Author: Boris Nahapetian

RALLY IN JAVAKHK
Azg/arm
2 April 05
On March 31, despite the hindrances from the Georgian officials and
the Georgian Police, a rally took place in Akhalkalak (Javakhk,
Georgia) uniting several thousand people. The Georgian Police put up
roadblocks to hinder the potential rally participants to get to
Akhalkalak from the villages. At 9:00 AM the Police sealed off the
central square in Akhalkalak. However, after some verbal exchanges
with the people and the organizers of the rally, they opened the
square at 11:00 AM. At this time, about six thousand people had
gathered. Towards the end of the rally, the participants already
reached about nine thousand people.
United Javakhk accounted for the results from the last rally, which
took place on March 13 in front of the participants:
1 – The passport services have been returned to Akhalkalak, the tax
services have followed.
2 – Georgian officials agreed to include Armenian history classes in
the curriculum of the Armenian school in Georgia.
United Javakhk furthermore demanded that in the Akhalkalak and
Ninotsminda areas the Armenian language be granted official status on
a par with the Georgian language.
United Javakhk will fight with all constitutional means for the
fulfillment of the demands from March 13 and which did not encounter
the needed response from the Georgian authorities:
1) Recognition of the Armenian genocide of 1915 by the Georgian
Parliament.
2) Voting of a law on the protection of National Minorities Rights in
Georgia.
3) Demand not to withdraw the Russian Military Base in Akhalkalak (as
it represents a major stability and economic factor for the region).
United Javakhk called upon the All Armenian Catholicos to give Javakhk
the status of a separate Diocese.
The participants furthermore called upon Armenians worldwide not to
forget about their kin in Javakhk and to pay attention to the problems
in Javakhk.
And a plea was directed at the Armenian Government to further and help
as much as possible the economic development of Javakhk.
Social Union – “United Javakhk”
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Kyrgyz “crisis” delays war game – Russian military
Interfax news agency
28 Mar 05
Moscow, 28 March: The Rubezh-2005 command post exercise of the
Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) has been postponed, the
Russian Defence Ministry told Interfax today.
“In the light of the political crisis in Kyrgyzstan, a CSTO member,
the joint exercise Rubezh-2005 has been postponed. The members will
decide on a new date for the drill,” an official told Interfax.
The joint exercise had been planned for the period 1-6 April on the
territory of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.
The members of the CSTO are Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,
Tajikistan and Russia.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Le Figaro, France
Samedi 26 Mars 2005
BIBLIOTHÈQUE POLITIQUE
A la recherche d’un Chirac perdu
Guillaume Tabard
[26 mars 2005]
«Je me fiche des Turcs !» Ce cri du coeur est signé de la main même
de Jacques Chirac. Pas du président de la République de 2005,
partisan de l’entrée d’Ankara dans l’Union européenne. Mais du maire
de Paris qui s’agaçait, en 1979, dans une note manuscrite à son
directeur de cabinet, que la crainte des dirigeants français de
froisser la Turquie conduise au refus de reconnaître le génocide
arménien. De telles anecdotes fourmillent dans ce D’un Chirac l’autre
que publie Bernard Billaud, qui fut son collaborateur durant dix ans,
dont près de six à diriger son cabinet à la mairie de Paris (1).
Conseiller-maître à la Cour des comptes, ami intime du philosophe
Jean Guitton, Billaud entra en 1976 au cabinet de Jacques Chirac à
Matignon comme conseiller pour les affaires religieuses. Fin 1978, le
voilà propulsé directeur de cabinet du nouveau maire de Paris, de
préférence à Alain Juppé, qui en nourrit à son encontre une aigreur
tenace. L’histoire s’acheva en 1984 par une séparation et une
désillusion dont Bernard Billaud porta longtemps la blessure.
Certains proches du chef de l’Etat s’inquiètent de la parution de ce
livre. Aucune méchanceté, aucun règlement de compte pourtant au fil
des pages. Ce document unique sur les années d’ascension du futur
président révèle simplement un Chirac dont les engagements ont changé
du tout au tout. L’actuel chantre de la laïcité, en France et en
Europe, n’a pas hésité, lors de son premier passage à Matignon, à
s’immiscer personnellement dans le conflit entre Mgr Lefebvre et
Rome, écrivant à l’évêque traditionaliste de réfléchir à «la
responsabilité que vous prenez devant Dieu et devant l’Histoire». On
voit le nouveau maire de Paris se battre contre les réticences
vaticanes dans le but d’obtenir une entrevue avec Paul VI et contre
les résistances élyséennes afin d’accueillir Jean-Paul II à l’Hôtel
de Ville. «Ce que ce pape me demandera d’accomplir, je l’exécuterai»,
dit-il. A l’époque, celui-ci n’avait d’ailleurs pas besoin de lui
rappeler l’existence des racines chrétiennes de l’Europe. «Son ciment
a été le christianisme et la civilisation qu’elle incarne demeure
dans ses finalités profondément spirituelle», martèle alors le maire
de Paris.
