Author: Chakrian Hovsep

ITAR-TASS News Agency
TASS
October 14, 2005 Friday
Azerbaijan still committed to peaceful Karabakh settlement – pres
By Sevindzh Abdullayeva, Viktor Shulman
BAKU
Azerbaijan’s President Ilkham Aliyev said his country remains
committed to a peaceful settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict
as the potential of negotiations has not been exhausted.
However, “despite all efforts, the talks remain uneventful,” Aliyev
said Friday as he addressed the participants in the fourth forum of
young people.
Azerbaijan can only claim certain diplomat success, because one can
feel positive changes in the positions on the problem held by
different international organizations. “But this success has no
significance if there are no results,” the president said.
“As long as the opportunities of the negotiating process have not
been exhausted, we’ll be committed to a peaceful way of settling the
conflict, but our patience is not endless,” Aliyev said, adding that
the “current situation cannot keep forever.”
“I’m sure that if we wish a just solution of the problem, we must pay
special attention to army construction,” Aliyev said.
He noted that this thesis was among the priorities during his
election campaign in 2003.
Azerbaijan’s defense spending in 2004 made up 170 million dollars and
is expected to reach 600 million dollars in 2006.
“We’ll make sure that Azerbaijan’s defense budget will be as big as
the entire budget of Armenia,” the president said.
Azerbaijan will create a power army, and the occupied territories of
the country will certainly be liberated, he stated.

OSKANIAN TO VISIT SINGAPORE TODAY
AZG Armenian Daily #184
13/10/2005
Vartan Oskanian, foreign minister of Armenia, left yesterday Australia
for Indonesian capital of Jakarta where he met vice-president and
foreign minister of the country. This was the first ever visit of a
high-ranking Armenian official to Indonesia.
The sides discussed the ways of fostering bilateral relations and
concrete projects in the sphere of economy. The foreign ministers
exchanged information about Banda Ache and Nagorno Karabakh conflicts.
The visit was an opportunity for the sides to get to know each other’s
potentials and problems. Today Vartan Oskanian will head for Singapore.

COOPERATION AGREEMENT SIGNED BETWEEN RA AND NKR JUDICIAL SYSTEMS IN STEPANAKERT
Noyan Tapan News Agency
Oct 10 2005
STEPANAKERT, OCTOBER 10, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Issues relating
to further strengthening of ties among NKR and Armenia’s corresponding
bodies in improvement of the juducial-legal system of Nagorno Karabakh
as well as in that sphere were discussed at the October 8 meeting of
NKR President Arkadi Ghukasian with a delegation of the RA Cassations,
Appeal, Economic Courts.
As Noyan Tapan was informed by the NKR President’s Information
Department, Hovhannes Manukian, the head of the delegation, the
Chairman of the RA Court of Cassations, informed the NKR President
that an agreement on cooperation was signed in Stepanakert receintly
by which the effective mutual cooperation having continued between
the judicial systems of Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh for already
few years got a legal basis. According to Manukian, exchange of
professional information, providing legal and colsultative assistance
as well as assistance to the NKR judicial system in the issues of
training and re-training legal personal, incerasing qualification
of representatives of the judicial corps are envisaged within the
framework of the agreement.
Arkadi Ghukasian expressed a hope that the cooperaion between the
judicial bodies of the two Armenian republics will be bilaterally
useful and effective and of active and long-lasting character.

LATVIAN PRESIDENT VAIRA VIKE-FREIBERGA VISITS ARMENIA
ITAR-TASS, Russia
TASS
Oct 6 2005
YEREVAN, October 6 (Itar-Tass) – Latvian President Vaira Vike-Freiberga
will discuss the prospects of further developing economic cooperation
between the two countries during her official visit to Armenia,
which begins on Thursday.
Itar-Tass was told at the Presidential Press Service here that the
visit was chiefly intended to give fresh impetus to the development
of inter-state relationships, to promote cooperation and to determine
the priorities of economic interaction. The presidents of the two
countries will discuss also problems of EU-Armenia cooperation and
of regional integration.
They are planning to sign a joint declaration and some
intergovernmental agreements on the stimulation and mutual protection
of investments, on cooperation in the customs sphere, and also
in culture.
“Armenia highly appreciates the present level of its relations
with Latvia and is determined to make its bilateral relations with
that country even stronger than now, to promote cooperation in the
economic domain,” officials of the Armenian President’s Office noted
on Thursday. “Active cooperation with Latvia is very desirable for
Armenia, for using Riga’s experience in the effort to effectively
surmount the difficulties of the transition period,” officials of
the Presidential Office stated.
Military cooperation between Armenia and Latvia is also developing
quite effectively, an official of the presidential administration
noted. Armenia is planning to completely reorganise its armed forces
and, therefore, it is important to analyse the Latvian experience
in the reform of the armed forces, as well as in peacekeeping and in
civil defence.
It is believed in Yerevan that in spite of the existing positive
tendencies, economic cooperation between Armenia and Latvia is still
unsatisfactory. For instance, trade turnover between the two countries
added up to slightly more than two million U.S. dollars last year and
to 1.5 millions in the first six months of the current year. Armenian
exports are expected to grow notably this year.
The sides will also touch on the possibility of their cooperation
both within the European structures and in other international
organisations, officials of the Armenian presidential administration
pointed out.

