Author: Chakhmakhchian Vatche

Azeri officials in north, but no sign of direct flight
By Jean Christou
Cyprus Mail, Cyprus
July 19 2005
A GROUP of eight Azeri officials arrived in the north at the weekend
but an expected flight from Azerbaijan yesterday failed to materialise.
The delegation, consisting of eight parliamentarians, arrived on
Sunday in the north via Istanbul, in order to attend the celebrations
of the Turkish invasion, due to he held tomorrow.
Hadi Recep, a deputy in the delegation, in a statement in Turkey said
that it was the first time that a delegation from Azerbaijan visited
the ‘TRNC’ and added that it was an important step for them.
Two more delegations from Azerbaijan are expected to visit the north.
The first of these two visits is being organised by the Azeri Ministry
of Economic Development between July 22 and 27. The second will be
a group of businessmen, members of the Union of Azerbaijan-Turkey
Businessmen, due to visit the north between July 28 and 31 to assess
the possibility of investment as well as the bilateral trade.
Reports in the Turkish pres yesterday also referred to the direct
flight that was to be operated between Azerbaijan and the north by
private airline IM-AIR. Sources in the north said the flight that
had been due in yesterday would not be flying in after all.
Referring to the current visit by the Azeri delegation, Turkish Prime
Minister Tayyip Erdogan said it was the first step on the road to
recognition. “I believe that more visits will be paid in the future,”
he said. “We have heard about this first step they are taking. We
are happy about that. We thank our Azerbaijani brothers very much.”
Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat said the Greek Cypriot side
was rumoured to have threatened retaliation by organising flights to
Nagorno-Karabakh. “But they will fail,” he said.
Talat said this was just the beginning and that he expected the US to
be next to take the step. “After the Azeri, next in line is America,”
Talat said.
“This will happen eventually. The Greek Cypriot side is so tough,
it does not pay any attention to the world. With EU membership,
it acquired an advantage and it thinks that it can hold on this
advantage without making any opening. Not only the USA, but Israel,
Iran and the EU member countries will start direct flights.”

ARMENIAN AND AZERI FMs TO MEET IN MOSCOW AUGUST 23
Pan ARMENIAN Network, Armenia
July 15 2005
15.07.2005 08:52
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The recurrent meeting of the Armenian and Azerbaijani
President is scheduled for late August in Kazan during the informal
summit of the CIS leaders, OSCE Minsk Group Russian Co-Chair Yuri
Merzlyakov stated at today’s press conference. In his words, the
meeting will take place shortly before the beginning of the summit,
however the exact date has not been fixed yet. At the same time
Y. Merzlyakov noted that Armenian and Azeri FMs Vartan Oskanian and
Elmar Mamedyarov will meet in Moscow August 23. “Each meeting of
the Presidents is the result of scrupulous and progressive work”,
Merzlyakov noted. “We are not ready to speak of our expectations of
the upcoming meeting now but we hope for progress”, he added. In his
turn US Co-Chair Steven Mann noted that the “Co-Chairs promote the
process but do not decide what to do.” Personal Representative of the
OSCE Chairman-in-Office Andrzej Kasprzyk also expressed his views on
the forthcoming meeting. “The Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan
are prominent figures”, he stated.

Petrosyan plays on team ethic
Tuesday, 12 July 2005
By Khachik Chakhoyan
Armenia will be an unknown quantity to many observers
at the UEFA European Under-19 Championship finals in
Northern Ireland but coach Samvel Petrosyan believes
team spirit can fuel his side to glory.
Armenian first
Armenia booked their berth among the last eight
nations by topping Group 4 in the Elite round, denying
Belgium, Italy and Hungary and becoming their
country’s first representative at the finals of any
international tournament. That success was attributed
to the squad’s cohesion and Petrosyan is looking for
more of the same over the next fortnight. He discussed
his side’s chances with uefa.com.
uefa.com: Did you expect your team to produce such a
result in the Elite round?
Samvel Petrosyan: We went to Hungary primarily to play
good football. Of course, we hoped to finish first,
and the boys did so after some quite outstanding
football and they fully deserve to reach the finals.
uefa.com: Which of your players would you single out
as being particularly crucial in helping Armenia to
this success?
Petrosyan: We do have players who are, so to speak,
first violins in the orchestra, but I do not want to
single any one out. Football is a team game and our
success is first and foremost the result of good
teamwork.
uefa.com: Which qualifying match was the most
complicated for you?
Petrosyan: Playing Elite round group hosts Hungary was
toughest of all. We needed a win and needed to score
as many goals as possible, while the Hungarians wanted
to end with a win after defeats in their first two
matches. However, our striker Edgar Manucharyan had a
huge game and scored four. The rest of the side also
played very well.
uefa.com: What do you think of your chances at the
European U19 Championship?
Petrosyan: It will be much harder in Northern Ireland.
There are no weak teams, but we are keen to build on
our success and will be vying for a place in the
semi-finals.
uefa.com: How will you prepare for the tournament?
Petrosyan: There’s not enough time to prepare as I’d
like, so it’s important the players are starting games
at club level. They need to be in good condition, and
they need to raise their level even more when they
train with the national team ahead of the tournament