Billaud raconte par le détail l’épisode, aujourd’hui occulté par ses
proches, où le président du RPR refusa en conscience de voter en 1979
la prolongation de la loi Veil sur l’avortement. Sous la pression de
son très catholique directeur de cabinet, à qui il répète à plusieurs
reprises : «Vous êtes ma conscience» ? Pas seulement. C’est de sa
main que Chirac ajouta une mention ~V «droit sacré de la vie, donc à
naître» ~V au texte que celui-ci lui avait préparé.
De l’Hôtel de Ville, le directeur de cabinet du maire fut aussi un
acteur et un témoin privilégié d’une stratégie politique tout entière
orientée vers cette «idée fixe», comme le dit Pierre Juillet, la
conquête de l’Elysée. On entre dans les coulisses du célèbre appel de
Cochin. On assiste aux préparatifs de la première campagne
présidentielle, en 1981, à laquelle Billaud est l’un des rares à
s’opposer, ce qui annonça sa future disgrâce. On est pris dans le
vertige des influences contradictoires s’exerçant sur Chirac. «Avant
de partir, je lui ai tout dit. Ils lui ont menti sans arrêt et ils
continuent de lui mentir», confie Jérôme Monod en claquant la porte
du RPR, en 1978, excédé par le tandem Juillet-Garaud, à l’égard
duquel Billaud, partageant sa conception de la France, se montre
clément.
De nombreux récits diplomatiques témoignent de l’aplomb hors pair de
Jacques Chirac. En 1978, il se bat ainsi pour faire venir à Paris le
maire de Jérusalem, Teddy Kollek. Fureur des ambassadeurs des pays
arabes, à qui Chirac jure alors : «C’est lui qui a demandé à être
reçu», avant de se vanter, devant des associations juives
américaines, d’avoir «résisté aux pressions» des diplomates arabes…
Durant ces dix années, Bernard Billaud a cru que Jacques Chirac
serait l’artisan du «redressement moral et spirituel de la France».
Il n’y croit plus. Mais sous les regrets affleure toujours une
admiration qui ne veut pas passer.
(1) Bernard Billaud, D’un Chirac l’autre, éditions Bernard de
Fallois. 558 p., 22 euros.
–Boundary_(ID_+Hi1vpAPpm9UgPKSvUThzQ)–
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Hindustan Times, India
March 19 2005
PM’s gesture overwhelms Born Free star
Vijay Dutt
London, March 18, 2005|23:28 IST

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has refused to send “Veda”, a
six-year-old she-elephant to Armenia after deciding to ban the
practice of gifting animals to heads of states or government or
foreign zoos. Veda was gifted to the President of Armenia.
The move came in the wake of a letter written by actress and activist
Virginia McKenna, who starred in the film Born Free and is attached
to the Born Free Foundation. She has been campaigning to save Veda,
presently residing in the Bannerghatta National Park near Bangalore.
“I’m over the moon. I’m overjoyed and grateful to the Indian Prime
Minister. It is the best gift that he could have given to the Born
Free Foundation on its 21st anniversary,” she said Virginia McKenna,
praising Prime Minister Singh.
She had recently written to the Prime Minister urging him to ban the
inhuman practice.
She had asked whether this ban would include Veda. The letter further
asked, “what happens if Armenia wants to buy her?”
The foundation has sent a representative to the Yerevan zoo in
Armenia. It was found that Veda would be kept in a closed enclosure
and spend many months locked indoors due to the country’s freezing
winter climate.
McKenna had noted if Veda would be moved away from her family, she
would die young.
The foundation is an international wildlife charity working
throughout the world to prevent wild animal suffering and protect
threatened species in the wild.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

`WITHDRAWAL OF MILITARY STATIONS FROM GEORGIA WILL DEPRIVE RUSSIA’S MILITARY
PRESENCE IN ARMENIA IN A SENSE’
Azg/arm
15 March 05
The Moscow based Commersant newspaper expressed the idea that the
withdrawal of Russian military stations from Georgia will deprive
Russia’s military presence in Armenia in a sense. The loss of Russia’s
influence in Georgia will inevitably weaken Russia’s position in all
South Caucasus, the newspaper underscored.
