, produced by Danone and Ulker,
on the grounds that they claim to reduce cholesterol.
Timuray said they received the necessary authorization for these
products: “We are in chaos at the moment; this is a newly forming
category. Such discussions keep consumers away from useful products.
This is an unlucky situation for the companies that commercially
invested in this business.”

OSCE MG CO-CHAIRS HELD CONSULTATIONS WITH AZERI PRESIDENT AND FOREIGN MINISTER
Author: S.Agayeva
TREND, Azerbaijan
Nov 22 2006
On November 22, the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev received in
Baku the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group. The meeting was attended
by the co-chairs of the Minsk Group from France – Bernar Face and
Russia – Yuri Merzlyakov, as well as personal representative of
the OSCE Chairman-in-Office Andzey Kasprzyk, Trend reports. During
the meeting, the sides exchanged views on the present situation
and the prospects of the settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. In addition, the co-chairs were received
by the Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov.

THE BAGGAGE OF WRITER ANDREI BITOV
Russia-InfoCenter, Russia
Nov 22 2006
Andrei Bitov who has been recently granted with the Bunin Award 2006
for his selected prose works “Palace Without a Tsar” is deservedly
considered a classic of Russian literature of the second half of the
20th century. His intellectual prose in a spontaneous and yet exquisite
style takes a special niche in contemporary Russian literature. Bitov’s
works have been translated into a number of European languages such
as English, German, Swedish, French and Italian.
Bitov Andrei Georgievich was born on May 27, 1937 in Leningrad (St.
Petersburg). During the siege of Leningrad in 1942 Andrei and his
mother were evacuated to the Urals and then to Tashkent (Uzbekistan).
In 1955 Andrei entered Leningrad Institute of Mines. In 1957 – 1958
the studies were interrupted by serving the army, in the North of the
country. After graduating from the institute in 1962 Bitov worked as
a foreman having boring duties in geological expeditions.
Bitov started writing in 1956. The first publication took place in
1960, when the almanac Young Leningrad issued his short story Grandma’s
Tea Bowl. His first collection of short stories A Big Ball was
published in 1963. In the 60s the main character of Andrei Bitov was
a person clashing with reality by existential rather than ideological
reasons. In this sense Bitov’s protagonist was different from literary
characters created by the majority of “men of the sixties”.
In 1965 Bitov entered the Soviet Writers Union. In 1967 he
graduated from the Higher Courses for scriptwriters at the Union of
Cinematographers in Moscow to start working in the sphere of cinema.
He became the co-author of the script for the Soviet-Japanese film
Malenkiy beglets (aka The Little Runaway) (1966) by Eduard Bocharov
and Teinosuke Kinugasa, and wrote the scenario for V chetverg i
bolshe nikogda (aka On Thursday and Never Again) (1977) by Anatoli
Efros. Bitov even had a small actor experience in the film Chuzhaya
belaya i ryaboy (Wild Pigeon) (1986) by Sergei Solovyov.
Andrei Bitov traveled much around the former Soviet Republic
territories and a number of his books are ingenious travel memoirs,
such as The Lessons of Armenia (1969), and Seven Adventures (1976)
about his experience in Armenia, Georgia, Bashkiria, the Middle Asia,
and the Russian North.
Andrei Bitov provided a deep insight into the history and the present
reality of Russia in his novel Pushkin House published in the USA in
1978. The experimental style of the book made it deservedly considered
one of the first postmodern novels.
After this publication in America and Bitov’s participation in
the compilation of the non-censored almanac Metropol in 1979 the
authorities banned publication of his works in the USSR. He was
also prohibited to leave the country. Nevertheless, his books were
published in Western Europe and the States. And it was only the start
of Perestroika in 1985 that made Bitov’s further publications in
homeland possible. The year 1986 saw the publication of his books
Georgian Album, Man in Landscape, and Articles from the Novel in
Russia. In 1987 Bitov wrote the novel Flying-Away Monakhov, which
made him the laureate of the National Award of the RF in 1992.
In 1992-1993 the Berlin Scientific Board (“Wisshenschafts Kolleg”)
provided Bitov with conditions to work on his favorite theme.
Interestingly, such a privilege had been given only to two Russians
before Bitov: Alfred Shnitke and Otar Ioseliani. This resulted in
completing The Empire in Four Dimensionspublished in Russia in 1996.
The Empire… corresponds to the sequence of English-language
publications: Life in Windy Weather, Pushkin House, Captive of the
Caucasus, and The Monkey Link.
Bitov is also a poet: his two books of poetry are The Tree and On
Thursday after the Rain.
Andrei Bitov initiated the creation of the Russian Pen-Club, which
he has been the president of since 1991.
As for his spare time, the writer says that time often turns his
hobbies into professions. Love of cinema gave him the profession of
scriptwriter, love of books brought him to participation in designing
his own books, and love of music resulted in creation of the Pushkin
Jazz project, in which recital of Pushkin’s drafts is accompanied by
jazz improvisations.
In 1998-1999 the Pushkin Jazz toured in New York, Berlin, St.
Petersburg and Moscow.
Bitov’s dislike of monumental sculpture brought him to the idea of
mini-monumentalism (jointly with Revaz Gabriadze): some of the examples
are represented by such works as the monument to Chizhik-Pyzhik in
St.-Petersburg or to Hare in Mikhailovskoye, etc.
The very idea of uniting profession with hobby resulted in creation
of the informal association BaGaGe (Baggage) (Bitov, Akhmadullina,
Zhvanetsky, and others).
As Bitov has once said, all his life is “an entire journey that can
be no longer called a hobby”.
Andrei Bitov lives in Moscow and St. Petersburg and teaches in
universities of Europe and the USA.