AzerNews, Azerbaijan
July 14 2005
Country resuming hostilities will be expelled, says CE Secretary
General

The Council of Europe Secretary General Terry Davis has said that if
either of the sides to the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict over Upper
Garabagh starts military action, this country will be expelled from
the organization.
Davis said both countries should honor the commitment they assumed to
settle the conflict in peace.
The CE Secretary General also pointed out that Armenia occupies
Azerbaijan’s land.
“Regardless of the approach of Armenian political figures to the
issue, the fact is that Armenia has occupied Azerbaijani territories
located between its borders and Upper Garabagh.”

Parlamento Europeo

July 12 2005

EU: Only full EU membership acceptable to Turkey says Turkey’s Chief
Negotiator

The Turkish chief accession negotiator rejected proposals for a
‘privileged partnership’ as an alternative to EU membership for
Turkey, when appearing before the Foreign Affairs Committee on
Tuesday. Mr Ali BABACAN went into some detail to set out the
political and economic reforms that have been achieved so far by his
government and answered a number of searching questions from MEPs.
Full EU membership is the goal to which both the EU and Turkey have
committed themselves, Mr Babacan said: ‘No other relationship is
foreseeable for Turkey.’ He added that Turkey already has several
arrangements with the EU, such as the customs union, and that it was
difficult to see what could be added to that in a special
relationship. Turkey can live with the ‘rigorous’ negotiation
framework as proposed by the European Commission two weeks ago, but
‘would take issue if there were new hurdles’, Mr Babacan said. ‘The
negotiations will be difficult, but we will be patient, tolerant,
focussed and we will work hard’, he said, ‘knowing that we will have
to win the hearts and minds of those who are still sceptical’.
Opening a series of questions from MEPs, Camiel EURLINGS (EPP-ED,
NL), who is the rapporteur on Turkey’s accession progress, asked
whether the ‘law on foundations’ – concerning the legal rights of
churches – will be amended now that enlargement Commissioner Olli
Rehn has deemed it to be insufficient. Mr Babacan assured him that
the concerns of the Commission and of Parliament will be taken into
account when the Turkish parliament debates the bill after the summer
recess. Eurlings also raised the problems with the freedom of the
press and the lack of social-economic development in South-eastern
Turkey.
In answer to concerns raised by a number of MEPs about an apparent
slow-down in the reforms, Mr Babacan replied that the critical mass
of the reforms had been achieved prior to the Council’s decision in
December last year to open negotiations. Implementation of the
reforms takes some time, he added, and therefore the Turkish
government prefers to evaluate progress on the basis of whether there
is improvement compared to the previous year. More importantly, the
political will and the support of the population are strong enough to
carry through these reforms, he said. But this support can be
fragile, he added, and if comments by EU leaders and the Parliament
are not phrased carefully, ‘people may be offended’. Equally, the
political will and support will only be there if the target of
negotiations is full membership.
On Cyprus, Mr Babacan stressed that the so-called ‘Ankara Protocal’,
extending the customs union to the new Member States, including
Cyprus, will be signed before the start of the negotiations,
scheduled for 3 October. Turkey was and remains willing to find a
solution for this divided island and has shown this when it supported
the Annan plan, which was approved by referendum in the northern part
of Cyprus, but rejected in the southern part.
Regarding Armenia, Turkey, last year, invited Armenia to take part in
a committee of historians to research these events, Mr Babacan told
MEPs, but so far without response.
On South-eastern Turkey, Mr Babacan explained that the region had
lived through decades of ‘terrorist attacks’ and that the lack of
security had traditionally scared off investors. The Turkish
government is hoping for increased international cooperation and help
in the fight against terrorism, which has recently flared up due to
the instability in Iraq and incidents in Europe.
12.07.2005 Committee on Foreign Affairs
In the chair: Elmar BROK (EPP-ED, DE)