“The road leading to the Russian military station in Armenia stretches
through the territory of Georgia. That is why the presence of the
Russian military stations in Georgia is a guarantee for Moscow that
the road will not be blocked. If we have to communicate with the
Russian military station in Armenia through air, this communication
will be instable,” the Liberty Radio Station cited Commersant.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PanArmenian News
March 14 2005
ARMENIANS OF SAMTSKHE JAVAKHETIA URGE GEORGIAN PARLIAMENT TO
RECOGNIZE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
14.03.2005 04:35
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ About 10 thousand people took part a rally in
Akhalkalaki (Georgia) on March 13, IA Regnum reports. On the
initiative of United Javakhk public union signatures under the
request to Mikhail Saakashvili and Georgian parliament to acknowledge
the Armenian Genocide of 1915 have been collected. The rally
participants also urged to lift the ban on teaching History of
Armenia in the Armenian schools of Georgia; to lift the ban on
conducting excursions in Armenia for the pupils of the Armenian
schools; to adopt a law on national minorities’ rights protection and
recover the authority on providing administrative services. The
ralliers also protested against the withdrawal of Russian military
base from Akhalkalaki, since it appears the guarantor of stability
and economic welfare of the residents of the region. According to the
source, the rally initiators are awaiting the response on the
above-mentioned issues till March 31, 2005.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

FORMER U.S. CONSULAR ASSOCIATE PLEADS GUILTY TO BRIBERY, VISA FRAUD CONSPIRACY
US Fed News
March 9, 2005 Wednesday 1:26 AM EST
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Diplomatic
Security issued the following press release:
Former United States Consular Associate Piotr Zdzislaw Parlej, 45,
entered a plea of guilty today, March 8, 2005, to the charge of
engaging in a conspiracy to take bribes in exchange for issuing
fraudulent visas.
United States District Judge Ellen S. Huvelle, of the District of
Columbia, set sentencing for July, 2005. Parlej, who has remained
jailed since his arrest on February 2, 2005, will continue to be
detained pending sentencing.
The charge carries a potential penalty of 5 years in prison and a
$250,000 fine.
In pleading guilty, Parlej admitted that from at least April 2004
through about January 13, 2005, while employed by the Department
of State and assigned as a consular officer at the United States
Embassy in Yerevan, Armenia, he and several co-conspirators arranged
for foreign nationals to obtain United States nonimmigrant visas,
for which they were not eligible, in exchange for cash payments. He
also admitted to six specific instances where he took and agreed to
take bribes totaling at least $45,000 for fraudulently issuing visas.
Parlej was indicted in the District of Columbia on February 2,
2005, shortly before his arrest. His State Department employment was
terminated shortly thereafter.
Diplomatic Security is the worldwide law enforcement and security arm
of the U.S. Department of State with special agents assigned to U.S.
diplomatic missions overseas and field offices throughout the United
States. Diplomatic Security special agents conduct passport and visa
fraud investigations worldwide and are responsible for security at
285 U.S. diplomatic facilities around the world.

AZG Armenian Daily #036, 01/03/2005
Karabakh diary
17TH ANNIVERSARY OF SUMGAIT POGROMS COMMEMORATED IN STEPANAKERT
A human string headed for the Monument to Sumgait Victims in Stepanakert
from early morning to lay wreaths and flowers. Archbishop Pargev
Martirosian, head of Artsakh diocese of the Armenian Church, served a
liturgy commemorating the victims of Sumgait.
The President of NKR Arkady Ghukasian, chairman of the National Assembly
Oleg Yesayan, PM Anushavan Danielian and members of the government and
parliament visited the monument to pay their tribute and lay wreaths.
Being asked to comment on Khojalu events and Azerbaijan’s strivings to liken
two events, President Arkady Ghukasian said: “I feel pain that a country
where Sumgait tragedy took place speaks of Khojalu. Especially in this case
when the facts of Sumgait massacres are well-known to everyone”. The
president reminded that the Karabakh side opened a corridor for the
civilians in Khojalu and said that they were killed nearby Aghdam and by the
Azeris. He cited the words of former Azerbaijani president Ayaz Mutalibov
noting that this confession leaves no room for doubt that Azerbaijan’s
People’s Front killed people of Khojalu trying to compromise authorities of
the day in order to come to power.
Ghukasian also noted that Azerbaijan’s yearning to turn Khojalu events into
political weapon will do no good for the mutual trust of the sides in the
negotiation process.
