ASBAREZ Online [09-14-2005]

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09/14/2005
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WEBSITE AT <;HTTP:// 1) Armenia Warns Against Revival of Pro-Azeri UN Resolution 2) EU Fails to Approve Declaration Tied to Turkey Talks 3) Greek Americans Call for Adoption of Armenian Genocide Legislation 4) Record Numbers Set to Watch Webcast of Armenian Genocide Vote 1) Armenia Warns Against Revival of Pro-Azeri UN Resolution NEW YORK (RFE/RL)--Armenia warned Azerbaijan against attempting to revive a draft of a pro-Azerbaijani resolution on Mountainous Karabagh at an annual session of the United Nations General Assembly that opened in New York on Wednesday. The resolution that was put forward a year ago is formally on the agenda of the three-day UN summit that brought together more than 160 presidents, prime ministers, and kings. It seeks to reaffirm Baku's sovereignty over Karabagh and expresses "grave concern at the continuing Armenian occupation of Azerbaijani lands." A General Assembly vote on the document was put off indefinitely last November after Armenia agreed to an inspection of territories around Karabagh by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. A fact-finding OSCE mission toured those lands last February to investigate Azerbaijan's allegations that Yerevan is actively resettling them with Armenian families. The mission effectively denied those claims, concluding in a report that it found "no evidence of direct involvement by the authorities of Armenia in the territories." According to Armenia's permanent representative at the UN, Armen Martirosian, Baku and Yerevan agreed this month to include the document on the General Assembly agenda, but to avoid any discussions or votes on it. He said the Azeri leadership needed a face-saving solution ahead of the upcoming parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan. "We agreed that Azerbaijan will not take any active steps and Armenia will not prevent the issue from being included on the agenda," Martirosian said. "If Azerbaijan takes any active step within the UN framework, the Republic of Armenia will pull out of the Prague process of negotiations," the diplomat warned. "Our main argument is that there is the [OSCE] Minsk Group which has been mediating the negotiations for more than ten years and that the UN is not the place where the Karabagh problem must be discussed." Martirosian said Yerevan's position is backed by the Minsk Group's French, Russian, and US co-chairs. Addressing the UN assembly in November 2004, the co-chairs spoke out against the passage of the draft resolution, saying that it would undermine "confidence between the parties." The pro-Azerbaijan document reached the UN assembly with the help of several Muslim nations, notably Turkey, Pakistan, and Kazakhstan. In a retaliatory move, Armenia openly opposed Kazakhstan's efforts to assume the OSCE's rotating presidency during a summit of former Soviet republics this year. 2) EU Fails to Approve Declaration Tied to Turkey Talks (Bloomberg)--European Union governments failed for the third time this month to overcome a split over Turkey's refusal to recognize Cyprus, imperiling plans to start membership talks on October 3. Diplomats from the EU's 25 nations remained deadlocked over a response to Turkey's diplomatic boycott of Cyprus, which joined the bloc last year. The dispute is distracting EU attention from a negotiating plan for Turkey that needs the backing of all member nations. "There was a wide-ranging and difficult discussion," Stavros Papagianneas, a spokesman for the Cypriot mission to the EU, said by telephone in Brussels today. Other EU nations "showed understanding for the Cypriot positions." The Turkish government in July said its signature of a protocol extending a European trade accord to Cyprus didn't amount to recognition of the Mediterranean island, whose northern tier Turkey has occupied since 1974. Signing the protocol was a condition set by the EU last December for starting decade-long membership talks. The Turkish declaration increased skepticism in European capitals about offering entry to Turkey, which would be one of the two most populous EU nations along with Germany, and the bloc's first mainly Muslim member that would widen the EU's borders to Iraq. SKEPTICISM Opposition to enlargement in nations like France has grown since 10 countries, including Cyprus, joined last year and French and Dutch voters rejected the European constitution -- meant to help the EU function better with more members--three and a half months ago. EU diplomats are divided over the wording of a declaration that would urge Turkey to ensure free trade with Cyprus while seeking a normalization of political ties. Earlier efforts to approve a text failed on September 2 and 7. "We have not yet reached a consensus," said Jonathan Allen, a spokesman for