AZG Armenian Daily #126, 09/07/2005
Karabakh diary
COSTS OF REAL ESTATE IN ARTSAKH RISE YEAR BY YEAR
According to the data of the Real Estate Cadastre of Nagorno Karabakh, the
authorities of the republic completed topographic works of 85 village
communities included Askeran region during 2000-2004. Rights for ownership
of real estate were registered in 71 communities of Karabakh. More real
estate owners came up in Stepanakert and Askeran region, the least in Shushi
region.
In Stepanakert it is the buildings of public importance that are more often
hired and in regions — lands for agricultural aims. The number of mortgage
contracts in 2004 increased twice against 2003. Stepanakert is leading in
number of mortgaged the real estate. Of 395 contracts signed in 2004, 327
were signed in Stepanakert.
The greatest change in the real estate market took place in the market of
many-storied buildings and houses. In 2003, 1 sq. meter of an apartment in a
many-storied building in Stepanakert cost $105. Last year, this figure rose
up to $147.5 for 1 sq. meter.
Prices most profoundly fluctuated in Shushi. The minimal price of a flat in
Shushi in 2003 was $7 for 1 sq. meter, in 2004 it was $16. Despite this
growth, real estate in Shushi still remains the lowest in Artsakh.
Stepanakert is leading with the highest prices for real estate. Specialists
say that the prices for real estate will keep rising henceforth.
By Kim Gabrielian in Stepanakert

Coastal Post, CA
July 8 2005
THE SKEPTIC’S JOURNAL
Where IS Slovakia? Near Bolinas?
By Jeanette Pontacq
Much hand-wringing in Europe over the negative popular votes by both
France and the Netherlands in rejecting the proposed EU Constitution!
How French workers, artisans and small business people have fared so
far under globalization can act as a warning to us in West Marin, if
we pay attention.
Regulations are handed down from the EU office in Brussels that can
damage or outright destroy traditions, cuisine, and culture that have
been in place for a thousand years in France. A certain unity within
main Europe can be beneficial to all. But when homogenization and the
ease of moving capital over borders (for the greater good of
multi-national corporations and investors) becomes more important
that the traditions, identities and cultures of the very people of
the country in question, the people themselves should have THE main
voice in deciding how much “unity” (and with whom) they are willing
to accept.
Few countries within the original EU members have dared to ask their
people for their opinion on this issue… instead assigning their
bureaucrats the job. It is almost as though the governments were
unsure of those unruly “people” and didn’t want to take a chance on
rejection. (Note: the same thing is happening here, where the
government has given open approval to outsourcing of jobs, corporate
interests over public interests, and tacit approval to open borders
to depress wages of workers and support a corrupt foreign power).
The original EU was composed of six countries, then fifteen.(Britain,
France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Luxembourg, Germany, Netherlands,
Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Austria, Ireland, Belgium, and Greece.) In
2004, ten more were taken in… (Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia,
Slovakia, Slovenia, Hungary, Czech Republic, Cyprus, and Malta-the
second tier). With no real voice of the people such additions would
affect! After all, the “suits” know best. Workers, the “suits” say,
don’t understand or have faith in globalization, cheap labor crossing
open borders to depress wages, outsourcing and loss of cultural
identity. Gosh, what a surprise when one is trying to support one’s
family and one’s social identity!
The addition of Muslim Turkey, in a further list of potential
enlargements (Bulgaria and Romania), was the final straw for a lot of
workers/voters in western Europe. Beyond Turkey’s refusal to even
look at their culpability in the genocide of the Armenians at the
beginning of the 20th Century, or their historic human rights abuses,
they have little in common with central Europe. Different religion,
history, view of the world, financial structure, etc. Further,
countries such as Germany, France, the Netherlands, and others of the
original six, have already been inundated by millions of cheap
workers from Turkey and other eastern countries over the last
decades. The large influx of foreign workers (with high birth rates),
and the low native birth rates, have played havoc with assaults on
culture, liberal integration, wages and language. “Frenchness” was/is
at stake. In other words, the stakes were very, very high.
France has historically been welcoming to political dissidents and
immigrants, simply because there were small numbers and the “newbies”
always willingly entered French culture and spoke French.
This changed after ill-advised adventures in Algeria and West Africa
in the 1800s/1900s, during which the deluded French of the time both
governed those areas very badly and gave their colonial subjects full
French citizenship, to create “Greater France.” France has always
been chauvinistic. The land of 246 types of cheese (per Charles De
Gaulle) thinks well of itself, with good reason: its history,
culture, cuisine, literature and political re-inventions over the
centuries are legend and a basis for our own. But the addition of
peoples quite a bit different than the French Everyman, matched by a
failure of historic submersion into the French culture, has placed
whole peoples as “others” in a dwindling sea of Frenchness.
Therein is one of the largest, underlying fears that drove the Non
vote against the European Union: the fear of completely open borders,
of being overwhelmed by immigrants from countries for which the
French history, culture and language mean relatively nothing. The
average Frenchman may admit that a good part of the immigration is
coming to fill empty, low-paying jobs. But the French sense of self
is under assault in the eyes of many, even if few will speak of it.
People will vote against their own practical interests to uphold
their self-image and their perceived culture. There is no right or
wrong in this, just reality. Thousands of years old. Everyone needs
to have a voice, a vote, in how they see their future, and with whom.
Globalization and Diversity are each two-edged swords there and here.
How do YOU feel about it? For West Marin. It is a subject rarely
spoken of openly here-the subject is always talked about as happening
elsewhere. But West Marin is NOT an island off the coast of
California, as many have said over the years. West Marin is part of a
California in crisis and a country in peril. We might want to look at
working out a way to have West Marin communities actually be able to
voice their opinions finally. How about voting? It seemed to work for
the French.

Pan Armenian News
ONLY 1 EURO FOR FALSE INFORMATION ON ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
08.07.2005 04:09
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Parisian court imposed a symbolic fine of 1 Euro on
the editors of the French encyclopedia for producing false information on
the Armenian Genocide, PAP news agency reported. According to the court
decision, the editors the famous French encyclopedia”Le Quid” took Turkey’s
position when describing the events of 1915. The Parisian court decreed that
the verdict should be published in press. The suit was brought in 2003 by
the Armenian National Committee of France (CDCA). At the same time the
Committee representatives stressed that parallelly with the publication of
Turkey’s position the editorial staff placed the note that France recognized
the Armenian Genocide. To note, the Armenian community of France numbering
300 000 people is the most numerous one. France recognized the Armenian
Genocide in 2001, thus causing Turkey’s sharp protests.

Armenpress
ARMENIAN-CHINESE SYNTHETIC RUBBER PLANT TO BE BUILT NEXT YEAR
YEREVAN, JULY 6, ARMENPRESS: The design work for construction of a joint
Armenian-Chinese synthetic rubber manufacturing plant will be over later
this year, the director of Nairit-2 plant, Albert Sukiasian, said. He said
the plant is supposed to be built next year.
Forty percent of shares in the plant, in the form of technology, will be
owned by the Armenian side and the rest by China. The Chinese party will
take a $100 million credit for construction of the plant. Sukiasian said the
plant will be producing some 25,000 tons of rubber at first stage then
raising it to 30,000 tons.

Pan Armenian News
KILIKIA ARMENIAN VESSEL SOLEMNLY WELCOMED IN BRUSSELS
06.07.2005 03:49
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The solemn ceremony of greeting the Armenian vessel of
Kilikia was held July 3 in the Honorary Dock of the Marseilles port on the
initiative of the RA Embassy in France, RA MFA press center reported.
Armenian Ambassador Edward Nalbandian, heads of the Marseilles city
administration, council of the province of Bouches-du-Rhone, senators, MPs
and over a thousand representatives of the Armenian community of France were
present at the ceremony. Welcoming the arrival of the vessel Edward
Nalbandyan noted that Marseilles for many years has been a hospitable port
for Armenians and it was also a life-saving coast for the Armenians, who
survived the Genocide. `Kilikia is conveying us to the times when the
Kilikian Kingdom and its vessels were welcome guests in the ports of the
Mediterranean’, the Armenian Ambassador to France stated. `It is symbolic
that the ashes of last Kilikian king lie in the French ground near graves of
the French kings, in the Saint Denis Basilique’, he noted. The vessel will
stay in the port till July 6.