A concert by the Artsakh’s State Chamber Orchestra closed the day.
By Kim Gabrielian in Stepanakert
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ArmenPress
Feb 24 2005
NATO OFFICIAL WELCOMES ARMENIA’S WILLINGNESS TO BOOST RELATIONS WITH
ALLIANCE
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 24, ARMENPRESS: A senior NATO official said
today in Yerevan that the Alliance was satisfied with the start of
developing the Individual Partnership Program with Armenia and
welcomed Armenia’s willingness to boost its relations with NATO.
Robert Simons, NATO’s Secretary General’s special representative
for the South Caucasus and Central Asia, who arrived here for a short
fact-finding visit told a news conference after meeting with
President Kocharian and other top-official Armenian leaders that he
briefed the Armenian leadership on February 22 NATO summit details as
well as NATO-Russia relations.
He said the Individual Partnership Program should specify what
Armenia wants from its cooperation with NATO which in turn would help
the Alliance to decide what it can do to help it meet these goals.
He said a NATO liaison officer Romualdas Razuks will be assigned a
key role in developing various aspects of assistance to Armenia.
The NATO official said a team of experts will visit Armenia in a
month to provide technical assistance to Armenian Defense Ministry to
elaborate the Individual Partnership Program. He added there was no
specific time frame about when Armenia has to submit the document.
He thanked the Armenian government for supporting fight against
international terrorism and sending peace-keeping troops to Kosovo
and Iraq.
Robert Simons said another focus of his talks with Armenian
leadership was on Nagorno Karabagh conflict regulation, saying NATO
is interested in its peaceful end.
“NATO does not intend to have any role in the talks over this
problem,” he said expressing hope that the talks sponsored by the
OSCE Minsk Group would help the sides to reach a compromise peace
deal.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

NOTHING TO HIDE FROM OSCE MINSK GROUP
Azat Artsakh – Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR)
17 Feb 05
Quite recently the fact-finding mission of the OSCE Minsk Group
finished their activity in the liberated territories controlled
by NKR. What attitude do the NKR authorities have towards this
question? We asked NKR President Arkady Ghukassian to answer
to this and several other questions which he willingly commented
on. Mr. President, your address on December 16 evoked wide response
both in Artsakh and the Republic of Armenia. In the mentioned address
you emphasized the principle of structural reforms in NKR. You also
mentioned the imperative of struggle against corruption, permissiveness
and rehabilitating the moral and psychological atmosphere in the
republic. Is the situation in Artsakh that disturbing? â~@~S Life does
not stop. The Republic of Nagorni Karabakh which by the will of its
people declared the principles of modern civil society as a basis for
its development cannot do without democratic reforms. We simply have
to prove to the world every hour and every day even by trial and error
method that we have the right for having our own independent state
which essentially prevails over Azerbaijan by its rates of social,
economic and cultural development and the level of correspondence to
the standards of the European community. Otherwise the world will not
understand the fact of our self-determination and will not recognize
the independence of NKR. Of course, corruption and other negative
social phenomena in Nagorni Karabakh cannot in any way be compared to
the similar phenomena existing in the Azerbaijani reality. However,
this cannot become a reason for self-comforting. We think that such
phenomena must be excluded in Nagorni Karabakh at all. Although
these cannot be uprooted in a short period of time. In the period
of transition to liberal economy and civil society such phenomena
may objectively rise independent of our will. Our task is to reduce
their influence on the society to a minimum degree. We are aware
that peopleâ~@~Ys confidence in their authorities depends on this,
which is directly connected with the security of the country. For
us the healthy moral and psychological atmosphere is a political
category. â~@~S Perhaps, â~@~shade economyâ~@~], why not also
the model of clan-oligarchy economy is typical of all the CIS
countries. Are these characteristic of NKR too? Would you please
describe the present situation of economic development of NKR and
particularly the process of investments? â~@~S It is doubtless that the
clan-oligarchy model which you mentioned detaches people, aggravates
social stratification, increases tension within the society, which we
try to avoid by all means. This model, as a rule, emerges when the law
does not work in the country. Therefore we take measures to promote
law and order in the country. Although, if take into consideration the
size of NKR and the number of the population it is impossible to speak
seriously about the existence of this model in our country. At the same
time, in my address on December 16 I emphasized that the government
will not allow clans in economic management and state governance. As
to â~@~shade economyâ~@~], I think it can be eliminated through
improvement of tax policy and shifting the economy to a liberal field
of activity. In this direction we have had considerable progress. It
will not be an exaggeration to say that the tax legislation in NKR
is the most attractive in the entire South Caucasus. Thus, in the
recent years foreign investments totaling several tens of million
dollars have been made in the economy of Artsakh. Owing to the foreign
investments mainly made by our compatriots living abroad we managed
to update the process of production in several pivotal branches of
the NKR economy and reduce unemployment. The government pays special
attention to small business. The sums provided for the support and
development of small business were increased in the State Budget 2005.