PATRIARCH MUTAFIAN CONGRATULATES PM ERDOGAN
By Hakob Chakrian
AZG Armenian Daily #179
06/10/2005
Turkey
Jack Staw, foreign secretary of the country that currently holds
EU presidency, officially declared of opening of EU-Turkey talks on
the night of October 3. Turkish newspapers conditioned the start of
the talks with the resolution of foreign minister Abdullah Gul and
steadfastness of prime minister Recep Erdogan.
In his October 5 congratulation note, Armenian Patriarch of
Constantinople, Mesrop II Mutafian, underscored the importance of these
two features, resolution and steadfastness, in attaining success,
saying that he prays that the negotiation process is beneficial for
both the state and the citizens and for bringing closer the day of
Turkey’s full membership to the EU.
Meanwhile, he emphasized the vital importance of Muslim Turkey joining
EU for peace in the world, expressing hope that the Turkish state
will successfully reach the end of the talks.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

GENOCIDE ARMENIEN: AXA VA PAYER
par Jean-Luc Barberi
L’Expansion
1 octobre 2005
Ils etaient armeniens, vivaient dans l’Empire ottoman et avaient
souscrit une assurance-vie auprès de L’Union-Vie, compagnie francaise
integree depuis au Groupe Axa. Nombre d’entre eux sont morts lors du
genocide des Armeniens organise par les autorites turques (1 million
et demi de victimes de 1915 a 1923).
Quatre-vingt-dix ans plus tard, Vartkes Yeghiayan, un avocat
californien d’origine armenienne, finalise un accord avec le groupe
francais d’assurances qui prevoit le versement de 17 millions de
dollars au titre de l’indemnisation de ses anciens clients et de
leurs ayants droit.
Dès 1922, le directeur de L’Union-Vie avait informe le gouvernement
francais que la compagnie detenait un portefeuille de 10 899 contrats
d’assurance-vie souscrits principalement par la population d’origine
armenienne. Mais l’affaire etait peu a peu tombee dans l’oubli.
Depuis 1945, la compagnie francaise arguait de la prescription de
trente ans pour degager sa responsabilite. Vartkes Yeghiayan a donc
assigne Axa auprès d’un tribunal de Los Angeles en s’appuyant sur la
legislation californienne, qui reporte a 2010 la prescription pour
les crimes commis lors du genocide.
Grâce a des recherches dans toute l’Europe, Yeghiayan a retrouve une
trentaine de souscripteurs, pour qui il a deja obtenu, en janvier 2004,
20 millions de dollars auprès de New York Life, compagnie americaine
detentrice de 2 000 contrats armeniens. Prochain assureur rappele a
ses obligations: l’allemand Victoria.
–Boundary_(ID_/wQFBpWgWcLGXm3H8Ppaag)–

OFFICIAL REFERENDUM CAMPAIGN STARTED
Armenpress
Oct 05, 2005
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 5, ARMENPRESS: The official campaign for
constitutional referendum started on October 4 after President
Robert Kocharian signed an order setting November 27 as the date for
constitutional referendum. Under the law on referendum the deadline is
November 26. The law also envisages release of budget funds for the
campaign and holding of the referendum to be handled by the Central
Election Commission (CEC).
The also provides for establishment of campaign funds by individuals
The amendments are intended to impose a more strict separation of
powers between the judicial, executive and legislative branches. The
proposed changes also include removal of a clause outlawing dual
citizenship for members of Armenia’s large foreign Diaspora.
Lawmakers passed the amendments on Sep. 28 by a 89-0 vote, with one
abstention. The vote was boycotted by the opposition which called
on Armenians to reject the amendments. The package of amendments
is deemed passed if supported by 780,000 votes, one third of 2,339,
704 eligible voters.

MAMMADYAROV: AGREEMENT ON MINE CLEARING REACHED AT TALKS
Pan Armenian
04.10.2005 14:18
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ An agreement on mine clearing was reached at
the talks over settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, stated
Azeri FM Elmar Mammadyarov. In his words, “mine clearing is a very
important process that will be a priority when Armenia liberates the
occupied territories.” He did not rule out for the recurrent meeting
with Vartan Oskanian to be held in Ljubljana within the framework of
the annual meeting of the OSCE Ministers November 3-4. Answering a
question on the opportunity to start work over a peaceful settlement,
E. Mammadyarov said, “We have to come to agreement over conceptual
matters yet,” reported Mediamax.

MOST AZERIS FOR SOLVING KARABAKH ISSUE BY FORCE
Pan Armenian
04.10.2005 10:58
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Yesterday the information and analysis group of
the Karabakh Liberation Organization (KLO) of Azerbaijan made public
the outcomes of a public opinion poll held October 1, reported APA
Azeri agency.
The poll included 2012 respondents, 1249 out of them being young
people, 515 – people of middle age, 338 – represented the elder. “Which
option of solution of the Karabakh issue you consider possible?” was
the question these people were asked. 51% of respondents were for
solution of the conflict by force, 32% preferred peaceful settlement
of the conflict. 17% found it difficult to answer the question.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

AHMED NECET SEZER: TURKEY READY TO ASSIST KARABAKH SETTLEMENT
Pan Armenian
03.10.2005 13:51
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ “The Nagorno Karabakh and Abkhazian conflicts impede
the establishment of peace and stability in the South Caucasus”,
Turkish President Ahmed Necet Sezer. In his words, the peaceful
settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict will bring political
stability to the South Caucasian region and Turkey exerts every effort
to assist the process.
According to Sezer, the Karabakh issue emerged after the “occupation
of the Azeri territories by Armenia.” Turkey is ready to support a
variant admissible for both parties to the conflict”, the Turkish
President stated.