the British government, current holder of the EU's rotating presidency. Negotiations will resume September 21, he said. The EU is moving closer to an accord, according to the UK and Cyprus. "We hope to reach an agreement soon," said Papagianneas of the Cypriot mission. Cyprus joined the EU without the Turkish-speaking north because voters in the Greek-speaking southern republic rejected a United Nations-backed unification plan. CONDITIONS The Turkish government wants to prevent the EU from imposing new entry conditions and has threatened to withdraw its membership bid should the bloc do so. Turkey, a nation of 72 million people, is counting on the accession talks to attract record foreign investment to its $300 billion economy. The European Commission, the EU's executive arm in Brussels, pressed for the start of membership talks with Turkey yesterday. Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn said national governments would have dozens of veto chances later on and entry negotiations would encourage a settlement of the Cyprus problem as well as economic reforms in Turkey. 3) Greek Americans Call for Adoption of Armenian Genocide Legislation WASHINGTON, DC (ANCA)--The American Hellenic Institute (AHI) urged House International Relations Committee Chairman Henry Hyde (R-IL) on Tuesday to work for committee approval of Armenian genocide legislation, set to be considered by the panel on September 15. In a September 13 letter to Chairman Hyde, AHI Executive Director Nick Larigakis explained that "Americans of Hellenic origin, and I believe most Americans, have long held that the US Congress should be on record as recognizing the Armenian genocide, commemorating this crime against all humanity, and applying its lessons to help prevent future atrocities and genocides." He went on to note that "Sadly, due to the powerful pressure brought to bear by the Turkish lobby's threats and intimidation, legislation along these lines has been blocked from passage." "We want to thank Nick Larigakis and all our friends at the American Hellenic Institute for their steadfast support for US recognition of the Armenian Genocide," said Armenian National Committee's (ANCA) Executive Director Aram Hamparian. "The assistance of our Greek American allies for this legislation means a great deal to us--here in Washington, DC, and in communities around the country." The American Hellenic Institute strengthens United States relations with Greece and Cyprus and within the American Hellenic community. Congressional support for Armenian Genocide legislation (HR316 and HConRes195) continued to grow this week, with House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) joining Ways and Means Committee Chairman Bill Thomas (R-CA) in pledging support for HR316. 4) Record Numbers Set to Watch Webcast of Armenian Genocide Vote Thousands of Armenians from the United States and throughout the world are expected to watch the live internet Webcast this Thursday of a key Congressional panel's consideration of Armenian Genocide legislation. For the first time in nearly five years, the influential US House International Relations Committee is scheduled to discuss and vote on the issue. In October of 2000, the panel voted 24 to 11 to approve the Armenian Genocide Resolution, but the measure was eventually withdrawn from consideration only minutes before it was to go before the full House of Representatives. "We have been tremendously encouraged by the growing number of Armenians who are taking advantage of webcast technology to watch--in real time--the Committee's consideration of legislation on the Armenian Genocide," said ANCA's Hamparian. "We join with Armenians throughout the United States in looking forward to this opportunity to watch the legislative process in action." The Committee meeting will be held at 10:30 am in room 2172 of the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill. Among the other issues which are set to be considered by the panel during its September 15 meeting are the following: -HConRes238: Honoring the victims of the Cambodian Genocide that took place from April 1975 to January 1979; -HRes38: Expressing support for the accession of Israel to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD); -HRes388: Regarding the July 2005 measures of extreme repression on the part of the Cuban Government against members of Cuba's pro-democracy movement; -HRes409: Condemning the Government of Zimbabwe's "Operation Murambatsvina"; -HConRes237: Welcoming President Chen Shui-bian of Taiwan to the US on September 20, 2005. To watch the live Webcast (Thursday, September 15--10:30am Eastern Time) visit the website of the US House International Relations Committee and click on "Live webcast of meeting." All subscription inquiries and changes must be made through the proper carrier and not Asbarez Online. 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