Presently in one trimester as much production is produced as during the
whole year of 1999. This and other indices allow us to solve social
problems more effectively, which is a strategic political line of
our government. â~@~S Mr. Ghukassian, the geopolitical situation
around NKR is becoming increasingly threatening. How would you
describe the present situation of negotiations for the resolution
of the NKR issue, and is there hope that NKR will again receive the
status of a full-right party in the negotiations? â~@~S I would not
like to exaggerate although I understand the anxieties of the Armenian
society for the situation around the Karabakh settlement. I have not
once stated that it is impossible to achieve a solution without the
full-right participation of the Karabakh side in the negotiations. I
think that the international observers in the face of the OSCE Minsk
Group co-chairmen also have the same opinion. History has shown a great
many times that the solution of the problem of a country or a people
will not produce good results unless the representatives of the given
country or people are involved in it. The temporary political dividends
of this or that side are not taken into account. I am sure that sooner
or later Karabakh will again be represented in the negotiations, and
what is more, on an equal right basis. Of course, if Azerbaijan and the
international mediators really tend to settle the Karabakh problem in a
peaceful way, through reasonable compromise. There is no alternative
to this. â~@~S It is known that the NKR authorities have recently
undertaken drafting and adopting of the Constitution of the country.
Why is the adoption of the NKR Constitution important especially in
this stage? â~@~S The project of the NKR Constitution is still being
worked out and I cannot even tell the approximate time when it will
be adopted. By the way, the idea of adopting the Constitution of
the Republic of Nagorni Karabakh did not occur today. The necessity
of passing the NKR Constitution was fixed in my election programs
in 1997 and 2002. It is another question why we undertook drafting
the Constitution especially now. In this reference I want to remind
that NKR is not yet recognized, and the conflict with Azerbaijan is
not solved. As the approach of NKR was always constructive for the
peaceful settlement of the conflict, we tended to abstain from steps
which might increase tension in the negotiations. By acting this way
we expected a similar response from Baku. However, our expectations
did not come true. Moreover, the Baku authorities refused at all
to enter in dialogue with us, including dialogue on such pivotal
matters as the status of NK. Later the top officials of Azerbaijan
announced that they do not intend to make any compromise in the
question of Karabakh. However, we cannot give up state building and
wait forever till the Azerbaijani authorities decide to start dialogue
with us. All these circumstances dictated the necessity of drafting the
NKR Constitution as a regular step on the way of building a legitimate
democratic state. The NKR Constitution will set milestones marking
the main directions of development of our state and society. â~@~S Mr.
President, the recent statements of the assistant to the US Secretary
of the State Department Elizabeth Jones was mainly criticized by the
society of RA. It is strange. The US government provides financial
means to NKR every year, but time to time this or that American
official makes an abrupt anti-Karabakh statement. How would you
explain this controversy? â~@~S In my recent interview to the Russian
news agency â~@~Regnumâ~@~] I answered a similar question. I cannot
add anything new. I think that the artificial isolation of Nagorni
Karabakh from the negotiations and discussions of the Karabakh issue in
different international organizations supposes occasional appearance
of wording in documents of those organizations, which do not satisfy
us. Therefore NKR must achieve its full-right participation in the
peaceful process. â~@~S What is your attitude towards the latest
visit of the OSCE fact-finding group to NKR? â~@~S We have always been
interested in the visits of representatives of different international
organizations to NKR. We have nothing to hide from them. Let them get
acquainted with the situation on the spot in order to eliminate the
slander of Azerbaijan. The NKR government tried its best to provide
all the necessary conditions for the effective work of the OSCE
delegates. We hope that the report to be presented by the special
committee which visited NKR will be the due reflection of the real
situation in the territories controlled by the NKR authorities. It is
also a positive fact that the OSCE representatives met with refugees,
came in touch with them. Thus, if the international community used
to speak only about the Azerbaijani refugees, now they will have to
take into account the fact of existence of the Armenian refugees. The
latter circumstance may even become more urgent in the process of
negotiations.
â~@~YERORD UZHâ~@~] WEEKLY. 17-02-2005
–Boundary_(ID_PUmaE5lKgnhFLbLauInrIg)–
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress